Lifoti Interview | John-Paul “Jp” Jones on his new album, “Broke In Bridge City”
The ever so talented John-Paul “Jp” Jones is not just an artist. He is a person with a unique background story and someone who has been passionate about making great music for decades now.
Something quite special can happen when the melodies of blues collide with the energy of rock and many other styles. While some might think that these genres are worlds apart, they have so much in common, and artists like John-Paul “Jp” Jones represent the perfect example of how the different sounds can come together under one roof to create something that’s truly perfect. The artist recently unveiled a brand new studio album titled Broke In Bridge City. The track is magnetic, impactful and engaging, combining great melodies and exciting hooks, with a world-class production that’s always about making sure that every detail in the mix is up to snuff.
As they say, a chain is only strong as its weakest link, and in this case, it’s hard to find a fault in terms of production, songwriting, and performance excellence here. When there’s so much passion and focus involved, you really can’t go wrong indeed! As an artist, John-Paul “Jp” Jones isn’t just about creating great music. For him, the storytelling component of being an artist and songwriter is also quite important. This is precisely the reason why he is always building powerful narratives and relatable stories, which are just as catchy as his amazing instrumentals and vocal melodies. With John-Paul “Jp” Jones, you don’t just get a good song, but also a fantastic snapshot of an artist with something to say, and a very creative approach to what he does.
Broke In Bridge City is a showcase of personality and passion, and a very stark reminder that John-Paul “Jp” Jones is an artist who is not the kind of person who would rely on a shortcut or settle for less. His songs are excellent and well-produced, a strong indication of his artistic integrity and ability to create music that’s massively appealing. Having said that, John-Paul “Jp” Jones still managed to develop a strong individuality, shining for his personality and showing the world what he is all about. This release is a must for all fans of high-quality blues and rock music out there.
There are so many artists out there, spanning different genres and artistic background. However, not many have the passion, background story and unique artistry of John-Paul "Jp" Jones! Based out of Ottumwa, Iowa, this talented performer has a career that continues from several decades. In fact, many might not know that he has been an active professional musician since 1988, when he could be found playing club gigs and putting his own spin on some amazing hits. John-Paul "Jp" Jones had it all on track for a successful career as a musician and touring performer. This year marks his 33th year as a professional guitarist John-Paul "Jp" Jones first founded the John-Paul Jones Group in 1998 and this marks the 23th anniversary of the band.
The John Paul Jones Group formed at the end of December 1998 leading into January 1999 from the remnants of the progressive rock band John-Paul "Jp" Jones’s Eternia. Under JohnPaul “Jp” Jones leadership, the John-Paul Jones Group has quickly established itself as one of southeastern Iowa's most popular heavy blues acts. The band is rapidly gaining regional and national recognition. The group’s excellent musicianship, powerful stage presence, and a remarkable stage show, sparks audience interaction/participation integrated throughout the shows. First and foremost, the John-Paul Jones Group is talented. These musicians are highly trained professionals with diversified musical backgrounds, ranging from big band jazz and progressive metal to blues and rock. The John-Paul Jones Group perform sheavy blues material from all eras along with original material written by members of the group. The group invokes references to Rory Gallagher, Jimi Hendrix, and Robin Trower among others. Their stage show consists of a colorful and energetic presentation along with great musical performances—the way heavy blues is supposed to be played. The John-Paul Jones Group has received rave reviews from their audiences.
The band and its member shave been the recipients of many awards including best heavy blues band, Top 100 on Number One Music Blues Charts, Top100 Reverbnation Blues Charts, 2018 Iowa Blues Challenge finalist. The group is affiliated with the American Federation of Musicians, Black Rock Coalition, International Blues Society, and the Southeastern Iowa Blues Society. The band’s leader John-Paul “Jp” Jones is a fierce performer, with a barrel house style vocal that go from subtle to growl in at the turn of a pin. John-Paul “Jp” Jones has the voice and presence of a man in charge. He commands the stage in concert with his fellow members. The band is in fact truly drawing from its roots of Blues, Rock, Jazz and Metal to create a sound that is unique, in today’s pop-polished ultra quantized play to tracks karaoke styled popular music. John-Paul “Jp” Jones is quoted as saying,
The music of the late 60’s and early 70’s is very special tome, the guitarist were each unique and individual. The recording techniques were good enough to allow for higher sonic quality, but poor enough that you could not create too slick of a recording. When you listen to a CD or DVD of the John-Paul Jones Group you are going to get an accurate representation of the band. When we record its live in the room, the same way as early Fleetwood Mac, and Mussel Shoals recordings were done. Or Chess Records… all of the most magical records were recorded live in the room.
The John-Paul Jones Group under John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s leadership over the past 20 years has grown from a young kid with a guitar to a full turn-key production organization. Everything about John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s career is contained within his organization. Publishing, Licensing, Concert Promotion, Sound Reinforcement, Lighting Systems, Audio Recording, Video Recording, Marketing. John-Paul “Jp” Jones is known for developing talent in both musicians and crew.
