Hollywood, California Apr 15, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - The band often called “Venice Beach’s House Band” in the 1990s, the J-Gos, is finally releasing a compilation of some of their most beloved instrumentals from an era that is long gone, but hardly forgotten. As described in their liner notes:
Unreleased for over two decades, the experimental music of the J-Gos was Venice Beach’s soundtrack in an era before today’s gentrification changed it forever. A lively stew of street performers, free spirits, and eclectic artists, the historic beach town also had a darker side. The J-Gos captured all of the town’s moods as its inhabitants strove to create and survive in a rapidly changing world.
We had a chance to catch up with The Mysterious Canadian, the J-Gos’ founder, composer, and lead keyboardist, about the new release and what he’s been up to in the decades since he and his bandmates provided the musical background for an era like no other. (The interview has been edited for brevity.)
Q: What was it like putting together this compilation? I assume you hadn’t listened to many of these tracks in many years.
A: You’re right. It was surreal, actually. I didn’t even realize I had so much emotion tied up in these songs and in that era until I sat down with the tapes. So much came back to the surface. It hit me harder than I ever expected.
Q: Did the rest of the band work with you on the compilation?
A: Not really. I own all the masters and we’re not really in touch anymore. Many of them have moved out of state. A few are deceased. We’re not estranged, it’s just… different.
Q: Have you been back to any of your old venues recently?
A: Sadly, no. The Terrace, where we got our start, is gone. It disappeared a few years ago. Our recording studio on Ocean Front Walk has also torn down probably about ten years ago. The Venice Whaler is still there, but I hear it’s a completely different vibe now. I haven’t gone back and don’t have any desire to.
Q: What has changed about the neighborhood since the J-Gos’ heyday in the 1990s?
A: From what I hear, it’s completely different. Now there are rich people and people experiencing homelessness and they don’t know each other. They stay away from each other. There’s no interaction. What was so cool about those days is that everybody hung together, whether they were a celebrity like Florence Henderson or George Carlin, or that American Ninja guy David Bradley, or a street performer like Echoman or Harry Perry, or just a local eccentric. People like Boston Dawna patrolled the streets at night looking for criminals and cut hair during the day. Or Frank Strasser, the painter whose band we were always running into even though they only played covers. I mean, you could go out to The Terrace or the Crab Shell and run into Macho Man Randy Savage, or Henry Hill the former mobster, or Tom Poston’s best friend. Every night was a new adventure.
Q: What have you been up to lately? What’s it been like for you since your days running the J-Gos?
A: I prefer not to say.
Q: Thanks for your time.
Media Contact
J-Go Records maverickbruin@yahoo.com 3109049751 http://j-gos.hearnow.com
