Reviews for: "The West: Then ... Now ... Next"

 

 It wasn't hard to pick a favorite song on this CD.  When I heard the verse in That's What Cowboys Do about the cowboy who taught his brother-in-law that wife abuse was something cowboys DON'T do, I thought I'd found it for sure.  But then I heard These Cowboy Boots, composed by Hoot Al Chapman and Jim's duet with Kip Calahan on Long May You Ride...sensational!  Rick Huff has been a Jim Jones fan from the get go but on the occasion of this album, Rick went further.  He jumped right into the fray, writing or co-writing 3 songs and wouldn't you know it, two of them, The Outlaw Dream and Diggin' Billy, became instant favorites as well.  Jim has a unique sound.  As you know that's one characteristic of contemporary Western music that separates it from today's country fare...you can tell who the singers are when you hear a Western song!  If you enjoy contemporary Western music, this CD is for you.  O.J. Sikes, The Western Way, Ropeburns

 

Jim Jones sings in a strong melodious tenor and nine of these songs he wrote or co-wrote himself.  Teaming up with Jim on several cuts are Kip Calahan, Rick Huff, Andy Hedges and Jim's daughter, Adrianne Morrow-Jones.  There's a nice mixture of contemplative, lively and whimsical songs in this collection.  This is one you'll listen to again and again.  Darrell Arnold, Cowboy Magazine 

 

Creative songwriting, Jim's stylistic vocals and the introduction of Adrianne Morrow-Jones combine to make this one of the best Western releases of 2006.  Pure cowboy throughout, "The West: Then...Now...Next!" is an exciting historic ride, a look at present day bronc-ridin' adventures and woes and an optimistic glimpse down the trail that lies ahead.  The variety of this project keeps it fresh throughout, making it a real listener's treat.  Marvin O'Dell, Around the Campfire, Classic Heartland Internet Radio

 

"The West: Then...Now...Next!" is just that, as Jim Jones and special guests team to offer Western stories of the past and present, with a nod to the future.  Mixing song and cowboy poetry, Jones' latest offering is a well-rounded ode to cowboys and the legends that often surround their lifestyle.  A variety of stories play out in the first seven tracks but Jones saves some of his best work for the CD's final seven tracks.  "These Cowboy Boots,"  written by Allan Chapman, is a salute to the most basic cowboy equipment- boots that find their way to everything from open range to weddings and funerals.  "Ranger Rick" Huff teams with Jones on "Diggin' Billy," a whimsical tribute to the questionable details of Billy the Kid's demise.  Sometimes, the authors argue, there's nothing wrong with "history and mystery" being one and the same.  "Another Page," a poem by Audrey Hankins, sets the stage for the CD's closing song, Jones' composition "Long May You Ride."  A duet with Kip Calahan, the song follows a predicament encountered by many modern-day cowboys.  "What do you do when you're a cowboy, trapped in a time you don't fit?  Where do you go when there's no rope to throw and nobody's out ridin' fence?"  Kyle Partain, Western Horseman Magazine

 

   Jim Jones of Corrales loves to tell modern-day stories about the "cowboy way" through his songs.  HIs strong, crisp vocals easily carry these straightforward lyrics over his steady melodies on this CD.  Jones also weaves a delicate tapestry of sound by playing multiple instruments.  Yep, that's him on the acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, harmonica, tin whistle, saloon piano, bass, Indian drum and rattles.  He's also wrangled in a number of other talented vocalists for harmonies and musicians to play dobro, upright bass and accordion.

    Two standouts are the engaging ballads, "That's What Cowboys Do" and his duet with Kip Calahan, "Long May You Ride"- both are sincere and poignant.  "Whiskeytown" is a powerful, rather dark ballad about his grandfather's struggle with alcoholism.  Some of the songs are quite spirited.  "Diggin' Billy," his tongue-in-cheek duet written and sung with Rick Huff, recounts attempts to dig up Billy the Kid.  It's a stitch, with references to those "como se llamas who thought they'd dig up his mama."  One refrain says "Although we admit it was wrong what he did, we all dig Billy the Kid," with an aside: "but step away from the shovel!"  Another catchy song is a duet that he co-wrote and sang with Calahan called "She Can't Do That," a tribute to strong-willed women of the West.

