Not the hashtag, not the slogan, not the organization, but actual lives. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. Her set was made up of songs reflecting her career and highlighted her ability to switch music styles seamlessly from pop to guitar shredding and even to a bit of reggae. Jackie Venson's stunning ACL debut October 2, 2020 photo by Scott Newton Austin City Limits began as a showcase in 1973 to highlight the fertile Austin, Texas regional music scene, and we returned to our origins last night, showcasing the debut of Austin standout Jackie Venson. This was quite obvious as she played to a grateful audience at Milwaukees Shank Hall on August 5, 2021. I think next year I will be back to touringwe just have to take this all one day at a time. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). That night, his client completed the first step toward her goal in the town where she learned to walk. Instead of a full band I am experimenting with the help of my fantastic drummer Rodney Hyder. Indeed, Vintage Machine finds Venson pushing out in new directions, essentially inventing her own style after years of performances on local stages refining her blend of blues, folk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and more. She sang two songs from her upcoming release, Til This Pain Goes Away, an ode to her inner strength and independence, and the bluesy track Rollin On.. [4] On October 30, 2018, she released the song "Cover My Eyes" with a live in studio video. Over the years, she has seen a lot of changes in her style while working through various genres of music. December 2018 single littered with synths, explosive blues riffs, and drums. An accomplished guitarist, Venson unleashed several incendiary solos throughout the evening, but the focus was primarily on her songs, style and voice. Learning the guitar was an 18-month process with hours devoted daily before she felt confident enough to play with other musicians. While her music may show its influences, she is a one-of-a-kind singer-songwriter. She described the upcoming release as 51% blues. One of the joys of the album for Jackie was laying down the bass tracks on her fathers 67 Fender Jazzmaster. When she's failed to do so, she's pursued the introspective discovery of virtuoso musicality. Surveying material by everyone from Jimmy Reed and Lloyd Price to Charlie Rich and Webb Pierce to Willie Nelson and Doug Sahm, Vaughan erases genre boundaries with help from an ace cast of locals including drummer George Rains, horn players Ephraim Owens and Kaz Kazanoff and soulful singer Lou Ann Barton. In I Used to Dream, described as her most personal song to her audience, Alanna explored the depths of her personal highs and lows. "We documented the starting line," she says passionately. "I'm only climbing the ladder to get there. It wasn't until after Jackie graduated from Berklee that she decided to pick up the guitar and began a new musical career. All rights reserved. Black Lily Collective. I am here for the journey. He has covered singer-songwriters, bands, and music festivals for several years, and feels energized by the passion and talent of the performing artist. Those unfamiliar with Venson should prepare themselves for what. Copyright 1981-2023 Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved. Reset your passwordClick the eye to show your password. Venson compares achieving this level of renown to being a hard-working college student who has been accepted into a college classroom of academically talented and extraordinary students. Filmed at Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater on Oct 3, 2019, Jackie Venson opens for Gary Clark Jr. completely solo with her robot. Vensons new EP Transitions spans funk, soul and hard-rocking pentatonic riffs, all delivered with her trusty Fender Elite Strat - the guitarists genre-hopping dexterity even caught the ear of Gary Clark Jr, who enlisted her support for his 2017 tour. And what's the next piece of gear youd like to acquire? As backup singers Akina Adderley and Kate Priestley left the stage, Venson donned an acoustic guitar and delivered a moving speech in support of Black Lives Matter Not the hashtag, not the slogan, not the organization the people. Then she played Back to Earth, a sophisticated pop song that kept to her words spirit, if not the details. I play the guitarTexas and guitars go hand in hand like Idaho and potatoes. Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you. Jackie Venson Buy album View on Bandcamp Evolution of Joy is a complete overhaul and re-doing of Jackie Venson's original album Joy. A little past the halfway mark, Venson welcomed Austin soul singer Tameca Jones to the stage for a blazing rendition of the blues classic "Texas Flood," memorably recorded by Stevie Ray . My dad gave me the perspective of always seeing everything as rehearsal, she said. [4] In April 2019, Venson released her critically acclaimed album Joy and celebrated that release with a sold out show at Austin's famed Paramount Theatre. That has looked increasingly possible over the past couple of years, as the native Austinite has been on a steady career rise with acclaimed albums, sharpened artistic instincts and a growing live-show fan base. She was in full command throughout her 70-minute performance, often beaming with joy even as she was brimming with confidence. Jackie Venson is born. [2] Venson said she had a bad experience at Berklee with the ultra-competitive environment the staff fostered, describing it as "American Idol the school". Anchoring Vensons band was her longtime rhythm section of drummer Rodney Hyder and bassist/keyboardist Rick Clark, with Eddy Hobizal adding keyboards behind backup singers Akina Adderley and Kate Priestley. