Known for his stunning cross-genre virtuosity and his collaborations with musicians from across the musical spectrum, acoustic musician Jacob Jolliff recently announced the release of his album The Jacob Jolliff Band via Adhyâropa Records. Featuring tight vocal harmonies as well as the customary instrumental fireworks of a collaborative ensemble made up of fellow young stars, this album marks a major milestone in Jolliff’s evolution and the arrival of an authority on bluegrass mandolin. The album goes on sale August 5 and pre-orders will be available starting July 8, 2022. (Adhyâropa Records, 2022)

Long known for his musical prowess with contemporary bluegrass ensembles Joy Kills Sorrow and Yonder Mountain String Band, as well as his collaborations with Alex Hargreaves, Michael Daves, Tony Trishka, and Grant Gordy, Jolliff is equally fascinated by many other genres, and puts that musical polyglotism into what he writes and arranges for the Jacob Jolliff Band. This album is an attempt to capture the stylistic diversity the JJB pours into their fiery live performances. “It’s important to me to have real traditional bluegrass tunes in our set, but when I’m making a setlist I always want to hear a shift from one mood to another, like a story. It helps keep an audience engaged, and keeps us on our toes.”

Jolliff grew up in a musical family near Portland, Oregon and played in a bluegrass gospel band led by his dad, who started him on mandolin at age seven. That soon blossomed into an exploration of multiple genres, along with a love of – and impressive devotion to – his instrument that continues unabated to this day. “I’m really inspired by musicians like John Coltrane,” he says, “because of his incredible work ethic. And because he was putting in those hours his playing changed so much to the point of being completely different from era to era. There was a sound he was chasing, but there’s no way you can dynamite your way through the mountain, it just comes down to sheer hours.”

Today, all that work is evident in a musical approach which is distinctly, inimitably his own. “Whatever I play, whether it’s instrumental bluegrass, vocal music, jazz, anything – I hope my personality will come through. I don’t know how it couldn’t!”

The direction of the music is in large part dictated by the collaborators Jolliff invited to join him on this album: Stash Wyslouch on guitar, John Mailander on fiddle, and Myles Sloniker on bass. They were specifically chosen for the ability to not only provide a counter to Jolliff’s own bluegrass playing, but their sympathy for other genres as well. “The musicians that I call on have a shared set of influences, bluegrass being a huge one for everyone,” he volunteers, “but from the bandleading I’ve done, the players I really admire are those that are able to balance projects in different genres and really invest in each one.”

Known as a frequent collaborator with old-time standard bearer Bruce Molsky as well as the leader of his own ensemble, Stash Wyslouch brings an eclectic energy to the proceedings. “There’s no one like Stash. He has one of the most interesting amalgamations of influence, with his shred metal high school background, and having studied jazz and classical, a lot of that comes out even when he plays bluegrass. One of the most fun things for me is to play traditional bluegrass with Stash and see the skeptical faces that he always wins over by the end of a set just through sheer force of will and genuineness.”

John Mailander (also a member of Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers) offers a moderating voice to the musical conversation, full of wit and elegance. “He’s just one of the most tasteful musicians I know. Everything he plays is transcribable. He also just has a really nice contrasting style to Stash and myself.”

Bassist Myles Sloniker has been the engine of the band since 2018: “I called him on a couple weeks’ notice to do a tour and he came in already knowing all of the arrangements. With just the two of us playing together you could see there was a special connection. Great singer too, and his solos arguably work the audience into a fury even more than Stash’s do!”

Single release dates:
July 11: ‘Outbound Plane’
July 25: ‘Large Garbage Barge’

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