There have been a lot of musicians who have come and gone and even returned and left again in the John-Paul Jones Group. The one thing that I was determined to do was to be a musician without sacrificing my quality of life or the quality of life of my three children. I a man Iowegian as we used to call ourselves when I was a kid in Appanoose County, Iowa. I have worked all over the country, but Iowa is my home. I have always been determined to carve a music business out of Iowa. I had left occasionally over the years to larger markets. But my quality of life was so bleak that I returned home about 25 years ago. I have been working on this ever since. My children are all grown now. So I have more time on my hands. I never saw myself starving in a car or getting hooked on drugs, or any of those things for the sake of my “art”. What I decided was I would work in a trade that could afford me the ability to purchase equipment. Which I have done faithfully for the past30 years. Now I teach electrical engineering and renewable energy program at my local college for the past 10 years. That has afforded me the time to really develop my business. The one thing I will say that I have been an avid student of the music business. Before the fall of MP3.Com I had quite a few sales on that platform. Success with my other band a progressive rock outfit called John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s Eternia. Now my entire focus for the past 20 years has been the John-Paul Jones Group, we don’t play bars, we don’t hold ourselves out as a cover band, and we work on arrangements, composition, and musicianship. It is very important that we have an original take on everything we do. And it's starting to work.
You will definitely get that feeling when you attend a John-Paul Jones Group concert, this artist is the real deal. Not many Black American artists are into guitar playing and very few play guitar the way that John Paul “Jp” Jones plays the guitar. He specializes in using a 7-String guitar. Jp is very unique in his approach
to the music business, as he is looking to
connect with true fans…The John-Paul Jones Group is also very unique in its lending of its support for charitable giving. The band plays annual concerts for multiple charities in its area. Including but not limited to: Blessings Soup Kitchen, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Market on Main Business Incubator, Wapello County Sheriff’s Children’s Shopping Program, Iowa Donor Network, Jessica’s Closet. The band’s audience can range from 7 months of age to70 years of age. The unique thing is that they don’t change their style per crowd. They still play heavy blues. On the concept of heavy blues John-Paul “Jp” Jones had this to say:
I am an American of mixed ethnicity, although on the surface I would be correctly identified as a Black American. What’s so unique is that I was raised in the country outside a little town called Iconium Iowa. Which is on the border of Monroe County and Appanoose County Iowa. I went to school in a small town of about 4900people called Albia. Literally 4500 people and at the time I was attending school there, mid 70’s late 80’s the town consisted of One Asian, Two Native Americans,10 Blacks and of those blacks 7 of them were my immediate family. Growing up my culture was a much Bessie Smith, Aretha Franklin, Count Basie an Marvin Gay and Ray Charles Chuck Berry, and it was Hee Haw, and All In the Family and Jeffersons, with my friends at school we discovered Kiss, and Cream and Black Sabbath. With my music teachers, I discovered a love of Miles Davis, Chuck Mangione, when I hit college age it was Weather Report, Frank Zappa, Return to Forever, Dream Theater. But my formative years was also Rory Gallagher, Jimi Hendrix, Robin Trower, Deep Purple… So to say I had a diverse upbringing is true, I was truly blessed to grow-up with all the same ills that black folks in America have, being called names, degraded etc. but ALSO learning that not everyone who was different than me was also trying to take advantage of me nor did they look down on me. Most of my lasting friends I have had were through a love of music. Music was my area of expertise, and I have worked at it a long-time. As of today, I see the rewards of my education from a life in music.
This diverse musical
background has one thing in
common it influenced John-Paul “Jp” Jones to be
the authentic heavy blues artist
he is as leader of the John-Paul
Jones Group.
Broke In Bridge City is due to
be released on February 5th,
2021. The album is a collection of songs written by JohnPaul "Jp" Jones. All songs
contain a fresh look on life in
Southeastern Iowa as told in
story form from the perspective of a Black American.
Track Listing:
1. Blue Ruin (Right Now)
2. Broke In Bridge City
3. Ballad of The Nine
4. Better Be Yourself
5. Blood Sugar Blues
6. Youth is Wasted On The Young
CREDITS:
Lyrics & Composition: JohnPaul "Jp" Jones
Producer: John-Paul "Jp" Jones
Mix Engineer: Aggela Mourgella
Tracking Engineer: John-Paul "Jp Jones
Arranger: John-Paul "Jp" Jones
Drums: Chris Barber
Guitars, Bass, Vocals: John Paul "Jp" Jones
Additional Lyrics: Paul Hanson & John-Paul Jp" Jones
Label: Eugene's Trick Bag Records, LLC
Distributor: Blue Nexus Music
Studio: Copper Top Studio Hut
Management: H&J Entertainment, LLC
www.johnpauljonesgroup.com
management@johnpauljonesgroup.com
As always, he is a master at creating a raw and
genuine edge with his
vocal performances, in
line with some of the
most authentic blues
and rock performers of
all time. Ultimately, this
is yet another amazing
musical release from
John-Paul "Jp" Jones.
