Robert R Jones
Canton, Michigan, United States | SELF
Music
Press
The traditional path of the Classical Guitarist hasn’t changed much over the past several hundred years. After discovering a love for the instrument and the music, the vast majority of players will seek out a private teacher, or enter in a conservatory, and more recently, a university program to study the genre further. During their time studying with a private teacher, or in a structured program, they will be exposed to the same repertoire as countless other students, developing along the same guidelines that have been passed down for generations. For these reasons, it is always refreshing to find a classical guitarist who has learned on their own, as well as written and developed new repertoire for the instrument.
Detroit, Michigan native and resident Robert Jones is just such a guitarist, and his latest recording Vignettes is a refreshing addition to the classical guitar library. Featuring 10 original compositions for solo classical guitar, the album is a reflection of the time and dedication that Jones has put into mastering his craft over the years. Though each song is a new composition, there are definite moments where one can hear the ghosts of Albeniz, Sor and Villa-Lobos working their way into Jones’ writing, though never to the point of imitation or to where the guitarist loses his personality within the context of his influences.
A piece such as “Libre” for example, has a strong connection to the music of Albeniz, particularly his masterpiece for the guitar, “Leyenda.” Though the rapid-fire arpeggios, bass melody line and right-hand strumming all conjure up images of the Spanish countryside, which Albeniz so eloquently captured in his writing, this piece is definitively Jones’. Part of any great player’s development is studying the classics, reinterpreting them in a new fashion and then proceeding to contribute their own works to the repertoire. Jones uses pieces such as this to demonstrate that he has a deep respect for the classical guitar tradition, while at the same time not backing down from making his own compositional mark on the genre.
One of the aspects of Jones’ playing that is immediately apparent is his strong emotional connection to the pieces and his ability to convey that connection to the audience. It is becoming a rare occurrence in today’s classical guitar world to hear a player focus his attention on interpretation rather than technique. Far too often players will rip through a piece, ignoring all of the little details that make the piece unique, and missing opportunities to deepen their connection with the audience. Jones’s approach to the guitar is just the opposite; he consistently sacrifices flash to put more focus on melody, rhythm and emotion.
Overall, Vignettes is an enjoyable album that both long-time fans of the classical guitar and newcomers to the genre can enjoy. The pieces are well written, Jones’ plays at a very high level and his interpretations showcase his solid connection to the music and the instrument. With such a strong record, listeners are left with only one question: where will Jones go from here?
Review by Matthew Warnock
- Independent
The traditional path of the Classical Guitarist hasn’t changed much over the past several hundred years. After discovering a love for the instrument and the music, the vast majority of players will seek out a private teacher, or enter in a conservatory, and more recently, a university program to study the genre further. During their time studying with a private teacher, or in a structured program, they will be exposed to the same repertoire as countless other students, developing along the same guidelines that have been passed down for generations. For these reasons, it is always refreshing to find a classical guitarist who has learned on their own, as well as written and developed new repertoire for the instrument.
Detroit, Michigan native and resident Robert Jones is just such a guitarist, and his latest recording Vignettes is a refreshing addition to the classical guitar library. Featuring 10 original compositions for solo classical guitar, the album is a reflection of the time and dedication that Jones has put into mastering his craft over the years. Though each song is a new composition, there are definite moments where one can hear the ghosts of Albeniz, Sor and Villa-Lobos working their way into Jones’ writing, though never to the point of imitation or to where the guitarist loses his personality within the context of his influences.
A piece such as “Libre” for example, has a strong connection to the music of Albeniz, particularly his masterpiece for the guitar, “Leyenda.” Though the rapid-fire arpeggios, bass melody line and right-hand strumming all conjure up images of the Spanish countryside, which Albeniz so eloquently captured in his writing, this piece is definitively Jones’. Part of any great player’s development is studying the classics, reinterpreting them in a new fashion and then proceeding to contribute their own works to the repertoire. Jones uses pieces such as this to demonstrate that he has a deep respect for the classical guitar tradition, while at the same time not backing down from making his own compositional mark on the genre.
One of the aspects of Jones’ playing that is immediately apparent is his strong emotional connection to the pieces and his ability to convey that connection to the audience. It is becoming a rare occurrence in today’s classical guitar world to hear a player focus his attention on interpretation rather than technique. Far too often players will rip through a piece, ignoring all of the little details that make the piece unique, and missing opportunities to deepen their connection with the audience. Jones’s approach to the guitar is just the opposite; he consistently sacrifices flash to put more focus on melody, rhythm and emotion.
