Giving Up the Ghost is sprinkled with all the genres of music Greene has explored; evidence of which can be found in the list of instruments played on the CD. Included are piano, “many guitars,” organ, bass, “a whole lot of guitars,” pedal steel, baritone and tenor sax, trumpet, accordion, violin and mandolin. The disc opens with the moody “Shaken” and immediately we are introduced to Greene’s fine voice. The following tune, “Animal,” is a more bluesy number laced with organ. My favorite tune on the CD is “Like a Ball and Chain,” which echoes of mid-‘70s Stones, Greene sounding not unlike the Mick. “Uphill Mountain” reveals some of the young songwriters earliest influences; “Big Joe Turner, Elmore James, street survivors selling walking canes.” “Don’t Let the Devil Take Your Mind” is a great horn and organ backed blues number that reminds us “You can go through Hell and come out pure, if you don’t let the devil take your mind.” Jackie shows he can also serve up the slow tune with the beautiful tune “Prayer For Spanish Harlem.” The Grateful Dead influence comes out on “Another Love Gone Bad,” which it could have easily come from a Dead CD. Pedal steel and accordion with the soft harmony vocals probably have Jerry Garcia bobbing his head and smiling somewhere. Greene co-produced this LP with Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. I imagine that someday Jackie Greene will be very big. I suggest you get this CD now, especially if you are not familiar with him. Then you’ll be able to tell your friends, “I was listening to Jackie Greene way back when Giving Up the Ghost came out...!”