Biography
Jay Kaye put J.K. & Co. together in early 1968 at the age of fifteen, drawing on arranger Robert Buckley, still a teenager himself, producer Robin Spurgin, and a roster of session players to cut the group’s sole album, Suddenly One Summer, for White Whale in Vancouver after a short move from Las Vegas. Kaye’s ornate, tuneful writing showed clear echoes of Donovan and George Harrison, while his understated singing brought to mind the latter’s final Beatle-era performances. Although the more sentimental stretches of his words have aged poorly, the gentle settings—built around restrained organ and saxophone lines—along with their appealing tunes and warmly reflective mood, place him among the more notable overlooked figures of the period.
J.K. & Co. existed only on record until the sessions ended; afterward Kaye assembled a touring lineup that featured his cousin John Kaye on bass. The White Whale LP received modest airplay on California underground stations yet suffered from weak promotion and stayed largely unknown, even among dedicated psych collectors. The label further hindered any momentum by choosing the thirty-six-second instrumental opener “Break of Dawn” as a single. The musicians performed a handful of California dates before disbanding near the close of the decade, leaving no further releases. Sundazed/BeatRocket restored the long-rare album to CD in 2001.
J.K. & Co. existed only on record until the sessions ended; afterward Kaye assembled a touring lineup that featured his cousin John Kaye on bass. The White Whale LP received modest airplay on California underground stations yet suffered from weak promotion and stayed largely unknown, even among dedicated psych collectors. The label further hindered any momentum by choosing the thirty-six-second instrumental opener “Break of Dawn” as a single. The musicians performed a handful of California dates before disbanding near the close of the decade, leaving no further releases. Sundazed/BeatRocket restored the long-rare album to CD in 2001.
Albums