"There ain't much to see in a small town, but what you hear sure makes up for it" is the old adage. In Ten Sleep WY, population 307, what you'll hear - more often than not - is a clanky old banjo ricocheting off the storefronts and buttes, like a renegade .22 rifle shell. This clamor is Jalan Crossland, the local trailer park troubadour. His singing voice is as dusty as the Triassic shale hillsides, spinning yarns and painting portraits of the lives and people of the rural Rocky Mountain West. "Gossip is even better when you sing it" says Jalan.

Although playing the banjo is "more fun than poking little chicken heads under the water", Crossland's primary tool of musical expression has always been the guitar.  In 1997, Jalan placed 2nd at the Winfield, KS. National Fingerstyle Guitar competition, and 1st in the state flatpicking contest of his Wyoming home.  These added to dozens of regional championship awards, attest that his playing is"...so dexterous that when he stops at the end of a song, you realize you forgot to breathe"--The Weekly News, Rapid City SD.

Crossland's songs are vivid, first-hand accounts of life in the small towns and backcountry of 21st century America. Like the people they portray, the songs are tough and honest. They also reflect the tremendous heart and soul of their colorful characters. Even where the warp and weave is of hardship or heartbreak, the songs are threaded with strings of optimism and humor.

Jalan’s lyrics travel in a musical vehicle more akin to a rusty, hopped-up '66' Ford (with 3-on-the-tree) than an air-conditioned Prius. The sound glides along on the wheels of a country music clearly not to be mistaken for mainstream. Old-time and bluegrass are present, but treated to the creative freedom of rock-n-roll.

"More than just a great picker, Crossland's performances feature graceful delivery and genuine character"--Planet Jackson Hole, Jackson WY.  Whether performing solo or with his band, Jalan's concerts are energetic, upbeat and fun. On stage, he is as comfortable as he would be pickin’ on his own front porch. This relaxed demeanor disarms the coolest of audiences,  pulling everyone onto that porch alongside him, with their luke-warm beer and paper plates full of hot-wings.

Crossland and his band have recorded 3 CDs; 'Poorboy Shanty', 'Moonshiner', and 'Trailer Park Fire & Other Tragedies'.  They perform full-time, throughout the U.S., venturing as far afield as Europe and Australia. Jalan has been the opening act on several tours with alt-country legend, Robert Earl Keen, has appeared on television, radio, and in dozens of magazines including The New York Times, No Depression, and Fingerstyle Guitar, sharing concert and festival stages with many of the biggest musical acts in the nation.

"If you're lucky enough to hear Jalan play live, observe the audience. It will be made almost entirely of drop-jawed, glassy-eyed, altogether astonished listeners." -- Panache Magazine, Black Hills SD

"I ain't great at anything, but if you are half-assed at enough things, and roll em all together, you can amount to more than one whole ass." -- J. Crossland