JP Jones Gets Upclose and Personal on New CD

JP Jones' new CD "thugs and lovers" features JP on a $279 Alvarez acoustic guitar, a harmonica and vocals--nobody and nothing else. There's only one overdub, and most tracks are first or second takes, according to the CD booklet. Four of the 12 songs are under 3 minutes.

Simple. Low tech.

I've known JP for about a decade, and even performed one of his songs back in my days of apicken' and agrinnin'. I've also c0-produced two compilation CDs that have featured tracks by JP.

I like JP and I like his work. And he's knocked the crowd out when he's performed at the Narrows.

I've been less of a fan of some of his recordings and performances with his full band, although they've been stellar for the most part. But, from my working the area music circuit over the years, playing coffeehouses and festivals with JP, I've always liked it best when it was just him.

He's one of the few performers whose lyrics I actually care to listen to and I don't want a drum or keyboard drowning them out.

Whether he is a poet is for others to debate, although he seems to embrace that title in the notes in the CD booklet. But there's no question he's a fine lyricist and has an ear for melody and song hooks. To me, those are more important when it's just you and your guitar in front of an audience or a microphone.

I know this sounds overblown--but I consider JP one of the best folk, pop, and rock songwriters over the past 50 years. I rank him up there with Lennon and McCartney, Buddy Holly, Jagger/Richards, Ray Davies, Holland/Dozier/Holland, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Why? Because he has mastered the art of writing lyrics and tunes that are deep and sometimes complex, but are, nonetheless, easy to remember. For example:

woke up from my dreamin'

you found someone new

guess I saw it comin

guess you knew it too

hope you find your real companion

hope this time it's true

temporary partners give ya

temporary blues

That's from the album's first track, which you might have guessed is called "temporary blues." Deep but not deep. And, damn, it rhymes! Good lyricists know the importance of rhyme. As Paul McCartney wrote:

Woke up, got outta bed

Dragged a comb across my head

As John Lennon wrote:

He's a real Nowhere Man

Sitting in his Nowhere Land

Making all his Nowhere plans for nobody

As Bob Dylan wrote:

Don't follow leaders

Watch your parking meters

Simple. Deep, but not need. And the words rhyme and are easy to remember!

Songs touch upon the breakup of relationships (this is probably a good record to listen to if you're going through a divorce), but also a romantic longing for love, as in the track "nothin like":

nothin like the beating of my

true love's heart

nothin like her voice beside me

in the dark

nothin like the distance when we're

far apart

nothin like the circle of my

true love's arms

lord if i could only find her

lay my body down beside her

nothin like the beating of my

true love's heart

Best tracks: "temporary blues, " "not your business now,""nothin' like."

Sleeper best track: "long haul."

Pick for radio hits: "temporary blues,""nothin' like."

Best track to play for your wife or girlfriend if she'll only listen to one song from this guy: "nothin' like."

Weird-sounding songs that you'll like after hearing them 5 times: "pink flamingos,""crawlin out of wakefield."

Song you'll wonder why he included the first 3 times you hear it, then understand why: "handbasket."

Congratulations to JP! I hope Americana radio will play the hell out of this CD. Maybe even the Triple AAA format (attention WBOS!).


Submitted by Steve the Emcee, who loved JP's music even before he met him. He heard it when he was doing a folkie show at a radio station in Marshfield, MA.