Marcus Jade is a musician, writer, and visual artist who currently lives in Brooklyn, although hails from Indianapolis. Marcus is active in the Brooklyn community, and is currently a resident at Unruly Collective, an art residency and space in Bushwick for artists, musicians, and writers to practice their craft. In addition, he is a self-taught guitarist and singer-songwriter who draws inspiration from a wide array of genres, from hip-hop, punk, metal, blues, and jazz.
Marcus plays shows often all over the city, with his next show this weekend. It’s called “The Blues Revisited: Muddy Waters,” and is located at a private apartment in Bushwick on Sunday, September 23 from 7-9 p.m. You can buy tickets here for $10 (and receive the address upon confirmation). Event is BYOB.
Per the event’s description: “Muddy Waters was the father of Chicago blues. He changed the game and represented a new sound with deep roots. From songs like ‘Hoochie Coochie Man’ to ‘Rolling Stone,’ Muddy influenced everyone. That is the truth. Let’s play blues, talk about McKinney Morganfield, play some Chicago Blues in this big city, and come together to enjoy some Cretan food from our host and make the night special.”
We interviewed Marcus about his influences, favorites, and achievements. You can also listen to one of his performances below.
Name three favorite albums.
Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland
Marvin Gaye – Whats’ Going on
B.B. King – Live at Cook County
Who are your writing influences?
TS Elliot
James Baldwin
Amiri Baraka
Ralph Ellison
James Joyce
Langston Hughes
Harper Lee
Joan Didion
Maya Angelou
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I took photos as a student photographer during the Chicago Occupy 2012 protests. Many of the photos I took were published to shed light on the issues in Chicago.
If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?
An orangutan.
What is your favorite name?
Magnolia.
What’s a film that changed you forever?
Menace II Society.
Share anything of your choosing.
Listen to Marcus perform below: