Editing John Paul Jones (musician) (section)

== Career ==

===Session work===
Baldwin joined his first band, The Deltas, at the age of 15. He then played bass for jazz-rock London group, Jett Blacks, a collective that included guitarist [[John McLaughlin (musician)|John McLaughlin]].<ref name="westword.com">{{cite web |author=Michael Roberts |url=http://www.westword.com/1999-10-21/music/getting-out-of-the-led/ |title=Denver – Music – Getting Out of the Led |publisher=Westword.com |date=21 October 1999 |access-date=1 January 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110608080246/http://www.westword.com/1999-10-21/music/getting-out-of-the-led/ |archive-date=8 June 2011}}</ref> His big break came in 1962, when he was hired by [[Jet Harris]] and [[Tony Meehan]] of the successful British group [[the Shadows]] for a two-year stint. Shortly before hiring Baldwin, Harris and Meehan had just had a number 1 hit with "[[Diamonds (instrumental)|Diamonds]]" (a track on which Jones' bandmate-to-be [[Jimmy Page]] had played). Baldwin's collaboration with the Shadows nearly prevented the future formation of Led Zeppelin, when the parties engaged in talks about the possibility of Baldwin replacing their bassist [[Brian Locking]], who left the band in October 1963, but [[John Rostill]] was ultimately chosen to fill the position.

In 1964, on the recommendation of Meehan, Baldwin began studio session work with [[Decca Records]]. From then until 1968, he played on hundreds of recording sessions.<ref name="Like">Tolinski, Brad. (January 1998). "Like a Rock", ''Guitar World'', p. 60.</ref> He soon expanded his studio work by playing keyboards, [[orchestration|arranging]] and undertaking general studio direction, resulting in his services coming under much demand. He worked with numerous artists including [[the Rolling Stones]] on ''[[Their Satanic Majesties Request]]'' (Jones' string arrangement is heard on "[[She's a Rainbow]]");<ref name=tripleJ>[http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/music_specials/s1402502.htm Australian Broadcasting Corporation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120174156/http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/music_specials/s1402502.htm |date=20 January 2012}} – Triple J Music Specials – Led Zeppelin (first broadcast 12 July 2000)</ref> [[Herman's Hermits]]; [[Donovan]] (on "[[Sunshine Superman (song)|Sunshine Superman]]", "[[Hurdy Gurdy Man]]", and "[[Mellow Yellow]]"); [[Jeff Beck]]; [[Françoise Hardy]]; [[Cat Stevens]] (on "[[Matthew and Son]]"); [[Rod Stewart]]; [[Shirley Bassey]]; [[Lulu (singer)|Lulu]]; and numerous others. As well as recording sessions with [[Dusty Springfield]], Jones also played bass for her ''[[Hippodrome, London|Talk of the Town]]'' series of performances. His arranging and playing on Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" resulted in producer [[Mickie Most]] using his services as choice arranger for many of his own projects, with [[Tom Jones (singer)|Tom Jones]], [[Nico]], [[The Mindbenders|Wayne Fontana]], [[the Walker Brothers]], and many others. In 1967, Most, as [[music supervisor]], also tasked Jones with arranging the music for Herman's Hermits' theatrical film ''[[Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (film)|Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063325/fullcredits|title=Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1968)|access-date=28 April 2018|via=www.imdb.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210142036/http://imdb.com/title/tt0063325/fullcredits|archive-date=10 February 2007}}</ref> released in January 1968. Such was the extent of Jones' studio work – amounting to hundreds of sessions – that he said years later that "I can't remember three-quarters of the sessions I was on."<ref name=uncutinterview>David Cavanagh, "[http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/led_zeppelin/special_features/12626 Interview with John Paul Jones] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111208143139/http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/led_zeppelin/special_features/12626 |date=8 December 2011}}", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]''.</ref>

