John Jorgenson
Encyclopedia
John Jorgenson is a US
musician
. Although best known for his guitar
work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band
and The Hellecasters
, Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin
, mandocello
, Dobro
, pedal steel, piano
, upright bass, clarinet
, bassoon
and saxophone
. While a member of the Desert Rose Band, Jorgenson won the Academy of Country Music
's "Guitarist of the Year" award three consecutive years.
Jorgenson has also recorded or toured with many artists including Elton John
, The Byrds
, Bob Dylan
, Bob Seger
, Willie Nelson
, Johnny Cash
, Emmylou Harris
, Hank Williams Jr., Barbra Streisand
, Luciano Pavarotti
, Roy Orbison
, Patty Loveless
, Michael Nesmith
and Bonnie Raitt
.
and clarinet
since age eight.
He was born in 1956 in Madison
, Wisconsin
, into a musical family. His mother was a piano teacher and his father an orchestra conductor and college music professor.
Jorgenson attended junior and senior high school in Redlands, California
, graduating in May 1974. One of his early bands in this period was named Rocking Pneumonia, circa 1971.
In his early 20s he played full-time at Disneyland, playing clarinet with the Main Street Maniacs (Dixieland), mandolin with the Thunder Mountain Boys (bluegrass) and guitar with the Rhythm Brothers (Django Reinhardt style swing). These three groups were composed of the same four members, who changed costumes and music styles at intervals throughout each day.
, along with Will Ray
and Fairport Convention
guitarist Jerry Donahue
. Originally intended as a temporary collaboration, the Hellecasters went on to release several albums during the 1990s. Their debut, Return of the Hellecasters, released in 1993 won both the "Album of the Year" and "Country Album of the Year" awards from Guitar Player Magazine.
In 1994 Jorgenson was invited to join Elton John
's band for an 18 month tour. Jorgenson remained with the band for the next six years performing both live and in the studio. His versatility was evident on stage, as he played guitar and saxophone for Elton in concert.
In 2004 Jorgenson portrayed the legendary Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt
for the film, Head in the Clouds
. Jorgenson was found by the films music coordinator and consultant Scottpatrick Sellitto and Jorgensons performance was praised worldwide.
Jorgenson continues to perform and tour with his own gypsy jazz ensemble, John Jorgenson Quintet
. The band's members are John Jorgenson (lead guitar), Doug Martin (rhythm guitar), Jason Anick (violin),[Simon Planting (bass) and Rick Reed (percussion).
Jorgenson is also a patron for Guitar-X (Tech Music Schools
) in London, which he regularly visits to hold master classes for the students.
The 2008 Brad Paisley
album Play
, an album that was mostly instrumental, Jorgenson was a part of the song "Cluster Pluck" and collaborated with Brad Paisley
, James Burton
, Vince Gill
, Albert Lee
, Brent Mason
, Redd Volkaert
and Steve Wariner
for the song. The tune won a Grammy award in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category.
and other electric guitars as a solo artist and as a member of the slinging guitar trio Hellecasters
, John Jorgenson got his own Fender signature models in 1997.
custom-voiced, split-coil, hum-cancelling pickups which allow players to get controlled feedback in distortion mode and a custom-wired, five-way pickup selector switch with an additional push/pull control allowing seven tone variations. Other touches included a custom two-pivot-point tremolo, a Wilkinson "Wilkaloid" self-lubricating nut, gold sparkle pickguard and gold hardware.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. Although best known for his guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band
Desert Rose Band
The Desert Rose Band is a US country music band from California founded by Chris Hillman along with Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson in 1985. Rounding out the original lineup were Bill Bryson on bass guitar, Jay Dee Maness on pedal steel guitar, and Steve Duncan on drums...
and The Hellecasters
Hellecasters
The Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of Nashville session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson , and Jerry Donahue , they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments...
, Jorgenson is also proficient in the mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, mandocello
Mandocello
The mandocello is a plucked string instrument of the mandolin family. It has eight strings in four paired courses, tuned in 5ths like a mandolin, but is larger, and tuned CC-GG-dd-aa . It is to the mandolin what the cello is to the violin.-Construction:Mandocello construction is similar to the...
, Dobro
Dobro
Dobro is a registered trademark, now owned by Gibson Guitar Corporation and used for a particular design of resonator guitar.The name has a long and involved history, interwoven with that of the resonator guitar...
, pedal steel, piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, upright bass, clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
, bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. While a member of the Desert Rose Band, Jorgenson won the Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
's "Guitarist of the Year" award three consecutive years.
Jorgenson has also recorded or toured with many artists including Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Hank Williams Jr., Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless , is an American country music singer.Since her emergence on the country music scene in late 1986 with her first album, Loveless has been one of the most popular female singers of the Neotraditional country movement, although she has also recorded albums in the Country pop and...
, Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
and Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
.
Early years
Jorgenson has played professionally since the age of fourteen, and had been playing both the pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
since age eight.
He was born in 1956 in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, into a musical family. His mother was a piano teacher and his father an orchestra conductor and college music professor.
Jorgenson attended junior and senior high school in Redlands, California
Redlands, California
Redlands is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 68,747, up from 63,591 at the 2000 census. The city is located east of downtown San Bernardino.- History :...
, graduating in May 1974. One of his early bands in this period was named Rocking Pneumonia, circa 1971.
In his early 20s he played full-time at Disneyland, playing clarinet with the Main Street Maniacs (Dixieland), mandolin with the Thunder Mountain Boys (bluegrass) and guitar with the Rhythm Brothers (Django Reinhardt style swing). These three groups were composed of the same four members, who changed costumes and music styles at intervals throughout each day.
