The indefatigable Jesse Jungkurth, man of a thousand side projects, has just finished his latest and possibly greatest.
Sideways in Time is a project five years in the making and in Jungkurth’s own words, “is basically an odd collection of all the songs that never fit in any of the groups I played in.”
The man is selling himself and his new album short, though. In reality, it’s a peek into the brain of one of Chattanooga’s more prolific and better-known songwriters, a slice of his personal development over the years that ranges from, “Wiser,” which was written in high school with long time friend James Lowery, to “The Tower,” a collaborative effort with local recording wizard Brett Nolan that showcases the broad range of both men’s abilities. A lot of ground/time is covered in between.
A full feature may be in store for this remarkable collection of songs, all of which carry a signature Jungkurth sound without sounding like anything else he’s ever released. For now, be appeased with this humble sidebar whose only purpose is to make you aware that a) this album exists, b) it is about to be released for general consumption and c) it is worth your time to hear it.
I’m hard pressed to give it a genre designation, particularly since it covers such a broad range of Jungkurth’s development as a songwriter, but it is universally smooth and mellow and if it were for sale on television, the commercial would be shot with a fireplace, dead animal skin rug and glasses of wine in soft focus in the background. If nothing else, it is a testament to the fact that if Jesse should ever decide to retire from the stage, he could make a good living as a professional songwriter.
The album is Sideways in Time and the release is scheduled for Oct. 9 at Chevelle’s 66 in Murphy, NC with the whole band in tow, while a smaller, more intimate release is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11 at Ray Ray’s (L2) here in town.