Search - Jackie Greene :: Gone Wanderin'

Got himself a future

Mitchell Lopate | Silverdale, WA | 03/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Blowing a tasty blues harmonica and really filling up the space in between with fluid and rich chords, Jackie Greene plays his way into your hearts and ears. Confidence-that's one thing he has; his voice carries it strongly with the homespun lyrics that pour out in a sensitive tenor. Maybe another Jackson Browne? The urge to catalogue him is immediate-but not as easy as I wanted. The harmonica was vintage Dylan-and maybe Neil Young. The same for the guitar: on an acoustic, he looks as though he had been on stage for years, especially with the furious rhythm he sets on several songs. Who did something like that...Buddy Holly? Maybe. Where did he get that maturity? Something like Waylon as a young man...and he finger-picks ballads ("Gracie") like Willie did before he went grizzled and gray. But Jackie is skinny-has a mop of dark hair that sits under a porkpie hat-and looks like someone ought to take him home and keep him for a while. He can pull up to a keyboard set and proceeded to ripple as fine a boogie-woogie cabaret piano as Billy Joel would do-and yes, the harp is still clamped and honking. No fooling: this is why those lessons you quit in spite of your parents' pleas were valuable. He's also quite adept at bluegrass banjo, electric guitar, and a Hammond B-3 too, but that's on the CD. And it rocks-with good licks and rough-and-ready stuff. "Tell Me Mama, Tell Me Right" just slides ever so gracefully under your shuffling feet, "Mexican Girl" has Jackie torn between love and destiny, "Down in the Valley Woe" goes aloft with a fast-paced crescendo, "Cry Yourself Dry" means you just closed the bar, and "Freeport Boulevard" is where the action's at for a hot night. Now, let me get back to the CD; is he a western Van Morrison? Maybe he came from the days of Poco? Just can't help comparing him...and most likely, he's gonna be just fine being himself."

The talented Mr. Green

T. Piccuillo | 08/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like many other reviewers, my first exposure to Jackie Green came earlier this year when I saw him open up for Jonny Lang in Anaheim, CA. Though Jonny Lang delivered an amazing show and exhibited why he is considered one of the most talented guitar players on the planet, Jackie Green would have been worth the price of admission by himself. He plays with a raw energy that grabs you on the very first note. His music is a combination blues, folk, and good old fashioned rock-and-roll, and his play on the acoustic guitar, piano, and harmonica will astound you. Buy this record. Buy all of Jackie Green's records. And if you have the chance to see him live, don't miss it!"

The real deal

D. P Schmidt | Folsom, CA USA | 08/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is Greene's second album. Although I personally don't think it's as strong as Rusty Nails (his first) or Gone Wanderin (his 3rd) it is, nonetheless, amazing. There's a tendency to try to define this guy by relating him to other artists (Dylan, Waits, Henley, Greg Allman, etc.). That doesn't give you the true story - Jackie does use elements that seem to be made up of the best-of-the-best but he has his own sound, and his own style - it's just hard to describe. I've exposed this record to a lot of diverse folks who like a lot of different type of music - everyone, without exception, has loved it."