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The Charlie Jacobson Band plays the Elks June 16th

Jacobson to share the stage with Shaky Ground’s reunion performance
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SOLID SHOW - Presented by the Central Music Festival Society, the Charlie Jacobson band performs June 16th at the Elks. Also playing that night is Shaky Ground - a band that was popular in Red Deer back in the 1990s and are reuniting for this show and an appearance at North Country Fair. photo submitted

Local musician Charlie Jacobson will be hitting a City stage this month with his own band in a show with a special ‘family reunion’ kind of twist.

Presented by the Central Music Festival Society, the Charlie Jacobson Band performs June 16th at the Elks.

Also performing that evening is Shaky Ground, a popular local band from the 1990s which also happens to feature Jacobson’s parents - Bruce Jacobson and Teresa Neuman.

His sister, Elly Jacobson, will be joining Shaky Ground for the show and Charlie will serve as drummer for his folks’ band as well.

Jacobson, an extremely talented musician and songwriter in his own right, serves up tunes that span a number of genres from blues and funk to rock and R&B.

Through a hectic touring schedule and a number of recording opportunities and collaborations with other artists, he’s continuing to make a name for himself nation-wide via his own unique interpretation of a range of genres.

He’s still garnering attention due to his exceptional 2017 release Travelin’ and is looking forward to a brand new project to be released later this month as well.

His first full length disc, Alberta Flood, was released in 2015.

Meanwhile, Jacobson is also gearing up for a spot at North Country Fair this month, as is Shaky Ground. He’s hoping to have the new CD available in time for that event.

“It’s a new body of work that I’ve written over the past year or so; some of the tunes were written out east and others just all over Canada.

“There are different influences, and it’s going to be a new sound for this album,” he explained, adding the project was recorded ‘live off the floor’ at Edmonton’s DanLyn Studios.

“I’m really looking forward to releasing it and getting it out there - there are lots of dancing songs,” he said, adding he produced the disc as well. “So I’m excited. It’s still my style - and all original.”

The ‘live off the floor’ approach suits him perfectly.

“That’s the way I like to work ideally.”

Typical recording is done more as a process, where ‘live off the floor’ captures that fired-up, lively sound in one shot that conventional recording - consisting of layers of overdubs and tracks - often just can’t.

“I really enjoyed that, the band is really tight and we are good friends so it was nice. I did Travelin’ in Nova Scotia over two nights alone - that was a very different experience creatively.”

Jacobson produced Travelin’ as well – he played all the instruments, did all the engineering and mixed and mastered it himself as well.

As to the show at the Elks, Jacobson is thrilled to be a part of what promises to be a fun, unique and very memorable evening.

“It is a family reunion of sorts - we’re all getting together; the four of us,” he said of his folks and his sister. Years back, the family often performed together and of course music was an integral part of the home during his growing up years.

“I’m just playing the drums (with Shaky Ground) which is great for me too, as I started out on the drums in the family band before I was in elementary school,” he added with a laugh.

“As a family we’ve always been a band, really. We did the Jacobson Four at the Central Music Festival.”

As to his first sources of inspiration, Charlie took violin lessons from his mom from the time he was four till he was about eight. She also taught him voice and piano, while his dad taught him guitar.

Looking back, Charlie was also exposed early on to diverse styles by attending folk festivals, rock shows, musical theatre, community classical, jazz and bluegrass concerts and sleeping above rehearsals of his parents’ rhythm and blues and folk bands.

“I remember walking home from school, and I could hear the music playing before I opened the door to the house,” he recalled. “And then when I was even younger and going to bed at night, my parents would be playing music or having a band rehearsal in the kitchen with their bands Bull Simple or Shaky Ground. When I was a little kid, I would always be going to their performances.

“We also had a music room in the house of course. There was a piano and drums, and guitars laying around everywhere,” he said.

“I would just pick one up and try to do what my dad was doing.”

Advance tickets to the June 16th show can be purchased online at centralmusicfest.com. They will also be available at the door.

Charlie, who is currently touring way up north, can’t wait to hit the hometown stage.

“I’m hoping it’s a real reunion for the whole community” he added. “Old friends and family getting together and having a big party with the band.”



Mark Weber

About the Author: Mark Weber

I've been a part of the Black Press Media family for about a dozen years now, with stints at the Red Deer Express, the Stettler Independent, and now the Lacombe Express.
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