Rich Jacques is a Grammy-winning producer and songwriter. We've written about him before—his music is meditative, engaging, and cinematic with a focus on intimate vocals set against a lush soundscape. Latest track "Montecito" further displays his stylistic range with a sonic palette that fits perfectly in the soft-spoken folk pop space inhabited by artists like Peter Bradley Adams and Joshua Radin. However, Rich Jacques does not adhere to a signature aesthetic—his musical accomplishments continue to vary from folk to chamber pop, electronica and beyond as he pulls from an eclectic tapestry that is uniquely his own.
"Montecito" was written as a love letter to a place in time, as Jacques pays creative tribute to both the coastal getaway and Santa Barbara neighbor city as well as the personal community that he relishes there. The music video for this gratifying ballad captures the magic of personal stillness that so often accompanies the presence of natural beauty: as the flowers and the trees and salty air speak in unison as a counterforce against the pressures of modern life.
Rich has been sculpting his craft as a songwriter and producer for some time, and it shows. By using only a few core components—guitar, voice and only a few additional musical details—he creates emotive and spacious compositions that are as sentimental as they are inviting.
Whichever aspect of Rich Jacques' work you are familiar with, this latest creation is like little you have heard him do before. If you are unaware of his long and varied career then this is the perfect place to start exploring his work.