Dear Friends,

I am honored and pleased to announce that the new CD: Poets, Philosophers, Workers, & Wanderers, spent seven (7) consecutive weeks as #1 Americana record on Sirius XM Radio / The Village. The recording also garnered #1 CD, #1 Artist, and #1 Song on the international Folk DJ Chart, with 4 songs in the top 10. Unexpected, to be sure - and welcome news!

No project of this scope sees the light of day without the kind and gracious support of MANY people. From the production team and musicians, to the fans who helped finance the project, from family and friends who kept my spirits up, to Folk and Americana DJs who were and are always willing to give new music a chance. This was definitely a communal effort, a "barn-raising" if you will, and I am filled with gratitude!

I would like to give a special shout out to the musicians, engineers, artists and designers who helped bring this collection of songs to life over a 2 and 1/2 year period.

Jon Carroll – Piano, Accordion

Jim Robeson – Electric Bass (Upright & Fretted)

Cheryl Prashker – Percussion

Harpeth Rising:
Jordana Greenberg – Violin, Vocals

Maria Di Meglio - Cello, Vocals

Rebecca Reed-Lunn - Banjo, Vocals

Ysaye Barnwell – Vocals

Tret Fure – Vocals

Edie Carey – Vocals

Heather Styka - Vocals

Reggie Harris – Vocals

Charlie Bernhardt - Vocals

Cathy Fink – Banjo

Grace Jencks – French Horn

Charlie Pilzer – Acoustic Upright Bass

David Glaser – Mandolin

Produced by: Joe Jencks and Charlie Pilzer

Recorded by: Charlie Pilzer at Airshow Mastering, Takoma Park, MD

Mixed & Mastered by Charlie Pilzer, Airshow Mastering

Bass Recorded by: Jim Robeson

Mastering Consultant: Randy LeRoy, Airshow Mastering

Production Consultant: Paul Mills

Art, Calligraphy, & Graphic Design: Moki Kokoris & Leslie Lee

Photography: Jayne Toohey – 2EPhoto

Publicity & Media Relations: Anna Ratliff

Radio Support: Lisa Grey, Blue River Promotions

Duplication: Andrew Ratshin - NW Discs


If you have not had a chance to check out the project please visit:

https://joejencks.com/cds/f/c/2230

The summer will see me touring a great deal both solo and with my mates in Brother Sun. Upcoming solo concerts include:

Saturday July 29th at James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Church in Madison. (Kaia Fowler will open the show and sit in.) And Sunday July 30th - I will be in concert at The Lake County Folk Club in Grey’s Lake, IL (please note a location change due to flooding.) I will resume touring with my band mates this coming week with concerts in MI, OH, and then off to Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. I hope to see you at one of these performances.

Solo tours in the fall will include many parts of the Northeastern US, Ontario, Colorado, Ireland, the Carolinas, and select shows in the Midwest as the year winds down. Please see the Tour Calendar for more information.

I hope to see you on the road in the coming months! And I hope you have a GREAT summer!

In Gratitude & Song,

-Joe

“If one can master a craft after investing 10,000 hours, Joe Jencks’ hours are showing! I am literally stunned by this new album. “Poets, Philosopher, Workers & Wanders” tells our stories, his story, and the untold stories, as an American folk master can - with heart and unfettered perfection. In this recording, Joe Jencks opens all the doors and windows of his traditional, Celtic, and Blues voice. It is his best recording yet. Add this one to the folk canon! ” ~ MarySue Twohy, SIRIUS XM Radio – The Village / The Bridge

“Poets, Philosophers, Workers & Wanderers -is absolutely Joe Jencks’ finest effort thus far. Jencks’ captivating tenor voice, lofted by flawless production, demonstrates music of conscience and provides a feast for the ear as well as nourishment for the soul.”
~ Rich Warren, The Midnight Special – WFMT, Chicago, IL

"Beyond the fine selection of songs and the talented team assembled in the studio, what really shines through on Joe Jencks' new album are his resonant, honey-rich voice, his open-hearted humanity, and his commitment to social justice. We need artists who inspire our better selves more than ever, don't we?"
~ John Platt , Sunday Supper, WFUV, NY, NY

“Joe Jencks brings us moving and stunning songs of hope, redemption, connection and remembrance. Sung with passion and delivered in his rich tenor voice, the songs on Poets, Philosophers, Workers & Wanderers are a balm for the times.” ~ Laurie DesJardins – KVMR, Nevada City, CA

“Climb inside the songs of Joe Jencks, and you meet real people. His lilting melodies and warm, caramel tenor draw us closer to the stories he tells. Jencks finds the humanness that binds us to the people in his songs!” ~ Scott Alarik – Author of Revivial and host of Folk Tales, WUMB, Boston, MA