April 11, 2025 — Nearing his 30th year as a frontman, Chris Jones and his band, the Night Drivers, serve up another one of the bluegrass singer-songwriter’s characteristically wry meditations in his latest Mountain Home Music Companysingle, “Plenty Ventured.”
“This twist on the old proverb, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained,’ popped into my head pretty much out of the blue,” Jones recalls. “The idea of putting too much effort or resources into a lost cause is certainly relatable, whether it’s in love or work or some other part of life. We’ve all been there at some point or another. Once I started working on it, it lent itself to a bluesy feel, and it really clicked for us in the studio. Mark Stoffel came up with the little melodic variation that starts the song.”
Indeed, Stoffel’s contribution, first served up after an unusual bass kick-off supplied by Jones’ longtime colleague, Marshall Wilborn, sets the musical mood as it introduces the song’s asymmetrical yet naturally flowing timing. And right from the start, Jones’ expressive voice delivers a lyric that stands apart from familiar bluegrass tropes:
I always took the hopeful line
Like I could will the sun to shine
But heavy clouds still turned to rain
Plenty ventured, nothing gained
With tasty solos from Jones, Stoffel and banjoist Grace van’t Hof serving as a palate cleanser of sorts between two passes of the song’s gently self-deprecating chorus — guest fiddler and labelmate Carley Arrowood takes the spotlight only at the very end of the performance — “Plenty Ventured” is another well-rounded Night Drivers offering that underlines their leader’s distinctive blend of lyrical depth and wit, wide-ranging outlook and bedrock bluegrass sound.
“Plenty Ventured” is streaming in Dolby Atmos spatial audio on Apple Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL. Listen to it HERE.
About Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Whether it’s in the studio or on stage, Chris Jones & The Night Drivers are making some of the most distinctively elegant yet driving music to be heard anywhere today, and they’re delivering it with a unique blend of dry wit, emotional authenticity and broad humor that’s won the loyalty of a growing number of fans across the country, from MerleFest in North Carolina to California’s Huck Finn Jubilee, and around the world.
Steve Martin referred to the Night Drivers as “. . . some of the best players in bluegrass! Chris Jones’ voice is there with the great masters.” Americana artist Jim Lauderdale said of Chris, “He continues to have one of the most distinctive and best voices in music, period.”
The band — which is Mark Stoffel on mandolin, Grace van’t Hof on banjo and ukelele and Marshall Wilborn on bass — is led by Chris’ soulful lead-singing, songwriting, and solid rhythm and lead guitar. Chris boasts extensive performance credits as a sideman with artists like Lynn Morris, Vassar Clements, Special Consensus, Dave Evans, Earl Scruggs, and the acclaimed Irish band The Chieftains.
Altogether, members of Chris Jones & The Night Drivers have won more than a dozen IBMA awards and have recorded more than ten #1 songs. The Night Drivers also bring name recognition in related fields, as bluegrass fans are well-familiar with Jones for his award-winning work as a SiriusXM DJ, on both Bluegrass Junction and Willie’s Roadhouse.