Dear Friends in Music,
I hope this finds you well, and that 2025 is off to a solid start for you.
Apologies for the long silence. 2024 was a banner year for my concert touring. However, it came to a swift halt with a shoulder injury in late October. After a fairly involved surgery on Nov. 19, I tucked into my turtle shell and focused on healing. It is an ongoing and lengthy process, but I am headed in a good direction.
I’ll be performing my first road date of 2025 near Columbia, MD on Thursday, January 23rd. I am sharing the night with one of my favorite songwriters, colleagues, and musical friends - John Flynn. His songs have been a companion to me for more than 2 decades, and I was proud to sing a few harmonies on one of his records about 10 years ago. As I am still recovering from the aforementioned shoulder surgery, I will also be accompanied by pianist extraordinaire, Steve Jones. This concert is being produced by Joyce Sica/ Cellar Stage Concerts at at Temple Isaiah (Fulton, MD).
On Feb. 1st. I am excited to offer a headliner set at the South Florida Folk Festival (on my 53rd birthday!). On Feb. 15 I will be in Milwaukee with my friend and talented songwriter Lisa P. Medina at the Anodyne Coffeehouse. Then, I’ll be off to Folk Alliance International in Montreal where I will be an Official Showcase Artist, as well as participating in several other performances and events.
Specific tour dates and details can be found at: https://www.joejencks.com/calendar
So, back to the shoulder. I won’t wax to philosophically about having a traumatized left wing. The allegory is just too easy. But my left side being injured and needing both healing and dedication to the work ahead does feel somehow an appropriate metaphor in these times.
The tumble I took in late October severed 3 tendons in the left shoulder. I hobbled through four more weeks of road dates, finishing my professional year on Nov. 17th in London, Ontario. I drove back to Illinois on the 18th, and was in surgery on Nov. 19th. Fingers crossed for long-term success. Though I will say my body was underwhelmed with the fix feeling worse than the injury. C’est la vie.
I cancelled, rescheduled, or postponed most of 5 months worth of tour-dates. The surgeon told me it would likely be a 6 month recovery. I assumed he meant 6 months for people who were less committed to their recovery. I was sure I would cinch it in 4 months, tops. Turns out that while I am doing well by many metrics, he meant 6 months for a 52 year-old. Ha! Discipline in PT only gets one so far. The body will heal as it heals.
I have solid health insurance in some regards, and a $120K surgical and hospital bill translated into about $3K to me. Gratitude for that.
But, My insurance is not going to cover several months of PT, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, and other healing modalities that will be required for me to make a full recovery. For a musician to reclaim full capacity of a lifetime of cultivated dexterity and skill is a long journey, and will require a fair amount of resource to navigate. Combine that with having had to remove so many concerts from the calendar, and I am looking at a sobering fiscal picture.
I am not starting a crowd-source campaign or a high profile fundraiser. I feel like that should be reserved for more dire circumstances. But I am humbly making a direct appeal to my fans and friends.
If you are in a position to help out, that would be a genuine kindness. And it would help me afford the professional support and even more, the time that I need off the road to continue recovering my ability to play musical instruments and be present in the world for the deep work ahead.
Donations can be made electronically or by check to:
Joe Jencks
2225 Gateway Dr. Suite C
Sycamore, IL 60178
Or via:
PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/JoeJencksMusic
Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/Joseph-Jencks
Square Portal: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/KAX2Q6QPERZQ9/checkout/5IL3CQOY5S4GGDXLPCZTTHKL
THANK YOU!!!
I will have limited engagements in the Northeast in March, and in the Southwest in early April. In the 2nd 1/2 of April, my dear friend and beloved colleague Deidre McCalla and I will do another tour together, this time in the Northeast. It is always a joy making music with her.
I am taking it engagement by engagement regarding whether I need an accompanist. But I am hopeful to return to playing in limited but increasing capacity as my healing progresses. Thank you for your help. I look forward to seeing you out on the road somewhere, in 2025!
In Gratitude & Song,
~ Joe Jencks (1-22-25)
