Jack Ruby (band)

Jack Ruby
Origin	Albany, New York, U.S.
Genres	No wave proto-punk avant-garde noise rock
Years active	1973–1977
Past members	Boris Policeband George Scott III Randy Cohen Robin Hall Chris Gray Stephen Barth

Jack Ruby was an American proto-punk band formed in Albany, New York in 1973. The band was named after nightclub owner who shot and killed Lee Harvey Oswald. Jack Ruby made only five studio recordings and performed at a small number of gigs between 1973 and 1977. They have been regarded as early and influential pioneers in the New York no wave scene.

History

The group was initially formed in the summer of 1973 and fronted by vocalist Robin “Robby” Hall, alongside guitarist Chris Gray, drummer and synthesizer player Randy Cohen, and Boris Policeband, a classically-trained violist who played viola through an FM transmitter and strapped police walkie-talkies around his waist. In 1975, the addition of bassist George Scott III and additional vocalist Stephen Barth later expanded the band. Jack Ruby drew inspiration from The Velvet Underground, Stooges, and avant-garde music composers like Steve Reich and Iannis Xenakis.

After performing between 1973-1977 and recording studio demos. The band quietly dissolved in 1977. Jack Ruby’s music remained unreleased for decades due to a lack of commercial recognition with its members moving on to other pursuits—Chris Gray returned to Albany, Randy Cohen left the band in 1974 to pursue his career as a writer, George Scott joined James Chance and the Contortions and began collaborating with other no wave artists such as Lydia Lunch with 8 Eyed Spy and his own group the Raybeats. Boris Policeband continued as a solo artist; and Robin Hall stepped back from music to battle personal struggles.

Hall eventually returned to music, forming the short-lived W-2 in 1979, performing at venues like CBGB and Hurrah.

Recordings

Jack Ruby recorded “Hit and Run” and “Mayonnaise” at a studio on Manhattan’s west side in early 1974. Randy Cohen and Chris Gray produced “Hit and Run,” with Cohen playing drums and Gray contributing both bass and guitar. “Mayonnaise” was produced by Boris Policeband.

Later, the tracks “Bored Stiff,” “Sleep Cure,” and “Bad Teeth” were recorded at Columbia Studios in May 1974. The sessions reportedly involved engineer Harry Maslin who had worked on Edgar Winter's They Only Come Out at Night. The recording process faced challenges as the engineer did not like Jack Ruby's music which conflicted with the band’s intent to incorporate feedback and atonal elements.

After the band's dissolution, Robin Hall kept cassette tapes of “Hit and Run” and the three Columbia demos for decades. In 2011, a former roommate of George Scott decided to commemorate the bassist by contacting Hall to facilitate the re-release of Jack Ruby's music. This resulted in a self-titled CD, Jack Ruby (2011). Later, more recordings from 1973–1977 were discovered, compiled and released as Hit and Run in 2014.

Legacy

Martin Scorsese's HBO series Vinyl drew inspiration from the band. The character arc of the fictional group The Nasty Bits paralleled Jack Ruby’s story, with Mick Jagger's son, James Jagger, portraying a frontman inspired by Robin Hall. High-profile musicians including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth and Don Fleming of Half Japanese and B.A.L.L.covered Jack Ruby songs for the series.

The band has been cited as an influence by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Rudolph Grey of Mars and Lydia Lunch of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks.

Discography

Albums

• Jack Ruby ( 2011)
• Hit & Run (2014)

Singles & EPs

• Hit & Run (2011)