JW-Jones

JW-Jones (born July 15, 1980) is a Canadian blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader.

As a guitarist and singer, Jones, who attended Ridgemont High School in Ottawa, Ontario, won the 1998 R&R Concerts "Battle of the Bands", at the age of eighteen.

The prize package included studio time that was used to record a six song demo that was later reviewed by Blues Revue.

The next year, Jones won the 1999 Ottawa Blues Guitar Riff-Off competition.

Jones' first recording contract was signed with CrossCut Records (Germany) in 2000, who released his first seven CDs in Europe.

He was the first artist signed to the NorthernBlues Music label in Toronto and released his first six recordings with the label.

Jones has also worked with Ruf Records in the USA, and Blind Pig Records.

He has released nine studio albums and one live album.

He has played in 23 countries on four continents and continues to tour extensively.

Jones, who lives in Ottawa, Ontario, has performed at blues festivals, theatres and clubs in Canada, the USA, Europe, United Kingdom, Russia, Australia and Brazil.

The prize package included studio time that was used to record his first album, Defibrillatin (SBR001-2000 / NBM0001-2001).

The album included Steve Marriner, a then-high-school-age Ottawa blues harp player.

AllMusic states that the "Keyboardist [Pierre] Chretien [on organ and piano] is credited with bringing a jazz influence to Jones' and the band's sound" during that time period.

The CD liner notes say that Steve Hiscox played drums on the album and Nathan Morris played upright bass.

Morris played on several subsequent albums and played and toured with the band.

On subsequent albums, Morris is also credited for electric bass.

In the 2000s, Jones was invited to perform on stage with a number of blues bands and artists, including The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Junior Watson, Little Charlie & the Nightcats, Rusty Zinn, Rick Holmstrom, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets, The Mannish Boys and Hubert Sumlin.

Jones' second album was Bogart's Bounce, which included performances by the singer and blues "harp" player Kim Wilson (from The Fabulous Thunderbirds) and the pianist Gene Taylor (from The Blasters).

His third album with his band, My Kind of Evil (2004), was produced by the multi-Grammy nominee Kim Wilson (singer for The Fabulous Thunderbirds), and includes vocals by the Canadian singer/guitarist Colin James on two tracks, and Roxanne Potvin on another.

Songs from the album have been played on the internationally syndicated House of Blues Radio Hour.

The music reviewer Brad Wheeler from Canada's The Globe and Mail newspaper praised the "graceful ability he (Jones) shows on guitar" in the album.

Wheeler wrote, "...the Ottawa player makes retro moves, layering swinging blues with keyboards and very noticeable horns that never dominate the fine-lined fills and lead work."

The Allmusic review of My Kind of Evil, by Chris Nickson, says,t "He's very good on covers, such as "I Don't Know," but his own songs — the vast majority of this disc — have plenty of life."

In 2006, Jones released his fourth album, Kissing in 29 Days, which included performances by David "Fathead" Newman on tenor saxophone.

Newman was the main saxophone player with Ray Charles for 12 years.

In Blues Revue magazine, Bret Kofford wrote, "JW-Jones is highly regarded in blues circles."

On May 13, 2008, the fifth album, Bluelisted went on sale.

In May 2009, Jones' song "Parasomnia" appeared on a Guitar World featured CD, Guitar Masters Vol. 2, among B.B. King, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Carlos Santana.

The Canadian national newspaper The Globe and Mail referred to Jones as "one of this country's top blues guitar stars".

The US Blues Revue magazine' stated that "Jones' style is a fluid amalgam of T-Bone Walker's big, bright chords, Johnny "Guitar" Watson's slashing leads, and Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown's jazzy sting".

Billboard called Jones part of "a new wave of young talent moving onto Canada’s blues stage."

Charlie Musselwhite stated, "JW Jones is one of the best guitar players I’ve heard in a long time. He and his band do great tunes with cool arrangements and I love listening to them. They play with taste and fire at the same time."

The guitarist Little Charlie Baty has said, "JW is one of the young guns in the blues guitar world who consistently delivers the goods on record and on stage - and of course I'm gonna dig anybody who writes a tune called 'Batyology'!"

(an instrumental that Jones wrote in homage to Baty).

The Canadian-born Hollywood actor Dan Aykroyd, who is also known for his Blues Brothers persona "Elwood Blues" has called the group an "amazing blues band".

Chuck Leavell, a member of the Rolling Stones, wrote "His evolution as a musician and vocalist shine through on this record like never before. Real songs, real playing by real people, and JW is the real deal" in the liner notes for the JW-Jones release 'High Temperature'.

Jones started as a drummer and was invited to sit in with Mississippi blues artist Big Jack Johnson, New Orleans artist Jumpin' Johnny Sansone, and Ottawa musician Tony D. among others.

On June 19, 2014, Jones was presented with a Forty Under 40 Award by Ottawa Business Journal/Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.

It is a celebration of entrepreneurship in Ottawa - a "salute to the region’s young business stars who balance business achievement, professional expertise and community involvement."

He is a Juno Award nominee (2015), Billboard magazine Top 10 Selling artist, and winner of the International Blues Challenge for "Best Self-Produced CD Award" for his release 'High Temperature' in 2017 and Best Guitarist in 2020.