Sun Jones

A gentle rhythmic pattern begins the new Sun Jones album Sure As The Moon. From there, the multi-layered textures of groove, guitars, keyboards, and horns continue on their adventurous paths, some bright, shiny, and gentle, others, louder, blaring, and frenetic. There’s a lot going on with the multiple instruments in each song, and the arrangement make these numbers exciting and fun. This time around, the rhythm section, guitars, and vocal harmonies are rooted more in classic rock than funk, as it was on the previous Sun Jones CD.

Opening track “Hello, Let’s Go” uses a gorgeously bumpy groove to build a structure for a piano that perfectly punctuates a mellifluously winding horn line. Vocalist Charlie Carrozo swaggers around that groove, pausing to let his vocal sustains ring out with clarity and purpose. A lively saxophone line unfurls like a gigantic flag over the piece, making the whole thing even funkier than it started as.

Title track “Sure As The Moon” builds up a momentum with a wide harmony line from the vocalists. Horns and organ too create a swell. A listener might feel like taking a magic carpet ride on the waves of sound. There is an assertive compressed electric guitar phrase riding through, keeping this tune rooted in rock, like a classic rock song that has a lot of layering around the beat, and that works well here. Think in terms of Bob Segar Silver Bullet band with its keyboards and a saxophone sounding soulful even thought it’s rock and roll. But that is only a single flavoring in Sun Jones. Much is still similar to Parliament or Earth, Wind, And Fire.

“Big Shoes” jumps out of the gate in first gear, an 18 wheeler of music barreling down the highway with exuberant vocal harmonies, horn shots blaring, guitars riffing, and a mighty rhythm section. The hoofing drumbeat and fills keep the feet tapping while moving this lumbering number forward with solid rock underpinnings beneath the funk influenced horn section. The vocalists also follow a more traditional classic rock approach in their harmony lines. Fans of the previous Sun Jones album need not fear. This is the kind of rock song you can dance too.

“Long Fishing Line” has a shimmering organ swirl and a driving groove underlining lead vocalist Charlie Carrozo’s throaty gripe about greed and manipulation. This song is a successful blend of angry young man proletariat and smoky classic rock idioms. The horns and organ are like a shield and the lead guitar phrase is like a battleaxe, the anger in the song cutting through all with an incisive tone. The singer is as soulful as you can get, too, in a classic rock format. He means business when he belts this one.

“Don’t Leave Me Hangin’” glides in on a wafting harmony line that bespeaks of late 1960s and early 1970s groups like Crosby, Stills, and Nash and The Beatles. The song also packs a wallop in the horn shots that explode out of nowhere and carry on the melody, like a flying trapeze artist who knows when to pass the swing. Slowing things down here and there creates space for bountiful lifts in the peaks and valleys created when the entire band take things upward. It makes for a wider, more swinging sound that takes the listener on an interesting ride.

An extra layer of percussion turns “Music” into a catchy, ready for air play traditional R&B number. Think along the lines of Alicia Keys, Adele, and Duffy. There is a brilliant catchiness in the well-paced rhythmic approach to this song. Its hefty groove only needs to take its time to sweep listeners up in its chirpy upbeat soulfulness. The harmony vocals have a special shine and make you wish the song was longer so you can continue basking in its sunny personality.

“Before The Song Is Over” meshes mellow acoustic guitar with sensitive piano and light touches of cymbal. Romantic yearning in this song is beautifully expressed in acoustic rock guitar and a bittersweet saxophone melody. The instrumental ride out is a treasure of boogie music risen to a serious level.

“Messy Step” is a classy, up-tempo funk, complete with endless runs of knobby bass, disciplined multiple horn lines, shimmering lead guitar, and busy drumming. The vocals here are greasy smooth, gliding over a jumpy horn section. It doesn’t hurt to have the Heavy Metal Horns brass section here playing in tandem with Sun Jone’s own saxophone legend John Vanderpool. They create a hurricane of horn bliss that pleases as it overwhelms with its sense of largeness.

“Red Light” is a beautifully moody groove number that speculates about homelessness, kicked off by seeing someone begging with a change cup while stopped at a red light. This is an earnest heartfelt self-examination of how one might or should react to the reality that there are penniless people dotting the landscape of our cities. A burning saxophone line makes the listener feel the torn, conflicted nature of the singer, making this a fantastic funk-soul message song.

