Tom Jones has had a huge career, but he’s never quite gotten the respect he deserves. Jones is a singer with a deep respect for soul, and a gift for interpreting a song.
He’s never been a songwriter. He’s generally understood that he’s the focus of winking attention for his campy showmanship — the outfits, the hair, the moves. But the guy can really sing. You can, for proof, find on YouTube footage Jones singing with the members of CSNY, doing a seriously blistering version of “Long Time Gone” from 1969, with Jones ad libbing some righteous soaring lines about “speaking out against the madness.” Or you can find footage of Jones holding his own with Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Janis Joplin or Stevie Wonder. Anyone who can hang side by side, sharing the stage and singing alongside those artists has got some juice.
Similar to other singers and musicians from the U.K. who were obsessed with American blues, Jones, who is Welsh, was much more into soul, gospel and country. If an artist learns something by spending a half century devoted to a craft, than Tom Jones has learned the essentials.
Tom Jones performs at the Grand Theater at Foxwoods, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket, Saturday, Sept. 24, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $90 and $145. Information: foxwoods.com.
