Jackie Greene

A few years ago, I caught Jackie Greene opening up for Taj Mahal. He was an unsigned dude who looked a kind of like Dylan and also sounded a bit like him as well. Unlike most opening acts he had stuff, like a pitcher throwing somewhere in the sticks that you just know when a scout sees him will be primed for big things.

Fast forward a few years, and I'm working at a record company that was made for someone like Jackie Greene. We got a copy of his album debut album Gone Wanderin' sent to us. I pushed for it but to no avail. Verve Forecast though had the foresight to sign him and they released his fourth album American Myth and it's a keeper. Below are two tracks from it. Greene can pull off the Ramblin' Jack type ballads as well as the proverbial house rockers. Quite a talent if you ask this writer. No doubt Jackie Greene will one day release a fine record a la Blonde on Blonde or Green River.

From what I remember about his introduction at the Taj show, Greene was a blues prodigy, making his way along the blues circuit with honors and winning a bunch of awards/talent shows or something like that. But I got no proof of that at all.

Greene along with a few friends recorded and released a Dylan tribute album titled Positvely 12th and K. I got to say before splitting that Gone Wanderin' is fearsome and a total shakeup. Not every song is great but the one's that are, well they just are. The raw talent the guy has is remarkable. He also appears on Endless Highway, a new trib to The Band (you can listen to the whole album at the site).

I'm So Gone
When You're Walking Away