Jefferson Ross

"Jefferson Ross. Isle of Hope. Simplicity of presentation, and complexity of emotion. Nothing over-stated, or understated. This album feels like sunset in Savannah, around the third week of September, when the silliness of summer recedes into dull memory and the world returns to wistful beauty. I like the third week of September, in Savannah, around sunset. I like this Isle of Hope. I spend a lot of time here lately."
-Peter Cooper, Nashville, TN - Peter Cooper

You will be taken on a journey through the rural and suburban Deep South in Jefferson Ross's latest album Isles of Hope, an acoustic collection of songs featuring tales of, "murderers, shoplifters, car thieves, hypochondriacs, a voodoo witch doctor, a legendary blind blues singer, winos, a dustbowl farmer, Noah, a pothead Tupperware selling mom and a pair of Siamese twins," as Ross puts it in his notes on the making of the album. His vocal style and guitar playing are reminiscent of Delta blues, but his lyrics have a conversational quality that invites the listener to kickback with a cup of coffee (or maybe moonshine) and mentally engage as clever stories are spun as if by magic from the "low" country.

Given that Jefferson Ross has a past history of working as a staff songwriter in Nashville for many years, one would expect high-quality lyric writing from him, and that comes through full-throttle. What I didn't expect, (yet was pleasantly impressed by) was that Ross's songs would stray from the "Nashville formula" in a direction of creativity that is refreshing. I don't get much out of songs that sound like they are mass produced hits to be consumed by any singer hoping to strike it rich. This album is chocked full of colorful trinkets in the form of spirituals (folk style), road songs, comedy, slick bluesy tunes, and heart-touching low-key ballads. With the help of Thomm Jutz, who recorded and also backed up on acoustic guitar and harmonies on this all-acoustic guitar album, Ross has put forth a collection that is stripped bare of effects and other musical trappings. It's all about his character-enriched baritone voice, his expert finger-picking, and the stories.

There are lines where I just say to myself, "Man, I wish I'd written that!" In a song titled "Clues," for instance, Ross sings, "I'm not banging on a pulpit,/ I'm not trying to blame a culprit/ I just want to scrape the judgment off my shoes/ Got no sermon in my soapbox/ No verdict in my voice box/ I'm just looking for clues." The result is a cleverly orchestrated play off of a crime novel that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at life's little mysteries. "High Times In The Low Country" is a laid back breezy tune that hits you right with the title itself, a play on words to echo the sentiment of the song--a rejected lover seeking relief from his "low" state of mind (heartbreak) by seeking "high" times on the road, at parties with friends, and in the bottle. But any "low" songs (which are few in the CD) are well-balanced with songs like "Family Drama," a hilarious peek inside a family in chaos. Lines like, "My daddy swears his cardiac prognosis is quite grim,/ My mom complains of cataracts,/ Her world view is quite dim," trigger a laugh. There's more chuckles to be had listening to songs like "Daddy Likes To Rock," a playful tale pitting a past-his-prime restaurant performer against his aggravated working wife, who finds relief in "rolling a fatty." But "77 Lime Green Cadillac Hearse" is just a priceless song. The hot, bluesy finger-picking, mixed with a vocal tone almost reminiscent to me of Lyle Lovett, takes you on a trip down to the very Deep South, maybe Louisiana, where a spooky voodoo queen/gypsy mixes potions, reads the future, and cruises around in her hearse, wreaking havoc on at least one unfortunate victim--the narrator:

She calls on Dr. Buzzard as she grinds the mojo root
Grabs a banty rooster and a dagger from her boot
Mixes up a cocktail to summon up the dead
And it's all cash on the barrelhead

The song actually reminds me of a track you might hear in a Disney movie--not the production by any means, but the lyrics are so colorful I can picture a Disney villain mixing up trouble, animation-style.

