"Joe Jencks is the type of musician that will cause you to drop that morning newspaper or pull your car to the side of the road when you hear his songs. He is the type of artist that will turn heads in his direction when he walks onto a stage. His voice will instantly draw you into his passionate songs. He is the type of musician whose music will become a part of you." -Ron Olesko, WFDU FM Teaneck, NJ

Joe Jencks is an international touring performer, songwriter, entertainer, and educator. From concert halls like the Lincoln Center in New York, to coffee houses, festivals, spiritual communities and schools, Joe Jencks has spent the last seven years touring full time. His music has traveled to every continent. He has earned respect for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Joe weaves a diverse web of stories with brilliant musical skill, ensnaring even the most rigid of hearts, inviting them to open. He has enthralled audiences of all ages with songs that touch the human spirit, lend courage and hope, and invite us to fully live inside of our passions and our beliefs.

Like a good craftsman, Joe applies the skills of his well-rounded conservatory training to a contemporary genre, and offers the listener the best of both worlds. Drawing on his Irish heritage in the process, Joe uses his lush and lyrical voice to enchant, heal, and inspire to action. Joe has won numerous songwriting awards for his original work, and is also highly regarded as a song interpreter. "He has a remarkable tenor voice that's capable of great strength and sweetness in the same moment, much as was Phil Ochs' voice. His guitar is always a dead-on accompaniment to his songs' intentions." -Bill Fischer, Victory Music Review

Joe's latest release, The Candle And The Flame, is his 6th CD, and his finest work to date. In this recording, Jencks delivers an album that is so personal and so passionate that it shatters any stereotype and places him solidly on the map as one of the finest modern singer songwriters, bar none. Joe's vocal performances are unparalleled, and a Grammy Winning team of engineers and supporting musicians contribute to make the recording an exceptional piece of work from start to finish. Guests include: Jon Carroll (Mary Chapin Carpenter's pianist) on keyboards, Pat Wictor on slide guitars and Siobhan Quinn on backing vocals. Jim Robeson (recording engineer) and Charlie Pilzer (mixing and mastering engineer) also play bass on the record.

The Candle And The Flame combines the many facets of Joe's diverse musical background and weaves them all together into an aural tapestry that is stark and exquisite. Joe sings with the passion of an R & B/Gospel singer, the knowledge of a classical vocalist, the soul of an Irish Tenor, and the conscience of a troubadour. And at the center of Joe's music is an abiding love for all humanity, a love that transcends the everyday and boarders on the mystical.

Joe Jencks serves on the executive board of A.F.M. Local 1000: North American Traveling Musicians Union. He is also a member of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance.

Discography

The Candle & The Flame CD Acoustic/ Singer Songwriter 2007 Turtle Bear Music
Rise As One "Live Concert CD Folk/Labor History 2005 Turtle Bear Music
The Wonder Deep Within CD Folk/Spiritual 2004 Turtle Bear Music
I Hear Your VoiceCD Folk/Social Justice 2003 Turtle Bear Music
What Kind Of Brother CD Folk/Traditional 2000 Turtle Bear Music

Joe has also appeared on numerous CD Compilations including National Public Radio's "Car Talk: Born Not To Run."

Contests

2007 - Falcon Ridge Folk Festival - Emerging Artist Showcase, NY
2005 - Songwriting Contest Winner - Plowshares Songwriting Competition - Phoenixville, PA
2005 - Songwriting Contest Winner - South Florida Folk Festival, Margate, FL
2004 - Songwriting Contest Winner In Two Categories - Walnut Valley Music Festival, Winfield, KS
2004 - Songwriting Contest Winner - Tumbleweed Music Festival, Richland, WA
2003 - Songwriting Contest Winner - Tumbleweed Music Festival, Richland, WA
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