Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tom Jones: Spirit in the Room, Deluxe Edition

4

Tom Jones: Spirit in the Room, Deluxe Edition

By

Sign in to view read count
Tom Jones: Spirit in the Room, Deluxe Edition
The Rolling Stones celebrate 50 years as a band, resting on their well earned laurels while British peer Tom Jones continues to reinvent himself with the edgy and soulful sequel to his successful 2010 release Praise and Blame (Island Records). "What's New Pussycat?" and "It's Not Unusual" seem as far away as the Hubble Telescope's deep space images. Jones, who mined much of the same American vernacular as the late Johnny Cash on his previous recording, spreads his musical net widely on Spirit in the Room to include Leonard Cohen ("Tower of Song"), Odetta ("Hit or Miss"} and Tom Waits ("Bad as Me"). His material choices here show considerable growth in an already well-established artist. With Spirit in the Room, Jones enters the sacred tabernacle of Greil Marcus' "old, weird America," sampling that bitter and fruitful water of our native folk music.

Jones still possesses a vocal instrument easily identifiable and superior to any heard since his debut in the 1960s. He sings with a conviction never called upon when he sparred with rival Elvis Presley when the two sold themselves to Las Vegas and creative exile. He emerges with a soulful blues conviction that, while a bit on the hard Anglo side, still compels. Blind Willie Johnson's "Soul of a Man" and his own "Traveling Shoes" possess an organic core in spite of what could be argued is over production. His band is spearheaded by Kings of Leon guitarist Ethan Johns (with whom Jones shares write chores on "Shoes" and was central toPraise and Blame) who plays a host of stringed instruments, including some psychedelic slide guitar on "Hit or Miss" and a Sonny Landreth twang on "Bad as Me." Jones waltzes out with {{Bob Dylan's "When The Deal Goes Down" from his recording Modern Times (Sony, 2006). Jones perfects his efforts from the previousPraise and Blame, setting the stage for future curiously captivating music.

Track Listing

Tower Of Song; Bad As Me; Traveling Shoes; All Blues Hail Mary; Lone Pilgrim; Hit Or Miss; Dimming Of The Day; I Want To Come Home; Love And Blessings; Soul Of A Man; Just Dropped In; Charlie Darwin; When The Deal Goes Down.

Personnel

Tom Jones
woodwinds

Tom Jones: vocals; Richard Causon: clavioline, drums, harmonium, keyboards, piano, tack piano, tambourine, wurlitzer; Sam Dixon: electric bass; Ian Jennings: string bass; Ethan Johns: bass, guitars, percussion; Stella Mozgawa: brushes, drums, percussion.

Album information

Title: Spirit in the Room, Deluxe Edition | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Rounder Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.