User:JGravesmusic/Sandbox

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JGRAVES The Hard Rock Cafe Detroit - "His blissful guitar melodies, piercing harmonica riffs and heart felt lyrics give you a glimpse into the original solo stripped and acoustic soul of JGraves."

I was born Jason Trever Graves in 1983 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. I spent my early years exploring many different interest, including Music, Hockey, Tennis, Soccer,Swimming, Band, Choir and Drama. I grew up the second of four boys and we were and still are really close. Competition has been in my blood since I was born. My brother's and my Parents have had a huge role in helping to mold me into the person I have become. I am very thankful for my family and feel very blessed to have such a loving caring group that supports me even when Ive fallin flat on my face. They have kept me going in music many times, they are the ones who made me realize it is my passion, its what I love to do, but most of all its what Im meant to do. Follow your dreams and never give up, we may know where we want to go but we have no idea how were going to get there...Thats the fun of this ride we call life.

I have always been surrounded by music. Influenced first by my Grandfather, I learned to add different elements to my music. From an early age the banjo & the harmonica were my favorite. I sat for hours with my Grandfather listening to him play guitar, banjo, the fiddle and the harmonica. My great grandmother was a concert pianist and my great, great uncle Jimmy Rogers was one of two (Oscar Lavant being the other one) chosen students taught by George Gershwin. I was also heavily influenced by my father. He has a 1965 Gibson ES 335 and being left handed I learned to play it upside down, this was really my first experience with any instrument. So I spent countless hours working with different sounds and developing a style that I believe is truly unique, Teaching myself everything that I know. At the time I was making noise rather then music but I was so drawn to it that id sneak it out every chance I had to see what other sounds and noise I could make. My Parents both grew up listening to very different music, and they both helped shape the first organized music that I had ever heard. My Dad was big into 50's and 60's and my mom was into 70's and the female motown sound, so depending on who I was riding with decided what we were listening to. I had an alarm clock radio when I was really young and it would barely get a signal anywhere but if I placed it just right, I could get a couple stations and I would lie awake in bed for hours admiring the sounds and voices coming from that little radio.

I recieved my first guitar for my 12th birthday and it was a fender strat, it cracked within the first two weeks and I upgraded to a Gibson Les Paul standard. This was the guitar that I really learned to play on. I had a slew of guitars after that but on my 16th birthday I received a guitar that would change my life forever. A custom one of a kind Lefty Taylor 414KCE. It has seen nearly every stage that ive played, been the surface for Melodies and memories, pleasures and pain, smoke filled bars, and its share of broken strings...yea...i guess were a team...Somewhere along the line I developed the stage name JGRAVES because most people I knew called me Jay and people from High School called me Graves. The Development of this "JGraves" Persona began my solo career as a musician. I played my first show in Lexington Ky in 2002 and it has stayed with me since then. Over the years I believe that I have developed a sound that is often referred to as urban folk, Indie rock and funk. As a singer/songwriter, I have performed over 600 solo shows in 30 states in Coffee Houses, Bars and theater's across the country.

I went to Culver Military Academy my Jr. year of HS on a scholarship to play hockey. I was a goalie and my Junior year we won the state championship and my senior year we won the midwest prep tourny and cemented outselves as one of the best HS teams in the nation. I then went on to play for the University of Kentucky. We were ACHA and had a pretty decent team. I played for two years and I had finally had enough. Id spent 15 years dedicating my life to this one sport and was really ready for a change. I began playing small shows wherever I could find them and realized that this was way more then just a hobby for me. During these two periods of time I began writing using my experience as inspiration. All my songs are about personal things that I have been through, struggled with, acomplished, failed and overcome. I believe it was mostly the freedom of expression; allowing that sadness, agression, pain, sorrow, joy, love, happiness and real feelings that allowed me to put them into words and eventually put a melody and along with it and they seemed to develop into songs on their own. I believe thats what helps define me as a singer/songwriter. Today I still write about my experiences, emotions, high's, lows's, that hopefully are similar to things that other people can relate to and make personal.

Things I Enjoy Doing With My Free Time The Most Are - Playing shows, Going to shows, Triathlons, writing music & lyrics, yoga, hiking, rock climbing, Recording, being healthy, living life to the fullest, Cooking, Nutrition, Physical Training, Fashion, Sports, Instruments, Road Biking, Kayaking, Canoeing, Camping, Family.

My Major Music Influences Are Endless But These Are Some Of The Biggest - Ben Harper, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash, Mark Knopfler, Neil Young, Gin Blossoms, Led Zeppelin, Jack Johnson, Keller WIlliams, Dispatch, OAR, Tom Petty, David Gilmour, Pink Floyd, Steve Miller, Sarah Mclaughlin, Natalie Merchant, Tupac, Biggie, Simon & Garfunkel, Blues Traveler, Grateful Dead, Phish...I listen to everything..

I play Acoustic & Electric guitars, Piano, Bass, Harmonica and of course Sing.

