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John Paul Jones goes country

brianrost

brianrost

Apr 26, 2000
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Boston, Taxachusetts
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#1
Just got back from the Merlefest, a four day roots music festival held in Wilkesboro, NC every year.

Saturday night I was astonished to see John Paul Jones walk on stage with a mandolin to play with singer Gillian Welch on two tunes.

The next morning bassist John Cowan (ex New Grass Revival) wrapped up his band's set by inviting JPJ out to play bass on the NGR oldie "Calling Baton Rouge". In the middle they broke into "Dazed and Confused", complete with banjo, mandolin and fiddle solos.

Other great bassists spotted over the weekend: Edgar Meyer played sets with Bela Fleck and Jerry Douglas plus a solo performance of the 1st Bach cello suite (!!) and while I missed the band introductions, it appeared (and sounded) like it was Willie Weeks playing with Vince Gill.
 
#2
brianrost said:
Just got back from the Merlefest, a four day roots music festival held in Wilkesboro, NC every year.

Saturday night I was astonished to see John Paul Jones walk on stage with a mandolin to play with singer Gillian Welch on two tunes.
Click to expand...

Jones and Welch? I would have paid to see that. Jones is a heavy talent, no doubt. How did Gillian sound? I used to be in some classes with her at Berklee. I have not heard her preform in a long time.....
 
#4
brianrost said:
Saturday night I was astonished to see John Paul Jones walk on stage with a mandolin to play with singer Gillian Welch on two tunes.
Click to expand...

Curiously I was reading an interview with JPJ a couple of days ago where he talks about playing the mandolin:
http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/john_paul_jones.html
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DM) What do you play when you sit at home?

JPJ) Mandolin. (Laughs)

DM) Mandolin? Are you serious?

JPJ) Yeah, it's a little instrument that fits great when you're watching TV.

DM) I just can't imagine you playing "Stairway" on the mandolin, watching TV.

JPJ) Well, "Stairway" on mandolin works, but "Zoomba" on mandolin is a bit more difficult.

DM) You're really destroying the "rock star" image by playing the mandolin. It doesn't fit the image.

JPJ) No, it doesn't, but who cares? But then again, being a rock star is my third career.
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