PJ Jones

If, in some sci-fi scenario, Butte County got cut off from the rest of the world, we’d be deprived of many things, from luxuries to necessities, but we’d still have lots of good music because there are so many terrific homegrown musicians hereabouts. A bunch of them turn up on Chasin’ the Dream, a recently released album by Paradise singer/songwriter PJ Jones (short for Patricia Hones Jesiolowski). The roster of supporting players features Bob Littell, Trent Smith, “Big Mo” Huffman, Scott Shaw, Dave Darby, Steve Valine, Jim Peppler, JD Richardson, Amy Grayson and Toni Peppler, all of them lending support to this fine collection of songs. Jones is a damn good songwriter. She once toured with Waylon Jennings, and she sounds a little like Loretta Lynn (for those who may never have heard of the coal miner’s daughter, that’s a good thing). This is blues and high-octane country with a lot of heart. Check out “The Man You Left Behind,” or “Mama Won’t You Hold My Hand,” a song Jones wrote for her daughters … “and yours.” So, if you want to prepare yourself for that sci-fi scenario, you can start by supporting local talent like Jones, a Paradise ridge runner (and race car driver) who reminds us of the good things right in our own backyard. Visit her online: www.pjjonessingscountry.com.