Cris Jacobs

• Folk
• Guitar
• Singer/Songwriter

Whether alone with just the guitar and his voice or surrounded by a full band, Cris Jacobs enchants listeners with his inspired, poignant songwriting, virtuous guitar playing, and soulfully transcendent voice. Artists across the board have discovered Jacobs’ musicianship and supple versatility, resulting in an impressive variety of formats in which he has played over the last few years.

After a decade, five records, and 200 shows a year as principal songwriter and frontman for beloved Baltimore-based band The Bridge from 2001-2011, Jacobs wasted no time continuing to write music of his own and exploring different configurations for his craft. He released his debut solo album, Songs for Cats and Dogs, in 2012, and continued to perform relentlessly, both with his new band and as a solo artist. In doing so, he quickly garnered the admiration of a variety of predecessors and peers: rock legend Steve Winwood saw Jacobs perform in 2014 and soon invited him to open his national tour. The following year, Sturgill Simpson extended the same invitation. Never limited by genre, Jacobs and New Orleans heavyweight Ivan Neville recorded a collaborative album under the name “Neville Jacobs”, which will be released in 2017. As an adapting, evolving, versatile musician who has survived on his own merit, Jacobs continues to win over audiences of many tastes, as he brings his characteristic authenticity and soul to every set.

Cris Jacobs continues to nurture a devoted audience that knows that whatever the instrumentation or setting he plays, it will be richly authentic, and conveyed with an improviser’s curious spirit and palpable presence. We can only expect further evolution from Jacobs, an artist constantly inspired by the search for “those beautiful, sad, inspiring, heartbreaking magical corners of life. The most rewarding, and terrifying part of trying to be an artist is the journey itself, the vulnerability and riskiness in seeking them out trying to express them. Sometimes you hit dead ends, and sometimes you strike pure gold.”