    Jones has also done a great job interpreting several songs by other composers.  His wife and daughter provide warm harmonies on Ian Tyson's "Someday Soon," and his vocals on Allan Chapman's "These Cowboy Boots" fit the lyrics like wells-worn leather.  Emily Drabanski, New Mexico Magazine, May 2007

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Reviews for: "Western Takes"

 

    "Western Takes is the first album by Jim Jones that I have ever heard but if he regularly turns out songs like these, it won't be the last.  He caught my attention with 'It's Just the Wind' and swept it to new heights with 'Earth, Wind, Rain and Fire,' one of the best songs about the spirit of the West I've heard in a very long time.  These poignant lyrics of a ranch family legacy start with a vision of the past: 'Grandfather, you wouldn't know your open range,' and look to the future: a grandson's hope that the rains will come so he can pass a sea of grass to his own son.  'May he make wiser choices than the ones before him did...Grandfather, I believe we owe you this.'

    Waltz across Texas to the strains of 'I'll Love You Til Wichita Falls' because- as Jones sings- 'I'm gonna love you til the wind doesn't blow in West Texas, til the rust Red River runs blue.'

    'Let the Best Man Win' might just bring a tear to your eye as it quickly becomes clear this story of three best friends is written with Lane Frost in mind as Jones sings of the third go-round up in Cheyenne where 'two musketeers were standing by when a bull took the third one down.'  Friends left behind (think Tuff Hedeman and Cody Lambert) find they have to 'dig down deep inside' to get back on as they ride in memory of their old friend.

    Producer Rick Huff has been a key figure in the Western music scene in the Albuquerque area.

    Jones turns out a real keeper with this collection of a dozen songs that showcase his voice, guitar playing and lyrics."  Candy Moulton, American Cowboy Magazine, May/June 2004  

 

"It doesn't take long for someone with an ear for pure Western music to emerge, grinnin' from ear to ear, when the music strikes their fancy.  If you have this ear, this will happen to you as well with Jim Jones' "Western Takes."  This remarkable album has definitely set the stage for Jim in the Western Music Industry.  His new CD is a must for your Western music library and I know you will enjoy it as much as I do." Joe Baker, MTD Radio, KNMB, Ruidoso, NM

 

"There is a definite connection of human life to the earth in this album that obviously comes from a listening heart as well as experience.  Duty and friendship are achingly heard and felt in "Let the Best Man Win."  The fun part was waltzing away with a couple of love songs- one traditional, the other very nontraditional and unique.  The melodic chords and the talented musician behind them sing out a message of the strife and fun of life out West (in the past as well as today's world) in the midst of all the chores and callings." Maureen Schein, KFLH Radio, Chama, NM 

 

"This is Jim Jones' first all-Western album and he does a mighty fine job with it.  It has a contemporary feel to it but co-producer Rick Huff's hand helped to make sure it was done the "cowboy way."  In fact, Jim and Rick co-penned the up tempo tune, "The Western Take," a.k.a. a cowboy point of view.

    On Gary Fjellgard's "Love to the Wind," Jim is joined by Kip Calahan in a terrific duet and he then moves from Gary's new Canadian composition to a border tune, "Elfego and Me." There's good variety in the rhythms and instrumentation and the themes vary, too, from cowboy love songs to roots, from rodeo to weather and cowboy stewardship.

    If you're looking for new Western music with a contemporary sound but one that won't be confused with contemporary country, try this CD.  I think these boys are onto something!"  O.J. Sikes, Rope Burns, the newsletter/magazine for the Academy of Western Artists