Big Rude Jake
Big Rude Jake | |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | A. Jacob Hiebert |
| Born | 1964 or 1965 St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | (aged 57) |
| Genres | Neo-swing[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1993–2022 |
| Labels |
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| Website | bigrudejake |
A. Jacob Hiebert (1964 or 1965 – 16 June 2022), known professionally as Big Rude Jake, was a lyricist, songwriter, singer, musician and bandleader based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His neo-swing style incorporates elements of jazz, Cajun music and rockabilly.[1] He stepped away from recording and touring for several years, returning in 2009 with a new album. He started touring Canada and Europe again in 2010, as well as playing in the United States.
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 "live off the floor, just like the old cats did".[2] The album was produced by Gordie Johnson of local rock act Big Sugar and Pete Prilesnick. The 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 what some thought to be rather elaborate production techniques.
Seeking to get this record distributed in the US, Big Rude Jake left Toronto, establishing himself in Brooklyn, New York, where he signed a record deal with Roadrunner Records. A third album, Big Rude Jake, was released in 1999, introducing one of Big Rude Jake's most ferocious songs, "Let's Kill All the Rock Stars".
In 2002, he recorded a fourth album, Live Faust, Die Jung, which is 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.
in 2007 Rude teamed up with Toronto writer/producer Gary Justice, drawing from an even wider set of musical influences. From this, the album Quicksand was released in Sept 2009.
His recent European tours inspired him to make a new jump blues influenced live album with his 7-piece band and special guests. It was recorded in November 2011 in front of a live audience at The Drake Hotel in Toronto, funded in large part by fans through the crowdfunding platform RocketHub. He died on 16 June 2022 at the age of 57, from bladder cancer.[3]
Discography
- Big Rude Jake
- Butane Fumes & Bad Cologne (1993)
- Blue Pariah (Big Rude, 1996)
- Big Rude Jake (Roadrunner, 1999)
- Live Faust, Die Jung (Big Rude, 2002)
- Brooklyn Blue (Pivotal, 2004)
- Quicksand (Big Rude, 2009)
- Live and Out Loud (2012)
- Tennessee Voodoo Coupe
- Live in Person Radio Transcripts (2011)
- Over the Moon (2013)
References
- ^ a b LaVeck, Theresa E. "Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ LaVeck, Theresa E. "Butane Fumes & Bad Cologne Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ Bell, Kaelen. "Legendary Toronto Musician Big Rude Jake Dies at 57". Exclaim. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
External links
- Big Rude Jake's official web site
- Big Rude Jake's bio on maplemusic.com
- Big Rude Jake's bio on VH1 Archived 1 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- About the Big Rude Jake album
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