The Carvin JONES Band - Live at Joe's Grotto 1998
Blues
Blown away! What a guitar tone! Why Carvin Jones is not a household name is beyond me. Maybe he's not the best vocalist in the world, but maybe he IS the best Blues Guitarist with a pulse today. Right down the middle between Hendrix and SRV but maybe with a bit rougher edge. Originals and classics both done extremely well. Carvin is the only person even challenging Walter Trout's claim to the Blues Guitar title (among the living)and this cd will prove it! Get it if ya can, whatever it takes! Woulda been four stars with a slight vocal weakness, but the guitar intensity MORE than made up for it.
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I read some sterling reviews and finaly tracked down this rare cd. No idea why the reviews were so impressive. Someone mentioned SRV and HENDRIX in the same breath - pure insult. His vocals are very poor, but are still better than the frantic noodling that passes for solos on this poor offering. How you can butcher something as basic as ROADHOUSE BLUES is beyond me. His guitar playing has absolutely no direction and his tone is a 60isch fuzztone that sounds ancient. All the solos are pointless finger exercises. There are about 800 or so better players in my collection and this one has not one redeeming feature. Try RHETT TYLER or MICHAEL KATON for some sizzling blues guitar.
By HANS D. HARMS.
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Carvin Jones was born in Lufkin, Texas. At a very young age, he was seduced to the blues by listening to BB King records his grandfather constantly played in the house. At age 11, Carvin remembers "my grandmother bought me my first guitar because I would borrow other people´s and when they came back to get them, I´d bum out. She took me downtown and bought me a guitar. I´ll never forget that day." Carvin recalls "my part of town was a rough neighborhood with a capital ´R´. I saw people litterally get killed - shot, stabbed, whatever. The guitar kept me out of trouble because I was always
inside playing the guitar away from that."
For a few years after high school, Carvin was performing small gigs around Texas. He decided to move to Arizona for a change of pace. In 1989, he moved in with his aunt and uncle, The Rev. Henry Adams and his wife Mattie, in their home in south Phoenix. “They took me in and I owe all my success to them. If it
weren´t for them, there wouldn´t be any Carvin Jones” he says.
Thus, the first incarnation of the "Carvin Jones Band" was formed, and he began taking gigs anywhere they could get bookings. ”We´d go in and play for hamburgers and soda pop” Carvin laughs.
By March, 1991, the Band had gained tremendous popularity, and were playing at clubs all over the Valley. They have maintained a consistent seven nights-a-week performance schedule since then. In March 2000, Carvin celebrated his 3000th performance!
Over the past years, the Carvin Jones Band has opened for guitar legends BB King, Santana and Albert King, and has performed with Joe Cocker and the Fabulous Thunderbird's at the House of Blues 1996 Tour in Phoenix. The Band opened for REO Speedwagon in 1998 at New Year's Eve, and has been a feature band of Fiesta Bowl's New Year's Eve Block Parties for the past two years.
The Carvin Jones Music Show, a 1/2 hour cable TV show promo, included interviews with Carvin, performance clips, local gig calendar, and website plug. The Show aired during February-March, 2000, once a week, on various local Arizona cable channels. The Band has also been featured on Arizona's Channel 3, Channel 15, and Channel 10 News stations and is still featured on Glendale's Channel 11 regularly. Carvin has been a staple of the Glendale, AZ Jazz and Blues fest for several years - much to Arizonans delight!
Carvin began touring Europe in 1999. He has performed with the likes of Buddy Miles, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, John Mayell, Jimmie Vaughn, Ten Years After, Eric Burden and The Animals. In 2007, Carvin and his band opened for the legendary Walter Trout - twice - with rave revews! He has made many appearances on European Television and has regular airplay on several Blues dedicated radio shows throughout Europe. Carvin regularly headlines many European Blues Festivals - including The Pokey Hole Festival (UK), Skegness Rock & Blues Festival (UK), The Warrenpoint Festival (Ireland), Bejar Blues Festival (Spain), Colne Blues Festival (UK), and several others throughout Italy, Spain, Germany, & Holland.
In 2007, Carvin welcomed into the band two amazing Italian musicians, who tour with Carvin full-time throughout Europe. On drums, Gianpaolo Feola - from Sant' Angelo d'Alife, Italy - has brought tremendous energy and excitement to Carvin's all ready electrifying show. Gianpaolo has played with many popular Italian bands throughout Italy and complements Carvin's versitility with his ability to play many types of music... from classic slow Blues & Jazz to classic Rock and Pop. Michele (Mike) Califano - from Naples, Italy - is a self-taught, natural talent. He began playing bass in December 1996 - watching and learning from 'Queen' concerts on DVD - loving the big sound of the bass. Among Mike's influences are Tommy Shannon, John Deacon, John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney, & Geddy Lee. Like Gianpaolo, Mike brings an amazing amount of energy and versitility to the Carvin Jones experience. Together, Carvin, Mike, and Gianpaolo have been heralded the "Best Blues/Rock Band in Europe".
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01. Sidetracked
02. Drivin' South
03. Hootchie Cootchie Man
04. Beck's Boogie
05. Rollover Woman
06. Roadhouse Blues
07. Hideaway
08. Same Lie
09. Goin' Down
10. Sweet Home Chicago
11. Voodoo Chile
12. Star Spangled Banner
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Carvin JONES Band - Unleashed: Burnin' up the Blues 1998
