On his new LP The Tastiest Combo, Seattle, WA singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jess Grant marries heartfelt, Americana-tinged songwriting, an inspired ear for melody, and painterly, incisive lyrics in a sound that is universally engaging yet maintains a distinctly Pacific Northwest feel. Featuring a suite of masterful players working deftly through Grant’s thoughtful, in-the-pocket arrangements, The Tastiest Combo sways and grooves like a mixtape for modern life. 

Today, Grant has released the title track of the upcoming album which is slated for October 15^th.  “The Tastiest Combo pays homage to the uplifting qualities of cannabis and caffeine while documenting the radical changes that have occurred in those two industries over the last fifty years. Dime bags of Mexican ditch weed have transformed into designer Indica strains with bizarre names, while percolating urns of bitter coffee have been replaced by sugar-saturated 20-ounce drive-through confections. The song is also a personal confession of sorts, with its admission of addiction and its list of rationalizations used to justify chemical dependency.”

In addition to Grant, The Tastiest Combo features keyboardist Daniel Walker (Heart), guitarist Jeff Fielder (Amy Ray, Mark Lanegan), drummer Ehssan Karimi (Low Cut Connie), and bassist Jeff Turmes (Mavis Staples Band). Noted Seattle vocalists Tekla Waterfield and Jen Ayers guest on select cuts. “It’s incredibly gratifying, as a songwriter, to hear another vocalist reinterpret your songs” says Grant. “Not to mention that it’s also just very fun matching your music to a vocalist.”

Photo: David S. Hogan