Aristotle Jones, known as the Appalachian Soul Man, has a story to tell through music.

Drawing inspiration from his home in the heart of the West Virginia’s coal country, Aristotle Jones imbues his music with a mix of mountain doo-wop, soulful harmony, rich acoustic tones and rhythm and blues. And he’s bringing it to the SummerSounds stage.

Listen and you’ll hear the hints of Motown, church choirs and funk that shaped the Appalachian Soul Man’s unique take on Americana.

But it is in rich, detail-studded story-telling that this singer-songwriter’s heartfelt poetry comes through. His deep, personal narrative, told through warm vocals, takes us on a tour of the mountain region that birthed his artistry. There is so much more to West Virginia, he seems to say, than blue-grass, country and old school banjo music.

Backed by the sound of a six-man band, Aristotle Jones takes a soulful, funky deep dive into the universal themes of family and  heritage. He sings of resilient people who’ve endured through the hard times, surviving poverty, Jim Crow, and the struggle for civil rights to emerge whole through the power of love and music.

“It’s in my roots, my soul and in that air that I breathe,” Jones was quoted in a recent interview when asked to describe his music.

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