2008 "Total Inspiration"

Jazz saxophonist J.J. Jones, who is widely known for being a sideman to some of music's greatest luminaries including B.B. King, Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, Big Joe Turner, Barry White, and Chuck Willis, has released his second solo album Total Inspiration, the follow up to his debut record Saxually Romantic. His latest album is an eloquent interpretation of the some of the world's most highly regarded songs whose messages encourage the protection of children including "The Lord's Prayer," Londonderry Air's "Oh Danny Boy," John Lennon and Paul McCartney's "Eleanor Rigby," and Franz Shubert's "Ave Maria." The layers of instruments precipitate softly while arranged immaculately and deliver an angelic resonance through "The Lord's Prayer" while rendering a free-blues/gospel-jazz swagger through Sam Cooke's tune "A Change Is Gonna Come." The album makes you remember that harmonizing can be a beautiful thing capable of bringing people of every race, creed, and nationality together, and J.J. Jones shows that he knows how to accomplish that outcome.

His languid saxophone sways along "Oh Danny Boy" blissfully vibrate eloquently along the gentle piano rolls and peaceful downy strings. He shows such reverence for the song that he makes it feel like an honor to hear the tune player from his lips. The jazzed-up frames of "Eleanor Rigby" are reflective of the rollicking horn rivets of the James Bond theme song and the silky stride of Jones' saxophone on "Ave Maria" is soothing and projects a church-like echo. His rendition of Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" resonates with the warmth of a lover's serenade, and his interpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone" holds the strength of a patriarchal figure keeping his clan together. Jones' twittering saxophone clips along "Walk Around Heaven All Day" have an elegant agility while the drooling stride of Disney's theme song "When You Wish Upon A Star," music written by Leigh Harline, displays a slow, loving purr. His remake of "Wind Beneath My Wings" is balmy on the senses as the instrument phrases are cradled in nurturning hands. The notes are poured with love.

Produced by Benedikt Brydern, Total Inspiration is a relic of beauty. Jones tells in the liner notes, "I've chosen each song on this CD to have meaning for all the little children of the world." Every song encourages the protection of children with reflections of tender lullabyes. Each song is reposing and orchestrated to soothe the soul. Total Inspiration is dedicated to J.J. Jones' granddaughters Reagan and Zoie and all the little children of the world as a way to let them know that they should be cared for, and that they are the ones who hold the key to Heaven's gate.

Tracks:

The Lord's Prayer, Ave Maria, Bridge Over Troubled Water, A Change Is Gonna Come, Oh Danny Boy, Eleanor Rigby, You'll Never Walk Alone, Walk Around Heaven All Day, When You Wish Upon A Star, Wind Beneath My Wings

(Reviewed by Susan Frances for from www.jazzreview.com )

2006 "Saxually Romantic "

Lush orchestral arrangements meet J.J. sensual saxophone playing in this romantic jazz album

Tracks: How Do You Keep The Music Playing?, Stardust, She's Out Of Life, If Ever I Would Leave You Still, Don't Worry 'Bout Me, Fly Me To The Moon, My Funny Valentine, Summertime, Misty, All In Love Is Fair

2008 Eccentric Soul ( Compilation)

The Numero Group, known for wonderful reissues of historic recordings releases this 2 disc special celebrating J.J.'s early and productive years as a producer in Atlanta.

Eccentric Soul: The Tragar & Note Labels

Lost for thirty years among the kudzu and Coke bottles of central Georgia, the Tragar & Note labels are the latest Numero Group unearthings to join our landmark Eccentric Soul series. Spread out over two discs, Eccentric Soul: The Tragar & Note Labels is a ridiculously thorough survey of Jesse Jones' twin labels that operated out of Atlanta between 1968-1977. Ranging from southern to northern soul, classic R&B to modern, dancers to romancers, the 50 track collection chronicles nearly every sub-genre of popular black music being made at the time. Researched with leading Georgia soul expert Brian Poust, the accompanying 32 page booklet features a dozen unpublished photos, memorabilia, label scans, and a 7000 word essay that gives a rich overview of not just these two labels, but the Atlanta soul scene as a whole.

The ever-popular Eccentric Soul series stops by Georgia for its latest offering, putting the spotlight on the Tragar and Note labels, both of which were run by Atlantan soul mogul Jesse Jones. The fifty tracks collected on this massive, exhaustive volume encompass a huge variety of sub-genres restlessly taking in funk, R&B and more traditional, romantic pop songs. A couple of tracks in, you'll be struck by the orchestral arrangement on Eula Cooper's 'Heavenly Father' - it's just incredible. How the producer managed to get such a forceful, even aggressive sound from string arrangement is a bit of a mystery. The same could be said of Chuck Wilder's incredible rhythm and blues cut 'The Clown', which follows the same sort of descending chord motif as Portishead's 'Glory Box'. There are simply too many brilliant moments to list individually, but this record has everything: from the samplehound-baiting drum intro to L. Daniels' 'Nitecap' to the delicate balladry of Franciene Thomas' 'Too Beautiful To Good'. So Numero have produced another spectacularly successful compilation of obscure archive soul music, and it's very possibly one of their best to date.