Singer-Songwriter Gerry Jack Macks Takes Listeners on a Gritty Musical Journey with “Too Many Times Down That Road”
Singer-songwriter Gerry Jack Macks is back with a brand-new single that promises to take listeners on a bumpy journey down the rough road ahead. The release of his new single “Too Many Times Down That Road” showcases Macks’s unique musical style, which defies genre boundaries and features an impressive collaboration with two-time JUNO Award winner Al Lerman and talented young drummer Sara Varro.
Macks’s latest single was born out of a chance encounter over a cup of coffee with his friend Al Lomas. The longtime trucker had just navigated a treacherous backroad filled with potholes and ruts. Inspired by Lomas’ description of the rough journey, Macks penned the song’s lyrics right there in the diner, capturing the essence of a challenging path with a catchy tune.
“Too Many Times Down That Road” is set to be a high-energy, genre-blending track that continues Macks’s tradition of pushing musical boundaries. The single is part of Macks’s ongoing effort to create music that defies categorization and appeals to a wide range of music enthusiasts.
Macks is not your typical artist. A multi-instrumentalist, he plays most of the instruments on his recordings, and his music effortlessly crosses the lines of various genres, including outlaw country, country rock, and southern rock. His work draws inspiration from rhythm and blues, pop, and Canadiana.
“I never really have any idea exactly what genre or genres a recording is when I release it,” Macks confesses. “The distributors force artists to choose from a strict list of genres before the artist can release recordings, and I always struggle with great angst when forced to pigeon-hole my music.”
Macks has a long and storied musical career that began in the early 1970s. With the support of legendary Edmonton musician Tommy Banks’ wife, Ida Banks, Macks quickly rose from a beginner on the music circuits of Alberta, BC, NWT, and the Yukon to a full-time music career.
Over the years, his music has evolved to encompass Jazz, Blues, Easy Listening, Country, Folk, Pop, Rock, and more. Macks’s upcoming projects include the highly anticipated Sleepy Time Sessions album, inspired by the likes of Louis Armstrong, Peggy Lee, and Nat King Cole, as well as several other roots-based albums.
“I have always had a deep appreciation for the people who follow my music, and I take every opportunity to remain in personal contact with them,” says Macks.
Listen to “Too Many Times Down That Road” below and learn more about Gerry Jack Macks via our mini-interview.
Care to introduce yourself?
I’m just a good ol’ boy, whose mind has forever functioned in an envelope of constant Music of all styles. I am a dreamer, I have always been a dreamer, and will never stop being a dreamer.
Tell us about the process of writing and recording “Too Many Times Down That Road.”
Every now and then, a Song Idea pops into my head and pretty much decides to write itself. I really don’t know how that works, since some great ideas can take a long time to finally come together. But, it is especially pleasing when it happens, and that is how “Too Many Times Down That Road” came about.
A long-haul trucker friend of mine, Al Lomas, mentioned a particularly rough road he was just on. The theme sprang alive, as the tune and the phrases for the first verse started popping into my head. The poetic metre of the tune determined the hook lines instantly, and the Chorus of the song was born. After that, the various phrases for the rest of the verse just came out one after the other. I was sitting in my favourite coffee shop at the time, and by the time I finished my coffee, the song was complete.
I did a bit of polishing up of the lyrics to better fit the phrasing, then stepped into the Studio with my Gibson ES-335 Guitar and started laying down the tracks. The catchy left-hand Piano Bass Line, though not an easy one for me to do, came somewhere from memory and determined the overall feel of the arrangement.
After that, the genius of one of Canada’s greatest harmonica players, 2x Juno Award Winner and multiple Blues Nominee Al Lerman, added the sparkle. The harp arrangement is all Al Lerman. I never tell the collaborators on my Recordings what to play. Instead, I want them to improvise their own part. That way, I get the true essence of the featured Musician. And that is what I got from Lerman: The true artist himself.
I also work that way with my precious Studio Drummer, the Brilliant young Sara Varro. Sometimes, I might make a suggestion or two, but what I get back is all Sara Varro.
What’s it like being a musician in Kamloops?
I find it rather tough to be a Musician in Kamloops. A serious artist should really place themself in a large centre with a thriving Music population. That is where the resources are, and the opportunities exist.
Although there are a surprisingly large number of first-class Musicians in Kamloops, I have been unable to find enough of them willing to join up with me for live performances during the 10-plus years I have been back in town. That might change in the future, but, for now, I cannot find a suitable backup band.
Who was the first and most recent Canadian artist to blow you away?
That is a very tough question. For the first Canadian Artist to blow me away with their Music, I would have to choose between Gordon Lightfoot, Ian Tyson, and Hank Snow. But, there have been many along the way. Canada has an enormous amount of Fabulous Music Artists, way back when and today.
As for the latest artist, that again encompasses a number of artists. Mostly, though, I would have to mention Al Lerman, whose album “Northern Bayou” is solid throughout, The Bros. Landreth, and JW Jones. But, there is also Sundar Viswanathan and his group, Avataar.
I certainly also need to single out the super, charming host of CBC Radio’s Saturday Night Jazz, Canadian Jazz Great Laila Biali. It isn’t just Laila’s beautiful music that makes her stand out, but also the way she treats her friends and supporters, making them all feel special. She is my number one inspiration for that part of being an artist.
You’ve been making music for a while now, what’s one piece of advice you can offer to those starting out?
Be a Dreamer. Dream big. And never give up on your dreams. Don’t quit, because if you do, you will never know if the next day would have been your big break.