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Billy Jones
My Hometown
Black & Tan Records
www.blackandtan-shop.com
www.myspace.com/billyjonesbluez
10 songs; 45:28 minutes
Clearly, Billy Jones is an exciting singer, song writer, and guitarist deserving
more attention. This second album produced in the Netherlands on the Black & Tan
label is a great set of variety: original soul-blues, blues-rock, and funk that
honor traditions, but bring something new for today.
Born in 1953 in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Jones’ family owned and operated a
blues cafe often hosting Howlin’ Wolf and Bobby “Blue” Bland. Learning guitar as
a child, he was considered a prodigy, who developed a voice similar to Prince,
and became an understudy to artists such as Little Johnny Taylor and Rufus
Thomas.
Seeing himself as part of the new Blues generation, Jones describes his music,
“...it ain't that same ol' predictable stuff at big corporate labels...But
then...what do these 'fat cat' record company guys know about what's happening
on the streets right now?”
A perfect example of a contemporary street issue is his powerful indictment of
methamphetamine’s destruction in “Crystal.” The tough guitar accentuates the
message, “...it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen.”
The CD kicks off acoustically with a soul-blues number that can deceive the
listener into thinking the entire album will be in this vein. But, by the second
number, gears have shifted to tasty electric slide guitar. Then beautiful
shimmering guitar chords underlie the love song in the third track. The title
track lyrics tell a poignant mix of frustration and hope underscored by an
intricate studio mix of instruments.
Jones is an artist worth the investment of your time. How many artists today are
really trying to change things with their music?
By James “Skyy Dobro” Walker -
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