I hesitate to say it, but it seems that my computer does not approve, either
Jack Jones
Re: Jack Jones
This is so annoying-I have just been onto Amazon, where they have the track as an MP3 download--and I have tried 3 times to listen to it-and 3 times my computer has shut down.
I hesitate to say it, but it seems that my computer does not approve, either
I hesitate to say it, but it seems that my computer does not approve, either
Mariana
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Terence Lee
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Re: Jack Jones
Specially for Marian & other fans of the legendary Jack Jones:
Jack Jones at the Algonquin: The Younger Elder Statesman of Song
by Tony Sachs
Huffington Post, September 10, 2009
I've got a bootleg recording of a Dean Martin show at the Sands in Las Vegas. It's not the show itself that's interesting -- he did virtually the same song selection, comedy bits and boozy jokes for years. It's the date of the show that fascinates me. It took place on Friday night, February 7, 1964, the day the Beatles landed in New York for the first time, and the day Dino and his swingin' cronies went from being at the top of the entertainment heap to yesterday's news. I've always wondered if the audience at the show that night, or the star himself, realized the sea change that was taking place at that very moment.
9/9/09 found us awash again in the latest wave of Beatlemania, with the release of the "Beatles: Rock Band" game and the Fab Four's remastered CDs making them headline news one more time. And it also saw Jack Jones, a member of the pre-Beatles old guard, opening his annual run of shows at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York. Both the Beatles and Jones are "old guard" now, of course, but the generational differences are still striking. There were no T-shirts or graying ponytails to be seen in the intimate, posh setting of the Oak Room, and the mood was sedate and elegant, not rockin'; a couple of the more elderly patrons could be caught catching a quick bit of shut-eye during the set.
Jack Jones is closer in age to the Beatles than to Sinatra -- in fact, he's only two years older than Ringo Starr -- and he was one of the last of the Sinatra-styled crooners to hit big before the Beatles permanently altered the pop scene. His biggest hit, "Wives And Lovers," was in the Top 20 when "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was released, and throughout the '60s, when non-rock pop music could still coexist commercially with the newer stuff, he consistently made the upper reaches of the charts with both singles and albums.
But by the '70s, it was clear that he was on the wrong side of the pop culture divide. For a while, he tried getting down with the groovy sounds the kids were digging -- a live album from 1970 features him gamely going at tunes like "Get Together" and "Spinning Wheel" -- and for a long while, his records were bogged down with bland middle-of-the- road pop that didn't entice older listeners or win over younger fans. Apart from a fluke hit with the disco-ish theme from "The Love Boat," his career as a relevant pop artist was over.
In the '90s, Jones finally embraced his younger-elder statesman status, turning, for the most part (although not completely), away from Sting and Steve Perry back to Gershwin, Cy Coleman and the like. His latest stint at the Oak Room finds him paying tribute to the work of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, adult-pop songwriters who came of age in the rock era and were embraced, for better ("What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life") or worse ("The Way We Were"), by many old-guard singers during their heyday in the '70s and '80s. Jones introduced the set thusly: "You know the story. Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl. And tonight, the role of the boy will be played by Jack Jones."
Looking natty, with a full head of brilliant white hair, Jones performed a set heavy on the Bergmans' sentimental slower fare, accompanied by a trio led by the great pianist/arranger Mike Rienzi. I can't say I wanted to hear fare like "It Might Be You" (best known from the film "Tootsie") or the slightly ridiculous "Windmills Of Your Mind," no matter how well he sings them. But when the material matched the performances, as on "Nice 'N' Easy" or "That Face," he was brilliant. And he even managed to salvage the godawful "The Way We Were" by sticking it in a medley with "How Do You Keep The Music Playing," one of the best songs written by the Bergmans or damn near anyone in recent decades.
Jones is recovering from relatively minor but nagging health problems, but his voice is still remarkably spry. Apart from a trace of gravel in the throat here and there, you couldn't ask for better from a 71-year-old singer. He was not only able to belt out the high notes, he was able to hit them, and hold them, softly as well. That not only takes lung power but good vocal cords. Most septuagenarian singers have lost something off their range or have their pipes clogged with phlegm or other assorted crap. Not so with Jack Jones -- he's still in the ballpark with his mid '60s self.
