Bill Jones
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Contemporary and traditional folk
Status:
Most recent release Two Year Winter (2003)
See also:
Bill Jones official siteCompass Records' Bill Jones page
Bill Jones also performed with group Faire Winds
Comparisons:
Kate Rusby, June Tabor
Covers/own material:
Mostly traditional, some covers and some of her own compositions
General comments:
There are a fair number of singers who sing traditional British songs, so why might you choose to listen to Bill (Belinda) Jones in addition to or even instead of all the others? The overall freshness of her sound. She doesn't have a traditionally beautiful voice—it's a little reedy though still can sound full-throated and strong—but she's well able to make it sound lively, lilting, haunting, angry, or dreamy as her material calls for. She's a straight interpreter of the sings and uses fairly simple backing. There's a lovely purity yet expressiveness to her presentation of her material, which helps her avoid the treacly sweetness and new-agey feel of so many other interpreters. She can be spare, haunting, lovely, and playful. I find her music quite captivating. (Neile)
Recommended first album:
Any, but Panchpuran is my personal favourite. (Neile)
Recordings:
- Turn To Me (2000)
- Panchpuran (2001)
- bits & pieces EP (ep, 2001)
- Live at the Live (live, 2002)
- Two Year Winter (2003)
Turn To Me
Release info:
2000—Bedspring Music (U.K.)—Boing 0008CD; Compass Records (U.S.)—4338
Availability:
U.S. and U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of traditional music
Group members:
Bill Jones—vocals, piano, accordion, flutes, alto whistle, D whistle
Guest artists:
Simon Haworth—guitar, cittern
Saskia Tomkins—fiddle, cello
Bruce Davis—string arrangement on 1 track
Mike Frankland—rhythm on 1 track
Produced by:
Brian Bedford
Comments:
A lovely collection of songs (and three tunes), including "The Handsome Cabin Boy", "Young Waters" and Buffy Ste Marie's "Universal Soldier". A mix of lively and plaintive material: charming, clearly and cleanly presented. Bill Jones has an engaging voice and singing style. This is a highly enjoyable and often affecting collection. (Neile)
Panchpuran
Release info:
2001—Brick Wall Music—BRICK 002CD; Compass Records (U.S.)—4318
Availability:
U.S. and U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of traditional music
Group members:
Bill Jones—vocals, accordion, whistle, piano, harmony vocals
Guest artists:
Barry Coope—harmony vocals
Jim Boyes—harmony vocals
Lester Simpson—harmony vocals
Keith Angel—percussion
String Quartet on 2 tracks:
Timo Alakotila—arrangements, direction
Matti Mäkelää—1st violin
Anni Järvelä—2nd violin
Keilka Hakasalo—viola
Marion Göbel—cello
Kathryn Tickell—fiddle
Kelli While—harmony vocals
Shanti Paul Jayasinha—fluglehorn,
Jacey Bedform—harmony vocals
David Wood—guitar
Brass Ensemble on 1 track:
Adrian Biddulph—arrangement, direction
Bryan Tait, Nicola Williamson, Alan Catherall, Bob Temple—cornets
Linda Cook—tenor horm
Jim Thompson—baritone
Paul Robinson—Euphonium
Chris Bentham, Garry Reed—trombones<
Dave McKay—Eb bass
Produced by:
Karen Tweed
Comments:
This album has a greater range than Turn to Me, in sound and mood: there's a greater range of instrumentation and additional backing vocals, and there's also some a cappella singing. Her versions of "William Taylor", "The Tale of Tam Lin", "The Barley and The Rye" are all wonderful, as is the rest of this album. It still has the freshness, but is also richer. The title track is especially lovely—written by Bill Jones, sung a capella, about the immigration experience of her Anglo-Indian aunt who moved from India to England in her youth. (Neile)
bits & pieces EP
Release info:
2001—Brick Wall Music—Brick 003CD; also released in a set with Two Year Winter by Compass Records (U.S.)—7 4366 2
Availability:
U.K., or in the U.S. Two Year Winter set
Ecto priority:
Recommended for Bill Jones fans
Group members:
Bill Jones—vocals, accordion, piano, whistle
Guest artists:
Kathryn Tickel—fiddle, viola
Shnati Paul Jayasinha—cello
David Wood—guitar
Keith Angel—percussion
Produced by:
Bill Jones (3 tracks), Karen Tweed (1 track)
Comments:
4-track EP, two songs of which also appear in live versions on Live at the Live. All four are well worth hearing. (Neile)
Live at the Live
Release info:
2002—Brick Wall Music—Brick 004CD
Availability:
U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of Bill Jones
Group members:
Bill Jones—vocals, accordion, piano, whistle
Guest artists:
Roger Wilson—guitar, fiddle
Miranda Sykes—double bass, bass guitar, harmony vocals
Keith Angel—drums, percussion
Comments:
Bill Jones live is just as lovely as on album. The versions are similar to the album versions, but with different instrumentation for this band configuration. Almost all of the tracks appear on the albums with the exception of—take note, ectophiles,—a cover of Kate Bush's "Never Be Mine", which gave me shivers. The stark setting makes the song really ache. (Neile)
Two Year Winter
Release info:
2003—Brick Wall Music—Brick 004CD; Compass Records (U.S.)—7 4366 2
Availability:
U.S. and U.K.
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended for fans of traditional music
Group members:
Bill Jones—vocals, piano, accordion, whistle, flute, "diddling"
Guest artists:
David Wood—guitar
Stewart Hardy—violin
Sarah Wright—flute
Miranda Sykes—harmony vocals, double bass
Shanti Paul Jayashinha—cello, flugelhorn
Keith Angel—djembe, shaker, percussion
Produced by:
Bill Jones
Comments:
Another mix of lively and haunting tunes and a mix of richer and simpler arrangements. Again, mostly traditional materials. This hasn't quite struck me as much as the previous discs but that may simply be because I've listened to it less. (Neile)
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