The Jones Tones
Davey J and the Jones Tones are a veteran band of four musicians, all with a distinctive style and personality that blends into a powerful whole. As bandleader, Davey J's approach to the blues is all about the shuffle, a style and tempo pioneered in acoustic Delta blues and electric Chicago blues. When the four-piece band gets its groove on, you can hear the foot-tapping acoustic-electric sounds from the era of rockabilly, Nashville country and western, early rock and roll, and of course, classic Chicago blues. And in the midst of the traditional shuffle tempos and rich vocals, Davey J also uses processing tools of the 21st century to add an edge to his acoustic guitar sound. So, as the Jones Tones perform songs that range from the 1930s Delta blues to the blues styles of our time, the band pays tribute to blues traditions as well as creating an original new sound.
Davey J (aka David Jones) is a native of Omaha, Nebraska. Calling himself a first-generation Midwesterner with family roots in Arkansas, David grew up hearing the sounds of soul, rock and roll, and folk from the 1960s and 70s, and is an avid listener and fan of several genres of music. After picking up a bit of piano and guitar as a child and teen, David's first band was "The Earplugs," a folk-punk band formed in 1982 when he was a college student in Iowa City, Iowa. He then taught high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, spent a lot of time songwriting, and after moving to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1989, spent the decade of the 90s performing in several blues, reggae, and variety bands. The Jones Tones were originally formed in 1996 as a blues and urban folk band, and David kept the name when he completed a Ph.D. in English Studies and moved to Eau Claire in 2000. With the creative collaboration of a now-established core of musicians - Catya, Duffy Duyfhuizen, and John LeBrun, Davey J and the Jones Tones remain a fixture in Western Wisconsin blues scenes, and their sound continues to grow.
The Jones Tones have two CDs that will be available at the Owen Park performance. The first CD was recorded in Minneapolis with the original urban folk sound, called "Jones Tones Featuring Davey J." The second CD is called "Bridgewater Blues," a live recording of a recent show in Chippewa Falls. David also released a CD with his primary band from the 90s, The Parsley Brothers, called "What is the Meaning of Parsley?"