Shawn Jones: Press

Orange Pop: Shawn Jones makes a splash on the other side of the pond
The O.C.-based singer-songwriter-guitarist is getting noticed by the BBC and European audiences.
By ROBERT KINSLER
Special to the Register
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When Shawn Jones performed at the Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point earlier this year, he delivered a high-octane performance blending rock, blues and a good dose of alt-country.

But followers of the talented singer-songwriter-guitarist know well that Jones tends to serve up that kind of energetic combination every time he takes the stage.

And increasingly, the audiences that greet Jones and his top-notch band are not only of the Southern California variety. That's because Jones has been welcomed so fully by BBC Radio and live audiences in Europe.

"I absolutely love to go over there and play," Jones said in an e-mail interview on Aug. 19 when asked about his growing popularity on the other side of the Atlantic.

"I have met some really wonderful people and have learned a lot about life. The crowds are fantastic and real music enthusiasts.

"I as an American roots artist bring to the table something that England, Ireland and Holland doesn't have on a regular basis, and thankfully they have embraced it."

Now Jones, drummer Larry Mitchell, keyboardist Armen Chakmakian and bassist Dean Cortez are set to perform a number of upcoming shows here in Orange County, including opening for David Allan Coe at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Sept. 3, and a marathon-length show at Renaissance Dana Point spanning 8:30 p.m. to midnight on Sept. 12.

"I guess you could say that Orange County and the Inland Empire are my home stomping grounds. (But) Going to Europe has only made things better for me over here," Jones explained.

Jones scored his first big break in 1996, when he was invited to play guitar on Waylon Jennings' "Right for the Time" album and then go out on the road with the legendary singer-songwriter on the Lollapalooza tour that same year.

"My father raised me on Waylon's music, so when I got the gig for a brief but memorable time, I had already been playing his music. When I was able to introduce my dad to Waylon, I really felt as though the world could end at any time and I would have lived my dream."

Jones also noted that while his solo career is keeping him extremely busy, he continues to find time to play guitar for country music singer-songwriter Deana Carter.

"She just finished her new record 'The Chain' (available on Vanguard Records) that she asked me to play on, as well as a tour with Willie (Nelson) in Texas. I got up to sing some gospel with Willie in Waco, Texas, and it brought back so many wonderful memories," said Jones, who had hung out with Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash when they toured with Jennings as part of the outlaw supergroup Highwaymen in the late '90s.

"He (Nelson) turned to me on stage – surprised to see me – and gave me a hug. What an honor!"

Jones hopes to continue to keep his guitar playing gig with Carter, as well as complete a range of upcoming solo projects.

"The band and I are in the studio at the moment completing my fourth studio record, along side of my second live project, 'Live at Mozambique II' as well as gigging 3-6 nights a week," Jones explained.

"I will continue to work with Deana on dates all over the country as long as she will have me. That gig gives me a chance to be a guitarist and back someone else up for a change."

With so much music making going on, it's easy to wonder if Jones is the Michael Phelps in the world of the roots music.

"It's a bit manic right now and has been for a while," Jones admitted. "I try to get exercise as much as possible to balance it out, although it's hard to find the time."

Shawn Jones

Where, when: OC Tavern, 2369 El Camino Real, San Clemente (8 p.m. Aug. 26); at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano (opening for David Allan Coe, 8 p.m. Sept. 3); Renaissance Dana Point, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point (8:30 p.m.-midnight, Sept. 12)

How much: $25

Shawn Jones will perform at, at 8 p.m. on Aug 26; Jones will open for David Allan Coe at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano, at 8 p.m. on Sept. 3; he will also perform at Renaissance Dana Point, 24701 Del Prado, Dana Point, 8:30 p.m.-midnight on Sept. 12.

Information: www.ShawnJonesMusic.com.

