Jackie Greene: American Musician You Should Know
Ever heard of Americana?
It’s basically American folk music with roots in bluegrass, country, blues, gospel, and more. All of those elements combine into a party that utilizes instrumentation like fiddles, banjos, and harmonicas; it’s something like twangy country without the southern accents but with all of the attitude that might be found in blues and gospel. In recent years, rock music in the United States has been turning more and more to folk roots, but for the most part, Americana is not that popular a subgenre.
Which is why it’s surprising to see a 27-year-old like Jackie Greene blowing up in the scene — bridging gaps and earning the respect of different patches of music fans throughout the country. His most recent album, Giving Up The Ghost, led to the New York Times dubbing him “The Prince of Americana.” With eight albums under his belt, Jackie Greene sells out shows just about everywhere in the U.S., and word on the street is that his shows are well worth it.
Through the years, Greene’s music has transformed quite a bit. His earliest tracks were harmonica-laden hoedowns telling classic stories of heartbreak; his newest are more traditional, mellow rock n’ roll pieces. Despite the fact that I like his oldest work the best, his new stuff is still worth paying some attention to.
Listen to some of his new album at his MySpace site.
- Vivian
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