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By Dustin Witsman with Laurie Lee Moses
Collection Overview
Abstract
Collection of material relating to the musical and educational careers of Chicago blues musician Fernando Jones.
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The collection contains both digital and paper-based materials of and relating to the musical and educational careers of Chicago bluesman Fernando Jones, including clippings, articles, Blues course materials, photographs, concert fliers, books, scripts, musical recordings, and some correspondence.
Collection Historical Note
Born in Chicago on February 7, 1964, Fernando Jones began his foray into musicianship at age four when he taught himself to play his brother’s guitar—a near-inevitable move, for Jones’ family includes brothers Greg Jones and Foree “Superstar” Montgomery as well as cousin Lefty Dizz. By six years old, he was writing and performing songs in his parents’ living room. Since that time has established himself as a full-time advocate for the blues. He has written and published several works on the Blues (including plays and film scripts, articles, and monographs). Mr. Jones has received a number of awards for his efforts in the preservation of Blues culture including a Keeping the Blues Alive Award in 2008. Jones has held a professorship in Music at Columbia College Chicago since 2005 and serves as Director of the Columbus College Blues Ensemble (the nation’s first collegiate group of its kind). Outside of the College, he has continued his commitment to education by forming the Blues Kids Foundation and Camps, interdisciplinary, multicultural programs which use music to increase literacy in children across the country and introduce a new generation to blues music.
Administrative Information
Repository:
Center for Black Music Research
Access Restrictions:
Coursework by students at Columbia College Chicago and which is now part of the Fernado Jones Papers is restricted.
Physical Access Note:
Includes digital files, photographs, audio and video recordings
Acquisition Source:
Fernando Jones
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Educational career],
[
Series 2: Creative Work and Performance],
[
Series 3: Family and Personal],
[All]
- Series 1: Educational career
- Sub-Series 1: Columbia College Chicago
- Box 1&4
- Folder 1-2: Blues Ensemble
- Box 1-Over
- Box 1
- Folder 3-5: Course materials
- Box 4-Over
- Sub-Series 2: Blues Kids Foundation
- Box 1&3-4
- Folder 6-8: Blues Kids of America and Blues Kids Camp
- Box 1 & 3 Over
- Box 1
- Folder 9: Professional Education Development (includes digital files)
- Sub-Series 3: Scholarship and Research
- Box 1
- Folder 10: Scholarship and Research
- Box 2 Over
- Series 2: Creative Work and Performance
- Includes photographs, recordings, articles, videos, etc., produced by and about Jones relating to his various creative endeavors.
- Sub-Series 1: Musician
- Box 2&4
- Folder 1-3: Musician
- Box 1-3&5 Over
- Sub-Series 2: Blues Advocacy and Promotion
- Box 2-3
- Folder 4-7: Blues Advocacy and Promotion
- Box 1-3 Over
- Sub-Series 3: Film work
- Box 2
- Folder 8: Film work
- Sub-Series 4: Visual Artist
- Box 2-3
- Folder 9: Visual Artist
- Box 4 Over
- Sub-Series 5: Writer
- Box 2
- Folder 10: Writer
- Box 1-3 Over
- Folder 10: Writer (Oversize)
- Series 3: Family and Personal
- Includes photographs, videos, and clippings related to Jones’ family and personal life, includes material on Foree Superstar and Lefty Dizz (Oversize).
- Box 2-3
- Folder 11-12: Jones' family and personal life
- Includes photographs, recordings, articles, videos, etc., produced by and about Jones relating to his various creative endeavors.
- Box 2 Over
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Educational career],
[
Series 2: Creative Work and Performance],
[
Series 3: Family and Personal],
[All]
Personal papers and manuscr... 
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