Big Rude Jake is a lyricist, songwriter, singer, jazz musician and bandleader based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has recorded several albums with different jazz ensembles and musicians, mixing jazz, rock, rockabilly, jump blues, blues, ragtime, swing, rhythm and blues, gospel and punk rock together. Some attention was brought to Jake in the late 1990s, during the swing revival. 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 "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 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 indie labelRoadrunner 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 most 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. in 2007 Rude teamed up with Toronto writer/producer Gary Justice, drawing from an even wider set of musical influences. From this, the albumQuicksand 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 crowd funding platform, RocketHub.
