Davey Jones ~ ~ Dons A Blues Cap For Latest CD
Gulf Coast Native Rocks With Ball Cap Blues
When I first heard the name “Davey Jones,” like most children of the ‘60’s, I thought of the heartthrob of The Monkees. Little did I know that I should be thinking of the multi-instrumentalist that hails from the Gulf Coast.
This Davey Jones is a bona fide blues artist who plays all the instruments on his albums, including his latest independent album, Ball Cap Blues. When asked why he puts himself through the task of performing everything himself, he replies, “I enjoy playing everything myself if possible. It means that everything on the song is uniquely me and my style.”
Jones is new to me, and so what you’ll read is my first impression of his music. Ball Cap Blues releases on January 23.
He starts off the album with some blistering guitar on Banks Of The Blues. This autobiographical number is at once bouncy and fun. There’s some cool piano running through the song and the guitar rocks. His vocals are decent and this is a song I could see generating some airplay.
Next up is the funky New Groove. The Gulf Coast is noted as being a place where so many genres of music collide and make up a unique sound. Jones seems to have mastered both blues and funk and the B3 organ is a nice touch. It gives it a solid backing for Jones’ guitar and vocals.
Jones slows down the tempo for Walking Easy, and it’s a good mellow touch. Jones shows that he’s not a one trick pony, but a well-rounded performer. This one shows me that he’s got a way with lyrics as well. The first song sparked my interest, but this one solidifies his reputation for me. It may not be for the purists, but if you enjoy a good, sweet song, this one just may be right up your alley.
He follows up with the very bluesy Ain’t No Good For Me. This one utilizes the B3 organ to a good effect. “If crazy’s got a heartbeat, you know she knows my name,” is a very telling lyric and once again shows Jones’ ability to twist a phrase. There’s some good guitar work throughout.
Then comes Mid Memphis Blues, with its funk rhythm and blues lyrics. For those who love the city, it’ll put a smile on your face and a little bounce in your step. This is another one I could see getting some airplay.
What You Gonna Do starts out nice and slow with some organ chords and nice guitar. Jones starts with the vocals and chooses to use a growl and some background singers to emphasize some of the lines. The organ and guitar make for a good combination. The title is the question that one man what’s an answer to.
Rock ‘n’ roll screams out for Six Feet In The Ground. This one is hands down my favorite so far – maybe it’s my rock background showing through, but if you listen to the lyrics, it’s solid blues lines. The piano is a nice touch and the guitar wails mightily. This one truly rocks!
There’s more great guitar opening Going Down In Mississippi. Mississippi and Louisiana have long been fertile ground for the blues and this song is a nice addition to that legacy. It’s a damn good follow up to the previous song and gives it a solid one-two punch.
The nine song CD concludes with Woman I Love; with its driving guitar and rock ‘n’ roll lyrics, it makes the closing three songs great ones and ensures the album is going to receive its share of acclaim and hopefully will breakthrough with some airplay. I know I’m going to add a few of these songs to my own playlist and share them with my audience.
Ball Cap Blues is not for the purists, but they probably already figured that out from the title alone. It’s for the everyman listeners who like a variety of sounds and this one delivers that and then some. Davey Jones is making his mark on the Gulf Coast scene, and if I was anywhere near Natchez, Mississippi on January 23rd, I would make my way to the Under The Hill Saloon for his CD release party.
When I first heard the name “Davey Jones,” like most children of the ‘60’s, I thought of the heartthrob of The Monkees. Little did I know that I should be thinking of the multi-instrumentalist that hails from the Gulf Coast.
This Davey Jones is a bona fide blues artist who plays all the instruments on his albums, including his latest independent album, Ball Cap Blues. When asked why he puts himself through the task of performing everything himself, he replies, “I enjoy playing everything myself if possible. It means that everything on the song is uniquely me and my style.”
Jones is new to me, and so what you’ll read is my first impression of his music. Ball Cap Blues releases on January 23.
He starts off the album with some blistering guitar on Banks Of The Blues. This autobiographical number is at once bouncy and fun. There’s some cool piano running through the song and the guitar rocks. His vocals are decent and this is a song I could see generating some airplay.
Next up is the funky New Groove. The Gulf Coast is noted as being a place where so many genres of music collide and make up a unique sound. Jones seems to have mastered both blues and funk and the B3 organ is a nice touch. It gives it a solid backing for Jones’ guitar and vocals.
Jones slows down the tempo for Walking Easy, and it’s a good mellow touch. Jones shows that he’s not a one trick pony, but a well-rounded performer. This one shows me that he’s got a way with lyrics as well. The first song sparked my interest, but this one solidifies his reputation for me. It may not be for the purists, but if you enjoy a good, sweet song, this one just may be right up your alley.
He follows up with the very bluesy Ain’t No Good For Me. This one utilizes the B3 organ to a good effect. “If crazy’s got a heartbeat, you know she knows my name,” is a very telling lyric and once again shows Jones’ ability to twist a phrase. There’s some good guitar work throughout.
Then comes Mid Memphis Blues, with its funk rhythm and blues lyrics. For those who love the city, it’ll put a smile on your face and a little bounce in your step. This is another one I could see getting some airplay.
What You Gonna Do starts out nice and slow with some organ chords and nice guitar. Jones starts with the vocals and chooses to use a growl and some background singers to emphasize some of the lines. The organ and guitar make for a good combination. The title is the question that one man what’s an answer to.
Rock ‘n’ roll screams out for Six Feet In The Ground. This one is hands down my favorite so far – maybe it’s my rock background showing through, but if you listen to the lyrics, it’s solid blues lines. The piano is a nice touch and the guitar wails mightily. This one truly rocks!
There’s more great guitar opening Going Down In Mississippi. Mississippi and Louisiana have long been fertile ground for the blues and this song is a nice addition to that legacy. It’s a damn good follow up to the previous song and gives it a solid one-two punch.
The nine song CD concludes with Woman I Love; with its driving guitar and rock ‘n’ roll lyrics, it makes the closing three songs great ones and ensures the album is going to receive its share of acclaim and hopefully will breakthrough with some airplay. I know I’m going to add a few of these songs to my own playlist and share them with my audience.
Ball Cap Blues is not for the purists, but they probably already figured that out from the title alone. It’s for the everyman listeners who like a variety of sounds and this one delivers that and then some. Davey Jones is making his mark on the Gulf Coast scene, and if I was anywhere near Natchez, Mississippi on January 23rd, I would make my way to the Under The Hill Saloon for his CD release party.
Solid review. Jones playing everytihng himself is a smart approach for capturing a unified vision across the album. I've noticed with other one-man-band projects that limitation actually creates more cohesion than assembled bands sometims pull off. The Gulf Coast genre blending is real too, dunno if people outside teh region fully appreciate how much blues and funk naturally mix down there.