Later years
In 1993 Jorgenson formed the guitar trio The HellecastersHellecasters
The Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of Nashville session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson , and Jerry Donahue , they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments...
, along with Will Ray
Will Ray
CRAIG is a long-time American session guitarist and current member of the Hellecasters. CRAIG has also released a number of solo albums. He is considered an influential player of the Fender Telecaster line of guitars. Fender made two CRAIG signature models in the late 1990s: the Jazz-a-Caster...
and Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention
Fairport Convention are an English folk rock and later electric folk band, formed in 1967 who are still recording and touring today. They are widely regarded as the most important single group in the English folk rock movement...
guitarist Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue
Jerry Donahue is an American guitarist and producer primarily known for his work in the British folk rock scene as a member of Fotheringay and Fairport Convention as well as being a member of the rock guitar trio The Hellecasters.-Biography:Donahue was born in New York, the son of big band...
. Originally intended as a temporary collaboration, the Hellecasters went on to release several albums during the 1990s. Their debut, Return of the Hellecasters, released in 1993 won both the "Album of the Year" and "Country Album of the Year" awards from Guitar Player Magazine.
In 1994 Jorgenson was invited to join Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's band for an 18 month tour. Jorgenson remained with the band for the next six years performing both live and in the studio. His versatility was evident on stage, as he played guitar and saxophone for Elton in concert.
In 2004 Jorgenson portrayed the legendary Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt was a pioneering virtuoso jazz guitarist and composer who invented an entirely new style of jazz guitar technique that has since become a living musical tradition within French gypsy culture...
for the film, Head in the Clouds
Head in the Clouds
Head in the Clouds is a 2004 drama film written and directed by John Duigan. The original screenplay focuses on the choices young lovers must make as they find themselves surrounded by increasing political unrest in late-1930s Europe.-Plot synopsis:...
. Jorgenson was found by the films music coordinator and consultant Scottpatrick Sellitto and Jorgensons performance was praised worldwide.
Jorgenson continues to perform and tour with his own gypsy jazz ensemble, John Jorgenson Quintet
John Jorgenson Quintet
The John Jorgenson Quintet is an American gypsy jazz band featuring guitarist John Jorgenson, a pioneer of the American gypsy jazz movement. The ensemble was originally formed in 2004 for the release of "Franco-American Swing"....
. The band's members are John Jorgenson (lead guitar), Doug Martin (rhythm guitar), Jason Anick (violin),[Simon Planting (bass) and Rick Reed (percussion).
Jorgenson is also a patron for Guitar-X (Tech Music Schools
Tech Music Schools
Tech Music School is a contemporary music school that trains musicians for the music industry in the following disciplines: drums, vocals, guitar, bass guitar and music business...
) in London, which he regularly visits to hold master classes for the students.
The 2008 Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
album Play
Play (Brad Paisley album)
Play, also known as Play: The Guitar Album, is the sixth studio album by American country music artist Brad Paisley. It was released on November 4, 2008 . Like all of his previous albums, Play was released on Arista Nashville and produced by Frank Rogers. The album is largely instrumental in...
, an album that was mostly instrumental, Jorgenson was a part of the song "Cluster Pluck" and collaborated with Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley
Brad Douglas Paisley is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His style crosses between traditional country music and Southern rock, and his songs are frequently laced with humor and pop culture references....
, James Burton
James Burton
James Burton is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame...
, Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, Albert Lee
Albert Lee
Albert William Lee, born 21 December 1943 in Leominster, Herefordshire, England, is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked both in the studio and on tour with some of the most famous musicians which stretch through a very wide of genres...
, Brent Mason
Brent Mason
Brent Mason is an American session guitarist and occasional songwriter. He is known primarily for his work in the field of country music. In addition to releasing two instrumental studio albums, he holds several credits as a songwriter...
, Redd Volkaert
Redd Volkaert
Redd Volkaert was a successor to Roy Nichols in Merle Haggard's backing band, and is "among the country’s top Telecaster guitar slingers.". Volkaert won a 2009 Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance.-External links:* *...
and Steve Wariner
Steve Wariner
Steven Noel "Steve" Wariner is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has released eighteen studio albums, including six on MCA Records, and three each on RCA Records, Arista Records and Capitol Records...
for the song. The tune won a Grammy award in the Best Country Instrumental Performance category.
The Fender Signature Hellecaster Guitars
Best known for using a variety of G&LG&L
G&L is a guitar design and production company founded by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Dale Hyatt in the late 1970s. Fender sold his company named Fender in 1965. He designed and produced instruments for Music Man in the 1970s through his company CLF Research. When relations with Music Man...
and other electric guitars as a solo artist and as a member of the slinging guitar trio Hellecasters
Hellecasters
The Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of Nashville session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson , and Jerry Donahue , they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments...
, John Jorgenson got his own Fender signature models in 1997.
Fender Limited Edition John Jorgenson Hellecaster
This limited-edition signature guitar was made in Japan in 1997. It features a black sparkle-finished maple body, vintage-tinted, high-gloss maple neck with reversed large-style Strat headstock, rosewood fretboard with gold sparkle dot inlays, 22 jumbo frets and Schaller locking tuners. Refinements included three Seymour DuncanSeymour Duncan
Seymour Duncan is a company that is best known for manufacturing of guitar pickups, and currently has a line of effects pedals. The company was founded in 1976 by guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and his then-wife Cathy Carter Duncan in Goleta, California, USA...
custom-voiced, split-coil, hum-cancelling pickups which allow players to get controlled feedback in distortion mode and a custom-wired, five-way pickup selector switch with an additional push/pull control allowing seven tone variations. Other touches included a custom two-pivot-point tremolo, a Wilkinson "Wilkaloid" self-lubricating nut, gold sparkle pickguard and gold hardware.