Jon Paris - A1 Artist Spotlight - On Demand

Thu 16 Oct 2008
057 - Jon Paris – Blue Planet
Posted by A1 Mark under Podcast

Hear Jon Paris talks about touring with Johnny Winter for 10 years as well as his own great blues rock CD Blue Planet.

http://a1artistspotlight.com/2008/10/16 … ue-planet/

  057 - Jon Paris – Blue Planet [35:34m]:

Jon Paris has toured with Johnny Winter, Johnnie Johnson, Bo Diddley, and Mick Taylor among others. Jon has jammed or performed with Lonnie Brooks, Savoy Brown, Jack Bruce, Roy Buchanen, Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, Buddy Miles, Steve Miller, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Naftalin, Albert Collins, John Entwistle, Hubert Sumlin, Warren Haynes, Jeff Healey, Duke Robillard, Jimmy Rogers, Otis Rush, Stanley Jordan, Elvin Bishop, Bob Margolin, Albert Lee, Les Paul, George Thorogood, Jimmie Vaughan, Edgar Winter, John Lee Hooker, and some guy named Muddy Waters. Think I left anyone out, for the complete list go to his website.

Jon Paris was on at least three Johnny Winter records, one Edgar Winter record, two Bob Dylan records, and a whole lot of others. His two records rock just as much as any of the people he has worked with. I know what you’re thinking, how could this guy I’ve never heard of be this good. Look who he has gotten to work with as well as learn from first hand. If you still don’t believe me just listen to the show, you will hear some of the best rockin blues since Muddy Waters had a baby and named it rockin roll.
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Jon started playing drums before the British invasion happened with a band that was doing songs by Chuck Berry, Bobby Bland, Freddie King, Everly Brothers and others of that style. After the British invasion they started doing songs by The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Yardbirds and Manfred Mann. Later he learned guitar, bass, and harp. By the early seventies he had played most of the clubs in and around Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. He moved to New York and played on the streets in the village and made pretty good money. Later he started a band that opened for George Thorogood, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and other bands of that type. Jon got to tour Europe with Robert Gordon and Link Wray. Link Wray is one of those people that Jimmy Page and the late Jerry Garcia rave about. Pete Townshend said “He is the king; if it hadn’t been for Link Wray and “‘Rumble,’” I would have never picked up a guitar.” Jon felt this was his first real professional job getting to work with someone who was way a head of his time.

One night in a club Jon ran into Johnny Winter who need some guys for his band. Jon got the job of bass guitarist and harp player. This took him around the world a few times and gave him the opportunity to play with many top musicians. Jon said he liked how every night it was something different. You may play a thousand set club, next night ten thousand set hall then do a rock festival with sixty thousand. As long as the people were digging the music he did not care how many people there were. Johnny was good at pulling out different songs form his past records plus covers from when he was growing up. This kept the band on their toes never knowing what may come next, but this also made it fun for Jon getting to play songs he may have only heard once or twice.
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Later Jon Paris toured with ex-Rolling Stones Mick Taylor. Jon said, on a good night Mick was untouchable. Speaking of untouchable wait till you hear his CD Blue Planet. This CD is untouchable for hard-hitting rockin’ blues. “Big Big City” is a driving Bo Diddley beat that was written about first moving to New York City. There’s a Muddy Waters song “Blues Had A Baby and Name It Rockn’ Roll”. Jon does it a little more rockin’ than Muddy did, but you’ll love it. Jon does an all out slide guitar attack on Elmore James “Talk to Me Baby”. A version of John Lee Hooker’s “The Boogie” is reminiscent if something George Thorogood would do. “Juke Joint Jump” is based on a driven blues guitar riff. “One Step Forward and Two Steps Back” is a face pace rockin’ song that talks about how no matter how hard you try you never seem to get ahead. You may know the song from Johnny Winters 1992 CD Hey, Where’s Your Brother. Johnny liked this song of Jon’s so much he recorded it as well as “So Much Love” which is on Jon’s 1996 CD Rock the Universe. I could go on and on about this CD but the best thing for you to do is play the show and see for your self what a great CD Blue Planet is.

The Band is:
Jon Paris – guitar, harp & vocals
Amy Madden – bass
Sandy Gennaro - Drums

Songs in podcast:
1. So Much Love *
2. Big Big City
3. One Step Forward and Two Steps Back
4. Overhauled Cadillac
5. Paris Blues
All songs from the CD Blue Planet
* Except “So Much Love” from Rock the Universe

Jon Paris Website

Buy Blue Planet CD from Blues Leaf Records

Buy Jon Paris Blue Planet from Blue Storm

Buy Jon Paris Rock the Universe from Blue Storm

Thanks to Rick Lusher for set up the interview.
Thanks to Jon Paris for the cool interview and help in putting this together.
Hey Jon, I got to hear the Tiny Bradshaw song you told me about, very cool.