Carol Ann Jones and the Superchargers
Words by Aaron Ball
Photo by Carol Ann Jones and the Superchargers
Carol Ann Jones is a Vermont singer and songwriter whose style has been described by Seven Days as "Alternative Country." She recalls her beginnings cruising the countryside on weekends with her mother and grandmother in their '71 LeMans, singing along to favorite radio songs like "Raindrops Falling on My Dead." She joined a church choir in 3rd grade, which she remained in until she turned 18, after which she joined the Champlain Echoes (previously known as the Burlington Community Choir). Carol's singing influences have made her "tune in wholeheartedly" every time she hears a great vocalist, and recalls being brought to tears the first time she heard "Dimming of the Day" by Bonnie Raitt. She mentions that "great vocals coupled with a fantastic lyric will just stop me in my tracks."
Carol gives credit to her husband for being the inspiration for her learning the guitar, which she considers "the vehicle that would take me to the next step in my own musical future." Her songs are based largely around real life stories about her friends, family, and self. She also writes lighter, sillier songs about her pets, which she feels people can relate to.
For her debut album, 'Out of the Blue,' Andre Maquera engineered and co-produced. Backing up Carol Ann Jones are the Superchargers, who include: Andre Maquera (lead guitar), Will Patton (mandolin, bass, steel guitar), Gary Spaulding (Drums), and Thom Carvey (Saxophone, Bass). Carol says the album was "a load of fun and a ton of work," and enjoyed co-producing the album with Andre Maquera, in what she called a "meeting of the minds on every song... and what instruments would compliment the songs."
I asked Carol what it was like moving from a "guitar in the kitchen" and having been singing all your life, to making songs and performing them live at venues and onto your own album.
She responded that, "The experience of moving from my kitchen to bigger stages like Higher Ground, The Lincoln Inn, Chow Bella, The Old Lantern etc. has been wonderful. It really is a dream come true. There is nothing like watching folks in the audience sing and dance along to a song that you wrote - it is a complete rush!"
When it comes down to it, what Carol really wants everybody to gain from her music is to relax from the worries of the day and enjoy the songs. "To have them dance and sing along is the best," she admits.
Carol Ann Jones and The Superchargers played a recent concert at The Old Lantern in Charlotte, where they performed to help raise money for the Lund Family Center in Burlington. The Lund Family Center is an almost 120 year old center where Carol's mother was adopted from in 1936 and where Carol, in 2001, found her mother’s sister by chance, and helped to reconnect them.