Jake La Botz hit the road at fifteen. He became a man of many crafts, including time spent as a roofer, boilermaker, factory worker, and obituary writer. In the midst of this he learned how to play guitar. He played on the streets and in the juke joints of New Orleans, Chicago, and the Mississippi Delta, finding kinship with some of the last of the pre-war era bluesmen: David “Honeyboy” Edwards, “Homesick” James, and “Maxwell Street” Jimmy Davis. He has become known for his “Tattoo Across America Tour”, where he tours the country performing at tattoo shops. He is also known as an actor in films in which he sometimes sings his original songs: RAMBO directed by Sylvester Stallone, ANIMAL FACTORY directed by Steve Buscemi and others are part of his resume. Jake has toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe and has opened for Ray Charles, Etta James, Dr. John, Mavis Staples, JD McPherson, Buddy Guy, Jr. Wells, Taj Mahal, Buckwheat Zydeco, Tony Joe White, John Hammond, The Blasters and a host of other greats.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Jake about his upcoming stop in Madison on March 7th at the High Noon Saloon opening for Lucero. We get into why the pairing of his music works with opening for a band like Lucero and who he is bringing along with him to share his stories. We talk about how he became the man and the musician he is today, which I learn he and I share the same “he was my favorite person growing up” about our respected grandpas. We spend some time getting a feel for how his latest release, Sunnyside on Hi-Style Records went from its beGinnings to a point where I have been able to share with listeners.
