Jarrod Dickenson – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

It seems silly to label Nashville based, Texan troubadour Jarrod Dickenson a new, rising star, he’s an artist who’s been on the scene since 2010. However, now that the appetite for musical Americana is gathering momentum in the UK, Dickenson’s reputation is building, and with speed.

He’s in Glasgow at the world-famous King Tut’s with just his guitar, his trademark tall hat and his Belfast-born wife on backing vocals to support Grant-Lee Phillips and promote his latest album Ready The Horses.

A born storyteller, the stripped-back sound suits these self-confessional songs perfectly. His sound straddles multiple genres: country, old-school blues, folk, a touch of soul, a tinge of Johnny Cash, but most of all it’s entirely transportative, it’s more New Orleans blues bar than Glasgow rock venue tonight. Dickenson is clearly a gifted musician and songwriter, each song a perfect vignette on life, the universe and everything in between. Dickenson’s voice manages in turn to be plaintive, poignant, plangent, rough, smooth and strong. This live set is as note perfect as anything you could catch on a recording.

This is a strong set, delivered to an enthusiastic crowd, by an incredibly talented musician who deserves to be heard by a wider audience. Dickenson surely has a bright future ahead.

Reviewed on 21 April 2018, currently touring the UK with Grant-Lee Philips, then Don McLean.