Contact the writer: rockwrite@yahoo.com

Orange Pop: This summer boasts some hot new releases from local acts
Recent albums include everything from virtuoso guitar work, alt-country and even ukulele music.
By ROBERT KINSLER

No matter what style of 4th of July barbecue or party you have on tap for the weekend, there is new music to provide a fitting local soundtrack for the holiday celebration.
Shawn Jones, "Live at Mozambique" (High Drive Records) – For anyone impressed by Shawn Jones' incredible set at the recent Doheny Blues Festival, his latest CD is required listening. Recorded live at Mozambique in Laguna Beach, the track listing on the nine-song live collection features many of the same gems included in Jones' set list when he played in nearby Dana Point in May.
Armed with a powerful and affecting voice, as well as virtuoso guitar skills that recall a bunch of blues greats, Jones also writes compelling songs that prove to be the icing on the cake.
He is able to tackle the R&B-flavored blues suggestive of Robert Cray on "Natural Soul" with as much ease as the more straight-forward blues rock of "I Can't Help Myself." The highlight on the fantastic collection is "Glorybound," which showcases his poignant singing and dazzling slide guitar work.
Jones' guitar playing is impressive, but never flashy simply for the sake of showing off. Indeed, positioning his wide array of talents in the service of the songs might be his greatest gift of all.
Information:
www.ShawnJonesMusic.com
You might like if you enjoy:John Mellencamp, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Robert Cray

Blues Matters Magazine CD Review -
Michael Mee

SHAWN JONES All In Good Time

High Drive Records

Sometimes it just comes down to that little bit of extra class. The writing on All In Good Time is that bit sharper, that bit more incisive, the playing lifts the spirits that little bit higher and the voice exposes just a little bit more of the man behind it. Shawn Jones is one of those rare artists that can burrow their way into your soul.

But Jones, who can count Waylon Jennings as a former employer and a fan, brings something other than talent to the table, he brings himself. Every song has a heart and this album is merely the latest stage in Jones's own journey.

On he album the sparks fly between the tradition of blues and the freedom of West Coast rock 'n' roll and that collision makes for a heady cocktail. On the epic Love Will Find A Way, Jones sounds spookily like a young and energised Eric Clapton as his voices aches and stretches to breaking point, yet with Abounding Love he has far more in common with the spirit of country rock that lives in the likes of Jackson Browne.

For an album that comes from straight the heart, All In Good Time is irrepressibly optimistic, alongside Love Will Find A Way and Abounding Love lie Runnin Out Of Time To Run and Heaven's Daughter, all have the steely spine of an absolute belief in a better tomorrow running through them.

And, while faith is never very far away from Jones's music, he never forces his beliefs on the music, it's all still good time rock 'n' roll. The 'winning over' is done by the energy and fire in the music not any message it may contain.

Shawn Jones is a man clearly and deeply in love with making music, he is intense without being overpowering and the heartfelt ballads like There Was You, cut right to the bone.

That All In Good Time is a personal album is clear early on, just how powerful becomes apparent with the closing track My Best Friend, this son's tender message to a loved and missed father is chillingly beautiful. The recorded piece that ends the song and the CD, makes the silence that follows deafening.

Whether you approach Shawn Jones and his music as purely red hot rock from a gifted guitarist, songwriter and singer or something altogether more deep, your visit will be well worthwhile.

Shawn Jones, Talking Heads, Southampton - 19/5/05.

A chance meeting with singer-songwriter Shawn from California earlier in the day led to me changing my schedule to catch his act at the Heads. And I’m glad I did. His act was sandwiched between sets by two bands, Brown and Murmur.
Openers Brown were a hard act to follow - they are a very punchy soul outfit with a very intense singer on keyboards, and they are obviously going places.
But Shawn was a revelation - a left handed guitarist with a soulful voice who put his all into his time on stage.
Many of the songs in his set came from his album ”All In Good Time” which I will be reviewing next month on this website. Songs like “Love’s Gonna Find a Way,” “Long Goodbyes” and the title track. An accomplished guitarist,
Shawn also produced a belting version of Hendrix anthem “Voodoo Chile” and impressed throughout. Whether playing slide or finger picking he sang with emotional intensity and power, and came over as a very sincere guy with firm
beliefs. Obviously a perfectionist, with the help of excellent soundman Shaggy he ironed out a few sound problems early on and gave 150% commitment in his varied, compelling set.
His rootsy, bluesy act closed with a touching song dedicated to his late father, “My Best Friend.” Shawn assured me he would soon be back in the UK for another tour, and I urge you to see him if you get the chance - he’s something special.

