Jim Jones Musician, Author, Storyteller

 Jim Jones Musician, Author, Storyteller

Green Valley, AZ recently hosted The New Mexico trio, The Cowboy Way with performers Jim Jones of Rio Rancho, Doug Figgs of Lemitar, and Mariam Funke of Santa Fe, for a special evening of music. 

It was exciting for me to meet in person one of the musicians, Jim Jones. We have only met online by zoom as we both belong to a writer and author group that meets sponsored by Blue Cottage Agency, Brainerd Minnesota.

The New Mexico trio was honored with the 2021 Duo or Group of the Year Award during the IWMA’s in Albuquerque, NM founded in 1988, IWMA is an organization of Western musicians and poets, and people who love and support Western music and poetry in the United States and other countries. The Cowboy Way also won the award in 2017, 2018, and 2019. No award was presented in 2020 because the convention was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The group has been named again International Music Group of the Year for 2022. Jones attributes the trio’s success to “doin’ what we do,” which is also the title of the group’s CD.

“Sometimes it’s hard to know what works,” he said. “There’s a little magic there. We don’t take credit for it, but we appreciate it.”

Jones's resume is impressive winning the Western Music Association’s 2014 Male Performer of the Year and winner of both the Academy of Western Artists 2016 Western Song of the Year and Western Writers of America 2013 and 2017 Spur Awards for Best Western Song, Jones is a storyteller with songs and books about the West…cowboys, horses & cattle, cattle rustlers, the coming of the train…songs about people and land, rivers and mountains, and the beauty of the Western sky.

Jim has produced ten western/folk albums and three award-winning children’s books Bolo The Brave as well as character education videos. His western novels include the Jared Delaney series, Rustler’s Moon, Colorado Moon, and Waning Moon, as well as spin-off series including The Big Empty, The Lights of Cimarrón, and his contribution to the anthology The Perilous Frontier all published by Five Star Publishing.  Solo albums include “Race with the Wind,” 2015, and “Headin’ Home,” 2018.

Some EverReady Book Reviews I've posted in 2017 and 2019.    

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2019/02/the-lights-of-cimarron.html

https://sockfairies.blogspot.com/2017/08/cookbook-with-twist.html

Jones's Texas Chili was included in this WWA  cookbook. 

Cook's Notes:  I did follow his rule of "no beans" for his Texas Chili. But just in case a guest had to have beans. I did make available a can of pinto beans.  This photo is my version of his Texas Chili recipe from the cookbook. 

A note of thanks to my friend Cathy and her husband Bob who helped out with photos. And lucky Cathy who got to meet Jim too!