Jake Lear

JAKE LEAR BIO

www.jakelear.com

Real Blues Magazine – Top 100 CD list of 2007-2008,
“High Octane Bob Dylan/Stevie Ray Vaughan fueled blues.” - Dave Edick of Press and Sun Bulletin, Binghamton N.Y.
“Blues magic flows through Lear.” Maryville Times Maryville, Tennessee
“He is at a place where he deserves to be heard.” – Mark Drnek – Host of Blue Light Central WSRK
“Lear is a guitar god influenced by everyone from Buddy Guy to Jimi Hendrix.” – L Magazine
Singer, songwriter and guitar slinger Jake Lear is a new name in the blues world having just released his crossover debut blues album Love and Charm. The album released in 2007 is his first and has been garnering steady praise from top blues magazines like Blues Revue, Blues Matters and has made Real Blues Magazine’s top 100 list of 2008. The independently released Love and Charm is getting noticed by radio stations world wide who have made Love and Charm heard around the world and reviewers like Dave Edick tout Jake’s music as “High Octane Bob Dylan/Stevie Ray Vaughan fueled blues…..Lear’s inspired heart and soul makes “Love and Charm” one of the best blues albums you’ll hear this year.”
Lear recorded Love and Charm in two weeks at Panda Studio in Binghamton N.Y. with his band who supply bass, drums and harmonica and “….the brew is intoxicating.” writes Noggin of Blues Matters. Jake penned 9 of the 13 tracks on Love and Charm and is enthusiastically praised for his sound and songwriting, The Maryville Times of Tennessee said “Blues magic flows through Lear”, and The East Hampton Star described his song writing abilities saying “The subject is straightforward blues, hard times in heart and wallet. A simple request for lovin.’ The joy of recrimination. Pleas for help or pity in an unfriendly universe.” Jake’s influences run wide and deep and Noggin of Blues Matters writes “The covers are great and include a version of “dust my broom” and the pedestrian “lord protect my child” in which he pays homage to the nuances of Dylan’s delivery perfectly.” L Magazine say’s “Lear is a guitar god influenced by everyone from Buddy Guy to Jimi Hendrix.”
Born in Vermont, a far cry from the birthplace of the blues but raised on the music of Blues, Folk and Country, Lear began playing guitar at a young age and was first inspired by Buddy Guy’s album A Man and the Blues. Lear often describes first hearing Guy’s Stone Crazy as a life altering moment. It was this moment that Jake says he found his calling. Lear quickly discovered the music of John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Elmore James and sites all of these as major influences on his own music. Through high school Lear, who is self taught, dedicated himself to learning the music of the blues greats. After high school Lear left home and lived for short periods in Boston, Austin and NYC all the while playing music and forming his own unique sound. In 2003 Lear moved to the industrial city of Binghamton, NY and quickly established himself on the music scene. Among the abandoned factories and burgening art scene Jake found an environment to flourish as a young artist creating music and playing gigs in Binghamton, Pennsylvania and NYC three to four times per week. In 2005, Before Jake even released his debut album, he was asked to play his first major festival on the emerging artist stage at the Arkansas Blues and Heritage festival in Helena, Arkansas and has had the great fortune to play with or open for the likes of Anson Funderburgh, David Lee Durham, Bill Abel, Eddie Shaw, Paul Geremia and has been on bills with legends Honey Boy Edwards, T-Model Ford, The Fabulous Thunderbirds and many more.
In the last year he has been a guest on radio shows from Italy to Mississippi promoting Love and Charm and in fall of 2008 will be back in the studio to record the follow up to his debut album.