Even after seven albums, bluesman JW-Jones has proven that going in a different direction is never a bad thing.
On his Juno Award-nominated new album Belmont Boulevard, Ottawa’s Jones took a different tack in taking things more personally – as in penning songs that more reflect his own life.
That different tack has resulted in an album that’s garnering plenty of attention.
JW-Jones (vocals, guitar), with Laura Greenberg (bass) and Jamie Holmes (drums), plays Wild Bill’s on Wednesday (Oct. 14) as part of a tour through Western Canada, the western U.S. and back to the eastern seaboard.
Last Thursday (Oct. 4), the band was in Prince Albert, Sask. as they made their way across the Prairies. They hit Banff after a week at Edmonton’s Blues on Whyte and a gig in Jasper.
Jones has performed his high-energy, wailing-guitar blues in 19 countries on four continents and is constantly touring. Dan Aykroyd of Blues Brothers fame has called Jones’ group an “amazing blues band” and Jones recently had the honour of performing with legendary Buddy Guy for a couple of gigs in Chicago (video on Facebook and JW-Jones.com).
“Songs on Belmont Boulevard are my most personal, I’d say,” said Jones. “There are some things I never talked about before. “Cocaine Boy” is a story from my childhood and when I said to Tom (producer Tom Hambridge) ‘here’s something deep,’ he said ‘thanks for sharing that.’
“I used to be shy about my past, but I’m more comfortable now with myself and as a musician. There were some things I didn’t want people to know and I feel like a weight is off my shoulders.
“People sometimes get weird ideas because I market myself as clean, slick, and I dress nicely on stage. Some say ‘he comes from money or something’ and that’s not the case. And sometimes other musicians see a person’s success and make comments.”
In making Belmont Boulevard, Jones said producer “Tom was great. It was my first time using a real producer and it was like stepping into the big leagues. He wrote songs for Rascal Flatts, Lynyrd Skynyrd and others and we ended up co-writing songs.
“Before this, I produced myself and you think, This is as good as it could possibly be, but with Tom, I was hands off and really enjoyed it. A couple of the songs were written right in the studio.”
Jones is one of those songwriters who is constantly taking notes, recording lines and riffs and working toward a future project. “I like to have the audio samples or lines, then sit down and say ‘here are some things I’m going to work with. Then match the grooves to lyrics.’ ”
Belmont Boulevard was recorded in Nashville and the next project, he said, is likely to be a live album. “Some people in the industry say that’s a cop out, but a lot of people say they want one. I think playing them live is doing them justice and I’ve already got a venue picked out in Quebec. It’s a room for about 150, just the right size, and it’s my kind of place; where people show up to really listen.
“I’m excited about the idea, having the trio, or maybe some special guests.”
Jones was born in Ottawa and started playing drums at 13; at that time into Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and classic rock. A few years later, after witnessing a B.B. King performance, he fell in love with the blues and decided to take up the guitar. Soon he was absorbing the influences of artists such as Albert King, Freddie King, T-Bone Walker, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Jimmie Vaughan, and later, West Coast guitarists Junior Watson and Little Charlie Baty.
In 1998, he won a Battle of the Bands contest, and the following year he won a Best Guitar Riff-Off competition and used the studio time prize to record his debut album, Defibrillatin’.
Jones was the first artist signed to Toronto-based label Northern Blues Music, which released the album in 2000, as well as his next five CDs.
Jones’ “epiphany moment” came shortly after signing with Northern Blues.
“I was in college for a computer course. The label was flying me across the country to play in showcases, and I had gigs every weekend. My focus was on the music and not school.
“I remember walking away from the college one day, and just like the movies … I looked back at the school, and said to myself, ‘I am never coming back here.’ It was the best decision I’ve ever made. After that, it was complete concentration on building my career.”
Jones has three Maple Blues Award nominations and has worked with many blues greats.
Jones was honoured by the Ottawa Business Journal and Ottawa Chamber of Commerce as one of the Forty Under 40 (out of 250 nominations).
Belmont Boulevard is his first Blind Pig release and produced by iHambridge, who’s helmed projects for Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, and Susan Tedeschi.
