Jump Back Jake: Brooklyn Hustle/Memphis Muscle
February 19th, 2009 by autopsy4 in News
I’ll be totally honest with y’all. The moment I opened the envelope this album came in and saw the cover and read the band name and CD title, I wanted to like it. Add to that the fact that it was coming off the freshly reborn Ardent Music label and I needed to like it. So strong was my want to like this album that I was afraid to listen to it, so I gave it to my wife first. I figured that way, if it sucks, hearing about it from her would be less disappointing than finding out for myself.
A week later, the report was in: “Awesome! Really sounds like Mofro.”
Immediately I confiscated the cd from her car (she’s still bitching) and tossed it in my CD player.
Jump Back Jake is Jake Rabinbach (vocals/guitar), Jake Vest (guitar/vocals), Brandon Robertson (bass) and Greg Faison (drums), who are joined by the part-time horn playing of Paul Morelli (sax) and Nashon Benford (trumpet). Jump Back Jake’s embryo started while Rabinbach was on a trip from New York to Memphis that was doubling as a “do I wanna move here?” visit. Rabinbach was playing solo and opening for a band at 4 a.m. at a bottle club when Faison decided to join him on stage and improv the drums. Months passed, Jake decided to follow the sirens of the South, he called Faison up to join him, and two weeks later, Jump Back Jake V.1.0 was born.
Their one sheet likens them to The Meters, JJ Cale, North Mississippi Allstars and The Black Keys, but the one name that’s missing is what you could call their brother in sound: JJ Grey and Mofro (or Mofro for fans prior to the Alligator Records signing). Perhaps outside of Florida, JJ Grey isn’t that well known, I dunno, I don’t get out of the state too much, but that seems like the only way you could not draw comparisons between the two.
For those out of the know, any definition of Mofro’s music contains words like front-porch, soul and Southern. Take that and add an ever so slightly more rocking edge to it, and you’d be describing Jump Back Jake.
Check it out, and, um … welcome back into the game Ardent. More releases like this and you’ll be just fine.
Jump Back Jake’s Official Site, Jump Back Jake on myspace, Buy Brooklyn Hustle / Memphis Muscle
For audio samples head over to my post on ninebullets.net
February 19th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Jump Back Jake at SXSW:
Thurs, Mar 19 (1:30P) SXSW: Brush Square Park – West Tent – Austin, Texas
Fri, Mar 20 (7:00P) SXSW: Mother Egan’s – Austin, Texas
March 2nd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Correction to time of Jump Back Jake SXSW show on Thursday:
Thursday, March 19
1:00pm – Jump Back Jake – Brush Square Park/West Tent – across from the convention center
Friday, March 20
7pm – Jump Back Jake – Mother Egan’s (715 W. 6th at Rio Grande)
Jody