A lot of people have called Jesse Dayton a lot of things. When he was the guitarist in country legend Ray Price’s orchestra, Price affectionately called him “Beaumont.” After hearing Dayton run through a few songs in a Nashville studio, Johnny Cash respectfully called Dayton “different.” After injuring his picking thumb, Waylon Jennings called Dayton to play Waylon’s guitar parts on Right For The Time. Seattle rockers The Supersuckers called Dayton North to help them record what has become an alt-country classic, Must’ve Been High. The Austin American-Statesman simply but quite accurately called Dayton “turbo-country.”

Jesse Dayton just doesn’t do it like everyone else. Raised on the Texas Gulf Coast musical gumbo that accepts everything from the classic heartbreak honky tonk of George Jones to the honking classic rock of the Big Bopper to the blue-eyed soul of RnB outfits like Cookie and the Cupcakes, Dayton’s musical vision goes far beyond the boundaries of what we usually consider “country music.”  Heavily influenced by ‘60s soul artists and soulful country artists like George Jones, Conway Twitty, Charlie Rich, and Jerry Lee Lewis, Country Soul Brother mines Dayton’s blue-eyed soul side, yet everything is done within Dayton’s exciting and highly volatile turbo-country template, making for an entirely unique album that stands out from the lumpy mass of albums known collectively today as alternative country.

By the time Jesse’s first band, The Road Kings, were tearing up stages all over the U.S. and Europe, he was coming to the realization that he had more music in him than rockabilly would allow.  Dayton segued from The Road Kings into alt-country outfit Alamo Jets, which became local faves in Houston and Austin and brought Dayton to the attention of Texas-based independent label Justice Records.

He did two records for Justice, only one of which saw the light of day. His debut solo recording, Raisin’ Cain, reached #1 on the Americana Music radio chart and introduced the world to Dayton’s unique brand of country music.  New Country Magazine called Raisin’ Cain “the most promising country debut since the Mavericks' From Hell To Paradise." Waylon Jennings took notice and hired Dayton to play on his Right For The Time recording.  Dayton simply says “spending that time with Waylon changed me forever.”

Jesse calls his second release, Tall Texas Tales his songwriter’s record.  It had a hugely successful run with the pioneering Internet music website Mp3.com, where “Jumped Head First” hit #1 on both its Pop and Country charts.  He says, "It sounds like Austin in the '70s, stripped down singer-songwriter country," he suggests. "My voice on this record is about an inch from your nose."

In 2001, Jesse released his third solo record, Hey Nashvegas.  It was recorded primarily in Nashville, but featured a checklist of Texas stellar musicians, including the as yet unknown Dixie Chicks, Jim Lauderdale, piano legend Floyd Domino, fiddle giant Johnny Gimble. Hey Nashvegas quickly entered the Top 5 on the Americana chart. The Austin American-Statesman said, "Like the Possum (George Jones), Dayton is the possessor of a tear-stained voice, a lost soul sensibility and probably a high degree of familiarity with the kinds of places mama warned you about."  Even the European press joined the party. Mojo Magazine wrote, "It's been ten years, when Steve Earle and Dwight Yoakam emerged, since country music launched a new artist this powerful."

Jesse spends a large part of his time touring the world including prestigious festivals such as the Blue Highway Festival (Netherlands), Country Rendezvous Festival (France), Jazz and Blues Festival (Belgium) and countless domestic events.  He and his tight touring band of Eric Tucker (drums), Elmo Sproat (bass) and Nathan Fleming (steel guitar) have recently returned from a successful tour of Thailand and Laos.

Ever the fan of soulful country crooners like Conway Twitty and George Jones, Dayton set out to recharge his musical batteries with a heavy dose of soul. Country Soul Brother is Jesse’s fourth solo release and features 12 songs, most of which are in the power-packed honky tonk style that has kept Dayton in the roadhouses and rock clubs instead of the slick line dancing venues. There’s a lot about the album that should remind people of Texas music pioneer Doug Sahm, who coined the apropos phrase, “You just can’t live in Texas if you don’t have a lot of soul.”

Jesse Dayton is often referred to as “the best kept secret in modern country music.”  If you ever get down to Houston, come by the Continental Club some steaming Saturday night and let yourself in on the secret. I guarantee there’ll be a party goin’ on. And Jesse Dayton will be right in the middle of it. - William Michael Smith

Contact:
Gary Moore
Richmond, TX. USA
281.238.5858

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