On a more personal note, it is not often that I cry at a song's lyrics, especially upon first hearing it, but "Take A Picture" got me right in the heart. My mother recently passed away, and two days after she died my brother, sister, and I were rifling through photographs so that my sister could put together a slide show for the funeral. One after another made us laugh, croon, and tear up, and for me, they were comforting, because watching my mother waste away from cancer caused me to have trouble remembering her in her better days. So a week or so later, this song comes on, and I focus on the first chorus, "We'll never get this back again/ In a flash it's over and/ It's permanent as solid stone and scripture/ Take the picture." The song immediately became real for me in that moment, and the ending tagline, "Daddy's right/ I miss her," hit home. It was almost uncanny, as if the song were written just for me, and it gave me a go - Folk Renaissance (dotcom)

You will be taken on a journey through the rural and suburban Deep South in Jefferson Ross's latest album Isles of Hope, an acoustic collection of songs featuring tales of, "murderers, shoplifters, car thieves, hypochondriacs, a voodoo witch doctor, a legendary blind blues singer, winos, a dustbowl farmer, Noah, a pothead Tupperware selling mom and a pair of Siamese twins," as Ross puts it in his notes on the making of the album. His vocal style and guitar playing are reminiscent of Delta blues, but his lyrics have a conversational quality that invites the listener to kickback with a cup of coffee (or maybe moonshine) and mentally engage as clever stories are spun as if by magic from the "low" country.

Given that Jefferson Ross has a past history of working as a staff songwriter in Nashville for many years, one would expect high-quality lyric writing from him, and that comes through full-throttle. What I didn't expect, (yet was pleasantly impressed by) was that Ross's songs would stray from the "Nashville formula" in a direction of creativity that is refreshing. I don't get much out of songs that sound like they are mass produced hits to be consumed by any singer hoping to strike it rich. This album is chocked full of colorful trinkets in the form of spirituals (folk style), road songs, comedy, slick bluesy tunes, and heart-touching low-key ballads. With the help of Thomm Jutz, who recorded and also backed up on acoustic guitar and harmonies on this all-acoustic guitar album, Ross has put forth a collection that is stripped bare of effects and other musical trappings. It's all about his character-enriched baritone voice, his expert finger-picking, and the stories.

There are lines where I just say to myself, "Man, I wish I'd written that!" In a song titled "Clues," for instance, Ross sings, "I'm not banging on a pulpit,/ I'm not trying to blame a culprit/ I just want to scrape the judgment off my shoes/ Got no sermon in my soapbox/ No verdict in my voice box/ I'm just looking for clues." The result is a cleverly orchestrated play off of a crime novel that takes a tongue-in-cheek look at life's little mysteries. "High Times In The Low Country" is a laid back breezy tune that hits you right with the title itself, a play on words to echo the sentiment of the song--a rejected lover seeking relief from his "low" state of mind (heartbreak) by seeking "high" times on the road, at parties with friends, and in the bottle. But any "low" songs (which are few in the CD) are well-balanced with songs like "Family Drama," a hilarious peek inside a family in chaos. Lines like, "My daddy swears his cardiac prognosis is quite grim,/ My mom complains of cataracts,/ Her world view is quite dim," trigger a laugh. There's more chuckles to be had listening to songs like "Daddy Likes To Rock," a playful tale pitting a past-his-prime restaurant performer against his aggravated working wife, who finds relief in "rolling a fatty." But "77 Lime Green Cadillac Hearse" is just a priceless song. The hot, bluesy finger-picking, mixed with a vocal tone almost reminiscent to me of Lyle Lovett, takes you on a trip down to the very Deep South, maybe Louisiana, where a spooky voodoo queen/gypsy mixes potions, reads the future, and cruises around in her hearse, wreaking havoc on at least one unfortunate victim--the narrator:

She calls on Dr. Buzzard as she grinds the mojo root
Grabs a banty rooster and a dagger from her boot
Mixes up a cocktail to summon up the dead
And it's all cash on the barrelhead

The song actually reminds me of a track you might hear in a Disney movie--not the production by any means, but the lyrics are so colorful I can picture a Disney villain mixing up trouble, animation-style.

On a more personal note, it is not often that I cry at a song's lyrics, especially upon first hearing it, but "Take A Picture" got me right in the heart. My mother recently passed away, and two days after she died my brother, sister, and I were rifling through photographs so that my sister could put together a slide show for the funeral. One after another made us laugh, croon, and tear up, and for me, they were comforting, because watching my mother waste away from cancer caused me to have trouble remembering her in her better days. So a week or so later, this song comes on, and I focus on the first chorus, "We'll never get this back again/ In a flash it's over and/ It's permanent as solid stone and scripture/ Take the picture." The song immediately became real for me in that moment, and the ending tagline, "Daddy's right/ I miss her," hit home. It was almost uncanny, as if the song were written just for me, and it gave me a go - Folk Renaissance (dotcom)

