.....Jake Hemming (guitar, vocals, etc...)
.....Derek Jackman (drums, back up vocals)
.....Mike Bergstrom (bass, oragami, railroad construction, opium den management).
Constantly special guest Big Surs= Steve Norman (Pedal Steel/dobro) and Stell Newsome (Lead guitar/Nylon guitar).
Less constant, but just as special guest Big Surs= Jasmine Riley (vocals on The Painted Lady) and Joel Ricci (pocket trumpet/shakers/tambourine/genius)
Influences
Mason Jennings, Frank Black, Johnny Cash, The Crying Shame, Uncle Tupelo, Mississippi John Hurt, Ryan Adams, John Frusciante, Wilco, John Prine, Ron Hardesty, Blaze Foley, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Chuckanut Drive Townes Van Zandt, Townes Van Zandt and Townes Van Zandt, and many many many more lovelies
Sounds Like
"If ultra tight country blues tunes with insightful lyrics and powerful vocals are your thing you must check out the debut record from Big Sur. Women is a 5-song collection of gut wrenching songs that force you to dig deep within your soul.
Front man Jake Hemming’s work is absolutely stellar. The gentle giant of the Bellingham music scene, Hemming stands at seven feet, six inches tall and 420 pounds, and could definitely benefit the Seahawks, but unfortunately for them, he can already sing like a bird.
The band works like a machine behind Hemming, pedal steel guitars and impeccable bass and skins give the record a smooth, enjoyable flow. Another special treat was the great performance by singer/diva Jasmine Reilly, one of the most gifted vocalists you will hear.
Double thumbs up to Big Sur. Pick up their record in stores or online at www.myspace.com/bigsurmusic." Boris Budd, What's Up Magazine
"In a man’s life, there is always one certainty that can confuse him, impress him, and make him cry for many reasons. Big Sur knows this to certainly be the female gender. Ladies. X Chromosomes. In other words – Women. God we sure do love them in all their complexity and beauty; they just exude happiness in the best of times. And what better topic for a country folk band of Bellingham gypsies to tackle?
Just like the subjects at hand, this is a beautiful piece of work. Vocalist Jake Hemming’s words tour a musical atmosphere anyone can appreciate. He sounds like a country gentleman of the north on the brilliant story-based track “Their Honeymoon”. And he combines these traits with a 30’s gangster movie star style persona on “The Painted Lady”. The origins of folk rock blister through the skin of today’s indigenous love for all things past on this quintessential and tempting EP that leaves you begging for more. Woodie Guthrie would surely approve.
Big Sur never fails to make a twangy splash in the northwest – their impeccable ability to create a feel-good aura does not go unnoticed in their region. And when they team up with another Bellingham favorite, Jasmine Riley (who provides terrific backup vocals), they find a way to create a massive appeal to all walks of life. There are so many folk artists bathing in the showers of complacency these days, but this prolific band of true artists and troubadours bring forth the power of originality using age-old tactics. Someone blessed these lovely fools, bred from the elders of a time that can never live again."
~Ron Trembath (fensepost.com)
Why don't you guys stop being so GD self-absorbed, and get your pretty little faces to the Crying Shame show this Friday....for the proverbial Love of the Jesus!!!
Stopping by to wish you a fantastic week!!! Hope all is going great with you!!! Check out my newest single Whipping Post on Texas radio NOW!!! I also hope to see you out at Armadillo Palace Wednesday November 11th @ 12:00pm for my interview and acoustic performance with 740 KTRH's Michael Berry (Texas Music Show) See you there!!! Love, ~Susan Hickman www.susanhickman.com www.reverbnation.com/susanhickman www.twitter.com/susanhickman
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 162 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): TEES TO TYNE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001
Where traditions are not so rare; Sea, country and works scent the air; A multitude of monuments, Planted tubs and patterned pavements.
The longish pedestrian malls; The remnants of defensive walls; Historic buildings are a gauge Of the respect for heritage.
Wheat, rape and pines in the fields; Estuaries guarded by shields; Long sandy beaches and wide scenes; Romantic-ruin go-betweens.
Rivers in parts licked by trees, Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries, And crossed by practical delights - Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.
Fine churches headed at Durham; Football kits ad infinitum; Kept castles - one for study; Masonry behind masonry.
And, with moulding-works out that way, It’s somewhere for a longer stay..?
Hey Jake...good work tonight...really enjoyed the hell out of it. Now I know why I hear such good things about you. I thought it was because you have the guitar of the CENTURY!!!!
The new True Margrit CD - The Juggler's Progress - is now available for pre-order, along with t-shirts and artwork, photo and drumheads, as we get ready for our monthlong tour of the Great Northwest! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/7Cu8J
Look for us in Washington, Oregon and California between October 15 and November 15, when our tour wraps up with the big show at San Francisco's best rock club, Bottom of the Hill! For the complete show schedule, check here: http://bit.ly/1UgGqQ
Online Now!
