LINDEN, Texas—Bluesy and steeped in Texas traditions, guitarist Wes Jeans wants to celebrate the week of his birth in a communal way.

Not only does the Marshall, Texas, native invite local friends, family and fans to rock out at a birthday celebration show, he’ll do so with a live recording concert at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at Music City Texas Theater.

The Wes Jeans Birthday Celebration and Live Recording from Music City Texas will see the aggressive guitar of Jeans and his musical crew tackle songs older and new.

“This live CD I’m kind of doing backwards,” Jeans said.

He will debut new material that will be included on his next studio album, “Blood, Sweat and Years,” as well as play songs from his last studio release, “Forest of the Pine,” released in 2006.

With the band being from the region, as well as the blues traditions of East Texas, Jeans thinks Music City Texas is the right place to record.

“I figure what better place to do it,” he said, noting the room also sounds great for a live performance.

Lance Lopez will be a special guest, and New Jack & the Rippers of Hope, Ark., will open the show.

Jeans hopes to also draw in fans from all over.

“We’ve got people that have been fans of mine for a while ... but have never been here,” he said.

But he also wants local fans to be part of this live recording, which he expects to title “Live from Music City Texas.”

“I’m doing this there for a reason ... I try to support East Texas as much as I can.”

“It’s going to be a real cool deal for me. I’m excited,” said Jeans, who earned a second place at the International Jimi Hendrix Competition in 1996 after playing guitar for only nine months.

For his debut record, “Hands On,” he played with John Williams and Lloyd Anderson, bass player and drummer for Al Green.

Since then he’s achieved a lot for a man so young, having played the T-Bone Walker Blues Festival in Linden a couple times and having played and met with the likes of B.B. King, Robert Cray, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jimmie Vaughan, Dick Dale and Lynard Skynard.

He opened for King in Shreveport in 2003.

For a hard-working musician like Wes Jeans, the concert sounds like good birthday fun (as well as work). And for fans, it’s likely a once-in-a-lifetime treat.



(Tickets: $15. Doors open at 6 p.m. More info and tickets: www.musiccitytexas.org or 903-756-9934.)