After more than 20 years in the business, Cris Jacobs is finally getting some semblance of the recognition he deserves. After ten years fronting The Bridge and another decade on his solo path, the Baltimore singer-songwriter has earned not only the approval but also the time and resources of bluegrass tastemakers Jerry Douglas and Billy Strings. In the wake of his fourth solo album One of These Days, Cris Jacobs has shared a new collaboration with Jerry Douglas weeks before he joins Strings onstage for an O Brother, Where Art Thou? themed Halloween show.
One of These Days hosts an impressive personnel list: Billy Strings, Sam Bush, Lee Ann Womack, the McCrary Sisters, and Lindsay Lou all made guest appearances while The Infamous Stringdusters served as the house band and Douglas produced. But what’s just as impressive is Jacobs’ songwriting that lured the cavalcade of special guests in the first place. Blending bluegrass, folk, and blues, Jacobs’ storytelling is endearingly unguarded as he confronts years of depression, and cathartically joyful as the lifer musician comes to the brink of walking away only to reaffirm his calling.
“I was on the verge of giving it all up,” Jacobs said at the time of the album. “I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with music anymore, because it felt like I’d been scratching and clawing for years––just never quite getting there, even though, when I zoom out and look at the life and career I’ve had, well, 20 years ago I would have been ecstatic if you’d told me these things would happen.”
One of These Days arrived in April on the precipice of Jacobs’ Grand Ole Opry debut, and on Friday he followed it up with “Fruits of My Labor”. A Lucinda Williams cover, the song features Jerry Douglas on dobro and could not be a more apt summation of Jacobs’ musical journey. The tender telling makes a focal point of Jacobs’ vocals, vulnerable with minimal instrumentation beyond Douglas’ tasteful slides up the dobro.
“I met Jerry at DelFest a couple years ago and I remember him watching my set,” Jacobs told Live For Live Music in a recent interview. “Afterwards he was really nice to me and I just felt honored to meet him. He even told me to keep in touch. As I was putting together my ideas for my next album I was wanting to take it back to a more bluegrass-y thing … so I just called him and he was into it right away. That solidified the idea. I hadn’t even written any songs yet but if, in the back of your mind, you know that Jerry Douglas wants to produce you, you get to work.
“I know he’s a great player but he’s also a great producer,” Jacobs added. “He’s also just a great person to be around. That’s one of the best qualities a producer can have. When a guy like him is telling you that your songs are great and he’s patting you on the back, it’s pretty encouraging!”
Cris Jacobs, Jerry Douglas — “Fruits Of My Labor” (Lucinda Williams)
Douglas is the one who helped connect Jacobs and Billy Strings, who appears on standout single “Poor Davey“. Later this month, Jacobs will return the favor by joining Strings and his band at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore for a Halloween concert based on the Coen Brothers‘ landmark 2000 musical adventure film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, the iconic soundtrack for which was the first bluegrass album in 25 years to hit #1 on the Billboard Album Charts. The soundtrack—which features songs by Alison Krauss, John Hartford, The Stanley Brothers, Emmylou Harris, and others—held that distinction for almost another quarter-century until it was dethroned earlier this month by Billy Strings himself and his fourth original studio album, Highway Prayers. After their production of O Brother, Billy, his band, Jacobs, and a cast of guests including Jerry Douglas, Sierra Hull, Duane Trucks, Lindsay Lou, and actor Tim Blake Nelson will return to CFG Bank Arena on November 1st to celebrate Billy’s new album with a follow-up performance.
The Halloween run comes during a small break in Jacobs’ fall tour, set to kick off on October 17th in Wilmington, NC and run through November 23rd when it wraps in Philadelphia. Along the way, the singer-songwriter will travel up and down the East Coast and into the Midwest with dates in Charlotte, NC (10/23); Charleston, SC (10/26); New York City (11/8); Burlington, VT (11/9); Cleveland, OH (11/15); Indianapolis, IN (11/19); Pittsburgh, PA (11/21); and more. Tickets for Cris Jacobs’ fall tour are on sale now on his website. Stream One of These Days below or on your preferred platform.
Cris Jacobs — One Of These Days
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