John Jorgenson

John Jorgenson is a multi-talented American musician born on July 6, 1956, in California. He is known for his exceptional skills as a guitarist, but his musical talents extend to several other instruments such as the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel guitar, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone.

Jorgenson’s music career started in the late 1970s when he joined the band, Country Gazette, as a mandolin player. In the early 1980s, he formed the band, The Desert Rose Band, along with Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen. The band went on to release several successful albums and singles, including “He’s Back and I’m Blue,” which reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Jorgenson’s versatility as a musician allowed him to explore various genres of music throughout his career. In the 1990s, he co-founded the band, The Hellecasters, along with Will Ray and Jerry Donahue, to showcase his skills as a guitar player. The band’s unique blend of rock, country, and jazz earned them critical acclaim and a dedicated following.

Apart from his work with bands, Jorgenson has also released several solo albums that showcase his diverse musical talents. His debut solo album, “After You’ve Gone,” was released in 1991 and featured a mix of jazz and swing standards. Since then, he has released several albums, including “Franco-American Swing” (2004) and “Divertuoso” (2017), which showcases his proficiency in Gypsy jazz.

In addition to his work as a musician, Jorgenson has also collaborated with other artists and bands such as Elton John, Bonnie Raitt, and Bob Dylan. He has also worked on several movie soundtracks, including the Disney animated movie, “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

Jorgenson’s discography is extensive, featuring several albums with various bands and as a solo artist. Some of his notable albums with The Desert Rose Band include “The Desert Rose Band” (1987) and “Pages of Life” (1990). With The Hellecasters, he released albums such as “The Return of the Hellecasters” (1993) and “Hell III: New Axes to Grind” (1998).

As a solo artist, some of Jorgenson’s notable albums include “Franco-American Swing” (2004), “Uptown” (2015), and “Divertuoso” (2017). He has also released albums with his John Jorgenson Quintet, including “Ultraspontane” (2007) and “One Stolen Night” (2018).

In recognition of his contributions to the music industry, Jorgenson has received several awards, including the Academy of Country Music’s Guitarist of the Year award in 1990 and 1991. He was also awarded the Orville H. Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist by the Gibson Guitar Corporation in 2002.

Discography

As leader
After You’ve Gone (Curb, 1988)
Crop Circles with Davey Johnstone (Solid Air, 1999)
Emotional Savant (J2, 1999)
Franco-American Swing (J2, 2004)
Ultraspontane (J2, 2007)
Istiqbal Gathering (J2, 2010)
One Stolen Night (J2, 2010)
J2B2 Special Edition (J2, 2014)
From the Crow’s Nest (Cleopatra, 2017)
With The Desert Rose Band

The Desert Rose Band (Curb, 1987)
Running (Curb, 1988)
Pages of Life (Curb, 1990)
True Love (Curb, 1991)
Life Goes On (MSI, 2007)
With The Hellecasters

The Return of the Hellecasters (Pacific Arts Audio, 1993)
Escape from Hollywood (Rio, 1994)
Hell III New Axes to Grind (Pharaoh, 1997)

As sideman
With Kenny Chesney

No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems (BNA, 2002)
All I Want for Christmas Is a Real Good Tan (BNA, 2003)
When the Sun Goes Down (BNA, 2004)
Be as You Are (Songs from an Old Blue Chair) (BNA, 2005)
The Road and the Radio (BNA, 2005)
With Rodney Crowell

Jewel of the South (MCA, 1995)
The Houston Kid (Sugar Hill, 2001)
Fate’s Right Hand (DMZ, 2003)
Christmas Everywhere (New West, 2018)
Texas (RC1, 2019)
With Jerry Donahue

Telecasting (Making Waves, 1986)
Neck of the Wood (the Road Goes On Forever, 1992)
Telecasting Recast (Telebender Music, 1998)
With Neal McCoy

24-7-365 (Giant, 2000)
With Michael Nesmith

Tropical Campfires (Pacific Arts Audio, 1992)
With Syd Straw

Surprise (Virgin Records, 1989)

