John Baldwin Biography

True, his name was then John Baldwin. Unlike most rock musicians, the boy was born in a musical family. Therefore, it is difficult to say whether he showed interest in music - no one asked him about it: at the age of 14 they gave a bass gita in his hands and said: play. True, the father, the famous jazz pianist Joe Baldwin, insisted on a saxophone, but the saxophone Little John somehow did not like it.

It was difficult to earn a jazz, like pure art - and now the father and son earned their Brad with a batter for weddings, graduation evenings and other booze. In line with family traditions, John Paul took a well -mastered literacy and the theory of music, his instrument at that time was not that now the fingers are thick, you will play the bass, but almost exotic.

At the age of seventeen, he was taken without question to the popular Big band Jet Harris and Tony Mikhan. A lot has already been said about the conservatism of the then British public here - we will not repeat ourselves. According to the memoirs of Tony Michan, the nervous and very musical young man was comprehensively gifted: in addition to the bass, he brilliantly owned the organ - classic and Hammond - playing this instrument in jazz styles, which for all times was a rare art.

Just during this period, about a year, Bas Gitar began to leave the orchestra ghetto as a self-sufficient and worthy instrument. This is a considerable merit of black performers who concentrated around the famous Detroit Label Motown - such musicians as Phil Apper, James Dzheronon and like them. John Paul, who took the pseudonym Jones, so as not to hide behind his father’s reputation eagerly listened to these pioneers of the solo bass, absorbing their tricks.

Jones studied the skill of arranging - he studied involuntarily, out of need, overcoming the natural absence of ambitions in this area. And, of course, at any opportunity, he worked as a sessionist in the studios. It was there, during the recording of the legendary Donovanovo singles, Sunshine Superman and Yellow Mellow, he first encountered the intelligent guitar genius Jimmy Page.

They, what they say, smelled each other: not that they became friends, but began to pull each other at sessions according to the ancient principle of "you - me, I - you." By the year, John Paul Jones had earned an unambiguous reputation as the best session bassist in London and a brilliant arranger. By the summer of the year, the term of the contract expired - John Paul Jones was free, like a bird.

And hardworking, like an ant.