Local music impresario Jack Endelouz signs to Brooklyn-based record label
Local good guy Jack K. of Endelouz is well respected for his solid musicianship, songwriting ability and skill as a sound man and producer. One could not easily list all the songs and albums of other local artists Jack has lent his considerable talent to, on either side of the mixing board.
At least one of those artists (and as far as I know, there has only been one) not only used Jack on his album, he made use of a host of other great local talent and somehow forgot to mention any of them on the album notes or in interviews, but that’s a story for another time when I’m feeling especially cranky.
Whether everyone gives the man his due or not, his contributions to the scene are well-known and appreciated within most circles and you have to wonder, when does a guy like that get finally get his break? Well, as it happens, the time may be right now.
See, I started out reviewing a couple of new tracks of his a week or so ago and due to technical difficulties that piece didn’t make it to the editor in time to go to print.
As it happens, this may have been a stunning display of kismet since between then and now those very songs have been picked up by a label and Jack Endelouz, who has done so much for so many, may finally be getting his turn at bat.
Leesta Vall is the Brooklyn based label, known for releasing seven inch singles, that has picked up Jack’s latest tracks. The speculative release date is mid-February on leestavall.com with a local release party slated for March.
So what about these tunes? “Ain’t Gonna Change My Mind” has the feel of early to mid-nineties alt-rock, taking me back to that era when WAWL was the default setting on the radio, the go-to for all the best new music you couldn’t hear anywhere else in town.
You’ll have to listen closely to appreciate the complexity of the tune as what initially seems like a pretty straightforward drums/bass/guitar song is actually replete with odd little bits of electronica that complement the more traditional instruments masterfully. The chorus is positively Bowie-esque.
Besides Jack, the song features the talents of B.Spaz, Ryan Long, Mike Macisco and Hayley Graham.
“I Remember Our Home” is the other single in the mix, a very Elvis Costello kind of tune that delves into bluesy sentimentality without resorting to trite, cry-in-your-beer pathos. The song features the regular Endelouz lineup (Kirton, Dennis Hubbard and Joey Berkely) with additional vocals and instrumentation provided by Hayley Graham and the always vivacious Brent Nolan.
When I wrote about these songs last week I ended with a line I probably use too often, but never without justification, that “here’s the music that might finally put these cats on the map outside of our hometown.”
Lo and behold, mere days after writing those unpublished words it appears that Endelouz has piqued the interest of a bona-fide label who wants to take their music to places it hasn’t been before.
It’s too early to say how far this could go, but absolutely on point to say that an exceptionally talented man and his likewise talented cohorts are on their way.