Chris Jones - Too Far Down The Road

I promised myself when I listened to this disc that, for a change, I would review the actual headliner instead of his producer/guitar player. But you can't get away from the simple fact of a talent like Pete Anderson, so I'll get it out of the way - Anderson knows talent. When you run down his list of accomplishments, the people he's partnered his name with are legends. Whether it be Dwight Yoakam or Sara Evans, Michelle Shocked, Cisco, and Moot Davis, when you hear that distinctive guitar, you can't help but notice. His skill as a producer is unmistakable, as well. But this time, it's that headliner I really found myself interested in. Chris Jones is a former bluegrass picker, and has recorded with The Chieftains, Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and many others; but his deep, commanding voice seems out-of-place when thinking about bluegrass singers. With this new disc, Jones moves into the world of traditional honky-tonk country, and the resulting blend is simply tremendous. I'm a sucker for a deep voice, and Jones has it in spades. He grabbed me by the neck right from the start of the toe-tapping opening track, "She Does All That," a catchy tune with some crisp banjo from Ned Luberecki, and terrific lyrics.

Jones is joined by Anderson on electric guitars, bass, mandola, banjo, and the Weissenborn slide guitar; Bob "Boo" Bernstein on pedal steel; Mike Auldridge on dobro for a few tracks; Ron Block adds his banjo to the title track; James Cruce and Zoltan Szentkiraly on drums; Don Reed on fiddle; Darrin and Rhonda Vincent, Sally Jones and Jamie Dailey on harmony vocals, plus several other guests. It's an amazing lineup and it's not surprising the result is so fantastic. From soft waltzes to two-steps, Jones brings his distinctive voice to his own songs as well as a few covers, including "Hero in Harlan," a Tom T./Dixie Hall-penned tune, a song that painfully reminds us of what isn't being shown on the news. It's an intense way to close off the disc, but it sure does make one stand up and take notice. It's also a closer that makes you think the disc is too short, so you just have to play it again. And again. To be honest, whenever I review a new CD, I load it onto my iPod and carry it around with me for a while to see how it plays not only as a whole, but also in shuffle. I like Jones' music no matter when it comes up, and so far, this disc appears to be staying loaded permanently with other "I never get tired of these" songs.

As I said before, Jones is no stranger to music. He's been recording for a long time, and this isn't his first album, just his first with Little Dog. He's been featured on numerous television shows (I wonder how I missed him on Emeril Live!), and has worked with Tom T. Hall before, recording the duet "Man On The Side Of The Road" on Chris's "Just A Drifter," and he appeared on the PBS series The Appalachians. He also hosts a radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. But Too Far Down The Road is a venture into a new sound for Chris. He does bring some of that bluegrass sound with him (again, remembering that bluegrass and country used to be the same thing!), especially in tunes such as his own "Like A Hawk" and the mournful title track, but he definitely is hittin' the honky-tonk with tunes like "After Sweet Memories," and aims direct for the pet-lover's heart with "Old Fella." Will I get tired of these songs? Not so far. There's only a few artists I can say that about. Call me a new fan, and I won't deny it.