Album Notes

Legendary singer-songwriter Big Rude Jake is back with a new album and a whole new perspective. Fans of this journeyman performer will remember him as a force to be reckoned with: a noted figure on the Canadian music scene with a presence around the world. An innovator, a deft craftsman of song and a powerful and compelling lyricist, Jake has been knocking audiences dead with his impassioned performances for 20 years.

Quicksand

Big Rude Jake’s new release, Quicksand, explores contemporary twists on popular music forms from decades ago. Listeners will note a dramatic shift away from the "neo-swing" style that has characterized previous Big Rude Jake recordings in favour of a more general roots-oriented singer/song-writer approach. The over-all sound of Quicksand is relaxed and contemplative. The musical arrangements often involve reduced instrumentation, with some tracks featuring Jake on guitar and vocals alone. With such a mellow touch added to these compelling and eclectic songs, Quicksand marks the end of the Swing Punk persona of yester-year, and the emergence of a new thoughtfulness and maturity that comes to anyone on a long journey back home.

Armed with a new band, Jake is strongly focused on presenting the singer-songwriter side of his work over and above the nutty punk-inspired performer side. His new material will surely rekindle this country’s love of this powerful singer/songwriter, just as they were first inspired by his raucous antics a decade ago. Perhaps most importantly, Jake has returned to his roots. Quicksand features all original music, strongly rooted in Traditional Jazz, Gospel, Ragtime, Folk and Blues.

Welcome back, Jake. We look forward to seeing much more of you.


The Backstory

The tale of Jake’s rise to infamy has been told and re-told to the point of becoming mythic. The story goes that, some 20 years ago, Jake was drawn to the Jazz tradition for its passion and sensuality and lamented the rise of the stuffy “jazz intellectual.” He dreamed up a plan to bring Jazz back to its street-wise and rough-hewn roots. Part of this process would require him to develop a stage persona that was evocative of strident passion and longing. In the first few years of his career, he actually avoided playing in jazz venues altogether. Instead, he performed his own jazz and swing compositions in rock venues and blues bars across Canada, where he hoped to find kindred spirits who could appreciate his dream of a “Bawdy House Jazz” revival.

Originally billed as “alternative music,” Jake’s vision caught the attention of media and critics across the country. His independent recordings were sold in the “rock,” “punk” and “alternative” sections in music stores, and he proved that Jazz and Swing, with the right attitude, could have as much street credibility as any rock, soul or hip-hop act in the country.

After the rise of such U.S. bands as Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Jake was swept up into the Neo-Swing movement that was all the rage across North America. Understanding that he needed to develop a more international profile, Jake moved to New York, where he marketed himself to American record companies. In New York, Jake signed with Road Runner Records (now known for the success of Nickelback and Megadeath) and began touring Europe and the United States.

Having expanded his horizons, Jake returned to Toronto. Unfortunately, around this time, tragedy struck. Jake was hit by a taxicab while riding his bike home from a gig in the middle of the night. Due to his injuries, he was forced to cancel a national tour of an independent album that he had only just completed, and was left with few options but to take some time off. This, along with a series of other personal and professional setbacks, led Jake to consider the possibility that it might be a good time to leave the industry for a while, to heal and re-group. He went into semi-retirement. The years away from the recording industry did him good. He is actually in better physical shape then he has been since high school. He’s also more relaxed, having pursued his interest in Buddhism with some vigor.

The launch of Quicksand will see Big Rude Jake once again touring widely in Canada. The live show still contains some of the energetic kick so beloved to Jake fans, but behind it all is warmth that you might have missed before.


www.bigrudejake.ca
www.myspace.com/therealbigrudejake
www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Rude-Jake/23002263072