Jarrod Dickenson

Raz Mataz Magazine
Published 5/9/12
Written by Olivia D'Orazio

"Jarrod Dickenson’s 2009 debut record, Ashes on the Ground, was good. It was real good, actually, but it sounded like a debut record – the raw talent was there, but it needed some finishing touches.

The Texas native’s sophomore effort, The Lonesome Traveler, has those finishing touches, and more.

The record, released earlier this year, features Dickenson’s characteristically smooth vocals, and his signature folksy feel, but adds something of a modern twist, broadening his musical reach.

The opening track, ‘Ain’t Waiting Any Longer’, is clearly Dickenson – the same folksy feel, the same salooney blues – but his vocals are cleaner than they have been on previous records.

The album is also chalk-full of a band of contributing musicians – David Pilch on upright bass, Sebastian Aymanns on percussion, Greg Leisz on electric guitar, banjo, mandolin, and other strings, Jebin Buni on piano and organ, Richard Dodd on cello, Ryan Freeland on accordion, and Sista Jean and Jenni Alpert on backing vocals.

The long list of supporting musicians lends a modern flare to Dickenson’s music, while maintaining his signature Southern roots.

Meanwhile, ‘Ballad of the Lonesome Traveler’ mainly features a solo Dickenson. The simple, slow song makes way for Dickenson’s lyrical muse to go crazy. A singer-songwriter known for his ballads, Dickenson really doesn’t hold back –

“Hand grip the wheel
With bare knuckles white
Eyes fixed ahead
On that winding center strip
He’s chasing the ghost
Of a love gone awry
His demons are the memories
And his enemy is time”

It’s no wonder that he’s won countless songwriting competitions across the globe, and this track, from which the record derives its title, plays out more like a story than any of Dickenson’s previous ballads.

But, for me, what really pushes The Lonesome Traveler ahead of Dickenson’s debut, or even his phenomenal 2010 effort, Live at the Roost House, is its underlying upbeat-ness.

Take, for example, ‘Little Black Dress’. The song still showcases Dickenson’s Southern charm and smooth, smokey vocals, but adds a fun jazzy flare. The song also pairs fantastic riffs and interesting organs with a vocal styling that is unmistakably Dickenson." - Raz Mataz Magazine

"Wearing a trilby at a jaunty angle and being tall, skinny and possessing a voice like a young Tom Waits, the young Texan Jarrod Dickenson cuts an odd looking figure on the stage but his songs are all extremely well crafted with melodies many of his peers would give their left arm for; but it’s his world weary voice and phrasing that will win him legions of admirers in the very near future.

California; about the haunting memories of an ex-love was simply breathtaking and Ballad of a Lonesome Traveler will resonate with musicians and traveling salesmen everywhere. Jarrod Dickenson – a name to watch out for."

Written by Alan Harrison

Published in:

No Depression:
http://www.nodepression.com/profiles/blogs/bap-kennedy-at-the-boogaloo-bar-london

Maverick Magazine:
http://www.maverick-country.com/#/bap-kennedy-live-review/4562415943 - No Depression/Maverick Magazine

Published: 5/12/11
Written by: Mac Mcdonald

"...Dickenson has an amazingly rich and expressive voice, which he uses to
good effect on his original tunes, which range from straight-ahead
country ("Goodbye Annie Baby) to sea chantys ("The Northern Sea") and
jazzy blues like "Walking in Central Park"..." - Monterey Herald

"Jarrod's music is beautifully written and arranged with so much passion behind it. He has a sound so unique he will remind you of Jim Croce, James Taylor, and more. Even after our interview and video song segments, we could not resist staying around to listen to more. This artist is very unique and a must see." - Nashville360tv.com

1/22/09

"Jarrod is one of my very favorite new artists that I've worked with.

A talented thoughtful songwriter with an engaging voice.

His new CD "Ashes on the Ground" features powerful songs, stellar performances, a great band, and excellent sonic qualities.

Give it a spin!"

