💿 JW-JONES - SONIC DEPARTURES

JW-JONES - SONIC DEPARTURES
Street Date - AUGUST 14, 2020

VizzTone label group

Fresh off the heels of winning "Best Guitarist" at the 2020 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, JUNO-nominated Canadian blues artist JW-Jones was looking forward to a huge year before COVID-19 hit and halted his tour schedule.
“I knew I had to do something productive to stay positive. I turned isolation into inspiration!” said Jones,

“I took some tracks my band had recorded last year, and dove in with renewed energy and focus, as well as some new technology. I bought recording hardware and taught myself how to use it. I re-recorded all of the vocals, added a new guitar solo to one track, played a second guitar (rhythm) on another, and the band did drum and bass overdubs on a few tunes. My wife Brit sings harmonies on several tracks, bringing a classic vibe to the jump blues numbers, and there is even a vocal sample performed by my 15-month old daughter. The engineer, Eric Eggleston of Johnny Hall productions, shared his screen and audio live over the internet as he monitored through his studio speakers, and we did the mixing and production together from our homes."

The tracks feature a 17-piece band with a 13-piece horn section (recorded pre-COVID). In addition to Jones's touring band, Will Laurin (drums/vocals) and Jacob Clarke (upright and electric bass/vocals), Jones brought longtime band-mate Jesse Whiteley back into the fray on keys and to write some of the horn charts, and Kaz Kazanoff of the Texas Horns penned big-band arrangements for two of Jones's original songs.
From new original music to previously unreleased songs, this album sounds bigger and wider than ever. New remote tracking, studio effects and a fresh approach led to a most appropriate album title: Sonic Departures.

“This young man is one of the people who will keep the blues alive."
– Buddy Guy

Listen: https://airplaydirect.com/music/JWJ/