It was during his time as a session player that Baldwin adopted the stage name John Paul Jones. This name was suggested to him by a friend, [[Andrew Loog Oldham]], who had seen a poster for the 1959 film ''[[John Paul Jones (film)|John Paul Jones]]'' in France.<ref name=d&c>Fortnam, Ian. "Dazed & Confused", ''[[Classic Rock Magazine]]: Classic Rock Presents Led Zeppelin'', 2008, p. 34.</ref> He released his first solo recording as John Paul Jones, "Baja" (written by [[Lee Hazlewood]] and produced by Oldham) / "A Foggy Day in Vietnam", as a single on [[Pye Records]] in April 1964.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=veOBJ9xrAEwC&q=baja+%22john+paul+jones%22&pg=PA81 |author=Dave Lewis|title='Led Zeppelin: the Complete Guide to Their Music |year=2004 |page=81 |publisher=Omnibus |access-date=1 January 2012|isbn=9781844491414}}</ref>

Jones has stated that, as a session musician, he was completing two or three sessions a day, working six or seven days a week.<ref name=Miserandino>Dominick A. Miserandino, [http://thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/john_paul_jones.html Led Zeppelin – John Paul Jones] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512202604/http://thecelebritycafe.com/interviews/john_paul_jones.html |date=12 May 2015 }}, TheCelebrityCafe.com.</ref> However, by 1968 he was feeling [[Occupational burnout|burned out]] by the heavy workload: "I was arranging 50 or 60 things a month and it was starting to kill me."<ref name="Like2">Tolinski, Brad. (January 1998). "Like a Rock". ''Guitar World'', p. 122.</ref>

=== Led Zeppelin ===
{{main|Led Zeppelin}}

==== Formation ====
During his time as a session player, Jones often crossed paths with guitarist [[Jimmy Page]],<ref>''"... I set about recording ''16 HIP HITS'' at Regent Sound with ... John Paul Jones playing bass and arranging and ... Jimmy Page on guitars ..."'', said [[Andrew Loog Oldham]] in his book ''STONED'' ({{ISBN|0-312-26653-7}}), page 323.</ref> a fellow session veteran. In June 1966, Page joined [[the Yardbirds]], and in 1967 Jones contributed to that band's ''[[Little Games]]'' album. The following winter, during the sessions for [[Donovan]]'s ''[[The Hurdy Gurdy Man]]'', Jones expressed to Page a desire to be part of any projects the guitarist might be planning.<ref name="RSbio">{{cite magazine |title=Led Zeppelin Biography |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/biography |access-date=9 September 2009 |magazine=Rolling Stone |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090412110101/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/biography |archive-date=12 April 2009}}</ref> Later that year, the Yardbirds disbanded, leaving Page and bassist [[Chris Dreja]] to complete previously booked Yardbirds dates in Scandinavia. Before a new band could be assembled, Dreja left to take up photography. Jones, at the suggestion of his wife,<ref name=Miserandino/> asked Page about the vacant position, and the guitarist eagerly invited Jones to collaborate. Page later explained:

{{blockquote|I was working at the sessions for Donovan's ''Hurdy Gurdy Man'', and John Paul Jones was looking after the musical arrangements. During a break, he asked me if I could use a bass player in the new group I was forming. He had a proper music training, and he had quite brilliant ideas. I jumped at the chance of getting him.<ref name=RS1985>{{cite magazine |last=Davis |first=Stephen |title=Power, Mystery and the Hammer of the Gods: The Rise and Fall of Led Zeppelin |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=451 |date=4 July 1985 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods |access-date=15 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128165609/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ledzeppelin/articles/story/17537975/power_mystery_and_the_hammer_of_the_gods |archive-date=28 January 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>}}

Vocalist [[Robert Plant]] and drummer [[John Bonham]] joined the two to form a [[quartet]]. Initially dubbed the "New Yardbirds" for the [[Led Zeppelin Scandinavian Tour 1968|Scandinavian dates]], the band soon became known as Led Zeppelin.

