Amanda Mohney: Good vibrations
But that's precisely the path Phil Jones followed.
The young band Phil Jones and the Unknown Blues created a buzz in their hometown of Sydney, Australia, with their single "If I Had a Ticket," capitalizing on their blues-tinged pop sound. But the same man who belted a thoroughly danceable version of "Pick a Bale of Cotton"--the 1967 video is available for viewing on YouTube--went on to continue evolving the idea of "spiritual" in his own life.
After a brief stab at a solo career, Jones, by then performing under the name "Shiva," was involved with the UK-based Quintessence, playing a multitude of European festivals during their career in the early '70s.
"I had a long background in the healing effects of Sacred Mantras and Meditation going back to the mid 1960’s," Jones comments in an e-mail interview, and Quintessence embraced these ideas as a regular part of their repertoire, frequently highlighting chanting as part of their shows, and even claiming a "household guru."
Jones still makes "cosmic rock" with an altered incarnation of the band, under the name Shiva's Quintessence, but it was in the '80s that Jones returned to Australia and discovered the instrument that would direct the following decades of his life.
"I found the harmonic sounds and breath work of the Didgeridoo instantly healing and stress reducing," Jones says. And though he discovered the "didg" in his, and the instrument's, native land of Australia, he brought his knowledge to the United States, where he now lives. "My involvement in America began with Deepak Chopra’s center in LaJolla," he explains. And his passion for the instrument was feuled by his early interest in meditation. "It became apparent that this instrument could enhance self empowerment, meditation and relaxation....all of these aspects made it very popular when I worked at Chopra’s seminars and healing center."
The idea that body and mind are intrinsically linked has become a large part of Jones' teachings. Building from the instinctual response Jones had to the didg, he has become a master player, and now teaches his "circular breathing" technique, which he claims puts the player in the proper state to reap the benefits of the act, which he says, "has now been medically proven to lower high blood pressure, relax heart muscles and and significantly reduce sleep apnea and snoring."
And he's bringing his medicine to Knoxville. Jones will host a workshop at the Gypsy Hands Healing Center on Wednesday, December 20, from 7-9:30 p.m. Pre-registration is $20, and Jones will provide didgeridoos for all participants of all levels of experience.