Live and Local: Jenni and the Bets

 Jenni Joy is doing a thing.

I first met her at the legendary Wednesday open mic at Ploughman, she’s a singer and guitarist…writes songs with her husband Patrick, and also takes cover songs and arranges and retcons them into her own. The most notable is a folk version of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs, and a version of “the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” (which is brilliant, by the way, and she was once so kind as to make a point of coming in to an Open Mic night just because I’d asked her to play it for me. She’s that kind of good people), in which she adds a verse and modifies the chorus to change the perspective to that of one of victim’s family members.

She did open pic as a regular and honed her craft and added to her song list, and eventually started doing gigs on her own about a year ago or so. Her sets are increasingly good as she’s been going with broader range of tunes and more and more impressive originals added to the list. She even covers a Harry Chapin song, very well… so for that reason alone she’s a model of humanity.

But she’d be great even without the Harry cover.

Last Thursday night, though, she rolled back into Ploughman for a gentle Thursday, WITH A BAND.

Yes, Jenni and the Bets are a new local supergroup, it seems. Jenni got up there with a very cool hat and her regular hollowbody F-hole guitar on her lap. She sings like a bird…but this time,  instead of just Jenni, she has the masterful Donate Gardner or Voices 3 fame, playing a paul mccartney bass. Sitting behind them was the incredible Steve Myers playing a Stratocaster for the electric parts (like all good and noble people would), and also switched to acoustic for some of the lead work as well.

I’ve never met Steve, but it’s obvious he’s an old hand and plays leads like a true pro. I’m told he teaches guitar, and I could do worse that to work with him to let him tick off everything I do wrong… his set was amazing and I look forward to catching him again.

And there…in the back…by the window. Sitting behind the Stratocaster when it was on it’s stand, like a vampire confronted with a cross… was the legendary Mat Morris on cajon. Yes, that’s right…he was on percussion tonight, so no guitars were harmed in the making of this performance.

Jenni has grown enormously in the time I’ve known her and seen her perform. She has scads of natural talent and a love for the game, and her skills are building up before our eyes. It doesn’t surprise me that she’s made the leap to a paid, gigging  performer… and it’s not surprising either that some wonderful and incredibly skilled and experienced musicians are gigging with her.

Donate is an incredibly accomplished musician who owns roughly 4.5 million instruments and knows how to play them all. I’m trying to get her more into jazz (because everyone should be more into jazz), but her experience in performing and her musical knowledge is amazing. She also sings along in the harmonies of Voices3, and also composes and plays. She’s also a tremendous supporter of the local music scene, and her sitting in with Jenni was certainly a treat. It’s always great when the arts family in town comes together.

As I said, I don’t really know Steve, but I would certainly like to. Lead guitarists are a little thin on the ground locally. There are a lot of rhythm guys, mostly playing acoustic…so it’s always nice to have someone grab an electric and rip a little now and then. The fullness of Jenni’s tunes with the accompaniment was a wonderful thing for all involved. I hope Steve sticks around and I can talk about him again soon.

And, yes, finally. Morris.

On a cajon.

In the back.

A single coil electric guitar poised in front of him like Kryptonite.

Ahh, hell. He was good.

I’d never heard jenni play with any kind of drummer that I can remember, and it really did open it up and let some songs I’ve heard her do solo really rip. Matt also did a great job when he sat in with Voices3 a while ago, and it’s always good to see him being versatile. He’s got a lot of chops that he can spread out more and more if he wants to, and any day without Creed and Maroon5 is a good one.

6 feet from the edge, my dyin ass!  

So jenni will be out there, hopefully with more or less of the Bets with her, but even if she’s solo, catch her whenever you can. She sings like an angel, she and her husband Patrick are incredible songwriters and getting better and better by the day, you never know who might show up to sit in…and, finally, similarly to what I’ve said about Ben Wenk, the sheer joy that’s so clear around her when she’s playing should make you want to come out alone. The fact that she has chops for days is just a bonus.

If you catch her at Ploughman, ask for the Yardbird. You won’t be sorry.