Coventry Jones

Artist Information

Biography

See AUDIO c/o "President Song" (1994) by Puppet Government features Coventry Jones lead guitar/backup vocals & Blue Valentine lead vocal/guitar, track aired on WLUM Rock 102.1 FM Milwaukee. Formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1991 as a nationally touring original acoustic act. N.A.C.A. (National Assoc. for Campus Activities) Showcase Act & nominated for W.A.M.I. (WI Area Music Industry Award) Best New Band 1997.

Coventry Jones is a Milwaukee, WI based internationally touring singer/songwriter. Combining critically acclaimed vocals with styles ranging from modern folk to celtic and delta blues, innovative live performances include audience participation with covers, humorous parodies, on-the-spot requests and uniquely crafted originals. "Worthy of the best folk rock poets," (FOLK ROOTS MAGAZINE, London, U.K.) "Coventry Jones' voice has the richness of James Taylor's," (OnMilwaukee.com). Top 20 New CDs(March '06, Rick's Cafe, Madison, WI). Available as rock band or solo/acoustic.

Instrumentation

Coventry Jones, Vocals, Harmonica, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin & Piano, touring exclusively as solo, acoustic act.
CDs with studio backup band include Milwaukee based Velvet Sky Studio musician/producer Scott Finch from Bluehand on bass, guitar,piano & engineering. Gregg Slavik from Bluehand on drums. John Banshaw, banjo, Bob McDermott, mandolin & Jeff Coulliard, bass. Grass & Eclectic Co. bluegrass/celtic band on "Time Stands Still"('07).

Discography

See AUDIO c/o "President Song",(1994) Puppet Government (Coventry Jones, lead guitar/backup vocals & Blue Valentine, lead vocal, guitar), re-released for 2012 Election!! "Renoir To Hemingway, A Retrospective('98-09)"('09), "Time Stands Still"( 2007), "Love Ashbury" (2004), "Velvet Room Acoustic Set"(2003) "Cosmic Cab Ride To Everywhere"(2001), "Cosmic Truth"(1998). Sold/Distributed over 30,000 copies of 5 independently produced CDs. "Love Ashbury" CD available at CDBaby.com . "Delta Queen" on Big City Blues Mag Sampler #11, aired on BB King's Bluesville XM Satelite Radio. "Hello, Hello" featured on 10,000 CDs c/o Conversion Media, Milwaukee, WI.

Official Website

http://www.coventryjones.com

Links

• MySpace

Audio

• President
  Listen   Download
• Delta Queen
  Listen   Download
• Rainbow
  Listen   Download
• Funky Cab Ride to NoWhere
  Listen   Download

Lyrics

• Rainbow
• Funky Cab Ride To Nowhere
• Delta Queen
• President

Video

Sampler Video

Photo Gallery

Press

• College Live References & Reviews [+ Show ]
  

  "I received dozens of positive comments from our guests, students and administration that Coventry ..."I received dozens of positive comments from our
  guests, students and administration that Coventry
  Jones' performance was the perfect event. What a nice
  guy on top of that."
  SW MN State Univ., April, 2005
  
  "I always hear positive comments and your music is so appealing to so many people!" Alverno College, Milwaukee,WI, 6x Return Engagement, 2002-2005.
  
  "Your music is the type we go for in our coffeehouse nights!" SUAB, Student Union Activitities Bd., Oklahoma State Univ. Sept., 2005.
  
  "Coventry Jones Provides Killer Show!" Becky Pillsbury, April 2002, THE RACQUET WEEKLY Concert Review, Cellar Concert Series, Univ. Of WI-La Crosse.
  
  "Coventry Jones is as natural helming a Celtic ensemble or old-timey string band as he is with his six-string or finding the convergence of flk, jazz and pop."
  (Jamie Lee Rake, Shepherd Express CD Reviews, c/o new "Time Stands Still" CD, 10-4-07).
  
  "The new CD "Time Stands Still" features Coventry Jones'nimble guitar fingers and soothing vocals."(L. Bose, MKE Online, Aug '07).
  
  "Jones taps into his British Isle roots on traditional songs "Wild Rover" and"Whiskey IN The Jar". "Delta Queen" mixes Jones' wailing harmonica and slide guitar with Mike Wood's sax for a particurarly thick swampy gumbo. "John Glenn & I" rocks like a Chuck Berry nugget." (Vital Source Mag., Milw, WI, Blaine S., Aug. '07)
  
  "Coventry Jones 'voice has the richness of James Taylor's." (Molly Synder Edler, OnMilwaukee.com, 8-27-02.
  
  Hello, Hello(Seeds Of Love) is worthy of the best folk rock poets." FOLK ROOTS MAGAZINE, London, U.K. Jan., 2000.
  
  "Polished folk wisdom." John Noyd, MAXIMUM INK, Madison, WI, July, 2001.
  
  "Dylan-esque with spot-on vocal abilities, an abundance of stellar musicianship and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young-like harmonization."(Steve Pease, UWM, Univ. Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee POST, c/o LOVE ASHBURY CD REVIEW, 2-25-04.
  
