We have Jillian Bessett on our show this week, who performed at the Folk Festival a couple weeks ago. Jillian Bessett has been around the Tucson music scene for years, captivating audiences with her voice, her vocal loops and great harmonies. Her voice that has been compared to Amy Winehouse and Adele, and she has shared the stage with big names like Lake Street Dive and The Messthetics.
Just about exactly a year ago, Jillian released her album “JOY.” . The album transformed her solo loop set into a full-band sound showing off her ever-evolving artistry.
At this point, Jillian is also joining forces with Chris Callahan to form the electric alt-country duo Bessett and Callahan, who, by the way, she played with at the Folk Festival. They do western ballads and rock anthems. Now I want to interject here that Jillian and Chris took the word “acoustic” seriously at the Folk Festival and did not plug in their instruments or play any electronics, which was very appreciated. However, they probably noticed that most performers do plug in their guitars now at the folk festival and and almost anything goes anymore! But they were so charming about it and their synergy, plugged in or not, helped create the magic of the Tucson music scene that day. The crowd loved them, which included both Aspen and me.