Big Jon Short

Genre: Blues
Secondary Genre: Americana Worcester, Massachusetts USA Contact

Armed with foot percussion, National Reso-phonic Guitar, and Lowebow cigar-box hillharp, Big Jon Short's high energy solo performances bring a foot-stomping show that taps into the heart of the songs, regional styles and folklore of the Blues and its importance to American music.

Artist Information

Biography

Armed with foot percussion, a National Reso-phonic Guitar and Lowebow cigar-box reso-hillharp, Big Jon Short's high energy solo performances bring a foot-stomping show that taps into the heart of the songs, regional styles, and folklore of the Blues and its importance to American music. Based in the Northeast US, he travels and performs between 150-200 shows per year in BBQ joints, blues rooms and festivals from Massachusetts to Mississippi. With performing experience in fifteen states, and five countries over the last ten years he has been able to perform at some of the best known venues for Blues music and for more than two years he held a residency at the famed Terra Blues in NYC - all while continuing his work as a public school teacher, running Blues in Schools programs and workshops and was recently awarded the 2010 Worcester Cultural Commission Artist Fellowship.

Shared stage/festivals/opened for:
David "HoneyBoy" Edwards, John Hammond, Taj Mahal, Paul Rishell & Annie Raines, Rory Block, Charlie Musselwhite, Elvin Bishop, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Shemeika Copeland, Henry Butler, Booker T. Jones, James "Superchikan" Johnson, Big George Brock & the Houserockers, Robert Belfour, LC Ulmer, Jimmy "Duck" Holmes, Terry "Harmonica" Bean, North Mississippi All Stars, Bobby Rush, Jimbo Mathus, Rev.Peyton's Big Damn Band, James Montgomery, Duke Robillard, Lightnin' Malcolm, Cedric Burnside, Kent Burnside, Troy Gonyea, Kerry Kearney, Reggie Walley, Toni Lynn Washington, Willie King & the Liberators, John Sinclair, Billy Gibson Band, Brandon Santini, Michael Powers, Ray Shinnery, Saron Crenshaw, Michael Hill, Slam Allen, Frank Morey & His Band, Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood, Chris Fitz Band, Seth Yacavone, Junior Brown, Pete Huttlinger, Ed Gerhard, Max Creek, Strangefolk, Zen Tricksters, Ryan Montbleau, Hillstomp, Jawbone, The Delta Generators, Ten Foot Polecats, The Scissormen, Cannibal Ramblers.


BLUES IN SCHOOLS
Drawing upon over a decade of working in public schools, Big Jon Short also provides assemblies, workshops, lectures and professional development on the history, development and importance of blues music in American culture to students and K-12 educators. Holding a M.Ed in Curriculum and Instructional Technology and Orff Level III certification he is able to incorporate state frameworks into presentations and workshops that address learning standards across the curriculum.

Available for artist residency and after school programs his "Blues in Schools" programs have served as enrichment in the arts and academic curriculum. Using large and small group activities his programs range from single 45-60min presentations to ongoing workshops that can provide instruction in singing, dance, songwriting and instrument lessons for individual, group and ensembles (guitar, harmonica, piano, bass, drums, Orff instruments).

With twelve years of experience as a classroom teacher, after-school and athletics onsite coordinator he has been able to provide in-school and after school programs for groups ranging between 5 and 95 students at a time and professional development programs for educators in multiple school districts, pediatric care facilities and YMCAs between Central MA and Downstate NY.

Recent partnerships include two multiple NAMM Grant Recipients: Raising The Blues, Ltd (www.raisingtheblues.org) and Guitars In The Classroom (www.guitarsintheclassroom.org) with his inaugural GITC program sponsored by Martin Guitars, D'Addario Strings, Dunlop capos and Intelli-Touch Tuners.

For more information: bigjonshort@gmail.com

Semi-finalist at the 2008 & 2010 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN

2010 Worcester Cultural Commission Artist Fellowship Award

Winner of the 9th Annual Lyon/Pitchford Cigarbox Award - Memphis, TN 2010

Voted "Best Blues Musician" by Worcester Magazine: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

Selected as Downstate NY Blues Society's "Artist of the Month" January 2007

Selected as one of Pulse Magazine's "27 to watch in 2007"

Winner of The Pulse Magazine's 2006 Worcester Music Award for "Best Blues Act"

Instrumentation

solo:
Jon Short - vocals, acoustic & National Reso-phonic guitar, Lowebow cigar-box hillharp, suitcase kick drum, Reso-ukelele & kazoo

