Wolf Jett
photo credit : Mike Lisching
Wolf Jett are an upbeat celebration - infusing folk, soul and Americana into what they call "Cosmic Mountain Music.” Co-founded by two life-long friends and musical partners, Wolf Jett combines the southern-fried vocals of Tennessee-born frontman Chris Jones with Jon Payne’s endlessly groovy drums. Alongside of them is a cast of seasoned performers - Duncan Shipton on bass, female vocalist Allyson Makuch, electric guitarists Rory Cloud and/or Will Fourt, and Alex Benjamin on keys.
As a staple in the California roots scene and strong believers in building community through music — Wolf Jett have been throwing shows with fellow Bay Area bands and selling out venues such as The Great American Music Hall, The Sweetwater Music Hall, Moe’s Alley and The Kuumbwaa Jazz Center.
They have performed with California Honeydrops, Allen Stone, Cedric Burnside, Fruition, The Brothers Comatose, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Shiny Ribs, and Mother Hips. Their albums feature Jason Crosby (Jackson Browne), Stelth Ulvang (Lumineers), James Deprato (Chuck Prophet), and Eric Yates (Hot Buttered Rum.).
Chris and Jon have been performing together since they were 12, and they conceived Wolf Jett in late 2019 as a tribute to Chris’s maternal grandparents. Prior to the release of their debut album the world was brought to a halt by pandemic and all their shows were cancelled, so they constructed an analog studio at Jon’s residence called “House on a Hill" in Boulder Creek, CA. Tragically, CZU Lightning fires ripped through Big Basin State Park in August 2020, consuming the house and studio along with it. Their story was featured in SF Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, San Jose Mercury, and Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Seeing an opportunity to help their community heal, they recorded a breathtaking emotional live video among the ashes and rubble of where their home once stood with the help of friends, The T Sisters. Their song "Garden of Pain" has since become a local favorite.
Their latest album (March ‘24), “Time Will Finally Come,” is a record of grieving and healing — bringing the community together after the fires and described by Glide Magazine as “a Phoenix rising from the ashes”
Look our for their forthcoming album “Letting Go” (produced by Jonathan Kirchner) scheduled for release in April 2026.
Now booking concerts and festivals in the US and Canada
“The inspirational, fuel-injected Wolf Jett identifies as a band from the Santa Cruz Mountains. The mysteries, tragedies and beauty of living in the mountains, infuse the spirit of Wolf Jett’s songs. Add to this the band’s camaraderie, community spirit, and positive affirmation that things will be OK, make Wolf Jett poised and ready for the bigger stage.”
Good Times Magazine
“Wolf Jett Mix Contagious Blues Riffs & Rock Goodness”