Traditional/acoustic folk and social justice singer/songwriter.

12 MP3 Songs in this album (60:43) !
Related styles: FOLK: Modern Folk, FOLK: Political

People who are interested in John McCutcheon Pete Seeger & Woody Guthrie should consider this download.


Details:
Joe Jencks is an international touring performer and award-winning songwriter. His career is based as much in ministering to the human spirit as it is in the performance of music. âA Joe Jencks concert is definitely not a visit to the inner world of some guy with a guitar who would like us all to sit still and listen politely. It's an occasion for singing, a contagious rising up of voices, an act of joy and defiance! â¦Tapping into the latent, nearly mystical beauty that a roomful of people can unleash by singing together.â â Seattle Folklore Society

Joe has earned wide recognition for his songs about working people, and for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Joe weaves a diverse web of stories with brilliant musical skill, ensnaring even the most rigid of hearts, inviting them to open. Whether performing at a union conference or folk festival, or at an intimate club or house concert, Joe manages to make any audience feel welcomed, valued, and part of a community.

Joeâs life-long interest in folk music led him to undergraduate and graduate studies in Vocal Music Performance, Choral Conducting, and Music Education. Like any good craftsman Joe applies the skills of this well-rounded training, using his lush and lyrical voice to enchant, heal, and inspire to action. Joe has won numerous songwriting awards for his original work, and has an ability to connect genuinely and intimately with audiences of diverse ages and backgrounds. âHe has a remarkable tenor voice thatâs capable of great strength and sweetness in the same moment, much as was Phil Ochsâ voice. His guitar is always a dead-on accompaniment to his songsâ intentions.â âBill Fischer, Victory Music Review

Joe is a dual US/Irish citizen living in the US, and merges traditions from both countries in his eclectic and vibrant musical presentation. Joe has had the unique pleasure of sharing the stage with numerous folk artists including Pete Seeger, Utah Phillips, Holly Near, John McCutcheon, Pat Humphries, and Bill Staines.

Joe Jencks' newest CD Rise As One: A Live Solidarity Concert (2005) is a musical retrospective on the labor movement. Ron Olesko (WFDU âFM Teaneck, NJ) commented on Joeâs 2003 release I Hear Your Voice, saying, âThis is not a collection of naval-gazing tunes from your average singer-songwriter, these are inspiring songs!â Joeâs earlier CD, What Kind of Brother, (2000) received national acclaim for its powerful songwriting and passionate singing. Joeâs song, Auto Mechanically Declined is used from time to time on the legendary National Public Radio show: Car Talk! It was selected to be on a Car Talk: Car Tunes compilation CD, currently in circulation. Joeâs CDs are available through the Seattle-based record label, Turtle Bear Music.
Joe Jencks serves on the executive board of A.F.M. Local 1000: North American Traveling Musicians Union. He is also a member of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance.

Discography
Rise As One âLive Concert CD Folk/Labor History 2005 Turtle Bear Music
The Wonder Deep Within CD Folk/Spiritual 2004 Turtle Bear Music
I Hear Your Voice CD Folk/Social Justice 2003 Turtle Bear Music
What Kind Of Brother CD Folk/Traditional 2000 Turtle Bear Music
Joe Jencks- E.P. CD Folk/Traditional 2000 Turtle Bear Music
The Phoenix CD & Tape Folk/Folk-Rock 1995 Turtle Bear Music
Joe has also appeared on numerous CD Compilations including National Public Radioâs âCar Talk: Born Not To Run.â

Contests
2005 - Songwriting Contest Winner - Plowshares Songwriting Competition - Phoenixville, PA
2005 - Songwriting Contest Winner - South Florida Folk Festival, Margate, FL
2004 - Songwriting Contest Winner In Two Categories - Walnut Valley Music Festival, Winfield, KS
2004 and 2003 - Songwriting Contest Winner - Tumbleweed Music Festival, Richland, WA

Quotes

âIn these times, we need the singers who will do the homework and tell the stories! Joe Jencks is among the fine next generation singers who are ready to carry on the tradition as well as look into the futureâ âHolly Near, Ukiah, CA

âThe key to the future is people joining in. The music of Joe Jencks captures this essential spirit. Joe is a fantastic singer who carries on the traditions.â -Pete Seeger

âListen to Joe! A clear tenor voice; a heart thatâs in the right place, close to the skin; a sense of justice tempered by a sense of humor; and a CD that captures it all in rich tasty arrangements. How can you go wrong?â
-Charlie King, Songwriter and Performer, Shelburne Falls, MA

âThe next time someone says that folk music has lost its conscience, lacks great protest songs, or has lost its connection with its causes, I will sit them down and play Joe Jencksâ CD, I Hear Your Voice. Jencks sings with a superb tenor voice, and picks flashy guitar⦠that doesnât obscure the beauty of his voice or the words of his well-crafted songs.â -Sing Out! Magazine, Rich Warren âHost of âThe Midnight Specialâ WFMT âFM Chicago, IL

âJoe Jencks is the type of musician that will cause you to drop that morning newspaper or pull your car to the side of the road when you hear his songs. He is the type of artist that will turn heads in his direction when he walks onto a stage. His voice will instantly draw you into his passionate songs. He is the type of musician whose music will become part of you. His craft and artistry will remind you of the best efforts of Phil Ochs, Stan Rogers, and Woody Guthrie. The troubadour tradition is alive and well in the 21st century with the music of Joe Jencks.â
-Ron Olesko, WFDU âFM Teaneck, NJ

âWhat a warriorâ¦â -Bob Franke, Songwriter and Performer, Peabody, MA

âI find that Joe embodies the spirit of Pete Seeger. In much the same way, Joe has his finger on the pulse of our grassroots social conscience, and passes it on for us to scrutinize. Every generation needs a voice for social justice and Joe Jencks is one of those very important voices.â -Judy Matzen, Off the Square Concerts, Woodstock, IL

âJoe Jencks is one of the Northwest's best-not-kept secrets; a singer-songwriter with a warm, smooth, powerful voice, and memorable finely crafted songs that have something to say. He moves freely between the worlds of contemporary acoustic pop and traditional folk, alternating and combining them into a rich and satisfying musical mosaic!â âRichard Middleton, Victory Music Review, Seattle WA

Sharing The Stage Withâ¦

Pete Seeger
Holly Near
John McCutcheon
Utah Phillips
Peter & Bethany Yarrow
Rod MacDonald
Bill Staines
Pat Humphries
David Roth
Willie Porter
Tret Fure
Steve Seskin
Kim & Reggie Harris
Joe Crookston
Pat Wictor
Rebel Voices
Tao Rodriguez
Justin Roth
Kym Tuvim
Wishing Chair
Reggie Garrett
Joe Glazer
Brad Warren
Mark Spittal
Charlie King
Anne Feeney
Chris Chandler
Dave Nachmanoff


Contact & Bookings

Turtle Bear Music
Toll-Free (877) 485-2479
8314 Greenwood Ave. N. PMB-215, Seattle, WA 98103
www.joejencks.com
contact@joejencks.com