Discography

Big Jon Short - Song & Play Party 2013
Big Jon Short - 34 Special - 2012
Big Eyed Rabbit - Band debut EP - 2012
Big Jon Short - Folk, Blues for Children - 2011
Big Jon Short - Live from The Shack at Vincent's - 2011
Big Shorty - 2010
Jon Short - Live from The Shack at Vincent's - 2009
Jon Short - Live at Terra Blues, NYC - 2008
Jon Short & Keith Carter - "Three Different Ways" - 2007
Jon Short & Brandan Santini - BACKPORCH BLUES - Sam Phillips Session - 7/28/06
Jon Short & The Barrelhouse Ramblers - 3/30/06
HAVE BLUES, WILL TRAVEL, volume 2 - 2005.
Mississippi to Massachusetts Spring 2005 - live recording
HAVE BLUES, WILL TRAVEL, volume 1 - 2005.
The Late Messengers - 2004.

Radio Airplay:
XM Radio - "Bluesville" with Bill Wax
100.7 FM WZLX "Blues on Sunday" with Carter Alan (Boston, MA)
92.9 FM WBOS (Boston, MA)
90.9 FM WBUR Radio Boston
90.7 FM WFUV (Fordham U., NYC)
89.1 FM WNYU (NYU, NYC)
90.5 FM WICN (Worcester, MA)
91.3 FM WCUW (Worcester, MA)
88.9 FM Radio Città Aperta, Mojo Station & So What! (Roma, Italia)
John Sinclair Radio Show - Radio Free Amsterdam

Official Website

http://www.bigjonshort.com

Links

Audio

Video

Photo Gallery

Press

  • Awards [+ Show ]

    2010 & 2008 International Blues Challenge Semi-Finalist 2010 Lyon/Pitchford Cigarbox Award Vo...

  • "Short and Santini are explosive" [+ Show ]

    "It’s nothing but the blues from Jon Short & Brandon Santini, a National steel and harmonica duo who...

  • ...hypnotic passion [+ Show ]

    (Selection, full article below) Thursday, November 3, 2005 Telling, singing the stories of the b...

  • Art Tipaldi's review of "Backporch Blues" [+ Show ]

    Worcester’s Jon Short may be a grade school teacher by day, but give him a guitar and Short will tea...

  • Critical acclaim for HAVE BLUES, WILL TRAVEL - volume 2 [+ Show ]

    ...The record opens with Leroy Carr’s “How Long Blues” and proceeds through numbers by Robert Johnso...

  • Jon Short's big road blues (quotes, full article below) [+ Show ]

    "Influenced by a style that is steeped in the tradition of southern bluesmen who played in the era b...

  • Review of "HAVE BLUES, WILL TRAVEL - volume 1" & "Mississippi to Massachusetts 2005" [+ Show ]

    *The following review was originally written in Polish. The text here is the first translation I hav...

  • Telling, singing stories of the blues [+ Show ]

    Thursday, November 3, 2005 Telling, singing the stories of the blues By Scott McClennan Entert...

  • Jon Short's big road blues (full article) [+ Show ]

    By Charlene Arsenault It’s odd to hear that someone would fall in love with the blues after heari...

  • Reviews [+ Show ]

    "What makes The Late Messengers special is how they combine four or five musical worlds that rarely ...

Setlist

Always expanding his performing radius and audience, Jon Short is equally comfortable as an opening or featured act with enough of a repertoire to fill more than three hours of good music.

Acoustic sets focus on roots in the tradition of piedmont and delta blues, hill country, gospel and American folk music in the form of covers and originals.

Electric sets feature cover and original material from the Mississippi Delta and Hill-country up to Memphis-Chicago style blues.


