Scene - Blogs - A master class with singersongwriter Jackson Browne

A master class with singer-songwriter Jackson Browne
Published: 11/23/2010 5:01 PM
Last Modified: 11/23/2010 5:11 PM

Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne lead a master class at the Academy of Contemporary Music @ the University of Central Oklahoma. School CEO Scott Booker lead the Q&A session, which involved live acoustic music, new songs, personal tales and insight into the music industry.

Students, staff and guests filled the Coca-Cola Bricktown Events Center in downtown Oklahoma City on Sunday night for three hours, where he talked about writing and co-writing hit songs for the Eagles, Warren Zevon, Linda Ronstadt and more.

His own music had sold more than 17 million albums in his 30-plus-year career, which began when he was a pre-teen, holed up in his room, writing folk music. His father was a fan of Dixieland jazz, and introduced him to trumpet playing at a young age. He soon begged for a banjo, then picked up his brother's guitar. He was hooked, he said.

"Rock and roll is about freedom and desire and finding your place in the world," said Browne.

"All three just so happen to apply to women in your songs, too," joked Booker, which got a giant smile and laugh from the musician.

He also spoke about his activism, from protesting nuclear power plants (including the 1973 proposal of the Black Fox Nuclear Power Plant near Inola), "the land of Karen Silkwood," massive plastic waste debris in our oceans, the Reagan era, getting arrested with Wavy Gravy, anti-war activism, helping Haiti earthquake victims and more.

He played tunes "Don't Let Us Get Sick," "Take it Easy," "These Days," "Waterloo Sunset" and several new songs.

He said music was the first thing he remembers ever catching his interest. "By high school I was driven. Writing songs became the way I could explore what was going on around me, whatever it was."

Artists like Oklahoma's Woody Guthrie were the earliest folk musicians he remembers, and Bob Dylan and those like him represented the "alternative path" of civil rights, consciousness expansion and changing sexual mores, he said. He spoke about the early influences of musicians like Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen, a young Stevie Ray Vaughan, the Byrds, Joan Baez, Barbara Dane, the Beach Boys and more.

His live album, "Love Is Strange," was released earlier this year. He's also collaborated with the Kinks' Ray Davies on a version of "Waterloo Sunset."

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Barrelhouse Beat

Barrelhouse: A colloquialism describing the low saloons at the turn of the century (19th) that served whiskey straight out of the barrel. It's also a reference to the type of music played in those venues. Ex: Barrelhouse music.

Beat: The time or timing. Ex: The band played with a solid beat. Also used as a term describing a reporters specific area of expertise. Ex: The music beat.

About me: I'm Okie born and raised, and have lived all over the state: Oklahoma City, Enid, Moore, Norman, Edmond and Tulsa. I am a music geek, writer, graphic designer and amateur photographer and videographer who's followed the Tulsa and regional music scene since I moved to Green Country more than 10 years ago. I've been enmeshed in Tulsa's varied and vibrant musical night life, what some of us affectionately call a modernized throwback to the Barrelhouse scene, since that time. I fell in love with it. I fell hard.

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Past Articles By Jennifer Chancellor

2/17/2013		Tulsan Johnny Polygon a rapper who delights in hometown crowd
2/15/2013		The Who brings nostalgia, ingenuity to BOK Center
2/15/2013		Lady Gaga tour is canceled
2/15/2013		Audio Adrenaline concert moves to April 7
2/14/2013		The Who brings 'other' rock opera to Tulsa's BOK Center
2/14/2013		Okies nominated for several top ACM awards
2/14/2013		Epic moments of rock 'n' roll history in Tulsa
2/14/2013		The Who talks about 'Quadrophenia' rock opera ahead of BOK show Thursday
2/14/2013		Shawnee songstress Samantha Crain to play Tulsa CD release show Friday
2/14/2013		Rick Springfield to play River Spirit Event Center on Saturday
2/14/2013		Local music roundup: Vaudvillian sideshows? Nerd nights? Live music? Parties? Yes, yes, yes and yes.
2/14/2013		Eli Young band coming to Brady Theater for first time

Jennifer Chancellor's Blog Archive:

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8/2008	7/2008	6/2008	5/2008	4/2008	3/2008
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Jennifer Chancellor
BarrelhouseBeat

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