(June 25, 2019) Whether it’s on an infectious funk party or a mid-tempo R&B ballad, Ashton Jones possesses an electrifying voice that immediately engages the listener. One of Jones’ first major breakthroughs came via an Amazon U.K. commercial re-interpreting soul stylist Freddie Scott’s late sixties hit, “You Got What I Need.” Then came The Ashton Jones Project (featuring some of the U.K.’s respected musicians who have backed Joss Stone and Beverly Knight), which released an all too brief 3-track self-titled E.P. showcasing their urban musical flavors. More recently, The Ashton Jones Project has opened for Shalamar and guested alongside acid jazz icons, Incognito, at the 2019 Cheltenham Jazz Festival.
Thankfully for those who can’t make their concert gigs, slowly but surely, The Ashton Jones Project is cranking out new material, such as the funk-until- you-drop words of wisdom, “Hard Work Dedication,” from their upcoming full-length project coming in late summer on Flash Town Records.
Guided by Jones’ take charge performance on the microphone and the nine-piece band that shadows his every gritty vocal move, this First Listen spotlight proudly carries the spirit of James Brown and Tower of Power. As Jones’s star qualities and showmanship have won audiences throughout the U.K., U.S. audiences can now witness his superb talents in action with “Hard Work Dedication.”
By Peggy Oliver
Ashton Jones Project
“Hard Work Dedication”