Joe Jackson is one of the most unique musicians in British pop history. Coming out of the punk musical revolution, he immediately got noticed for his skill in combining raw energy, great taste and dislike of stereotypes.
Joe Jackson and his band appeared on the British music scene just after the punk revolution with iconic records like “Look Sharp!” (Containing the hit “Is She Really Going Out With Him”) and “I'm The Man” (containing the hit “It's Different For Girls”). LPs that still sound incredibly modern and fresh.
Later on during his career Jackson was not afraid to mix other influences like jazz, classic and latin music to his original sound (in albums like “Body And Soul” or the masterpiece “Night and Day”). Never repeating himself, Joe Jackson always pleased his devoted fans with albums where his intelligent lyrics were supported by great musical ideas, a coherence that made the five time Grammy nominee one of the most respected and admired artists of our time. He constantly plays live for a fan base which is like a “secret society”: ready to follow, support and embrace Joe Jackson in any new musical adventure he wanted to explore.
In 2010, Joe Jackson went back on the road, playing a big number of sold out shows which were featured on the fantastic live album “Live Music”. Joe Jackson's last release, 2012's “The Duke,” was an ambitious, horn-free tribute to a “fellow music pioneer” (NPR) Duke Ellington, which Rolling Stone hailed as “movingly subtle” and which charted in the Top 30 in various European countries. It featured an eclectic roster of guest artists including Iggy Pop, Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson and other members of The Roots, Sharon Jones, Steve Vai, and jazz violin star Regina Carter.
The ever-restless songwriter Joe Jackson travelled the world to record “Fast Forward,” his first collection of original songs in seven years. Originally conceived to be released as a series of EPs, the album was produced and arranged by Jackson, and features four sets of four songs recorded in four different cities – New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Amsterdam – each with a different set of first-call supporting musicians. The results rank among the richest and most rewarding music of his storied career.
NEW YORK: Jackson has called New York home for many years. He recorded these tracks with Bill Frisell on guitar, Brian Blade on drums, his long-time bassist Graham Maby, and jazz violin star Regina Carter. Along with three originals including the album's title track, these sessions feature a scorching take on a New York classic, Television's “See No Evil.”
AMSTERDAM: Distinguished by the most diverse instrumentation of the four sessions, Jackson is joined on these songs by frequent collaborators Stefan Kruger and Stefan Schmid from the band Zuco 103, the Concertgebouw orchestra, and the project's only guest vocalist, 14-year-old Mitchell Sink.
BERLIN: Berlin is Jackson's second home, and he recorded here with two expatriate American musicians: acoustic bass master Greg Cohen (Tom Waits, Ornette Coleman, Bob Dylan) and Tindersticks' drummer Earl Harvin. These sessions produced the album's second cover, Jackson's modern English take on the 1930s German “Kabarett” song “Good Bye Jonny.”
NEW ORLEANS: Jackson travelled to one of his favourite cities, New Orleans, to record with an all-local cast including three members of the funk band Galactic - drummer Stanton Moore, bassist Robert Mercurio, and guitarist Jeff Raines – and a horn section led by saxophonist Donald Harrison.