With others

Chad Brock, Yes! (Warner Bros., 2000)
Lisa Brokop, Undeniable (Cosmo, 2000)
Brooks & Dunn, Red Dirt Road (Arista, 2003)
Mary Chapin Carpenter, Come On Come On (Columbia, 1992)
Steph Carse, Steph Carse (H2E, 2000)
Carlene Carter, Little Love Letters (Giant, 1993)
Carlene Carter, Little Acts of Treason (Giant, 1995)
Lionel Cartwright, Chasin’ the Sun (MCA, 1991)
Beth Nielsen Chapman, Look (Sanctuary, 2004)
John Cowan, Sixty (Compass, 2014)
Jesse Dayton, Hey Nashvegas! (Stag, 2001)
Levi Dexter, Pomp! (Vinyl Japan, 1992)
Peter Frampton, Fingerprints (A&M, 2006)
Beppe Gambetta, Dialogs (Hi Folks!, 1988)
Amy Grant, Somewhere Down the Road (Sparrow, 2010)
Collin Raye, Tracks (Epic, 2000)
Janne Haavisto, Permanent Jet Lag (Texicalli, 2001)
Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Old Yellow Moon (Nonesuch, 2013)
Highway 101, The New Frontier (Liberty, 1993)
Chris Hillman, Like a Hurricane (Sugar Hill, 1998)
Chris Hillman, Bidin’ My Time (Rounder, 2017)
Juice Newton, American Girl (Renaissance, 1999)
Steve Holy, Brand New Girlfriend (Curb, 2006)
Elton John, The Big Picture (Mercury, 1997)
Elton John, Peachtree Road (Rocket, 2004)
Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Room with a View (Arista, 2001)
The Knack, Normal as the Next Guy (Smile, 2001)
Chris LeDoux, Stampede (Capitol, 1996)
Mike Love, Unleash the Love (BMG, 2017)
Mark Mancina, Bad Boys (La-La Land, 2007)
Brad Martin, Wings of a Honky-Tonk Angel (Epic, 2002)
Roger McGuinn, Back from Rio (Arista, 1991)
Roger McGuinn, Limited Edition (April First Productions, 2004)
Jo Dee Messina, A Joyful Noise (Curb, 2002)
Craig Morgan, Craig Morgan (Atlantic, 2000)
Allison Paige, The End of the World (Lofton Creek, 2003)
Brad Paisley, Play: The Guitar Album (Arista, 2008)
Lee Roy Parnell, Love Without Mercy (Arista, 1992)
Lee Roy Parnell, On the Road (Arista, 1993)
Paul Personne, Lost in Paris Blues Band (Verycords, 2016)
Pierce Pettis, Chase the Buffalo (High Street, 1993)
Michael Peterson, Modern Man (AGR Television, 2004)
John Prine, The Missing Years (Oh Boy, 1991)
John Prine, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings (Oh Boy, 1995)
Bonnie Raitt, Nick of Time (Capitol, 1989)
Lionel Richie, Tuskegee (Mercury, 2012)
LeAnn Rimes, Blue (Curb, 1996)
Ashton Shepherd, Sounds So Good (MCA, 2008)
Barbra Streisand, A Love Like Ours (Columbia, 1999)
Bob Seger, The Fire Inside (Capitol, 1991)
Earl Scruggs, Earl Scruggs and Friends (MCA, 2001)
Earl Scruggs & Doc Watson & Ricky Skaggs, The Three Pickers (Rounder, 2003)
Victoria Shaw, in Full View (Reprise, 1995)
Sir Douglas Quintet, Day Dreaming at Midnight (Elektra, 1994)
South 65, Dream Large (Atlantic, 2001)
Billy Ray Cyrus, Home at Last (Walt Disney, 2007)
J. D. Souther, Natural History (Entertainment One, 2011)
Pam Tillis, Homeward Looking Angel (Arista, 1992)
Tin Tin Out, Eleven to Fly (Virgin, 1999)
Tin Tin Out, What I Am (VC, 1999)
Travis Tritt, T-R-O-U-B-L-E (Warner Bros., 1992)
Tanya Tucker, Complicated (Capitol Records, 1997)
Sylvie Vartan, Avec Toi… (Columbia, 2018)
Gene Watson, Back in the Fire (Warner Bros., 1989)
Hank Williams Jr., Hog Wild (Curb, 1995)
Hank Williams Jr., A.K.A. Wham Bam Sam (Curb, 1996)
Chely Wright, Never Love You Enough (MCA, 2001)
Chely Wright, Lifted Off the Ground (Vanguard, 2010)
Trisha Yearwood, Jasper County (MCA, 2005)
Trisha Yearwood, PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit (RCA, 2014)