Chris Jones - Free Man (1998)

The initial confusion over “which Chris Jones” this is will be short-lived when you hear this Chris Jones tear into his guitar. “This Chris Jones” is an American singer-songwriter who’s lived in Germany for 20 years. He’s also one amazing guitar player and has established himself as one of Europe’s premier pickers. (The other Chris Jones is a fine bluegrass singer-guitarist who’s based in Nashville.) “This Chris Jones is a fingerpicker. (The other Chris Jones is a flatpicker.)

Chris was born in Reno, Nevada, and grew up in various parts of the USA. He began playing guitar at age 5, and worked his way through classical, folk. blues, rock, and country music by his late teens, with such influences as Bob Dylan, Ry Cooder, James Taylor, Bruce Hornsby, Robert Johnson, and Johann Sebastian Bach. Jones plays in a passionate, no-holds-barred style which is very much his own.

Chris is probably best-known for his back-up guitar work on the European folk and blues scene, where he’s long been a fixture, working with Irish artists such as Geraldine MacGowan and Kieran Halpin; English blues harp player Steve Baker; and most recently and intriguingly, with American singer-songwriter Liz Meyer, who has long had a reputation for discovering outrageous guitarists. Chris has also recorded and toured with singer-songwriters David Munyon, Allan Taylor, Diane Ponzio, Mary O’Regan, Jon Strong, and Mike Silver.

On FREE MAN, Jones shows what he can do, wholly on his own. His repertoire boasts as many lovely original ballads as hot blues numbers, as well as classics from Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, and Lowell George. Clearly, Jones is a force to be reckoned with.

Man this stuff is great! Best blues guitar work I have ever heard. - Gary Hipps -