It sounds as if Johnny Cash is playing frontman for The Allman Brothers and it's fuckin' splendid- Village Voice

11 MP3 Songs
COUNTRY: Country Rock, ROCK: Americana



Details:
"Gritty, down home country the way it should be."
- Time Out New York

Jack Grace, the New York City bred country singer, songwriter, guitarist, banjo-picker and whiskey drinker, serves up his freshest brew yet of heartbreaking ballads, robust drinking songs and honky-tonk hymns on his new album, I Like It Wrong.

Jack is what he writes and writes what he is. Lamentable relationships, wayward hangovers, loves lost and found and a host of memorable characters populate tunes that range from haunting to humorous. When people ask, "Why don't you move to Nashville?" Jack likes to say, "Last time I checked, they had enough country singers. Besides, I like the challenge of playing country music in the hostile territory of Yankee snobbery. I Like It Wrong." His answers, inevitably, mirror the song titles on the record. "You see It's Not a Crime to drink Colder Than Cold, Ice Cold Beer at 7:30 in the Afternoon. When I Drink Whiskey in an Old Hotel, The Grass is Always Greener (But I Can't Remember Just Which Grass is Mine)."

The music of the Jack Grace Band blurs the line between traditional country and rock music. Live performances have earned high praise from local authorities. Jack finished last year on a high note as The Village Voice Pick of the Week. The paper praised "the big voiced, hard-working Mr. Grace and band play a twang and rock con-fusion that moves comfortably from original country weepers to 14-beer rampage versions of 'I Am I Said' and 'Stayin' Alive'."

Jack and company were fortunate enough to warm up for his hero Doc Watson at NYC's famed Bottom Line as well as Junior Brown at BB King's Blues Club. Jack would also like to make clear that his greatest honor was opening up for Merle Haggard at the Mountain Winery in sunny California. In an intimate moment, Merle signed Jack's 1947 Gibson acoustic and lifted it into the air, and said, "I think I feel a few more songs in this one." Most of the songs on I Like It Wrong were to follow.

His first recording, Introducing the Sounds of Jack Grace, was a solo effort well received in the New York area. The success of the album led to a three year Friday night residency at the Knitting Factory, experimenting with different formats, from guitar and drum duos to the Jack Grace Mini Big Band. In 2002, he gathered his players in the studio for his second recording, "Stayin' Out All Night," a collection of hard-rocking songs and Jack's signature odes to optimism mixed with regret.

Jack never officially printed the disc, but it took on a life of its own, receiving excellent notice from critics, medium rotation on over 40 radio stations across the country, and a host of new fans. A reviewer noted the songs were "as good for the ears as greasy comfort food is for a hangover." Why was it never printed? He almost had a record deal and wanted to save the $2,000 for printing. So he burned about 2,500 CDRs, one at a time, on an as need basis. It worked to a degree, but he now wishes he had just spent the damn money.

The quirky, 20th Century Fox cop comedy "Super Troopers" afforded Jack his first opportunity to score a major motion picture. Of course, he had to throw in some of his songs as well. Soon after, he was pleased to discover the wonderful world of royalty checks. "Getting checks in the mail for doing nothing is all right by me. In fact, I'll be happy to not mow your lawn for only $50."

Jack Grace's torrid affair with music began at an early age when he'd doze in the back seat listening to Sinatra on his father's car stereo. A childhood discovery of Beatles records in the house brought on a fever that has not yet abated. From there, he moved onto Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and beyond.

Å formidable showman and songwriter, Jack Grace is a paradox with a guitar. He fingerpicks with a flat pick and eats chili without a spoon. Jack has been seen in almost every venue in New York City, often on the stage and usually at the bar. When asked by fellow New Yorkers which Southern state he hails from, Jack finds great pleasure in his reply: "Born in Brooklyn." With legions of converts, loyalists and curious onlookers, he brings some rock and roll to the country side. With a collection of songs and performers like this, it's no wonder that more and more music fans are beginning to like it wrong.

Jack Grace Band / (212) 591-0261 / jack@jackgrace.com /
http://www.jackgrace.com