In the year 2000, Glenn Houston and Travis Jones began performing as a duet, honing their chops and developing their repertoire as part of their plan to put together a new band. With the addition of bass and drums in 2001, that band was launched as Houston Jones.
In the past decade plus, the band has released six CDs and has garnered international attention with airplay on over 70 radio stations. Rave reviews include that of the San Francisco Chronicle's David Wiegand, who termed the band "a confluence of sublime talent".
Please join us for a rare opportunity to enjoy a concert by the two gentlemen who started it all. It has been years since Glenn and Travis have performed regularly in public as a duet, but the magic and musical chemistry that launched that great band is better than ever.
Glenn Houston - Glenn has received the “Best Guitarist” award for 2009 from the Northern California Bluegrass Society. He is an accomplished player with influences ranging from T-Bone Walker, Albert King, B.B. King and Michael Bloomfield to Doc Watson, Albert Lee and James Burton. A co-founder in 1979 of the group Hearts on Fire, Glenn was nominated for "Best Lead Guitar" by the California Country Music Association (CCMA). While Glenn was with the group, Hearts on Fire earned a prestigious Bay Area Music Award (Bammie).
Over the years, Glenn has shared billing with Hank Williams, Jr., Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, The David Grisman Quintet, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, John Hartford, Ricky Skaggs, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and The Tubes. In recent years, he has performed live and in the recording studio with Grammy Award winner Ramblin' Jack Elliott; he co-founded and played lead guitar for the critically acclaimed acoustic group The Waybacks; he has performed with blues legends Mark Naftalin and Nick Gravenites; and he has earned a second nomination for "Best Lead Guitar" from the CCMA. And yes, he plays left-handed upside down.
Travis Jones - Travis’ musical background and history reads like a William Faulkner novel. He began singing gospel music at age four with his mother Lottie Mae Adams, a blues singer who recorded several discs on Paula Records. Travis became known not only for his vocal abilities but also for his telling of old testament bible stories at revivals and tent meetings all across the south. He started his first group at sixteen – a Paul Revere and the Raiders tribute band. Travis served 6 years in the US Army; he was stationed in Europe where he performed with the soul and funk band Smoke, which eventually became the back up band for the famous R&B group The Manhattans (“Let’s Just Kiss and Say Goodbye”). Upon leaving the armed forces, Europe, and Smoke, Travis made his way to Northern California where he has resided since 1979.
During his time in California, he has performed with a wide array of artists. He’s shared the stage with Asleep at the Wheel and Waylon Jennings – Night Ranger and the Doobie Brothers - John Hartford and Levon Helm, just to name a few. He has recorded with various artists, as well as releasing two self titled albums – “Lost Highway, The Legendary Music of Hank Williams” and “Dance All Night” – along with five CD releases with Houston Jones. Travis lives in Alameda CA, on his sailboat, with Samson the wonderdog.
