Jo Ann Holt
“Under A Texas Sky,” Waco native Jarrod Dickenson’s new extended play album, is set for a September 25th release by Continental Records. The EP features soulful renditions of five Texas legends. The music of Roy Orbison, Esther Phillips, Willie Nelson, Doug Sahm, and Guy Clark is featured.
Storytelling is a Texas tradition, with tall hats and taller tales woven into the fabric of the Lone Star State. Waco native and songwriter Jarrod Dickenson, who’s now based in Nashville, can spin a yarn with the best of them. Dickenson is known for his ability to blend a variety of instruments and influences into one signature sound.
Dickenson says he is a “mostly self-taught” guitarist. He first started playing the instrument at 18, before leaving Waco at age 20 to finish college at the University of Texas in Austin. While at UT, he began to work as a musician and songwriter in the Austin music scene.
Debut Album “Ashes on the Ground”
Photo: Jarrod Dickenson by Josh Wool
“I used to go to Antone’s several times a week and was fortunate to get to watch guys like Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins and Jimmie Vaughan play on a regular basis. From there I got into Tom Waits, and his totally unique way of writing and telling stories, which is very much rooted in blues and jazz structures, but is also constantly pushing the envelope on what those genres can sound like. Around that time I also discovered Texas writers like Guy Clark, which was another game-changer for me as a songwriter,” Dickenson recalls.
In Austin, he played coffee shops, clubs, and bars. He recorded his debut album, “Ashes On The Ground,” in 2008. Following the release, he quit his day job and hit the road. Since then, Dickenson has toured and performed at a number of international venues and festivals. He has appeared with such legends as Bonnie Raitt, Don McLean, and The Waterboys.
Dickenson Pays Tribute to Texas Roots
Photo: Jarrod Dickenson by Josh Wool
On “Under A Texas Sky,” Dickenson revisits his Texas roots to pay tribute to a handful of the state’s greatest musicians.
Dickenson says, “This is a collection of songs by classic, Texas-born artists that have inspired me and my own musical journey. As a native Texan, I’ve always been aware of the rich musical heritage of my home state, but as one often does with the place they’re from, I took it for granted. It wasn’t really until I moved away from Texas that the music that grew out of that same soil from which I came truly started to grab a hold of me. For quite a while now I’ve wanted to pay tribute to the many great artists from The Lone Star State, and thus Under A Texas Sky was born.”
The five-song EP features Dickenson’s takes of Roy Orbison’s 1959 hit “Uptown,” Esther Phillips’ powerful rendition of “Try Me,” Willie Nelson and Ray Charles’ iconic duet “Seven Spanish Angels,” San Antonio prodigy Doug Sahm’s “I’m Glad For Your Sake (But I’m Sorry For Mine),” and Guy Clark’s timeless ballad, “Dublin Blues.”
Under a Texas Sky
The album is recorded live with a backing band consisting of good friends JP Ruggieri (guitars and pedal steel), Stephanie Jean (Wurlitzer and backing vocals), Chris Turpin (resonator guitar), Ted Pecchio (bass), Josh Hunt (drums), Michael Bellar (Hammond organ) and his wife/musical partner Claire Dickenson (vocals).
“Under a Texas Sky” will be released by Continental Records Sept. 25. For more information about Jarrod Dickenson, visit jarroddickenson.com.
