R.I.P. Jon Delaney

wim · January 2023

Jon did not study with Tchavolo, but he did study Tchavolo intensively, it's no accident that he ended up with that sound. I remember he'd be excited to show us a new Tchavolo lick or technique that he'd been working on at home, and then we'd hear it in every other tune and every gig until it was perfected. And then it would just become a part of his arsenal, and he'd be working on the next one soon enough.

Interestingly he's actually got a somewhat modern jazz guitar background so it's strange that he has such a "traditional" style when playing GJ. You could see him playing archtop and electric, also at a very high level, and it was a really different thing- he didn't cross the streams. Jon also came to GJ relatively late, and got really good at it really quickly, perhaps because of already having a strong jazz guitar background.

billyshakes · January 2023

I never met Jon, but when I hear your story above @wim and then I also know that he studied/played classical double bass towards the end, it paints a picture to me of a man who was intensely passionate about music and personal growth. It would have been easy for him to continue to play gypsy jazz alone, which he did at a high level. His mind probably demanded a higher challenge.

Phil · January 2023

Wim, thanks for the background. Jon's music and playing are a delight to see and I feel fortunate that we can see him on YouTube. I've also been enjoying his regular jazz guitar work, especially his solo on his Gibson on Line for Lyons.

If any footage exists, if Jon ever jammed with Tchavalo, that'd be fun to see!

Cheers

Phil

Buco · January 2023

Phil, Jon has detailed and shared a lot of his musical journey here on the forum. I always liked reading his posts, always something interesting to hear from him. I'm unaware that he got to jam with his idol but it sure would be wonderful to find out otherwise. It's incredible how well he assimilated that tone just by listening and hearing what works and what doesn't. What Duved is to early Django sound, Jon is to Tchavolo sound.

Phil · January 2023

"....What Duved is to early Django sound, Jon is to Tchavolo sound...." Well said!

I'll take a look back at Jon's archive posts.

🍻Phil

djazzy · January 2023

Its great to re-visit a thread dedicated to Jon Delaney. Never met him unfortunately. And like the rest of us, was in a state of semi-"that's so unfair!"-shock when learning he was so very sick. His YouTube videos were some of the first videos that really drew me into this style. Yes - the Tchavolo-thing he had going...but also the interiority of his playing. It spoke of such intense focus and go-it-alone artistry. I don't want to romanticize too much but...for me it reflected an Old-School integrity and honesty that provides such a strong contrast to all the well-adjusted, self-promotion of so many & I wish there was more of that.