Doug Jerebine

Forty three years after it was recorded, this album finally sees official release! Out now on LP and digital download thru US label Dragcity. Doug will be performing live in Auckland late February / early March. He's also playing Owhango (south of Taumaruunui, on SH4) on February 11, apparently.

A lot of folk have pointed to the obvious Hendrix influence on Jerebine's album, but there are some tremendously funky beats bouncing round in there too. Some hiphop cat needs to sample this ish and make Jerebine a chunk of change, Quick, call Kanye... or P-Money....

"Who is Jesse Harper? Doug Jerebine is Jesse Harper. And who is Doug Jerebine? Born on New Zealand’s North Island in rural Tangowahine, he cut his teeth on guitar from the age of 12, instructed first by a half- Maori, half-Greek guitarist who introduced him to everything from George Van Eps to Hank Marvin.

Then one day, he found Doug teaching him. Even when he was only in high school, Doug was ready to play out. Throughout the early 1960s, he was hopping around in Auckland bands, including The Embers and The Brew. At the same time, Doug dove deeply into the virtuosic sitar sounds of Vilayat Kahn and Ravi Shankar, learning to play that instrument as well.

Drag City proudly presents the first official release of his remarkable album, ‘Is Jesse Harper’, transferred to tape from one of three existing original acetates.

Doug Jerebine ‘Is Jesse Harper’ is an archival release sure to resonate with fans of Jimi Hendrix, 10 Years After, Randy Holden, Merrell Fankhauser and the HMS Bounty, Spirit and other heavy sounds not truly heard and felt since the days of Gary Yoder and Kak.

The mystery of the Jesse Harper album, long rumoured and gossiped about, is finally brought to light for all to hear and enjoy, with thrilling liner notes openly revealing the man behind the myth."


Above audio clip: Reddened Eyes

NZ Herald's Scott Kara: Doug Jerebine: An unburied treasure.

snip..."In London in 1969, New Zealand guitarist Doug Jerebine, whose scorching psychedelic blues rock-style recalled the mighty Jimi Hendrix, recorded some songs in the hope of breaking into the big time.

Mind you, you get the feeling, that, even back then, the ever- humble Jerebine couldn't have cared less. He was encouraged to write and record songs like explosive psyche rocker Midnight Sun and bouncy blues-rock bopper Good News Blues, by his musical mate Dave Hartstone, who also gave Jerebine his rock 'n' roll alias - Jesse Harper.

But these songs never saw the light of day back then. One of the main reasons they were never re leased was because Jerebine became disillusioned with the music busi ness - and he was more interested in exploring Indian music and spiritu ality than playing rock 'n' roll.

As Jerebine told TimeOut in an interview in 2009: "Dave [Hartstone] wanted to make me into a rock star. I was daunted by that. I didn't like the idea ... I was searching for some thing higher."

In 1973 he left London for India where he became a Krishna monk and stayed for the best part of 30 years. He returned to New Zealand and started playing live again in 2009."

Audio previews on Dragcity's site.

TRACK LISTING
Midnight Sun
Hole In My Hand
Fall Down
Ashes And Matches
Thawed Ice
Ain't So Hard To Do
Good News Blues
Reddened Eyes
Circles
Idea


ADDED Doug Jerebine pops up at the Silo Park this Saturday (Feb 25), along with The Cosbys and DJ's Johnny Baker and Matt Crawley, down at Wynyard Quarter, Auckland waterfront. DJs from midday, Doug Jerebine at 2pm, Cosbys at 4pm.