Boney FIELDS & the Bone's Project

Boney Fields hails from the Chicago ghetto, where he was born at the end of the fifties. In his family, some played blues, others gospel. He studied jazz at college choosing the trumpet, « cause I loved Louis Armstrong » he recalls. Amongst his favourite artists : James Brown, Tina Turner and Otis Redding. Soon after, he started hanging out in the blues clubs of the « Windy City ». The guitarist and singer Jimmy Johnson gave him his first break. Then Little Milton, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, James Cotton, Junior Wells (« I loved him. He gave instructions on stage, but only him could understand what his signs meant » he remembers) and Lucky Peterson called on his services. Always open to other styles he found himself playing on TV shows and recordings alongside Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley, Bootsy Collins or George Clinton, the Kings of Funk. « I love music in all its diversity, the blues of course, but also rhythm’n’blues, soul… »
In 1997, Boney Fields became the trumpet player, MC and musical arranger for Luther Allison as well as his son Bernard Allison, who performed regularly in France. The French music scene inspired him : he performed alongside Alpha Blondy, Patrick Verbeke, Liz McComb, Paco Sery and Cheick Tidiane Seck. Armed with this rich and varied background, Boney Fields could finally launch a solo career. He founded The Bone’s Project in 1998. Reflecting the plurality he so cherishes of, his band is composed of musicians from Senegal, Mauritius, America, Martinique, Britain, Italy, Denmark and France. In 1999 he produced « Hard Work » his first self produced album. An atmosphere « Blaxploitation » soul-blues horns : the musician wrote most of the tracks. The original themes confirmed a style. Boney Fields breaks free of well worn musical paths, without denying his roots. Boogie, jump blues, shuffle, funk brew slowly but surely in his catchy numbers. And when he revisits Charles Wright’s « Express Yourself » with a syncopated reggae beat, the result is pretty convincing.
On 2003’s « Red Wolf » Boney Fields sings « I wanna take you to anoher place in the blues ». In fact this session follows several styles : from a JB’s style groove to classic ballads, from the Motown influenced « Thank You Baby », to the social message of « Live In Peace », via autobiographical accounts such as « I Gave The Blues To Myself » reminiscences of his blues conversion in Chicago, or the highly efficient « Makin It Funky » recalling the greatest hours of Tower Of Power. Each and every time, the bandleader gives it all he’s got.
His 2006 studio album « We Play The Blues », refocuses on melodic writing. Martha High and Fred Wesley, (respectively backing singer and trombonist with the legendary James Brown), Lucky Peterson, Corey Harris and harmonica player Jean-Jacques Milteau backed up Boney Fields on this top level session. On the album we discover a singer and musician more inclined to refine his compositions and arrangements, without forgetting to add those tough and earthy touches which have become his signature. Boney Fields adds his name to the short list of musicians who have moved boundaries while above all staying relevant, with an open and contemporary sound, born from plural influences.
With between fifty and seventy concerts a years, it’s with live performance that Boney Fields has forged his reputation.

Romain GROSMAN