Emotionally, he's gained resonance -- during some of the more affecting ballads, he seemed near tears, and it was reflected in his singing. He told a great story about his manager, Jack E. Leonard, who told him, "If only you'd fall in love, so you could understand what you're singing about." "So I met a girl," Jones said, "and I started getting all these feelings, seeing stars when we kissed, the works. So I told Jack, 'I think this is it.' He said, 'Good. Now if she'd only break up with you.' And bless her heart, she did."
Jack Jones is one of a vanishing breed of vocalists who flourished in the '50s and '60s, and as one of the youngest of the bunch, he's probably as close as you'll get to those halcyon days -- and in a nifty little room with great acoustics to boot. He'll be playing the Oak Room at the Algonquin through September 19. It's a pricey proposition, especially in the middle of recession, but if you love great pop vocalizing, you'll get your money's worth.
Jack Jones at the Algonquin: The Younger Elder Statesman of Song
by Tony Sachs
Huffington Post, September 10, 2009
I've got a bootleg recording of a Dean Martin show at the Sands in Las Vegas. It's not the show itself that's interesting -- he did virtually the same song selection, comedy bits and boozy jokes for years. It's the date of the show that fascinates me. It took place on Friday night, February 7, 1964, the day the Beatles landed in New York for the first time, and the day Dino and his swingin' cronies went from being at the top of the entertainment heap to yesterday's news. I've always wondered if the audience at the show that night, or the star himself, realized the sea change that was taking place at that very moment.
9/9/09 found us awash again in the latest wave of Beatlemania, with the release of the "Beatles: Rock Band" game and the Fab Four's remastered CDs making them headline news one more time. And it also saw Jack Jones, a member of the pre-Beatles old guard, opening his annual run of shows at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York. Both the Beatles and Jones are "old guard" now, of course, but the generational differences are still striking. There were no T-shirts or graying ponytails to be seen in the intimate, posh setting of the Oak Room, and the mood was sedate and elegant, not rockin'; a couple of the more elderly patrons could be caught catching a quick bit of shut-eye during the set.
Jack Jones is closer in age to the Beatles than to Sinatra -- in fact, he's only two years older than Ringo Starr -- and he was one of the last of the Sinatra-styled crooners to hit big before the Beatles permanently altered the pop scene. His biggest hit, "Wives And Lovers," was in the Top 20 when "I Want To Hold Your Hand" was released, and throughout the '60s, when non-rock pop music could still coexist commercially with the newer stuff, he consistently made the upper reaches of the charts with both singles and albums.
But by the '70s, it was clear that he was on the wrong side of the pop culture divide. For a while, he tried getting down with the groovy sounds the kids were digging -- a live album from 1970 features him gamely going at tunes like "Get Together" and "Spinning Wheel" -- and for a long while, his records were bogged down with bland middle-of-the- road pop that didn't entice older listeners or win over younger fans. Apart from a fluke hit with the disco-ish theme from "The Love Boat," his career as a relevant pop artist was over.
In the '90s, Jones finally embraced his younger-elder statesman status, turning, for the most part (although not completely), away from Sting and Steve Perry back to Gershwin, Cy Coleman and the like. His latest stint at the Oak Room finds him paying tribute to the work of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, adult-pop songwriters who came of age in the rock era and were embraced, for better ("What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life") or worse ("The Way We Were"), by many old-guard singers during their heyday in the '70s and '80s. Jones introduced the set thusly: "You know the story. Boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl. And tonight, the role of the boy will be played by Jack Jones."
Looking natty, with a full head of brilliant white hair, Jones performed a set heavy on the Bergmans' sentimental slower fare, accompanied by a trio led by the great pianist/arranger Mike Rienzi. I can't say I wanted to hear fare like "It Might Be You" (best known from the film "Tootsie") or the slightly ridiculous "Windmills Of Your Mind," no matter how well he sings them. But when the material matched the performances, as on "Nice 'N' Easy" or "That Face," he was brilliant. And he even managed to salvage the godawful "The Way We Were" by sticking it in a medley with "How Do You Keep The Music Playing," one of the best songs written by the Bergmans or damn near anyone in recent decades.
Jones is recovering from relatively minor but nagging health problems, but his voice is still remarkably spry. Apart from a trace of gravel in the throat here and there, you couldn't ask for better from a 71-year-old singer. He was not only able to belt out the high notes, he was able to hit them, and hold them, softly as well. That not only takes lung power but good vocal cords. Most septuagenarian singers have lost something off their range or have their pipes clogged with phlegm or other assorted crap. Not so with Jack Jones -- he's still in the ballpark with his mid '60s self.
