D.D. Jackson & Poet Bruce Meyer Premiere Their “MAVETY STREET” Music Video

After an extended hiatus from releasing studio albums, it felt like the only way for D.D. Jackson, to get back to recording, was to go big. And that’s what he did with Poetry Project, his first new studio album in 17 years. Today, Jackson reveals the music video for the song “MAVETY STREET.”

The song features words contributed by Canadian poet Bruce Meyer and performed by vocalist Laila Biali. A studio performance video, the clip takes you right into the composing and recording process of the song. The video emphasizes the interplay between Jackson’s elite-level piano playing and Biali’s brilliantly impassioned vocals. With so many musicians contributing to the song, it’s interesting to see how it all comes together in the studio.

Discussing the song, Jackson tells us:

“‘Mavety Street’s’ words by Canadian poet Bruce Meyer to me (as composer and arranger) brought out a feeling of aching nostalgia, a sentimental journey (as the song’s original commissioner George Elliott Clarke put it): ‘Down a two-way street where four lips met and kissed, spurring two singles to become one couple.’ Juno-winning vocalist Laila Biali’s intimate vocals captured amazingly subtle nuances, which I tried to bring out even further by deliberately having her sing the song in three ascending keys as it progresses!

“I’m also delighted that the song also features one of my first ever ‘employers,’ Juno-winning soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett. It’s rounded out by an unusually sensitive and deliberately understated Larnell Lewis on drums, a beautifully full-toned George Koller on upright bass, with myself leading everything from an exquisite 225,000 Canadian dollars Bosendorfer grand piano. To me, it felt like the perfect track to be released as the first single from Poetry Project. I really hope people enjoy it.”

Poetry Project is technically Jackson’s first studio album since the release of Serenity Song in 2007. A lot has changed in that time; Jackson’s children are now in their teens and building towards their careers in the arts. However, what has remained the same is Jackson’s commitment to his craft. He takes songwriting as seriously as he ever did and always strives to evolve and move forward as an artist.

The idea for the Poetry Project came about during the pandemic lockdowns. Canada’s former Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke began to hand select composes such as Jackson to write songs based on the poetry of a series of Canadian poets Clarke curated. For each poet, Clarke would send Jackson a collection of their work. Jackson would then set the poem he felt was best served by song. Under the circumstances, they would meet on Zoom periodically, where the poets would read the original poems, and Jackson would perform the song versions. The reaction was, to say the least, enthusiastic. Jackson felt enthused by his work and applied and received a 60,000 government grant called the “Canada Council Concept to Realization grant.”

An album he considers one of his greatest accomplishments, Poetry Project, is dedicated to Jackson’s “home country of Canada.” He hopes that it resonates with listeners the way these poems put to songs resonated with him.

Tour Dates:

12/07 – Redwood Theatre – Toronto, ON (Album Release Party)

D.D. Jackson ‘Poetry Project’ album artwork