Jones take center stage

Jennifer K Mahal

Jack Jones says he’s not qualified to say anything about what he

sounds like. The smooth-toned singer, who will perform as part of the

cabaret series this week at the Orange County Performing Arts Center,

doesn’t feel comfortable describing the voice that graces more than

50 albums and earned him two Grammy Awards.

What he will talk about is his first time professionally on stage,

performing at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino at age 19 with his

father, actor Allan Jones. His mother was actress Irene Hervey. The

song was “On the Street Where You Live,” which he performed as a duet

with his father.

“It was a panic situation because I hadn’t really been up there

and done a Vegas show before,” said the Indian Wells, Calif.,

resident who often performs now in Nevada. “I was worried about my

voice ... I had vocalized all day, and by the time the show came, I

had no voice.”

Despite his fears, Jones found himself taken with the stage. He

decided to give singing a try and worked odd jobs -- including a

stint as a gas station attendant -- to support himself. Jones

eventually signed with Capitol Records, recording an album with them

before leaving. He was later signed by Kapp Records.

“It’s just downright masochism [that keeps a person performing,]”

Jones said. “You just want to perform. The urge to perform is there

and it’s very exciting.”

Among the songs Jones has recorded are “Lollipops and Roses,”

“Alfie,” “The Impossible Dream,” “Love With the Proper Stranger” and

“Real Live Girl.” Jones said he likes for the songs he sings to have

meaning and isn’t above taking a pop song -- witness his rendition of

The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” -- and reworking it to fit his

mellow voice.

“I don’t want to do it the same way he did,” Jones said of redoing

Sting’s hit. “The song appealed to me and I thought it would work as

a hard-swinging jazz tune.”

Then there are the “frothy novelty things” like the theme to

television’s “The Love Boat,” which have come Jones’ way.

“I said ... good luck with it, I don’t know who’s going to watch a

show about a cruise ship,” Jones said. “They asked me to do the

theme, I thought maybe it’ll last for 13 weeks, and that will be it.”

Instead the series ran, with Jones’ voice intoning that love is

exciting and new over the opening credits, for nine years.