Gotta Look Up
Chris Jones & Steve Baker - Acoustic Music Records - 2005
Between 1995 and 2003, singer/songwriter and guitar virtuoso Chris Jones and harp maestro Steve Baker released three critically acclaimed CDs together on Acoustic Music Records. Their fourth outing "Gotta Look Up" offers an exciting collection of new songs and presents the duo in top form both musically and lyrically. Jones' and Baker's music has never been easy to classify. It ignores the constraints of stylistic boundaries and is beyond conventional categories, combining elements from rock, blues, folk and funk into a highly individual fusion which touches the heart, body and soul of the listener. On "Gotta Look Up", Jones' and Baker's almost telepathic interplay is perfectly complemented by Martin Röttger on cajon and percussion. Whether on fast songs or slow ballads, the music bubbles with energy and is compellingly authentic. The expressive original compositions are straight out of real life and are clearly not based on hearsay. They tell of love both lost and found, of lust for life, the pain of loss, distilled out of personal experience, as uncompromising and powerful as the melodies themselves. Quality which never goes out of style.
"Gotta Look Up" was mixed and mastered by the beginning of August 2005 and the cover artwork was finished shortly afterwards. The release date had already been set for October 1st, when the shocking news of Chris Jones' illness came. He died a short while later on September 13th 2005. This CD is his very last recording and represents the final musical legacy of one of the truly great guitarists, singers and songwriters of our time. He was a dear friend and is sadly missed.