By now, his fans know
that they can always
count on him to deliver high quality music,
and this foray into the
blues is exactly what
we needed at times like
this. While most people
around the world are
struggling due to this
coronavirus crisis, or
are forced indoors as
cities lock down, it is
quite important for people like John-Paul "Jp"
Jones to keep making
beautiful music. Thankfully, he always delivers, and this exciting
album Broke In Bridge
City is another stunning
addition to his growing songbook, which is
filled with spontaneous
and exciting moments.
What’s special about the
Broke In Bridge City is
definitely the fact that
there are so many detail
and nuances fueling the
production, leading to
an engaging, interesting, and one-of-a-kind
sound that shows no
signs of slowing down
in terms of impact and
punchiness. John-Paul “Jp” Jones himself
admitted that this is one
of his favorite album he
has ever released, so you
definitely know that you
are onto something very special when the artist
himself feels so good
about his material! If
you are familiar with John-Paul “Jp” Jones and his iconic style, you
might know that this
album feels like a quintessentially John-Paul “Jp” Jones tracks
from the moment you
press play. His blend
of vintage and modern
sounds is as distinctive
as ever and he knows
how to capture the
imagination of
the audience
with his
style. When John-Paul “Jp” Jones sings,
he does
not just
come up
with vocal
melodies .
He tells powerful stories,
which connect
with the crowd on a
much deeper level. All
about the album Broke
In Bridge City containing six tracks, Lyrics
Composition and production has has done by John-Paul “Jp” Jones in fabulous manner.
Blue Ruin (Right Now)
★★★★
This is a first song of
album, written by John-Paul “Jp” Jones &
Paul Hanson. The song
takes on a very unexpected turn for John-Paul “Jp” Jones, who
combines his ironic
vocal style with a modern rock type beat. The production is crisp and impactful making for a diverse
and exciting feel. His
sound is as expressive
as ever, and I really love
how he managed to create a song that somehow combines
the punch and energy of
modern music with the
emotional responses of
oldies and lyrics that actually have some deeper
substance! This song is also particularly outstanding
when it comes to the
sheer quality of the production. This song is
about the issues that so
many men and women
go through. Regrets
from decisions made,
Addiction runs so rampant in Southeast Iowa.
"I have seen so many
of my friends and relatives that have been
through the struggles of the consequences of
addiction
manipulated decisions .
Some however
have lost
their struggle and they
forget that life
"blue ruin" always takes its dues.
The resulting mental
health issues especially
for men goes most of
the time untreated. I
hope this song will inspire someone who may
be struggling to seek
out help.
I actually had this song
written with a title of
Right Now No Regrets,
but I combined some
of of Paul's words with
mine from my life experience and that is how
Blue Ruin (Right Now)
came to be.
Because of this inspiration Paul is part of the
creation of these lyrics,
I am rather proud of
the lyrics as they are
partially autobiographical in the sense that
so many of the topics
come from my life experience." John-Paul “Jp” Jones stated.
Broke In Bridge City
★★★★
This is a beautifully
written song, to begin
with, so it really stands
out for its own merits as
an amazing song. However, John-Paul “Jp” Jones give it a very
personal spin and sound
has a nostalgic vibe to it.
John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s distinctive vocals
make for a very interesting new direction, giving the song a lot more
richness and depth. He
has a beautifully distinctive style, filled with
passion, emotion, and
the willingness to tell a
powerful story. Musically, the instrumental
track is just as balanced
as John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s fantastic vocal
performance. Like all of
the other songs in John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s
ever-growing musical
portfolio, which is really outstanding about
this track is the sound
of the production. The
story behind this song
is one that is familiar
if you live in any river
town in the midwest.
Meth and drug/alcohol
addictions has been a
huge problem for nearly
three decades in these
communities, and with
that issue comes a lot of
property crime even in
the smallest of towns.
Thanks to the trickle
down economics of the
80's and the NAFTA
agreements of the 90's
most small towns in
Iowa suffer from abject
poverty, and a small portion of each community has "regulars" through
the court system.
Weekly these folks pictures are up in various
newspapers in his particular hometown it is
called 'Warrant Wednesday" and its the same
parade of folks generally who are in and out
of trouble. This song
is basically about life
in one of these Bridge
Towns, like Ottumwa,
Clinton, Farmington,
Burlington, Davenport,
Council Bluffs, Dubuque. And its probably
the same in other midwestern river towns as
well. John-Paul “Jp” Jones says "After 25
years of living in one of
these towns I have experienced the property
theft and the issues of
the revolving door of
the court system.
Drug addiction is a serious matter and I encourage anyone with
a family member or
neighbor or friend to try
encourage them to seek
help because its leads
to a road of pain and
heartache especially for
the ones who are left to
pick up the pieces."
Ballad of The Nine
★★★★
John-Paul “Jp” Jones became a true master
at creating a distinctive
blend of sound, which
actually feels like a
combination between
the warmth of beloved
vintage records and the
feel of modern releases.
His vision is to reach
out to a younger generation of listeners and
get them to truly appreciate the authentic vibe
of older music, while
still coming out with
songs that feel fresh
and inspiring for people
from all walks of life.