JGraves Gear:

Taylor CE314 (LH) (2000) Ibanez Acoustic Electric (LH) 2009 Yamaha AXP5A (LH) (2001) Ovation Legend (LH) (1974) Fender American Strat w/ lace sensor pick ups (LH) (1995) Epiphone Les Paul Standard (LH) (1996) Ibanez SG Bass (LH) (1999) Simon & Patrick Luthier 12-string (LH) Amps - Fender Acoustisonic (2000) Fender Bandmaster (1965) Yamaha Keyboard Silvertone (1969) Yorkshire Bass Amp (1995) Harmonica - Lee Oskar& Horner (Marine Band & Blues Harps) Fishman Pro EQ Platinum Acoustic Preamp Vox Wah Boss Bluesbreaker Line 6 Delay/loop station Ernie Ball Volume Fender Chromatic Tuner Audix OM5 Samson Studio Condensor MIC Yamaha AW16G 16 Track Digital Recorder JGraves Plays EXP 13 gage strings and dunlop medium/heavy pics.

JUST SOME Of THE VENUES JGRAVES HAS PLAYED IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS:

“SAFARI SAMS (Hollywood, CA) THE STONE BAR (Hollywood, CA) THE MAGIC STICK & MAJESTIC THEATER (Detroit, MI)ROYAL OAK MUSIC THEATER (Detroit, MI)HARD ROCK CAFE (Detroit, MI) THE BULLFROG LOUNGE (Redford, MI)THE NEW WAY BAR (Ferndale, MI) PUB 1281 (Mt. Clemens, MI) EASTSIDE HOWARDS (St. Clair Shores, MI)THE ATLAS BAR (Hamtramck, MI)THE BELMONT (Hamtramck, MI) LENNYS COFFEE GALLERY (Eastpointe, MI)WOODWARD DREAM CRUISE (Ferndale / Royal Oak, MI) LE BOUCHON (Lexington, KY) CHARITY YACHT EVENTS AT SEA (Lake St. Clair, MI) LUNA CAFE (St. Clair Shores, MI) SIMONS (Allen Park, MI)PAYCHECKS (Hamtramck, MI) SHELBY TOWNSHIP MUNICIPAL BAND SHELL (Shelby Twp. MI) THE VILLAGE IDIOT (Detroit, MI)THE WEAL (Highland MI) MODERN EXCHANGE (Southgate, MI) CADIEUX CAFE (Detroit, MI) THE PERFECT PITCHER (Taylor, MI)THE PARK BAR (Detroit, MI) THE OLD MIAMI (Detroit, MI) FARMHOUSE MUSIC FESTIVAL (Ann Arbor, MI)ST. ANDREWS HALL (Detroit, MI) THE SHELTER (Detroit, MI) THE RED PARROT (Loraine, OH) THE EMERALD THEATER (Mt. Clemens, MI) THE HIFI CLUB (Lakewood, OH) THE PENALTY BOX (Livonia, MI)THE ALL STAR BAR & GRILLE (Westland, MI)THE HAYLOFT (Mt. Clemens, MI) STUDIO 601 (Detroit, MI) EON (Detroit, MI) JACOBY'S (Detroit, MI) DETROIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM (Detroit, MI) WISE FOOLS PUB (Chicago, IL) THE ELBOW ROOM (Ypsi, MI) AJ's CAFE (Ferndale, MI) CLUB CHARLIES (Southgate, MI) FISHBONES (St. Clair SHores MI)CLIFF BELLS (Detroit, MI)THE CROWFOOT (Pontiac, MI) FOX & HOUNDS (Studio City, CA) THE RUSTY NAIL (Clinton Township, MI)WHISKEY IN THE JAR (Hamtramck, MI) THE OLE POINTE BAR (Grosse Pointe Park, MI) DOUBLE DOOR (Chicago, IL)MONTERARY MUSIC CAFE' (Allen Park, MI) THE CROWFOOT (Pontiac, MI) SILVIES (Chicago, IL)TELLEYS (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) AREA 101 (Mendecino, CA) THE DERBY (Hollywood, CA) THE RAINBOW (Hollywood, CA)BB KINGS UNIVERSAL CITY WALK (Universal City, CA) THE CAT CLUB (Hollywood, CA) THE MILL STREET GRILL (Pontiac, MI)NEW YORK, NEW YORK(Chesterfield, MI) THE DAWGHOUSE (Clinton Township, MI) THE FACTORY (Rochester, MI)CLUB BARTS (Ferndale, MI) THE WHITE RHINO (Redford, MI) THE 169 BAR (Ny, Ny) THE NATIONAL UNDERGROUND (Ny, Ny)THE ELBO ROOM (Chicago, IL) TC'S SPEAKEASY (ypsi, MI) ROBUSTO'S (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI) The New Dodge Lounge (Hamtramck, MI) Lynagh’s (Lexington, KY) The Acoustic (Eau Claire, WI) Vaudeville Mews (Des Moines, IA)Mar’s Cafe (Des Moines. IA) Underground Lounge (Chicago, IL) AnnaBell’s (Akron, OH) The Red Sea Club (Minneapolis, MN)Beat Oven (Kansas City, MO) Trocadero’s (Minneapolis,MN) The Black Rose (Grand Rapids, MI) Basement 414 (Ann Arbor, MI) PJ’s Lager House (Detroit, MI) The Magic Bag (Ferndale, MI)”

Represent Peace, Live it.