Born: Jeffry Shane Jones - Clovis, NM Hometown: Incline Village, NV Singer-Songwriter - Slide guitar player with a percussive style Style: Americana Soul and Blues infused Folk-Rock Favorite open tuning: open G Favorite Comedian: Mitch Hedberg From: NV, United States by Tanya Fuller - Performer Magazine "...His sound, a fusion of rock, blues, and R&B, is a direct reflection of Jones himself. Warm, easygoing, and genuine, he embodies the feeling of the music he makes. With the meatiness of George Thorogood, the grittiness of Chris Robinson, and sultriness of Ben Harper, Jones' sound has real dimension. Live, Jones is a natural. His engaging stage presence alone is proof that he's at ease and confident with who he is as a musician. Raised in a Baptist family of musicians, he grew up singing gospel and playing piano in his grandma's house. "On my dad's side are the Baptists, so singing and playing piano at home was huge - there was always a piano being played," he says. After trying out a number of instruments, Jones settled on the versatility of a guitar. Problem was, he only knew three chords and only had Clapton's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" in his repertoire. "I would play that song ad nauseum," he admits. "And my roommate at the time told me to learn something else or move out. So with those three chords I started to write my own songs, and the rest is history." At 19 years old Jones enlisted in the Army, using it as an opportunity to save money and travel around Europe. After his service, Jones made the rounds on the street and pub circuit, eventually returning to Italy to record part of an album. "Literally for years my buddy and I played the streets of Europe," he says. "We called ourselves The Modern Day Hobos." Jones made brief stops in Arizona and in Colorado where he got serious about guitar, before finally settling down in Lake Tahoe. Having lived in Tahoe now for over a decade, Jones has had a bird's eye view of the trajectory of its music scene. Compared to when Jones first moved to the lake, the sense of community among musicians has grown tremendously. "There used to be this air of competition for gigs. Like there was X amount of gigs and they paid a certain amount and if you didn't get the cool gigs then you didn't eat," he says. Tahoe's prime location makes it an ideal spot for outdoor enthusiasts and musicians alike. Known for casinos and big acts, it's understandable that smaller names might not be at the forefront of people's minds when visiting Nevada. Jones is big on the future of singer/songwriters and wants to bring musicians together to tap into a kind of collective music scene. "When there's one artist by themselves, they kind of get lost," says Jones. "But if five of these artists come together and each bring 20 people with them, then you're going to have a great night of music. It's all about synergy." In addition to playing over 190 shows and festivals a year in Tahoe and surrounding areas, Jones also headlines "Big Water Wednesdays" at the Big Water Grille. What started out as a mid-week, musical happy hour has now transformed into a place where he is able to introduce his own fans to other talented musicians. "My mission is to bring together all my friends that are musicians, that I'm fans of, in this sort of cooperative that we can help each other in," Jones says. The positive response he's received from these nights has inspired Jones to hit the road and connect with others who are looking to hear music in the singer/songwriter vein.