Jester Jonze Interview  by Dianno "Dino" Di Bella

Hey Hey Hey everyone, this is Dino the Outlaw coming at ya with an interview from Jester Jonze. We love the music, we love the band and most of all we love Southern Rock..Let us not waste anytime and get to our conversation with Tim Akers of the Jester Jonze band...

So Tim, when was the band created?  

The band that became Jester Jonze started in my basement in 1978. Eddie Jones, the guitarist and my songwriting partner an I met in 1981. I guess that's when we really started.

Since the inception of the band have there been any personnel changes?

 Well, Ed and I are the core of the band. Chuck Crush, our bassist, has been with us since 1993.Before that we had bassist, guitarist, and vocalist Chuck Johnson. He is on 4 songs on the first CD

Please tell us who the current members of the band are?

 Basically it's Me, Ed, and Chuck Crush .

For the newcomers to the Jester Jonze music, is this your 1st. release? 

The second. "No Foolin'" was the first one. That one had our stuff from the early 90's.

 How can we get a hold of any other Jester Jonze material?

We have some on sale locally at a store called  " A Little Bit Hippy." The have a web site   http://www.alittlebithippy.com/. We're not on the web site but if you write them and ask them about our CD, they just might slip you a copy. We are also on CD Baby  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jesterjonze.  If you want a copy of " No Foolin" you'll have to send me an email  at tooger@infionline.net .

Do you plan on any tour support for this recording, locally, regionally or nationally?

 We're more of a studio band that a road band at this point. But, if the right deal came along...who knows? We miss playing live. Our stuff is some balls to the wall stuff live too. Still, I think our live sound is there on the CD's. It's just good ole' rock and roll.  Where does the Jester Jonze band call home? Roanoke, Va.  I gotta tell ya, the name Jester Jonze is cool, and how did you come up with the name?  Well, the name came about because we combined me and Ed's last names to get "Joker." But there was a thousand bands with that name already. So, we thought "Jester." But there was two thousand bands with that name. I thought of the name "Jester Jonze" since Ed IS a Jones and in honor of the 70's southern bands we loved like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the like..

With all the different musical genre's there are today, describe what your sound is and the impact it would have on the major market place? 

If it was 15 or 25 years ago, it may have had a decent impact. As it is now, if you aren't a rapper or  the latest flash in the pan, half naked ,dancing  pop tart,  you aren't heard. We are an old fashioned rock and roll band with musicians, not button pushers. Where we fit in in this pre-programmed world? I have no idea. But when I was a kid growing up, there were bands that created music. Like The Beatles, The Stones, all the great 60's bands. And the 70's bands had to grows on that legacy. That's the music we knew and loved. Since the late 80's music has gone backwards, not forwards.We are working on a song that will put all our feelings about this into words. It's a fast smoker called "Someone Save My Rock & Roll."It says things we've been wanting to save for the past 15 years. 

Who are your bands major influences?  

Skynyrd, Beatles, Stones, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, Bad Company ... Too many to mention. Mostly bands that have that slow burning rocking sound. But have melody and creativity. 

We all want to be the headlining act one day, but if you had the opportunity to open as support, what band would you open up for?  

Probably very few that are playing today. I just don't respect them.

Thanx Tim for such honest answers and good luck on all future recordings of Jester Jonze.