Emotionally, he's gained resonance -- during some of the more affecting ballads, he seemed near tears, and it was reflected in his singing. He told a great story about his manager, Jack E. Leonard, who told him, "If only you'd fall in love, so you could understand what you're singing about." "So I met a girl," Jones said, "and I started getting all these feelings, seeing stars when we kissed, the works. So I told Jack, 'I think this is it.' He said, 'Good. Now if she'd only break up with you.' And bless her heart, she did."
Jack Jones is one of a vanishing breed of vocalists who flourished in the '50s and '60s, and as one of the youngest of the bunch, he's probably as close as you'll get to those halcyon days -- and in a nifty little room with great acoustics to boot. He'll be playing the Oak Room at the Algonquin through September 19. It's a pricey proposition, especially in the middle of recession, but if you love great pop vocalizing, you'll get your money's worth.
Re: Jack Jones
Many thanks for posting this Terence. I enjoyed reading it. 
So nice to get reviews so quickly.
I have a friend who went last night, so I'm waiting to hear how much she enjoyed her evening.
I'll let you all know.
Marian
So nice to get reviews so quickly. I have a friend who went last night, so I'm waiting to hear how much she enjoyed her evening.
I'll let you all know.
Marian
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Lena & Harry Smith
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Re: Jack Jones
Vic Damone is not singing now, but his staunch friend and fan who I was speaking with yesterday said without hesitation that the best singer of that era still around singing and performing today is Jack Jones. 
Re: Jack Jones
I know I am biased, but I think Johnny Mathis could be included---the trouble with JJ, is there are no recent recordings, or dvds or tv appearances--so only those that actually go to see him live, know how he actually sounds these days--which Is a very small percentage overall.
Last edited by mariana44 on Sun Sep 13, 2009 6:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mariana
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Lena & Harry Smith
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- Location: London UK
Re: Jack Jones
That's a fair comment Marian, and this was just a personal opinion, it doesn't mean that our friend is correct , but we say.. good for all these singers of that era who can still perform and please an audience.
Re: Jack Jones
I can think of several more, including, of course, Al Martino, Ed Ames, Patti Page to name but a few.
Re: Jack Jones
I would say that Jack belongs to a special era that's forgotten today (especially with the popularity of individual song downloading) - that of the "album artist." Kapp Records tailored Jack's albums to be of consistent quality, and representing different moods, styles and trends - much like Sinatra's. For both men, their images were defined through their albums first, while the concerts were meant to keep them in the public eye, and encourage fans to keep buying their LPs. But it obviously became a bonus (to the record companies) that they were among the best live performers in the business as well. Jack's Kapp albums, due to their quality and the incredible people who worked on them, are rightfully part of the Great American Songbook - but, sadly, they're not yet recognized as that, due to the unfortunate timing of those years. Right now, America has the baby boomers running the media, who want us all to keep focusing on Woodstock and the Beatles. But there was so much great pop music that was sharing the charts with the Beatles back then, and there's so little recognition for it.
America's concert venues have been dying off since the 70s, because our downtowns have been dying. People kept moving further and further away from downtown areas, where the dinner clubs and concert halls were located. So, as a result, the downtowns decayed and the concert venues closed (as did most record stores in the country). In most states, concerts are mostly held in the summer, in outdoor amphitheaters. Johnny Mathis, Al Martino and Tom Jones make most of their U.S. touring money playing in these venues. But for Jack, at his age now, he's stated that he just wants to tour at a pace that's fun, and not hectic, so he mostly plays in the big coastal cities. But these locations are out of reach for most Americans, especially since those areas are very expensive to travel to, so Jack still remains unknown to most Americans (although YouTube has improved that some in recent years). And Jack has also had much trouble getting recording contracts in recent years, like most acts that don't appeal to teens and twenty-somethings.
I appreciated the review posted above, especially that story about Jack falling in love for the first time. That's the best showbiz story I've seen in a long, long, time - and with Jack's timing, it probably played even better live.