Ultimately, this is yet
another excellent milestone in John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s soaring
career as a musician.
This song
showcases the fact
that legacy
and how
proud and
grateful
he is, not
only started by Bunk
Reed, but
also more
importantly the legacy of hard
work and
determination by
Great-Grandparents.
John-Paul “Jp” Jones
stated "I come from a
very special and unique
ancestry. My ancestor
Curry Oscar "Bunk"
Reed who was my
Great-Grandmother's
Grandfather was a slave
in Kentucky who was
shipped to Mercer Missouri with his brother
never to see his mother or father again. He
and his brother escaped
from that owner and
walked to Eddyville
Iowa around 1862 when
the civil war broke out,
Curry was too young to
enlist so they worked
odd jobs and survived.
He and his brother samuel enlsted in the 165th
Colored Regiment out
of Keokuk Iowa. They
walked all the way back
south and fought in
battles all through the
south. After the war he
settled in Centerville
Appanoose County
Iowa (an Iowegian) and
his brother in Keosauqua Van Buren County
Iowa. needless to say
they started families,
which brings me to my
Great Grandmother, she
and her husband Oscar
Jones Sr. Had 9 children. My Grandfather
was one of those nine
children In my family
the descendants of the 9
children have gathered
together for 60 years at
a family reunion. It is
a big ordeal and we are
very proud of our heritage. This song is inspired by the true events
of my Grandmother and
Grandfathers life. Robert & Marjorie Jones,
my family has broken
new ground in so many
ways. My Grandmother
was the Mayday queen,
which is saying something in a southern Iowa
town during segregation times, my grandmother's mother was
white, her father was
black, and they were
married in Mystic Iowa.
She was beautiful. My
Grandfather was a coal
miner and worked other
jobs. My Grandmother
became
the first
Certified
Black
X-R a y
Technician in
the state
of Iowa
and I
am very
proud of
the firsts
that she
did. She
died of
breast
cancer
before I was born and
when my dad was very
young, however, the
stories about her and
my grandfather were
passed down not only
by my father, but my
aunts, uncles and my
great aunts and uncles.
I can see the "firsts'
that my family has
done, my father and
his brothers helped to
change the tide before
de-segregation in the
USA to get small town
Centerville Iowa to desegregate their movie
theater and pools and it
happened. I see myself
when I became maybe
the first if not the only
licensed black master
electrician in the state
of Iowa and then moving on to become the
only Black Professor of
Electrical & Renewable
Energy Technology in
the state of Iowa. This
song is inspired by ancestry and legacy, and I
see it now in my son's
one as a field engineer
and the other working
his way through a robotics career. This song
is my tribute to that
legacy and how proud
and grateful I am too
the foundation, not only
started by Bunk Reed,
but also more importantly the legacy of hard
work and determination
by my Great-Grandparents and my Grandparents passed down
through my dad. This is
song is my thank you to
them."
Better Be Yourself
★★★
This song is well-produced as well, highlighting the fact that John-Paul “Jp” Jones
knows what he is doing
in terms of recording
and capturing nothing
but the very best. I really enjoy how everything
is coming together so
seamlessly, giving the
track a very distinctive
flavor. This is a fantastic song, which excels
from every standpoint.
From the quality of
the instrumental, down
to the timeless vibe of
John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s vocals, everything
hits the mark!
John-Paul “Jp” Jones says
about this song, "This
song I wrote during
the pandemic, but also
it started from an idea
inspired by a family member who suffers
from self-doubt and
poor decision making.
This family member
has always doubted herself and self-sabotaged
her life. Depression
clinical runs rampant
throughout southeastern
Iowa where I am from.
I have been in relationships with women who
suffer from it, and i have
friends men and women
who suffer from self doubt and getting down
on themselves. Some
of those folks have lost
their bought with the
depression, and chosen
to end their life, or sabotage their life in some
way that is permanent.
With the lock-downs of
the pandemic, and the
safety precautions and
the isolation I was really thinking about family
members and friends
who suffer form this.
I also can relate to this
in my own life with so
many people through
their actions who tried
to get me to doubt myself, or planted seeds
that I latched onto. But
I have learned that we
make our own destiny
and we have to stop listening to experts, critics, and naysayers, even
if we love them even if
they are "smarter" than
us. Because at the end
of the day we make our
own life, and we only
have one to live. I can
remember being in relationships an addict
and the gas-lighting that
happened during that
relationship that got me
thinking I was crazy and
losing my mind. The
manipulation I see that
happens with our news
media, and in my professional life at times,
its all interconnected
withing our own minds,
and what we have to do
is be ourselves, I believe in this philosophy,
"DEFINE YOURSELF
OR SOMEONE ELSE
WILL" This song is my
hope that it inspires anyone with self-doubt to
be their own best self,
and not let others negatively influence their
self-awareness."
Blood Sugar Blues
★★★
This wonderful track
begins with a brooding
atmospheric texture,
and the main mood of
the track jumps to the
forefront soon after.
