Review of 'She' - Davy's Latest CD

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT FROM DAVY JONES

By Bryan Reiser

The Monkees have always been my "summer soundtrack."  As a kid I watched Monkee television re-runs every summer morning. Watching the four musicians/actors romp around on the beach became a part of my summer fun.

Every spring (as I prepare for those warm days of summer), my stereo speakers are cranking to the sweetest voices of jazz. Nothing marks the coming of spring better than a palette of spring romance songs sung by some of the greatest singers. When I hear Mel Torme's "Blue Moon" or Sarah Vaughan's "Misty," my mind awakes to the call of spring. 

In the early sixties, these songs were often sung by a teenaged actor named David Jones, a Brit whose audition tape showed his roots as he sang standards like "Misty" and "Take Me to Paradise." Before The Monkees, Jones landed the gig of Artful Dodger in the famous Broadway musical OLIVER!, bringing him closer to the world of showtunes and standards. In 1965, Jones released on a solo record for the Colpix label, where he again dabbled in the classic songs of the forties and fifties.

Now at sixty-four years of age, Jones returned to his roots to deliver a beautiful soundtrack for spring called SHE. Released late 2009, SHE is an album for "all the mothers in the world (and) their children," as Jones dedicated on the CD sleeve.

During 2009, SHE was conceived by "two Dodgers," Jones and Chris Andrews. The pair have been friends since 1965 as Andrews replaced Jones' in OLIVER! Andrews later became a member of Les Fluer de Lys, the sixties mod-psychedelic group that shared studio orbits with Glyn Johns (Beatles, Clash, Bob Dylan), Jimmy Page, and Pete Townshend. Andrews went on to write songs for Roger Daltrey, David Essex, and Leo Sayer.

Jones said, "Chris Andrews and I chose all the material. He created all the tracks except for 'This Guy's in Love,' and I formatted the rest. I worked alongside Tim Gordon, whose studio and engineering produced the vocal sound. Tim added his touch on vibes and other instruments." The project was finished at Skip Kline's studio in Beavertown, Pennsylvania (where Jones resides) and regional musicians and members of Jones' road band were brought in to add flavor to the tracks.

From Doris Day ("Secret Love") to Elvis Presley ("Are You Lonesome Tonight") to Johnny Ray ("Cry") to Cliff Richard ("Living Doll"), SHE contains twelve romantic and soul-filled songs.

"Jones has proved himself to be a talented singer/songwriter since joining The Monkees in 1966," remarked singer/songwriter Chris Pick. "He has a vocal style that captivated fans and other musicians. Mike Nesmith said that he always loved the way Jones sang. To hear Davy bring his unique vocal to these classics only compliments the songs and makes them a part of his catalog of gems written by Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, and other well-established songwriters."

SHE is a perfect Mother's Day gift - especially for the mothers who followed Jones' career since his Monkees heyday. Sound clips and information can be found at www.cdbaby.com and Jones' official website, www.davyjones.net. Alternate mixes have been posted on Jones' Facebook page.

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