Album Notes

Country/Folk Artist J. Blackwell grew up within the scenic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Gordonsville, Virginia. As a child growing up, he was surrounded by music and fondly remembers spending his Sundays on the front porch of his Grandparents cabin with his family where he would watch his Grandmother as she played the tub bass, washboard, guitar, or fiddle among a myriad of other instruments that she played by ear. With his mother, his uncles, & his cousins and other relatives joining in on these Sunday gatherings, it became inevitable that a passion and love for music would become the very core of Jay’s heart. Shaped by a family’s love and gift for music, Jay’s dreams of a life in music quickly grew into reality.
Eventually joining the family band started in the early 1900s by his great grand parents (who were called upon to play what were called in those days “house dances”), Jay played intermittently for several years and then joined the band (now called County Line) full-time alongside his Uncle Chuck in 1998. Following in the tradition of his family and in the footsteps of his uncle Chuck, he took over the band playing at local VFW Halls, Elk’s Lodges, Bars, Fairs, and Festivals. It was his Uncle Chuck that really fostered Jay’s creativity, mentoring Jay in the music business and encouraging him to pursue his dream of becoming a Country Artist. Since his Uncle Chuck’s passing, he has remained one of Jay’s most dominant inspirations, and it was shortly after, that Jay stepped away from performing with the family band to begin pursuing his solo career.
As a solo artist, Jay has gone on to open for artists such as Buddy Jewel at the Birchmere in Old town Alexandria, Virginia where he received one of the best audience receptions with a non-traditional version of a classic country song, “Fulsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash (another of Jay’s inspirations, as can be heard in his tribute to the late Johnny Cash with “The Only Angel In Black”). As well as performing locally and regionally in his home state, Jay has spent most of his time this last year in the studio finishing up his upcoming album “Like A Place I Haven’t Seen”. With its release, Jay looks to hit the road to promote the album, and reach out to his fans.
It has been a lifetime of being surrounded by a love for music and Jay’s unique approach and outlook on life that has sparked Jay’s musical style of Country, which is an exceptional blend of Bluegrass, Folk, country, and Rock, and can only be labeled as the sound of Jay Blackwell. To Jay, the journey is more important than the destination. Full of compassion and a longing to connect with fans, he reaches into the depths of his essence and brings to life an undeniable passion for music.