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Real vocal artist
USA

arrow blue JACK JONES

Jack Jones

 arrow blue Radiocafé's view

Ask anyone for a list of the truly great male singers, and the reply inevitably includes Sinatra, Bennett, and Crosby.  Vic Damone, Bobby Darrin, Nat King Cole and the other Rat-Pack members are also likely to be named.  But those who really know their singers will include Jack Jones somewhere up the top of this list.

It's easy to see why.  This is a man who has performed to sell-out audiences for best part of half a century.  He has released dozen upon dozen of fantastic albums.  He has recorded infamous theme tunes, for films and TV shows.  But the reason why is much more simple: he is one of the most complete, the most natural, of singers that the world has ever heard.

Lovers of the ballad should look no further than Jack's repetoire for some of the love songs that redefined the term.  A number of these are set in music legend as classics: "Wives and Lovers", "Lollipops and Roses" and the theme from "From Russia With Love" are items that mainstream radio has embraced as favourites.  But with quite so many recordings to choose from, if you start to scratch the surface a little and look beyond the obvious to the less frequently played gems, you will uncover some of the most delightful musical treats ever recorded.

Take as a good example the track "But I Loved You", which appeared on the 1972 album, "With Love From Jack Jones".  The song was written by Gordon Jenkins, the man who arranged so many of Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole's classics.  The lyrics are poignant and moving. But it is Jones' sensitive treatment of this track that makes it simply sensational. Then again, this tends to be the case with so many of his recordings.

Another good example is "Toys In The Attic", a small clip of which can be heard here (see right); his version of "Angel Eyes" also demonstrates perfectly the range and technique of this great singer.  Another favourite of ours is "[This Is The End Of A] Beautiful Friendship" (which can still be obtained on the Bewitched CD listed to the right - but hurry, as this is now in short supply).

Jack is quite simply a living legend, who has performed many times in the UK to sell out audiences, and continues to tour - we very much hope we'll see him back in the UK soon.  At 69, he is back in the recording studio, producing another addition to one of the finest discographies of any individual, ever. 

The good news is that a portion of Jack's material is available on CD and for download, allowing a whole new generation to enjoy his music, and existing fans to supplement their well worn LPs. But we cannot understand why mainstream radio, which gives favour to Bobby Darrin, Tony Bennett and the Rat Pack, does not grant the same exposure to Jack Jones. Surely there is a place for him alongside the other greats?

Fortunately, broadcasters such as David Jacobs, and American radio such as the Music of Your Life Network, both of which international listeners can enjoy over the internet, continue to feature Jack as a regular on their shows.  But in our view this is much too few and far between for music as good as this.  And there are so many other great singers who derive from a fabulous era of music, the likes of which we may never experience again.

So until some of the radio schedulers start to see sense, we encourage you to delve into Jack's back catalogue and add some of his masterpieces to your own collections.


  arrow blue You should like this artist if you like any of these...

arrow Bing Crosby
arrow Vic Damone
arrow Frank Sinatra
arrow Andy Williams
arrow Harry Connick Jr


  arrow blue Artist profile

Jones' professional debut was a brief stint as part of his father's act at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas when he was just 19 years old. He went out on his own three weeks later, working odd jobs to support himself while pursuing his singing career.

His first break came when a demo he recorded for songwriter Don Raye found its way to Capitol Records. While with the label he recorded a few singles and an album, which he admits was mediocre.

Although he eventually left Capitol, one gem from his album, "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big", caught the attention of a San Francisco club owner who booked him for a three week run at Facks. While performing there, he was discovered by Pete King, a producer and artist for Kapp Records who quickly signed him to the label.

Still working at his "day job" as a gas station attendant when his first album on Kapp was released. Jones, while washing a customer's windshield, was surprised to hear one of his cuts playing on the car radio. He could now legitimately hope that his odd job days would soon be over.

As his career gained momentum, Jones developed a deep appreciation for well constructed songs that also have emotional appeal His respect for songs that tell stories with meaning and beauty led him to record works by the greatest balladeers of all time: Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen, Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Harold Arlen, Michel Legrand and Alan & Marilyn Bergman. He was inspired by great Jazz instrumentalists he discovered during his teen years such as Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry, Buddy Rich, Bob Brookmeyer, Dave Pell Octet, Marty Paiche Dectet, Shorty Rogers and the Giants, and Count Basie.

Jones' talent and commitment to his art earned him two Grammy's for "Best Pop Male Vocal Performance" with his singles "Lollipops and Roses" by Anthony Velona and Bacharach/David's "Wives and Lovers". His latest release, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, was nominated for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance". He was also nominated for "The Impossible Dream" and his recording of "Wives and Lovers" was nominated for "Record of the Year". His hit records include "The Race Is On", "Lady", "Call Me Irresponsible", and "What I Did For Love". On April 13,1989, he was honored with his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, close to where his father's star is located.

He is also renowned as a leading interpreter of musical theater - with acclaimed performances in "Guys and Dolls" and "South Pacific", "She Loves Me", and "Pajama Game" . Over the years he has guest-starred on countless episodic and/or comedy television series. Most recently he starred as Don Quixote in Man Of La Mancha in the national tour. Most recently, Jack has completed a guest-starring role in the British comedy film: Cruise Of The Gods.

Admirers of Jones' talent include artists who influenced him as a young singer: Sinatra who said, "Jack is one of the major singers of our time," Mel Torme who called him "the greatest 'pure' singer in the world" and legendary composers Sammy Cahn and Michel Legrand.

In 1971, Jones honored Michel Legrand by recording the first complete vocal album in English of the French composer's songs. Released by RCA, Jack Jones Sings Michel Legrand is an album which exquisitely showcases the vocalists art and a recording that Jones counts as one of his favorites. In 1997 he recorded New Jack Swing for Honest Entertainment, which introduced Jones to a new generation of fans with hip, swing renditions of "Every Breath You Take", "Have You Ever Loved A Woman", Keb Mo's "Dangerous Mood", "All Or Nothing At All" and the classic "Mack The Knife"

With over 50 recorded albums (17 of them chanting Billboard's Top 20) and consistently sold-out world tours, Jack Jones continues to charm audiences with his wit, sensitivity and vocal power. In addition to a successful recording career, Jones' impressive credits include film and television roles; an internationally syndicated TV variety show; guest performances at Carnegie Halt, the Kennedy Center, and the White House. He has also performed and later recorded popular theme songs for film and TV ("Love with a Proper Stranger, "The Love Boat").

On his latest release for Honest Entertainment, Jack Jones Paints A Tribute To Tony Bennett, Jones pays homage to a friend and an American icon. He counts Bennett among those vocalists who most influenced his style (a small but elite group that includes Mel Torme, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstien, and Frank Sinatra). Professional relationship aside, Jones and Bennett have been friends since their meeting at Chicago's Palmer House Hotel in the late 60's when Jones attended the last show of Bennett's engagement at the Empire Room, before opening in the same room the following night.

Of his tribute album, which features some of Bennett's signature songs, Jones says, This album is my way or saying thanks to a dear friend, " In selecting songs for this album, he chose three of his personal Bennett favorites, "Skylark", "Shadow Of Your Smile" and "You Must Believe In Spring".

Today, Jack is busy doing concerts in performing arts centers, casinos, symphony concerts, as well as semi-annual engagements in Las Vegas.

arrow This profile was kindly supplied by Jack Jones' fantastic endorsed site by Masaya - click here to visit the site.

  Discography

arrow A fantastic Discography of all of Jack's albums, with full details of the tracks on each of the albums, can be found at Jack Jones' endorsed site - click here to view

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