 L-R: Joe Hutchinson, Jim Colegrove, Billy Mundi, David Wilcox, Woodstock, 1973 |
JOOK Woodstock, New York – 1973 |
At the end of the summer of 1970, Amos Garrett left his position as lead guitarist for the country rock band Great Speckled Bird. The guitarist who replaced him was David Wilcox, another Canadian. David played with the band for two-and-a-half years. At the end of his tenure, in early 1973, Jim Colegrove, the bass player in GSB invited David to come to his home in Woodstock for a visit. David accepted the invitation and while he was there he jammed with Jim and two other musicians: Joe Hutchinson and Billy Mundi. Joe Hutchinson was a former member of Bo Grumpus with Jim Colegrove. Also a former member of Two Guys From Boston. Billy Mundi was the former drummer for The Mothers of Invention and Rhinoceros. They enjoyed the music they were doing so well that David decided to move there and work as a band together with Jim,Joe, and Billy.
In the spring David returned and the group began rehearsing at Jim's house on Artist Road. During that summer the group recorded many tracks at Jim's home (which is now Nevessa Production), at Harvey Brooks's studio, and at Richard Lubash's studio. Many of their songs were written by Joe Hutchinson or Joe together with Jim. This group performed at local clubs Joyous Lake and Café Espresso. They called the band Jook (This band is not to be confused with the British group of the same name at about the same time). The group worked together until the end of the year. Joe left to pursue other opportunities in the fall. Then the other members went their separate ways. Jim Colegrove left Woodstock in the spring of 1974 and went to Texas to pursue music with guitarist Stephen Bruton. There was one final try at reassembling the group for a proposed LP deal with ABC Dunhill but it was not to be.
David Wilcox then began his solo career in Canada. In Texas, Jim Colegrove performed and recorded with his band the Juke Jumpers for 17 years then formed the group Lost Country. Recent interest in the recordings that Jook made have spurred the possibility of a first-time CD issue. Jim and Joe got together in 2007 and collaborated on a new tune for the first time in 32 years. It's titled Let the Guitar Howl and was issued on the Cool Groove CD titled Scattered in 2007 by Lost Country. Jim currently releases recordings with his band Men of Extinction. Sadly, Billy Mundi died on March 29, 2014 due to complications from diabetes. |
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