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Jackie has traveled the world playing to massive crowds both as a headliner and as support for major acts such as Gary Clark Jr, Aloe Blacc, Citizen Cope to name a few. The power went out at a concert in the Czech Republic and they wheeled an acoustic piano out and I had to play and sing after not working out anything on the piano for a while. Brooke Billick is based in Milwaukee. Mixing and matching beats, she obsesses over transitions like a DJ would. June 7, 2022; id10t podcast cancelled . At the moment, Vensons music is inspired by more than one specific genre. jackie venson blind drummer - americanuzbekistan.org In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe (opens in new tab). Whether it's finding good players or receptive locales, the path taxes the mind. Check out her studio albums, including Joy (2019) and Vintage Machine (2020), and watch her live performances on YouTube to get a flavor of this passion. Backed by guitarist Jared Colby, Gabriel Golden on bass, and Nathan Wahlman on drums, Alanna Royales music ranges from soulful ballads about unrequited love to the shades of Motown. Black lives matter, she began. Otherwise, [the comparison] is like Jill Scott and Madonna, and they don't sound anything alike.". Jackie Venson hails from Austin, Texas, and has been singing and playing professionally for over ten years. All rights reserved. I think growing up in this state, as well as Austin, is what subliminally made me choose to switch to the electric guitar. Venson's second full-length studio disc, Joy, released this spring (revisit "Texas Platters," June 14), showcases a fast-evolving artist conversant in blues, soul, rock, reggae, and robot noises. This was the third Austin City Limits taping done without an audience during the coronavirus pandemic, after a Sept. 10 show with Rufus Wainwright and a Sept. 22 performance by the Mavericks. The band went back to its tasty blend of funk and rock for the bristling (and inaccurately titled) LoFi, before revisiting Vensons pop side for Surrender. The guitar slinger headed into the home stretch with Go My Way, a positivity-infused tune that deftly blended R&B of the past and the present. We chatted with Venson at Winter NAMM about her decision to switch to guitar, and she told us, I played classical piano for the first decade or so of my musical career, and then I decided that I wanted to do something a little freer. Her work reflects the heart and soul of someone who is born to make music in a world that doesn't always appreciate it. I dont think the brand of the instrument or pickups or anything has a lot to do with it. "I'm not letting it affect my self-worth, but you specifically asked me about a career and running a career, and this is where it is right now. Venson is laughing because she's been presented with a laundry list of organizations and genre names that industry insiders and journalists have come up with in an attempt to describe her imaginative, guitar-driven music. The three musicians who werent singing all wore masks. She decided to pursue guitar, and began learning the instrument in 2011, during her last year at Berklee. Dont think of Jackie Venson as just another blues guitarist or accuse her of emulating anyone. Given that her Joy to the World Tour revs up on European shores less than two weeks from the date of this interview, travel expenses come up more than once in a long-ranging, two-hour summit. The set list drew significantly from Vintage Machine, a full-length studio album Venson will release on Oct. 30. These songs have never been captured this way, unless you've been lucky enough to catch a live show in the last couple years. Austin City Hall declared May 21, 2014 Jackie Venson Day, and held a concert in her honor to raise money for an Austin music school.[5]. When her ACL taping airs nationwide on PBS next month, it could well be a breakthrough moment for Venson, perhaps similar to when regionally popular band Shinyribs appeared on the show in 2017 and many viewers across the country heard them for the first time. [4] In 2016, she released the EP Jackie Venson Live,[4] and the live album Live at Strange Brew. I was like, I need to be able to do everything, and the people at Gibson suggested to me the latest Les Paul Studio. Jackie Vensons Joy to the World tour continues through the end of August. When discussing memorable tours, she says, I would have to say its between the first European tour, the month I spent in New York City, and headlining Gruene Hall., Her last album, Joy, was released last year, which contains twenty incredible tracks. His graphic novels have been distributed worldwide, and he has been recognized as a noted influencer in VR and new media. If you could have a guitar lesson from one guitarist, dead or alive, who would it be, and why? Venson was born in Austin, Texas. Check out her website for more information. You're going to be able to see it, because it was literally filmed. Fight She has been described as having an astonishing mix of raw soul, superb musicianship, and laid-back grace. [4] The Austin Chronicle wrote that Venson's "willingness to stand naked lyrically and vocally" is an "admirable" trait, while her "smoldering and honest" voice "won't blow doors off buildings, but if she could, it would be overkill. [1] Venson's mother, Dr. Diane Brinkman, encouraged her to begin playing piano at age eight. "it makes my material as familiar to the crowd as it is adventurous. 