Bio

Jones started playing over forty years ago, and was soon gigging with a blues band supporting local heroes Liquid Umbrella (well, it was the 1960’s…) and playing at the Redcliffe, long time residency for Dave Edmund’s seminal band Love Sculpture. Moving to Hertfordshire he continued playing acoustic blues on the folk circuit, whilst spending a lot of time in London enjoying live gigs at The Lyceum and Eel Pie Island, listening to legendary acts such as Taste, Clapton, and Free. After finishing a degree at Manchester, Jones formed Harpoon with university friend Jon Ash. The band worked regularly for around five years, clocking up 150 gigs in one ten month period, having, at one point, played five separate gigs in 29 hours! They supported fellow Didsbury musicians Sad Café on their UK gigs, and backed American acts such as Limmie and the Family Cookin', and The Exciters (‘Doo wah diddy diddy’) They were a hard working band, playing gigs across the UK, including prestigious venues such The Marquee, The Red Cow, and The Speakeasy where they were appreciated by people as diverse as John Peel, and Captain Beefheart! Peel visited their ‘dressing room’ at the Marquee, introduced himself, (as if it was needed!) and reported them in Sounds as ‘a nice young band’. The Captain saw them play at The Speakeasy and growled ‘nice band’ ! Jones left the band in 1979, as he could foresee personal problems, which promptly occurred just after he’d left when they signed to PolyGram, at which point the band split for good. For the next few years, Jones turned his attention to video production whist keeping one foot firmly planted in music. He was involved in musical projects as varied as ‘Sausages’ the 'talking dog' single, producing a top 50 (alternative charts) single ‘Edward Fox’ for Manchester Punk band Smack, performing with folk/fusion band Hunters Moon which won second place in Edinburgh International Folk Festival out of over 500 entries. He also wrote technical reviews for Sound on Sound Magazine and did some programming work for Yamaha synthesizers, as well writing incidental music and jingles for video projects. The early nineties saw a change in direction, when he began to study jazz with the likes of Trefor Owen, Adrian Ingram and Chris Walker, playing with such notables as Randy Johnston and Jim Hall at Master classes. He played a weekly gig with the Double B Jazz Orchestra in Stockport from 1992 until 1998, when he moved to Italy. In Italy, he met Tony Mann, a well-established and respected jazz drummer, and sideman to Chet Baker, Tal Farlow, and Barney Kessel. He introduced Tony to Danielle Mencarelli and together they founded The Tony Mann Quartet with Cristiano Arcelli. Their 2000 album 'Night and Day' received air play from Humphrey Lyttleton, on BBC radio and was described in Jazz Review as “rewarding and attractive” Last year Jones and Jonathan Ash were reunited and have begun work on an album project, and now Jones has returned to live in Italy with his wife, Lesley, where he is returning to his blues roots, recording and performing his own material.[b][/b][b]