Biography
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Born
1963
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Born In
St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario, Canada
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Died
16 June 2022 (aged 59)
Canada's singer/blues shouter, songwriter and bandleader Big Rude Jake's six official albums show a diversity of styles and talents. Many who know him as the original 'Swing Punk' may not be aware that he writes, performs and records ragtime, blues, jazz, punk, rockabilly, americana, cabaret, gospel, poetry, folk and much more… .
Top hits include "Gotham City Serenade", "Steppin' Out Under the Moon", "Queer for Cat", "Swing Baby" and the naughty "The Girl in the Pink Canoe". In live performance, he and the band were renowned for Jake's great tunes, wit, attitude, style and, of course, leaving the stage to play from the top of the bar and tables!
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He formed his "swing punk" band in the 1990s. After 8 years away from the recording industry spent playing under pseudonyms, Quicksand was launched in Canada on September 24th, 2009. "LIVE & Out Loud" was released in October of 2012.
Jake tours his material with BR2, BR4, The Jump Devils and The BRJ Sextet. Solo too - he plays a mean ragtime guitar.
In his spare time, Rude has more bands - with very different flavour. Releases from his retro punk and rockabilly bands are forthcoming. Watch for Blue Mercury Coupe and its hillbilly cousin, Tennessee Voodoo Coupe.
"…He lamented the rise of the stuffy 'jazz intellectual', and longed for a return to a time when the style was, instead, rich in emotion, sensuality and desire. Thus was born his vision to bring jazz back to its streetwise and rough hewn roots. Jake's stage persona evoked strident passion and longing. He performed his jazz and swing compositions in rock venues and blues bars across Canada, where he found many kindred spirits who appreciated his dream of a 'Bawdy House Jazz' revival."
www.bigrudejake.ca
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