$100 of whiskey (J.Short)
3 Leg'd Dog (J.Short)
100 yard howl (J.Short)
Dirty Stay-out (J.Short)
Knoxville blues (J.Short)
Tuesday night evil (J.Short)
One-eyed Jack (J.Short)
Jackson & 44 (J.Short)
Hilltop blues (J.Short)
I go home (J.Short)
Without my baby (J.Short)
Sweet’n’spicy (J.Short)
Pushin' My Luck (R.Belfour)
Coal Black Mattie (R.Burnside)
Shake'em on down (T.McClennan)
Worried Life Blues (R.Burnside)
Miss Maybelle (R.Burnside)
County Farm (E.House)
Down The Dirt Road Blues (C.Patton)
In the evening (B.Broonzy)
Trouble will soon be over (W.Johnson)
Matchbox Blues (L.Jefferson)
Boogie Chillun (J.Hooker)
Same Thing (M.Morganfield)
Hey Whiskey (B.Carter)
All Around Man (B.Carter)
Black Horse Blues (L.Jefferson)
How Long Blues (L.Carr)
I am in the Heavenly Way (B.White)
Tight Like That (H.Whittaker)
Big Road Blues (T.Johnson)
Me & the devil (R.Johnson)
Can’t Be Satisfied (M.Morganfield)
Love in Vain (R.Johnson)
Pony Blues (C.Patton)
Mean Red Spider (M.Morganfield)
Still I’m Traveling On (B.Carter)
You can’t get that stuff no more (H.Whittaker)
Hang it on the wall (C.Patton)
I’m going home (C.Patton)
High fever blues (C.Patton)
Death Letter (E.House)
Jinx blues (E.House)
Fixin’ to die (B.White)
Diddie wah diddie (B.Blake)
I'm so glad (S.James)
Country Blues (M.Morganfield)
Dirt Road Blues (B.Dylan)
Meet me in the morning (B.Dylan)
My Babe (W.Dixon)
Up every morning (R.King)
Midnight Blues (W.McTell)
Bullfrog Blues (W.Harris)
Rattlesnake Daddy (Fuller)
My Washerwoman’s Gone (J.McCoy)
Hellhound on my trail (R.Johnson)
Poor Howard (H.Leadbetter)
If I had possession (R.Johnson)
Queen Bee (T.Mahal)
From Four until late (R.Johnson)
Mean Old World (W.Jacobs)
Come on in my kitchen (R.Johnson)
They’re Red Hot! (R.Johnson)
Cyprus Grove (S.James)
S.F. Bay Blues (J.Fuller)
Katie Mae (L.Hopkins)
Key to the highway (B.Broonzy)
Aberdeen, Mississippi Blues (B.White)
Frankie (J.Hurt)
Early in the morning
Catfish Blues (Traditional)
Stones in my passway (R.Johnson)
Fishin’ (T.Mahal)
Hey, hey (B.Broonzy)
Shake for Me (W.Dixon)
Oh babe, it ain’t no lie
Fish ain’t bitin’ (C.Harris)
Who’s Been Talkin’ (W.Dixon)
Ain’t That Lovin You (J.Reed)
It Hurts Me Too
Next Time You See Me
Fever
I Just Want To Make Love to you (M.Morganfield)
40 Days & 40 Nights (M.Morgnafield)
Obviously 5 Believers (B.Dylan)
I Ain’t Superstitious (C.Burnett)
Sittin’ On Top of the World (Traditional)
Smokestack Lightnin’ (C.Burnett)
Little Red Rooster (W.Dixon)
Viola Lee Blues (G.Cannon)
Mary Had A Little Lamb (B.Guy)
Born Under A Bad Sign (A.King)
Is You Is or Is you ain’t my baby (L.Jordan)
Statesboro Blues
Mystery Train

Basic Requirements


Calendar

DateTimeVenueCity
May 23, 2013 Thursday 8:00 PM Rye and Thyme Cellar Stage Leominster, MA, US
May 24, 2013 Friday 9:00 PM Beatnik's - BIG EYED RABBIT Worcester , MA, US
May 30, 2013 Thursday 8:00 PM Redstar Union - FRESH BLUES featuring TEN FOOT POLECATS, TOKYO TRAMPS and BIG JON SHORT Cambridge, MA, US
Jun 1, 2013 Saturday 3:00 PM Pioneer Brewing Company - Stein Hall Fiskdale, MA, US
Jun 13, 2013 Thursday 8:00 PM The Stomping Ground Putnam, CT, US
Jun 15, 2013 Saturday 11:00 PM Disc Jam Music Festival Brimfield, MA, US
Jun 21, 2013 Friday 7:00 PM Paulie's New Orleans Jazz and Blues Festival Worcester, MA, US
Jul 5, 2013 Friday 6:00 PM First Fridays - Downtown Putnam Putnam, CT, US
Jul 6, 2013 Saturday 3:00 PM Pioneer Brewing Company - Stein Hall Fiskdale, MA, US
Jul 20, 2013 Saturday 6:00 PM Three Arrows Cooperative Social Hall - Family Show (all ages) Putnam Valley, NY, US
Jul 20, 2013 Saturday 8:30 PM Three Arrows Cooperative Waterfront Dock Putnam Valley, NY, US
Jul 25, 2013 Thursday 9:00 PM Beatnik's with MOLLY GENE ONE WHOAMAN BAND and ZACK SLIK Worcester, MA, US
Aug 3, 2013 Saturday 3:00 PM Pioneer Brewing Company - Stein Hall Fiskdale, MA, US
Aug 18, 2013 Sunday 12:00 PM Tweed River Music Festival Stockbridge, VT, US