KRISTINE JACKSON: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar & Song Writer
"Kristine Jackson has her own unique element she's developed on her instrument. Her focus on her horn is ubiquitous..."
For the most part, self trained and self disciplined Kristine has designed a unique mold for herself that stems from playing those first soulfull solos in the church where she grew up. Blues is definitively Kristine's mainstay and is the music that she feels most connected with. But don't let the whole blues player attitude fool you, becuase KJ won't hesitate to do her thing an any type of music.
Kristine has graced the stage with legends like ROBERT LOCKWOOD Jr. and THE BUDDY MILES EXPRESS, and is a consistent element of the Cleveland Blues/Jazz scene.
Performing in the past at venues like The ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN'S "STONE PONY", Boulder's "FOX THEATER", "TELURIDE'S " BLUES & BREWS FESTIVAL" and N.Y.C's CHICAGO BLUES along with TV and radio appearances, Kristine has always shown an intense devotion to her craft .Her willingness to throw on the "extra" lump of coal to keep a stage hot has become her trademark.
Born KRISTINE ELIZABETH JACKSON on July 28th, 1979 to parents RON and JACKIE JACKSON, Kristine has always been nudged toward following her dreams. Encouraged by her piano man father she acquired her first horn, a student model King affectionately named "SAM" and you might say "got busy".
At the age of 13 Kristine started playing . When in high school she was under the musical direction of JAMES BERYLYUNG and CLARENCE BARBER, whom K.J. continues to hold in the highest regard.
At the age of 16, Kristine had the opportunity to play a convention at the TRANS-WORLD DOME in ST LOUIS for a Citi-Group Based Company PRIMERICA opening night to a crowd of 30 thousand people. Sitting next to the No1 Horn Player on the Vegas Strip GREG WING, Her presence on stage even at this early point of her music career was very evident. She loved to perform with her horn, seeming at home even with such a large audience. The following night she was invited to play for a one hour show with "KENNY & the BLUE NOTES", front stage, playing some old Earth, Wind & Fire tunes. She was becoming at home in her new element, the live stage.
Continuing through High school Kristine earned the "LOUIS ARMSTRONG Award, her High Schools highest jazz award. Following graduation , Kristine threw herself into the night life and jam sessions of Cleveland. Hanging with the top players of both jazz and blues, Kristine absorbed all they had to offer. On a trip to one of the city's main jazz joints she had a run in with one of the most saught after trumpet / flugle horn players in town, Kenny Davis. Davis, an Oberlin College jazz professor and trumpeter with the likes of Mary Wells, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, The Temps, The Tops, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight and Aretha, took Kristine under his wing and began leading her into the solid roots of blues and soul. This along with teaming up with the city's best sax man Rob Williams gave her a strong footing for her budding career. Continuing on for two years at The University of Akron by day and jam sessions by night Kristine was determined to set out on her own.
Now playing Bach Stradivarius and Leblanc horns K.J. joined "Queenie's Phaze 5" a Cleveland based blues band and started cutting her live chops. Free-lancing with groups like The Bad Boys Of Blues, Jake's Blues, Becky Boyd and Real Life, Joe Bell and the Swing Lizards, the Robert Lookwood Jr. All Stars and the Colin Dussualt Blues project, Kristine had begun to make her mark on the Cleveland blues scene.
In 1999, K.J. had an incidental meeting with MARK (MUGGIE DOO) LEACH , band leader of the BUDDY MILES EXPRESS and Hammond organist for the BLUESBERRIES with STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN'S DOUBLE TROUBLE. Kristine and Muggie began to keep in touch and started sitting in together with local bands when Muggie was off tour.
In 2001 Muggie asked Kristine to pack up and fly out for a Mid-U.S. tour with the BUDDY MILES EXPRESS. After unsucessful attempts to line up a flight for K.J., she ended up taking a grueling greyhound bus trip ( 36 hours) to Denver Colorado only to reach her destination with apparently no one to pick her up. Thanks to a patient driver, done for the day, Kristine waited on the bus for an extra hour at the stop. Low and behold eventually came the Express , all smiles and apologies. They had been waiting across the freeway at an adjacent bus stop all the time. Kristine and her horn were officially "on the road"!
K.J. started off her stint with the Express at The TELURIDE BLUES AND BREWS FESTIVAL in Telluride, Colorado receiving strong accolades from the patrons and press for her performance. She continued on with the group all the way through New York city. Performing in rooms like Boulder's FOX THEATER, Evergreens's LITTLE BEAR, THE STONE PONY in Asbury Park and N.Y.C's CHICAGO BLUES she was not just holding her own, she was bringin' down the house ! Working as a section with Express sax man PATRICK GAGE, Kristine was letting it be known that she could definitely handle her own on the big stage.
As organist Mark Leach puts it, " Kristine has a soulfulness and a tone all her own. She has a way of not only making you enjoy how she lays it down, but making you remember how she did it too. If the rest of a band isn't on their P's and Q's you can lay bet she's walking away as M.V.P of the night". As The Legendary BUDDY MILES says of Kristine " Hey the girl is all about her horn"
Upon her return to Ohio, Kristine was urged by a local venue owner Norm Plonski to form her own band. The group was called Blues On Purpose , a name K.J. remembered from an old tune off a Nina Simone album. B.O.P was hit from the start recieveing many accolades and promotional opportunities from radio to T.V and a nomination for best blues band in the Cleveland area. After a year of giging with the group K.J had the erge to do more with her talents than just being a horn player. The time came in the winter of 2003 when K.J left B.O.P to search for something more.
In Feb. 2004 Kristine traveled to the Netherlands and worked with a band called The Backbones not only playing horn but singing and fronting the band. Upon her return to the U.S she formed two new groups, Basically Blue and Acoustically Blue. Fronting both groups on either the horn or guitar doubled by vocals Kristine has pushed her way once again into the Cleveland music scene.
For more info on Basically /Acoustically Blue Check out
www.basicallyblue.com