==== Contributions ====
[[File:Zoso John Paul Jones sigil interlaced triquetra overlaying circle.svg|thumb|right|150px|Derivative of Jones' [[triquetra]] [[Seal (emblem)|sigil]] used in the untitled album commonly known as ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]'']]

Jones was responsible for the classic bass lines of the group, notably those in "[[Ramble On]]" and "[[The Lemon Song]]" (''[[Led Zeppelin II]]''), and shifting [[time signature]]s, such as those in "[[Black Dog (Led Zeppelin song)|Black Dog]]" (''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]''). As half of Led Zeppelin's [[rhythm section]] with drummer [[John Bonham]], Jones shared an appreciation for [[funk]] and [[soul music|soul]] rhythmic [[groove (popular music)|grooves]] which strengthened and enhanced their musical affinity.<ref name=21century>[[Charles Shaar Murray|Murray, Charles Shaar]]. "21st century digital man", ''[[Classic Rock Magazine]]: Classic Rock Presents Led Zeppelin'', 2008, p. 58.</ref> In an interview he gave to ''Global Bass'' magazine, Jones remarked on this common musical interest:

{{blockquote|Yeah, we were both huge [[Motown Records|Motown]] and [[Stax Records|Stax]] fans and general soul music fans, [[James Brown]] fans. Which is one of the reasons why I've always said that Zeppelin was one of the few bands to "swing". We actually had a groove in those days. People used to come to our shows and dance, which was great. To see all the women dancing, it was really brilliant. You didn't necessarily see that at a [[Black Sabbath]] show or whatever: So we were different in that way. We were a groovy band. We used all our black pop music influences as a key to the rock that went over the top.<ref name=AndyLong>{{cite magazine |last=Long |first=Andy |title=Get The Led Out |magazine=Global Bass Online |date=March 2002 |url=http://www.globalbass.com/archives/mar2002/john_paul_jones.htm |access-date=17 March 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080314221236/http://www.globalbass.com/archives/mar2002/john_paul_jones.htm |archive-date=14 March 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>}}

After retiring his [[Fender Jazz Bass]] (which he had been using since his days with The Shadows in the early 1960s) from touring in 1975, Jones switched to using custom-designed [[Alembic Inc|Alembic]] basses for touring.<ref>
{{cite web
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However, he still preferred to use the Jazz Bass in the studio and in a 2010 interview mentioned that he still had that bass at the time.<ref>
{{cite web
 | title= John Paul Jones Interview
 | publisher= [[Elixir Strings]]
 | date= 19 May 2010
| via= YouTube
 | url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-pDYq2VpOQ
 | access-date= 28 April 2018
| url-status= live
 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160506015916/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-pDYq2VpOQ
 | archive-date= 6 May 2016
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</ref>
Jones' keyboard skills added an [[Eclecticism in music|eclectic]] dimension that realised Led Zeppelin as more than just a [[hard rock]] band. Keyboard highlights include the delicate "[[The Rain Song]]" (''[[Houses of the Holy]]'') played on a [[Mellotron]]; the funky "[[Trampled Under Foot]]", played on a [[Clavinet]] (''[[Physical Graffiti]]''); and the eastern scales of "[[Kashmir (song)|Kashmir]]", also played on a Mellotron (also on ''Physical Graffiti''). In live performances, Jones' keyboard showpiece was "[[No Quarter (song)|No Quarter]]", often lasting for up to half-an-hour and sometimes including snatches of "[[Amazing Grace]]", [[Joaquín Rodrigo]]'s "[[Concierto de Aranjuez]]", which had inspired [[Miles Davis]]' ''[[Sketches of Spain]]'', and variations of classical pieces by composers such as [[Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff|Rachmaninoff]].

Jones' diverse contributions to the group extended to the use of other instruments including mandolin, recorder,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-5-instruments-led-zeppelins-john-paul-jones-played-on-stairway-to-heaven.html/ | title=The 5 Instruments Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones Played on 'Stairway to Heaven' | date=6 June 2020 | website=cheatsheet.com}}</ref> and an unusual triple-necked acoustic instrument consisting of a six and a twelve string guitar. Jones often used [[bass pedals]] to supplement the band's sound while he was playing keyboards and mandolin. On the band's 1977 tour of the United States, Jones would sing lead vocals on "[[The Battle of Evermore]]", filling in for [[Sandy Denny]], who had sung on the studio version.

