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Fred Jones: Life and Wine Self Released 2006 7 out of 10 “Life and Wine” celebrates life with melodies to inspire and evoke fun and bring to mind the pop/rock piano sensation Ben Folds 5.  The incredible collaboration of the six song EP is filled with songs such as “Here and Now” which force the human body to begin moving limbs in sync with the music.

After the first week of listening to The Fred Jones Band’s first recorded album together, I found getting the songs out of my head and mouth surprisingly more difficult than actually taking the CD itself out of the CD player. The catchy piano riffs and vocals create a pop sound with many aspects of traditional alternative aspects. With just piano, bass, and drums, the band may seem undersized, but their music carries enough sound to fill any room.  Lead Singer and piano player Ray Orias has an exceptional voice and great talent behind the keys, which become the building blocks for each track.

“Come and get together. We just want to dance,” request listeners of track 4, “The Jive,” to do just that. This song includes a much faster tempo from the bass line and drums with a jazzier piano jingle which guarantees to swing any one off their feet to “jive” right along. “Grab your finest girl.” You can slow things down a bit with songs such as “La Plus Belle Fille Au Monde” and the CD’s intro “The Coming together of everything.” 

The only draw back that I found on this album was the minor drowning out of the piano by the other instruments. The volume on the piano should carry the lyrics along with it. I also felt that the drums sound slightly hollow during certain tracks, to hold up with the additional musical contenders.

The Fred Jones Band is recommended for those who seek fun and entertainment from their music.  For the bands first recorded album they sound amazing. They sure know how to make people dance.

- Melissa Wells

Read a follow-up interview with Fred Jones!