Club Red: Jackie Greene, 3/12

06 Mar Club Red: Jackie Greene, 3/12

With major support from the Telluride Ski Resort, Denise Mongan’s Beyond the Groove is pleased to announce Jackie Greene, with Skin & Bones as the opener. The show is Saturday, March 12 at Club Red at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village. Doors, 8 p.m. Tickets, $25 (GA) – $35 (Preferred Seating) here or call 970-728-7432. All ages.

At the age of 11 or 12. Jackie Greene discovered Nirvana’s Nevermind, a grunge rock standard, and clicked into its attitude instantly. How lucky to have acquired his first electric guitar, a cheap Strat, at about the same time.

Bluesman Ray Charles was also one of his earliest influences. Greene discovered his records at age 14 in the basement of his childhood home in Cameron Park, California, a small town 30 miles east of the state capitol of Sacramento. He had never heard of the likes of blues, soul and R & B, much less on vinyl.

By high school, Greene was a blues, country and old rock freak, who had worked his way backward from Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones to Muddy Waters and Hank Williams, Sr. Other influences include Jeff Tweedy, Merle Haggard, The Replacements and The Pixies, and especially Tom Waits, whose Small Change is purportedly Greene’s #1 favorite record. While Waits’ growling vocals did not appeal at first, Greene’s admiration ultimately became devout. Waits helped Greene understand what top-notch songwriting is all about. Yes, Greene’s influences are a mixed bag, a fact which has shown up time and again in his work over the years.

Sightings of Greene, a musical chameleon and multi-instrumentalist – voice, guitars, dobro, piano, harmonica, and percussion – in Telluride began in 2005 when he first performed at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Greene appeared at Telluride Blues & Brews in 2009 and at the Telluride Wine Festival (Denise booked that one too) and the historic Sheridan Opera House in 2010, but cancelled a much-anticipated encore in 2012.

Bottom line: Jackie Greene is finally returning to Telluride, amen, to perform at Club Red at the Telluride Conference Center in Mountain Village on Saturday, March 12. The opening act is folk/blues duo (with hints of alt country and bluegrass) Skin & Bones: Taylor Borsuk, guitar, vocals, suitcase drum and Peter Blackwelder on violin.

Greene is touring for his seventh album, Back to Birth, which showcases the multitalented artist’s uncanny knack for synthesizing his deep affinity for American roots styles into timeless, personally-charged music.

Although Back to Birth is Greene’s first new solo release in five years, he’s hardly been idle. In fact, the singer-songwriter has spent much of the past few years engaging in a series of collaborative musical adventures that teamed him with several musical heavies.

In 2013, Greene joined the reunited Black Crowes as lead guitarist on their worldwide tour. The following year, he released the self-titled debut album of supergroup Trigger Hippy. (Greene is a member along with Joan Osborne and Crowes drummer Steve Gorman.)

Greene continues to be a frequent member of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh’s touring ensemble Phil Lesh & Friends, for which he has contributed lead guitar and vocals since 2007. He also toured as part of WRG, an acoustic trio with the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson and performed with Levon Helm as part of Helm’s fabled Midnight Ramble shows.

The musical passion and creative integrity that drive Back to Birth have been constants in Jackie Greene’s musical life from the start.

With his musical reference points dramatically altered by the “find”  in his parent’s basement – Ray Charles and that cache of his parents’ vintage rock, country, blues and R&B LPs – Greene began composing original material during high school, quickly developing into a distinctive songwriter and lyricist. He made his first public appearance at the tender age of 16, sitting in with a bar band at a local brewery.

Still in his teens, Greene began writing songs and performing them at a local coffeehouse while recording his compositions in his makeshift garage studio and burning CDRs to sell at his gigs. He saved the money he made selling those discs to fund his debut album, the self-produced, self-released Rusty Nails. Despite being a D.I.Y. project with minimal promotion, the disc received substantial regional attention from fans and press alike.

Greene’s early popularity led to a deal with a local independent label, which released his second album, Gone Wanderin‘, in late 2002. The disc won considerable national attention and led to a series of national tours opening for the likes of B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Susan Tedeschi, Huey Lewis, Mark Knopfler, and Taj Mahal.

Greene continued to win critical acclaim and expand his fan base with 2004’s Sweet Somewhere Bound and 2006’s American Myth.

In 2007, Greene began moonlighting with Phil Lesh and Friends, while continuing his own musical evolution with his own releases Giving Up the Ghost and Till the Light Comes, out in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

“The musicians that I really admire and try to emulate are the ones who have the whole package: they’re great songwriters, great singers and great instrumentalists, and they have a vibe about them that’s real,” he states, adding, “When I go to make a record, I’m not thinking about where I can fit in a bunch of guitar solos. I’m thinking, ‘What does this song feel like? What’s it saying?’ So my goal, when writing a song or making a record, is to find the core of that emotional experience and convey that.”

Although Greene has already racked up a multitude of impressive musical achievements, he is not one to look over his shoulder. Instead, he continues to look to the future and getting back on the road to bring Back to Birth’s soulful songcraft to the loyal, wildly diverse fan base that he has built through talent, vision, and hard work.

“I still plan on making a lot of different kinds of records in the future, but I can’t tell you what they’re going to sound like, because I really have no idea,” he asserts. “All I can do is write songs and make music as honestly as I can. That’s what I believe people appreciate about what I do. They trust me to be honest with them, and I’d never want to abuse that trust.”

For a preview of the show, listen to this from Back to Birth:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm52NV-0mBw

About Beyond the Groove:

Beyond the Groove is Denise Mongan’s music production company. Its goal: bringing quality live music to Telluride, Colorado, primarily at the new Club Red at Telluride Conference Center. Past successes include Blitzen Trapper, Deer Tick, Matisyahu, Cash’d Out, Justin Townes Earle, Dirty Dozen brass Band, Lettuce, Dawes, Jenny Lewis, The Motet, and Elephant Revival. Upcoming shows include Keller Williams and The Jeff Austin Band. Denise has worked in the music business for 30 years and is thrilled to now have the opportunity to be living her passion producing live shows.
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About Club Red:

With a history of sold-out shows in its first two years, Club Red transforms the Telluride Conference Center into an intimate venue showcasing national touring acts. Plush decor, ambient lighting, and VIP seating make this venue unique to the destination.

About Telluride Ski Resort:

Stashed among the highest concentration of 13,000- and 14,000-foot peaks in North America, Telluride offers some of the most spectacular skiing and riding on the planet. Unique culinary experiences on the mountain blend with the world-class restaurants, sophisticated shops, luxury hotels, and great spas. Plus, getting here is easier than ever with non-stop flights from eight major hubs; getting around is a breeze with the free gondola transportation system. Discover why Telluride is “The Most Beautiful Place You’ll Ever Ski.”

For more info visit: www.tellurideskiresort.com.