Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Pere Ubu guitarist Jim Jones dies

Posted by Joe Tone on Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 11:38 AM

Pere Ubu guitarist Jim Jones died late Monday night. Details have not been released, but he’d been ill for years. Health problems lead him to leave the Cleveland post-punk band in 1996, and his condition had deteriorated, though friends say he’d looked good over the last year. “Jimmy was the one guy who always got along with everybody,” says John Thompson, the former Discodrome record-shop owner, who was also part of Ubu’s tour support. “Everybody in the music scene knew him and loved him.” (Click 'More" to keep reading) ... Before - and after -- he joined Ubu, Jones was part of the Cleveland music scene, as a clerk at record stores including Record Rendezvous at 3rd and Prospect, the shop where the term “rock and roll” was coined, according to legend. As the store’s buyer, the lifelong music fanatic helped turn the city on to imported arty bands like Roxy Music and Can. Ubu’s David Thomas, a famously prickly character, took a liking to Jones and invited him to be a part of the Ubu machine before he joined. Jones toured with the band, selling merchandise and moving gear. Jones’ encyclopedic knowledge of music made him a reliable riff-writing machine and versatile multi-instrumentalist. His period recording with Ubu -- the five original, major-label records from 1988’s The Tenement Year to 1995’s Ray Gun Suitcase -- is considered the band’s most accessible material, and Jones’ melodies often receive chief credit for that fresh quality. “He was a really excellent guitar player,” says Numbers Band frontman Robert Kidney. Jones stopped touring with Ubu in 1995, and went on to play arty disco in Foreign Bodies, punk in Easter Monkeys, and ambitious rock with Home and Garden (with other former members of Pere Ubu). He was one of the first artists that helped establish Collinwood as a vital creative area. “If one person had lost touch with another person, Jimmy knew where to find him,” recalls Thompson. “He’d been around for a long time in the music scene - my wife says he was an anchor. He served as collaborator, mentor and general landmark for many other bands here.” Click the video for a clip of Ubu performing “Oh Catherine” on Letterman in 1989. Jones is the guitarist in the white shirt and dark pants. Even if you don’t know the man or his work, you’ll miss him by the time the song’s over. -- D.X. Ferris

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Jim Jones was one of the friendliest, talented guys around a kind word for everyone and no rockstar ego. he will be missed by all who knew him. Very sad news.

Posted by floyd on February 20, 2008 at 11:16 AM | Report this comment
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Hey Jim.....see you for a beer at the big Otto Mosers in the sky (the original on 4th st.) One of the smoothest guys I ever met...

Posted by Tom DeMarco on February 20, 2008 at 11:36 AM | Report this comment
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Just before Christmas a couple of years back, I found a pack of CDs in my mailbox along with a nice note from Jim. On the CDs were 20th century orchestral music, some Beatles, even Shatner's album. That was Jones, he loved all kinds of music and he always wanted to spread the joy. One of the best guys I've ever known. Ben Small Cleveland

Posted by Ben Small on February 20, 2008 at 1:15 PM | Report this comment
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Man, Jim will be missed. I first saw him playing his strat thru a Fender Twin at the Pop Shop at an Easter Monkeys show, and marveled at how cool the sound and open tuning were. He was the nicest and most gentlemanly guy you'd ever want to meet. Doug NYC

Posted by Doug Gillard on February 20, 2008 at 5:11 PM | Report this comment
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What a sad day. What a great guitar player and all around cool person. I hung out with Jim at Record Rendezvous downtown and Platter Puss on E. 185 th street. He let me play his white Stratocaster once. We would go down to the Flats to watch the Easter Monkeys perform in some real dives. Man those were the days. Rest easy Jim, you will live in our hearts forever. Rock On brother.

Posted by Dale Taddie on February 20, 2008 at 11:36 PM | Report this comment
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Some years back, I ordered MONSTER from the Ubutique. Having read the notes on the site about how service would be SLOOOOOOOOOOW, I was not at all concerned when about six weeks had passed. The order arrived, along with a handwritten note from Mr. Jones apologizing for the delay AND a t-shirt. Since I wasn't at all anxious, the note was sweet, as was the shirt (which is a generously sized shirt for what is on the label, so I can actually wear it, as long as I'm not needing large quantities of oxygen). Sad news... :(

Posted by Tim on February 21, 2008 at 9:35 AM | Report this comment
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Once I thought I made myself: I was wrong. I thought I knew music. I was wrong. JIM JONES, God rest his soul, knew better. He told me what I didn't know . He introduced me as a friend to people I barely had the right to know. He made me listen differently; where I hadn't before. So much cooler and smarter than I'll ever be. (or ever was) That was only a VERY small part of Jim Jones. What a Cat- I'll miss him forever. John

Posted by John P McNea III Platter Puss Records on February 21, 2008 at 3:32 PM | Report this comment
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The bar in heaven just got a lot more fun.

Posted by cheese on February 22, 2008 at 7:52 AM | Report this comment
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Laura says: I was kid when I first saw Jones play at the Pop shop and lived at the Plaza...man I used to think how cool he was and I would learn that it was true. He was a man of "Just Do it" before Nike...I mean some of the best of advice I ever got as a musician was to just do it and f**k whether you can actually play as you think you should and with that I keep with me always...he will be missed by so many even in the hallowed halls of the PLAZA you can still hear the laughter..

Posted by Laura on February 22, 2008 at 3:43 PM | Report this comment
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Jimmy - was my neighbor. That was really cool. I'm not sure if most of the other neighbors really realized his impact on the music scene. He was a creature of the night, and when I would stumbl home from the Beachland to have one last smoke down by the lake, he usually would be hanging out with his dogs. I think I amused him. This past Chrismas Eve I hung out with him and a couple of neighbors. I informed the neighbors of the 'legendary' jim jones, and he of course was practically embarassed about it. What a great guy...

Posted by Frank Z. Revy on March 1, 2008 at 9:39 AM | Report this comment

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