Jake Rodrigues
Since finishing with a degree in Performance Arts from Middlesex University in the last summer of the 1980's Jake has travelled many musical paths. Here he is with his banjo standing on Hackney Marshes ( pic Andrew Stevenson) sometime before an Olympic park was ever built thinking one day banjo's will be mainstream in popular music again, so if someone needs to be pioneer why not me...?
Key to Jake's musical journey is his banjo, something simultaneously vintage, american & european, hill billy, jazzy & theatrical. Amusing but tender perhaps even dangerous. Listed below are a selection of projects, whimsy and originality. Enjoy.
Jake's work is varied & unique for a more detailed CV contact Jake directly
TV work
Strictly Come Dancing, Reith lectures ( as a One Man Band) , Paul McIntyre, The Pub Landlord Quiz Show, The Russell Howard Show , Rhyme Rocket (CBBC), Tv Choice 2023 Funeral ad
Radio Work
Jeremy Vine Radio2 , Zoe Ball Radio2 :2023Glastonbury , The Vibe, Radio3,Resonance FM, The life of Max Wall ( Radio4) 2007
Theatre Work
Faust: Punchdrunk/National Theatre 2006, Cockney Awkestra touring 2010/11
The Pierrotters Street Theatre 2003-2008, Grimaldi Theatre show ( touring Uk show 2008)
Nonesuch Theatre /Thunder & Coal ( Little Angel & BAC) 2012
Disneyland Paris: Musician & performer 1992-94
My Life is Yo Yo ( Angela De Castro ) 2003
Music Composing & Bandwork
LP Releases : Dead Mans Trousers, Major Chicken , Second Time We Met , Lucky Spoon
Shadows & Whispers : Soundtrack
Super Duper Musical Heroes: Manchester International Festival Commission
Birdbath 60 episodes Channel5 Milkshake 2005-6
Bucharest Club Kids / Global Underground documentary : Dom Phillips 2004
TV adverts for FlextechTV, Bravo & Nickelodeoon 2005-8
Tapping Feet with JC Grimshaw 1990-93
Midge Ure Band 1994-96
Dance Preachers Cajun Band 1995-2000
Tea Time Treats Family band 2004-5
The Hula Bluebirds 1995-2024
Paul Armfield & the Four Good Reasons 2004-5
Workshops & Teaching
Ukulele : CityLit & Mary Ward 2000 to present day
Manchester International Festival 2007 & 2009
Abu DhabiArts Festival 2008
Dubai Arts Festival 2014
London Metropolitan University 2005-8
Somerset House Festival 2005-7
John Lewis Partnership Uke Classes 2016 to present day
Froggy's Famous Fanclub (family music)
2018 to present day
Jake has experimented and worked as a songwriter since his school days on the Isle of Wight. Working primarily with various home studio set ups Jake has recorded a great deal of songs & instrumentals in an array of styles.
This selection on Soundcloud are mainly from a 5 year period developing his songwriting after 2 years on the road with 80's pop legend Midge Ure. The recorded song is always a challenge to represent live especially as Jake performs solo much of the time. To this end he developed a showcase called Major Chicken which mixed backing tracks with live multi instrumental playing and theatrical props. A modest gig in a pub to 2-3 hours to pre set and just as long to deconstruct, but elements of Jake's Major Chicken show still linger in his present day live performances.
There are more MP3's of Jake's music on this page at a slightly lower sound quality. So scroll down and enjoy.
In 2010 Jake completed an MA in Music & Culture and found himself curiously compelled to Bob Dylan
Everyone has theories on Bob from straight forward to outlandish (see video link of this video being cited that he sold his soul like Robert Johnson to the devil !! ). Jake's forage into Dylanology concerns Bob's own remarks in his book Chronicles volume 1 on how he was affected by Bertolt Brecht in his formative years
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As a songwriter and a performer who spend much of his time performing and studying Brecht at college and much of his life subsequently listening to Lotte Lenya Jake obviously started making connections between Bob and Bertolt. This thesis focuses on Bob's iconic harmonica style and ponders whether it is in reality an unconscious subsumation of Brecht's Epic theatrical techniques. Go on read it, I dare you, it might change everything !