Biography

The usage of the flute in rock music is nothing new.  Great notables like Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull and Marshall Tucker are two of the better known ones, combining the fife and drum ethic into modern music.  Now for the 21st century comes PEACE JONES, an Asheville NC based music group known for their fun, quirky music mingled with social and humanitarian undertones.  Oh yes, and the flute.   With a keen combination of 'retro' and 'modern,' Peace Jones music combines hip-hop, prog-rock, funk, folk and jazz into a unique musical experience.  Bob Marley's song "Roots, Rock, Reggae" has given inspiration:  FLUTES, ROCK, REGGAE!

No, but seriously.  

"Some people jones for love, money, sex, greed.  We jones for peace."

The band's recordings, "The Path Narrows" and "Down to the Bone" spawned a number of tunes reaching both local and regional radio and PJ stormed the stage, television and radio appearance for all of 06/07 in support.  
Quite a long way from their inauspicious beginnings as Asheville-based buskers.

Flautist/Lyricist/General Madman Paul DeCirce's rep in Asheville trails back to 2000, when he drummed with Scrappy Hamilton, Paperboy, UFO, The Dhoop, Hot Gravy and many more.  His songs grew to the point of no return and Peace Jones was born.

People also noticed the sudden emergence of Paul's wild, breathy flute playing.  This gave the band a unique sound and voice as Paul brought it to the front of high-energy performances, thanks to Todd Omley on Drums,  Eric Ciborski on Keyboards, and Greg Terhune on Bass Guitar

Over the last 3 plus years, Peace Jones have been sharing their music and ideas with all sorts of non-profit organizations and people, happily giving of their time to rock for a good cause.  (SEE PRESS)

Peace Jones is now a vital quartet whose performances are continually interesting fans of live music with their original approach.  Their music has been compared to: Beck, G-Love, Sublime, Phish, Zappa, Rare Earth, Cake, George Clinton, Jethro Tull and many more, but their sound is their own.  

The band has also been carving a wide swath in the region with a continuous string of performances and events (SEE THE TRAIL).  The band has played in NC, TN, GA, SC, VA with plans of expansion in 2008.  

The band will be releasing a special 4-song ep of new material in 2008 and are planning their next full-length CD to be released in March of 2009.   They continue to appear live in the Southeast Region.

From the high region of Asheville North Carolina comes Peace Jones!  This quartet of over-achievers has been bowling over audiences and club owners alike with their energetic displays of rootsy, high-energy powered music.  Besides the slide guitar acrobatics, wild-eyed flute solos and ruthless 70s style grooving and moving is a powerful message.  Combining the spirituality of reggae, the street-sense of hip-hop and the songcrafting of pop music, Peace Jones put their intentions down as clear as their groove.

Their 2006 release "Down to the Bone" has spawned a single and gained the band prominent regional exposure, including live appearances on WNCW's Studio B and consistent regional radio play.  Recently:

*The band is featured on Country Music Television (CMT) show "Big Break"
*PJ's CD "Down to the Bone" is mentioned in Mountain Xpress's 2006 regional review.
*PJ is honored by RiverLink for their creative dedication to raising awareness concerning regional pollution.
*Billboard picks up PJ CD Release Story
*PJ is invited to  EarthHaven, a private regional commune, to perform in their newly renovated school room and raise funds.
*The Mountain, a peace retreat in Highlands NC, invited PJ to perform to their youth outreach, citing PJ's positive lyrics.
*The band performs frequently for Bonfire's for Peace, a local activist newspaper.

The band has been singled out by almost all who've seen them as a true original from the bustling Asheville music scene.  Wild-eyed flautist and front-man Paul DeCirce has earned 'his bones':  from an Asheville street busker in 1998, to a pro drummer in 2000, to front-man in 2004.  Now in 2008, the band is bursting from their region. 

Steeped in the rootsy traditions of Southern blues, Classic reggae, modern jazz and funk, you can count on a PJ show to deliver butt-shakin' goodness.  Below the surface of flautist / songwriter Paul DeCirce is a long-travelling troubadour, literally a modern day minstrel, who uses his lyrics to show but never tell -- through character, ideas, situations -- of an inkling for a deeper, more natural way of evolving into the 21st century.  His lyrics have spoken of alternative oil sources, honoring ancestors, and finding one's own way in this modern world...