Live Music with JACKIE VENSON

Jackie Venson is an Austin born guitar hero. and now she is sharing her amazing and unique style with us in Central Illinois. Her latest album is titled “Joy” and true to its name, “Joy” is an upbeat fusion of funk, soul, and blues melodies. Jackie was recently awarded the “Best Guitarist” title in the Austin Music Awards, making Venson the first African American woman to receive the award. Premier Guitar describes her style best : “Austin’s Jackie Venson fuses electric Hendrix-meets-Prince blues guitar and a panoply of synthesized voices and vibes, eagerly and fluidly passing through genres to never quite call one home. Genre-bending is à la mode today, but when orchestrated with her kind of finesse, it’s really the artist that becomes the genre.” Jackie was obsessed with music from an early age and immersed herself in its study, attending the Berklee College of Music to practice classical piano. However, it wasn’t until she switched to the electric guitar, that her long-simmering passion for emotive live performance was realized.