====Profile====
[[File:JohnPaulJones1980-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Jones on stage with Led Zeppelin in [[Mannheim]], 1980]]
While all members of Led Zeppelin had a reputation for off-stage excess (a label that has been claimed was exaggerated),<ref name="Welch">Welch, Chris (1994) ''Led Zeppelin'', London: Orion Books. {{ISBN|1-85797-930-3}}.</ref> Jones was widely seen as the quietest and most reserved member of the group.<ref>Lewis, Dave (2004) ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', London: Omnibus Press, {{ISBN|0-7119-3528-9}}, p.77</ref><ref name="RS2006">{{cite magazine |last=Gilmore |first=Mikal |title=The Long Shadow of Led Zeppelin |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=1006 |date=10 August 2006 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11027261/the_long_shadow_of_led_zeppelin/print |access-date=9 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071212022936/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11027261/the_long_shadow_of_led_zeppelin/print |archive-date=12 December 2007 }}</ref> For his part, Jones has claimed that he had just as much fun on the road as his bandmates but was more discreet about it,<ref name="westword.com" /> stating "I did more drugs than I care to remember. I just did it quietly."<ref name="Miserandino" /> Benoit Gautier, an employee of Atlantic Records in France, echoed this impression, stating that "The wisest guy in Led Zeppelin was John Paul Jones. Why? He never got caught in an embarrassing situation."<ref name="westword.com" />

In an interview, Jones explained that fame with Led Zeppelin was not something that he ever became preoccupied with:

{{blockquote|Not really; I'd done it all before ... I would like to think that I wasn't too stupid either. I tried to stay out of the drift of the rock star's path, mainly because I needed my sanity and freedom on the road. So generally, I used to check out of the hotel, and then get out on the street. I'd go walking ... I'm not as recognizable as Plant and Page. Plus, I used to change my appearance all the time just to make sure I wasn't as recognizable ... Generally, I'm pretty quickly into the shadows ... I once read the Beatles did a whole tour of America and never left their hotel rooms. And I thought, "I can't see the point of travelling around the world and not seeing anything."<ref name=Miserandino/>}}

Following exhausting tours and extended periods of time away from his family, by late 1973 Jones was beginning to show signs of disillusionment. He considered quitting Led Zeppelin to spend more time with his family, but was talked into returning by the band's manager, [[Peter Grant (music manager)|Peter Grant]].<ref>Shadwick, Keith (2005) ''Led Zeppelin: The Story of a Band and Their Music, 1968–1980'', San Francisco: Backbeat Books, {{ISBN|0-87930-871-0}}, p. 207</ref> He joked that he was interested in becoming the choirmaster of Winchester Cathedral, which was reported as fact in several sources.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/20-things-you-didnt-know-john-paul-jones-did-227646/|title=20 Things You Didn't Know John Paul Jones Did|first=Corbin|last=Reiff|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=18 March 2016|access-date=5 July 2018}}</ref> Jones later explained his reservations:

{{blockquote|I didn't want to harm the group, but I didn't want my family to fall apart either. We toured a huge amount in those early days. We were all very tired and under pressure and it just came to a head. When I first joined the band, I didn't think it would go on for that long, two or three years perhaps, and then I'd carry on with my career as a musician and doing movie music.<ref name=snow/>}}

===="Royal Orleans"====
It is rumoured that the Led Zeppelin song "[[Royal Orleans]]", from their album ''[[Presence (album)|Presence]]'', is about an experience Jones once had on tour in the United States.<ref name="westword.com"/><ref name="Dave">Dave Lewis (1994), ''The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin'', Omnibus Press, {{ISBN|0-7119-3528-9}}.</ref> The song is about a person who mistakenly takes a [[drag queen]] up to his hotel room, who then falls asleep with a joint of [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] in hand, lighting the room on fire. "Royal Orleans" was the name of a hotel where the members of Led Zeppelin would stay when they visited New Orleans, because not as many people asked for autographs there. In an interview he gave to ''[[Mojo magazine]]'' in 2007, Jones clarified the reliability of this rumour, stating:

{{blockquote|The transvestites were actually friends of [[Richard Cole]]'s; normal friendly people and we were all at some bar. That I mistook a transvestite for a girl is rubbish; that happened in another country to somebody else ... Anyway 'Stephanie' ended up in my room and we rolled a joint or two and I fell asleep and set fire to the hotel room, as you do, ha ha, and when I woke up it was full of firemen!<ref name=snow/>}}

