Here’s a treat that’s worth sharing. I sat down to listen to this special sneak peek of The Modern Lives – Vol 2 EP, from Americana and roots singer-songwriter Jackie Greene and all I can say is, holy moly! From the first strum I had a smile on face and it just got better from there.
The first track, “Crazy Comes Easy,” is a free-wheeling organ-groovin’ cool and hooky guitar fest. This leads into the fast picking, harmonica driven, “Good Old Bad Times.” The collection goes on to explore Americana, folk and some roots rock, all purely recorded. He effortlessly moves from driving grooves to sweet ballads, and every song is not only fantastically well-written, but also performed with a confident, exuberant energy that feels like a breath of fresh open country air. The EP officially releases October 5. Greene shares, “This is the second installment in my Modern Lives EP series. The first one came out last year. It’s a collection of recordings I made by myself in my basement in Brooklyn, NY. I played every instrument on the album. It was really a labor of love. I didn’t have a whole lot of gear, or much space to work in. The sounds of the city would creep in sometimes. There’s the muffled sound of a car horn here and there. I just kept it all in there. Its a pretty raw album.” Jackie Greene is a jack-of-all-trades, and an artist who can croon over soulful piano ballads as much as he can shred a bluesy guitar solo (like he did as the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes in 2013). A road warrior and musician’s musician, Greene’s new EP The Modern Lives – Vol 2 finds him at a new chapter in his life: his first months of fatherhood, time off his relentless touring circuit and a cross-country move from Brooklyn to his birthplace of Northern California. This new collection of six original songs is a thematic extension of The Modern Lives – Vol 1 EP (released in 2017) imbued with a Brooklyn basement DIY feel and ethos. He is a student of American music, transfixed upon its progression through time, as well as how regional sounds fit in a contemporary context. Whereas Vol 1′saw Greene experiment with the Delta blues as a canvas for his examinations of modern society, Vol 2 sees Greene embrace the sounds of the bluegrass and folk tapes of his youth. Since the release of his critically acclaimed debut album Gone Wanderin’, Greene has built an endearing audience through a relentless touring schedule with the likes of BB King, Mark Knopfler, Susan Tedeschi and Taj Mahal. He played lead guitar with The Black Crowes on their Layin’ Down With #13 World Tour, recorded and toured with Trigger—his supergroup with Joan Osborne—and in the last four years performed over 300 shows of his own, all while continuing to record and release his solo work. Greene is a frequent member of Phil Lesh & Friends, and sits in with countless other artists including Tedeschi Trucks Band, Govt Mule, Mississippi All-Stars, Amy Helm, Steve Earle and Bob Weir. Greene is on tour now. Check him out at: Thursday, Oct. 4 – Philadelphia, PA – World Café Live Friday,Oct. 5 – New York City, NY – Town Hall Saturday, Oct. 13 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore Sunday, Oct. 14 – Los Angeles, CA – The Fonda Theatre For more information please visit: http://www.jackiegreene.com