Jack Jones Returns to Jazz Festival
by Scott Iwasaki
Deseret News (Salt Lake City), July 6, 2008
Back in 2001, Jerry Floor and then-Mayor Rocky Anderson put their heads together and created the Salt Lake City International Jazz Festival.
The festival immediately became an annual fixture in the downtown Salt Lake City scene. And seven years later, it's still bringing exciting international jazz to the capital city.
This year, one of the headliners comes full circle. Singer Jack Jones, who headlined the inaugural festival in 2001, is returning to give Salt Lake audiences another dose of his cool vocal delivery.
"The last time I was at the festival, it rained," Jones said during a phone interview from La Quinta, Calif. "I remember waiting for it to stop, and when it did, there were still maybe 1,500 people out there with umbrellas waiting for the set to start. I can tell you that Utah has some of the most devoted jazz fans I have ever seen."
And Jones can say that with authority. This year marks his 50th anniversary in the music business. In addition to jazz, he performs musical theater and is known for his work in "Guys and Dolls," "South Pacific," "She Loves Me," "The Pajama Game" and "Man of La Mancha." "I have been singing all my life," he said, "and finding new avenues to use my voice."
However, when Jones returns to Utah, he knows he has to choose songs from his Billboard Hit singles list.
"There just isn't enough time to sing everything," he said. "But what I will do is really what I've La Mancha,' but I have a lot of songs to choose from." That means Jones will sing a hit-parade of songs that will probably include the Top 20 hits "The Race Is On" and "Wives and Lovers"/"Toys in the Attic," as well as other Top 40 tracks "Dear Heart" and "Lady."
Who knows, he may even sing the theme from "The Love Boat" that introduced Jones to a new and younger audience in the 1970s.
Music hit Jones at an early age. His father was movie star Allan Jones and his mother was actress Irene Hervey. He grew up around music and show business, but it was the stereo that got him hooked on tunes. "The stereo was first coming out, and I was fascinated by sitting down and hearing a band play," he said. "It was like the band was playing right in my living room. It was like I was sitting in front of the band and they were playing just for me."
During his career, Jones has garnered two Grammy Awards and a Grammy nomination. And he's performed in every kind of venue imaginable. "I remember one night I was rehearsing in New York and the piano was just out of tune," he said. "I went to the owner and said, 'I can't sing with this piano.' And the guy said, 'Whad'dya mean you can't sing with this piano? I just got it painted.'
"Since then, my life's goal has been easy -- to find the perfectly tuned piano," Jones said with a laugh.
As for the Grammys and other accolades -- the late Judy Garland called Jones the best jazz singer in the world -- Jones said he felt honored he got those recognitions. His first Grammy was awarded to him in 1962. He won Best Pop Male Performance for the song "Lollipops and Roses." The second was received in 1964 in the same category for "Wives and Lovers."
"The awards came quickly in my career," he said. "And then the Grammys became more of a machine like many awards shows. But it didn't diminish the honor I felt."
Still, Jones, even when he was a budding musician, didn't shy away from working hard, or being humble. "I remember that I was working in a gas station to make ends meet with my music career," he said. "I was wiping the windows of a customer and one of my songs came on the radio. I probably missed a few spots, but I didn't have the heart to tell him that was me on the radio. Then again, he may have not believed me, anyway."
Jack Jones
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Terence Lee
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Thanks for posting this interesting write up Terence.
We've heard the piano gag many times over the years. Actually, there was a little piano trouble at one of the venues this last UK tour. The venue had specially hired in a shiny white piano for the concert, but apparently black was the colour of choice. Anyway, as well as being white, this piano just wouldn't stay in tune, so is was discarded and a tiny black electronic piano owned by the venue was used instead, very successfully I might add.
Everyone was happy - eventually!
Marian
We've heard the piano gag many times over the years. Actually, there was a little piano trouble at one of the venues this last UK tour. The venue had specially hired in a shiny white piano for the concert, but apparently black was the colour of choice. Anyway, as well as being white, this piano just wouldn't stay in tune, so is was discarded and a tiny black electronic piano owned by the venue was used instead, very successfully I might add.
Everyone was happy - eventually!
Marian
Did you know that Jack Jones is mentioned on the UK number 1 single this week, "Dance Wiv Me" by Dizzee Rascal featuring Calvin Harris and Chrome? I love the record---it's an infectious groove! I knew I heard him say "Jack Jones" but had to verify it by looking up the lyric. Here are the lyrics, but I'm not sure he's talking about our Jack Jones.
You can stop reading after the fourth line! (Perhaps Keith will want to analyse the English. There are words I've never heard before. 
)What's up darling?
I've been keeping my eyes on your movements
I can't see no room for improvement
But why you all alone over there on your jack jones?