HB Magazine WINTER 2005

The Shawn Jones Band

“All In Good Time”

CD Review Grade: A
Mixing elements of Eric Clapton, “Mighty Joe Young” and “Traffic,” the newest CD from “The Shawn Jones Band,” All In Good Time crosses genres and demographics with solid songwriting ease. Starting with the straightforward “Runnin’ Out Of Time to Run,” Jones makes an early statement that this CD isn’t going to be just one type of sound or style. Slowing things down with the contemplative title track “All In Good Time,” it almost seems as if “The Shawn Jones Band” has not only mixed genres, but musical styles as well. “Abounding Love” is the kind of song that has such a strong, resonating structure it wouldn’t be surprising to hear it on the radio or played during a solemn moment in a film. Jones brings the record to a thoughtful and uplifting end with “My Best Friend.” With such lines as “Singin’ through the night/By a camp fire light/All the songs you taught me when I was a boy,” he allows the simple poetry of his lyrics to easily blend with the soft acoustics of the rest of the music. In an era when most records sound overly “studioed” out, Shawn Jones seems to be reveling in the quiet art of simplicity. Mixing style with thought provoking lyrical content, “The Shawn Jones Band” has a reverence for the past, present and future.


All In Good Time is a CD that suggests that songwriting comes very easily to this musician.

THE guide to Live Music in the South UK

Shawn Jones. All In Good Time.
High Drive Records. Running time: 51:45



California man Shawn Jones recently impressed at the Talking Heads in Southampton, and if this album doesn’t contain the excitement of a live gig, it certainly represents the work of a very talented singer-songwriter. Shawn composed all but one of the 11 tracks here, and with the help of BJ Rogers on drums, Will Macgregor on bass and his own dynamic guitar playing he has produced a fine album. Bluesy, soulful and rootsy, most of the songs are about love and relationships, sung in intense fashion by Shawn. Some of the arrangements are very Eric Clapton-ish, which is not a criticism! Stand-outs include “I Can’t Help Myself” and “There Was You” and the closing “My Best Friend,” a touching
tribute to Shawn’s Dad Danny who died eighteen months ago. Excellent.

Shawn Jones and Bob Gross
The Meadow House, Berwick on Tweed
Saturday, May 21

It's always a real privilege to spend the evening in the company of a hugely talented musician (in fact two hugely talented musicians) and Saturday night at The Meadow House's First and Last Venue was no different. Forgoing the delights of Terry Wogan and 'Greece douze points', I made my way to listen to Californian blues/rock guitarist/singer/songwriter Shawn Jones and his marvellous bass player Bob Gross. If the teething troubles with the sound experienced at the start of the evening had anything to do with the beauty of what followed, then every gig should be so lucky. I suspect that it was more to do with the array of effects pedals and the fact that Shawn Jones is a perfectionist, if it's not right it's not anywhere.

Jones is no stranger to The Meadow House, having made his debut alongside Billie Joyce last year but then there was an obvious sharing of the spotlight, this time there was no doubt who was the star of the show. Shawn Jones grew up with the music he now plays, his father Danny Walden Jones was a musician and he steered his son in the right direction. Jones knows exactly the roots of his own blues music but he is never held captive by it, songs like Ramblin Blues, Going Down and Norwegian Wood may be covers but they become Jones originals. That is due, in no small part, to a guitar talent that makes him a phenomenon. The logistics of touring mean that he arrived with an acoustic guitar and an array of effects, throughout the night he coaxed cajoled and bullied both into producing more than they were ever designed to from steel guitar to rocking electric. The zenith came with two Hendrix covers that defied reason. If 'The Wind Cries Mary' was good then 'Voodoo Chile' was awesome. It has become the hub of his live set and for the only time on the night both Jones and Gross indulged in a little showboating. No-one was complaining and every artist deserves to show off the full range of his talent once in a while. But in a small venue it's the contact you make with an audience that is the difference between success and failure and Jones has a natural ability to get on with people.

