In the realm where melodies mend souls, violinist, cellist, composer, and sound healer Jessy Greene emerges as a luminary who harnesses music’s innate healing essence. The collaborative effort, “Chakras Lumina,” a creation with Foo Fighters keyboardist Rami Jafee, stands as a testament to her commitment. This album weaves a tapestry of ambient healing meditation music designed to uplift spirits, open hearts, and harmonize body systems.
Jessy’s trajectory encompasses a remarkable journey that stretches beyond her aspirations to escape her small Massachusetts town. As a musician, she has etched her presence in the annals of music history, sharing the stage and recordings with luminaries such as Foo Fighters, P!NK, Ben Harper, RZA, Wilco, Glen Campbell, and more. However, her connection with music runs even deeper.
Gifted a violin at a tender age of four, Jessy found solace and light amidst the tumultuous backdrop of her early years. “Music was my main light,” she reminisces. Her path as a classical violinist was juxtaposed with challenges, from the pressures of the classical realm to the turbulence at home. The dichotomy of her experience shaped her relationship with music, steering her towards creating melodies that heal and empower.
Encountering Jessy’s talents firsthand, I discovered her through her side project, Ooh La La, where her music takes on an alt-pop soundscape. Driven by a vision to disseminate illumination through her art, she remains dedicated to studying the interplay between sound frequencies and human consciousness. Her focus zeroes in on how music can mend and restore the human nervous system.
Embarking on her musical journey, Jessy’s roots lie in classical training that spanned a decade. However, her artistic compass veered towards rock guitar at the age of 14, a transition that introduced her to the diverse dimensions of her violin. As her path meandered to Los Angeles, she found herself strumming alongside rock bands, thus discovering the malleability of her instrument. Under the tutelage of accomplished contemporary violin teacher Lisa Haley, Jessy’s voyage led her to UCLA’s ethnomusicology program, auditioning as a cajun fiddler.
Her first significant breakthrough unfurled at 19 when she found herself busking with her violin on Venice Beach, a prelude to a national tour invitation from singer-songwriter Peter Himmelman. Her journey wound through collaborations with diverse artists and bands, revealing her prowess as an adept studio assistant and junior string composer. Subsequent chapters saw her collaborating with talents like Dessa, Wilco, The Jayhawks, further solidifying her presence within the musical tapestry.
In the realm of composition and production, Jessy finds pride in her second solo record, “A Demon and Her Lovers,” a project that echoed her artistic essence despite minimal promotion. Notably, her collaboration with Dave Grohl on the song “If I Were Me” stands as a pinnacle of her creative achievements.
The rhythm of jamming and improvisation continues to pulse within her. Jessy embraces these sessions with an ensemble of world music aficionados, finding solace in non-western scale melodies interwoven with hip-hop beats. For her, the violin serves as a vessel for expression, and jamming paves a path for a dialogue between musicians that extends to their audience.
To aspiring young musicians, Jessy advocates for self-discovery, emphasizing the significance of finding inner contentment and focusing on intention over perfection. She reminds them that navigating one’s identity forms the cornerstone of creative growth.
With an illustrious career that has imprinted her presence on remarkable records, such as Foo Fighters’ “Wasting Light” and “Concrete and Gold,” as well as Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” and “Being There,” Jessy Greene is not just a musician; she is a beacon of light whose melodies kindle the human spirit. Her collaboration with Rami Jaffee has sculpted her journey, reinforcing the belief that music transcends sound, resonating with the heartbeats of those who listen.