America's concert venues have been dying off since the 70s, because our downtowns have been dying. People kept moving further and further away from downtown areas, where the dinner clubs and concert halls were located. So, as a result, the downtowns decayed and the concert venues closed (as did most record stores in the country). In most states, concerts are mostly held in the summer, in outdoor amphitheaters. Johnny Mathis, Al Martino and Tom Jones make most of their U.S. touring money playing in these venues. But for Jack, at his age now, he's stated that he just wants to tour at a pace that's fun, and not hectic, so he mostly plays in the big coastal cities. But these locations are out of reach for most Americans, especially since those areas are very expensive to travel to, so Jack still remains unknown to most Americans (although YouTube has improved that some in recent years). And Jack has also had much trouble getting recording contracts in recent years, like most acts that don't appeal to teens and twenty-somethings.
I appreciated the review posted above, especially that story about Jack falling in love for the first time. That's the best showbiz story I've seen in a long, long, time - and with Jack's timing, it probably played even better live.
Re: Jack Jones
Hi Gloriia --yes you are correct to a certain extent , that a lot of US theaters are out of town and outdoors---I have seen over 50 US concerts, and many have been outdoors, some in circus-like arenas with a stage in the centre,particularly in New England, and also not easy to get to-luckily I was with a group and we had coaches to take us to these out of the way places--but in the case of Johnny Mathis , I have also seen him in Caesars in Lake Tahoe, and Caesars Palace and Harrahs in Las Vegas--amazing places !!
It is a shame that the Jack Jones Kapp records are not more easily available--as in the case of the Johnny Mathis Mercury recordings---I just wonder why they have never been released--
to me it is just timeless music, and I hate the thought that it is all more or less lost to the listening audience.
I enjoyed the review-apart from one thing .... what is wrong with "The Way we were"-I think it is a beautufl song.
It is a shame that the Jack Jones Kapp records are not more easily available--as in the case of the Johnny Mathis Mercury recordings---I just wonder why they have never been released--
to me it is just timeless music, and I hate the thought that it is all more or less lost to the listening audience.
I enjoyed the review-apart from one thing .... what is wrong with "The Way we were"-I think it is a beautufl song.
Last edited by mariana44 on Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Mariana
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Lena & Harry Smith
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Re: Jack Jones
Elaine Paige's guest today was Marvin Hamlisch, and naturally the conversation was for "The Way We Were" ..we think it's a beautiful song from a great movie too Marian,... good enough to win Academy and Grammy awards.
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Terence Lee
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Re: Jack Jones
Regarding the song The Way We Were, Barbra's slower version as sung in the film is even more beautiful.
Re: Jack Jones
Mariana: Yes, you're right about Las Vegas, as I had forgotten to mention that. Vegas is indeed the "one stop" entertainment district where so many Americans play at the casinos all day and take in the shows each night. The city has truly been a lifeline for Jack and so many other singers over the decades, especially after rock 'n' roll took over and shut them out of most local halls and theaters. At least they could always get Vegas engagements, and nice venues to appear at.
I think that the Kapp catalogue is one of the greatest stories in American pop that's never been told. It's astounding to look back and see how much great and timeless music was generated for one singer in only about a 7-year period. Kapp found so many amazing songs for Jack to record that, oftentimes, there wasn't enough room to fit them all on the ensuing LP releases, so a number of those songs only appeared on 45s. And Kapp hired the best arrangers in the business to work with Jack, and these albums are just as much their legacies as they are Jack's. It's a treasure trove that's in need of archiving, but unfortunately, it's all part of the big Universal conglomorate, which has bought or swallowed countless record companies over the years. But if Universal is indeed in the process of releasing four more Kapp albums in the near future (most likely the latter titles, such as Lady, Our Song, Bewitched, or Jack Jones Sings [now out of print in its Japanese edition] , then that means that the internet is finally making an impact and getting Universal to take notice.
I would love to see Universal rescue Jack's first four albums, because they're the most forgotten. The best way would be to license them to Collector's Choice as twofers - preferably the ballad LPs Gift of Love and Lollipops and Roses together, and the big band/swing titles, Shall We Dance and I've Got a Lot of Livin' To Do. I get the Collector's Choice catalog on a regular basis, and I am constantly in disbelief as to the strange obscurities featured on the CC label, and all the "early years" of those artists that are considered worthy of release as well. But the catalog really makes a lot of people look long and hard, and that's obvious with the huge success CC has had with Bobby Darin's For Teenagers Only. Hopefully, Universal and CC will get back to the drawing board soon and reissue Jack's Impossible Dream album from the master tapes, rather than the current transfer from vinyl. Sheesh, it's Jack's all-time bestselling LP, and this is all the respect it gets? But, at least some hope is on the horizon.
