Jackie Greene

Jackie Greene performed at The State Room in Salt Lake City on January 29, 2010. Jackie looks like a cross between Johnny Depp and Bob Dylan (in his youth) and sounds like a modern reincarnate of Mr. Dylan although Jackie’s voice is much more melodic. His style of song writing is similar as well, epic tales of love, loss, regret and of course heartache. Jackie is a whole package, singer songwriter, master guitarist and piano player, its no wonder he has created a huge fan base that spans the globe. He began his career as a folk singer and but later in his career gravitated to a bluesy form of rock and roll. You can see his killer version of BB King;s classic The Thrill Is Gone below filmed live on this very night. Run do not walk to your PC and download Jackie’s latest work , Giving Up The Ghost, it is flawless.

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For a complete set of photos from this show see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gonzoshots/sets/72157623367026412/

Below is a live video taken during the show on January 29th, watch as Jackie and the gang nail the blues classic, The Thrill Is Gone, and why shouldn’t he have it down he learned directly from the author and master BB King himself while touring with him:

Growing up in a small, rural town in Northern California, Greene took to music quickly, eventually outgrowing the tastes of his peers. On his own, he discovered the lost sides of Hank Williams, Ray Charles, Leadbelly and Muddy Waters. America’s past it seems, was all available on 12” wax.

Shortly after high school, Greene took the lessons of these records to this stage. His career picked up steam as he played hoot-nights and coffeehouses. Dubbed a ‘young blues prodigy’ he moved to Sacramento, releasing the self-produced album Rusty Nails from the trunk of his car. It led to his signing with indie label Dig Music, eventually morphing into the folksier artist seen on 2003′s Gone Wanderin’.

Always progressing, Greene leaped ahead again on Sweet Somewhere Bound, an amalgam of rustic blues and classic country. By the tender age of 23, Greene had 3 albums, a DVD and miles of touring under his belt. But in 2005 and 2006, he took an unexpected turn from acoustic folk to rock and roll, releasing American Myth for the Verve Forecast/Universal label and putting together a world-class rock band along the way.

The journey, though by no means easy, is now the depth behind his music. From humble beginnings in foothill dive bars to a world wide fan base, Jackie Greene has done everything his own way. While others waste their time—and their credibility—on becoming slaves to the spotlight, you’ll find Greene mastering his craft.

“I’ve been writing, recording and performing non-stop. I’ve lived in cars, hotels, basements…slept on floors, couches, strange girl’s beds.

I wrote lots of songs in those places. Some I’ll never remember, but that’s all part of it, I guess.”
With a stream-of-consciousness vibe, many of Greene’s songs reflect a certain spontaneity, traveling quickly from inspiration to album to fan. Each one recorded honestly, and then given to the world.

“Music that’s too perfect isn’t music anymore. It’s better to just capture a moment in time.” says Greene of his philosophy.Integrity, in the end, is nothing without quality. So it is here that Greene delivers; backing each ounce of sincerity with a pound of great music.

Whether it’s a soulful ballad or a ballsy rocker, you can count on breathtaking melody and poetic lyricism. The smoky voice that lifts the choruses of rock album American Myth is the same one that whispers the sorrowful verses in Sweet Somewhere Bound.

Just as the “clap your hands” enthusiasm of the bluegrass flavored Gone Wanderin’ quickly turns to the passion of Rusty Nails. It is this ability to truly capture emotion that makes his music equally meaningful to the loved and the loveless.

“I’ve made four records in my life and each one is different on purpose,” Greene remarks on his diverse catalog. “If you do the same record over and over, it becomes a boring day job. I believe it’s important to stretch as far as your bones will let you.”

Greene’s enigmatic work then follows the human theme of contradiction—the natural result of philosophy rooted in experimentation and growth. As comfortable in an arena as an empty bar, with an acoustic or with electric, Jackie Greene comes to symbolize a rare versatility.

He’s open to trying just about anything…except being tied down. It’s what makes him so relatable for the sinners, the saints, the dreamers or the broken-hearted. Regardless of musical tastes or background, the emotional honesty and musical skill transcend all. For this, Jackie Greene, at just 25 years old, becomes an artist fans will enjoy for decades to come.

Greene was born in Salinas, California, and developed an interest in music at an early age, starting with the piano. At 14, he began to play guitar and within a short time, was able to sit in with local bar bands. As he got older, he began composing his own songs. He recorded in a makeshift garage studio, burning his own CDs and selling them everywhere he could. Using the money he saved, Greene was eventually able to record and release his first full-length album, Rusty Nails, on his own.

After graduating from Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, California, Greene moved to Sacramento, where he began performing regularly. Marty DeAnda, owner of local label DIG Music, noticed Greene at an open-mic session in 2001 and signed him as the label’s first artist.

In late 2002, Greene released his first album with DIG, Gone Wanderin’, which won the California Music Award for the Best Blues/Roots Album in 2003 and remained on the national Americana charts for over a year. In 2004, Greene released his third album, Sweet Somewhere Bound, and began receiving radio play for singles like “Honey I Been Thinking About You”.

Greene has toured nationally with B.B. King, Phil Lesh, Ratdog, Huey Lewis, Susan Tedeschi, Taj Mahal, and Buddy Guy, and has played most major U.S. festivals, including All Good, Gathering of the Vibes,Mountain Jam, Newport Jazz, Newport Folk, South by Southwest, Wakarusa, Winnipeg Folk, Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, and Rothbury.

In early 2005, he signed with a major record label, Verve Forecast. Sweet Somewhere Bound was reissued that year, followed by a new release, American Myth, in March 2006. The following year, Greene joined Phil Lesh and Friends, the Grateful Dead bassist’s ensemble dedicated to the interpretation of the Dead’s extensive song book.

Other members of the band at the time included John Molo, Larry Campbell and Steve Molitz. Also in 2005 his song “I Will Never Let Go” was used in the soundtrack for the movie Brokeback Mountain which was also released on the Verve label.

Meanwhile, Greene continued to pursue solo efforts, releasing Giving Up the Ghost on 429 Records in April 2008, and made his second visit to Late Night With Conan O’Brien in June 2008, performing “Like A Ball & Chain”. Another song from the album, “I Don’t Live in a Dream”, was featured on episodes of the NBC television series Life in November 2008 and ABC‘s Private Practice in March 2009.

In October through November 2009, Jackie Greene played a series of shows with Gov’t Mule, culminating at the end of the tour on Halloween at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, during which Jackie played and sang through an entire set of Rolling Stones songs with Gov’t Mule.

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 10:30 pm. It is filed under Live music reviews, The State Room and tagged with Jackie Greene, Salt Lake City, The State Room. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.