Songs for murdered musician

By Kath Gannaway
THE release of The Beautiful Bohemians EP this coming Sunday is just one way the music and memory of Yarra Ranges musician Darren Jones will live on.
Darren was just 28 when he was senselessly murdered on a train as he travelled home to Belgrave in February, 2006.
He was at a seminal place in his music career. He had started a new band Love Jones in which he took a leading vocals and song-writing role after a number of years backing and playing in other bands, and was in the first few weeks of a batchelor of music performance degree at the Victorian College of the Arts.
“His output in his lifetime could have been phenomenal,” said friend and fellow musician Michael Arvanitakis, a band member of The Beautiful Bohemians which, along with Darren, Dallas Frasca and Stuart Prentice, was a cutting-edge fund/rock band.
“He was a music perfectionist and we had some really good stuff to work with putting this together.
“The EP features some of Darren’s best studio work,” said Michael who played at the Bodhi Tree café in Healesville every Sunday with Darren and fellow Healesville musician Ritchie Youngberry.
Darren was also a popular regular on the Belgrave music scene and had a great hills following.
The connection to Darren’s music has never been lost and Michael believes it has a quality which will find new audiences as it is put out into the wider music scene.
Music has been a way also of dealing with the grief for his friends and for his family.
Once a fortnight friends gather at Darren’s mother’s Chum Creek home to jam, play his music and remember good times.
Annette Jones is learning guitar and piano.
She says music, Darren’s strong band of friends and her son’s dynamic attitude to life are getting her through the painful grieving.
“He loved life, did everything to the full,” she said. “Darren made every moment count.
“Six months after Darren died I started playing and I am very fortunate to have fantastic musicians who let me play with them,” she added. The release of the CD brings mixed emotions. Sometimes, she said, it’s still hard to listen to his music and to the words he wrote.
“Darren was an exceptional person, and an exceptional musician. It’s great to have his music out there.” The CD will be launched at the Bodhi Tree Café in Healesville at 2pm on Sunday 20 December.
The launch will include some live grooves from Beautiful Bohemian members and friends and the CD will be played in its entirety.
Entry is free and the CD will be available for $15 with all profits going into trust for Darren’s young son, Jet.
To book a table for the launch phone 5962 4407.