L.A. Jones & The Blues Messengers
W.C. Handy Award nominees, L.A. Jones & The Blues Messengers have been tearing up the floorboards in roadhouses all over the world for the last two decades, touring constantly and playing over 200 gigs a year and thrilling Blues fans where ever they perform. Despite this grinding schedule they have still found the time to record with and back up some of today’s greatest Blues stars like pianist Pinetop Perkins, guitarist Otis Rush and saxophonist Joe Houston.
L.A. Jones and The Blues Messengers represent a new breed from the old school of the blues; crossing racial. spiritual and musical boundaries and pioneering a style that is all their own, blending the ever popular jump swing of the great Texas and West Coast traditions. At the same time they have not forgotten to remain deeply and firmly rooted in the 1950’s Chicago Blues traditions.
First and foremost however L.A. Jones is an entertainer in the business of show-biz and there is not a gig that L. A. Jones plays without some pleased patron commenting on left handed guitarist L. A. Jones’ ability to effortlessly switch between left and right handed guitars and play either with equal facility and at the same time produce totally different and totally incredible sounds and styles. This is something that NOBODY, but nobody, else in the business does.
Over the years L. A. Jones has honed these entertainment skills to a razor sharp edge, bringing down the house using dynamics reminiscent of the mind-boggling technique of Buddy Guy or the note economics and soul-searching feel of his hero, B.B. King. In addition he uses many different tunings on as many different guitars (both right and left-handed) that keep people talking and musicians fighting among themselves.
David Hussong, of Vintage Guitar Magazine puts it another way when he says L.A. Jones is “...Relentless in his sense of dynamics, creating and designing his solos to take you right out to (and sometimes over) the edge.”
“In 1978 I had a realization that my strong thing was The Blues and that I should specialize in The Blues and so I’ve been hammering at it ever since,” says L. A. Jones. Hammer at it he does, and with the best of them as evidenced by the reviews, endorsements and support he receives from all that he reaches with his music, spirit and far-reaching, multi-faceted talent.
“L.A. bends, slings, pulls, hammers and thrusts his own brand of guitar bravado with an intensity and excitement that transcends the club environment. Although an expert interpreter (as shown in some of his previous works) L.A. shows that he is a formidable writer as well, penning tunes in the same vein as the masters yet imposing his own unique structural and melodic twists and turns.” says Bobby Owsinski of Eurojam International.
“Blues Revue, one of the world’s most widely read Blues magazines says, “Jones really hits his stride on the Albert King pastiche, Long Distance Love, demonstrating a mastery of the fine points of King’s style”.
L. A. Jones and the Blues Messengers recordings also showcase L.A. Jones' formidable talent as a songwriter, arranger and producer. They made history in September of 2000 when they laid down one of the World's first Blues multimedia DVD recordings in Surround Sound, in a state of the art recording facility. Titled, "Birthday Suit" it features L.A. Jones riffing in style with some of the best musicians (Hank Deluxe, Magic Dave Therault, Rick Reed, and Benny Yee) in the world. It has some new originals, acoustic numbers, electric songs, interviews and behind the scenes footage. It is scheduled for release on a major label sometime this year.
In addition L.A. Jones has also lent his talents as a sideman to other recording projects including Jesse Austin’s “Steel Trap”, which reached number 5 on the national Blues Charts and “The Blues and Nothin’ Else” with the great Joe Houston. That recording was voted Number ONE Blues Album of the Year by The L.A. Jazz Times. L.A. Jones also is on Joe Houston’s latest recording, this time another ground-breaking multimedia, Surround Sound DVD, which will be also be released sometime later in the year.
Speaking of new releases, their CD “Live At The Pink Panther”, recorded in the midst of one of their many hot and heavy tours of Europe is as good as the best and better than the rest and that is exemplified by the many rave reviews this recording has thus far garnered. For a complete discography please click here.
To date L.A. Jones has performed in every state in the Continental USA and has toured in eleven countries in Europe successfully. Don’t miss L. A. Jones’ entertaining, lively, humorous, deep Blues when he comes to your town! Please enjoy this great informative web site with sound files, contact information, appearances and more information.
:: Discography ::
1987 - I'm A Miser -
1989 - A Day Late and A Dollar Short -
1992 - Steel Trap -
1994 - Jumpin' At Shadows -
1995 - Rat Stompin' Blues -
1997 - Rat Stompin' Blues Vol. 2 -
1998 - Live at the Dead Goat Saloon -
2001 - Live at the Pink Panther -
:: Contact ::
Website: http://www.lajones.com
Email: lajones@lajones.com