166340933

Kennis Jones
How Life was.....How Life is
Mr. Kennis Jones is a gifted songwriter, artist, arranger and producer. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois, being raised in a musical family. His father sang with Sam Cook, Al Green and performed with the "Mighty Clouds of Joy".
Influenced by his upbringing, Kennis's music is rooted in R&B, Jazz, Blues and Funk. Kennis has himself written over four hundred songs and is registered with ASCAP as a writer and publisher.
SOFTSOUL is the name of his production company.
For 5 years, Kennis was a songwriter exclusively for Smokey Robinson. Two memorable songs were recorded, "I'm Loving You Softly" and "If We're Gonna Act Like Lovers", the latter of which was on the sound track to his hit movie "BIG TIME" starring Jane Kennedy and Roger E. Mosley.
Currently, Kennis has been performing solo on his piano throughout Southern California and San Diego, and continually writing and recording new music.
Interview with Kennis Jones................on WHPK 88.5FM in Chicago
"Sitting in the Park" is a
weekly soul show, hosted by
Chicago DJ Bob Abrahamian, broadcasting every Sunday night from 7:30-9:00PM on WHPK 88.5FM Chicago.
On the show, you'll hear Chicago soul and group soul, mainly from the 60s through the early 70s. You'll also hear interviews with soul groups.

The show's website contains archives of every interview , so you can listen to members of these groups tell their stories in their own words.
Bob Abrahamian WHPK 88.5FM Chicago - November 30,2008
Hi. Today on my radio show I did an interesting interview
with singer Kennis Jones.
Part-1 Nov.30
Part-2 Dec.14
SUMMARY:
"As a child, Kennis moved from Grand Rapids, MI to the South Side of Chicago. Kennis lived in the Harold Icke homes at 22nd and State street. Kennis got interested in music at an early age via his father, who sang with Sam Cooke and with the Wings of Faith gospel group. Soon after moving to the south side, Kennis formed the Flairs, with his brother Loren and three other members. With little experience the group did an initial performance at the Regal weekly talent show and were unsuccessful; the group then practiced daily for an entire year before performing again, perfecting their harmony and choreography. The Flairs became local favorites, playing clubs and winning talent shows.
The group soon found a backing band, the Statistics, who lived at Wentworth Gardens, the projects just south at 35th and State. The group also found a manager, Darnell Glover, also from Wentworth Gardens; Glover recorded the group on his Southtown record label.
"I want you" / "All I need" was the group's first single; the record had an excellent late-60s Chicago sound and received some local airplay.
            
