MJ-UPBEAT.COM
-Scroll Down-
September 26, 2009
Jennifer Batten Speaks About MJ
Guitarist Jennifer Batten says that she loved to see Michael Jackson's shows--but only from the stage.
Lucky for her, she had the privilege of being up-close with the King of Pop; she was the guitarist for his band for 10 years, through his “Bad,” “Dangerous” and “HIStory” world tours. She also joined Jackson to perform in Superbowl XXVII's half-time show, which aired to 1.5 billion people — the largest audience in television history.
Of her decade onstage with Jackson, Batten says,
It was unbelievable to be on stage with 60,000 to 80,000 people who knew all his lyrics and were going absolutely bananas for him. You could certainly feel the love.”
Before joining Jackson, Batten played in rock, metal, fusion and funk bands. But she was mostly into jazz fusion. By watching Jackson's magic, she discovered the power of good hooks and melodies and learned a lot from seeing the way Jackson always added theatrics like dance and special effects.
The thing that really got me was the entertainment value. His songs were just the beginning.”
As a result of his inspiration, she now tours nationwide as a solo guitarist with a multimedia show. She has created a 90-minute performance, which blends public domain footage and photos cut to her rhythms. The images range from Betty Boop to trippy journeys into outer space. She also does a 12-minute Jackson tribute, not with footage of him (because it's too expensive), but with such footage as “Night of the Living Dead” and aliens.
It's a show for the ADD generation that demands something new every second. For me, the cheesier, the better.”
She calls her style “guitaronica,” a culmination of everything she has put into her brain. Part of that includes a three-year stint with Jeff Beck, who turned her on to electronica.
There's a huge variety of texture and world sounds. I really change it up. If I see people start to wander, I throw them a curve ball.”
For a list of Jennifer Batten's upcoming shows, please visit her website at batten.com
Source: MJFC / summitdaily.com / batten.com / special thanks to Jana for bringing this to our attention!