The son of Dallas-based R&B guitarist
Johnny B. Jones,
"Tutu" Jones was truly a product of his environment -- growing up in
a house frequently populated by guests including
Freddie King,
Little Joe Blue and
Ernie Johnson,
his own future as a bluesman was never in doubt. Born John Jones Jr. on
September 9, 1966 in South Dallas, Texas. As a child, Tutu was constantly
surrounded by blues luminaries such as
Ernie Johnson,
Little Joe Blue,
and even Jones’ uncle
L.C. Clark
who was a fine guitar player in his own right. Tutu grew up steeped in
in-house jam sessions of truly stellar quality. He was 4 ˝ years old when he
first began his musical career as a drummer. "Next thing I know, I’m
playin’ drums in some club in Southeast Dallas," says Tutu. Jones turned
pro with
R.L. Griffin,
with whose band Tutu took on the road. He became a professional drummer while
still a teen, backing his uncles
Curly "Barefoot" Miller and
L.C. Clark
before moving on to work with the likes of
Z.Z. Hill and
R.L. Burnside.
His life became a dizzying mélange of tours and Texas dates, hiring out as
drummer for
Z.Z. Hill,
Al "TNT" Braggs,
Ernie Johnson, and
Little Joe Blue.
One night, Tutu was fooling around with
Joe Blue’s
guitar backstage at a gig in the part of Dallas called Oak Cliff (turf to
T-Bone Walker
and more recently, the Vaughn Brothers).
Joe Blue
told him, if he could play guitar that well he should be fronting his own
band. Not long after, Tutu started showing up at the myriad blues jams in the
clubs in North Dallas.
Joe Blue’s
advice had been good, and things started happening for Tutu Jones. As Jones
steadily honed his guitar and songwriting skills, he eventually began fronting
bands of his own; he cut his solo debut "I'm for Real" in 1994,
followed by "Blue Texas Soul" in 1996. Two years later, he released
"Staying Power". Tutu is more than the sum of his influences (though
distinguished influences they are!) He is first and foremost an individualist,
who puts a very personal stamp on every note that he plays and every syllable
that he sings. You could call him the living personification of the sound of
South Dallas, where Blues and Soul meet and are stronger for it. Tutu Jones
has just released his brand new red hot CD aptly titled "Tutu Jones
Live". This CD contains what many of the critics have called "One of
the hottest live Blues to be released in quite some time". Tutu is truly
one of our brightest stars in the future of the blues in the 21st Century.
(quoted from Tutu Jones' official website)
Visit Tutu Jones' official website.
Visit Tutu Jones' page at myspace.com.
Visit also these related Sites:
Biographical Information on Tutu Jones
Tutu Jones biography at docbluesrecords.com.
Various Articles on Tutu Jones
Article by Bill Harriman.
Reviews and Critiques of Tutu Jones Live Performances and Recordings
Cd review by Peter 'Cornbread' Cohen.
Cd review by Martin de Leon II.
Cd review by Bill Harriman.
Tutu Jones Photos
Ten Tutu Jones photos at southwestblues.com.
Tutu Jones Videos
Tutu Jones Rips it Live on Stage. Runtime 01:52.
Tutu Jones live @ the Granada Theater in Dallas Tx. Runtime 04:04.
Tutu Jones live @ the Granada Theater in Dallas Tx. Runtime 04:56.
Tutu Jones Rips it in NYC. Runtime 00:42.
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