I Want You
            
All I Need
About a year later Kennis was discovered by James Shelton (owner of the Daran record label) while playing piano in the lobby of Shelton's hotel. Shelton had Kennis write music to some tracks that were initially intended to be recorded by the Chi-lites (who had recently left Shelton's labels to go to Brunswick records). The Flairs, under a new group lineup, recorded the tracks and Shelton released the group's second single -- "Where you live" / "You got to steal it" -- on his Rap record label. The single also had a great Chicago sound and received some local airplay.
Where You Live
You Got To Steal It
The group continued to do local shows and Kennis began to focus on songwriting. Kennis hooked up with producer Jim Porter, who initially wanted Kennis to work with his group the Eight Minutes. Kennis wrote the track "Next time he'll be good",which was released by the Eight Minutes on the perception record label.
Next Time He'll Be Good
Kennis also auditioned the Flairs for Porter, who ended up recording a new lineup of the group; the group changed their name to Velvet in order to make a fresh start. "Give it up" was released in 1972, locally on the Lovelite label and then nationally on Perception. "Give it up" had a more modern, Stylistics-inspired early-70s Chicago sound, and became the group's biggest hit (going all the way up to number 8 on WVON's charts). Kennis began to focus more on songwriting, working at Brunswick records writing tracks that were recorded but never released, by several Brunswick artists. Porter released a second single -- "Betcha if you ask around" -- as by Velvet, but the group was actually totally different and did not include Kennis at all.
Give It UP
Betcha If You Ask Around
In the mid-70s Kennis decided to go to California to pursue his music career. After initially spending time with members of Earth Wind and Fire, Kennis eventually got an interview with Smokey Robinson. Smokey immediately signed Kennis as a personal songwriter. Kennis wrote many songs for Smokey, a couple of which were released, including the excellent cut "If we're gonna act like lovers" from the Big Time soundtrack.
If We're Gonna Act Like Lovers
Kennis also wrote another tune for Smokey Robinson "I'm Loving You Softly" for his Love Breeze album
In the early 80s, Kennis left Smokey to pursue a solo career. Kennis cut the excellent track "Mr. Postman" which he released as a 12" on his own Soft Soul record label in 1986.
Mr. Postman
Kennis has continued to perform until today." - Bob Abrahamian
Soft Soul CDs
Love Is All I Want From You
"Cookie Sweet"
Why Do We Play Out Of Tune
         "How Life Is"
I am truly blessed loving you.
My Life - "Faith and Music from God's Soft Soul"
Through the musical inspiration of my family, the church, and the hard lessons of life, God has blessed me with songs, by giving me the lyrics and music to comfort my heart and soothe my soul.
As far back as I can remember I was always fascinated by music. I would listen to music on the radio, while watching people and cars go by, seeing the birds flying, they all seemed to be in rhythm. It would seem like I was watching a fantasy, it was so beautiful.
My father sang with a spiritual group called ‘The Wings of Faith”. Every time he had rehearsal, the group would stand around in a circle and sing, and I would hold on to his leg in the circle with him. I would love to hear the harmony they made. I was about 6 to 9 yrs. old at that time.
Many times our family went on picnics and as always, we as a family would sing songs that we knew on the radio. One time the group the “Drifters” came on the radio and I asked my Dad how the group got inside the radio to sing. The family laughed so hard. I really thought the “Drifters” were inside the radio singing. People like Sam Cooke, Al Green, and “The Mighty Clouds of Joy”, along with “The 5 Blind Boys” and “The Salem Travelers” would be practicing to perform on shows together at different churches. I used to love to go to church. We were in church at least three times a week. My mother used to play piano at that time for our church choir. That was my first introduction to the instrument. I remember listening to records and teaching my self to play the horn line by ear. Once I could play the horn lines, I would go straight to my parents to get their approval. It would always amaze them that I could play the horn lines without being able to read music. My parents never me gave me music lessons.
When the opportunity came through school to play an instrument, I chose the trumpet and cornet horn. The very first time I had to perform onstage with my trumpet was with my teacher who played the piano and a schoolmate who played the drums. I was scared to death. We performed the song “When the Saints Go Marching In” at a school assembly. I was talking to someone inside me. At the time I didn’t know it was Christ. I knew it was someone and he helped me get through it. Ever since then, I became aware of who I am in Christ spiritually as well as musically.
I was 11 years old when my father and mother separated. The divorce crushed me emotionally so I wanted to carry on what my Dad was doing musically. I was born on my Dad’s birthday, May 12th. I wanted to make him proud of me, so I kept pursuing music not knowing where it would take me. My mother moved us to Chicago. This is where I formed my first group “The Flairs”, which consisted of three friends and my brother Loren Jones. The first show we did as a group was at the Regal Theater, which was like the Apollo Theater in New York City. The entire black music artist community played there. It was our first talent show and we were booed off the stage. Right then and there I was determined to never let that happen again. I made my group rehearse every day for a year. We never missed a day. We went back to the “Regal” on talent show night. We tied for first place with a group that was not known at that time called “The Jackson 5”. They sang a song called “Steal Away” with Michael Jackson singing the lead. We sang “Hey Girl I Love You” which was recorded by a group called the “Artistics”. A week later we came back to the “Regal” to break the tie with the J5, but they did not show up for whatever reason. We preformed that night and won first place for singing “Hello Young Lovers”. David Ruffin of the “Temptations” presented us with a trophy and a chance to open up at the “Burning Spear Club” for the Bobby Blue Bland. That was the best thing that ever happened to me up until that time. We got signed to a couple of record labels and had a semi hit called “Give It Up “on Perception Records. We performed around Chicago for a few years.
Looking back now, the emotional direction for my soft soul music happened out of bad situations and hardship in my life. I quit school in 12th grade to get a job, and around this time I became homeless when my mother moved out of our house while I was at work. For 2 ½ years I walked the streets of Chicago, sleeping outside and eating wherever I could. I would look for coin change that people may have left in the phone booths. I would cry every night wondering why this was happening to me. Not knowing where my mother had moved to, I could not get a room because I was too young at 17 years old to rent one. I had to be 21 years old. I would walk all night long until the sun came up. I prayed every day and night that God would help me. I felt nobody loved me. It was hell. I would sleep in parks, empty houses, basements. It got so bad that I would knock on people’s doors and ask if I could spend the night on their front or back porches. If they did allow me to I would run errands or do yard work for them. I did whatever I could for some food and to wash up. But through all of that God would bless me with songs, by giving me the lyrics and music to comfort my heart and soothe my soul. I truly was really a little lost lamb out there for the wolves taking. God protected me when I needed him most. I would act like I was a student at any college that I could walk into, because all I wanted to do was find a piano music room. I needed to work out the songs God blessed me with. I received a song from God every night. I could hear the songs in my dreams complete with words and music. I never learned to read or write music. He blessed me to be able to hear and feel whatever he wanted me to play and sing. I am so grateful to God for that.
Through all my travels with my music I have had the opportunity to meet people like Jackie Wilson, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, and Amal Jamal. I also have met Richard Evans, Otis Williams, and Melvin Franklin of the “Temptations”. Muhammad Ali, Eugene Record, who was lead singer of the “Chi-lites”, and Dionne Warwick are also some of the many others that have come across my path on the way to heaven.
Coming from being homeless to being able to write for Smokey Robinson was a blessing and was a wonderful experience. It was like going to Harvard. I learned to critique my writing and to enhance my ideas. Smokey taught me for example how to take the title of a song and write about it three to four different ways. Most importantly I learned about the music business. God bless you Smokey.
Now I have my own publishing and production company called Soft Soul Music. I have over 400 songs now and continuing to write more. My goal is to compose and create the most beautiful music the world has ever heard. I want my music to heal, soothe, educate, and to help people to see God’s love. Marvin Gaye said it best “We have to save the babies, save all God’s children.
I hope you can really hear the heartfulness of my songs on my latest CD. It is titled “Softness of The Soul”. My favorites are “Cookie Sweet “which is a little R&B jazzy and cute because life can be cookie sweet and “The Tin Man” which I wrote for my brother Vic. He asked me to write him a song after he had a heart attack and made it through it.
“Tears of Joy” and “What About Love” are my songs to the world. Its music you can enjoy with your friends, family, and love ones. “Tears of Joy” is my view of Mother Nature. When Mother Nature cries, it’s just her loving us with her tears of joy. She cleanses and purifies the air that we breathe. She kisses us all with her tears of joy.
“What About Love” is about what I believe in. At the end of the day through all your ups and downs, God is asking us what about love, it was made in heaven. It’s the one thing that we will always have because it will be with us forever.
I love all of my songs; they are like my little children. I created them, nurtured them through love, and now my songs are grown and ready to bring the world love, peace and happiness.
God Bless Us All
Stay Cookie Sweet
Soft Soulfully Yours
Kennis