I think that the Kapp catalogue is one of the greatest stories in American pop that's never been told. It's astounding to look back and see how much great and timeless music was generated for one singer in only about a 7-year period. Kapp found so many amazing songs for Jack to record that, oftentimes, there wasn't enough room to fit them all on the ensuing LP releases, so a number of those songs only appeared on 45s. And Kapp hired the best arrangers in the business to work with Jack, and these albums are just as much their legacies as they are Jack's. It's a treasure trove that's in need of archiving, but unfortunately, it's all part of the big Universal conglomorate, which has bought or swallowed countless record companies over the years. But if Universal is indeed in the process of releasing four more Kapp albums in the near future (most likely the latter titles, such as Lady, Our Song, Bewitched, or Jack Jones Sings [now out of print in its Japanese edition] , then that means that the internet is finally making an impact and getting Universal to take notice.
I would love to see Universal rescue Jack's first four albums, because they're the most forgotten. The best way would be to license them to Collector's Choice as twofers - preferably the ballad LPs Gift of Love and Lollipops and Roses together, and the big band/swing titles, Shall We Dance and I've Got a Lot of Livin' To Do. I get the Collector's Choice catalog on a regular basis, and I am constantly in disbelief as to the strange obscurities featured on the CC label, and all the "early years" of those artists that are considered worthy of release as well. But the catalog really makes a lot of people look long and hard, and that's obvious with the huge success CC has had with Bobby Darin's For Teenagers Only. Hopefully, Universal and CC will get back to the drawing board soon and reissue Jack's Impossible Dream album from the master tapes, rather than the current transfer from vinyl. Sheesh, it's Jack's all-time bestselling LP, and this is all the respect it gets? But, at least some hope is on the horizon.
Last edited by Gloria on Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Jack Jones
Terence, Harry
& Lena--yes, I'm with you all the way , on "the Way we were".
Gloria, it is strange that you shoud mention Booby Darin's "For Teenagers Only" as I recently bought that cd---funnily enough, when I was a teenager-and older--I did not think much of Bobby Darin---but since I discovered that he sang more than "Splish Splash" and "Multiplication" I really like him--in fact, he is one of my favourite singers.
With singers like Jack Jones and Johnny Mathis, one would have to have been a fan all through their career to collect all the albums that they produced--and although I bought some albums of JJ way back--the RCA albums, there were many that I did not get to buy.
However, with Johnny Mathis, I was a fan since 1956, so I have all his recordings--and in fact 10 have just been released on double cds earlier this year--but there are still quite a few not on cd, apart from the Mercury Albums--luckily I have been able to convert my lps to cd, but I would prefer the real thing.
As for Las Vegas--I love it--but in the theatres, sometimes the real fans are blocked out by the "High Rollers", and if you do not have big money to bribe the attendants to giving you a good seat, you could be way back. In fact I can remember queuing outside Caesars Palace for hours , foir a decent seat, as thev tickets were not numbered--you just sat where you could-first come , first served--unless you were rich !!!!
& Lena--yes, I'm with you all the way , on "the Way we were".
Gloria, it is strange that you shoud mention Booby Darin's "For Teenagers Only" as I recently bought that cd---funnily enough, when I was a teenager-and older--I did not think much of Bobby Darin---but since I discovered that he sang more than "Splish Splash" and "Multiplication" I really like him--in fact, he is one of my favourite singers.
With singers like Jack Jones and Johnny Mathis, one would have to have been a fan all through their career to collect all the albums that they produced--and although I bought some albums of JJ way back--the RCA albums, there were many that I did not get to buy.
However, with Johnny Mathis, I was a fan since 1956, so I have all his recordings--and in fact 10 have just been released on double cds earlier this year--but there are still quite a few not on cd, apart from the Mercury Albums--luckily I have been able to convert my lps to cd, but I would prefer the real thing.
As for Las Vegas--I love it--but in the theatres, sometimes the real fans are blocked out by the "High Rollers", and if you do not have big money to bribe the attendants to giving you a good seat, you could be way back. In fact I can remember queuing outside Caesars Palace for hours , foir a decent seat, as thev tickets were not numbered--you just sat where you could-first come , first served--unless you were rich !!!!