4. Venson keeps on climbing with unrelenting conviction. No, I let go of all career pressure and dont plan on ever inviting it back in. What does joy look like for you? "name" : "Jackie Venson", Its all been leading up to the release of Vintage Machine, Vensons first full-length studio record since last years acclaimed Joy. Shes been selling physical copies on CD and vinyl via Bandcamp for a few weeks, but Friday marks its wide release on streaming services. Check out her studio albums, including Joy (2019) and Vintage Machine (2020), and watch her live performances on YouTube to get a flavor of this passion. Austin blues artist Jackie Venson plays free show at Waterloo Records This dreamer holds clear-cut goals well above the poverty line of mediocrity: She strives to reach a point where she can regularly sell out 1,200- to 5,000-capacity venues nationwide. A lot of people like music and they think they have an affinity for it but if nobody else in the family does, then they sometimes dont see it as a possibility. On this Memorial Day, the only barbecue at the South Austin home of John Bune, Venson's self-proclaimed "shameless promoter," takes place inside the mind of the town's reigning Best Guitarist. Faster Than Sound: Jackie Venson Solos - austinchronicle.com I think of my personal joy as a secret well, that only I know the location of, with a locked cover on it that only I have the key to. The 32-year-old Venson has felt socially maladjusted for some time. In Summer 2021, Venson joined Melissa Etheridge for her musical cruise in the Caribbean, performing alongside musicians like Celisse Henderson and Britney Spencer. 10 New Musicians From Texas You Should Know - Culture Trip Jackie Venson . In addition to four studio albums, Venson has also released 4 live albums, Live at Strange Brew (2016) Live in Texas (2020), Jackie Venson Live at Austin City Limits and Joy Alive (2021). "@type": "Person", What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar? This means she's disarmingly frank, uncompromised in her creative expression, and able to drop into a mind-bending guitar solo at the drop of a hat. "Love is Blind" Alicia Keys "Sweet Life . I don't think it's always going to be like this. "But the things that you have to do to make it where just 1,200 people are ready to buy your tickets in different towns the stuff you have to do, the opportunities you need to land, the doors you need to open that's the ladder," she waves. When reminded that her father, the distinguished bass guitarist Andrew Venson, told her that pursuing a career in the music industry would, in fact, be"hard," she smiles then offers a rapid-fire reply. Im so unbelievably proud of this record and grateful for the folks that helped make it happen. On April 12, 2019, Venson sold out the Paramount Theatre. This is a jazz music websitespammers will be deleted. Lyrics are the last thing to happen, and once I have the melody and the arrangement, I just listen to the demo over and over until words come out. The three-month, 46-date odyssey ends with six consecutive August dates in Alaska and omits New York City, a hub where she's lost $30,000 and once had her car towed. In the live realm, Venson's sets have never been better. She then joins Gary on stage for an encore performance. Her music over the years shows her growth as an artist and her willingness to experiment. Blind drummer Rodney Hyder, a former bandmember with Andrew, today backs Jackie on occasion. Venson has released four studio albums, The Light In Me (2014), Joy (2019), Vintage Machine ( 2020) and Love Transcends (2021).In addition to four studio albums, Venson has also released four live albums, Live at Strange Brew (2016) Live in Texas (2020), Jackie . Jackie Venson is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 13 concerts across 1 country in 2023-2024. Author exposes her "tender heart for the world to know" on this transparent cut from 2016's Live at Strange Brew, a stripped-down drums and guitar tango. Last year, you released a twenty-track album titled Joy. Centennial Park Conservancy Announces Spring Lineup for Musicians The thing with classical piano is that you have to learn other peoples music and theres a lot of structure and rules, and I was tired of that. Jackie plans to have a new studio release next month, which will include studio versions of some of her songs from her Live in Texas album from 2020. Austin City Limits began as a showcase in 1973 to highlight the fertile Austin, Texas regional music scene, and we returned to our origins last night, showcasing the debut of Austin standout Jackie Venson. "I used to fall asleep underneath the chair he would sit on while playing bass.". Jackie Venson, "Vintage Machine." . I am a human; I am an artist. "Everybody who comes up goes back down, so you climb it for as long as you emotionally and physically can.". Jackie Venson is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Austin, Texas. Visit our corporate site (opens in new tab). Except this "DJ" can do all of that and go toe-to-toe with a world-class guitar god like West African bluesman Vieux Farka Tour, who she opened for at South Lamar's 04 Center at the end of May. "I've learned how to zero my ear in on, say, my drummer's 16th-note triplet, which will give me a theme for an extended guitar solo," she says. "I'm never going to act a specific way based on who you think I am," she says. The pop guitarist, a native from Texas, will perform Tuesday, September 14 at Hotel Caf in Los Angeles. