Mystic Chiefs
“Jones is a powerful blues belter, who brings a storyteller’s charisma to the proceedings. A Ball Jar-tight band create a trusty blues bed for Jones to beg, plead and testify.”
“He does sing with the authority of a blues shouter and he’s assembled a great band here from musicians who have played with SoCal acts like Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, Los Lobos, The Blasters and James Harman and who produce an authentic Chicago blues sound on the West Coast.”
“It is a testament to the class of the Mystic Chiefs and their leader that there is never a dull moment. Johnny Ray Jones and his men know how to breathe new life into venerable warhorses in a relaxed and skillful manner.”
“Ray Jones simply cooks old-school here, fronting a band that includes several national talents as he delivers a set with West Coast flair”
“Sometimes albums that are all cover songs fall into the trap of being nothing more than weak karaoke imitations of the past performers. This one properly respects the songs but delivers every song in a crisp, modern tone that will grab an audience that loves those classics and can introduce a new audience to what those songs represent in the long canon of the blues. A final big CHECK!”
“And until I’ll Be Around as the end, the album has no weak moments. Would be a nice band for the famous blues festivals in the Netherlands.”
— https://www.bluesmagazine.nl | (English translation)
“Impeccable work by all hands, indeed.”
— Talkin' the Blues with Microwave Dave
“…my advice is to listen to the album in its entirety, not to skip the tracks and only then will you get the full sound picture and then I believe you will simply be delighted.”
— Mladen Loncar | (English translation)
“Johnny Ray Jones has become one of the sure values of SoCal blues, a status he confirms this year with a third personal album”
— Zicazine (French) | (English translation)
“I can say with a clear conscience that this 5-star disc will already be one of my all-time favorites.”
— sounds-of-south.de | (English translation)
“…a tip of the hat to both for the big and meaty sound and an authentic blues experience. Nicely done, boys.” 4+ Stars
“If you’re looking for a great contemporary set of vintage electric blues, as the song says “Don’t Go No Further” than Johnny Ray Jones and the Mystic Chiefs. This is a fine set that will drive your blues away.”
— Blues Bytes
“Killer band that really lays down the feel for the whole album of covers from some of the greats. I will give this a 10 on Blues Content and a 9 on Music Content.”
“Sung and played by the best, “Mystic Chiefs” is as close as you can get at home to a night in a blues club where the lights are low and the house is shakin’.”
“The arrangements are rich and well-balanced, with a clear focus on highlighting Jones' powerful vocals. The mix of traditional instrumentation with modern production elements gives the album a timeless quality. (8/10)”
Way Down South
“This stellar follow-up... should take his career to an entirely different level.”
— Blues Blast Magazine, Featured Blues Review – 4 of 6
“He shines on like a diamond on this CD”
“With the death of Tony Joe White, the Swamp Rock baton sounds like it’s been passed to Johnny Ray Jones.”
”A sonic kaleidoscope that bounces, agile and cheerful, on the banks of soul, R'n'B and American with an intermediate stop in New Orleans.”
— Macallé Blues - France
“Way Down South is an all-out celebration of blues, roots & Americana soul”
— Bluestown Music - Netherlands
“Johnny Ray, honest and tireless singer, seems to have crowned his dream with this project, recording the songs of his idols that bring out his singing talents”
— IL Blues (Italian, PDF, Page 32)
“Johnny Ray’s gravel-and-silk voice and the work of this stellar band put this album on the top shelf.”
“With a timbre between Delbert Mc Clinton and TJW and with former members of the Phantom Blues Band, it is a certainty of success for this album.”
— Rootsville (Dutch)
“My advice is you listen to the album in its entirety, not to skip the tracks and only then will you get the whole sound picture and then I believe you will simply be delighted.”
— SoundGuardian (Croation)
“With musicians of the calibre of Tony Braunagel and Johnny Lee Schell in support (reprised from the earlier release), it should come as no surprise this is a real winner. Johnny Ray is the star of the show though.”
— Blues in the South Magazine
Feet Back in the Door
“Feet Back In The Door is a true musical feast, a sonic carousel where R&B, Soul, Americana and Blues walk hand in hand thanks to the deep, powerful and inspired vocal deliveries of the artist from Southern California.”
“The Godson Of Soul is back in business! These ten tracks are a mix of blues, soul and handsome R & B. Great stuff!”
“Rollicking stuff powered by the fury of pros knowing they can cut loose and knowing just how far to go, this is the real deal. Well done.”
— Midwest Record Entertainment
“The cd is packed with these great musicians [Tony Braunagel on drums and Johnny Lee Schell on guitar, Mike Finnigan on organ and piano, Coco Montoya and the Texicali horns], but its centered and focused on the vocals of Johnny Ray Jones.”
“With an album co-produced by Tony Braunagel and Johnny Lee Schell and with guest spots by Coco Montoya, among others, it's time for Jones to step into the spotlight. On 'Feet Back in the Door,' he does so with style.”
— The Blues and Roots Music Blog
“Johnny Ray Jones has a killer voice and he and his friends have produced an album that features so many enjoyable blues and soul styles… [he] has a seductive voice that is lovely to listen to – smooth but emotive, he pours out his lyrics like a mellow whiskey. This just might become my new go-to late night album to unwind to. ”
— Professor Johnny P's Juke Joint
“The more I listen to this, the more I like it - and that’s a VERY good sign.”
— John Kereiff, the Rock Doctor
“If you like the full on blues and R&B sounds of bands like Roomful of Blues then this is right up your blues street.”
— Mick Rainsford
#7 in “Best of August 2017”
— 1001 Records for Music Lovers
“With Feet Back In The Door, Johnny Ray Jones, also known as 'the Godson of Soul', has shown to have a long life. In the end it took him twenty-two years to present his excellent album to the public. For this he got help from quite a number of top musicians, who all guarantee a high quality result.”
“I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Feet Back In The Door, by Johnny Ray Jones and it's quite good.”
“This singer, after a large number of collaborations, can put his signature on a series of songs that will make Blues, Rhythm 'n 'Blues and Soul fans happy.“
“Johnny Ray Jones tries his hand at a first effort between Americana and blues and does it with a mixture of talent and class, using marvelously with his warm and solid voice”
“The Godson Of Soul is back in business! These ten tracks are a mix of blues, soul and handsome R & B. Great stuff!”
— KeysAndChords Magazine (Norwegian)
“On his long-in-the-making CD, Feet Back in the Door, Johnny Ray Jones is ‘a standup singer with a big, if slightly laconic vocal style, well suited to the style of blues and soul that her purveys’, says Blues & Rhythm magazine in their review. They go on to call the album ‘a very promising debut!’.”
— Blues & Rhythm Magazine issue #323
“It is in a register ‘Americana Blues’ that Johnny Ray Jones chose to embark us over the 10 tracks of this album. With his warm and powerful voice, he revisits the songs of Allen Toussaint, Leon Russel, Arthur Adams, Sam Taylor... A beautiful selection where the musicians who accompany him can let go for our greatest happiness. Without being of a great originality, the whole is of a quality that we would like to hear more often.”
— Review in Blues Magazine (French)