====Other work====
Jones's involvement with Led Zeppelin did not put a halt to his session work. In 1969 he returned to the studio to play bass guitar on [[the Family Dogg]]'s ''[[A Way of Life (The Family Dogg album)|A Way of Life]]'' album. Jones was [[Madeline Bell]]'s first choice to produce and arrange her 1974 album ''[[Comin' Atcha (Madeline Bell album)|Comin' Atcha]]''. He has also played bass on the opening track for the [[Roy Harper (singer)|Roy Harper]] album ''[[HQ (album)|HQ]]'', which also featured guitarist [[David Gilmour]]. Other contributions include playing bass on [[Wings (band)|Wings]]' [[Rockestra]], ''[[Back to the Egg]]'' along with Zeppelin's drummer [[John Bonham]].

===After Led Zeppelin===
====1980–2000====
Led Zeppelin dissolved in 1980 with the death of [[John Bonham]]. "At the time that John died, I had just moved to [[Devon]] to bring up my family", Jones said. "So, after the split, I was completely out of everything. And I must say I didn't miss it."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Robert|last=Sandall|author-link=Robert Sandall|title=The Q interview|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=258|date=January 2008|page=46}}</ref>

Jones subsequently collaborated with artists including [[Diamanda Galás]], [[R.E.M.]], [[Jars of Clay]], [[Heart (band)|Heart]], [[Ben E. King]], [[Peter Gabriel]], [[Foo Fighters]], [[Lenny Kravitz]], [[Cinderella (band)|Cinderella]], [[Mission UK|The Mission]], [[La Fura dels Baus]], [[the Harp Consort]], [[Brian Eno]], the [[Butthole Surfers]], and [[Uncle Earl]].<ref>Jeff Melton. [http://www.expose.org/jpjint.html Trampled Underfoot – The John Paul Jones Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101219101821/http://www.expose.org/jpjint.html |date=19 December 2010 }}</ref><ref name=Adams2012>{{cite news|last=Adams|first=Rob|title=Showing his mettle in a new approach|url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music/showing-his-mettle-in-a-new-approach.19318435|access-date=29 December 2012|newspaper=[[The Herald (Glasgow)|The Herald]]|date=7 November 2012|location=Glasgow|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329231037/http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts-ents/music/showing-his-mettle-in-a-new-approach.19318435|archive-date=29 March 2013}}</ref><ref>[http://www.cduniverse.com/sresult.asp?HT_SEARCH=XARTIST&HT_SEARCH_INFO=John+Paul+Jones&style=music&page=1 John Paul Jones Discography].</ref>

He appeared on sessions and videos for [[Paul McCartney]] and was involved in the soundtrack of the film ''[[Give My Regards to Broad Street]]''. In 1985, Jones was asked by director [[Michael Winner]] to provide the soundtrack for the film ''[[Scream for Help (album)|Scream for Help]]'', with [[Jimmy Page]] appearing on two tracks. Jones provides vocals for two of the songs. He recorded and toured with singer [[Diamanda Galás]] on her 1994 album, ''[[The Sporting Life (album)|The Sporting Life]]'' (co-credited to John Paul Jones). In 1985, Jones joined Page and Plant for the [[Live Aid]] concert, with [[Phil Collins]] and [[Tony Thompson (drummer)|Tony Thompson]] on drums. The former members again re-formed for the [[Atlantic Records 40th Anniversary]] concert on 14 May 1988. Page, Plant and Jones, with [[John Bonham]]'s son [[Jason Bonham|Jason]], closed the event. In 1992, Jones [[Arrangement|arranged]] the orchestration on the [[R.E.M.]] album ''[[Automatic for the People]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Runtagh |first=Jordan |date=5 October 2017 |title=R.E.M.'s 'Automatic for the People': 10 Things You Didn't Know |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/r-e-m-s-automatic-for-the-people-10-things-you-didnt-know-126545/ |access-date=11 June 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1995, the band [[Heart (band)|Heart]] released a live acoustic album called ''[[The Road Home (Heart album)|The Road Home]]''. It was produced by Jones, and featured him playing several instruments. Also in 1995, [[Andrew Lawrence-King]]'s Harp Consort released a set of three Spanish language songs in 17th-century style of Jones's own composition, accompanied by baroque instruments including [[harp]]s, [[chitarrone]], [[Baroque guitar|guitars]], [[lirone]], [[viola da gamba]] and percussion (this 10-minute CD, titled ''Amores Pasados'', was coupled with The Harp Consort's debut record, ''Luz y Norte'').<ref name=Adams2012/><ref name=Lawrence-King1995>{{cite book|last=Lawrence-King|first=Andrew|title=Luz y Norte – Amores Pasados|year=1995|publisher=[[Deutsche Harmonia Mundi]], [[BMG Music]]}}</ref><ref name=Luz-WorldCat>{{cite book|title=Luz y norte – Amores pasados (Loves of the past)|publisher=[[WorldCat]]|oclc=312393982}}</ref>

