A Quick Q&A with Jesse

Bands or projects now or in past?

I’m currently playing in Warka and writing some pieces for a secret new ensemble. And, I spent a decade touring with Phosphorescent, Virgin Forest, and Castanets.

What gear is in your current rig?  Or, What are you currently loving playing/recording with? 

I have a couple of strat style partscasters, a Les Paul, a Larivee, and a Froggy Bottom. Lately, I have been really focused on polyrhythmic dance music – from Salsa and Funk to Disco and North African music – so my pedalboard is inspired partly by funk and r&b rhythm guitar and partly by a history of playing rock’n’roll.

The secret weapons in my board are an Effectrode PC-2A – by far the best compressor in a pedal that I have played – and a Diamond Halo Chorus. Both of these effects are pretty temperamental, to my ear, and the subtlety of the Effectrode and the Diamond really set them apart.

What record(s) have changed your life?   

“The Harder They Come” / Jimmy Cliff, etc.

“All or Nothing At All” / Billie Holiday 

“Marquee Moon” / Television

“Big Lazy” / Big Lazy

“The Unanimous Hour” / Lungfish

What’s on your “turntable” right now? 

“Que Te Pedi” by La Lupe

What are your passions and hobbies outside of music? 

My main pursuit outside of music performance and composition is an ongoing study of the literature, music, and culture of the Ancient Near East (Egypt and Mesopotamia, ca. 4,000 BCE – 400 BCE).