| Zapped
by Zapp |
by
Deedee Sanderson
from an interview with Jim Jones,
founder of Zapp Productions |
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“In
the hill country about an hour outside of Memphis, in and around
Holly Springs, Mississippi ... there was an untapped blues scene
going on… Once Rolling Stone Magazine found out about
it - they called it the ‘most important musical discovery
in 40 years’. And I was lucky enough to be good friends
with these guys before the big buzz took place.... as it turns
out, I was the first guy to put RL Burnside on the road with
his legendary band featuring his grandson Cedric Burnside and
Kenny Brown, who he called his adopted grandson. … That
led to putting out Kenny Browns first cd "Goin' Back to
Mississippi" on the Zapp Label…. It was produced
by one of my musical heroes, Dale Hawkins who wrote one of the
most recorded songs from rock and roll, …Suzie Q.....
So, I had a chance to work with Dale as well....”
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To answer the question, how did that Zapp guy, one Jim Jones
of Rockingham, Ontario, find himself in Mississippi hill country,
with Blues to be Legends? Rubbing elbows and creative minds
with Dale Hawkins?
We might first ponder what enticed him to leave Cobourg where
he ran Zapp Records Storefront and Record Label for 17 years,
and really, what in the world landed him in Rockingham?
If you have never been to Rockingham,
or even if you’ve passed through, you might have noticed
that there are no Jazz Lounges or Blues Clubs, or even for
that matter, a store at Centre-ville. There are not a lot
of in-town venues available there to host the likes of RL
Burnside or Johnny Winter…
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“I wanted to head to an area where I could find some places
to go swimming again,
where people still waved at each other passing by on the road…”
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| Even after
a quick hang with Jim, you know straight off, ‘this is
a down to earth family guy’ – there’s no question
as to why the Jones’ aren’t trying to keep up with
anyone – they are too busy living - growing food, raising
a family, homesteading - treading as lightly on the Earth as
they possibly can. It is easy to see that lifestyle drew Jim
to the quiet of the Madawaska Hills, where he, until the recent
sale of the Cobourg Shop, was juggling a storefront from a distance,
a family and a lifestyle.
Knowing his extreme passion for music,
it is understood that it was his innate curiosity and love
for new music that pulled him down the Interstate to experience
the un-tapped Blues scene years ago, and why he is still tickled
pink to share this music, and new talents he discovers, with
the world.
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“In
1993 I started going down to Mississippi to hang out with blues
artists RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough….’You tube’
these guys, they are hardcore Mississippi Blues men, the last
of the real deal… and a host of others. I like to find
artists who I feel deserve more exposure. ….. So, I find
who I feel are some of the finest musicians in the world in
their genre and book anywhere from 1 to 4 shows in a row with
them.... doing the bigger shows is for the thrill of presenting
these legends in smaller towns that never would have had a chance
to see such world class talent in their town…Kind of like
what I do at the Wilno . … . They may not be household
names, but these artists play some pretty big stages. To bring
them to where I live allows me the chance to share with the
community part of what I do.."
|
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| The Jones
Family |
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