Chris Jones (singer-songwriter)

Chris Jones (November 11, 1958 – September 13, 2005)^[1] was an American musician (guitars, vocals) and composer. He was born in Reno, Nevada, but lived in Germany ever since he had joined the U.S. Army for three years.

Biography

Jones was born in Reno, Nevada. At the age of five, he began playing the guitar. A few years later, he decided to become a professional musician and when he was 11 years old, he got admitted to a program at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland. There he discovered the idol of his younger years, Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom he dedicated his Sonata in D. For this sonata, Jones was awarded the conservatory's Young Composer of the Year award.

Shortly thereafter, he discovered the blues and started listening to Robert Johnson, James Taylor and Little Feat.

In 1976, Jones joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Adenine's, Germany. During this time, the foundation for his musical career in Europe was laid. Over the following decades, he played guitar on albums of artists such as Sara K., Allan Taylor and Reinhard Mey. He toured and recorded solo and with the blues harmonica musician Steve Baker.

In August 2005, Jones was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in an advanced stage. He died on September 13, 2005, in Northeim, Germany. Like many Americans, he did not have any health insurance and was not able to pay the hospital fees, but friends and other musicians helped him out either personally or by staging charity concerts.

Music

Jones' repertoire encompassed various musical styles, among them blues, country, folk and rock and roll. Most of the time, he played handmade Lakewood^[2] acoustic guitars and dobros.

Selected discography

Solo

• 1982 No Looking Back
• 1996 The Dreaming Pool
• 1996 Free Man
• 2000 Moonstruck
• 2003 Roadhouses and Automobiles

with Steve Baker

• 1995 Slow Roll
• 1996 Everybody's Crying Mercy
• 2003 Smoke and Noise
• 2005 Gotta Look Up

with Kieran Halpin

• 1995 Glory Dayz
• 2002 Moving Air
• 2002 Back Smiling Again
• 2004 The Roundtower Sessions
• 2005 A Box of Words and Tunes

with Reinhard Mey

• 2002 Rüm Hart
• 2004 Nanga Parbat

with Sara K.

• 2002 Waterfalls
• 2002 Live in Concert
• 2006 Hell or High Water

with Steve Strauss

• 2005 Just Like Love

Early works (with various musicians)

• 1979 Friends and Charlie
• 1980 Night Shift
• 1980 Getting Your Own Back
• 1993 Mr. Bluesman (soundtrack)

See also

• Sara K.
• Stockfisch Records

References

External links

• Memorial page of the "bluenote eV"
• Chris Jones discography at Discogs
• Chris Jones on Stockfisch Records