  "His slide guitar on the live "Delta Queen" adds grit. "Hello, Hello(Seeds Of Love) effortlessly stirs visions of California. The key here is Jones' mello voice-his tunes would not sound out of place on a mix of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young." (Blaine Schultz, SHEPHERD EXPRESS, Milwaukee, WI c/o LOVE ASHBURY CD REVIEW, Nov., '04.)
  
  "This raucous little number, "Delta Queen" free wheels with bluesy sentiment and impressive fret-ticking-I love it! Much like the bare-bones balladry of Bob Dylan or James Taylor, Coventry Jones simplistic tone is glorified by his nostalgic narration and ambitiuos mililieu. Cool, rustic arrangements don themselves with themes of love and hope." (Ryan H., A & R, Shut Eye Records, Atlanta, GA. "Delta Queen" selected for United states Of Americana, Vol 2 Compilation, 2-24-04.)
  
  "Intelligent lyrics, innovative melodies, solid performaces and complementing CD production." (Eddie Russell, DJ, OUTLAW FOR PEACE RADIO, Columbia, TX, Aired Cosmic Truth CD 2001.
  
  "With all the derivative mouth-mush hitting the top 40 charts, listening to Coventry Jones is a unique and satisfying experience. (Paul Heibling, INGENIUM CD REVIEWS c/o Cosmic Truth, Milwaukee School Of Engineering, M.S.O.E., Feature & CD review c/o MSOE Todd Wehr Auditorium Concert Series, 2x Return Engagement.)
  
  "The song "All Good Things"(9-11 Memorial) is so appropriate for the future and for change. All the music and messages are so positive!" (Diane H., LOVE ASHBURY CD Review).

• Singer Jones spins campfire stories [+ Show ]
  

  So many artists are focused on selling music these days that they've forgotten about telling stories...So many artists are focused on selling music these days that they've forgotten about telling stories.
  Hear it here
  
  Listen up: Hear Real Audio of Coventry Jones' song, "Hello, Hello (Seeds of Love)" from his new CD "Cosmic Truth." Go to Song.
  
  Not Coventry Jones.
  
  The Ohio-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, formerly of Puppet Government, has been developing a solo repertoire of music as rich in tonal textures as it is deep in meaning.
  
  Based in the acoustic folk-rock tradition, Jones laces his music with musical and lyrical references ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Don McLean to Lenny Bruce.
  
  "Lenny Bruce was a '60s comedian who stood for something," said Jones, whose 1998 album "Cosmic Truth" includes a musical chronicling of Bruce's scrapes with censorship laws. "Artists are in a position to put out something (with meaning) or to put out bubblegum - and I see no excuse for bubblegum."
  
  From "Wheels of Time," a poignant ode to his father, who died when Jones was 9, to the pro-environment manifesto "Green Earth Turns Black," Jones writes from a refreshingly thoughtful, "Nookie"-free viewpoint.
  
  "Green Earth Turns Black," with a video shot by Milwaukee Independent Film Society founder Dan Wilson, grew out of Jones' passion for conservation - and bitter experiences as an eco-activist canvassing door-to-door.
  
  "It can't hurt to listen, even if you don't give any money. But I got a lot of doors slammed in my face," Jones said. "It discouraged me and didn't help the issue. With my music, I get a lot fewer doors slammed."
  
  To cast Jones as merely an earnest crusader would be missing out on perhaps his greatest strength: accessibility. Jones mixes his straight material with sharp, funny satires - Jimmy Buffett's "Margaritaville" gets reworked as "Microwaveable," for example - and blends it all together with layers of guitars (acoustic, electric and slide), harmonica, piano and the occasional guest appearance by such music luminaries as mandolin player Tom Schwark.
  
  Jones sings in a clear narrative style that conveys both the meaning and emotion of his words - no surprise, when he explains how he got started in music.
  
  "I was inspired to play guitar sitting around the campfire," he said. "And from my brothers and sisters who were all amateur musicians with monster record collections."
  
  Jones plans on returning to the studio this winter to record a follow-up to "Cosmic Truth" and then launching a college tour in the spring.
  
  He's also one of several local artists using the Internet to gain fans and exposure, even though he said he's not wild about the impersonal culture being fostered by the Net.
  
  "The Internet does bother me," Jones said. "But I'll still stick my campfire music on an MP3."
  

• Local musician enjoys hometown crowd [+ Show ]
  

  His name is unusual and his music matches. Coventry Jones is a local, multi-talented musician who ha...His name is unusual and his music matches. Coventry Jones is a local, multi-talented musician who has been playing the Milwaukee scene for quite a while.
  
  Jones, who lists James Taylor, Neil Young, Cat Stevens and The Dave Matthews Band as his main influences, plays bluesy, folky, Dylan-esque songs. Many of his songs have a humorous aspect to them, such as a reworking of Jimmy Buffet's "Margaritaville" into "Microwaveable," or a political tinge, like the song "Green Earth Turns Black," written several years ago about conservation for Earth Day and inspired by his job as a door-to- door eco-activist.
  
