Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones Announces First U.S. Show With New Duo

John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin performs in Turin at

Led Zeppelin's legendary bassist, keyboardist and chief arranger John Paul Jones is bringing his latest avant-garde musical project to the U.S. next March.

Jones debuted the new, curiously named duo, Sons of Chipotle, last month at a gig in Tokyo. This month, Jones and his partner, Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen, have revealed that they will perform in America for the first time at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, between March 26 - 29, 2020.

Jones will reportedly perform on piano and electronics. Karttunen will perform on cello and electronics.

In recent years, Jones has mostly gravitated towards improvisational situations with his music. Last March, he improvised a set with Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore at a fundraiser for the British broadcasting service Resonance FM.

Prior to forming Sons of Chipotle, Jones collaborated with Karttunen, alongside composer Max Lindberg in another improvisational exploration.

"Both musicians are known to be curious minds, always ready to learn and to discover," according to a description on Jones' website. "When they improvise, borders disappear, they are free to migrate beyond prejudices, across continents. In a world where walls are being built and people are told where they cannot go, Sons of Chipotle want music to be a place of openness."

While Sons of Chipotle's appeal might be limited, intrigue remains. Jones is, after all, the sonic force behind some of Led Zeppelin's most groundbreaking studio work, like "When the Levee Breaks," "No Quarter," "Achilles Last Stand" and "In the Evening."

But if improvised electronic cello music isn't your thing (and how could you know the answer to that?), Dave Grohl suggested in August that Them Crooked Vultures might be returning soon. He noted that it's been a while since the trio got together and "...there's always something cooking."

Photo: Getty Images


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