Mariana
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Terence Lee
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Re: Jack Jones
I know Marian won't mind reading another review.
An Aging Lion Reflects on His Glory Days
by Stephen Holden
New York Times, September 14, 2009
The lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with their focus on the psychology of relationships and the collision of romantic dreams with mundane reality, are traditionally associated with female singers, most notably Barbra Streisand. You might describe many of them as soap-opera ready.
When a male crooner, especially an aging lion like Jack Jones, takes on the Bergman catalog, with its preponderance of ballads, the atmosphere shifts from the boudoir to a twilit sports arena visited by an old-timer ruminating on his glory days.
Mr. Jones, who opened the fall season of the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel on Wednesday with a nearly hour-and-a-half show devoted to the Bergmans' songs, built the program around a boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl story. Eventually reunited, the imaginary couple are grateful for a relationship they initially took for granted. But that scenario was really a way for Mr. Jones to paraphrase his own biography right up through his recent marriage, which he celebrated with the happy-ending ballad "On My Way to You."
Vocally, Mr. Jones has traded beauty for depth. His craggy baritone (reminiscent at times of Mark Murphy) bears little resemblance to the boyish crooning on his first hit, "Lollipops and Roses." Not only his sound but also his perspective is that of a proud, weathered mountaineer (he is 71) testing his reflexes before making another ascent as winter approaches.
If his voice is no longer pretty, it is majestic, its bottom end a deep, rumbling bass-baritone used for intense dramatic emphasis. The upper register is reserved for quirky departures from pop decorum and for blues improvisations. On "Love Makes the Changes," a little-known song with music by Michel Legrand, Mr. Jones became a ferocious blues shouter, and his excellent band -- Mike Renzi on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass and Kendall Kay on drums -- followed him into the Chicago blues cellar evoked by the music.
Mr. Jones found fresh things to say in ballads that everyone knows. "The Way We Were" pivoted around the questions "Would we? / Could we?," each separated by a long, thoughtful pause. The song was coupled with "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," in which he emphasized its lurking fear expressed in the words, "The more I love the more that I'm afraid / That in your eyes I may not see forever."
Fear, pride, nostalgia and new beginnings: Mr. Jones put himself on the line.
An Aging Lion Reflects on His Glory Days
by Stephen Holden
New York Times, September 14, 2009
The lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman, with their focus on the psychology of relationships and the collision of romantic dreams with mundane reality, are traditionally associated with female singers, most notably Barbra Streisand. You might describe many of them as soap-opera ready.
When a male crooner, especially an aging lion like Jack Jones, takes on the Bergman catalog, with its preponderance of ballads, the atmosphere shifts from the boudoir to a twilit sports arena visited by an old-timer ruminating on his glory days.
Mr. Jones, who opened the fall season of the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel on Wednesday with a nearly hour-and-a-half show devoted to the Bergmans' songs, built the program around a boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl story. Eventually reunited, the imaginary couple are grateful for a relationship they initially took for granted. But that scenario was really a way for Mr. Jones to paraphrase his own biography right up through his recent marriage, which he celebrated with the happy-ending ballad "On My Way to You."
Vocally, Mr. Jones has traded beauty for depth. His craggy baritone (reminiscent at times of Mark Murphy) bears little resemblance to the boyish crooning on his first hit, "Lollipops and Roses." Not only his sound but also his perspective is that of a proud, weathered mountaineer (he is 71) testing his reflexes before making another ascent as winter approaches.
If his voice is no longer pretty, it is majestic, its bottom end a deep, rumbling bass-baritone used for intense dramatic emphasis. The upper register is reserved for quirky departures from pop decorum and for blues improvisations. On "Love Makes the Changes," a little-known song with music by Michel Legrand, Mr. Jones became a ferocious blues shouter, and his excellent band -- Mike Renzi on piano, Chris Colangelo on bass and Kendall Kay on drums -- followed him into the Chicago blues cellar evoked by the music.
Mr. Jones found fresh things to say in ballads that everyone knows. "The Way We Were" pivoted around the questions "Would we? / Could we?," each separated by a long, thoughtful pause. The song was coupled with "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," in which he emphasized its lurking fear expressed in the words, "The more I love the more that I'm afraid / That in your eyes I may not see forever."
Fear, pride, nostalgia and new beginnings: Mr. Jones put himself on the line.