  Originally from Cleveland, Ohio Jones began playing guitar in high school. After graduatng from John Carroll University he worked in radio and advertising. He became a full-time musician after college and then made his way to Milwaukee with a musical, political comedy act called Puppet Government, which traveled the country and sang on street corners from Atlanta to Minneapolis.
  
  Jones is keeping busy and focusing on the college market by doing a national tour of colleges to get exposure.
  
  "It's mostly a coffeehouse, solo acoustic series," he said.
  
  Besides coffeehouses, Jones can also be found playing in clubs and festivals, most notably Summerfest on the Johnny On Washday stage behind the Potawatomi Bingo Stage. You also might find him busking, or playing for money, on the streets of Milwaukee.
  
  "It's easier to find me in the summer," Jones said. "You just get some battery-powered amps and play."
  
  Attracted by the central location and many festivals, Jones has been here for 10 years. Though mainly a guitarist, he also plays bass, keyboard and harmonica.
  
  Jones' fifth original CD is called Love Ashbury(2004). It features new acoustic material and redone songs from his previous albums Cosmic Truth(1998), Bottle From The Sea(2001), Cosmic Cab Ride To Everywhere(2002) and Velvet Room Acoustic Set(2003) and was produced by Scott Finch(Comet Records, Italy), a locally known producer who also contributed instrumental work to the album.
  
  Jones, who was nominated for a Wisconsin Area Music Industry Award (W.A.M.I.) for best singer/songwriter, says sometimes the crowds aren't always as accepting as the critics.
  
  "Sometimes I didn't get the respect I should've out there," he said. "But it's up to you to be versatile and entertaining in all situations."
  
  While Jones' live band has been praised by famous Chicago blues musician Buddy Guy, Jones says if he could play with anybody, it would be with his influences.
  
  It would be fun to see how they put the songs together," he said. "It would be fun to relax with some of my musical influences, just hang out and play."
  

• Ex-Clevelander Returns Home From Wisconsin [+ Show ]
  

  Many years ago, Coventry Jones played with a Cleveland folk-pop group called Puppet Government. He ...Many years ago, Coventry Jones played with a Cleveland folk-pop group called Puppet Government. He moved on to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has established a base there for his acoustic folk-blues that shows clear signs of his stated influences: James Taylor, Neil Young and Dave Matthews. But he's not above mixing up his serious sensitive songs with parodies, entertaining covers and politically slanted material-especially touching on his environmental concerns. He's put out five self-released CDs including his latest, LOVE ASHBURY, which fans can find at his website, http://www.coventryjones.com. (Dec. 05)

Setlist

Mix of originals, covers & requests. 3 to 4 fifty minute sets.
Partial Song List Sampler:
American Girl (Tom Petty), American Pie (Don McLean), Amie (Pure Prairie League),
Angel (Jack Johnson), Bad Moon Risin'(CCR), Banana Pancakes (Jack Johnson), Blackbird (Beatles/CJ Arr.), Blister In The Sun (Violent Femmes), Cats In The Cradle(Harry Chapin), Carolina In My Mind(James Taylor), Crossroads(Robert Johnson, Cream w/ Clapton), Crash (Dave Matthews), Daughter (Louden Wainwright III), Delta Queen(CJ original), Dock Of The Bay(Otis Redding), Don't Think Twice(Bob Dylan), Elissa (CJ original), Father & Son(Cat Stevens), Fire & Rain (James Taylor), Fire Not Ice (Ben Harper), Free Fallin'(Tom Petty), Funky Cab Ride To Nowhere(CJ original), Got My Mojo Workin'(Muddy Waters), Have You Ever Seen The Rain?(CCR), Hello, Hello (CJ original), Harvest Moon, Heart Of Gold & Hey Hey, My My(Neil Young), Honky Tonk Woman (Rolling Stones), I'll Be (Edwin McCain), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (U2), I've Just Seen A Face(Beatles), Imagine(John Lennon), Johnny B. Goode(Chuck Berry), Knockin' On Heaven's Door(Bob Dylan), Landslide(Stevie Nicks/Fleetwood Mac), Last Dance With Mary Jane, Learning To Fly(Tom Petty), Let It Be (Beatles), Lucky (Jason Mraz), Margaritta-ville(Jimmy Buffet), Melissa & 1 Way Out(Allman Bros.), Peaceful, Easy Feeling(Eagles), Pink Houses(John Melloncamp), Pride & Joy(SRV,Stevie Ray Vaughn), Ramblin' Man(Allman Bros.), Rainbow(CJ original), She Talks To Angels (Black Crows), Shower The People (James Taylor), So Much To Say(Dave Matthews), Son Of A Sailor (Jimmy Buffett), Take It Easy,Tequilla Sunrise(Eagles), Time Of Your Life (Greenday), You & Me (DMB-Dave Mattews Band), You Are The Best Thing (Ray Lamontagne), Volcano(Jimmy Buffett), With Or Without You(U2), Wild Night(Van Morrison), Wild World(Cat Stevens), Whiskey In The Jar & Wild Rover(Dubliners/Celtic), Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd).

Basic Requirements

Calendar