====2000–present====
''[[Zooma]]'', his debut solo album, was released in September 1999 on [[Robert Fripp]]'s [[Discipline Global Mobile|DGM]] label and followed up in 2001 by ''[[The Thunderthief]]''.  Both albums were accompanied by tours, in which he played with [[Nick Beggs]] ([[Chapman Stick]]) and [[Terl Bryant]] (drums).

In 2004, he toured as part of the group [[Mutual Admiration Society (collaboration)|Mutual Admiration Society]], along with [[Glen Phillips (singer)|Glen Phillips]] (the front man for the band [[Toad the Wet Sprocket]]) and the members of the band [[Nickel Creek]].<ref name="rollingstone2004">Dansby, Andrew. [https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6388374/toad_singer_up_the_creek/print "Toad Singer Up the Creek"]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}. ''Rolling Stone''. 28 July 2004. Retrieved 16 January 2008.</ref>

[[File:John Paul Jones.jpg|thumb|right|Jones playing [[mandolin]] in 2007]]
Jones plays on two tracks on the [[Foo Fighters]]' album ''[[In Your Honor]]''. He plays mandolin on "Another Round" and piano on "Miracle", both of which are on the acoustic disc. The band's frontman [[Dave Grohl]] (a big Led Zeppelin fan) has described Jones' guest appearance as the "second greatest thing to happen to me in my life".

He has also branched out as a record producer, having produced such albums as [[The Mission (band)|the Mission]]'s album ''Children'', [[the Datsuns]]' second album ''[[Outta Sight, Outta Mind]]'' (2004) and [[Uncle Earl]]'s ''Waterloo, Tennessee'' album of [[Old-time music]], released in March 2007 on [[Rounder Records]].

In May 2007, he accompanied [[Robyn Hitchcock]] and Ruby Wright<!-- This is the niece of Robyn Hitchcock. Do not link to the country singer or big band singer. --> in performing the song "Gigolo Aunt" at a tribute for [[Pink Floyd]] founder [[Syd Barrett]] in London, which he did on mandolin.<ref>[http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/roger-waters-and-pink-floyd-at-syd-tribute-full-details.html Pink Floyd news :: Brain Damage – Roger Waters and Pink Floyd at Syd tribute – full details<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070513030514/http://www.brain-damage.co.uk/latest/roger-waters-and-pink-floyd-at-syd-tribute-full-details.html |date=13 May 2007 }}</ref>

[[File:John-Paul-Jones1.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Jones playing [[Lap steel guitar|a lap steel]] on stage, 2009]]
He played at [[Bonnaroo]] 2007 in a collaboration with [[Ben Harper]] and [[the Roots]]' drummer [[Questlove]] as part of the festival's all-star Super-Jam, which is the festival's annual tradition of bringing together famous, world-class musicians to jam on stage for a few hours.
Jones appeared and played mandolin with [[Gillian Welch]] during the festival during the song "Look at Miss Ohio" and a cover of the [[Johnny Cash]] song "[[Jackson (song)|Jackson]]". He also appeared during the set of [[Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals]] where they played a cover of "[[Dazed and Confused (Jake Holmes song)|Dazed and Confused]]". Jones then closed [[Gov't Mule]]'s first set, playing part of "[[Moby Dick (instrumental)|Moby Dick]]" and then "Livin Lovin Maid" on bass, then proceeded to play keyboards on the songs "[[Since I've Been Loving You]]" and "[[No Quarter (song)|No Quarter]]". Jones also performed on mandolin with the all-female bluegrass group Uncle Earl, whose album he had produced in 2007.

