Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasco Duende.
Hi Jasco, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Sure — my journey really started with a deep love for the guitar and the way music connects people. I picked up a guitar when I was a kid and was hooked instantly. Over the years, I’ve explored everything from blues and rock to funk, jazz, and even flamenco. I’ve always been fascinated by how different styles can blend together to tell a new story.
I moved to the Nashville area 5 years ago after spending most of my adult life on the road with blues bands. Most notable of those was a band I formed in the 90’s named Blinddog Smokin’ that eventually went on to get a Grammy nomination. Additionally, from the time I began playing music, I also had an interest in recording music.
So, when I came to Nashville, my goal was to perform and record as much music as I could. I lucked out and found a home to buy on craigslist that was about 30 miles south of downtown that had a seperate building that was already set up as a home studio. I call it “JML – Jasco’s Music Lab”. It’s become a place where I can not only record my own music but also collaborate with other artists and help them bring their vision to life. For me, music isn’t just about technique — it’s about feel, storytelling, and connection.
Nasvhille is great because there is such a high concentration of great musicians of all styles here. Plenty of people to gig and collaborate on song creation with. The area aligns perfectly with my goals: to stay authentic, keep learning, and share something real with every note I play.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
If it was a smooth road it wouldn’t be as fun. Like most musicians, there’ve been plenty of bumps, detours, and flat tires along the way. The music industry can be unpredictable — one minute you’re playing to a packed house, the next you’re wondering if anyone’s going to show up.
Making a living solely from music is a challenge. You’ve got to separate the biz side of things from the artistic side, if you’re going to keep your sanity. And you’ve got to be diverse. When people ask me “What style of music do you play?” I reply “Whatever pays.” The business side of being a musician is kind of like being a hustler – you need to tenaciously look for opportunities and be prepared to act on them when they appear.
For me personally, I moved here not knowing anyone in Nashville – sight unseen. So my first order of business was to get out to open jams and shows and start meeting the cats who played here. The first couple weeks here was unpacking and setting up the recording studio. Then I went to a couple jams. Then a double tornado struck downtown and east Nashville and shut a lot of the scene down for a few days. Then a week later COVID hit.
So that first year here was a bit slow as far as opportunities to get to know the music scene here.
So in order to try to turn such a major setback into a stepping stone, I spent a lot of time that first year keeping the inner creative fire going by writing songs, practicing, and improving my recording skills.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
On the music performance side, I tend to do the styles that are less common in Nashville. There are a ton of smokin’ country guitar players in the area, but not nearly as many flamenco guitarists. Lots a fantastic bluegrass players, but much less common are gypsy-jazz (Django Reinhardt) style cats. Many rock/blues shredders that burn high speed solos up and down the fretboard, but far fewer that take the wacky rubber-band-neck Jeff Beck approach. And you will be hard pressed to find anyone taking a fretless guitar out to gigs.
So I kind of lucked out – all the styles that I really love – flamenco, gypsy jazz, Jeff Beck sillyness – are the ones that aren’t very popular here, so it allows me to focus on a more niche thing, and have a unique musical identity.
On the recording side of things, at my home studio clients get a relaxed inspirational environment. And they always get me working directly with them and not some student intern running the board. But I think my secret weapon is years of re-arranging cover tunes. For example re-working a pop tune to sound like a swing jazz style. So whenever clients bring me their songs to record, I immediately start hearing all the different ways that song could work, so I always have ideas for them.
As far as what am I most proud of. That’s kind of like asking what my favorite song is: The one I’m playing or listening to right now.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
A few weeks after I got my first guitar I managed to hack my way through a Black Sabbath tune. I thought I was about ready to conquer the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jascoguitar.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jascoduende/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jascoguitar/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JascoDuendeGuitar
