Black Jake & the Carnies was stillborn on October 31, 2003. The band played a single show, recorded some songs, and promptly died. All this meant was Black Jake finally had something to dissect. Over the next couple years, Jake stitched his baby back together with parts unearthed from the graveyards of american music. By 2006, the infant was looking more and more like its daddy and, once again, showing signs of life. After a couple solo shows, it became apparent, all the little monster needed now was a bit more blood.

Blood, it turns out, ain’t that hard to find.

Gus, the only original Carnie still fiddlin’ lived just up the block from
Black Jake. It was rumored that Zachariah, who lived direct across the
street from Gus, played mandolin. Joe Cooter, whose property line
ends near Zach’s backyard, plucked bass. Up the road a bit Cooter heard the thumpin' of Kingpin Lalonde's big bass drum and scratchin' on his washboard vest. By then, there were enough Carnies to take pretty much whatever they wanted by brute force, and the Kingpin and Jesse were quickly corralled. Black Jake had his Carnies and the monster had its blood.

Black Jake and the Carnies is:

Black Jake: singing, songwriting, banjo
Gus Wallace: fiddle
Zach Pollock: mandolin
Joe Cooter: bass guitar
Kingpin Billy Lalonde: drums
Jesse Miller: accordian

Give us a shout: carnie@blackjakeandthecarnies.com