>>PREVIEW
JORDAN COOK AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND
Thursday, Dec. 1st
The Back Alley
Muddy Waters once said about those who play the blues: "You don't have to be the best one, just be a good ’un." In the case of Jordan Cook, he may just be the best one.
The young guitar-slinger got his first taste of fame at the tender age of 15 during the 1999 Montreux Jazz Festival. Out of the 360 acts to perform there, Jordan was declared the revelation of the festival and his intended two-day stay turned into two weeks. Cook still remembers with wide-eyed awe the feeling of sharing the stage with B.B. King.
"There were about 10 guitar players that got up with (King) that night. I was the only guy he hugged and he whispered in my ear and said, ‘This is the reason why I play.’ The shivers coming off my back when he said that were unbelievable."
At the age of 18, Cook was signed to Epic records, and soon formed a new band, the now defunct New Alone. By this time his music had changed from more traditional blues to the type of music he now plays – a fiery and heavy brand of guitar-based blues rock that conjures up images of ’60s blues rock superheroes like The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Cream, while still being firmly rooted in the 21st century.
The group began writing songs for an album and hit the road, gaining a reputation for their wild live shows. Some critics even went as far as to say that the band upstaged the groups they were opening for, which included heavy hitters like The Tragically Hip and Robert Randolph. Despite all this, Cook remains humble.
"I don’t let it get to me, because really, if anything that’s just pushing me harder to step it up that much more." Cook, who comes off as seasoned and professional, also emits a childlike sense of glee that comes from being able to not only play with, but also receive praise from his heroes.
The New Alone seemed poised for superstardom, however constant personnel changes at the label resulted in the band’s dissolution and Cook leaving Epic. Undeterred, he hooked up with former Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd and ace session drummer Matt Chamberlain, a team Cook was surprised he was able to get so easily.
"He (Shepherd) was the first guy I mentioned and we caught him, and then Matt I knew for years in the music scene playing with all sorts of people, so it just kind of fell together. It was a beautiful thing," he explains.
The group, under the name "Jordan Cook and his All-Star Band" recorded a few songs and are currently in the midst of a cross-Canada tour.
After the tour is finished, Cook doesn’t have any concrete plans with regard to forming a permanent band, he just wants to work out a deal with a new record label and get an album out. Which begs the question – after being an underground sensation for so many years, when is Jordan Cook going to be turned loose upon the world?
"When is it gonna be unleashed?" Cook asks in reference to both his own music and the return of the guitar as the defining force in rock ’n’ roll. "The time is now as far as I’m concerned." |
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