Jere Mendelsohn

Hovering just above Jere Mendelsohn’s shoulder on the cover of his new CD, Triple Double Take, is a hazy image of a Mystery Girl. Is she a muse? A modern-day Venus? The one that got away? All of the above? “I’m basically a romantic at heart,” says Jere in regards to his songwriting. “One way or another I get around to writing about love, romance, relationships, lust, or some combination of those themes. I think it’s in our nature to yearn, dream, and fantasize, so maybe the Mystery Girl represents everything from the schoolboy crush, to the long-term relationship, to the ones that didn’t’ work out.”

Over the course of 14 memorable tracks, Mendelsohn runs the emotional gamut, from the yearning of Rainey and Back To Sleep, to the humorous resignation of Falling Out Of Love With You and If You Think You're Lonely Now. There's a sly, jazzy sensuality to Original Sin, and sorrow and fatalism in Swimming To The Surface. Impeccably produced by Dave Pepin for dpnumber 80 Productions, Triple Double Take highlights Jere’s soulful vocals and the melodic, searing guitar work for which he is recognized by other players and audiences all over Southern California. Throughout, Jere is supported by some of the finest musicians in LA: Mike Baird (Journey, Steely Dan), Matt Laug (Slash’s Snakepit, Mike Campbell), and Ed Eblen (Nashville session/touring) on drums and percussion; session aces Taras Prodaniuk (Dwight Yoakam, Lucinda Williams) and Brian Netzley on bass; Skip Edwards (Dwight Yoakam, Desert Rose Band, Roy Orbison) keyboards, and Lee Thornburg (Tower of Power, Tonight Show band) and Jerry Peterson (Billy Vera, Teresa James) on horns.

An admitted “sucker for a good melody,” Mendelsohn is grateful to have access to such accomplished and sympathetic players. “I’ve been through my ‘gunslinger’ period as a guitar player, trying to mow the audience down with speed and skill. Zappa used to refer to them as ‘gnat notes.’ But I really love the way guys like George Harrison and Mike Campbell (Tom Petty’s lead guitar player) play to the song rather than simply exploit their technical abilities. That’s what I was shooting for on this album, and it’s certainly what every other player brought to the music. It’s the most intense fun I’ve ever had working on a project.” Rather than make a an all-instrumental album, Mendelsohn asserts “I wanted to craft something that would appeal to a wide audience, people who believe that songs really matter, who remember having favorite 45s or album cuts they love. I still love the thrill of hearing a song for the first time, the one you just totally get on every level.”

Asked about his inspirations, Jere replies, “I listen to writers such as Petty, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Don Henley, Springsteen, Nick Lowe, Mark Knopfler. guys who can get you in the gut and the head. They're literate; they can get serious, funny, sad, whatever, but they never write down to their audiences. They’re always reaching for something higher. And they rock. That’s what I’m shooting for, too.”



Mendelsohn admits, “Like lots of other ‘guitar geeks,’ I picked up the guitar because it captured my imagination, and frankly, there weren’t many other things I could do well. I thought it might improve my social standing, too, especially with girls.” On Triple Double Take, does the hero finally get the Mystery Girl? “People who've seen the cover ask who she is,” Mendelsohn laughs. “You gotta listen to the tunes- she’s somewhere in all of them. Sometimes I get her, sometimes I don’t. And if I lose her, at least I get to keep my guitar.”



Promo for "Triple Double Take": New CD arrives January, 2009