Events

[ROCK] Over the course of a career that began in the early 1970s, Brit singer-songwriter Joe Jackson has proven to be inscrutable and enigmatic. His first two releases reveled in the new-wave-y “angry young man” spirit that also defined the early work of Elvis Costello, to whom Jackson is often compared. The similarities don’t end there, either—both artists have taken wild turns into instrumental jazz and classical music, sporadically returning to the pop ethos that defines the core of their respective catalogs. While best known for his radio staples, “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” “Steppin’ Out” and “Breaking Us In Two,” the breadth of Jackson’s output since his 1979 debut is much meatier than most would assume: 30 releases in total, 10 of which are live, including a few film soundtracks, symphonic meanderings, and a tribute to Duke Ellington. His latest is a return to pop, entitled Fast Forward (Caroline, 2015), and it’s a revelation. At 61, he’s put together an album of disarming warmth that’s just as unabashedly dreamy as his early work was agitated; the result is his most likable release since 2003’s Volume One. Recorded in four-song chunks between New York, New Orleans, Berlin (his current home) and Amsterdam, Jackson calls on collaborators Bill Frisell (guitar), Brian Blade (drums), Regina Carter (violin), and members of the band Galactic to musically articulate his emotions, resulting in an album that feels fresh and familiar at the same time. His cover of Television’s “See No Evil,” and quippy new tunes like “Junkie Diva” (a swipe at Amy Winehouse) and “If I could See Your Face” might be the most satisfying returns-to-early-form for longtime fans, while “If It Wasn’t For You” and “A Little Smile” clearly recall the lounge-feel of Night and Day. The more despairing sentiments of the six-minute title track, accompanied by Carter’s violin, provide the set’s emotional pinnacle. More than any one track, though, it’s the forever-startling contrast between his lyrical bite and the elegance of his piano playing that make Jackson, and Fast Forward, so compelling. He’ll combine some of the new songs with material from throughout his career and a few surprise covers at the UB Center for the Arts on Friday, July 8.