NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Legacy Recordings) - With Jayhawks founding members Mark Olson and Gary Louris reunited for a forthcoming new album, Legacy Recordings is honoring the original musical contributions of a great American band with the first-ever digital release of five classic titles from the Jayhawks' catalog.
"Hollywood Town Hall," "Tomorrow The Green Grass," "Sound of Lies," "Smile," and "Rainy Day Music" are now available as downloads and ringtones on all major online digital music services.
Formed in Minneapolis in 1985, the Jayhawks became avatars of the American alt-country scene as legions of fans discovered the band's unforgettable combination of inspired songwriting, finely-calibrated harmonies and impeccable musicianship.
After recording and releasing a pair of albums - "The Jayhawks" (Bunkhouse, 1986) and "Blue Earth" (Twin Tone, 1989) - for local Minneapolis labels, the Jayhawks signed with American Recordings (then Def American), who released the group's breakout album, "Hollywood Town Hall," in 1992. Produced by George Drakoulias and engineered by Brendan O'Brien, "Hollywood Town Hall" established the Jayhawks as a major musical force and is critically acknowledged as an American roots rock masterpiece.
Released on Valentine's Day 1995, Jayhawks next album, "Tomorrow The Green Grass," was the first to feature keyboardist Karen Grotbert and the last to include founding member Mark Olson. Working again with producer George Drakoulias, the Jayhawks created an album that Rolling Stone praised for its "impressive ensemble playing and straightforward harmonies and hooks." Along with some of the Jayhawks' most poignant original compositions, "Tomorrow The Green Grass" is notable for a cover of the Grand Funk Railroad cover, "Bad Time."
With 1997's "Sound of Lies," Gary Louris became the band's principal songwriter and frontman and, according to Rolling Stone, "pointed the band toward his folk-pop preferences and psychedelic experimentation."
On 2000's "Smile," the Jayhawks hooked up with Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Lou Reed's "Berlin," KISS, Pink Floyd), one of rock's most legendary producers, who brought a palette of post-modern electro-pop flourishes to the band's warm melodies and evocation of Americana. While the album's eclecticism at first confounded the band's casual fans, Jayhawks cognoscenti recognized the genius in its grooves.
For 2003's "Rainy Day Music," the Jayhawks entered Sunset Sound in Los Angeles with producer Ethan Johns to create some of the most fluid and economic music of the band's career. "It's all acoustic guitars, rich jangling melodies and heavenly harmonies," raved Uncut. "Gary Louris has come up with some of his most memorable compositions." The mainstream press agreed with Entertainment Weekly praising the album as "... the roots move one suspects fans have wanted for years, its classic rock flavor echoing the Byrds, CSNY and Poco."
