Jason Townsend
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Jason R. Townsend (born March 4, 1969) is an American artist and record producer best known for his work with music and video releases by Daniel Amos, The 77s, The Swirling Eddies and The Lost Dogs, through the record labels Stunt Records and Fools of the World.
Townsend grew up in Wentzville, Missouri, not far from the home of rock and roll legend Chuck Berry. Townsend's great uncle was author Ira Jones, former sergeant of singer Elvis Presley.
In the late 1980s, Townsend designed stages, Tshirts and backdrops for musicals and conferences, including Youth Encounter, held each year in Springfield, Illinois at the 8,900-seat Prairie Capital Convention Center. Thousands of teenagers attended YE each year to see a number of speakers and musical guests, including Tony Campolo, and Bryan Duncan.
In 1996, Townsend with brother Eric Townsend started publishing the underground Giovanni Audiori Catalog, named in tribute of the late songwriter Mark Heard whom sometimes used the name Giovanni Audiori. The catalog was used primarily by record collectors, and independent record labels like Heard's Fingerprint Records, Larry Norman's Solid Rock Records, Daniel Amos' Stunt Records as well as music stores to advertise their merchandise, which - in the cases of independent or fan club releases - often didn't receive a lot of attention in the regular media. The catalog also became the primary source of promotion for a number of very limited edition releases, including a CD of Heard's earliest LP, Setting Yesterday Free. The catalog also included in-depth discographies from a variety of artists and even the occasional "readers" interview, in which the readers of the catalog themselves were able to submit questions which were then given to a musician to answer. Many musical artists also contributed to running columns, such as a "top 10 records of all time" series which featured top 10 lists from musicians like Gene Eugene and Jon Knox of Adam Again, Mike Roe and Mark Harmon of The 77s, Ashley Cleveland, Phil Madeira, Randy Stonehill, This Train, Rob Watson, Brian Healy, David Raven, Mitch McVicker, Jimmy Abegg, Mike Stand, John Fischer and others. Comedian David Brenner also contributed an unusual comment or two to the catalog. The name of the catalog was later changed to the simpler Audiori's Catalog before finally coming to an end in 1999.
That same year, the Townsends began to work more closely with Stunt Records and, later, The 77s' Fools of the World label. In the years that followed, Townsend contributed to numerous Stunt and Fools of the World releases with work in the areas of photography, audio restoration and editing, video editing, graphic design and layout, and more. In 2007, both Townsends were mentioned by name in a song by The Swirling Eddies, "A Medley of our Hit," from the album The midget, the speck and the molecule.
Townsend currently lives near St. Louis, Missouri with his wife Laura.
[edit] Selected Discography
- Mark Heard - On Turning to Dust Limited Edition CD reissue (1998)
- Mark Hea - Infinity Plus Three - Setting Yesterday Free Limited Edition CD reissue (1998)
- Rich Mullins - The Jesus Record (Assistance) (1998)
- CCM Magazine 20th Anniversary Radio Special
- The Lost Dogs - The Best of the Lost Dogs (Photography) (1999)
- Mark Heard - Mystery Mind (Producer, Editing) (2000)
- Daniel Amos - The Alarma Chronicles Book Set (Research, Compilation Production)
- Terry Scott Taylor - Imaginarium (Producer) (2000)
- Various Artists - When Worlds Collide: A Tribute to Daniel Amos, and the music of Terry Scott Taylor (Producer) (2000)
- The Choir - Never Say Never Boxed set (Research) (2001)
- Daniel Amos - Mr. Buechner's Dream (Executive Producer) (2001)
- The 77s - Happy Chrimbo (Blood, sweat and tears) (2001)
- Randy Stonehill - Uncle Stonehill's Hat (2001)
- Daniel Amos - When Everyone Wore Hats (Executive Producer) (2002)
- The Lost Dogs - The Green Room Serenade, Part Tour (Photography) (2002)
- Terry Scott Taylor - Avocado Club Exclusive Volume 1 (2002)
- Terry Scott Taylor - LITTLE, big (Executive Producer) (2002)
- Terry Scott Taylor - Random Acts and Hodgepodge (2002)
- The 77s - Guilty Pleasures (Blood, sweat and tears) (2002)
- Various Artists - Suffer the Children (Mastering) (2002)
- Daniel Amos - Live in Anaheim 1985 DVD (2003)
- Mark Heard - Hammers and Nails (rerelease of Mystery Mind) (2003)
- Terry Scott Taylor - Avocado Club Exclusive Volume 2 (2003)
- Terry Scott Taylor & Michael Roe - All Day Sing and Dinner on the Ground (Blood, sweat and tears) (2003)
- Various Artists - Come As A Child or Not At All (Mastering) (2003)
- Terry Scott Taylor - Imaginarium: Songs from the Neverhood (Producer)(2004)
- Cornerstone Festival 20 Years and Counting DVD (Cinematography) (2004)
- Daniel Amos - The Making of Mr. Buechner's Dream DVD ({Producer, Editing) (2005)
- The 77s DVD Collection (Cinematography) (2006)
- Daniel Amos - Daniel Amos 30th Anniversary reissue (2006)
- Daniel Amos - Instruction Through Film DVD (2007)
- The Swirling Eddies - The midget, the speck and the molecule CD (2007)
- Terry Scott Taylor - Random Acts and Hodgepodge, Expanded Edition, (2008)
- The Swirling Eddies - Swirling Mellow, 2008 Edition
- The 77s - Happy Chrimbo, Reissue (2008)
- Terry Scott Taylor & Michael Roe - All Day Sing and Dinner on the Ground, Reissue,(2008)
- Daniel Amos - Darn Floor - Big Bite Deluxe Reissue, (2008)
