Back Jack - Back Jack (1975)(2024)

Formed in the early ’70s, the band evolved from previous incarnations like Osage Lute, blending bluesy grooves with heavy, psychedelic jams. With members such as Kim McKinney, Mike Collier, Hans Myers and Jeff Ballew, Back Jack established a hard-hitting sound that pulled from influences like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Trapeze and Grand Funk Railroad, yet maintained a unique grit that was all their own. Their live performances were a heady mix of improvisation and raucous rock energy, with tracks like ‘Gearhead’ and ‘Assault and Battery’ standing out as defining moments in their setlists.

In 1974 and 1975, Back Jack laid down tracks that, decades later, would finally surface thanks to RidingEasy Records, capturing the raw energy of a band at its creative apex. These recordings, with standouts like ‘She’s Been Down So Long’ and ‘California,’ reveal their knack for blending bluesy grit with progressive rock elements, underpinned by tight, powerful rhythms and soulful, unpolished vocals. While they never cracked into the mainstream, their standout performance at the KSHE Kite Fly Contest—where they played alongside heavyweights like Charlie Daniels and Rush—solidified their status as underground legends in the local rock scene.

Though the group disbanded shortly after, Back Jack’s recordings remain a time capsule of the region’s vibrant rock scene, preserved through reel-to-reel and cassette tapes tracked down over the last 15 years. Today, they are celebrated as a hidden gem of the Midwest, reflecting the rawness and rebellious spirit of rock in the 1970s.