Jorge Palomarez

… I had no idea what this songwriter would bring when he came in. Think Leonard Cohen meets Los Lobos and you get a tiny idea of the magnitude …

… Even the poker players stop to listen when this guy sings; totally original and beautiful …

… We are haunted by his style of playing and singing …

… This guy writes, sings and plays totally from the heart. Even when he covers a Dylan standard it sounds like it is his own …

… Jorge Palomarez includes Jose Feliciano meets Leonard Cohen with just the right touch of Dylan for good measure …

* Note: “Lena” is from song called Marcela’s Breakdown by Jorge Palomarez


- Danny Everitt's web site

Jorge Palomarez could be classified as one of those coffeehouse singer-songwriters that plays through the background cacophony of milk frothers, bean grinders and study group chatter. But unlike most performers that just add melody to the wash of noise, Palomarez is that rare talent that pierces through the discordance and steals your attention–just when you were about to open that book you’ve been meaning to finish for the past month. You won’t open it. Once he’s got you, he’s got you. His warm and graceful acoustic guitar progressions have been compared to Nick Drake and Bob Dylan.
He sings like a man that’s blown out all the air in his lungs and then flexes his guts to voice one last gasp–one that’s tonal and has phrasing to boot! No stranger to SXSW and the Crossroads Music Festival in Memphis; Palomarez is a real treat for those who appreciate pared down, intricate guitarwork and personal songwriting.
- Maroon Weekly - Texas A&M Magazine

Didn’t someone once say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”? This modest CD has the classic trappings of a DIY production, which only lends to its charm. If you hadn’t heard, or heard of, Jorge Palomarez, the cover would scarcely tempt you. The EP-length CD, with six original songs that clock at 31 minutes, is a remarkable mix of lyrical wordsmithing, spare but full guitar arrangements, unique vocal phrasing and style, and nicely engineered session in the recording studio.
You will hear only a man and a guitar singing songs of his own composition, and each of six songs casts a longing light with long shadows on a poignant scene from the past. Your past, and mine, the joys and sorrows we all share. Visions is a perfect title.
Palomarez frequents the weekly open mic at Main Street Crossing, held on Tuesday evenings. I remember only half-listening to him singing (as coffee house audiences are wont to do) when he delivered one of his lyrical gems and instantly grabbed my attention. It could have been the line “The color of her eyes was almost sacred,” from “Nancy Loves the Rain,” or “Two scorpions in your glass jar, going round and round, the parasites won’t cheer for you when you’re laying on the ground” from “Parasites”.
What I do remember clearly is thinking, in that instant, that Jorge Palomarez is the real thing. Repeated listens validate that first impression, and I recommend that you experience this for yourself. To obtain Visions contact Jorge at 281-459-4116 or 832-618-8788 or e-mail PalomarJL@aol.com.
- That Texas Magazine