Despite the attentions of someone in the front row he sang his songs and spoke honestly between them, there is no 'front' to him, what you see and hear is 100% authentic. He had a kindred spirit with him in Bob Gross. Gross is one of those musicians who's been there, done it and had the t-shirt before t-shirts were thought of. He has played with Albert King and for 10 years with Delany Bramlett of Delany and Bonnie fame, his has been the life of a player. He was with Shawn Jones because he chose to be and because he recognises talent. He provided an unstoppable, calm current of bass lines which allowed Jones' to create a white water maelstrom of guitar and voice. As he cut a swathe through the Meadow House audience with Heaven's Daughter, Running Out Of Time To Run and Temptation from his new album All In Good Time, along with older songs like Here I Am it became glaringly obvious that Shawn Jones was born with a blues voice, you can't teach or learn understanding, it's there or it's not.

As he and Gross played their way into the affections of the north east, the night became a big gig in a small room. At times the physical constraints of the venue struggled to contain the magnitude of the talent on show. It will become a happy dilemma for Jones that as he progresses, he will outgrow venues like The Meadow House, although a night of 'sit down', intimate, acoustic blues would be a mouth-watering prospect. The definition and essence of Shawn Jones came in two distinct moments. Love's Gonna Find A Way was prefaced by a story about his little brother in the US military in Baghdad. It was honestly told without theatrical emotion and it cut right to the heart. The song itself is one that Jones audiences, whenever and wherever will demand. In the bar of a pub, as this 'anthem to humanity' died away, it caused that momentary discomfort as the audience had to decide whether to cheer or stay with their thoughts, they cheered.

The other defining moment was a song written about his father just after his passing. Again it was set in context without a trace of mawkishness but, as he sang My Best Friend, every showbusiness 'trick' on how to work an audience disappeared. He was simply and honestly a son singing about the father he loved and missed.

Shawn Jones is undoubtedly a wonderful singer and a truly superb guitarist but he is more than that, in his music he is an open soul.

HBMAGAZINE WINTER 2005

Despite the technological advances influencing the
way music is made today, Shawn Jones prefers the
“old school” approach of putting pencil to paper,
writing songs that can be played on an acoustic
guitar and working them out in front of live audiences across the US and abroad.

The acclaimed singer, songwriter, guitarist and frontman for the American Roots/Rock group “The Shawn Jones Band,”
charted his career by creating a solid, steadily growing catalog of inspired songs and by building an extensive fan base in his
native Southern California,
Nashville, Tennessee and in the UK.

His third album project, which he completed with Grammy-winning producer/engineer David Z, is appropriately entitled “All in Good
Time” and is defined by a group of heartfelt songs that emerged when
Jones found himself at a crossroads both personally and professionally.

When he lost his father,
Danny Walden Jones, to cancer in 2003, the gifted artist sought solace in songwriting, but his muse
proved elusive for a time as he struggled to work through the feelings of grief and loss of the man who was his “best friend
and musical inspiration.”

The lyrics and spirit of the resulting “All in Good Time” documents his deeply-felt journey and reflects a renewed commitment and conviction to his craft. The songs found here are at once pensive and positive in its message of hope, redemption and love’s salvation.

“All in Good Time” is music from an artist who has loved, lost and learned some life lessons along the way. There are toetapping
tunes for the good times, such as “I Can’t Help Myself” and “Long Goodbyes.” And there
are songs that speak to life’s most difficult moments, like “Heaven’s
Daughter” and “Running Out of Time to Run.”

From the album’s soulful title track to “My Best Friend,” a touching
tribute written for his father, “All in Good Time” delivers a series of
intensely personal, yet accessible songs that offer insight into the essence and inspiration of a gifted
musician.

