Biography
Chris Jagger, the younger sibling of rock figure Mick Jagger, has long navigated his identity as the brother of one of the genre’s most visible names while maintaining his own creative path. Although widespread fame has remained elusive, the recordings he issued during the 1990s both under his own name and with the zydeco-rock ensemble Atcha Acoustic demonstrate independent value.
Jagger entered the studio for the first time in 1973 with a self-titled album that blended country, blues, and rock, the same stylistic threads that would continue to define every subsequent project. After completing the 1974 release Adventures of Valentine Vox the Ventriloquest, he parted ways with his collaborators; the experience left him disillusioned with the industry, and nearly two decades passed before he returned to recording. In the interim he explored theater—having originally studied drama before entering music—serving as a lighting technician at London’s Rainbow Theatre during the 1970s and performing with the Living Theatre and Citizens Theatre companies. Additional stage work included a role in a production of Hair, and he appeared in an unreleased film by Kenneth Anger.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s Jagger also turned to fashion design, producing flamboyant garments for Brian Jones, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix; one jacket featuring oversized eyes that he created for Hendrix later appeared on an album cover. In the 1980s he wrote music journalism and commentary for Rolling Stone and The Guardian. Even while engaged in these other pursuits, he stayed connected to recording circles, operating the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio and encountering groups such as the Faces. He contributed to the Rolling Stones albums Dirty Work and Steel Wheels and collaborated during the decade with French songwriter Franck Langolff.
Only in 1993 did Jagger resume work on his own material, assembling the musicians who would later form Atcha Acoustic. The group’s members brought extensive credits from rock and jazz circles, including prior associations with Charlie Byrd, Nick Lowe, B.B. King, and Ian Dury. Under this configuration Jagger issued the solo albums Atcha in 1994 and the well-received Rock the Zydeco in 1995, followed in 1997 by From Lhasa to Lewisham, the first album credited to Atcha Acoustic. His solo effort Channel Fever appeared in spring 2000. He maintained a steady schedule of performances through the 2000s and 2010s, issuing new recordings at regular intervals; selected highlights were gathered on the 2017 anthology All the Best.
Jagger entered the studio for the first time in 1973 with a self-titled album that blended country, blues, and rock, the same stylistic threads that would continue to define every subsequent project. After completing the 1974 release Adventures of Valentine Vox the Ventriloquest, he parted ways with his collaborators; the experience left him disillusioned with the industry, and nearly two decades passed before he returned to recording. In the interim he explored theater—having originally studied drama before entering music—serving as a lighting technician at London’s Rainbow Theatre during the 1970s and performing with the Living Theatre and Citizens Theatre companies. Additional stage work included a role in a production of Hair, and he appeared in an unreleased film by Kenneth Anger.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s Jagger also turned to fashion design, producing flamboyant garments for Brian Jones, Eric Clapton, John Lennon, and Jimi Hendrix; one jacket featuring oversized eyes that he created for Hendrix later appeared on an album cover. In the 1980s he wrote music journalism and commentary for Rolling Stone and The Guardian. Even while engaged in these other pursuits, he stayed connected to recording circles, operating the Rolling Stones’ mobile studio and encountering groups such as the Faces. He contributed to the Rolling Stones albums Dirty Work and Steel Wheels and collaborated during the decade with French songwriter Franck Langolff.
Only in 1993 did Jagger resume work on his own material, assembling the musicians who would later form Atcha Acoustic. The group’s members brought extensive credits from rock and jazz circles, including prior associations with Charlie Byrd, Nick Lowe, B.B. King, and Ian Dury. Under this configuration Jagger issued the solo albums Atcha in 1994 and the well-received Rock the Zydeco in 1995, followed in 1997 by From Lhasa to Lewisham, the first album credited to Atcha Acoustic. His solo effort Channel Fever appeared in spring 2000. He maintained a steady schedule of performances through the 2000s and 2010s, issuing new recordings at regular intervals; selected highlights were gathered on the 2017 anthology All the Best.
Albums
Mixing up the Medicine
2021
All the Best
2017
Chris Jagger's Acoustic Roots
2014
The Ridge
2009
Channel Fever
2000
Singles