Jerry Tubb
Chief Mastering Engineer
Terra Nova Digital Audio
Austin, Texas
- Jerry Tubb

2/13/09

"Jarrod Dickenson-Hope Is Rising NOW!"
by Duggan Flanakin (Austin Music Journalist)

"I gotta tell ya — sometimes what you find by “accident” is (a) no accident (someone is directing your steps) and (b) sometimes more than amazing. Such was the case when Flanfire dropped by Momos Club Tuesday night — mainly to hang out with his buddy Jack Martin — and looked up and saw Dave Madden setting up his keyboards. There was this tall, bearded guy with a hat standing in the middle of the stage — name of Jarrod (the guy with the hat!). I had never heard of him (apparently he had a Momos show last month, too), but I figured, if Madden is playing with him, I will stick around. What an excellent move!

Okay — I raved last year about music from Denton’s Doug Burr, Austin’s Aimee Bobruk and a few others as well. But I was introduced to Doug Burr by old friends and of course have known Aimee for years. THIS was a stunner! And then I took home the whole - brand new - record, “Ashes on the Ground,” which impressed me just looking at the artwork. Then I checked out the players — Brannen Temple on drums, Stefano Intelisano on keyboards, Warren Hood on violin — plus Mike Miller on keys, Wesley Miller on tambourine, Todd Pertll on pedal steel and banjo and Weissenhorn, the Sarinda string quartet plus Caitlin Bailey (cello), and Amanda Leggett on backing vocals. But the real music here is mainly from Jarrod and producer Chris Jacobie, who played bass on stage on Tuesday.

Much of the work here was done at Premium Recording, the Bubble, and Blackhawk Studios (San Antonio), but some was done on various campuses and “in Chris’ apartment.” And just for the record, Jarrod is booked for three shows at major venues in New York City later this month, a place he has found easier to break into than the Austin music scene.

Both at the show and on the record, I was caught by the opening waltz, “California (Do You Still?),” a love song to someone who has slipped through his fingers. Our muse asks her (in his reverie), “Do you still wear my shirt when you sleep, do you still dance around when nobody can see … and talk about the days when you used to sing?” I would love to see a video here …

Next up is a ballad, “Home to You” [my brain recalls some ballads from Simply Red, aka Mick Hucknall] — the pedal steel here feels good, but it is the high-note falsetto that grabs you. Note to traveling musicians/salesmen — this is a great song to send out to your loved one. But the pace picks up with “I’ll Be with You,” and we learn that this guy is tuned in to a higher power … one who will “dry your tears” whenever you cry and “help you feel” when all goes numb. This song opens with bass and piano to set the mood …. this music is comforting. “So I Cry” is back to that broken love … “so this is the end, It seems we’re out of time, the love has finally died ….” But our singer is not crying for himself, but for those whom he has hurt — and so he can grow to love again.

“Goodbye, Annie Baby” is a country tune - picking up the pace with the pedal steel (yeah, that’s Todd Pertll who plays with Doug Burr, the guy whom Dickenson most reminds me of) and some of Warren Hood’s fiddle (not violin here!). You can dance to it! “Slow It Down” has that jazzy feel (that Brannen Temple does it again!), a bouncy tune that changes tempo — this stuff is well produced!

There are FIFTEEN songs on this CD, so I will let my dear readers hear some of them for the first time without any Cliff Notes — but I have to mention three others here. “Skin Deep” reminds me a little of Joanna Barbera’s “The Forgotten Trail” — there is real power here. “Charlotte, My Dear” is a plea to a friend who has gone astray, and our poet beckons her to believe in herself — “Charlotte, my dear, you’re worth so much more than the life that you have settled for … Girl, just run on home, God is waiting to wrap you in his arms.”

And while the title cut has some beautiful music surrounding impassioned words, my favorite cut here has to be “Hope Is Rising.” This is just simple guitar to start with, with violin coming after … a song of hope, to be sure — a song of great comfort. This is a song of praise … a song of joy despite failure, a song that lets us sit on our front porch in our rocking chair and realize that we are truly loved."


Go to www.flanfire.com to read more of Duggan Flanakin's reviews.
- Duggan Flanakin