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12/20/03
Slim's was a lot of fun last night. Our hometown pals Lookingstar did a fine opening set. The place was nearly sold out. That's pretty cool, considering that it is one of the better clubs in one of the most happening cities on the planet.
12/14/03
The Sacramento Bee is running a feature on Jackie today here.
12/5/03
Young Folk-Blues Troubadour Jackie Greene on TWO nationally syndicated radio shows the week of Dec. 12-20
Sacramento- Young folk-blues troubadour Jackie Greene, with a banner year under his belt, ends 2003 with features on TWO nationally syndicated radio shows Dec. 12-14. Both the award-winning MountainStage and The House of Blues Radio Hour will spotlight Greene.
Mountain Stage broadcasts its longest-running live performance show on radio on Friday, December 12 and will run on over 120 stations nationally for seven days. Greene performed solo in early October on the Charleston, West Virginia-originated show while he was on an East Coast tour with Susan Tedeschi. Tedeschi and Greene toured scores of dates together in 2003.
The House of Blues Radio Hour with Elwood Blues will broadcast on Saturday-Sunday, December 13-14. Greene was interviewed in July 2003, prior to his debut festival performances at the Newport Folk Festival and the San Francisco Blues Festival. He received standing ovations and encores on both festivals. House of Blues Radio Hour with Elwood Blues is a weekly syndicated radio show hosted by Elwood Blues (a.k.a. Dan Aykroyd).The radio hour is available in over 180 markets nationwide.
Greene just turned 23 on Thanksgiving. His debut on DIG Music, GONE WANDERIN,' has remained on the national Americana Chart for a year, and found support at key Triple A stations and blues shows across the country. His live performances have consistently drawn rave reviews from both critics and new fans, and he set house records for bandstand sales for virtually every date he opened this year for Susan Tedeschi, Huey Lewis, John Hiatt, Jonny Lang and most recently, BB King.
~ Mindy Giles
10/31/03
Jackie Greene in Sacramento Magazine "Best Of 2003" November issue.
Editor's Pick - "Best Local Troubadour"
"This 22-year old multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter has been compared to such heavy hitters as Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. Greene's talent outstretches his years. Drawing from American music influences such as blues, country, rock and folk, he writes songs with a depth that belies the number of miles on his guitar case. Currently recording for Sacramento's DIG Music, Greene has garnered favorable attention on the music scene with his first CD, GONE WANDERIN'. The local favorite has opened for the likes of Huey Lewis and the News and John Hiatt, and recently received a standing ovation at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island, where the audience demanded an encore."
And tonight, my amazingly gifted band mate will open his first date for B.B. King in Louisville, KY.
Solo.
In the parlance of musicians Mr. King - so far as the blues in concerned - is a "monster."
Have a scary Halloween, Li'l Bro!
; - }
10/17/03
Jackie's solo tour
In a recent report from the road, the Young Maestro informed me that things are going well. Our drummer, Ben, is traveling along as tour manager. The two of them have been taken aboard headliner Susan Tedeschi's tour bus. That sounds like a lot of fun...
Today's Sacramento Bee has an interview with him here.
9/29/03
SF Blues Fest
Before a crowd of about five to seven thousand we played our set from noon to 1pm.We got a standing-o. Jackie did a solo ballad on guitar and harp for the encore that prompted festival organizer Tom Mazzolini to say to our publicist and friend, Mindy, "In 31 years of watching audiences I've never seen them listen like they are listening to this kid right now." Later I got to meet the special guest that sat in with Norton Buffalo and Roy Rogers; The Space Cowboy, a.k.a. The Gangster of Love, a.k.a. Maurice, Mr. Steve "Guitar" Miller himself who - upon hearing who I was and what I was doing - warmly reached over and grabbed my hand and said, "Keep it up!" It turned into a perfectly beautiful afternoon and I came to agree that everyone is right who claims that the San Francisco Blues Festival is the best of them all.
9/20/03
Rockstar cameo with JG Band at club
Okay, here's one from the How Cool Is That department... Last night Huey Lewis dropped by our gig at Marilyn's after his at Raley Field and sat in with us during our encore for "Got My Mojo Workin'." He played some smokin' harp solos and he and I sang back up together. It was sublime. Afterwards he hung out 'till after Kimi and I left just visting with people. Jackie was right, of course: he is a very nice guy.
9/15/03
JG Band plans trip to Southern Cal
So, now that the Jackie Greene Band has finished its first tour of the east coast what are you guys gonna do? We're goin' to Disneyland! Okay, actually House Of Blues in Anaheim but it's close enough for me. Many folks have asked me when we'll be back in the L.A. area and I finally have a date for y'all. It's an opening slot with Jonny Lang so I reckon it'll be kind of a teaser but it's something anyway. Please see my calendar page for details.
Special thanks to Kate and Alicia for their friendship and support at Rancho Nicasio last Friday night. You two are all right. Really.
9/5/03
JG Band completes first east coast tour
Last night opening for The Doobie Brothers was about as good as it gets onstage for me. It was our first time at Raley Field in Sacramento and playing for the hometown was a treat. At the last minute I was able to get some guest passes for two of my dearest friends. To share this kind of experience with your pals really makes it fun. The Brothers wowed me.
Our tour of the midwest and east coast was successful despite a few setbacks. Jackie was out solo with Huey Lewis & The News and Taj Mahal for the first 2 weeks of August. The night we joined Jackie in Dayton, OH was the night of the huge blackout which missed us by several miles. Solomon Burke demonstrated why he is called "The King of Rock & Soul", as well as a Grammy winner and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After his 12-piece band did their smoking set he kissed Jackie on the cheek backstage. "I felt like I was baptised", said the happy boy genius. Then our friend Susan Tedeschi came out and showed the folks at the Fraze Pavillion why she has been nominated for 2 Grammies.
