Boston-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Jesse Dee is one of the foremost on-the-rise vintage Soul/R&B artists on the scene, pimping a sound and live show that comes straight from a steady diet of Motown, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson and James Brown.
It’s one thing to find inspiration in such Soul legends, but Dee’s honest, genuine songwriting and soul-drenched vocals give his tunes the same spirit and emotional heft as those originators. On his debut for Blues label Alligator Records, last year’s On My Mind/In My Heart, Dee drew widespread acclaim with a collection of songs that put many so-called “Soul revivalists” to shame with its authentic feel and personalized touch, leading No Depression to declare, “Dee doesn’t sound like anybody singing Soul music today or yesterday.”
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JESSE DEE performs a free show Saturday, March 15 at
Northside Tavern with Honey & Houston.
This article appears in Mar 12-18, 2014.