Tag Archives: Jack Rose

Jack Rose, R.I.P.

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I’m almost at a lost for words, this time, to write an obituary, once again, for a fantastic musician who I was lucky to consider a friend. I’m in my office, aka our spare room, lying on the air mattress that we use when out-of-towners come to visit, with my beagles, listening to the new Bill Orcutt record, and thinking about Jack Rose, and how Jack Rose passed away today.

Jack was just here, in late September, as he played a show I booked on my birthday, and he stayed the night. I had the next day off so we drove around town in search of records, soul food, and rare bourbons. He was stoked because he found a Verlaines record at Underground Sounds for $7. We also had a great lunch at this soul food joint way out where Broadway ends at Shawnee Park with Kris Abplanalp and Neil. We went to Old Town Liquors, and Jack bought a bunch of good and obscure bourbons, then he left. Needless to say, it was a really good hang.

Aside from the many other times I saw him play, another fond memory was when Jack played a show I booked in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with Major Stars and Miminokoto at the Palace Tavern. The place was way too crowded, and Major Stars nearly brought the house down with their blistering, super-loud and awesome opening set (Wayne Rogers, you are the man, and I’m glad New York’s Finest didn’t haul you away that night). Jack played second, just him and his guitar, and delivered the same sort of intensity at 1/4 the volume. Even though I’d seen him many times, that was the night his playing really clicked for me. And despite all the chaos of probably 200 people in a space made for 50, noise complaints from the neighbors, and the two bartender/owners who seemed like they were ready to kill me and Todd P., it was totally worth it.

Anyway, Jack Rose is gone, and the world has lost a singular talent. And people who knew him lost a fun, fun-loving, laid-back-yet-intense guy, who was no bullshit artist, but the real deal. Rest in peace, Jack.

SAPAT, JACK ROSE, ZAK RILES (of Grails) at the SWAN DIVE, Monday, September 28

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SAPAT (on Siltbreeze)
JACK ROSE (from Philadelphia, on VHF)
ZAK RILES (of Grails, on Important)

Monday, September 28
The Swan Dive
921 Swan Street
9 PM, $5, 21 and over

Spawned from the formidable Louisville, KY collective known as Black Velvet Fuckere, SAPAT resides as the centrifugal force in this Midwestern psychedelic madrigal set in the psychosexual backwaters of the mighty Ohio River. For the entirety of the ‘00 decade, members have kept busy collaborating with and/or massaging the egos of various and sundry avant-pontiffs such as Robert Fripp, Magik Markers, Dead Child and Eugene Chadbourne – when not honing the orgone energy of SAPAT.

jackrose

Since 2001, JACK ROSE has pursued his own path in the solo acoustic guitar genre as invented by John Fahey. Like Fahey, ROSE draws his inspiration from early rural American musicians like Charley Patton, Skip James and Blind Blake. In addition to those influences he gleans inspiration from Robbie Basho, Ry Cooder, Zia M. Dagar, La Monte Young, as well as Terry Riley. JACK incorporates all of these elements into his own idiosyncratic style, and it is his sound and his alone. By early 2010, JACK ROSE will have released 10 critically acclaimed albums since 2002. From 1995-2006 Rose was a member of the legendary drone/noise/folk group Pelt. Pelt — along with Tower Recordings, UN, and Charalambides — was one of the early groups who forged a new sound that combined free improv, drone, traditional folk music in the early to mid nineties, later coined “New Weird America” by The Wire‘s David Keenan in the early oughts.

ZAK RILES is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist in the Important/Temporary Residence band Grails. His creative contributions to the group are immeasurable and can be heard clearly on this self-titled debut solo outing. In fact some of the pieces on this solo record have been reinterpreted into Grails favorites. Like his band Grails, ZAK RILES’ solo work is an elaborate mansion built of inspiration but with so much strength and originality that it stands firmly on its own. On these rocky shores come crashing waves of Sandy Bull, Mogolar, Deuter, Popol Vuh and the Ventures while Persian breeze drifts by wafting the melodies of Hossein Alizadeh. Essential listening for followers of Important Records who favor the likes of Grails & James Blackshaw.

Check out the Facebook invite here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133149580652.

For more information, check https://othersideoflife.wordpress.com/upcoming-events. To join our email list, send an email to hstencil@gmail.com.

New Links and Live Stuff

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Blues Control with Brian Turner

(Blues Control with Brian Turner covering Unholy Swill at the Bowery Ballroom, 7/11/07)

Yeah, stuff. Instead of taking a planned road trip, I ended up stuck in New York all week, so got to see a couple good shows and whatnot. Wednesday’s Deerhunter/Ex-Models/Blues Control show was a hilarious clusterfuck of epically later’d proportions. Congee Village eats beforehand with Lukas were crucial, then BC’s smoky jamz left us all ready to pound beer after beer (esp. their cover of an Unholy Swill song — forget the title — with WFMU main man Brian Turner on lead ax). Fortunately we were ready for beer pounding, because Ex-Models made us wanna sit downstairs, say hi to our friend bartending, and lament. Just not into ’em. Deerhunter were pretty good, basically sounded about the same as the record, but the best part of the evening might’ve been the singer’s 45-minute-or-so-long monologue from the stage after the band was through. Poor kid only wanted some G.I. Joes, not to be dressed up like a girl! Parents can be so cruel. Nice retardo Germs cover, too.

Friday night it was time for jammin’ at Cake Shop in a basement get-wrecked stylee. First two bands were a pretty deec female moan trio (some combo involving Child Bride and I don’t know who else). Don’t really know nothing ’bout the players, but they were enjoyable enough. After that was a metal band called Fogeaters which wasn’t really my thing, but at moments the guitarist had some great Mainliner-style moves. The main thing I was there to see played third, and that was Tobogan, a total retarded mess consisting of Russ and Lea from Blues Control, Brian from Mouthus, Don from DremCron and Big Whiskey, Allison from Awesome Color and Ryan from King Crab. Headbanging sludge plus stylish moves (esp. from Lea on guitar and handbag!). Two more bands played as well, Portland’s Night Wounds (not really my thing though not bad — and it’s nice to see a tight punk band with a saxomaphone) and New Jersey’s own Home Blitz (already written about here, though now Daniel’s got a new trio lineup, and is much more confident than last year). Oh and Max from Violent Students and Richie from Clockcleaner played records and mp3s too, so that was the perfect soundtrack to a night of beer, beer and more beer.

So what else? Not much. Skipped Excepter tonight, feeling way too wrung out to get my mind blown, unfortunately. Thinking about Jack Rose/D. Charles Speer/GHQ/This Invitation (see Todd’s page for more info), but haven’t decided yet. Oh and I’ve been adding lots and lots of links lately to the the right side over there, take a look at the following:

Direct Waves – Lots of full album downloads of obscure shit
Mutant Sounds – ditto
Neglected Books – just like it sounds like, buddy
Awful Tattoos – also pretty self-explanatory

Check ’em out and get nerdy.

Harry Potter is for fucking nerds

P.S. did you know that Channel 11 plays “The Best of Soul Train” at 2 AM on Saturday nights?!? Me neither, but now I know and it’s awesome! Next up, Yellow Magic Orchestra!