Roots of American Music

Jesse Barnes

Although he hails from the rust belt, guitarist/composer Jesse Barnes has devoured an eclectic mixture of hip hop, blues, jazz, and world music. Jesse got his start playing the Cleveland blues circuit while still in high school and then attended Loyola University New Orleans. After graduating in 2003 with a degree in Jazz Studies and English he spent the next few years gigging and teaching in New Orleans, Chicago and Cleveland. In 2006 Jesse left to study percussion and guitar in Brazil and upon his return began working with Roots of American Music. Always following a deeply personal musical trajectory, he often describes his work as “an ongoing attempt at reconciling the six year old boy dancing to Michael Jackson tapes with the 26 year old man interpreting jazz standards.”