When you live in Nashville for a few years, it is inevitable that you will eventually come to know someone that is trying to “make it” in the music business. It is also a given that someone will sooner or later hand you a copy of their “work”. Usually this will come in the form of a CD of what they will describe as “my demo’s, my project, my band, my rough tracks” etc.
It is also inevitable that most of these CD’s will suck. I’m not being condescending, I am stating the truth. Any of you out there who have lived the described scenario know that this is true. That’s why I usually cringe or make a sudden run to the bathroom when someone wants me to listen to their works. Sometimes it comes from a person you regard as a friend which makes it even more awkward if they ask for your honest opinion. I’ve learned over the years to conveniently “lose” the CD, therefore not having to critique said “project”.
Although I’ve never met Jefferson Ross personally, we’ve become friends through the miracle of social media as we share a mutual friend. Over this time I’ve discovered that he and I share similar interests in music, music history, alcohol, photographs, and also humor. So when his album, “Isle of Hope” was released, I avoided it on purpose. What if it was one of “those” pieces? Wouldn’t I rather just be a casual acquaintance and not have to give an opinion on his music? Yes, that would be much easier. But then there’s the flip side of the coin. Shouldn’t you support your friends in their endeavors? And maybe if there’s something that an honest opinion can help, isn’t it your duty as a friend, to let them know? So, after reading post after post by people who were saying how much they “enjoyed the new album”, I made the decision to purchase it. After all, I didn’t have to say a word if I didn’t like it. And actually, unsolicited is no doubt the best way to give an unbiased statement in my book.
The first thing I noticed on track 1 of “Isle of Hope” was the “Travis-esque” guitar picking. Myself being a guitar player, I was immediately drawn in. “Okay”, I thought, “maybe this will be better than expected”. Next were the lyrics of Two Horses, the saga of what we all go through, good vs. evil, in our everyday struggles to do what’s right. So I was now hopeful for the rest of the album.
Next up, “Take the Picture” which took me back to when I was a kid and my Dad had the old Polaroid camera in which you snapped a shot, pulled the picture from a cartridge of preloaded film, watched the second hand on your watch, then pulled the cover off of the film to see how the picture turned out. Being from a meager background, we did not have money to burn, the film and flashbulbs were expensive, and Dad took his pictures serious. If you were goofing off or not paying attention, you were in trouble! “Take the Picture” caught all of that in its lyrics. It also made me realize how much of a photo buff that Jeff really is. If you watch his Facebook page, you will probably see more photo’s in his daily muse than you will anything to do with his career. I often wonder which is his biggest passion, his photographs or his music. Regardless, by track 2, I was smiling.
Family Drama brought out the humorous side of the writer, which I have come to discover over the last year or so is also one of his strong points as a human. Three for three so far!
As the tracks unwound, I became more impressed with each one. From jazz/blues mixtures of songs like “Here Comes the Wind” to Hartford meets Rice sounding, “Clues”, I was caught up in guitar playing and lyrics. Right up the alley of someone who favors singer/songwriters. I was so entranced in that part of the record that I nearly missed an important factor, “vocals”. Until “High Times in Low Country” came on and suddenly I realized that Jeff was a true, “triple threat”. That being, someone who can write, play, AND sing! Everything from this point on, was merely gravy. Songs like “The Branch and the Vine”, a down home, bluegrass gospel song that is worthy of the likes of Doyle Lawson, to whimsical tunes such as “People Posting Pictures” (I of course had to wonder if I somehow contributed to that one, being a social media friend). On and on the album went, never letting me down. I could hear the influences of folks like Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot, Bruce Cockburn, and many others, but none so much that you believed they were contrived.
I won’t critique every song on the album because I would rather leave you to your own opinion and imagination. I will however tell you that I highly recommend this collection of stories. If you are a fan of the poignant singer/songwriter, you will enjoy this album. I’m glad that I bought it, and I’m glad I listened with open ears and an open mind. Thanks Jeff for helping me to “scrape some judgment of my shoes”. Everybody, get yourself a copy of “Isle of Hope”. - Keith The Critic

Based in Savannah, Georgia, where the Spanish moss hangs from ancient oaks like long torn veils, Jefferson Ross employs his unique acoustic guitar style and southern, soulful voice to spin some of the finest story songs to come out of Deep Dixie in a long while.

His new album is Isle of Hope – imagine a twisted world populated with voodoo doctors…old, blind bluesmen dying in the insane asylum…cannabis craving mommies selling Tupperware…dustbowl farmers… Bible characters and Siamese twins…winos…cops…murderers and hookers on the run…shamans… preachers and voices from the grave.

