(3 left) then OUT of PRINT! Forever! Pick up the Follow-up to San Francisco Blue "Idiots Vision".
Spaceseed/Superczar/Jones Ave./San Francisco Blue Multi-instrumentalist Brian Fowler and a cast of musicians create Jones Ave Folk Art. Dr. David Wisdo published author and writer adds Saviours,Broken by The World and I shall Not Care to the acidic mix of songs. Translyvanian Concert Violinist Laszlo Stan adds his brillant Violin and Old World feel to the curious mix with 78 minutes of Folk Art.
Artwork by Merrie Lockwood
Jones Ave - "Folk Art"
(self-released 2002, CD)
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From Aural Innovations #20 (July 2002)
Jones Ave is a Georgia based band that alternate between jamming acid psychedelia and folk songs. The band consists of Brian Fowler on guitar, mandolin, bass, Rhodes, congas and vocals, John Joiner on flutes, bass and keyboards, Master Gabe Holland on keyboards, Dr David Wisdo on acoustic guitar, bass and vocals, Laszlo Stan on violin, and Jota Parker on drums.
On the acid space rock side my favorite tracks are "Treadmill" and "Circus Clown". "Treadmill" is an excellent jam tune with slowly soloing stoner acid guitar and a beautiful violin and flute combination. Laszlo Stan's violin is the real highlight, rising to screaming peaks and then slowly falling again. Like a combination of Bevis Frond and Hawkwind. Killer psychedelia that combines a raw jamming style with a more cosmic space rock sound. "Circus Clown" is even more in the Bevis Frond domain being a total acid psych guitar freakout tune, but with the addition of Laszlo Stan's violin peppering the music in a quirky style and spoken word taking the place of singing. "Atlantis" features singing violin leads along with strumming acoustic guitar, and a spacey synth line and slowing soloing guitar gives the music an underlying trippy feel. "Mcveigh" is a dark and intense metallic acid-psych tune, which is appropriate given that Timothy McVeigh is the subject of the lyrics.
The rest of the songs are in the folk realm, though elements of psychedelia and even prog rock are apparent. What makes the music so enjoyable and gives Jones Ave their character is the violin (a key instrument throughout the album), mandolin and flute, which adds an ethnic or traditional flavor to the songs. My favorite from this style of tunes is "World War 3" with it's lyrics and news samples of conflict in the Middle East that create a haunting aura around the song. Overall an impressive album that could appeal to a diversity of tastes. And poking around their web site it looks like Brian Fowler is involved in a number of tasty looking projects.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz
JONES AVE. - "Folk Art"
I love the 'feel' of this album. 'Folk Art', a project of ex San Francisco Blue (former Jefferson Airplaner, Bob Harveys band) man, Brian Fowler sounds so 'alive' and includes a good old fashioned bit of protest, 'World War 3', a beautiful ballad about Nick Drake (whose tragic life and death has touched so many of us) in 'Broken by the World' and a variety of instrumentals with some fairly 'far out' experimentation (e.g. 'Circus Clown').
Jones Ave. seem to take their inspiration wherever they find it and use 'sound bytes', dialogue, even children's nursery rhymes ('Saviours') and 'avant garde' playing, anything it takes to get their message across. I was reminded of The Mothers of Invention and Captain Beefheart in the more anarchic moments and Jim Morrison's 'American Prayer' again in the more anarchic moments!
The striking things instrumentally are Brian's lead guitar work, not technically flash but a clear, resonating, honest sound and his mandolin playing -this gives a 'folk vibe' to the recording- of course! Brian is assisted on vocals by David Wisdo and my one complaint here would be that I couldn't make out all the lyrics. The other distinctive element is Laszlo Stan's violin and he and Brian trade licks pretty well together. There are 3 keyboard players and 3 bass players listed although I wouldn't say these instruments are that prominent- it's the guitar and violin that come across most strongly on the first couple of listens.
Overall the album sounds like an authentic late 60s recording and the genre you can't get away from is psychedelic with a capital P.
Check it out!
Zeitgeist- http://www.the-rocker.co.uk
(Phil Jackson) musician and reviewer
JONES AVE. - Folk Art (Private Pressing)
Jones Ave. come from Georgia, and have produced an album that mixes folk, guitar jams, and some lovely violin-led instrumentals. For me these are the most unusual and captivating tracks on here, as you so seldom hear the instrument used in a rock setting these days. Guiding light of the band is Brian Fowler, who as well as writing most of the songs, also contributes guitar, mandolin, bass, organ and congas, while the haunting violin is courtesy of Laszlo Stan. Opener 'Atlantis' showcases Stan's virtuosity on a lovely folk influenced instrumental, and it also adds a menacing quality to the first vocal track 'World War 3'. 'Treadmill' is an excellent jamming instrumental, with some exquisite duelling between the guitar and violin, while vocals reappear for 'Saviours', which includes lyrical samples from 'Rock-a-bye Baby On The Treetop'! 'Circus Clown' is a slow-burning ballad with an extended guitar solo to end, while 'McVeigh' is an creepy acid-tinged rocker, made all the more chilling by the fact that its lyrical subject is the Oklahoma Uni-bomber Timothy McVeigh. The remaining tracks alternate between folk and psyche, ending with the lovely guitar/piano instrumental of 'Jones Ave.', and the whole album turns out to be a real gem. It is undoubtedly the violin which makes this CD so different, and it is so refreshing to hear an album where the band have decided not to blindly follow the current trends but dare to be different.
http://www.peterjolly.co.uk/music_139.htm
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