Tina Jackson. The daughter, the mother, the friend, the faithful follower, the dreamer, the poet, and the conduit through which the voice of angels flow through…the woman that encompasses all that renews my faith in our world and society!
I have told the story many times and here will be no different. I still remember the first time I heard this woman’s voice and felt her presence. We hadn’t even met yet and she had changed my life forever. In a small venue, along the southern California coast, a band known as 7th Sons, was the opening act for national touring artist, Eddie Money. I can tell you nothing about Eddie Money’s performance that night, other than, in my opinion; maybe he should have been opening for 7th Sons!
The lights came up, the music started and Tina owned the room! I stood there completely mesmerized by her presence. Blown away by her vocals and the chemistry between her bandmates and herself (and I wasn’t even standing in the “sweet spot” of the room)! While I had not, yet, met Tina, I was very familiar with the band and I knew that they only had a couple of quick rehearsals with their new vocalist so everyone was nervous about this show. I shared their apprehension, all the way until she sang her first note and from there all I could do was question “why?” as clearly this woman was holding every person in that room in the palm of her hands!
Now based in Long Beach, California, multi-award winning, Ms. Jackson, grew up in the Midwest; Muncie, Indiana, to be exact. The American daughter of a fine artist and a farmer, she began singing and songwriting at the age of four. At only a year old, her parents split and she became her father’s daughter; accompanying him in the fields, through words and music, he, instilling within her lessons of life, love, the rewards of hard work, how to appreciate all this wonderful world has to offer and how to give back. Lessons that Tina shares in every word she writes and in every note she sings.
By age of four, Tina was touring with her aunt, Lucille Lytle, with the gospel ensemble, Sacred Aires, who occasionally featured Tina singing the popular ’50’s gospel song, Lead Me. Though known as an Americana/Blues artist, Tina never strays too far from her gospel roots and crosses over to many other music genres, as well, that reflects in her, Songs in the Key of Me, album.
As Tina grew from a child into an adult, she was faced with many challenges that come with fractured family life. Challenges that pushed the boundaries of faith, trust and love; that left scars well into her life as a young woman, wife and mother of two; yet to look at her beautiful eyes that allow you into her beautiful soul, you know that, at some point, she had chosen a path that allowed her to take these experiences and obstacles and use them in ways to send messages of positive affirmation and love.
Once her children were grown and on their own, Tina retreated into a world of quiet reflection. For many years it was a world she shared with only her writings and her guitar until finally she emerged and reached her hand outward to those that also suffered from shattered hearts and broken spirits and became a resident director for a women’s and children’s shelter and a group home parent for at-risk, pre-teen girls.
In 2003, Tina released her first CD entitled, Songs in the Key of Me. Described as, “World Rock Fusion. Rock with influences of jazz, blues, soul and trans-continental accents from Africa to South America, to grass roots and urban America”, all 11 songs were written by Tina and were produced by singer/songwriter, Peter Dobson, who also shares his guitar skills throughout the CD. Songs in the Key of Me is currently available for sampling and purchase through Amazon at: www.amazon.com/Songs-Key-Me-Tina-Jackson.
Throughout the years, Tina, mostly billed as a solo artist, has played in hundreds of small venues across the United States, but she calls Long Beach, a beautiful large suburb of Los Angeles, her home. I have had the honor of not only seeing her perform several times with 7th Sons, but I had the privilege of filming several of these performances and each time, it was an honor and a thrill. She is currently back in the studio in preparation of the release of her, 15 track, Americana/Blues album, Amber Waves. Each song written by Tina and each telling a story through her eyes, about who this amazing woman is, how became to be and why. Many of these stories go back to her childhood, when she listened to her father singing melodies while he worked the earth with his plow, her mother’s drive to be a successful artist and singer, of love and heartbreak, her faith in the Almighty and the gifts He bestows upon us all. She also includes some cherished and happy memories that life has brought to her throughout her journey.
Prior to full release of the Amber Waves CD and Tina’s mini tour, she plans to release three singles beginning in February 2017 with, In My Shoes, followed by, Jo, and then finally, Beauty for Ashes. In a recent email conversation Tina shared with me her muse for each song. I had the opportunity to listen to these songs pre-release and they all take me back to that moment standing at the back of The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, where I heard her angelic voice for the very first time; however, I am not sure I am capable or worthy of giving them the proper full inspirational credit so I would like to share parts of our conversation as it pertains to each single:
“‘In My Shoes’ -this song in so many ways depicts who I am as person, Blues performer, hopeful human, and daughter of a farmer, Henry E. Jackson. Henry who was born of sharecropper parents in 1897 in rural Alabama, not exactly the time nor conditions of hope and optimism for a black child with 12 siblings. Daddy had depth, insight, experience, passion for survival, and pain greater than anyone I have ever known. Dad had a tenor voice of a heavenly strain. When I was a child his harmonious lilting’s, intense melodious moaning, and deep thunderous elongated wails could be heard for miles on top of the sweet country air, over the rich open fields of corn and grain, through the woods, and flowing right along the many rivers and streams that spread like a web throughout the rural routes of Randolph County Indiana. If you had ears, you would hear it. If you had heart, you would feel it. Everyone heard and felt Henry’s song. Henry’s many melodies had no words until first I wrote the Blues and called it, “In My Shoes”
The 2nd Single in the lineup is an Americana (roots) song called ‘Jo’ which was inspired by fondness for and memories of my mother’s baby sister, JoAnne. I, myself, had no sisters. Jo was the closest thing I had to it. She was spontaneous and funny, a prankster, with a heart of gold, that was sometimes filled with and overcome with sorrow. But she was sincere, real, and called it like she saw it. I am a lot like her. I have felt and observed the pain of others, and sometimes my boundaries and innocence suffered attack because of the tenderness of my heart and my hunger to experience love and acceptance, just like ‘Jo’
The 3rd and Final Single is ‘Beauty for Ashes’ the Americana anthem and focal point for the mission to promote Mental Health Awareness through music. ‘Beauty for Ashes’ was born after pre-production had already begun. I was challenged to present a letter of introduction of who I am and to what cause I wished to align myself as a responsible member of the artistic community. This challenge can from music producer and recording artist Brian O’Neal, founder of the 80’s rock band, The Bus Boys, who skyrocket to instant fame with the song ‘The Boys Are Back In Town,’ for the hit movie ’48 Hours’ starring Eddie Murphy & Nick Nolte, and right back to back with the movie theme song and Ray Parker Jr. was ‘Ghost Busters’. As I began to write that introduction, I suddenly recognized my many blessings, and within moments I was compelled to temporarily abandon the composition and celebrate by writing a song that told of how blessed I am to have been given many wonderful experiences…’beauty’ when I seemingly have given so little in comparison…’ashes.’ I had no idea that we would be adding one more song to production, ‘Beauty for Ashes’’.
Follow along with us as we continue Tina’s story coinciding with the final drop of Amber Waves and the kick-off of her mini-tour. In the meantime, you can find Tina and her music on her website: www.tinajackson.com, where you can also find various links to her social media, music pages and affiliations.