New York/Nashville, Tennessee
Songwriter, Producer

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BIOGRAPHY

Known as a bit of a recluse, Jess' life is a collection of road stories and adventures...from a goat ranch in Las Cruces, New Mexico to wiring condos in Taos for room, board, and free ski passes, from working on framing crews in west Texas to a horse ranch in upstate New York. Jess' hitchhiking days took him across Canada, the U.S., into Mexico and Guatamala before he was 20.

With two songs listed in CMT's "Best Road Songs of All Time," many of Jess' lyrics are based on those experiences.

Jess' bio includes serving in Air Force Intelligence in Colorado and northern Maine. Staffwriter at Almo Irving Music and working with Muscle Shoals producer Barry Beckett, EMI Music, James Stroud publishing and RIG entertainment. His first cut and single 'Rope the Moon' went #1 on John Michael Montgomery's 4x Platinum album, 'Kickin' It Up.'

Other hits include 'You Gotta Love That,' 'A Little Past Little Rock,' 'Cover You In Kisses', 'Break Down Here,' 'I Need You,' 'When and Where,' 'The Coast Is Clear,' and 'Now You See Me,' appearing on over 20 million albums, as well as 3 Grammy nominated cds and several films and television shows.

Currently, working on music for a new television show, Jess divides his time between New York and Nashville, writing and producing new acts.

He liives near Nashville with Aggie and their two kids, Matt and Emma.

LEVEL

professional

GENRES

Rock , Alternative Country, Singer/Songwriter

PUBLISHING COMPANY

Almo Irving, Universal, EMI, I own my own publishing

Contact

Publishing: aggie@rignashville.com
Administrative: aggie@rignashville.com

P.R.O.

ASCAP

INFLUENCES

Neil Young, Creedence, The Beatles, Allman Bros., Levon Helm, Springsteen, Sam Cooke, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Ray Charles, U2, Tom Petty, Wilco, Van Morrison, Crowded House, Duffy, Adele, etc....anything with soul.

DAY JOB

writer/producer...storyteller, house comedian, dad,

I AM INTERESTED IN

in co writing online
in co writing in person
in networking with songwriters
in pitching songs to artist
in pitching songs to tv

I WRITE:

For a living

I Also Write:
by myself
with others
for myself
for others

I Prefer To Write:
lyrics
melody
music

experience >

SONG CUTS

Break Down Here - Julie Roberts** Break Down Here - Trace Adkins** A Little Past Little Rock - Lee Ann Womack** Now You See Me - Lee Ann Womack** I Learned That From You - Sara Evans** I Need You - Trisha Yearwood** White Lies and Picket Fences - Tammy Cochran** Rainbows and the Rain - Chris Ledoux** Rope The Moon - John Michael Montgomery** Cover You In Kisses - John Michael Montgomery** You're The Ticket - John Michael Montgomery** Bus To Birmingham - John Michael Montgomery** Heaven - Neal McCoy** You Gotta Love That - Neal McCoy** I Ain't Complainin' - Neal McCoy** Broken Record - Neal McCoy** Through His Eyes - Marilyn Martin** The Coast Is Clear - Tracy Lawrence** A Far Cry - Tracy Lawrence** When and Where - Confederate Railroad** Rainbows and the Rain - Confederate Railroad** Still One Outlaw Left - Confederate Railroad** No More Cryin' - Emilio** Wishin' On A Lone Star - Noel Haggard** I Cant' - Noel Haggard** Billy's Dream - The Hudgins**

SONG PLACEMENTS

Driven***Everwood***One Life To Live***CMT Top Road Songs***The Tonight Show***Outdoor Network***Days of Our Lives***The Favorite Son***In The Moment***VH1 Women of Country Music***

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

Billboard/r&r;#1 Award - A Little Past Little Rock*** Billboard/r&r;#1 Award - You Gotta Love That*** Billboard/r&r;#1 Award - Rope The Moon*** Billboard/r&r;#1 Award - Cover You In Kisses*** ASCAP #1 Award - Rope The Moon*** ASCAP #1 Award - You Gotta Love That*** ASCAP #1 Award - Little Past Little Rock*** ASCAP #1 Award - Cover You In Kisses*** 9 ASCAP Awards*** 3 NSAI #1 Awards*** 3 CMA Awards*** 2 BMI Million Air Awards*** RIAA 4x Platinum Award - Rope The Moon*** RIAA Platinum Award - A Little Past Little Rock*** RIAA Platinum Award - Now You See Me*** RIAA 2x Platinum - I Learned That From You** RIAA 2x Platinum Award - Heaven*** RIAA Platinum Award - You Gotta Love That*** RIAA Platinum Award - Break Down Here*** RIAA Gold Award- The Coast Is Clear*** RIAA Gold Award - I Need You*** RIAA Gold Award - When and Where*** RIAA Gold Award - Break Down Here*** RIAA Gold Award - Cover You In Kisses*** RIAA Gold Award - You're The Ticket*** RIAA Gold Award - Bus To Birmingham*** CMT Top Road Songs Of All Time***

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Legends: Bobby Braddock

In Nashville, most successful songwriters have a fairly short run. On hit, one year, two years, five years. Occasionally, we get one whose career approaches the length of a real career or, more often, one who has a few years success, then slips into oblivion, only to emerge again for another brief era of hit-making.

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Legends: Rickie Lee Jones

She speaks softly, not unlike the way she sings --soft, soulful passages, almost like secrets to the closest of friends --punctuated by bursts of exaltation. It's much like the span of emotion in her work, and in her new record, Balm in Gilead, which veers from the pure, naked heartbreak of "Bonfires" to the elation of "Old Enough," to the beautiful "Wild Girl," which celebrates the 21st birthday of her daughter, while simultaneously reflecting on the unchained fervor of her own wild days.

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Legends: Robert Earl Keen

As singer/songwriters go, Robert Earl Keen doesn't seem like the kind of artist who could honestly be accused of sloth. But despite a catalog choked with characters and conversations pulled from a colorful life, he makes that very claim on "Something That I Do," a track where he brags of his ability to not let work get in the way of an otherwise pleasant afternoon.

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Townes Van Zandt: Facets, Faults & Fractures

It's 10 o'clock at night on an abandoned Music Row. The year is 1985. In a third-floor office in an old house that serves as the offices for the Oak Ridge Boys' Silverline/Goldline Music Publishing, Steve Earle brings the chair he's leaning back in down hard, flipping his hair out of his eyes for emphasis.