The Jason Boone Band: REVIEWS

Also celebrating their second CD release is The Jason Boone Band from the state of Mississippi. Their new project is I Hear Mississippi Calling, which highlights the strong tenor voice of the band’s namesake, along with Don Robinson on banjo and lead vocals, Johnny Rawls on bass, Lee Ely on mandolin and Jeff Boone on fiddle. Jason plays guitar.

The material is a mix of band originals and country/Gospel hits, all performed in a driving bluegrass style. This relatively new band, formed in 2004, has been making noise on the circuit since they first appeared, and their previous self-titled Gospel CD has been well received as well.

Audio samples can be found on CD Baby or in the iTunes Music Store.

Bluegrass still going strong
Big Basket of Bluegrass Recordings

We attended the Second Annual Bluegrass Festival at Lamar County Fairgrounds July 25-26; and had a wonderful time thanks to the bands, the nice people and fairgrounds director Karen Saulters. The bands exemplified the DIY spirit, doing their best and mixing with the crowd.

These great recordings were reviewed in the order received, so there'll be one more Aug. 15.

'I Hear Mississippi Calling,' The Jason Boone Band (independent,

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The membership of The Jason Boone Band has shifted slightly since they recorded this CD, but they have the smoothness and good-natured onstage banter that comes with experience. Jason Boone plays acoustic guitar and sings powerful high lead and harmony vocals; Don Robinson plays hot banjo/guitar and adds cool country vocals; Lee Ely ("shortest name in bluegrass") plays great mandolin and adds key harmonies; and Jeff Boone plays excellent fiddle.

The energy of "Georgia Bound" leaps out of the speakers, and the title song is a wonderfully homesick ode to our state. Other favorites include the gospel "He'll Still Be There;" the harmonious "Rose Colored Glasses;" and a instrumental blast called "Bent Creek." Visit their Web site for info and purchasing information.

www.jasonbooneband.com

The Jason Boone Band, from Mississippi, brings to you their second recording project, "I Hear Mississippi Calling"...Jason Boone along with Don Robinson, Johnny Rawls, Lee Ely, Jeff Boone, and special guest, Tim Hathorn, have eight original tunes along with six tunes you should be familiar with....From Johnny's "Thoughts So Dear to Me", to Don's original hot banjo instrumental "Bent Creek", to Jason's rendition of "Georgia Bound", all supported with strong mandolin, fiddle, and dobro playing, really shows what this band
can do. They have only been together for 3 years, and being one of the
strongest bluegrass bands of the south, they'll be around for many years to come. So kick back, buckle up, and take a bluegrass ride with The Jason Boone Band ..."disclaimer"...,
Not responsible for
speeding tickets!!...

I listened to 'For Sale By Owner' and I have enjoyed it quite a good bit. It just jumped out of the speakers at me. It has a great overall feel and sound....The production is really strong as is the performance.... I'm very very impressed with the song.... It says what is has to say and moves on. Nice!
You guys have a good thing going. I'm honored to listen. I'll be in touch soon.
Congratulations on exceptional work!

David/ Crescent Music and Media

Bluegrass Music at its finest!
The Jason Boone Band second CD, "I Hear Mississippi calling" is a great mix of foot stomping orginal Bluegrass tunes and some well chosen covers such as Rose Colored Glasses which has been given the Jason Boone Bluegrass treatment to great effect. This Album is a must for all lovers of Bluegrass Music. The Band is tight, the Vocals are right and the tunes are great. Rod Bradey Stone Cold Country Yarra Valley FM 99.1 Melbourne AUSTRALIA

Linda Rice
Love your music..also thanks for joining Larrys my space.. Larrys wife Linda God Bless

The Jason Boone Band is one of the best bluegrass bands not just in Mississippi but nationwide. They are a favorite band on my show "Gospelgrass" (Monday nights 7-9P.M. on WXHB-FM 96.5) Their music is so good I always play one of their gospel tunes to open the show! I have enjoyed listening and playing their new cd. It's Great. They also do a fine job as host band for The Petal Night of Bluegrass. Join us on 8/16/08 at 6 P.M. for a great night of Bluegrass in the friendly city of Petal, MS at the Petal Civic Center. Best of luck on the new project fellows. Your ole Bluegrass radio buddy.

