Young Wyckoff Musician Makes Local Solo Debut

“Music is not about playing, it’s about feeling,” says up-and-coming singer-songwriter and musician Noah Jessup.

The Wyckoff teen started playing guitar at age 7 after watching a video of Stevie Ray Vaughan rocking the stage at the Montreux Festival.  By age 10, everything else in the world became less important. It was just Noah and his music.  His main instrument is guitar, and he is fluent with drums, harmonica, bass and voice.

Noah has played with rock and roll greats such as Leslie West (Mountain) at Bergen PAC.  Last summer he toured with other musicians along the east cost and has played in NYC at clubs including The Highline Ballroom, BB Kings, and Blender Theater. On Sunday, he will make his local solo debut at the . 

Jessup's music tells stories. He uses the people around him as the biggest material to construct and write his own music, and when he is not playing, he is listening.  His original music is mainly pop music with influences from country, blues, jazz and R&B. His biggest influences are artists such as B.B. King, Allman Brothers, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Brian Setzer, Brad Paisley, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Johnny Cash and Elvis.

His band, 12 North, named after the road to his favorite place in the world — the Outer Banks in North Carolina — plays a variety of music from covers such as Midnight Rider from the Allman Brothers and Key to The Highway by Little Walter, to originals and variations of modern day hip/hop and pop songs.

The teen's solo career focuses more on intimate connections with his voice, an acoustic guitar and his audience. He reintroduces a song every time he plays and nothing ever sounds the same it’s always fresh to the ear. His on-stage performance displays a charismatic guitar player and a touching singer.

The Endless Vine will be his first local solo act. “I’m so exited and grateful that I can play here and have the local opportunity,” he said. The show starts at 1 p.m.