Right off the bat, the
production is very impressive, showcasing
John-Paul “Jp” Jones’s creativity at its
best. Lyrically, the song
packs quite a punch
with a very earnest and
powerful flow, perfectly
attuned to the intensity of the instrumental. You
should definitely find
an affinity for John-Paul “Jp” Jones and
his music, because this
production spares no
expenses when it comes
to creating some great
vibes. Ultimately, John-Paul “Jp” Jones is
a force to be reckoned
with in the music scene,
and Blood Sugar Blues
is a great example of
the massive impact and
punch that he can bring
to the table.
Youth Is Wasted (On
The Young)
★★★★
What's special about the
production is that it has
a nice retro twist to it,
but it still feels fresh and
new. This falls in line
with John-Paul “Jp” Jones's remarkable artistic vision: exploring
the amazing melodies
of the past, and bringing
this timeless sound to
a whole new audience.
It is safe to say that his
idea is working! Many
people have been loving
his releases so far, and
this is another excellent
song in his list of fantastic musical achievements. “Youth Is Wasted (On The Young)” is
a fantastic release with
a fresh attitude and an
open sound that sets the
bar higher in terms for
creativity and production aesthetics alike.
What’s more, the artist spares no expense
in terms of detail and
sound quality. Anything
that John-Paul “Jp” Jones releases is consistently excellent and
amazing, giving the audience a deeper insight
into his talent - not only
as a songwriter, but also
as a natural-born storyteller with a penchant
for connecting with his
audience on a deeper level.
Story Behind
The Song: "I wrote this
song around 1994 when
my brother had passed
away. Another victim
of violence, but it was
also inspired by events
that I heard about when
a student at a local high
school walked into the
school and killed another student. I is inspired
by the phrase "youth is
wasted on the young"
and I really felt it relevant today. I see so
much hate and violence
in the world. But also I
have had the advantage
of experience and I truly do understand it. I
have loved and been
deceived and I have lost
friends and family to
violence. Many times
through crimes of a passion (over a girl or boy).
This seems to be part
of my experience but I
also have had immense
joy in my life, and like
the birth of my children,
and meeting of my wife.
Its pretty amazing how
a song written out of
tragedy can have some
of its meaning become
relevant later in life and
actually adapt to your
current life. However, this song is really
my observation of several different relationships some of persons
I knew personally and
some where I just read
or watched about their
story. I hope it inspires
some young people to
value their youth and
to make choices to keep
their freedom and move
into adulthood in a safe
manner."
➧Interview By Maria Nicolas
• What does your journey as an artist
look like, from start to present day?
» Well I'm from the lake Rathbun area in
Southeastern Iowa my family has been
there since 1863 I'm very proud to be an Iowegian. I started out on trumpet like most
kids' Middle School Jazz Band, but music
singing and dancing was a part of everyday life in my home. I moved onto teaching myself keyboards, inspired by Chick
Corea and Especially Herbie Handcock,
eventually the guitar is what found me.
That was some 40 years ago I have played
on and off the road in a variety of bands
of multiple styles and genres. However, the John-Paul Jones Group
has been my passion for the
past 25 years. Through the
John-Paul Jones Group, I
have built a studio (CopperTop Studio Hut) and a Concert Production Company
(H&J Entertainment, LLC),
and a record label/publishing Company (Eugene’s
Trick Bag Records). I have learned to be independently determined,
and to keep my integrity towards the music that is my tradition. Which brings us
to what I believe is my reward for all of
this hard work, the release of this current
album, “Broke In Bridge City”.
• Compared to when you started music
career some decades ago, is it easier or
harder to be a musician in 2021?
» I think it's easier and I say this because
of the tools that are available and the information and knowledge that is available
When I started I became a student of the
music business my favorite book is “This
Business of Music” and I have studied every edition of that book since it was released. I am lucky because early on I became a member of ASCAP and a member
of AFM. So through them I learned a lot.
I believe the resources to become a good
musician are more vast now than ever. I
think what is actually harder today is to
become an original artist. Becoming a
musician which the technician portion of
being an artist, is easier. Carving a career
that is financially sustainable is as hard as
it ever was. However, being a financially
independent artist to me is still about the
same level of difficulty.
• At what point did you realize you had
talent as a musician and potential to
make songs?
» I knew I could make my own songs pretty early on because I was an improviser
on the trumpet. I can learn by ear and I
can make things up. I wouldn't say that I
was really writing a lot of songs back then
but I was improvising them. I knew I had
a talent for writing music and composing.
I could also arrange parts at an early age.
• Did anyone help you at that point?
» In my life I have not what I'd say had a
lot of “help” but I have had several people
who pointed me in the right direction or
got me started on a path that inspired me
to work harder. There are a few people for
me that were personal in my life. The first
was Mr. Bernie Allgood my middle school
band instructor, and maybe the only person I took formal music lessons from. I
never would have learned to sight-read
learn about harmony and time and tempo.
