I had the pleasure of catching the soulful young songwriter Jake Quillin, who hails from Johnson City, Tennessee, but made the move to Dallas, Texas recently. Our introduction was made through a mutual friend that has been a regular face throughout the years at Savannah Stopover.
The blues are always a tricky subject, as so many types of performers play their own variations of the genre, and Jake is no different in that it’s not a strict adaptation of the form. I must admit that often I find myself skeptical whenever that label is attached to a player, but in this case, within just a couple of songs I heard pulls from the “sing-song to solo notes”, and certainly the gut-wrenching “feel” of down & out storylines. Toss in a dash of Jimi Hendrix, and 60s soul and that would be a solid description of the majority of sound coming from the stage that evening at Truck Yard Dallas.
Having left his band behind in the southern tri-state area to look for greener pastures, Jake has been on the move out here in Texas, and seems to be gathering steam as a solo singer-songwriter on the Dallas scene. As many gigs as I’ve seen advertised thus far I expect to hear of him performing much more after the winter months when just like in the low country, more outdoor spaces open back up for live music. Check out the links above, give him a follow on social media, and enjoy these images from a chilly, sunset performance in my ‘hood of Lower Greenville, Dallas, Texas….
