Bobby Jones wails the blues on Arizona Princess

By Norm Wheeler

Sun editor

(Editor’s Note: Bobby’s CD was released back in 2008, and the Sun apologizes for the delay in trumpeting the coolness of his musical project in his own hometown’s paper!)

There comes a time in the life of any amateur musician who has picked with a band or two over the years, cooked up some original jams on his own, and gotten to know all of the musicians in his neighborhood, that he’s accumulated enough material to put together his own CD.

Such is the case with Glen Arbor’s own Bobby Jones. His release Arizona Princess shows that when Bobby’s not riding his Harley, he’s probably wailing on a Telecaster with the fuzz tone knob turned up to 10!

By combining mostly original material with a few classics from some warhorses of the blues (Will McTell, Sonny Boy Williamson, Ellas McDaniel, even Sam Cooke), Mr. Jones manages to display his own finger craft and vocal virtuosity while featuring an all star cast of local luminaries including John Knight, Newt Cole, Tim Wire, Roger Tarczon, John Kumjian, and hornmen Pete Asch and John Lindenau, among others.

There are some tracks recorded in 1989 and 1990, including a live cut from the Black Pearl Reunion show in Aspen, Colorado, as well as some newer stuff from the past few years. The CD gets right after it immediately with the high energy original Extra Sauce, featuring Bobby’s fuzzy guitar and a filthy wail from Newt Cole’s saxophone to get the stratospheric arc of these blues tunes off the ground. Many tracks feature Bobby Jones on guitar, bass, and vocals, and you can tell right away that you’re in the hands of an experienced blues man.

His originals TC Shuffle, Bobby’s Blues, Need Some Lovin’ Tonight, Juzsumfunk, and the title track Arizona Princess also feature some outstanding piano from Tim Wire and the confident rhythm slants of Roger Tarczon. Jones has worked with the best local sound engineers to produce his CD, including Scott Zylstra of Frontier Studios in Copemish, John Knight of Full Circle Studios in Traverse City, and Patrick Niemisto of Holy Wah! Studio near Maple City. Treat yourself to some homegrown Glen Arbor let ‘er rip blues: watch for the CD around town or contact Bobby Jones at Bobbyj@chartermi.net.