J.P. and Chrissie bypass barriers, find music

• What: JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys, in concert. The concert is for adults 21 and older.

• When: 8 p.m. Oct. 21.

• Where: Roseland Theater, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave., Portland.

• Cost: $20-$32.50 through TicketsWest, 800-992-8499 or http://ticketswest.com.

• Information: http://roselandpdx.com.

There’s no doubt with JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys that the initial attention-grabbing part of the group is the “Chrissie.” That would be Chrissie as in Hynde, the long-time leader of the Pretenders.

The JP is J.P. Jones, a British songwriter who has some history to trade on in the United Kingdom, but is virtually unknown in the United States. And while forming a group with a famous artist like Hynde might seem like an obvious way for a new artist to get noticed and boost his career, Hynde said she was surprised when Jones first suggested that they try making an album together.

“When he said to me, ‘I think we could write a great album together,’ the first thing I thought was why would he (encumber) himself with someone who’s already had a career and he’s this upcoming artist?” Hynde said in a phone interview that also included Jones. “I felt that could be something that would be unwelcome to someone, the danger of being in my shadow or something.”

Music fans are going to be happy that Hynde didn’t let that concern keep her from agreeing to write with Jones. The music they wrote is now out on “Fidelity,” the debut album from JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys, and it’s arguably the best album Hynde has made since 1983’s “Learning To Crawl,” the Pretenders’ third CD.

Some of the songs on “Fidelity” will feel comfortable to Pretenders fans. “Fairground Luck,” “Courage” and “Australia” fall into the mid-tempo rock/pop vein of such Pretenders’ favorites as “Brass In Pocket” and “Kid.” There is also a bit of the country-leaning sound Hynde explored on the 2008 Pretenders CD, “Break Up The Concrete,” on songs like “Leave Me If You Want” and “Never Drink Again.”

There are certainly enough random and fortuitous elements to the Hynde/Jones story to make it seem that their unlikely partnership is one of those “meant to be” collaborations.

Hynde was at a party in London in November 2008, propped up against the bar having polished off several drinks, when Jones came up and introduced himself. Despite the noise and her foggy state of mind, Jones made an impression, and the two stayed in touch, trading text messages and song ideas.

At the same time, sparks were flying on a more personal level. Of course, the age difference between Jones, 31, and Hynde, 59, made the idea of romance unlikely. But it made for a great source of inspiration.

So when the Pretenders wrapped up touring, Hynde decided to take Jones up on his offer to make a CD together. In a single week, they wrote most of the material for “Fidelity.” Not surprisingly, the songs explore the story of two people who fall in love, but can’t act on their emotions because of their age difference.

Hynde said she found Jones completely encouraging as a collaborator. He helped her to explore ideas that she might have abandoned on her own out of insecurity.

For Jones, the partnership with Hynde did nothing less than help him find his own voice as a songwriter. That’s something that wasn’t happening before “Fidelity.”

Jones had first come on the radar in a band called Grace, which was compared to Snow Patrol but got dropped by EMI after failing to make many waves. When he met Hynde, he was writing songs he found less than satisfying and playing in rocking British band Big Linda (three of the Fairground Boys — guitarist Patrick Murdock, bassist Vezio Baccio and drummer Geoff Holroyde — are in Big Linda, while keyboardist Sam Swallow rounds out the Fairground Boys lineup). But collaborating with Hynde changed that.

“It’s the first time that I’ve been really truthful and honest and completely heart-on-sleeve in the songs I’d been writing,” Jones said. “I was always, back home, signed with a major label and being pushed to write hits for radio and stuff, whereas I discovered that you don’t need to. True rock and roll is something that comes from the most truthful, honest place inside you. That’s what Chrissie’s taught me.”

Hynde and Jones are building on their partnership on tour now, playing plenty of songs from “Fidelity,” as well as several other songs the two expect to put on a second JP, Chrissie and the Fairground Boys album. Hynde is also enjoying sharing the stage with another front person.

“This is completely different, actually sharing the lead vocal with someone, and it’s been a revelation,” Hynde said. “I love it. This isn’t the kind of thing you can buy in the shops. It’s not something you can set out to do. It’s like falling in love. You don’t know when it’s going to happen and all of a sudden it’s there and you just have to deal with it. I mean, it’s made me think, ‘What did I do right all these years that I’ve got this great gift at the end of it all?’”