Big Rude Jake
Big Rude Jake (born A. Jacob Hiebert) is a singer, songwriter and jazz musician based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He recorded several albums with different jazz ensembles and musicians, mixing rock, jump blues, blues, ragtime, swing, rhythm and blues and punk rock together. Some attention was brought to Jake in the late 1990s, during the swing revival.
[edit] Biography
Butane Fumes & Bad Cologne, the first record by Big Rude Jake and his Gentlemen Players, was recorded in 2 days, on 26 and 27 July 1993 in Toronto. With what the group described as a "ridiculous puny budget" the idea was to record "off the floor" twelve songs mixing different jazz styles that were popular six or seven decades before, along with modern lyrics. It was produced by Gordie Johnson of local rock act Big Sugar and Pete Prilesnick. Executive Producer was Michael L. Johnson.
Blue Pariah, the second album, followed in 1996, and "Swing Baby!" was aired in college radios across Canada and United States. It was produced by Gordie Johnson, and engineered and mixed by Peter Prilesnik. Blue Pariah also featured Ashley MacIsaac on violin. This album was deliberately designed to set Big Rude Jake apart from all the other bands on the swing scene. It uses was some thought to be rather elaborate production techniques.
Seeking to get this record distributed in the US, Big Rude Jake left his band and Toronto, establishing himself in Brooklyn, New York, where he signed a record deal with indie label Roadrunner Records. A third album, Big Rude Jake was released in 1999, still mixing jazz, rock and punk, and introducing one of Big Rude Jake's ferocious songs, "Let's Kill all the Rock Stars".
In 2002, he recorded a fourth album, Live Faust, Die Jung, totally different from the first three. It was produced by Jake Langley and Big Rude Jake, but was never officially released, as he was badly injured one night after being struck by a taxi. He 'disappeared' from the public eye for a while, going into semi-retirement. When he began playing publicly again, he used the moniker Chet Valiant, stepping back from the 'big suit party animal persona' of Big Rude Jake. Maintaining a lower profile, he focused on honing his ragtime guitar skills and kept composing. He began to play a few shows as Big Rude Jake again in 2006.
Jake Rude teamed up with Toronto writer/arranger/engineer Gary Justice, drawing from an even wider set of musical influences. From this, the Album Quicksand was released in Sept 2009.
Big Rude Jake started touring again in 2010. A European tour in Spring 2011 inspired him to make a new jump blues influenced live album with his big 7-piece band and special guests. It will be recorded in October 2011 in front of a live audience at The Drake Hotel in Toronto.
[edit] Discography
- Butane Fumes & Bad Cologne (1993, Spanky Productions)
- Blue Pariah (1996, Spanky Productions)
- Big Rude Jake (1999, Roadrunner Records)
- Live Faust, Die Jung (2002)
- Quicksand (2009)
