Mr. Jones, Waitin' For Me (Dollar Bill, 2002)
Germany and Texas are no strangers. During the 19th century, German immigrants poured into the land of the Lone Star, resulting in towns like New Braunfels, beers like Shiner Bok, and the accordions you hear on those Tex-Mex polkas.
German pseudonymic singer-songwriter Mr. Jones specializes in Texas music. He speaks with an obvious Deutsch accent, but amazingly sings in the perfect English of West/Central Texas. His gig list includes Germany, The Eastern Kingdom, Benelux, Scotland and, you guessed it, the premiere folk palaces of Texas: the Cactus Cafe at the University of Texas in Austin, and the Mucky Duck and Anderson Fair in Houston. This third album, Waitin' For Me, was recorded in Houston and produced by Georgia-Texas songwriter Eric Taylor, also known for recording one of the best songs in the world, "Hemingway's Shotgun." The album includes a number of originals as well as covers by Si Kahn and the legendary Townes Van Zandt.
Jones' really does sound Texan, and at times is reminiscent
of Eric Taylor, though he has a different voice, higher and more mellow. One
of the most lyrically promising songs is "Colorado," briefly following the
less-than-prosperous life history of a Corpus resident. The chorus goes, "One
day I'll ride the cold wind up to Colorado." Another is "Alley of Dreams,"
which outlines dreams of and hopes for a better world.
You can't hear the screams,
In the alley of dreams...
The geese fly high and free
Horses run wild on an endless plain
That's where I wanted to be.
Me too. More enigmatic is "'41," about the face in the 60 year old photograph.
A night of love in late November
All other facts ain't worth a dime.
So what happened? In listening, I had thought the face to be that of a woman, but apparently the song is a story of his grandmother's wartime liason with his ephemeral grandfather...and of his own reunion with that man.
Jones uses "Lungs" by Townes Van Zandt to push this album off from shore into his great gulf of Americana tracks. The arrangement is one of the best on the album, and the sharp, byzantine words set the song apart. The best Texas songwriting is often more heavily textured and more detailed than Jones' work. But, like many Texas musicians, he's on the right road and there's a lot behind his often simpler songs; in fact, his more intricate lyrics often throw his vocals out of stride with the tune. Taylors' tasteful arrangements are effective at creating the mood, though at times they are a little syrupy. The musicians, including Houston's Mike Sumler on keyboards, are expert.
I'm looking forward to Mr. Jones' next album, hoping he will write about the Brazos River. Waitin' For Me is an interesting choice for devotees of Lone Star and Americana music.
