Paul Jones

Baptism River Paul Jones

Located in the northwoods of Minnesota, Paul Jones has been fusing together a host of musical influences and experiences. This music leans heavily towards ballads and instrumentals with overtones of contemporary folk and Celtic origin (please listen to samples from his new CD, Baptism River). Starting at an early age and learning Beatles songs from his brother, Paul progressed into a multi-instrumentalist. Throughout primary, secondary and high school Paul was a bass guitarist for all choral ensembles. During high school he conducted guitar studies with Flamenco Guitarist Michael Hauser of the Guild of Performing Arts. At the age of 18 Paul developed a new passion for the pedal steel guitar. Over the next twelve years Paul would become a very busy sideman and staff instructor for the Steel Guitar Emporium in Minneapolis, playing clubs from Minneapolis to Texas. During that time additional studies were conducted with steel guitar legend Buddy Emmons. In 1990 Paul put down stakes on Leech Lake in northern Minnesota. Settling down far from the metro and getting off the road caused a few changes. The acoustic guitar came back into the forefront. Paul connected with Minnesota's Luthier-Jim Olson who was producing inspiring instruments for James Taylor and other great fingerstyle artists. After meeting with Jim a cedar top concert model was ordered. More inspiration came after hearing English finger style ace, Martin Simpson for the first time at the Winnipeg Folk Festival. A few years later after attending his master classes, Martin ordered a guitar for Paul from his Luthier-Stefan Sobell of Hexham England. These wonderful guitars add beautiful ornamentation to Paul's tenor voice on new arrangements of songs by James Taylor, Neil Young, Lennon & McCartney and Stephen Fearing. Currently, Paul is active with the folk collective at the Headwaters School of Music in Bemidji, Minnesota and has begun performing regionally as a solo artist.