Aristotle Jones Launches Appalachian Soul Month Campaign With New Album and Book

Aristotle Jones celebrates Black Appalachian culture with Appalachian Soul Power and Mountain Alchemy

OSAGE, W.Va. — West Virginia singer, songwriter, storyteller and author Aristotle Jones is launching a campaign to establish July as Appalachian Soul Month, pairing the initiative with the September 22 release of his new album Appalachian Soul Power and companion novel Mountain Alchemy.

Known as “The Appalachian Soul Man,” Jones is using the campaign to spotlight the artists, sounds and cultural traditions that have helped shape Appalachia’s place in American music history.

Recognizing Appalachia’s Musical Legacy

The Appalachian Soul Month campaign is designed as an annual celebration of the region’s musical traditions and their connections to the wider story of American music.

“For me, Appalachian Soul has never been about creating another genre or putting a new label on the music,” Jones said. “It is about recognizing what has always been here. Soul, Gospel, Blues, Folk, Country, R&B, and Rock & Roll have crossed paths in Appalachia for generations. Artists from these mountains, towns, churches, clubs, front porches, and communities have helped shape American music, even when Appalachia hasn’t always been included in that story.”

Jones is encouraging people to participate by sharing an Appalachian artist who has moved or inspired them, or whose work deserves greater recognition. The campaign invites people to highlight past and present artists, songs, performances, photographs, memories and stories using #AppalachianSoulMonth.

Album and Novel Explore Black Appalachian Culture

Appalachian Soul Power is a 10-track album drawing from a range of regional musical traditions, combining guitar, piano, horns, layered vocals and rhythm-driven arrangements.

The album serves as a musical companion to Mountain Alchemy, a fictional work inspired by family and community stories Jones heard during his childhood.

Together, the projects explore Black Appalachian culture, resilience, community and cultural memory, with the music providing a sonic landscape for themes developed in the book.

“I can’t think of a better way to release this record than by using the moment to celebrate something much bigger than me,” Jones said. “I want us to remember the artists who came before us, celebrate the people making music here today, and introduce each other to voices we may not know yet.”

A Growing Year for Aristotle Jones

Jones was named a 2026 United States Artists Fellow and selected for the 2026–2027 Central Appalachia Living Traditions Emerging Artists Cohort, funded by Mid Atlantic Arts.

He was also featured on the Summer 2026 cover of Morgantown Magazine. In July, Jones and his band won the International Blues Competition Affiliate Challenge, earning the opportunity to represent West Virginia at the 43rd International Blues Challenge in Memphis from January 19–23, 2027.

Appalachian Soul Power and Mountain Alchemy are being released through Jonesin’ Records on September 22.

Creating Space for Black Appalachian Stories

Jones’ latest work places Black Appalachian identity within a broader conversation about the music, people and communities that have shaped the region.

Through the proposed Appalachian Soul Month, the album and Mountain Alchemy, the West Virginia artist is bringing those histories together across music and literature while inviting audiences to discover other voices from Appalachia.

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