We went on to play 13 more shows in 9 states over the course of 18 days including the Newport Folk Festival & the Madison Blues Festival. There were 3 dates in the state of Michigan including a trip to the most idyllic spot for music I have yet seen called The Interlochen Center For the Arts. We got to have a day off with cabins by the lake... that kind of peace is hard to come by but worth waiting for... Our fairy godmother, Mindy, was able to meet us in Chicago to introduce us to more of her seemingly endless supply of wonderful friends. Special thanks to "The Colonel" for chaufering. A little club called Schuba's afforded us the chance to hang with our friend Ron Kaplan from MPA and his sweetheart who took us out to a great Italian place off Lakeshore Drive. Photographer Paul Natkin gave us a look at his neighborhood as we strolled around the block to get some gritty broken-down-poor-boy-blues shots for the JG portfolio.
Recording a 45 minute show for XM Satellite Radio in Washington D.C. was memorable. Our segment will air the week of October, 6. We also played in NYC for the first time at the Mercury Lounge. Cool room. My cousin Mark and his wife Georgina got to come and introduce me to their old friend John and the world's best pastrami sandwich at Katz's Deli. (Sorry, I didn't save any for you, gentle reader ; - ) The original, funky little House of Blues in Cambrige was a gas. The place is about to close down and I'm glad we had a chance to rock that nice little room before then. Finally, the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Charlestown, RI was a high point to end on. Jackie did a songwriting workshop with 3 other artists including Jim Lauderdale who told me he would always remember the day because Jackie was going places. Of course, a lot of people have told me that but he's the first Grammy winner, so far.
The next road work will be Jackie solo for most of October with Susan Tedeschi and most of November with the incomparable B.B. King.
My brilliant friend, Jarrett Heather, informs me that Jackie Greene's web site will be operational by Oct. 1, which I think folks all over will be happy to see. It's gonna be scha - weeet!
On Tuesday, September 2, I appeared on Dewey Hopper's morning news show on KOVR Channel 13 in Sacramento and made the unprofessional decision to play a new song for which I had barely finished the music. Because I have no marketing strategy I was able to foolishly - perhaps even gleefully - favor art over commerce. Ah, freedom is a glorious luxury, don't you think?
Here's my favorite new Jackie Greene quote: "If people got to know me personally, they'd see that I'm still 22 years old. I like chicks and cars and stuff. Actually, I don't really like cars." from a Madison paper. The article can be found in its entirety here.
8/9/03
Our marketing director/publicist, Mindy Giles, (who is surely worth her weight in gold) has just set up a photo shoot for the band while we're in Chicago with her pal Paul Natkin who is one of the world's premier music photographers. The guy's web site shows some pretty wonderful work.
7/31/03
Did some recording with Jackie and Ben at Studio A of Sy Klopps Studios in San Franciscorecently. Our host, Herbie Herbert, a retired music industry pioneer par excellence, was charming and gracious with regards to hospitality. We were fortunate enough to have one of his pals sit in on one song; virtuoso organ player Howard Wales. Can't divulge what's up yet but let's just say good things are happening for Mr. Greene...
7/14/03
Some photos of last Thursday in Eureka.
6/28/03
Opened for George Thorogood at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA last week. The venue is outstanding... an incredible view of the whole South Bay and Silicon Valley. George is a great showman. He plays the audience like a piano.
Yesterday we flew back from Denver after doing 3 shows in Colorado. The community concert in Vail was quite fun...excellent venue, great people. (Thanks again Diane!) The other 2 dates were opening for John Hiatt & The Goners at Steamboat Springs and Boulder. We saw some beautiful country, heard some great songs, and I think Sonny Landreth taught me a thing or two about electric slide guitar. During our soundcheck at Steamboat Ben asked me how his rental kick drum sounded to which I shot back my usual reply: "Just like a trash can lid" at which he pointed out that Kenneth Blevins' kit set up behind us had a genuine trash can lid perched among the symbols... I love rock and roll.
It was good to be home and play for our friends in town at Caesar Chavez park in Sacramento last night. Jackie has a bad cold but made it through our 50 minute set admirably. An attenandance record in the park for the summer was reportedly set. I enjoyed hearing local band Looking Star for the first time. They are as good as I had expected them to be from the things I had heard. Also, Victory Gin played a kicking set as usual.Special thanks to Jerry Perry and Eric Bianchi for promotion and sound. You guys are a local treasure. Wish I could've made it down to Old Ironsides for the final performance of Grub Dog and the Amazing Sweethearts before Grub & Mo move to Austin but I was running on fumes.
6/17/03
Had a great time at the Denver Blues And Bones Festival last weekend. There was plenty of good music on the bill and we had a lot of fun. My favorite was the headliner, The Derek Trucks Band. I had the pleasure of hanging out with them for a while. Derek strikes me as a true southern gentleman in addition to being a very gifted musician. His band is made up of top notch players with great attitudes. I think we'll be running into him again soon as we have more work to do with his wife, Susan Tedeschi, this summer.
I also want to mention The Subdudes who are a fine band. Check 'em out.
The festival volunteers were quite kind to us...thank you Sarah, Theresa, Alicia, Marta!
Peace, Hence
p.s. This just in: VH1 seems to think that Jackie Greene and Bob Dylan are related. Click here to see what I mean.
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