Paul E Jones - Leaving On Jet Plane
Country, Americana, Jazz
Ohio, United States
Overall Impression: A successful cover is one that manages to both respectfully tribute the original work it's based upon as well as justify its existence through means of creative reinterpretation, however, not to the point where both pieces become too disparate to one another. This is a very fine line to navigate but I believe Paul has done a great job of retaining the original's "flavor" whilst successfully injecting his own unique musical identity into the mix, resulting in a track that may move away from the original songs Folk inspired roots, but is re-imagined in the guise of Paul's wholesome Country and Americana blend, and I believe it works very well indeed.
Strongest Point(s): I'm sure I've said it enough times, but as always and as expected, the vocals are great and provide a nice contrast when compared to Denver's more folk-like delivery. The country/Americana quality to Paul's voice lends itself well to the lyrical nature of the track and gives Paul great opportunity to flex his vocal prowess. Replacing the more arpeggio based guitar-led arrangement of the original with a straightly strummed variation actually helps give the track a bit more of a rhythmic drive, which is obviously further strengthened by the drums and is a great example of how subtle alterations such as this can be made to help differentiate a cover from the original it's based upon without it feeling like a drastic change.
Target Audience Appeal: This encompasses the Americana singer-songwriter style perfectly and I'm sure audiences will find themselves easily connecting with this strong cover.
Artist target suggestions: Johnny Cash, Joe Cocker, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, John Prine, Guy Clark, John Hiatt, Uncle Lucius, Lyle Lovett, Chris Knight, Ryan Bingham, John Fullbright
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About the Reviewer:
Andre Avanessian is a freelance session musician, composer, and sound engineer based in the U.K. Having studied music production and composition at a degree level, he has taken his passion for all things audio-related to a level that has allowed him to become both a competent musician and performer. Being a self-confessed "Guitar Nerd" Andre has been continually studying the guitar, as well as teaching it, helping students both learn the instrument, develop their songwriting, and how to become proficient in home recording.