Tribal drumming, chanting, and - By Bill Copeland on March 6, 2013

SUN JONES_Sure as the Moon _10 tracks_This group wears a bunch of different hats. On the opening cut, “Hello, Let’s Go” they are a funky ska band with horns. On the title song, “Sure As the Moon” they do funky R&B with horns. On “Long Fishing Line” they are a funky blues band with horns. Different dressings on the same funky salad. Garret Savluck on tumpet, Henley Douglas on baritone sax from the Heavy Metal Horns and trombonist John Ferry from Bim Skala Bim appear all over the CD. Wait. It gets better. Don’t miss listening to “Music”—a good song with a good hook, “Messy Step,” which sounds like the soundtrack in a Steve McQueen car chase, and “Handa Wanda,” a catching and clever ska song with power and hum ability that ends this project on an even higher level. The future looks bright for Sun Jones. I really enjoy listening to this party band’s latest. - AJ Wachtel

SUN JONES_Sure as the Moon _10 tracks_This group wears a bunch of different hats. On the opening cut, “Hello, Let’s Go” they are a funky ska band with horns. On the title song, “Sure As the Moon” they do funky R&B with horns. On “Long Fishing Line” they are a funky blues band with horns. Different dressings on the same funky salad. Garret Savluck on tumpet, Henley Douglas on baritone sax from the Heavy Metal Horns and trombonist John Ferry from Bim Skala Bim appear all over the CD. Wait. It gets better. Don’t miss listening to “Music”—a good song with a good hook, “Messy Step,” which sounds like the soundtrack in a Steve McQueen car chase, and “Handa Wanda,” a catching and clever ska song with power and hum ability that ends this project on an even higher level. The future looks bright for Sun Jones. I really enjoy listening to this party band’s latest. - AJ Wachtel

Sun Jones is not really a jam band but a band that really jams!

- Patrick Murray

This band has all the bases covered, great vocals and harmonies everywhere, flute and sax always up front and memorable. This is a groove band that is a good listen for ears of all tastes of music.

- A.j. Wachtel

Sun Jones is a band on a mission – to send you positive vibes with its classic rock and roll sounds. Sounds easy enough, but not many can pull it off like this band of veteran musicians.
Comprised of local musicians with a combined curriculum vitae of a local rock ‘n roll hall of fame, Sun Jones has Chris Nemitz (guitar and vocals), John Vanderpool (saxophone, flute and vocals), Charley Carrozo (guitar and vocals), Michael Lewis (drums and percussion) and Jay Sullivan (bass and vocals). They’ve performed in bands the likes of The Candles, Heavy Metal Horns, Lamine Toure, Group Saloum and Another Planet and have played venues ranging from the Somerville Theater to Wembley Stadium.
Together for only the past six months, Sun Jones has already gelled into a positive rock force, and is in the process of mixing a self-titled debut album of original tunes set to hit the streets this spring.
How does a band come together so quickly? It’s like a good conversation, says drummer Lewis. “Techniques, rehearsal, arrangements, parts can all go out the door because experienced musicians can play off each other in the moment. This keeps things spontaneous and new each time. I find that when I know songs well and the musicians are good I start to really feel the music and get to a deeper musical place.”
The band’s vibe is purposefully hopeful – a goal of the group is to produce rock that inspires. Lewis sums it up when he says, “Music should make people happy, or at least convey emotion that listeners can identify with. … I believe in making positive music because there is enough negativity to go around out there. I want to make music that has depth, thought, and hope that people may yearn for.”
Sullivan explains that the band’s music is like its own language, one it uses to express emotions in a way that connects with the average listener. “In working with such talented musicians, we are all fluent in the musical language and can communicate our vision without any ‘language barriers,’” says Sullivan.
Yet Carrozo doesn’t want you to think the music is sappy, just music with a positive groove – think Grateful Dead – or a funk vibe with a strong rock foundation.
“The name Sun Jones describes a yearning for sunlight and warmth or the struggle for hope. The songs are about the positive lessons that come from life’s struggles,” says Carrozo. As an example, Carrozo points out Nemitz’s song “Real Off,” which he says is about divorce and how Nemitz tries to become stronger through the process.
For Lewis, he hopes Sun Jones exceeds the audience’s expectations. “We’re a really rocking band with great songs and great potential. You may not recognize our music or style, but you’ll want to sing along and dance. We will keep the party going.”
- Worcester Magazine by Doreen Manning