You need to let me get behind your backbones
Cus I'm the man for the job let me work it
I won't waste no time I'll make it worth it
100 percent, i'll make it perfect
you got a body to die for, let me merk it
Now it's murder on the dance floor
I want to take this further than the dance floor
I ain't forcefield but I'm still hardcore
You're going to give me everything I ask for
It's not a long ting, you're a boomting
Maybe more than a hotel room ting
I'll never know if I just walk past
I really want to dance so I guess I'll just ask
Come and dance wiv me
...and it goes on and on.
Just managed to get on the forum after no luck for several hours.
Anyway, here's another recent JJ review..
This is from Worcester, Massachusetts.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Count on Jones to deliver
REVIEW
By Peter Landsdowne Telegram & Gazette reviewer.
WORCESTER— The highly unusual combination of crooner Jack Jones and The Count Basie Orchestra made for a musically interesting concert at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts yesterday afternoon.
Jones is certainly no jazz singer or blues shouter; but his sheer love of singing must have helped to win over any doubting hipsters in a crowd of about 1,200 listeners.
The Basie band warmed up the audience with a solid set of blues-drenched swing and then stayed on stage to accompany Jones, who began his set with a 5-minute video montage that looked like it was lifted straight from YouTube. There were clips of Jones from the early 1960s, singing with everybody from Judy Garland to Tony Bennett to Sammy Davis Jr., followed by a clip of Ed Sullivan introducing a youthful Jones as he made his first network television appearance, way back when.
Then Jones himself appeared on stage. The man still has a set of pipes and the ability to use them. Backed by the Basie band and his own rhythm section (pianist and Worcester native Jeff Colella, electronic keyboardist Gary Nestor, bassist Chris Golangelo, and drummer Kendall Kaye), Jones gave his own spin to the pop staple “A Song for You†before leading the crowd on a trip down Memory Lane.
His joyous singing on Marty Paich’s arrangement of an uptempo “She Loves Me†echoed some of the singer’s best work from the early 1960s, when he was widely touted as being the next Sinatra — before the British invasion and the Beatles changed the face of pop music forever. Undaunted, Jones stayed in that early 1960s time period as he intoned two of his own hits from that era, a jaunty “Lollipops and Roses†and the ultrahip “Wives and Lovers.â€
Pianist and Providence native Mike Renzi, who had a hand in making “Lollipops and Roses†a hit for Jones, was in the crowd and got a nice nod from Jones as he reminisced about the song.
Naturally, no Jones concert would be complete without the singer intoning the theme to “The Love Boat.†Arranger Tom Garvin’s chart on the song gave the trite tune a bossa nova beat, over which Jones sang the lyrics with obvious glee and threw in a dead-on impression of the ship’s fog horn for good measure.
Elsewhere, Jones showed a penchant for singing tunes from the Great American Songbook.
His tender singing on the ballad “My Romance†was simply exquisite, as was his superb rendition of “Somewhere†from “West Side Story.†Jones easily moved from the baritone to the tenor range on both songs, which featured long-held notes in the upper register.
Similarly, jazzy outings on the standards “Have You Met Miss Jones?†and Jules Stein’s “Just in Time†gave the singer plenty of chances to show off both his range and his overall vocal prowess.
Jones was less successful on “Kansas City†and a misguided attempt to cover blues singer Keb-Mo’s “Steppin’ Out.†The crowd responded more positively to the singer’s poignant version of Frankie Laine’s “We’ll Be Together Again†and a delightful rendition of George Gershwin’s “Our Love is Here to Stay.†Jones’ performance on the latter song drew a standing ovation from the crowd, and the singer responded with his best work of the concert, a beautiful rendition of Artie Butler’s “Here’s to Life†that Jones sang as the video montage ran again, this time with the sound turned off.
The aforementioned opening set by the Count Basie Orchestra gave fans of big band jazz something to shout about. Now under the direction of trombonist Bill Hughes, the band is still peppered with players whom Basie himself hired prior to his death in 1984 and also includes other musicians who have made a commitment to the orchestra, like lead trumpeter Mike Williams, who has more than a decade of experience with the orchestra.
The band went all the way back to Count Basie’s 1930s repertoire for some out-and-out instrumental shouting on “Jumpin’ at the Woodside†and “One O’Clock Jump.â€
Marian
Anyway, here's another recent JJ review..
This is from Worcester, Massachusetts.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Count on Jones to deliver
REVIEW
By Peter Landsdowne Telegram & Gazette reviewer.
WORCESTER— The highly unusual combination of crooner Jack Jones and The Count Basie Orchestra made for a musically interesting concert at the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts yesterday afternoon.
