JJ Albums:.......... THE OUTSKIRTS OF A GIANT TOWN (2007).....NEW YORK LOUNGE VOCAL (Slow Food Music, Japan).........PASSAPORTO (2005)......GOIN'BACK-JJ-SINGS-GOFFINKING-SONGBOOK (2005)....SO HIGH (2004)....TOGETHER IN TIME (2002)....BIRDS (2000)....SLOWLY BRIGHT (1999)....LOVE LANE (1998)....WELCOME TO MY SOLAR SYSTEM (1997).............................................................................Players:...........
Greg Wiz, (drums, bg vox)
Sonny Santino Barbato (accordionist, piano, guitar)
Paul Bryan (bass, chamberlin, bg vox, producer)
Pat Sansone (bass, guitar, keyboards, bg vox producer)
Nashville Brad Jones (bass, guitar, producer)
Oren Bloedow (guitar, bg vox)
Roland Satterwhite (violin)
Nate Walcott (trumpet, french horn, flugle horn).......................................................
Kimon Kirk (electric, upright bass) John Abbey (bass)
Mark Hutchins (drums)
Jay Bellerose ,Micky Grimm,Kenny Wallason(drums)
Will Kimbrough(guitar)
Kevin Barry(guitar)
David Henry, Jane Scarpantoni,Jason Frangos (cello)
Lorenza Ponce(violin)
Jim Hoke (flute)
(drums)
Josh Rouse (bg vox)
David Poe (guitar, producer)
Jonny Polonsky (guitar, bass, keys)
Joe Fitzgerald (upright bass)
(drums)
Kevin Salem (guitar, producer)
Jon Sanchez (guitar, vocals)
John Leon (Pedal Steel)
Gary Newcomb (Pedal Steel and Guitar)
Billy Doughty (drums, bg vox)
Influences
ocean, sky, seasons, LOVE, animals, people, time, dreams, travel, language, and Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros, by Flight of the Conchords.
MARCH 2007 : TRIFECTAgram :
Choice pick:
Jenifer Jackson – THE OUTSKIRTS OF A GIANT TOWN
Her best album, the first instant classic to be
released this year. Over the course of her previous
six albums, Jackson has carved out a niche that is
uniquely her own, even though she wears her
influences on her sleeve (Bacharach, the Beatles, and
Brazilian jazz/pop most notably). There’s an
impressive clarity of vision that pervades her music
–a courageous one. It’s what Camus meant by “lucidite”
– it’s evident from the first song on this album that
this is someone who is firing on all cylinders, every
synapse wide awake and often painfully aware of what’s
going on. Her melancholy, intricate, jazz-inflected
psychedelia doesn’t shy away from despair or
loneliness. But there’s always a light at the end of
the tunnel: as strange as it may seem at first listen,
this is ultimately a hopeful, optimistic album.
Recorded live in the studio in order to evince as much
interplay between musicians as possible, it’s a
multistylistic tour de force, opening with Don’t Fade,
old school 60s- 70s soul with fluttery organ fills
and a soaring vocal. Like Sandy Denny, Jackson’s
formidable prowess as a singer may not be physical –
she’s not a big belter – but she packs an emotional
wallop.
The album’s next cut Suddenly Unexpectedly, set to a
fast shuffle beat with a bossa melody and layers of
keys is pure psychedelic tropicalia. The following
track, Saturday, is something of an epic, the most
powerful song she’s ever recorded. It starts out
somewhat Beatlesque, like a George song from the White
Album. She pedals a chord through the verse, then all
of a sudden the minor-key chorus descends: “It doesn’t
matter anyway – I’ll keep it in my memory, that lovely
Saturday” Then the second verse kicks in, and
everything picks up a notch. Jackson is also a
painter, and as the images unwind, this tersely
imagistic portrait of a young woman absolutely and
heartbreakingly alone is absolutely, heartbreakingly
beautiful.
After that, we get I Want to Start Something, more
old-school soul psychedelia, accordionist Sonny
Barbato playing some delicious licks off Jackson’s
equally tasty rhythm guitar. Then her voice takes
flight again at the end of the verse: “I’d like to
find a place that feels like home…been so many places
I don’t know why I can’t find it.”
