There isn't much that Joe Jackson hasn't tried in his musical career. His catalog is so rich and eclectic, feeling pity for the casual fan who only recalls Jackson in association with his punchy New Wave hit "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" is certainly merited. Endlessly curious about the magic of musical constructs and the art of a good story, Jackson constantly works smartly to keep listeners engaged and slightly off-balance — in a good way.
At the time of his 1979 debut, Look Sharp!, Jackson ran with a pack that included Elvis Costello and Graham Parker, but he soon drifted into the influences of ska (Beat Crazy), jump blues (Jumpin' Jive), Cole Porter cool (Night And Day) and jazz (Body And Soul). He found a good fit with film, scoring Francis Ford Coppola's Tucker: The Man And His Dream, and his more classically oriented work — Heaven & Hell, featuring guests Dawn Upshaw, Suzanne Vega and Jane Siberry — allowed him to show off his Royal Academy of Music training. In 2000 he won his only Grammy for Symphony No. 1. Not exactly a symphony, the four-movement set is performed by a 10-piece ensemble featuring ace jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard and rock guitarist Steve Vai.
Recorded in his adopted home of Berlin, Jackson's most recent effort, Rain, is a bit of a return to his skinny tie days, with gorgeous swashes of piano and lyrics that gently twist in the wind. The collection finds him collaborating with Graham Maby and David Houghton, his partners on his earliest and most successful pop recordings.
Provenance: Burton-Upon-Trent, England
Latest release: Rain (2008)
© 2008 Nigel Music Media LLC. Used by permission.
Joe Jackson