He was also very patient when I wouldn’t
learn my lesson, but would come in with
an album and learn by ear a Chuck Mangione or Miles Davis song (played not as
well as it should have). Second is Doug
Marks because without his Metal Method Correspondence Course I never would
have learned how to play the guitar living in the middle of hills of the Rathbun
Lake Area of Southeastern Iowa. And 3rd
I have to give it to Chris Magee he was the
band director at Indian Hills Community
College (ironically John-Paul “Jp” Jones is the professor of
Electrical & Renewable Energy Technology there now). Chris was a great mentor
in that he allowed me to take what I knew
from previous experience and apply it in a big band setting. It was
a unique experience
where I met a lot of
great people and shared
in music. Most of
everything that I have
done with music I have
worked hard to learn
from others through
books or correspondence or video. I would
like to say I was selftaught but I would that
would be false I was
more of a self-learner.
I believe that is why I
have such a unique way
of approaching the guitar and my music career
in general. There was
no one in my life who
could actually influence
me to go down a different path.
• If someone has never heard your music, which keywords
would you personally
use to describe your
overall sound and
style?
» Oh that's easy it's Authentic Heavy Blues
• What is the ONE
thing you are NOT
willing or prepared
to do EVER, in your
quest to achieve a
successful musical career?
» Well the first thing
was sacrificing my children and my responsibilities as a father. I was
a single dad for most of
their life. I will never
sacrifice my Integrity or
my goals. I do not chase
after musical or genre
trends.
• Do you think music today is enjoyed more for the beats and
rhythms or for the lyrical content?
» Oh I think the enjoyment of music is
the same as it's always
been. Some people like
it for the sound, some
people like it for the
words & some people
like it for both. I do
believe beats are very
important today. We
mixed this record using
acoustic drums in a way
for the listener who has
grown up with sub-boxes in their parents' vehicles to hear the drums.
I can't say that I'm going to be an authority
on what is current and
popular. I'm an older
guy and as far as music
is concerned, I tend to
gravitate towards the
sounds of my formative
years that captured my
ear.
• How does your live
show add to your mission?
» Our Live shows are
everything. We exist to play live. It is absolutely 100% more important that we are playing as a live band then
Studio recordings Releasing live DVD’s of
performances is a part
of my business & creative process. So the live
show is very important.
• How do you want
fans to feel when they
see you live?
» I want my fans to
feel like they are seeing something they've
never seen before not because of pyrotechnics or some kind of
fancy gimmick. I want
them to feel the same
way when they see a
John-Paul Jones Group
perform as a fan would
have felt if they saw
Rory Gallagher or Peter
Green's Fleetwood Mac
or Jimi Hendrix perform. I want to feel like
this is a fresh raw energy coming off the stage
that they can feed off of
emotionally and spiritually, because when
they do, we get it back
from them ten-fold and
the experience is that
much better.
• What can fans expect
from the Patriot's Picnic & Soul Brothers
Revue Concerts?
» What you're going to
get from the Patriot’s
Picnic is a real backyard
in a field style outdoor
event, outdoors, motorcycles, classic cars, and
folks just hanging out
for the sheer enjoyment
of each others company
for wonderful cause,
supporting our veterans
and veterans service organizations, but showing them that we are
aware of their service
and we appreciate the
positive contribution
they bring to our rural
communities. With the
Soul Brothers Revue,
what an audience member is going to experience is three distinctly
different, absolutely
authentic Black Iowegian Blues Artists on
one stage, performing
original material that
highlights, tradition, heritage, ancestry, and
legacy. This has never
been done in Iowa before, Our goal with this
series is to show that
when the great migration of blacks happened
in 1865 that not all of
the black blues people
stopped in St. Louis, or
Kansas City, or Chicago, Springfield or Milwaukee. Some of those
folks made it to Iowa
and they did bring those
southern music traditions and all the determination to succeed that
being black in America
requires. Kevin (Burt),
Ernie (Peniston) and I
all have rich histories,
and we are proud Iowegians and we are going
to show that blues is not
only to the east or the
south of us.
• In your opinion, what
makes these concerts
so special?
» With the Soul Brother’s Revue (™) we are
going to show our styles
of roots music as it was
influenced by our geographical region and
our interaction as Black
Iowegians with our respective communities.
With the Patrior’s Picnic Concert Series, the
John-Paul Jones Group
is going to bring much
needed awareness and
attendance to Veterans
Service Organization
facilities that host an
event.
• Have you been surprised by anyone
who’s reached out and
said they’ve been influenced by your music?
» You know that has
started to happen thanks
to the wonderful thing
we call social media
I'll get a friend request
from someone who will
be you know 10 or 15 20
years younger than me
who will tell me back
in the day I saw you
play and I just couldn't
believe it or you were
such a big influence on
me and that feels pretty
good cuz many times I
don't know these young
people but they come do
a show or they saw me
playing and now they're
in bands of their or I
may say I inspired him
and some small fashion
I think that's pretty cool
and it does come surprising every now and
then because I have always operated probably
not as good of being the
spectacle that's required
of a front man I'm a little more reserved. However, recently I have to
say there is one young
man his name is Jake
Schrader, he’s 14 and
through the sadness of
the passing of Eddie
Van Halen, he posted a
video playing some of
Ed’s songs. I was greatly influenced by Eddie, that was my era of
formative years, the late
70’s and being a guitar
player you cannot be influenced by Eddie Van
Halen. Well to make a
long story short, Jake’s
mom posted a video, I
was tagged by a mutual
friend, I contacted his
mom Sarah, and asked
them if they would like to tour my studio. They
obliged, and we have
been connected ever
since. Sarah bought
Jake a copy of “Broke
in Bridge City” and
here is the message he
sent me.
