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Southpaw Jones treads lightly on the
thin ice of irreverent honesty. Being left-handed, he naturally turns his guitar upside-down to play more comfortably. Being a
creative little brother, he naturally turns the world upside-down to make his audience uncomfortable. Southpaw has resided in
Houston, Nashville, and Los Angeles, and he now calls Austin home, performing each Wednesday at Café Mundi and reaching out to
find those open-minded folks who thirst for singable melodies and one-of-a-kind lyrics.
Critics say he has "that most amazing ability to be hilarious and heartbreaking at the
same time," and his songs are "at once political, personal, serious, hilarious, lucid, and muddled." Author Spike Gillespie calls
him "the left-handed Elvis Costello and the best songwriter in the land." Southpaw calls himself "Slim" and sleeps in the fetal
position.
Southpaw has had the honor of opening shows for Dan Bern, Terri Hendrix, Matt the
Electrician, and Shake Russell, performing in legendary venues like Austin's Cactus Café and Nashville's Bluebird Café. (For the record, rumors of Southpaw's café addiction are unsubstantiated and hurtful.)
To mark two years of war in Iraq, Southpaw joined Eliza Gilkeson, Slaid Cleaves, James McMurtry, and Bill Passalacqua at a
peace rally in downtown Austin. He has performed with 5 instruments in 17 states during the past 10 years, but who's counting?
The Southpaw Science Reading Room
Five Interesting Facts About Southpaw
1) Southpaw plays a right-handed guitar upside-down.
More Quotes & Comments
2) Southpaw uses only five strings, eschewing the high E.
3) Southpaw carries around 12 harmonicas in an adapted tool box. (One for each key.)
4) Southpaw has never had a guitar lesson. (Interesting, not surprising.)
3) As a child, Southpaw owned a pet squirrel in southeast Alabama. It drowned in the toilet.
"Southpaw
Jones' songs are at once political, personal, serious, hilarious, lucid,
and muddled...goes straight for the story, for the message, for the emotion"
Clay Steakley,
Performing Songwriter magazine
DIY Top 12 Reviews
"In the grand tradition of Jonathan Richman and They Might Be Giants...he has that most amazing ability to be hilarious and heartbreaking at the same time...soon-to-be legend..."
William Tyler,
The Nashville Scene
"...the future
of folk music is in good hands."
Susan Werner,
performing songwriter
"Southpaw Jones' songs are statements, short stories inside jokes with poignant punchlines
that appeal to your sense of humanity."
"...the lefthanded Elvis Costello and the best songwriter in the land."
"He's original...Southpaw Jones sings
Southpaw Jones songs and does them with heart and humor..."
Susan Gibson,
performing songwriter
"Jones' songs
are told from an often funny but no less insightful perspective...his songs
are filled with the wisdom and biting humor of a man years older."
Katherine Tolford,
Los Angeles Times
"Southpaw Jones really stood out in
a crowd of one hundred songwriters at the Bluebird auditions. His song
was the only one that I wanted to hear all of. He's young, he's funny,
he's very original."
Amy Kurland,
owner, Bluebird Cafe
Nashville, Tennessee
Spike Gillespie, author/provocatuer
Tony Arata,
performing songwriter, Nashville, Tennessee