The next cut Dreamland begins with a strangely
captivating, tinkly piano intro into a wash of
cymbals, then Jackson’s guitar kicks in all by itself.
It’s Nashville gothic with all kinds of eerie, echoey
effects from lead player Oren Bloedow’s guitar,
scarier than the fast, bluegrass-inflected version she
used to play live, and a gorgeously sad lyric: “The
way you loved me was a sin/I played a game I couldn’t
win/But still I tried to enter in/To the outer edge of
Dreamland.”
Other standout tracks on the cd include the title
track, gentle pastoral raga rock evocative of
Meddle-era Pink Floyd, with an amazing piano break by
Barbato; Anywhere I Would Journey, with its slow
descending progression and watery lead guitar; The
Change, an epic old-school soul song that Isaac Hayes
would be proud to have written; and For You, which
with its tricky time changes and 60s garage rock feel
wouldn’t be out of place on a Love Camp 7 record.
This album is generously multi-purpose: it’s a hell of
a headphone album, it would make a great bedroom
record, but it’s also a good thing to give to anyone
you know who’s going off the deep end. Jackson’s
gentle, soft voice and her wise, knowing lyrics offer
a kind of solace that’s completely absent in indie
rock, and the inspiring interplay of the killer band
behind her is mesmerizing. She deserves props for
having the guts to reach down into the abyss to come
up with some of the songs on this album, while never
losing sight of the subtle, frequently surreal wit
that so many of them are imbued with. It’s only March,
but I think we’ve found the best album of 2007 and
this is it. Cds are available at cdbaby.com, in better
record stores and at shows, peep the website...........................
http://www.jeniferjackson.com...................................................
.......................................................
PURCHASE any of JJ's albums (Love Lane, Slowly Bright, Birds, So High, Passaporto, THE OUTSKIRTS OF A GIANT TOWN) by writing her here or at www.cdbaby.com
LOVE this pic of you Jenny Jackson.x jabe Ps. When someone else reads this comment, beware, what ever you do don't call Jenifer, "Jenny". Only I can do it without her pulling a face.
We really enjoyed the show at Flips last night! You are quite the songstress -lovely. You have an open invitation and we hope to see you in the studio before you leave town.
Jenifer! The most crunkadelic, tropacrunkea, and ever so crunkworthy of singers! I will most likely play "Marcha Da Quarta-Feria De Cinzas" by Nara. I was walking outside just after the rain and it reminded me of that song. Yesterday I saw a little black bird with red wings. Beautiful. NY tomorrow! I am both nervous and excited. When I walk down E 6th street, I will send good wishes to the past presences of you and Sendy and Vlad! It's hard to stay fit during vacation without walking up those steps!
I can't believe I just went online, went onto myspace, and typed that.
In other news, I just saw a tiny red bird, a black one with red wings, and a baby blue bird- all on the deer field about a mile out of town. Beautiful. & somewhat crunktastic.
ps I will be filling in for Irene on WFMU on Monday! I just picked a lovely Nara Leao song to share.
Jenifer, I'm blown away by your sublime music. I have been deeply enjoying so many tracks from several of your records. Your music feels like a giant gift to me personally... how selfish, huh?!! -w
Hi Jenifer! I can definitely relate to "I Want To Start Something". You have a great voice and it's no wonder that your music is getting around the world. Please stay in touch and I'll do the same. Cathy :) "Keyboard Cathy" www. myspace. com/keyboardcathy www. keyboardcathy. com
Jenifer, I'm glad the Japanese girls turned me on to your music! If you can please post this comment: I've got a cool lil' Texas jaunt, opening for Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, May 18th & 20th. Please tell your TEXAN friends and EMAIL HERE FOR UNLIMITED FREE GUEST LIST: EllaRecords@yahoo.com
it will happen -- hopefully before the mainstream embraces big handlebar moustaches. I don't wanna come of as some Johnny-come-lately-handlebar-moustache-wearer.
