The prodigiouslytalented instrumentalist “plays the whole guitar,” he explained in a recentinterview, “with bass and chords at the same time. This means we can play jazzwithout a bassist or drummer.” The “we” is often his wife, vocalist JillJensen, with whom he performs weekly at the Carleton Grange Pub’s Sundaybrunch. A prolific recording artist, Grassel released a CD earlier this yearwith Mexican guitarist Guillermo Espinasse, and reissued one of his finest LPsfrom the ’70s on CD, a blazingly venturesome band recording called Magic Cereal, featuring serrated guitarruns Robert Fripp might envy over a hard-hitting fusion ensemble. On the livecircuit, Grassel remains busy, though not at the pace of the past. “In 1982 Iplayed 514 gigs. In 2008, only 137,” he said matter-of-factly.
http://www.jackgrassel.com/pages/schedule.html
Runners-up: Evan Paydon, Jeanna Salzer
