Sedona Magazine - Spring 2011

As the green of Spring buds throughout the red rocks and the St. Patrick's celebrations kick into gear, Irish music is somewhat of a soundtrack requirement – and there are few locals who do it better or more authentically than Karl Jones.

A native of Dublin, Ireland, the now Sedona-based singer/songwriter has regularly appeared on Irish Television's Late Late Show, as well as in Dublin music venues and Irish music festivals, and was a founding member of the U2-inspired rock band Mixed up World. In the 1980s, Jones went on to become an accomplished solo artist, conjuring comparisons with such Irish recording artists as Christy Moore, Van Morrison and Paul Brady. Since his arrival in the United States, Jones has become a Southwestern Celtic fixture, touring the Irish pub circuit throughout Arizona and New Mexico.

 Jones's new CD, Twenty-One Years: The Best of Karl Jones, is a testament to his longevity in a challenging genre and business. Recorded with several Sedona musicians, and featuring traditional Irish ballads and ditties, thoughtful covers and Jones's own finely crafted material, the soulful album transcends the traditional American Irish-music-listening window to become something the ears will crave any time of year.

Unlike most artists, Jones is not tied to technology, so his web presence is limited (visit cdbaby.com/artist/karljones). But listeners won't regret finding him in person for a live show of folk, rock and blues done in dynamic contemporary Celtic style by this exceptionally skilled Irish-Arizona artist. Hear him on Mondays, starting at 6:30pm, throughout 2011 at the original Oak Creek Brewing Company, located at 2050 Yavapai Drive in West Sedona. (928) 204-1300, oakcreekbrew.com/oakcreek/events.php. 

"In recent history, Ireland has no doubt produced some quality exports, Jameson Whiskey, Bono and James Joyce. Among Northern Arizona's prime examples of the great Irish musical tradition is Sedona resident Karl Jones. Originally from Ballinteer, a south side suburb of Dublin, Jones began his international musical pub crawl playing Irish ballads in grade school. Since then he has traveled the U.S. repping the Emerald Isle to all us yanks, but returns home to reconnect with his roots and re hone his musical chops. As a guitarist and songwriter, Jones expertly combines the folk traditions of his home with the rock, rhythm and blues that Van Morrison and U2 so potently injected into Irish music decades ago." ~By Ryan Heinsus of "Flagstaff Live"

"Local musician Karl Jones performed a special Saint
Patrick's Day concert at the Verde Valley Senior Center
on Thursday afternoon. The Irish born Jones treated the
audience to an assortment of Irish folk songs, ballads
and contemporary fair during the special Saint Patrick's
Day dinner. The senior center was decked out in green
shamrocks, with many of the guests also getting into the spirit and wearing their brightest green for the
occasion."

VVN/Jon Pelletier - Staff Photographer

If you’re looking for a little authenticity this year on St. Patrick’s Day, look no further than Celtic Crossings Pub or the Bird Cage Saloon. Both venues will host Irish singer and songwriter Karl Jones in their celebration of all things Irish, and it doesn’t get more authentic than this. Jones was born and raised in Ireland, grew up surrounded by traditional Irish music, and has incorporated that heritage into the music he creates. He still sports a little of that Irish brogue in his speech—probably even a little more on the day Americans drink green beer to honor an Irish saint. Karl’s musical journey began at an early age, when his grandfather would take him round to taverns in the small seaside town of Wexford. “There were often some stellar balladeers playing,” he recalls. “I love the lilting sound in the voice that is the hallmark of well-sung Irish ballads.”  Karl says he wanted to be a good singer as early as he can remember, and by the time he was in his teens, he was writing his own songs. “That was never hard for me. It took a long time for me to want to learn other people’s songs...” He started on guitar at the age of seven, later influenced by both Jimi Hendrix, who made him want to learn to play electric, and Dave Matthews, who he says “dispelled any doubt about how cool and relevant pure acoustic guitar can sound, and what can be accomplished with it,” shaking its reputation as a folk instrument.

Jones also remembers another pivotal moment: Michael Glabiki of Rusted Root did an acoustic show in Flagstaff in 2003, where he “unleashed so much energy, charisma, and rock sensibility that I made the decision there and then to make playing solo an important component of what I express as an artist.” Jones strives to recreate on the guitar the fiddle riffs and chord combinations of the traditional Irish music he grew up on. When he’s not playing solo shows, Jones leads a trio he calls Dublin Soul, accompanied by Courtney Yeates on cello and vocals, and Lindzy Kat on bass. The music they produce is shaped by the legendary Van Morrison album, Astral Weeks, and the music of Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice, who also uses a simple trio of guitar, cello and bass.

Jones has nothing but high praise for his fellow players in Dublin Soul. “Courtney was first chair cello in the Miami Symphony...she understands everything from Bach to the Beatles. She has a beautiful voice and is a strong lead singer in her own right.” She also plays in a duo with Lindzy Kat, who has played in various incarnations of Dublin Soul for years.
 
Jones says he’s “a bit of a snob” for Irish musicians, and cites U2’s Bono as a major influence on his singing. “Growing up in Dublin I was listening to and meeting musicians who worked with Thin Lizzy, The Boomtown Rats, Sinead O’Connor, Van Morrison, and even punk bands like Stiff Little Fingers. There’s such an abundance of music in Ireland then and now, so I often looked no further.”


Since living in America, though, he’s spent a lot of time listening to blues, jazz, soul and R & B. “I think I have a better foundation for what I do having delved into American roots music.” He admires the later work of Johnny Cash, and sees a distinct connection between bluegrass and traditional Irish music, noting, “melodies and rhythms from the Celtic people have found their way inextricably into what we think of as American music.”

The audience for Jones’ music, whether solo or with the band, has grown as he plays venues as far-flung as Albuquerque, San Diego, and Phoenix. Since he lives in Sedona, most of his shows are in Northern Arizona. He plays every Monday at Oak Creek Brewing Co. and once a month at Mooney’s Irish Pub, both in Sedona. He loves playing with Dublin Soul at Paul and Jerry’s in Jerome, where “something about the acoustics and the history make it a lot of fun.” And of course, he’s a regular at Celtic Crossings in Prescott, both solo and with the band. On April 1, they’ll make their debut at The Compound Grill in Scottsdale, a higher-profile gig, where they expect a couple hundred people to show up.

Karl is a little reserved about his goals for his career, believing they have more power when shrouded in mystery. But when asked about his beliefs about the state of music and where he fits in, he knows how he feels: “There was a vibe in the sixties that had to do with sharing, and we need to get back to it. It’s about moving hearts. I hate to sound corny, but it’s about telling a story— it’s about love and communication.”

You can see Karl Jones on St. Patrick’s Day at Celtic Crossings, 2-6 p.m. and at the Bird Cage Saloon, 8-Midnight.

Written by ~Don Cheek
Published Friday, 04 March 2011 08:48
on Pop Rocket Press: http://www.poprocketpress.com/music/41-music/88-karl-jones-an-irishman-with-heart-and-soul.html