Listen to the new Bob Jones And The Drive CD "Michael And Me" by Clicking Here.
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Biography
Early Career
Bob was born in Hawaii on the island of O'ahu. He co-lead his guitar band, The Viscounts, while in St. Louis High School after switching to guitar from piano which he had studied since age six.
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| The Viscounts, l to r: Sunny Cachola, Bass; Bob Jones, Lead Guitar; Jimmy Funai, Lead Guitar; Stewart Matsumoto, Rhythm Guitar; kneeling-Ross Hiyashida, Drums |
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Bob's professional career began as lead guitarist and instrumental arranger for We Five. He recorded two albums with them including the hit single "You Were On My Mind". We Five's first album and single sold more than two million copies each and has since gone on to become a classic of the folk rock period. Bob was one of the first to use an electric 12 string on recordings. The band appeared on national television numerous times and toured the United States and Canada extensively starting with The Dick Clark Caravan of Stars.
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| In Trident Studios playing the Rickenbacker 360/12 with We Five |
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| Southern Comfort at Bill Graham's Fillmore West. Left to right; Steve Funk, John Wilmeth, Ron Stallings, Karl Sevareid, Bob Jones and Fred Burton |
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At the end of We Five Bob found himself in San Francisco. There he founded an innovative horn based R&B band called Southern Comfort. He was lead singer, arranger and drummer for the band which produced one album for Columbia Records.
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The Middle Years
It was during this period that Bob first met legendary blues guitarist Michael Bloomfield. He recorded five albums with Michael on which he played drums, guitar and sang. They also toured the United States and Canada for ten years including playing the Newport Jazz Festival. Bob is interviewed extensively in a book about these years between 1968 and 1979 called "Michael Bloomfield, If You Love These Blues, An Oral History".
In addition, Bob was instrumental in getting his friend Dave Shorey into the Bloomfield Band. Dave has written a book documenting these years called "Tell On It".
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| Michael, Bob and Dave on Haight |
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| Bob and Dave with Michael in New York |
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| During this period of time Bob also recorded with blues legends Mississippi Fred McDowell, Nick Gravenites, Sam Lay, Harvey Mandel, Otis Rush and Taj Mahal. He also played on two Brewer and Shipley albums.
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| Count Talent Photo Shoot |
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| Bob Jones & Mike Bloomfield on stage |
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Also during the early part of this period ('71-'73) Bob played drums, percussion and sang with Alice Stuart in a band called Snake with bassist Karl Sevareid. The group toured Europe twice and made two albums for Fantasy Records.
Put your cursor over the video on the right to make the "PLAY" arrow appear. Click on it to play the video.
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In 1978, mostly due to the depressingly high body count among his musician friends because of chemical dependencies, Bob returned to college to study computer science. Bob the went on to successfully work as a programmer, first in mainframes and then on PCs. Bob continued to play with his band in Marin County, California called Tao Jones. The legendary funk bassist Rocco Prestia from Tower Of Power played with Tao Jones for about a year during the eighties.
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In 1986 Bob moved to Los Angeles where he formed Bob Jones and Hard Drive. He toured Finland with this band in 1995.
In the middle ninties Bob returned to Hawaii to care for his aging parents after they had strokes and heart attacks. Here he reformed Hard Drive with musicians from Hawaii.
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| O'ahu Hard Drive - Left to Right; Alvin Cameros, Dale Horton, Jason Nobriga, Bob Jones, Mike Cueva, Gary Nakano and Tony Bush |
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Now Bob lives in Maui and DJs a radio show on Mana'o Radio 91.5FM and on the web at www.manaoradio.com every Wednesday from 2pm-5pm. But his primary project is collaborating with his musical partner Nils Rosenblad on their new band; Bob Jones And The Drive. Click on the link at the top of this page to hear and purchase their new CD; "Michael And Me". It is a musical retrospective of the music he made with "Mike Bloomfield And Friends" in the '70s but done in a modern way. You can also hear Bob and Nils as an Acoustic Duo. They play at the Four Seasons Lobby Lounge in Wailea, Maui. In addition they play at Captain Jack's in Lahaina every Friday. The whole band plays on the second Friday of every month at Captain Jack's. GREAT NEW GIG! Bob and Nils play every Saturday from Sunset to sometime around 9 or later at FLEETWOODS ON FRONT STREET. You never know who will show up and sit in. Lately Steve Gadd played a set with us. Also, the Drive plays there when asked by management to do special events. For those who don't know this venue, it is owned by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac along with a variety of partners including Steven Tyler and others.
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Books and Discography
Books
"Michael Bloomfield, If You Love These Blues, An Oral History". Interviewed or mentioned on pages: 172, 173, 200, 202, 207-213. Picture on page 209
"Tell On It" / "Compendium of Obscurity". Mentioned throughout. Pictures with middle photo spread
Discography
"You Were On My Mind"
"Make Someone Happy"
both with We Five on A&M Records
"Live at Bill Graham's Fillmore West"
"Don't Say I Ain't Your Man"
"It's Not Killing Me"
all three with Michael Bloomfield on Colombia Records and CDs
"Count Talent and the Originals" - Michael Bloomfield - TK Records
"Analine"
"Between A Rock And The Ground"
"Michael Bloomfield"
all three with Michael Bloomfield on Takoma Records
"Living In The Fast Lane" - Michael Bloomfield - Waterhouse CDs and Records
"Sam Lay In Bluesland" - Sam Lay
"Fred McDowell And His Blues Boys" - Fred McDowell - Arhoolie Records
"My Labors" - Nick Gravenites - Colombia Records
"Righteous" - Harvey Mandel - Phillips Records
"Right Place, Wrong time" - Otis Rush - Bullfrog Records
"Southern Comfort" - Bob Jones - Colombia Records
"Weeds"
"Tarkio"
both with Brewer and Shipley on Kama Sutra Records
"Believing" - Alice Stuart and Snake - Fantasy Records
"Let Me Party With You" - Bunny Sigler
"The Edge"
"Jealousy"
both with The Edge on Adolescent Records
"Songs From The Haleakala Kitchen" - VooDoo Suns
"Michael And Me" - Bob Jones And The Drive
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To contact Bob Jones click here.
Additional Photo Credits:
Beach Guitar and O'ahu Hard Drive photos by Donah Lillich-Jones
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