Review
It's possible, but hardly common, for a singer-songwriter to sound echoes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Gram Parsons, Elvis Costello and Paul Westerberg, all of which Jackie Greene does on his fifth album.

The hard part, which Greene seems to pull off so effortlessly, is triggering those echoes without sacrificing an authentic voice of his own. That may be one meaning of the album's title: Greene seems comfortable acknowledging the ghosts of pop music past, perhaps because he's in thrall to none of them.

In "Uphill Mountain" alone, he references colorfully named characters such as Peeping Tom and Madame Rose, name-checks Elmore James and John Henry and tosses off such bons mots as "You got to take just what you are given/'Cause luck only matters with the cards and the women," staking his claim as a peer, not a shadow.

The San Francisco-based musician opens the album advising the listener, "California is the place to be, but I should warn you about the things I've seen." He proceeds to reel off one fascinating, detail-rich tale or morality play after another. Somehow, as literate as his lyrics can read, they never sound academic, rarely self-conscious: "I don't pretend to make the world feel better / I don't live on the moon," he sings in "I Don't Live in a Dream." No brag, just fact.

He's a skilled multi-instrumentalist and has been a virtual one-man band on previous albums, but this time he's assembled a crack team of Americana/roots music specialists to support him, among them Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Steve Berlin, drummer Pete Thomas, bassist Davey Farragher and steel guitarist par excellence Greg Leisz.

Greene's songs span the basest impulses of lust and revenge to the noblest spiritual aspirations -- everything that defines what it means to be human. And nary a ghost in sight. (***1/2) --Los Angeles Times

Product Description
Named The Prince of Americana by the New York Times, Jackie Greene is steeped in country, blues, jazz, rock and folk traditions, defying easy categorization. Performing live with a guitar and a harmonica rack, Greene has accelerated past initial cries of the new Dylan and has managed to forge a unique musical vision. With four distinctive albums under his belt, Giving Up The Ghost is an energetic showcase of folk, blues and rock that Greene has taken to another level. Produced by Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), Giving Up the Ghost also features collaborations with Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan), Mic Gillette (Tower of Power), Dave Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello) and others. The first single from Giving Up The Ghost is "Shaken" and is poised to do just that. Shake things up a bit just where Jackie likes them.

1. Shaken
2. Animal
3. I Don't Live In A Dream
4. Like A Ball And Chain
5. Uphill Mountain
6. Don't Let The Devil Take Your Mind
7. Prayer For Spanish Harlem
8. Downhearted
9. Follow You
10. Another Love Gone Bad
11. When You Return
12. Ghosts Of Promised Lands

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0013FYT9Y/?tag=imwan-20

I can't wait! American Myth was a phenomenal album!!!