“Although my father raised me on Hank Sr. and Waylon Jennings, I also grew up influenced by
my favorite rock guitarists, Clapton and Hendrix,” says Jones.

Then on a fortuitous evening in Los Angeles several years ago, one of his earliest musical influences watched Jones play and became an instant fan.

“The first time I saw him, it was just Shawn and a guitar
in a small room and he was drawing that music out of
every fiber of himself,” says (Waylon) Jennings. “It was obvious to me that he is a world-class singer, writer and musician all
wrapped into one.”

In fact, Jennings was so impressed with Jones’ talent that he invited him to play on his 1996 release “Right For
The Time” and at Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic that same year. Jones went on to play lead guitar for Jennings’
band on the record breaking ‘96 Lollapalooza Tour, where he shared “main stage” with headliners Metallica,
Soundgarden and The Ramones before an audience of over
30,000 fans.

Jennings’ unconditional
acceptance of Jones at the Lollapalooza event exemplified that, however diverse, music speaks to all people.

“I had always written
and performed, but after that experience I was able to carve out my own niche,” he says.

In 1997, Jones accepted an invitation to go to Frankfurt, Germany to play guitar, arrange and co-produce the debut album for the artist “Emma” on MCA Records/Germany.

Jones subsequently divided his time between Nashville and Los Angeles, writing with some of the music industry’s leading songwriters and musical
artists. While in Nashville, Jones met CMA Winner and
two-time Grammy Winner, Steve Wariner. The pair became fast friends and it wasn’t long before the duo wrote and recorded a song together in Steve’s studio. The enigmatic
ballad, “So Here I Am,” a song in which Wariner makes a guest appearance, is the fourth track on Shawn’s debut album “Natural Soul” (which went on to place 3rd - out of 3,000 - in the John Lennon International Songwriting Competition in 1999).

In the summer of 2004, Jones traveled to Iraq and the Balkans to perform for international military troops in support of world peace and freedom. Summer 2005 found him on the road again for a tour of live performances and
BBC radio spots in the Republic of Ireland and UK.

The Shawn Jones Band is an American Roots/Rock
group with an nternational appeal. Recognized as one of the most compelling artists on the contemporary Roots
music scene, Jones’ music is digitally distributed on virtually every regulated paid Internet downloading site (i.e.itunes, msn, Yahoo, Rhapsody, Sony Connect and Musicmatch).

For information on upcoming performances, visit
www.shawnjonesmusic.com. HB

Great Things Come... All In Good Time!

Very few folks know that during the day, I manage the Internet Department at Big Valley Dodge and Subaru in Van Nuys, California. I do this in order to help defray the costs of BluePower.com and also to keep the wolves away from the door.

One of my favorite sayings is something my grandmother used to tell me when I was a kid. "God doesn't make any mistakes", she would say with the wry smile that would cross her face.

Now many folks don't agree with that saying. Maybe they're right.... but as far as I'm concerned, I have always found that saying to be quite true.

Such are the remarkable series of events which led Shawn Jones to arrive at BluePower's door.

About a month ago, my partner at Big Valley, Mark Sellz, asked that I listen to a CD. Now Mark works closely with the officers from the Van Nuys Police Department in various organizations. The CD had been given to Mark from a Captain on the force. The Captain had become friends with Mr. Jones and had purchased the CD from Shawn at one of his gigs. The work of which I'm speaking is the very CD utilized on the show today. Through this entertwined series of events, I listened and loved Shawn's work. As I mentioned...."God doesn't make any mistakes."

All In Good Time is a beautifully crafted series of songs, delivered from the heart by a master guitarist whose powerful vocals conjure up great strength and sensitivity. Shawn has an inner integrity sorely lacking in many of today's "manufactured" artists.

BluePower is proud to have this accomplished musician and performer come to speak of his recent work, his trials and tribulations and his love and respect of his father.
John Rhys-Eddins BluePower.com