Mandolin-slinging Jones jammed on Led Zeppelin's "[[Whole Lotta Love]]" with Winnipeg's energetic [[Duhks]] at April 2007's [[MerleFest]] in North Carolina.<ref>{{YouTube|l4ajuc59X1s|"Whole Lotta Love with the Duhks"}}{{dead link|date=December 2011}}</ref>

Jones played in the [[Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert|Led Zeppelin reunion show]] at London's [[The O2 Arena|O2 Arena]] on 10 December 2007 with the other remaining members of Led Zeppelin as part of a tribute to [[Ahmet Ertegun]].

In 2008, Jones produced [[Nickel Creek]] singer-fiddler [[Sara Watkins]]' debut solo album.<ref name="endoftheroad">Dickens, Tad. [https://archive.today/20121208222437/http://www.roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/podcasts/wb/138113 "End of the road for Nickel Creek?"]. ''[[The Roanoke Times]]''. 2 November 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2008.</ref><ref name="rollingstone2008">Fricke, David. "Reunited Zeppelin Plot Their Future". ''Rolling Stone''. 24 January 2008. Retrieved 24 January 2008.</ref><ref>Watkins, Sara. "And then my friend yelled 'put your fists in the air.'". ''MySpace''. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2007.</ref> As previously mentioned, Jones toured with Watkins, [[Glen Phillips (singer)|Glen Phillips]], and the rest of Nickel Creek in late 2004 in a collaboration entitled Mutual Admiration Society.

On 10 February 2008, Jones appeared with the Foo Fighters on the [[Grammy Awards]] conducting the orchestral part to the song "[[The Pretender (Foo Fighters song)|The Pretender]]". On 7 June 2008, Jones and Jimmy Page appeared with the Foo Fighters to close out the band's concert at [[Wembley Stadium]]. Jones performed with [[Sonic Youth]] and [[Takehisa Kosugi]], providing the stage music for [[Merce Cunningham]]'s ''Nearly 90'', which ran 16–19 April 2009 at the [[Brooklyn Academy of Music]].<ref name=wwd>{{cite web|url=http://www.wwd.com/lifestyle-news/eye/john-paul-jones-on-merce-cunningham-2104771 |title=John Paul Jones on Merce Cunningham |access-date=14 April 2009 |date=14 April 2009 |work=Lifestyle News |publisher=Women's Wear Daily |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417143035/http://www.wwd.com/lifestyle-news/eye/john-paul-jones-on-merce-cunningham-2104771 |archive-date=17 April 2009 }}</ref>

[[File:John Paul Jones TCV.jpg|thumb|right|Jones playing bass in [[Them Crooked Vultures]], 2009]]

In 2009–2010 he was part of a supergroup with [[Dave Grohl]] and [[Queens of the Stone Age]] frontman [[Josh Homme]] named [[Them Crooked Vultures]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122919 |title=Josh Homme, John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl Collaborate on New Project |publisher=Roadrunnerrecords.com |access-date=1 January 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090704214952/http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=122919 |archive-date=4 July 2009 }}</ref> The trio played their first show together on 9 August 2009 at the [[Metro Chicago|Metro]] in Chicago, and their [[Them Crooked Vultures (album)|first album]]'' ''was released on 17 November 2009.

In February and March 2011 he appeared in the onstage band in [[Mark-Anthony Turnage]]'s opera ''[[Anna Nicole]]'', about the ''[[Playboy]]'' model [[Anna Nicole Smith]], at the [[Royal Opera House]], Covent Garden, in London. In August 2011, he appeared at [[Reading and Leeds Festivals]] to play alongside [[Seasick Steve]]. On 16 September 2012, Jones appeared at the Sunflower Jam charity concert at the [[Royal Albert Hall]], London, performing alongside guitarist [[Brian May]] of [[Queen (band)|Queen]], drummer [[Ian Paice]] of [[Deep Purple]], and vocalists [[Bruce Dickinson]] of [[Iron Maiden]] and [[Alice Cooper]].<ref>[https://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/66153 "Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden and Queen band members perform at charity rock show"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102102014/http://www.nme.com/news/led-zeppelin/66153 |date=2 November 2012 }}. NME. Retrieved 4 November 2012</ref>