Hey I got your album and man I am LOVING it. Your singing and the amazing riffs are truly inspiring to me. To be honest I listen to the album at night when I go to bed and man just the groove in the songs like “Ballad Of The Nine” are amazing and the fast paced “Better Be Yourself” makes me jump! and “Blue Ruin (Right Now)” is stuck in my head right now lol. I just want to say I am a HUGE fan of your music - Jacob
This is probably the
greatest notification
of inspiration I have
ever received besides
the wonderful note his
mom wrote as well. It's
very important to me to
correspond and perhaps
inspire young people in
music.
• Who have you been
listening to recently
that inspires you both
in creatively and personally?
» Oh the artists who
have been creative inspirations for me are
Miles Davis, Quincy
Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jon
Butcher, Robin Trower, Rory Gallagher, Booker
T Jones & Peter Green
those are the guys who
really inspire me creatively. On the business
side of things, Frank
Zappa, Berry Gordy,
Rick Hall, and Steve
Vai. On a personal level though I have an affinity for young black
artists from anywhere
and right now. Marquis
Knox, Quon Willis, &
Christone Ingraham
have all been inspiring
me. Their dedication to
preserving black music
traditions, helped me to
have affirmation to continue doing what I do.
• There’s for sure the
Southeastern Iowa
vibes coming through
on your latest Album
“Broke In Bridge
City” What’s the back
story to this project?
What makes it particularly special for
you?
» We all know this past
year COVID changed
the landscape for touring and performance.
As a Type II Diabietic I had extra precautions I needed to take,
so last year I made the
command decision that
we were going to postpone all shows in 2020.
Normally we produce
live performances from
May through September. After the season
ends, I take two months
off. Normally I would
go into the studio and I
work on all the videos
to release a live CD or
DVD from the footage
from the concert season.
COVID-19 prevents us
from performing… So
I decided that I would
take the time that we
would have been playing going to CopperTop
Studio Hut and write
and record an album.
The results are the songs
on Broke In Bridge City
and I would not be happier. What makes this
album so special for me
is it is extremely personal it is written from my
perspective as a black
iowegian who grew up
in the hills of southeast
Iowa not far from Lake
Rathbun on the 6th of 9
Generations from that
area and it's just very
very important to me
to right from a personal
perspective The songs
are not slapped together, they are written
about my experiences.
my family history. and
observations that I have
had within the communities that I have lived.
• Youth Is Wasted, Better Be Yourself, Blue
Ruin sounds more like
a complete message. It
sounds more solid like
you were saying. Talk
about your vision for
this record.
» The vision behind this
record was to try to get
as personal as possible.
I consider myself an ordinary individual, with
a very extraordinary
background, ancestry,
and perspective. So I
felt that if I could lyrically bring out true feelings and thoughts, and
musically express the
proper emotions on this
record, then it would
universally connect with anyone
no matter where they
come from, what they
look like, or how much
money they had in their
pocket.
• How do you handle
criticism?
» I believe that criticism
is simply an opinion.
And if you have integrity you should take it
under advisement, but
since it's only an opinion. If you have integrity you should never
allow criticism to stop
you from accomplishing your goals. The
only person in the mirror is you. The only person who can facilitate
your success or failure
is you. So as the song
on the album “Better Be
Yourself” states,
“... Better be yourself
baby, or drive yourself
crazy, be yourself baby,
self-doubt will stunt
your growth...”
Too many people allow
the opinions of others
diminish their self-confidence and cause them
to second guess their
self-worth, and their vision. I don’t allow that
to happen.
• Who has been your
worst critic, if any?
» I have had a lot of
critics over the years,
however there is a fine
line between a constructive criticism and
someone simply being
a hater, who wants to
bring down your level of expectation, because they have not or
will not put in the work
to achieve their own
goals, this happens in
all aspects of life. They
are my worst critics,
because what they do
is not positive, it's not
meant to build someone
up, it's meant to bring
them down. Those are
the worst critics. “You
blues is too rock” -
“you don’t fit the image we need for the
band” (i.e. too black),
“why don’t you play
more traditional” these
types of comments are
not meant to help they
are meant to hinder. So
the ones making these
comments are the worst
critics because they are
not helpful.
• Just for fun —
You’re stranded on a
desert island and you
can only take one album, one book, and
one movie. What are
your must-haves to
listen to, read, and
watch?
» Would it be too much
to say that I would take
“Broke In Bridge City”
by the John-Paul Jones
Group.
