Kerouac Lives!: Now album on the way
The centenary show premiered in the North of England last month has spawned an accompanying recording, with the soundtrack from the stage production available soon
THE SONGS from a live production, premiered in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, last month in recognition of the imminent centenary of US author Jack Kerouac are soon to be available to stream and also on CD.
Kerouac Lives! was a stage presentation which pre-empted the actual 100th birthday, of the On the Road novelist, commemorated on March 12th. The show featured conversation, the world premiere of a new short film American Joyride and readings from the writer’s books.
But central to the celebration were eight new compositions reflecting on Kerouac’s quite short life, a vivid and dynamic response to the artistic achievement and personal tragedy of a writer now considered to be one of the most original creative voices of the 20th century.
The soundtrack is a collaboration between poet and lyricist Heath Common and composer John Hardie. The songs, telling Kerouac’s life story from his boyhood in Massachusetts to his rise to global literary fame then on to early decline as a despondent alcoholic, will appear digitally and physically through the independent UK label Hi4Head Records.
Eclectic in nature – the compositions span the rock stylings of ‘Typewriter Blue’ and ‘Dean and Me’, the ballad-inclined ‘Eternal Song’ and the jazz-inflected ‘Hey Jack’ – the songs were performed live by vocalists Jessika Mae and Patrick Wise. They reprise their contributions on the Kerouac Lives! recording.
Patrick Wise, an artist and illustrator, has also devised a striking CD cover, an abstract depiction of Jack Kerouac much in the mode of a giant of British art Francis Bacon, a comment perhaps on the psychological uncertainty that haunted the prolific Beat Generation author for most of his 47 years.
Pictured above: The CD sleeve created by Patrick Wise, who also sings on the album
Lyricist Heath Common has had a long relationship with Kerouac and the Beats, shaping his output as songwriter and spoken word performer for many decades. He remarks: ‘Jack Kerouac has exerted a massive influence upon me since I first encountered his writing during my early teens. For my part, the songs on this album are designed to pay homage to Kerouac the writer, the inspiration and the man.’
Comments composer John Hardie: ‘As a musician and songwriter, I am intrigued at the development of modern music and the influences which have fashioned the sounds of today. Kerouac has been a major influence on that artistic evolution. We have aimed to create a body of songs which pays respect to those remarkable literary works Kerouac created'.’
What attracted Nick Dart, managing director of Hi4Head Records, to take this project on? ‘For me, especially as a long term Deadhead, the importance of the Beat movement can’t be understated and, of course, Jack Kerouac’s involvement in it remains crucial, gaining in significance as time passes.
‘The Kerouac Lives! project is both a timely reminder of the writer’s importance and, by the use of new material, shines a light into aspects of his life which don’t necessarily come through in the books. A combination of expert scholarship, fine songs and excellent singing and acting performances made the recent stage debut of the show so memorable and the songs we are releasing encapsulate a genuine sympathy with Kerouac’s life.’
Note: Kerouac Lives! by Patrick Wise & Jessica Mae will be available digitally on all platforms by the end of April on Hi4Head Records. A release date for the CD version is still to be confirmed. News to follow on these pages.