Best known for his highly acclaimed work in the bluegrass world, Chris Jones has always had a musical field of vision too wide to be contained within it. Perhaps that's been shaped by his voice -- low and mournful rather than sharp and soaring--or perhaps by the way he's felt compelled to write so many of the songs he sings, filling them with a heartfelt intimacy and contemporary depth that's still rare in the genre. Even when he's been most firmly planted within the bluegrass mainstream, these qualities have made him stand out from his peers - and have garnered him critical notices for his personal musical style and sound.
On Too Far Down The Road, his first album for Little Dog Records, Jones takes a leap forward, combining classic country influences with honky-tonk, bluegrass, blues, and folk. From the first strains of the album's opener, Does All That -- which features hot electric chicken pickin' country fiddle, and hard-driving acoustic guitar itÂ’s obvious there is something special going on here. Just as Ricky Skaggs did in the 80s, Jones takes the spirit and soul of a traditional artform and breaks all the rules with a sound that's beautiful and in-your-face at the same time.Too Far Down The Road marks the first collaboration between Jones and Grammy Award-winning producer/guitarist Pete Anderson (Dwight Yoakam, Roy Orbison, k.d. lang, Michelle Shocked, Sara Evans, Gillian Welch ). Says Anderson, When I heard Chris' music, I was absolutely blown away by the soulfulness of his voice and the depth of his original songs. I quickly saw the potential of creating an album that would bring together a number of different musical styles to showcase his impressive talent.Chris Jones is no newcomer to the musical spotlight. His resume includes appearances and recordings with some of the world's most respected musicians including The Chieftains (he was featured on their 2003 U.S. tour), Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, Lynn Morris Band, April Verch Band, the McCarters and the award-winning quartet Weary Hearts, among others. He has performed many times at the Grand Ole Opry and has been seen on such television shows as Conan O'Brien, Emeril Live, and The Grand Ole Opry Live. Jones' collaboration with legendary country singer/songwriter Tom T. Hall led to the release of the duet Man On The Side Of The Road from Chris' Just a Drifter album, which became one of the Top 5 airplay bluegrass songs of 2001. Most recently, he appeared in the PBS series "The Appalachians" as a both a performer and commentator. Additionally, Jones hosts a daily show for Sirius Satellite Radio.
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