Guitars for the gospel

Carlton Jones gets “chill bumps.” At least, that’s how he describes the feeling when people tell him his donated guitars were an answer to prayer. Finger-picking guitar obsessives who follow the local scene know the acoustic aficionado and longtime friend of Baton Rouge great Duke Bardwell as a musical fixture for more than 40 years. From The Crowns and Carlton & The Capers, to the Country Cousins and the Old South Jamboree, his fluid, expert playing has a grassroots following in the city.

But Jones, who works as a technology consultant, and his wife Sharon, are also lifelong members of Community Bible Church. Together they have hit upon an idea that mixes their passion for music with their Christian faith.

Two years ago Jones launched a concert promotion business called Guitar Dreamers. With the help of his high-school friend Johnny Palazzotto, Jones has brought a long line of six-string wizards like Tommy Emmanuel and Richard Smith to the Manship Theatre. Now he uses proceeds from these shows to put new guitars into the hands of missionaries in a dozen foreign countries from Argentina to Romania to The Philippines.

“Music is definitely the universal hook,” Jones says. “If you give people in Moldova $400, they’re going to spend it on food and other necessities. But if you give them a guitar, the gift is limitless, the music is ongoing, even when the missionaries leave.”

Jones likes to send two guitars with each set of missionaries: one to keep and one to leave overseas. He takes requests from churches and Christian groups across the country and mails guitars to them before they leave. To reach those already in the mission field, he has partnered with Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church in Orange County, Cal. The megachurch ships Jones’ guitars across the globe.

As the nonprofit gains momentum, stars like Emmanuel are donating signed guitars for Jones to auction. He can buy three or four instruments for charity with what he gets for one signed guitar, but he also accepts instruments donated by others who just want to be involved.

“The thing is, it doesn’t take much to get into this,” Jones says. “It doesn’t take a megachurch. And the best thing is the joy of seeing how much it means to these folks.”

Tommy Emmanuel returns to Baton Rouge for the next Guitar Dreamers concert at the Independence Park Theatre on Sept. 29. guitarministries.com