Jon Lawton
Jon Lawton
Jon Lawton is a California-based singer/songwriter performing original and traditional Americana, blues, country, and folk music. A veteran musician with decades of experience, Jon brings an authentic, deeply rooted sound to every performance.
His influences include Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, John Lee Hooker, Elmore James, Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, Hank Snow, Steve Earle, Pete Seeger, and Merle Haggard. Performing solo, Jon moves between National Steel, 12-string and 6-string guitars, and banjo, combining old-style instrumental techniques with a plaintive, conversational vocal style. When Jon plugs in and performs electric blues with his band, The Orphans, those same blues influences come to the forefront in a hard-driving, traditional yet contemporary sound. His music moves effortlessly through blues, country, folk, rags, stomps, and original songs.
Jon has performed and recorded with the Pontiax and Little Jonny and the Giants and has shared stages with Bob Dylan, Albert King, Gregg Allman, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Anson Funderburgh, Jimmy Rogers, Mighty Joe Young, Fenton Robinson, and George Thorogood.
Jon has released 11 CDs, including The Virginny Sessions Vol. 1 and Midnight With the Light On. His latest release, We Got It Goin' On, is a live, in-studio blues collection featuring original songs and covers.
In a 2014 interview about the blues as a foundation for everything else, he put it simply:
“The blues is an elemental building block of music.”Jon Lawton, in a 2014 interview
“I'm proud to have worked with Jon on Midnight with the Light On.”
Doug James — Roomful of Blues, Jimmie Vaughan“Lawton is a capable vocalist who really knows how to put across lyrics, and his guitar leads are clean and constantly inventive.”
Living Blues“There are very few people playing blues guitar that I would say have their own style AND are straight up great blues players, but Jon Lawton is one of those artists.”
Chris “Kid” Andersen, guitarist and producer, Greaseland Studios“The first time I heard Jon Lawton play, I felt right at home again with the blues. He seemed to have a deep wellspring of material, most of it original, to choose from and he played it all with great feelin'.”
Steve Freund, guitarist, singer, and producer