This Just In ~ New CD Release by Jacquin
By Jacque Roche
If you
haven’t heard Greg Jacquin’s single, The
Station you simply must in preparation of his new album release this February.
The new album, entitled Hudson River is
chock full of dulcet, melodious tracks revealing the emotions and personal
obstacles Jacquin encountered during a transitional time in his life. Like many of us, the responsibilities of a
demanding job and young family took priority during the early years. It was
retirement that allowed Greg the freedom to rekindle his songwriting dreams while
navigating his evolution from blue-collar worker to music show promoter, composer
and self-album releaser.
With
influences that include; The Beatles, Cat Stevens, The Avett Brothers and The
Flaming Lips, Jacquin draws inspiration from his deep roots in the Hudson
Valley River towns where he was raised.
He has been playing guitar since he was able to hold one and performed
with bands in high school while recording several albums with a metal band Know
Idea in the early to mid ‘90s.
I was able
to review the soon-to-be released Hudson
River, and it is apparent that Greg has evolved from his early metal-wielding
ways. Yet, it occurred to me, after listening to the tracks, that while Greg
may have shed his metal skin and progressed to a more melodic Folksy, Americana’esque
vibe, he has not completely left the growls or emphatic beats far behind. During my research, it intrigued me to discover
that many of early metal’s musicians were classically trained. According to Kurt Bachmann of Believer,
"If done correctly…classical and metal are probably the two genres that
have the most in common when it comes to feel, texture, creativity." Therefore,
it made perfect sense that the instrumentation of Hudson River heavily features string arrangements and presentation
by chamber musician, Nick Attila, alongside equally
harmonious string performances by the talented violinist, Lisa Dodakian and multi-string
instrumentalist, Amy Selig.
I met
Greg in 2014 and have had the pleasure of working on a few projects with him over
the years. Our most recent joint venture
was a Nov 3rd interview on Pawling Public Radio and a debut performance of The Station with his band. During the performance I found myself drawn
in by Jacquin’s raspy, compelling vocals and (as I often do) wondering what it
is that I find so captivating. We spoke
about it on air; yet until this writing, it never dawned on me . . . Greg is employing
a smoother, lyrical method from his early metal extended vocal techniques! I wonder if he realizes it himself or if it’s
all just part of what makes his music so unique?
When
asked what he believes are the stand out tracks from Hudson River Greg generously replies, “Floating and Yesterdaze
are my favorites. We all wrote those songs together as a band. Floating was co-written
by guitarist/songwriter Rich Berta and Yesterdaze co-written by
songwriter/pianist Paul Griffin. They
are well beyond anything I've written on my own.”
The supportive
musician community in the Hudson River towns provided Jacquin with inspiration
and play an intricate role in the album explains Jacquin. “Everyone involved in this album, from
beginning to end, is from The Hudson Valley.” All the musicians and co-writers involved are
working musicians that are available for hire.
Along with the string section, the album came together with combined backing
from Richard Berta/guitar, Peter Wilson/drums, Scott Fragala and Lalit Looma/bass,
Anthony Gach/trumpet, Joe Natale/Sax, Greg Connors/guitar/vocals joined by Jim
Keyes, Greg Schettino and Amy King/vocals.
Hudson River, the upcoming album by
Greg Jacquin is scheduled for release February 9, 2018. The
Station was released on 9/23/17 and is available to stream and
download everywhere. If you’d like to
catch a live performance of The Greg Jacquin Band, join them at the CD Release
Party Feb 9 at Six Degrees of Separation Restaurant and Bar in Ossining,
February 23rd at The Tapp in Tarrytown or they are back at 6 Degrees
on March 10th.
Unfortunately,
there is a limit to the space I can take up on the pages of More Sugar Magazine. However, with so much more to be said about
Greg, his passions and many collaborations as well as a full list of events,
please visit his website at www.GregJacquinMusic.com and keep up with his
ongoing journey.
Jacque
Roche is a “More Sugar” contributor, author of a weekly “Positive Insights”
newsletter, booker, FB Jedi Master and host of, Jacque’s Giant Hudson Valley
Music Show on 103.7 WPWL, streaming Thursday from 8-9 pm EST on www.pawlingpublicradio.org. Can I tell
your story? Send an email to:
jacquebutterflypresents@gmail.com.
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