Aristotle Jones (Appalachian Soul Man)

Current City: Osage, WV

Hometown: Huntington, WV

Genre:  Soul, Gospel, Folk & Blues.

Sounds Like: Almost Heaven

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WHO IS ARISTOTLE JONES?​

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Throughout the 20th Century soulful porch pickin was heard all along the spine of appalachia and prior to electric amplification it was sweet sound reverberating through the hills from the “other” porches.

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Aristotle’s Porch Picking Trio transports audiences to this intersection of free flowing time and easy listening melodies.

Blending Gospel, Blues, and Folk into a wonderful musical style. ​

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Aristotle's acoustic Porch Pickin' Trio a perfect perfect way to add a soulful twist to any Folk, Gospel, Blues, or Country/Bluegrass Fair or Festival.

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AUDIENCES AT YOUR VENUE WILL SEE...​

Up to 120 minutes concert from Aristotle plus (2) accompanists, (typically piano & bass) performing Soul Standards from artists like, Otis Redding, the Gospellaires, Ray Charles, the Swan Silvertones, Bill Withers, along with Aristotle’s orginal music

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"When you see Aristotle Jones on stage, during either his intimate acoustic storyteller sets or during his electrifying sets with his Amazing Appalachian Soul band there is only one word that can accurate describe his energy.... CAPTIVATING! " 

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Jason Young

- Program Director -

Robinson Grand Performing Arts Center

 

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Aristotle's Unique Stories!​

Aristotle Jones combines the soulful and funky pocket of Black American Music with folksy storytelling about growing up in Appalachia.

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Influenced by rural soundscapes and the music of Rock n Roll Legend Johnnie Johnson and Soul Legend Bill Withers,

Jones’s music overflows with percussive guitar, jangly piano licks, snappy horn lines and lock tight rhythms.

 

Aristotle’s stories are set in Osage, West Virginia, a small coal mining town and the hub of the scott’s Run communities that sprung up to service the Christopher, and later the Consol mining operations.

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Aristotle’s story starts in the 1920's when his great Grandfather, like many sharecroppers, moved to West Virginia from Alabama in search of a brighter future in Appalachichia.​ However due to the penstrokes of historians, and the misrepresation of Appalachia over the decades, stories of Black contributions to appalachian Culutre have be missing...Until Now,

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Aristotle seamlessly weaves between big global Stories like “how Rock n’ Roll was invented in West Virginia” and personal family histories like how his gospel singing granddad won the hand of his grandmother after “The Showdown in the streets of Osage”

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Aristotle’s stories are rooted in truth and decorated with a Blend of the Gospel, Rock, Folk, Blues, and Country genres that create Appalachian Soul

 

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Carrying on the Tradition...

A central theme of Aristotle's music and community projects is shedding light on the contribution to art in culture provided by Black Americans living in the Appalachian Mountains. He is the descendant of coal miners, and farmers who against all odds made a life in the poor coal town of Osage, West Virginia.  

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Aristotle's stories reflect the values of courage, fortitude and determination that were taught to him while porch picking with his grandfather, a regional Gospel and Soul singer who traveled to segregated coal camps performing for black coal miners in the mid 20th Century, and Aristotle is proud to carry on the legacy of the contributions of Black Appalachian Creatives to the the fabric of modern American Music.

 

You can find music from Aristotle Jones on Apple Music, Spotify, CD Baby, as well as other major platforms and at www.AristotleJones.com