In fact just about everything we love in a record. Take the sweetly picked opener, Two Horses:

“I saw him there sitting on the stairs, that sad old whiskey priest
With a bible in his hand and bottle at his feet
He hung his head, just like he wore a halo made of stone
And said “Brother, I’m just trying to make it home…but…“

The lyrics shine throughout this wonderful album like jewels in coal dust, in Family Drama, Ross sings over an gentle bluesy refrain:

“My sister’s wedding ring is missing, now her son got caught shoplifting
Someone saw her daughter kissing her teacher last week
And there’s Uncle Jim and Uncle Tim who were sadly born Siamese Twins
Now Jim just voted Republican…now they don’t speak“

In the gorgeously melancholic, reflective ballad Blind Willie Goes Home, Ross imagines the old bluesman having to “drown out the screams that echo down the hallways of hellish dreams” of the asylum where he is incarcerated. In People Posting Pictures, he offers a sad, yet searing, indictment of the pointlessness of much of our social media obsessions, likening the endless stream of self publicity and banal images to a modern day hell.

Isle of Hope is a stunning record, made for watching the sunset on the back porch. Songs of sorrow, of sly humour, of hope, faith and redemption sit side by side in a near perfect collection of sparsely beautiful Americana. - The Mad Mackerel

Despite his Nashville, Tennessee provenance (one of the principal music source areas in the US), Jefferson Ross has his very own musical design approach. In a way, his music is utterly country, but more intense listening reveals a more comprehensive range. Simply put, I would consider it an understatement if his work was described as just country music. Hornet Hawkins opens the series in an airy manner, primarily claiming the listener's attention with sublime stringwork. Those responsible for this are Rob Ickes (resophonic guitar and acoustic slide) and Jefferson Ross himself (guitar, mandolin, bass, harmonica). And well, also Jenee Fleenor's fiddle should not go unmentioned here, because at the end of the day it's all about mutual interaction.

Azalea is exquisitely well-balanced, ranging from cheerful and light-hearted to grave and downright philosophical. Jefferson Ross enjoys life and, I think, believes in the modest little things that may sweeten our earthly existence. Don't pay any attention to the media, but be happy about yourself – could have been his credo. Production-wise, Azalea is a thorough piece of work, highly conventional and open-toned. You won't find any real surprises – not that I would be eager to find any of those – and the truly remarkable thing about Jefferson’s debut is that each and every groove instils a good feeling in me. The album radiates a disarming sincerity and honesty that is usually only found in people who have liberated themselves from grim excessive ballast and prejudice. One of Jefferson's songs found its way to a Bryan White album, and via that route it caught Terri Clark's attention. Initially he was scheduled to work with her for a weekend, but the period extended to ten years. In 2005, he decided to focus more on the home front and to apply his songwriter's talents to his own cause rather than to the benefit of other artists. Azalea holds an unprecedented American modesty, which I cannot but respect with awe. A fine debut that will appeal to many.
- Rein van den Berg, Rootsville.be

- Rootsville.be

"Jefferson Ross comes straight outta nowhere but is clearly destined for somewhere with the wonderfully melodic country-folk of 'Azalea', his new CD on Deep Fried Discs. Sonically it's country and features some tee-riff-ic playing, musicially it actually has memorable melodies which almost annoyingly remain in the brain, lyrically it is an almost New Age/New Testament take on humanity perfectly in tune with the Obama Era and ultimately it may not make him a dime but will make Mr. Ross proud and possibly a cult artist. He deserves that at the very least."

- Author of Gram Parsons: A Biography

Jeff Ross is a pure musician. He made use of anything that was fun to him. For a while he even
lived in Germany to play bass and various guitars and sing with the Bluegrass/Country-formation
„Sieker Ross & Sieker“. When he went back from here to the USA, he became bandleader with
Terri Clark and played bass in her band. Meanwhile the singer and songwriter went independent.
His current solo-album is a musical perle. Right from the start he convinces with the catchy, grooving
number „Hornet Hawkins“, in which mouthharp-sounds and rich acoustic guitars are dominating.
Jeff´s comforting voice underlines the melodic ballad „Change“, the catchy „I Was Here“ is a real hit
to me, medium beat, grooving instrumentation. Rythmically „Azalea“ appears in a moderate tempo,
„Flippin’ That Hog“ is a true-born Rock’N’Roll, „Stillwater Oklahoma“ a catchy ballad again.
„Lucky Now And Then“ goes straightforward in a grassy-swinging fashion. Super! And you can
dance a beautiful waltz to “The Last Song”, which finishes this 12-song-spanning album. Everything
by Jeff is handmade, fine fill-ins by fiddle (played by Jenee Fleenor) are intertwined with warm
guitar-sounds (Rob Ickes), tasty yet cracking drums (Chuck Fields) and catchy piano- and keyboard-
sounds (Gene Rabbai). A real independent highlight!