ALBUMS: In lieu of
my own album, “Broke
In Bridge City” I would
have to say that Irish
tour 74 by Rory Gallagher would be a tough
choice between that and
Electric ladyland Jimi
Hendrix or Bridge of
Sighs by Robin Trower
those would be tough
for me to pick which
one of those I would
take with me.
BOOKS: If I was
stranded on an island as
far as books or concern
it would probably be
some nonfiction Wilderness survival book
that was two foot thick
with everything you
needed to know to survive outside the modern
world
MOVIES: I think I
would have two. Ghost
Blues The Story of
Rory Gallagher, and
Frank Gambale’s Monster Licks and Speed
Picking + Modes No
More Mystery. I would
just study them over
and over again so that I
would have something
to occupy my mind.
Sorry if that was a little
too broad base but it's
just too hard for me to
pick just one
• What does the next
page in your career
trajectory look like?
» Well it'll be performing hopefully covid-19
willing Continue to see
album sales to rise we
are doing something a
little different than most
bands we concentrate
on physical product
only so if you want
“Broke In Bridge City”
you can get it at here.
• What does the rest of
this year and the start
of 2021 look like for
you?
» Album Promotion,
Pre-Production for
touring season, Touring
Season, Vacation, DVD
and Live Album Post
Production, That will
take me through to 2022.
• Are there any projects you’re currently working on right
now?
» We are trying to raise
money for the IHCCTERET Renewable Energy Club’s Library. So
we can help reduce
book costs for students
who wish to complete
the Electrical & Renewable Energy Technology Program at Indian
Hills College. Current
$0.50 from every CD
or Album sold is being
donated to the cause.
So understand when
you purchase an LP or
CD a portion of your
funds are going to a
good cause. I am working on restarting an
old tradition that used
to be common in Iowa
schools, “The AV Club”
I am trying to promote
more and more young
people to become part
of production and promotion “behind the
scenes” work with live
bands and in a studio.
Not everyone will be
a musician, but there
are careers and hobbies
of being FOH or some
other technical support
person within an artistic endeavor. We have
three young students
signed up and want to
have 3 more for this
summer.
• You’ve always championed new music. Are
there any recommendations for Lifoti and
its readers to check
out?
» Okay yes I'm going to
name drop people that
rdr2 me that I think your
readers should check
out First all Christone
“Kingfish” Ingraham,
your readers need to
get his new album. He
is the real deal when
it comes to Southern
Blues great guitar player phenomenal singer
and I am proud to say
he's like a little cousin
We've gotten to know
each other a bit through
the internet since he's
been about 15 I think
he's about 20 now and
he doesn't really need
me to give him accolades he's already a star
but your reader should
check him out Next I
have to give it up to a
fellow Iowegian he's
from up northern Iowa
area, his name is Kevin
Burt and he has an album out called “Stone
Crazy” and it's great
Kevin's voice is just
so soulful and he's one
of the best harmonica
players I've ever heard.
Your readers really are
missing out if they don't
pick up Kevin's album. Okay leaving Iowa for
a bit one of my favorite
bands they're not a new
band by any means, but
The Bush League out of
Virginia I always tease
their manager and their
lead singer I tell them
“your song “Hearse, I
wish I had wrote that
song” they are Hill
Country Blues like no other. Your readers really should check them
out, because folks need
to stop getting hung up
that blue sound old or
it's for old people every
one of these bands and
artists that I've listed
so far are as fresh as
anything that's on the
market I gotta tell you
about my big cousin,
Ernie Peniston, he has
a new album coming up
entitled “These Blues”
Ernie and I are from
the same family tree.
His Grandmother is
my Grandfather’s Sister. When you hear the
song “Ballad Of The
Nine” Robert in that
that is spoken of there is
my grandfather, and the
girl in the lyrics is my
Grandmother Marjorie,
the first black woman to
be an X-Ray Technician
in the state of Iowa.
Family is very important to me. Ernie is
as funky blues as you
will ever hear and like
me he is 100% Black
Iowegian. Our family
was established in Iowa
in 1865 by a Civil War
Veteran of the 165th,
Colored Regiment, of
the United States Army,
“Curry O. Bunk Reed”.
We were our GreatGrand Mother’s Grandfather. Proud Iowegian
history here.
• Anything in closing
you would like to say
to our readers?
» Yes I would like your
readers to just know
how appreciative I am
of LIFOTI magazine
and the time you've
taken to talk to me and
let me share a little bit
about my life and the
album. Go out and get
the album “Broke in
Bridge City” and also
pick up the albums of
my friends and family
I have spoken about.
For an independent artist like us, we are only
able to sustain our careers via fan support.
There's no other way
for us to sustain our
careers. Without your
financial support, our
careers will not weather
the storm and survive
to make more music.
Support local and independent artists as much
as possible. Thank you
for having me. And we
will see you at a concert
near you soon.
Check out the “Broke In Bridge City” from John-Paul “Jp” Jones here.
Recently released Lifoti's March 2021 issue 12, you can check it from below link's for your country:
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