News Review interview of Halina in Reno by Ben Garrido - May 2008

Onlinerock.com review of Son Vo by Nikki O'Neill, inside the One On One section. - June 2008

A review of our CD, Union, from Neufutur Magazine - august 5th, 2007: ”…the music here on “Union” is without comparison. The arrangements link together expertly played instruments, and the smoothed-out vocals give the band a shine that acts like a cherry on top of their sweet, sweet sundae. The best thing about Mother Jones is the fact that they could conceivably do this album without much in the way of changes; the music here is timeless, and there are very few in the way of things that could or should be changed”

GOT JAM BANDS? As the songwriter and vocalist for well-traveled local jam-band Mother Jones, and promoter of “head-friendly” showcases at the Cat Club, Son Vo has become an expert on the L.A. jam scene. Now, as his band prepares to head back into the studio, Son Vo is using his expertise to create a new series of showcases called Jam Bands All Night! The first event was held on July 15 at Brennan’s Pub (4089 Lincoln Blvd.; 310-821-6622) and featured performances by Electrobek, Mother Jones and Hot Buttered Bread. Future showcases are planned and interested jam-bands can contact Son Vo directly at sonhvo@adelphia.net. If you are interested in finding out about other local jam-bands performing around Los Angeles, check out www.jam base.com. -Scott Dudelson

Relix Magazine: "Mother Jones calls itself a “rock and roll jamband.” They’ve certainly got the vibe, as much of their material starts with a laidback, melodic groove and then picks up pace and intensity. The Grateful Dead, Dickey Betts, mid-‘70s Eric Clapton as well as world beat influences are all evident. At the same time, the band fits neatly into the modern-day jam scene. After a year-and-a-half of touring in California and Arizona, the band is getting ready for more widespread touring to help promote its debut, Life Is Illusion. The album boasts memorable, hook-laden songs and interesting picking and is more than worth the price of admission." - Mick Skidmore

Jambase.com - Mother Jones plays with a lot of vigor and is a very cohesive unit.- Steve Itzkowitz

 

The Journey of Ten Thousand Gigs Begins With One Jam. By Dean Bonzani / Flagstaff Live: Son Vo, leader of the Mother Jones Band, doesn't want to sing the word "pecker."
On M.J.B.'s finely produced debut CD, "Life Is Illusion," there's an oddly altered version of Freshly Baked's "Happy Little People." In the new version, the really-fun-to-say word, "pecker," has been replaced with the innocuous "heckler." This not only changes the meaning of the lines but robs the listener of a sincerely Beavis & Butthead moment. Why would Vo tamper so grievously with a classic like "Happy Little People"? Because he's so well-intentioned. His original songs, whose lyrics sometimes read as though they've been translated from French into English (not unlike Anais Nin's works, only without without the spontaneous sex) when performed by the crack jam unit that is Mother Jones, are choral feasts of poetic loft, deeply philosophical and high-minded. He and co-vocalist Halina Janusz recall magical moments shared by Bob Weir and Donna Godchaux and together rise to passionate crescendos. Blending blues, country, Motown, reggae and jazz to form a steaming pie of jammy goodness, the Los Angeles-based Mother Jones is tearing up the jam scene and heads are turning. Vo, the driving force behind the band, was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and raised in Maine, leaping from piano to drums to guitar. It was there that one of his bands, Tao Jones, began playing his original compositions. Dissatisfied with the scene in Maine, Vo moved to L.A., where he taught himself bass guitar & joined Freshly Baked, recording with them on two albums, "Twice Baked" and "Pirates of the Sun," and opened up for acts like The Jerry Garcia band, The David Nelson band, Donna Godchaux, Jimmy Cliff, Merle Saunders, Eek A Mouse and other. Burning with ambition, Vo then left Freshly Baked, switched back to playing guitar and started his own band, Woodshed, with guitarist Tony DePiano, which became Mother Jones. Touring aggressively to promote their 2003 release, Life Is Illusion (the title of a Freshly Baked song from Twice Baked), Mother Jones is becoming a fast-rising fixture on the jam scene, jamming in the best known jam spots to growing audiences of jam-loving jam fans. Joining Vo on his musical mission are vocalist Janusz, who also has an original band of her own called Absolutely Free. Connecticut guitarist Tony DePiano, six-string fretless bassist David Lester, keyboardist marshall Thompson and polyrhythmic drummer Albert Estiamba Jr. Together, they're a force to be reckoned with, dynamic and soulful, with more polish than a lawyer's Harley. Vo has scoured the land to assemble a deadly team of top shelf musicians, and his business sense is rivaled only by a cobra's. This adds up to an equation that will produce shivers of delight in the marrow of even the most cold-hearted anti-jammers (rumor has it there are such people). Strategically, MJB has a secret weapon in their vocal harmonies. Halina Janusz's singing is like warm honey licked wickedly slow from the fingertips of a beautiful friend, then chased down with a shot of Chivas. In the thick of the cloud, listen for her. back to top