In November 2012, Jones toured the UK with the Norwegian [[avant-garde]]/improvisational band [[Supersilent]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/09155-supersilent-john-paul-jones-tour-uk |title=News &#124; Supersilent & John Paul Jones To Tour UK |magazine=The Quietus |access-date=22 April 2014}}</ref> On 6 December 2012, Jones performed on bass, guitar and mandolin with Robyn Hitchcock as 'Biscotti' at [[Cecil Sharp House]], London.
On 30 April 2013, Jones appeared live on the BBC TV Show ''[[Later... with Jools Holland]]'', playing bass for [[Seasick Steve]] on "Down on the Farm" from Seasick Steve's new album ''Hubcap Music''. On 1 May 2013, Jones appeared with Seasick Steve at a concert at the Roundhouse in Camden, London. Introduced by Seasick Steve as a member "of the best rock band ever", Jones played bass, mandolin, and steel guitar, and provided vocals.
[[File:John Paul Jones - 2010.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Jones playing bass guitar in 2010]]
On Saturday 29 June 2013, Jones played guitar whilst appearing with [[Rokia Traoré]], who opened the Pyramid Stage that morning at Glastonbury 2013. He also supported Seasick Steve on the West Holt's stage at the same festival.
During November 2013, Jones joined a seven-day tour of the Southeast US, playing mandolin with the [[David Rawlings|Dave Rawlings Machine]]. The Atlanta show (21 November 2013) included a rendition [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Going to California]]."  Jones also toured with the [[David Rawlings|Dave Rawlings Machine]] in autumn 2014. On 5 and 6 September 2015, Jones, along with [[Queen (band)|Queen]] drummer [[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]], joined [[Foo Fighters]] on stage in [[Milton Keynes]] to perform a cover of [[Queen (band)|Queen]]'s "[[Under Pressure]]," with [[Taylor Hawkins]] and [[Dave Grohl]] singing. Stepping outside his normal genre, he composed three [[lute song]]s for the 2015 album Amores Pasados<ref>{{Cite web|last=Records|first=E. C. M.|title=ECM Records|url=https://www.ecmrecords.com/catalogue/143038752074|access-date=12 June 2021|website=ECM Records|language=en}}</ref> by [[John Potter (musician)|John Potter]], [[Anna Maria Friman]], [[Ariel Abramovich]] and [[Jacob Heringman|Jacob Herringman]].

In 2017 Jones formed a trio, the "Tres Coyotes" with the Finnish composer, [[Magnus Lindberg]] and the Finnish [[cellist]], [[Anssi Karttunen]], they have performed in Helsinki (Savoy Theatre 2017), Torino (Torino Jazz Festival 2019) and Strasbourg (Festival Musica 2022). In 2019 he formed a duo, called the "Sons of Chipotle" with Anssi Karttunen. The group premiered with a tour in Asia in Seoul at [[Place Vib]] and in Tokyo at the [[Pit Inn (jazz club)|Pit Inn]] in Tokyo, Japan in September of that year. For the Tokyo shows they were joined by musicians [[Jim O'Rourke (musician)|Jim O'Rourke]] and [[Otomo Yoshihide]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Schatz |first=Lake |url=https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/07/john-paul-jones-sons-of-chipotle-new-band/ |title=John Paul Jones Forms New Band Sons of Chipotle |publisher=[[Consequence of Sound]] |date=24 July 2019 |access-date=2 March 2020}}</ref>  The band's first scheduled U.S. date at the [[Big Ears Festival]] in [[Knoxville, Tennessee]] was cancelled in March 2020, due to the [[COVID-19]] outbreak and finally took place at the Big Ears in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bigearsfestival.org/big-ears-festival-covid-19-cancellation/|title=Big Ears 2020 Cancellation|last=Capps|first=Ashley|date=11 March 2020|website=Big Ears Festival 26–27 March|access-date=22 March 2020}}</ref>