Jones is certainly no jazz singer or blues shouter; but his sheer love of singing must have helped to win over any doubting hipsters in a crowd of about 1,200 listeners.
The Basie band warmed up the audience with a solid set of blues-drenched swing and then stayed on stage to accompany Jones, who began his set with a 5-minute video montage that looked like it was lifted straight from YouTube. There were clips of Jones from the early 1960s, singing with everybody from Judy Garland to Tony Bennett to Sammy Davis Jr., followed by a clip of Ed Sullivan introducing a youthful Jones as he made his first network television appearance, way back when.
Then Jones himself appeared on stage. The man still has a set of pipes and the ability to use them. Backed by the Basie band and his own rhythm section (pianist and Worcester native Jeff Colella, electronic keyboardist Gary Nestor, bassist Chris Golangelo, and drummer Kendall Kaye), Jones gave his own spin to the pop staple “A Song for You†before leading the crowd on a trip down Memory Lane.
His joyous singing on Marty Paich’s arrangement of an uptempo “She Loves Me†echoed some of the singer’s best work from the early 1960s, when he was widely touted as being the next Sinatra — before the British invasion and the Beatles changed the face of pop music forever. Undaunted, Jones stayed in that early 1960s time period as he intoned two of his own hits from that era, a jaunty “Lollipops and Roses†and the ultrahip “Wives and Lovers.â€
Pianist and Providence native Mike Renzi, who had a hand in making “Lollipops and Roses†a hit for Jones, was in the crowd and got a nice nod from Jones as he reminisced about the song.
Naturally, no Jones concert would be complete without the singer intoning the theme to “The Love Boat.†Arranger Tom Garvin’s chart on the song gave the trite tune a bossa nova beat, over which Jones sang the lyrics with obvious glee and threw in a dead-on impression of the ship’s fog horn for good measure.
Elsewhere, Jones showed a penchant for singing tunes from the Great American Songbook.
His tender singing on the ballad “My Romance†was simply exquisite, as was his superb rendition of “Somewhere†from “West Side Story.†Jones easily moved from the baritone to the tenor range on both songs, which featured long-held notes in the upper register.
Similarly, jazzy outings on the standards “Have You Met Miss Jones?†and Jules Stein’s “Just in Time†gave the singer plenty of chances to show off both his range and his overall vocal prowess.
Jones was less successful on “Kansas City†and a misguided attempt to cover blues singer Keb-Mo’s “Steppin’ Out.†The crowd responded more positively to the singer’s poignant version of Frankie Laine’s “We’ll Be Together Again†and a delightful rendition of George Gershwin’s “Our Love is Here to Stay.†Jones’ performance on the latter song drew a standing ovation from the crowd, and the singer responded with his best work of the concert, a beautiful rendition of Artie Butler’s “Here’s to Life†that Jones sang as the video montage ran again, this time with the sound turned off.
The aforementioned opening set by the Count Basie Orchestra gave fans of big band jazz something to shout about. Now under the direction of trombonist Bill Hughes, the band is still peppered with players whom Basie himself hired prior to his death in 1984 and also includes other musicians who have made a commitment to the orchestra, like lead trumpeter Mike Williams, who has more than a decade of experience with the orchestra.
The band went all the way back to Count Basie’s 1930s repertoire for some out-and-out instrumental shouting on “Jumpin’ at the Woodside†and “One O’Clock Jump.â€
Marian
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Terence Lee
- Posts: 1095
- Joined: Sat Nov 19, 2005 8:29 pm
- Location: Penang Island, Malaysia
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Just wanted to mention that Jack's drummer of thirty years, Jimmy Blakemore, sadly passed away on Sunday, August 3rd, aged 69years.
He was wonderful drummer, who became a much valued and loved friend to us all who followed Jack's career over the years.
He leaves a wife Judy, and two sons, Jimmy Jnr and Randy.
He will be sadly missed.
Marian.
He was wonderful drummer, who became a much valued and loved friend to us all who followed Jack's career over the years.
He leaves a wife Judy, and two sons, Jimmy Jnr and Randy.
He will be sadly missed.
Marian.
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Lena & Harry Smith
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- Location: London UK
Is Jack Jones still touring Marian during tonights football, which is still being played - into extra time - Liverpool v. Standard Leige - I saw an advert on the moving placards for Jack Jones............opening on the 28th August, or maybe it meant something completely different
during tonights football, which is still being played - into extra time - Liverpool v. Standard Leige - I saw an advert on the moving placards for Jack Jones............opening on the 28th August, or maybe it meant something completely different "My Tears Will Fall Now That You're Gone,
I Can't Help But Cry, But I Must Go On"
I Can't Help But Cry, But I Must Go On"