I can still remember the first time I heard Gary Clark Jr.’s “The Bright Lights EP” when it first dropped in 2011. Even then, I felt like I was hearing the making of a sonic icon, who carried with him the musical personas of Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Kurt Cobain (talk about name dropping). But Clark wasn’t directly aping these musician’s styles, he was also very aware of his own voice from the get-go. His style of playing may have tinges of other influences, but nobody could emulate his signature tone and playing style. He was by all accounts the real deal.
In 2014, just a few short years after releasing that four-track EP, Clark would receive his first career Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his song “Pleas Come Home.” Six more Grammy nominations would follow, three more of which he would take home. Not bad for a guy who grew up playing the blues in his friend’s garage in Austin — where he originates from.
Gary Clark Jr.
However, Clark’s notoriety would gain another level of importance with the release of his third studio album “This Land,” which tackled the very serious issue of racism in the album's title track. After this posthumous release, Clark would be called upon to play the musical showcase for Saturday Night Live in March of 2019. Needless to say, this was a make-you or break-you platform that has elevated and killed many a musical career (remember Ashlee Simpson)? Clark, however, shined during this set, so much so I was bound determined to get tickets to see him when he ventured through my hometown. Not only did I get a chance to see him perform, but I was also in the front row. Still obsessed with his entry level EP, I was blown away when he opened the set with “Bright Lights,” which is still my favorite song from his vast catalogue of music.
Now, five years later, I find myself filled with excitement knowing that Clark will be hitting Cowtown on May 8 to kick off what will be his very first world tour. This tour is set to promote Clark’s fourth studio album "JPEG Raw," which he says is his “most freeing.”
“Blues will always be my foundation,” Clark states on his website. “But that’s just scratching the surface. I’m also a beat maker and an impressionist who likes to do different voices. I’ve always loved theater and being able to tell a story. At home when I play the trumpet, I think Lee Morgan, or John Coltrane when I play the sax. I’ve even got bagpipes just in case I need them. So while this is my most honest and vulnerable album about relating to the human condition, it’s also the most freeing.”
Up until 2019’s “This Land,” Clark’s music stayed very much in the lanes of blues, rock, and soul music mixed with elements of hip hop. With “This Land” he experimented with punk, pop, and even top 40 tropes. “JPEG Raw” is a further extension of this motif, even incorporating jazz and African beats successfully into ballads and rock songs. His new album also features a sundry of guest artists that include Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Valerie June, and Keyon Harrold.
Gary Clark Jr.
“When the album sequencing was finished, the band and I realized that we’d made an album into a movie,” he recalls. “That’s what I was going for sonically because that’s how the whole writing process played out. First, it’s about angst and confusion, the unknown. Next, it’s about looking at ourselves internally. And then it’s about what comes after: the hope and triumph.”
Whatever his inspiration, it’s good to see that Clark is still hungry to learn more and push the envelope on his sound. Just last year, Clark was named Texas State Musician by the Texas Commission on the Arts, an honor currently held by Burleson native Kelly Clarkson. In April of 2022, Clark served as the official Music Director for Jon Stewart’s acceptance of the 23rd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall. Clark also performed The Beatles’ “Come Together” with Bruce Springsteen which aired nationally on PBS. Clark has appeared in multiple films and TV series, including starring in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” as Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup.
When asked what he wanted his fans to get from his latest album, Clark replied, “It’s really not about me, so take me out of the equation. This is yours now.”
