Though she was born in Indiana, later in life Ramona Jones (1924-2015) became a tireless champion of the musical culture of the Ozarks and Appalachia. In her youth she made her way to Nashville, where in 1946 she met and married country music legend Grandpa Jones, who had just been discharged from military service after World War Two, and landed a spot on the Grand Ole Opry, where Ramona Riggins, a talented multi-instrumentalist, was already a cast member. Mrs. Jones often joined her husband onstage and on the air, including appearances on the first edition of the Hee Haw hillbilly variety show. In the 1970s she devoted herself to supporting cultural preservation groups such as The Museum of Appalachia, and was a frequent performer at bluegrass and old-timey festivals. Here's a quick look at her work...
Ramona Jones "Back Porch Fiddlin', Vol. 1" (Happy Valley Records, 1974) (LP)
This album focusses on one of Ramona Jones's particular skills, old-timey fiddling. On this back to basics set, she's backed by her son, banjo picker Mark Jones, along with bluegrass legend Red Rector on fiddle, hotshot guitarist Ray Edenton, and Joe Zinkan on bass.
Ramona Jones "Stone County Fiddlin' " (Happy Valley Records, 1975-?) (LP)
(Produced by Aubrey Richardson)
As a cultural activist, Ramona Jones worked with like-minded preservationists such as Billy Edd Wheeler and the Simmons Family -- who back her on this album, along with Grandpa Jones and their kids Mark Jones (on banjo and guitar) and Alisa Jones (on dulcimer) as well as Cathy Barton, who picked some mean banjo herself. As advertised, this is a nice set of fiddle tunes, punctuated with occasional vocals and studio chatter, delivered with an air of real, relaxed authority. Jones knew her stuff. The repertoire is heavy on old standards such as "Cluck Old Hen," "Devlish Mary," "Eighth Of January" and "Bonaparte's Retreat," though there's a surprising freshness to the performances, hardly the standard-issue feel you might expect. Ms. Jones recorded prolifically, both under her own name and on various compilations and other projects... It might take a while to track it all down, but this album is certainly a treat.
Ramona Jones & Grandpa Jones "The Grandpa Jones Story" (CMH Records, 1976) (LP)
This 2-LP set re-examines Grandpa Jones's lengthy career, with newly-recorded, mid-1970s versions of old-time classics such as "Old Rattler," "Raining Here This Morning" and "Eight More Miles To Louisville" and many more of his original compositions, as well as traditional tunes galore. There's also a hefty dose of gospel material, performed by a modern-day edition of The Brown's Ferry Four which included fiddler-guitarist Arthur Smith, Smith's son Clay on guitar, backwoodsman Tommy Faile on bass, and Grandpa Jones rounding out the quartet. Also on these sessions are drummer David Brakefield and an electric(!) guitar picker named Dayle Dykes and, of course, Ramona Jones on fiddle. This is sometimes mistaken for a compilation album, but these are all re-recordings of older material.
Ramona Jones "Family And Friends -- Live" (History Records, 1983) (LP)
Ramona Jones "Lady's Fancy" (County Records, 1984) (LP)
Ramona Jones "Old Time Christmas" (Grandpa Jones Records, 1987) (LP)
