Reader Spotlight: Charles William Power Jones

Okay, so this week’s spotlight is on a bassist who seems quite cool, starting with his name: Charles William Power Jones.

“Cool” is also the word Charles used to describe both the bass and the bassist he saw playing it when he was in the 8th grade. A short time later, he began his musical journey and hasn’t looked back since.

Charles is No Treble’s reader in the spotlight for the week of July 7, 2014.

Bio:

I was born and raised in Altadena, CA. I began playing bass when I was 12. I started out playing things I was hearing on the radio that were popular in the early 2000’s (Sublime, Korn, Green Day) with some punk rock also added in there (Dead Kennnedys, Operation Ivy).

After attending Berklee’s summer performance program in ’04 I really got into 70’s funk – Herbie, Weather Report, Jeff Beck.

I graduated from Berklee in 2010 and have been on the road touring ever since!

Location:

Brooklyn, NY USA

Day gig:

I currently play bass in a nationally touring band called Dopapod.

We played 140+ shows a year so I’m lucky enough to have that be my full time job!

Years experience:

13 years

Bands & Gigs:

I’m in a band called Dopapod.

We’re a jam band.

Gear:

• Aguilar DB 410
• Aguilar DB 751
• Moollon classic P
• 70’s Rick (don’t play it enough)
• A bunch of pedals-
• Aguilar and Boss Octaves
• Moollon Fuzz
• Zvex Distortion
• DD7 Delay
• POG2

And so on…

Why I play the bass:

When I was in the eighth grade there was a guy a year older than me who played the bass. At the time, he and that bass were the coolest thing in the world to me.

One day after school I was walking with my mom by a pawn shop and saw a bass in the window. I looked at her and said “Mom? Will you buy me that bass? I’ve always wanted to play bass.”

She said no.

…I was a persistent child, so a week later I had my first bass!

My bass superpower/claim to fame:

I’ve been called “a rock”.

I’m always trying focus on tone and groove. If I can somehow get some of my personality in there without sounding like a D-bag, that’s great.

Also, looping goat sounds is a crowd favorite.

My influences:

James Jamerson, Pino Palladino, Tim Lefebvre, Paul Jackson, Paul Mcartney

More on the web:

Dopapod

We’re also on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, CDbaby… all of the main ones.