Hey Jason,
got your new CD last week and have been listening to it ever since. Very good--REAL good!! The recording quality is excellent--the studio and engineer are great.
Right now my two favorite songs are Georgia Bound and the song about the For Sale sign.
Everybody in the band is firing on all cylinders--Don's banjo work is excellent!
This one will be an easy sell...
Keep up the good work--see you in August!
Stan & Company

The Jason Boone Band’s newly released CD “I Hear Mississippi Calling” is vastly different from their first CD. The first CD was great; don’t get me wrong; it is often in one or another of my CD players. I do believe I have 5 “favorite” songs on that one CD! Jason has such a strong voice and the harmonizing is phenomenal.

“I Hear Mississippi Calling” is another indication of how well this band is put together. While the first CD is made up of gospel songs, “I Hear Mississippi Calling” has a variety of songs, some you have heard before (but not the “Jason Boone Band” way) and some original songs. This second CD shows more versatility between the various talents in this group. Each of the members, Jason, Johnny, Don, Lee, and Jeff exhibit great talent in their own, preferred choice of instrument. When you put all five together, the chemistry sizzles and the harmonizing is, of course, phenomenal!

I first met Jason and the band about 2 ½ years ago. I knew then, after hearing one song that they would someday, eventually, play my bluegrass festival. Well, that day came at the 3rd annual “Fiddlin’ with the Frogs” bluegrass fest in 2007. After the first set, I hunted down Jason, sat him down and discussed a return engagement for 2008! I was approached by more than a few people who were more than happy when told The Jason Boone Band was returning in 2008.

This group has always been a joy to listen to and it is inevitable they will expand their horizons as the word gets out. I am looking forward to the third CD, but not for a while, please as I am not yet finished listening to either the first or second. See you at Frog Hollow Labor Day weekend!

Beth Muschinski
President, Frog Hollow Campground/RV Park, LLC
Music Promoter, Fiddlin’ with the Frogs Annual Bluegrass festival

"The Jason Boone Band continues to get even better. The latest CD "I Hear Mississippi Calling" is very good, indeed. And an outstanding group of men. Keep up the good work! J D Cannon, April 28, 2008"

The Jason Boone Band is a bluegrass group with members from throughout central and southern Mississippi, as well as one from southeastern Louisiana. It includes Jason Boone (tenor and guitar), Don Robinson (baritone and banjo), Johnny Rawls (upright bass), Lee Ely (mandolin, sings harmony), and Jeffrey Boone (fiddle, sings harmony).

They count themselves lucky that they all live within an hour and a half drive of one another—many bluegrass groups must travel further to assemble. Jason Boone lives in Brandon and is the owner of a pest control company. Robinson lives in Hattiesburg, where he is a financial representative in the insurance investment business. Johnny Rawls lives outside of Mendenhall and has been a state trooper for 30 years. Lee Ely of Silvarena is an industrial electrician. And the most recent member to join the band, Jeffrey Boone (no relation to Jason) lives in Angie, Louisiana, and is self-employed—among other things, he rents heavy equipment. Most of members of the band are old friends, but Jeff heard about them, hunted them down, and convinced them they needed a fiddler, for which they are grateful today.

Most of the band members heard some kind of traditional music at family gatherings when they were kids, and none of them studied their instruments they play in the band formally. Jason heard his grandfather and uncles playing, and he performed on mandolin in an ensemble led by his uncle, J. C. Renfro. Johnny Rawls’ older siblings and mother all played guitar. Lee and his brother were in the junior high band in Clarksdale. He started guitar at age 12, not knowing that his father’s family was full of traditional musicians: "It runs in the blood, but I didn’t know it." He shifted to mandolin because a group he played with needed one. Don’s grandfather was a Baptist preacher, so he first played gospel piano by ear. He and his mother loved to listen to the Grand Ole Opry, and would pretend to be Opry stars Kitty Wells and Little Jimmy Dickens. He took up the bluegrass banjo later, when he was stunned by the virtuosity of banjo master Earl Scruggs. And Jeff took up the violin simply because his father had one around the house.

These days, the band has about 30 gigs a year throughout the southeastern U.S. Since they live in different towns and it’s hard to find time to get together, most of their practice time is in a few hours before each show. That’s typical for most bluegrass groups, which, like this one, are usually semi-professional.

Why do they play bluegrass? They agree that it’s fun, a "musician’s music," and extremely challenging. Don says that "the most talented musicians in the world are bluegrass musicians. There’s no button to mash, there’s no switch to turn, it’s just you and that pick." Jason adds that "there’s not a lot of genres that combine gospel music with secular music, so it gives you an opportunity to play both. But at the same time, the secular music for the most part does not offend God either. And then you’ve got instrumentals you can play; it gives you some variety."

-Chris Goertzen