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Saddle Up: Jordan Tice’s ‘Horse County’ Is Quite A Ride

JordanTiceIf the company we keep as artists is any pedigree of the breed of player and performer we are, well then Jordan Tice is a thoroughbred stallion. If you need proof then look no further than the latest record from the guitarist and songwriter “Horse County”. With pals and contemporaries such as Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers, Dave Rawlings Machine), Dominick Leslie (Deadly Gentlemen), Mike Witcher (Peter Rowan), Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers), and Brittany Haas (Crooked Still, Dave Rawlings Machine) along for the ride and Chris Eldridge of the Punch Brothers in the co-pilot seat producing and engineering the project, well, no further questions need to be asked.

Tice, typically taking a more instrumental approach to his recordings, lends his vocal to a handful of the 11 tracks on ‘Horse County’. A bountiful, pleasant and traditional sounding mix of John Hartford and Jerry Garcia, its almost transcendent…as this music tends to be and when it is expertly crafted and played, it seems to soar with expert musicality in a fashion that feels effortless and comfortable. The natural break in his vocal lets the light seep in, give you a little look into the heart he injects into the songs. That balance between the softness of a voice and the sheer intensity of hardcore pickin’, its a beautiful and exciting thing.

Of the bunch, favorites include “Poor Me”, “Way Downtown”, and the title track, a bluegrass-infused romp of an instrumental that throws solo duties back and forth like a hot potato. It really moves and the band…just wow.

I caught up with Jordan to talk about the new record, being able to call on a cast of characters like he did to record on a project, and his upcoming release tour which stops in at our favorite listening room in the world, Club Passim, on June 6th. You can go ahead and get your tickets RIGHT HERE. But in the meanwhile, read on up about the project, the artist, and whats coming down the track for Tice in 2016.

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