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BB King, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert Collins, Eric
Clapton, to name a few.
“Carvin Jones is a young
cat out of Phoenix who I think is the next up-and-coming blues
player”
- Eric Clapton
"Carvin Jones is one of the brightest young stars on the
blues scene today"
- Albert Collins
"The New King of Strings is Carvin Jones"
- Buddy Miles
". . . one of the best blues guitarists in the world . .
."
- London Surrey News
Carvin Jones was born in Lufkin, Texas. At a very
young age, he was seduced to the blues by listening to BB King
records his grandfather constantly played in the house. At age
11, Carvin remembers "my grandmother bought me my first guitar
because I would borrow other people´s and when they came
back to get them, I´d bum out. She took me downtown and
bought me a guitar. I´ll never forget that day." Carvin
recalls "my part of town was a rough neighborhood with a
capital ´R´. I saw people litterally get killed
- shot, stabbed, whatever. The guitar kept me out of trouble because
I was always
inside playing the guitar away from that."
For a few years after high school, Carvin was
performing small gigs around Texas. He decided to move to
Arizona for a change of pace. In 1989, he moved in with his aunt
and uncle, The Rev. Henry Adams and his wife Mattie, in their
home in south Phoenix. “They took me in and I owe all my
success to them. If it
weren´t for them, there wouldn´t be any Carvin Jones”
he says.
Thus, the first incarnation of the "Carvin Jones Band" was formed, and he began taking gigs anywhere they could get bookings. ”We´d go in and play for
hamburgers and soda pop” Carvin laughs.
By March, 1991, the Band had gained tremendous
popularity, and were playing at clubs all over the Valley. They
have maintained a consistent seven nights-a-week performance schedule
since then. In March 2000, Carvin celebrated his 3000th
performance!
Over the past years, the Carvin Jones Band
has opened for guitar legends BB King, Santana and Albert King,
and has performed with Joe Cocker and the Fabulous Thunderbird's
at the House of Blues 1996 Tour in Phoenix. The Band opened for
REO Speedwagon in 1998 at New Year's Eve, and has been a feature
band of Fiesta Bowl's New Year's Eve Block Parties for the past
two years.
The Carvin Jones Music Show, a 1/2 hour cable
TV show promo, included interviews with Carvin, performance clips,
local gig calendar, and website plug. The Show aired during February-March,
2000, once a week, on various local Arizona cable channels. The
Band has also been featured on Arizona's Channel 3, Channel 15, and
Channel 10 News stations and is still featured on Glendale's Channel 11 regularly.
Carvin has been a staple of the Glendale, AZ Jazz and Blues fest for several years -
much to Arizonans delight!
Carvin began touring Europe in 1999. He has performed
with the likes of Buddy Miles, Jeff Beck, Gary Moore, John Mayell, Jimmie Vaughn,
Ten Years After, Eric Burden and The Animals. In 2007, Carvin and his band opened
for the legendary Walter Trout - twice - with rave revews! He has made many
appearances on European Television and has regular airplay on several
Blues dedicated radio shows throughout Europe. Carvin regularly headlines many
European Blues Festivals - including The Pokey Hole Festival (UK), Skegness Rock &
Blues Festival (UK), The Warrenpoint Festival (Ireland), Bejar Blues Festival (Spain),
Colne Blues Festival (UK), and several others throughout Italy, Spain, Germany, &
Holland.
In 2007, Carvin welcomed into the band two amazing Italian
musicians, who tour with Carvin full-time throughout Europe. On drums, Gianpaolo
Feola - from Sant' Angelo d'Alife, Italy - has brought tremendous energy and excitement
to Carvin's all ready electrifying show. Gianpaolo has played with many popular Italian
bands throughout Italy and complements Carvin's versitility with his ability to play
many types of music... from classic slow Blues & Jazz to classic Rock and Pop. Michele (Mike)
Califano - from Naples, Italy - is a self-taught, natural talent. He began playing bass
in December 1996 - watching and learning from 'Queen' concerts on DVD - loving the big sound of
the bass. Among Mike's influences are Tommy Shannon, John Deacon, John Paul Jones,
Paul McCartney, & Geddy Lee. Like Gianpaolo, Mike brings an amazing amount of energy
and versitility to the Carvin Jones experience. Together, Carvin, Mike, and Gianpaolo have
been heralded the "Best Blues/Rock Band in Europe".
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Carvin has received
numerous awards and recognition. In Arizona, he was
awarded New Times' "Entertainer of the Year" award
in 1997, "Best Guitarist" in 1998 by Get Out Magazine,
and Char's Has the Blues named him "Best Guitarist
of the Year" for three years in a row. The Band received
the Arizona Entertainment Award for "Best Blues Band
of the Year" in 1993, and was voted "Best Blues
Band" from 1994 through 1996 by the New Times' Reader's
poll. Carvin also received the New Times Music Showcase award for
the Best Blues Band in 2006. Visit Carvin's 'press' page for various
reviews written about the band.
Carvin was featured in Experience Hendrix
Magazine, in its November/December, 1999 issue. Read
the full article
here..
Guitarist Magazine voted Carvin into
“The 50 greatest blues guitarists who ever walked
the earth!” in January 2001.
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Carvin
featured in Nov/Dec 1999 issue. |
Tour
Highlights
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