Hair & Hide by George Jackson

This album explores the classic and infinitely varied musical combination of the fiddle and banjo. I was absolutely delighted to get the chance to work one on one with the seven banjo players on this album, each of whom have a unique and important voice on their instrument. The players include one of my oldest friends, collaborators, and fellow New Zealander, BB Bowness, some of my most regular current collaborators and jam buddies; Brad Kolodner, Jake Blount, Frank Evans and Joe Overton, one of my long time favorite banjo players Wes Corbett, and one of the banjo’s future stars, the amazing (and only 13 years old at time of this recording) Uma Peters. Beyond just exploring the possibilities of the banjo and fiddle as instruments, this is an album about the two, essential, fundamental or binary elements that banjo and fiddle are to each other in the context of oldtime and bluegrass music. On this collection of tunes you’ll hear a mix of bluegrass and oldtime inspired tracks, and some that are blurred in between, the two styles feed off of one another and feed my playing as I continue to explore passion in both fields and meld them together with my own music. The melodies presented are a collection of old and new; half the tunes are written by myself while the other half are old tunes or tunes written by others. My aim is to mix them up so that it's not always obvious which tunes are old and which ones are new. Thanks for taking this journey with me!

Thank you to the musicians featured on this album who brought their creative energy and enthusiasm to the table in working on these tunes! Jake Blount, Brad Kolodner, Catherine (BB) Bowness, Uma Peters, Wes Corbett, Joe Overton and Frank Evans. Thanks to the ever chill and accommodating Sean Sullivan for your work recording and mixing these tracks (in the midst of a global pandemic, no less!) and to Carl Saff for mastering. Thanks to John Fabke for his brilliant design work, Natia Cinco for the photos, Tristan Scroggins and Jonathan Een Newton for their help in getting this music out into the world. Special thanks to my wife Rachel Baiman for always being positive and encouraging of my music, I love you. Thanks to my family who I’ve missed a lot during the pandemic, here halfway across the world, but who are always inspiring me and are so supportive. My parents Alistair and Karen, my Grandad Barry, my brother Mackenzie and his partner Eline. Thanks to my wonderful in-laws who have made me so much a part of their family Ron, Michelle, Becca, Jeremy, Liliana, Dylan, Dogs Hartford and Tavi, oh and Moose the cat. Thanks to all my friends and the wonderful musician community in Nashville who’ve gotten me through the last year with distanced hangs and spaced out jams: John, Anna, Mark, Amy, Patrik, Jacob, Melody, Kaitlyn, Ben, Neighbor Mike, Josie, Shelby, Joel, Cy, Philippe, Libby, Eli and everyone else! Huge thanks to my Patreon supporters who have been keeping me inspired and have helped make this record possible with special thanks to Alyssa and John.

From his work as a sideman with the likes of Jake Blount and Jacob Jolliff, as well as his beloved collections of original fiddle tunes. Having lived in Nashville for much of the past decade, Jackson now digs further into the various inspirations he has found in his newfound home with his album George Jackson’s Local Trio, featuring Eli Broxham and Frank Evans.

georgejacksonmusic.com