Vignettes is a landmark album that both long-time fans of the classical guitar and newcomers to the genre can enjoy. The pieces are well written, Jones’ plays at a very high level and his interpretations showcase his solid connection to the music and the instrument. With such a strong record, listeners are left with only one question: where will Jones go from here?
- Mattew Warnock
Discography
Vignettes - A CD containing 10 original solo classical guitar compositions written and performed by Robert R Jones
Photos
Bio
Robert R Jones has become a force in music compostion and perfomance for the classical guitar. His new CD, "Vignettes", showcase both of these talents. The music is beautiful and yet complex, moving the listener to different emotions within a single song. These compostions conjure up images of the past masters like Albeinz, Tarrega, and Sor, yet are certainly the composer's work. Beethoven once commented that the guitar was like a symphony coming from one instrument - Robert R Jones underscores this point with his compostions. The Vignettes album contains music that will become new standards in the solo/classical guitar world.
Robert R Jones was born in 1961 in Detroit. He became interested in music very early and started to play woodwind instruments in elementary school, where he also learned to read music.
At about 10 years, his parents bought him his first guitar. Although he continued with other instruments through middle and high schools, it was clear that the guitar was his instrument of choice.
As he entered his teen years he formed several bands and played everywhere he could, honing his skills and teaching himself to master the instrument. As he moved in to his mid to late teen years, he started to develop the desire to write his own music as opposed to playing covers. This would be a theme that permeated his career moving forward. Dedicated to music, he wrote countless songs for his bands. As he grew into his early 20’s, the bands he was playing in were starting to gain some traction in the local Detroit Rock scene not only for the musicians’ talent on the instruments, but also the songs that they were writing. Robert was becoming known as a gifted guitar player.
After leaving a band called “The Void”, he started a new rock band called “The Storm”, where the quality of Robert’s song writing became apparent. After receiving local financial backing, the band went in to the studio and cut an EP entitled “The Storm”. After years of hard work, writing, and playing the local bar scene, the band signed with national promotion company out of Miami. The company had got hold of a copy of the EP before going to production and immediately signed The Storm to an exclusive contract.
Although this was a great opportunity for the band (a national tour and backed EP release), it became more of a cross road. The band was starting to get inflated egos and the sudden taste of success started to erode the priorities of the music. Robert was very concerned. When some of the members missed gigs, Robert disbanded the act. This ended not only the band, but the release of the EP as well. After seeing so much hard work and countless hours go up in smoke, he quit playing music and focused on his business career and family.
As the years went by, he began listening again to a style of music that always fascinated him; the Classical Guitar. His love of listening to classical guitar music inspired him to pick up the guitar again, but this time, the Classical Guitar. However, learning the classical guitar would mean almost starting from scratch, especially for a guitarist that did not fingerpick at all.
He went after learning the classical guitar just like he did for the electric guitar; he immersed himself in to the study of the guitar: he bought books, studied techniques, and practiced countless hours. He honed his technique and rapidly developed his skills. The more he played, the more he was drawn to the instrument. He learned new music quickly and his solid ability to read music proved to be a great asset, as he built his classical guitar library and repertoire.
In about 2005, he went through a divorce- it was a difficult time for him. However, he met his new wife and was remarried. This proved to be catalyst for many things. He formed his classical guitar service “Guitar Interludes”, where he quickly became very successful and known as a gifted Classical Guitarist. Weekends were booked solid, where he performed at countless weddings, parties, and special events. He performed at many corporate and private events at venues like the University of Michigan and The Henry Ford Mansion, just to name a few. He stayed true to the instrument and built his repertoire on pieces mainly written for the classical guitar, introducing many audiences to this beautiful music that most probably never heard before.
However, he still loved to listen to the classical guitar – he was true fan of the instrument. However, something began to bother him; there seemed to be a limited group of songs that seemed to reoccur on many CD’s. Many other pieces were transpositions of popular works for other instruments. As he sought new music, he soon discovered that some newer classical guitar music was written to be technical masterpieces to show off the skill of the player, but musically fell flat.
Composers like Albeniz and Tarrega wrote music that touched Robert deep within his soul. Pieces that were beautiful and moving
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