The Jones Family Singers, consisting in part of five sisters, two brothers and their father, have been tearing up churches and festivals alike for over two decades. But they’ve never before made a studio album that displays the depth of their pure musical gifts quite like The Spirit Speaks, recorded to analog tape at Jim Eno’s Public Hi-Fi studio in Austin, TX and released on April 1st, 2014 via Arts+Labor.
“Modern practitioners of a long musical tradition…infusing their joyful, reverent songs with elements of vintage soul and R&B” declares the Wall Street Journal. Yep, it’s gospel music – but fans of Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and Vintage Trouble will also find a hip shaking and spiritually uplifting workout at the core. “The three-generation gospel collective’s high-energy performances are the living embodiment of the indelible connection between the black church and its rock and soul offspring” notes the Austin Chronicle. “It was all joyful praise, brilliantly timed with one crescendo after another” boasts the New York Times, and both Rolling Stone and NPR called them “a must see act” at SXSW 2014.
The Jones Family Singers received a standing ovation at Lincoln Center this past summer, and showcased at New York City’s globalFEST and The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC in January 2015. This year and next will see them criss-crossing the globe with domestic and international appearances including Newport Folk Festival, Playboy Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, and a two week tour of Russia.
Impressed by the band’s fervor onstage and humility off, Austin filmmaker Alan Berg (“Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW”) decided in 2012 to make a documentary that explored the triumphs and tribulations of this working gospel band. The artistry he witnessed onstage along with the compelling family dynamic will come to fruition at film festivals beginning in Spring 2015. Buoyed by the new LP and critical acclaim, the Jones Family Singers are eager to hit the road. Besides churches, nightclubs, concert series and music festivals, they’ve also brought their powerful musical ministry to prisons, interfaith events and community celebrations.
Darrell Jay Jones Presents:
Major Recording Artists
Bishop Fred Jones and The Jones Family Singers