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Fronted by singer-songwriter, Alanna Quinn-Broadus, the band brings a truly unique blend of R&B and soul, which has been described as pushing beyond Nashvilles boundaries of country and Americana. Rock came back in a big way for Transcends, leading Venson to introduce her close-knit band. These thoughts that early on in my life were huge for me and left a lasting impression on song form, arrangement, and lyrical style.. Dont Lie To Me, Austin-born guitarist Jackie Vensons latest single, lures listeners in with breezy reggae grooves, but a searing overdriven solo confirms the singer-songwriters fierce musical intent courtesy of some searing Strat licks. I tried out a few other different models, and I just didnt think that the tone options were possible for what I need, says Venson. she mutters. Ambition nudges creatives onto the ladder. ships out within 5 days Buy Compact Disc $20 USD or more Send as Gift about Probably Derek Trucks. Jackie Venson's Journey to Joy | Bandcamp Daily Austin-born Venson has been grinding hard, honing her skills and gradually building a solid following that reaches beyond the city limits for a decade. I think I wouldve been smited if Id played that song on anything but a Strat, she remarked. Though the songs may be familiar to some long time fans, the presentation, growth, and 5-year development of Jackie and her band will leave you floating in the cosmos. If it takes any longer, then I might have to reassess what I'm doing with my life.". Search. This is not me saying I had to pay for it with my savings, feel sorry for me. The hour also features a vintage performance by soul/gospel legend Mavis Staples from her 2012 showcase, joined by special guest Bonnie Raitt. Im just kind of casting a really wide net, says Venson. Transcends is out now (opens in new tab). Though 2020 was filled with turmoil caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Venson doubled down on her creative efforts after her touring year was cancelled by dedicating herself to going live on a consistent basis on several platforms and releasing five albums of music; two live albums (Live in Texas, Jackie Venson Live at Austin City Limits), two volumes of her DJ remix project jackie the robot, and one studio album (Vintage Machine). A fire blazes within, but never out of control. Whats common throughout the record is that I wrote all of the songs, that I am playing the guitar on all of the songs, and that I am singing on all of the songs. On November 14, 2020, Venson made her national television debut as a part of Austin City Limits' 46th season. 8. Jackie quickly bonded with the Shank Hall audience, chatting about her songs, background, and life views. Or at least pack venues in Texas, she admits, reciting the cost of airfare from Austin to El Paso in a millisecond. The Studios, particularly with coil tap pickups, are really awesome, added Venson. Jackie Vensons upcoming tour dates are set forth below. What was your first guitar and when did you get it? Picked up by Spotify's "A Perfect Day" playlist, the second track from this year's full-length studio album Joy is by far the Austinite's most successful song on the service with 300,000-plus streams. Jackie Venson operates in facts and reality. Jackie Venson's stunning ACL debut - Austin City Limits Formerly backed by a threepiece blues ensemble, the guitarist now works primarily off of a sampler, playing over a live backing track that's controlled by a foot pedal. and added that her playing "leaves that addictive bugaboo 'speed' off the table upfront, without dismissing it a priori.". I bought it in 2011 - it was a Fender Mexican Strat with Sunburst finish, rosewood neck and gold hardware.. Jackie Venson, a classically trained pianist who later took up the guitar and is now an ascending blues star, holds her Gibson Les Paul Studio guitar. Chatting with Jackie Venson, the Musical Jewel of Austin Jackie Venson Making Texas History on the Guitar - Spectrum News Comments lit up on the livestream with one viewer raving, Never heard Jackie before, tuned in because I follow Austin City Limits, this is fantastic. The perpetually grinning Venson turned to the subject of lamour for Keep On, a reggae tune that still left plenty of room for her frisky axe work. Like the latter taping, this one was publicly streamed live on the shows YouTube channel. As a songwriter, she is quite willing to expose her deepest thoughts and desires. Black Rock Coalition. Austin360 On The Record is a weekly roundup of new, recent and upcoming releases by local and Austin-associated recording artists. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Jackie has traveled the world playing to massive crowds both as a headliner and as support for major acts such as Gary Clark Jr, Aloe Blacc, Citizen Cope to name a few. Jackie Venson is back on the road again and could not be happier! You can mellow it out and make it a jazz guitar, or you can engage the humbuckers and make it cut through the wall. Having my dad as a professional musician, its like you can do this, its hard but you can do this. The installment premieres November 14 at 8pm CT . Equally enchanting, the second track from Joy, "Keep On," got picked up by the Spotify playlist "A Perfect Day" shortly after Joy's April release. [Video courtesy of Brandon Evans]. People compare me to her all the time. While she might not have frequented Sixth Street often, there occurred many a show right in her home. Lyrically, she accentuates the positive on these eight tunes, from the uplifting message of the soaring opener Awake to the adventurous spirit of the funky Vintage Machine to the romantic euphoria of Make Me Feel to the crazy things we do for love mantra in Go My Way. Someday the pandemic era will be over, and Venson will be poised to launch into the stratosphere, thanks to all the progress shes made in the meantime. Jackie Venson is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Austin, Texas.