- Western Mail (Berlin, Germany)

Despite his Nashville, Tennessee provenance (one of the principal music source areas in the US), Jefferson Ross has his very own musical design approach. In a way, his music is utterly country, but more intense listening reveals a more comprehensive range. Simply put, I would consider it an understatement if his work was described as just country music. Hornet Hawkins opens the series in an airy manner, primarily claiming the listener's attention with sublime stringwork. Those responsible for this are Rob Ickes (resophonic guitar and acoustic slide) and Jefferson Ross himself (guitar, mandolin, bass, harmonica). And well, also Jenee Fleenor's fiddle should not go unmentioned here, because at the end of the day it's all about mutual interaction.

Azalea is exquisitely well-balanced, ranging from cheerful and light-hearted to grave and downright philosophical. Jefferson Ross enjoys life and, I think, believes in the modest little things that may sweeten our earthly existence. Don't pay any attention to the media, but be happy about yourself – could have been his credo. Production-wise, Azalea is a thorough piece of work, highly conventional and open-toned. You won't find any real surprises – not that I would be eager to find any of those – and the truly remarkable thing about Jefferson’s debut is that each and every groove instils a good feeling in me. The album radiates a disarming sincerity and honesty that is usually only found in people who have liberated themselves from grim excessive ballast and prejudice. One of Jefferson's songs found its way to a Bryan White album, and via that route it caught Terri Clark's attention. Initially he was scheduled to work with her for a weekend, but the period extended to ten years. In 2005, he decided to focus more on the home front and to apply his songwriter's talents to his own cause rather than to the benefit of other artists. Azalea holds an unprecedented American modesty, which I cannot but respect with awe. A fine debut that will appeal to many.
- Rein van den Berg, Rootsville.be

- Rootsville.be

'BRILLIANT SONGWRITING...WHAT A FIND...HE SINGS WITH IMMENSE HEART AND BELIEVABILITY...YOU'LL HANG ON EVERY WORD' -Robert K. Oermann - Music Row Magazine

Jefferson Ross

AZALEA

Deep Fried Discs 06289

****1/2

A master singer-songwriter that every single Maverick reader needs to embrace

It still amazes me how seemingly out of nowhere comes a new singer-songwriter with a fresh new sound and approach to making music. Step forward Jefferson Ross, who quietly, but very effectively, knocked my socks off with this, his unheralded debut album. He’s no newcomer though. He’s had his songs cut by the likes of Bryan White and Terri Clark, and spent ten years on the road with the Canadian singer. For this self-produced effort he has attracted a stellar supporting cast that includes Rob Ickes (resophonic and slide guitar), Jenee Fleenor (fiddle), Chuck Fields (drums, percussion) and Gene Rabbai (piano and organ) and himself on guitar, mandolin, bass and harmonica—and each is given plenty of chances to shine.

The songs are all self-penned—some co-written with the likes of Canadian Lisa Brokop, Charlie Pate, Matthew Dame and Alison Mellon—and every one is very good. Flippin’ That Hog is an infectious slice of toe-tapping trad country that’s real easy on the ear. Change is a slow intense ballad, full of emotion—would be a monster hit in George Strait’s hands, but I’d be more than happy to live the rest of my life having this masterful version to listen to over and over again. I Was Here is a great mid-tempo tune about being content with one’s life, despite the inevitable ups-and-downs—great Dobro, harmonica and harmonies. Hard To Be So Easy is a duet with Lisa McCallum and if the CMA had its ears more tuned to fine music rather than just what gets played on mainstream country radio, this would be up for country duet of the year—sadly I’ve not seen any pigs flying!

Jefferson Ross is a master craftsman at creating country music that tells a story, and most of those stories begin Down South. As a writer he’s in the same league as Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell and Jesse Winchester. As a singer, he’s very much his own man, and as for making records, this debut album puts him in a class of his own. AC

- Maverick Magazine (UK)