SMOKY JONES It was a decade hard enough to remember period; an era of late nights, colored lights, smoky rooms and... Smoky Jones. Separating the man from the myth was hard enough, even back then. For despite the rumors of international intrigue, stables of Arabians, fast cars and faster guitars, his physical existence was almost as mystical. He never made an appearance but he was always there. Be it spiriting musicians from far off cages to the stages of Austin, or performing his particular audio mastery on and off stage for thousands of performances long past but never forgotten, Smoky was and continues to be revered and worshipped by the legions of artists and venues upon which he left his ethereal mark. Years passed, and as Smoky spread his presence more thickly upon the rest of the musical universe, his visits to Austin became rare, and even more obscure. By the time I had registered his absence, the physical persona of Smoky had achieved parity with the legend. As the years wore on, however, the never-ending demands of international fame began to weigh heavily on Smoky. He yearned for a return to the laid back times and lifestyle of the Hill Country. Eventually, he put life among the rich and famous on hold long enough to return to Austin, call in a few markers, and get down to the business of unfinished business. Rewind to the seventies, when, as most Austin musicians were playing for smoke and tortilla chips, Smoky began to quietly record and archive some of the Hill Country's most unique musical performances. Then, fast forward to last winter, when as most of us were arguing politics and wrapping Christmas presents, Smoky, unannounced as usual, quietly slipped back into town and sent the word out to those still riding for the brand, meet up at Bismeaux, and let's get this stuff out of the can... The results are inescapable. Long shelved performances by the Lotions, the I-Tex Dub Boys, and E. R. Shorts have been magically brought back to life featuring Austin's quintessential Reggae tribute band, the Mau-Mau Chaplains. In addition to vintage performances by the above-mentioned artists, this album contains several new recordings by the Mau-Maus. Mike Koetting 5/8/2005 It was a decade hard enough to remember period; an era of late nights, colored lights, smoky rooms and... Smoky Jones. Separating the man from the myth was hard enough, even back then. For despite the rumors of international intrigue, stables of Arabians, fast cars and faster guitars, his physical existence was almost as mystical. He never made an appearance but he was always there. Be it spiriting musicians from far off cages to the stages of Austin, or performing his particular audio mastery on and off stage for thousands of performances long past but never forgotten, Smoky was and continues to be revered and worshipped by the legions of artists and venues upon which he left his ethereal mark. Years passed, and as Smoky spread his presence more thickly upon the rest of the musical universe, his visits to Austin became rare, and even more obscure. By the time I had registered his absence, the physical persona of Smoky had achieved parity with the legend. As the years wore on, however, the never-ending demands of international fame began to weigh heavily on Smoky. He yearned for a return to the laid back times and lifestyle of the Hill Country. Eventually, he put life among the rich and famous on hold long enough to return to Austin, call in a few markers, and get down to the business of unfinished business. Rewind to the seventies, when, as most Austin musicians were playing for smoke and tortilla chips, Smoky began to quietly record and archive some of the Hill Country's most unique musical performances. Then, fast forward to last winter, when as most of us were arguing politics and wrapping Christmas presents, Smoky, unannounced as usual, quietly slipped back into town and sent the word out to those still riding for the brand, meet up at Bismeaux, and let's get this stuff out of the can... The results are inescapable. Long shelved performances by the Lotions, the I-Tex Dub Boys, and E. R. Shorts have been magically brought back to life featuring Austin's quintessential Reggae tribute band, the Mau-Mau Chaplains. In addition to vintage performances by the above-mentioned artists, this album contains several new recordings by the Mau-Maus. Mike Koetting 5/8/2005