A number of years ago (I don’t want to actually count how many–and you can’t make me), one Mr. Jerm Boor approached me to record him. I liked Jerm and I liked his band, Woody’s Jukebox, but I didn’t have any recording equipment, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to pull off a recording. I was a college student and recording equipment was expensive (it’s much less expensive now). Since I was one of those ktru DJ types, though, I had an option. I could let myself into the station and make use of ktru’s recording equipment. And that’s what I did. Over the course of a couple evenings, I sat down with Jerm and recorded him, while his girlfriend looked on.
One thing you should know about Jerm is that he was prolific. All his songs weren’t good, and many of them sounded similar, but there sure were a lot of them. Especially the instrumentals. Jerm would play a long instrumental piece that sounded a bit like he was improvising, but then he would play it again for a second take and remind me that there was a planned structure there. I always preferred the ones with lyrics, though, not just because they had a more discernable structure, but also because Jerm’s lyrics were good. I felt like he was just being a little lazy with the ones that didn’t have lyrics, so whenever he said that he was going to play an instrumental, I took to calling it a “damn instrumental cheatin’ song.” And so did he.
Sometimes Jerm would get flustered and not be able to finish a song without flubbing it. He would do a song two or three times without finishing, because he had made a mistake that I sometimes didn’t even hear. It was clear that he was nervous about getting this stuff recorded. When the nerves got to be too much for him, I had him run up and down the hall until he tired himself out. He came back too tired to be nervous and finished the song without a mistake. On this week’s podcast, you can hear one of the songs from this recording session. When I was done with the recording, I handed Jerm a tape of it and then he then did nothing with it. I always thought that was a shame, because I think the songs deserve to be heard. So I’ve included one of my favorite of the bunch.
You’ll note that at the time I recorded these songs, I had taken a shine to the way Roger Manning processed his acoustic guitar–with a a really rumbly low end. The idea was to add more energy to the recording so it didn’t sound like your average folk singer and his guitar. Choices like these are always dangerous because if they come out bad, you’ve ruined the whole recording. I’m undecided about whether that is the case for this recording session.
These pictures, by the way, came from the giant giveaway that Public News had when they finally closed their doors. I rescued this file of Woody’s Jukebox photos, along with a file of Three Day Stubble photos.
Update: Instead of the photos, I have instead made a music video. I think it’s better.
Since there is no song linked, and I am bored and don’t want to wait until the NAPcast to hear the music, I am going to pass judgement on this guy based only on the pictures provided (if necessary, I will revise judgement after hearing the songs on the NAPcast, but for now here’s me having fun at Jerms expense, sorry Jerm).
So is that a hoboe (homemade oboe) he’s playing? Thats ballsy, oh wait, this must be c.1995 when he found out that Blind Melon was looking for a new lead singer/hoboe player, but no Shannon Hoon didn’t play the hoboe. So maybe the pictures are from a staging of the Pied Piper of Hippieville, but no, I dont recall the people of Hippieville moosing their hair. I know! He’s a poorman’s Kenny G, yeah, that’s it, a poorman’s Kenny G. That would also explain why he ran up and down the stairs to relax instead of doing what most of the rest of us do (drink a beer, etc). So maybe he should’ve called himself Jermy B. I wonder what he’s doing now? Perhaps playing in a band in Boulder?
He’s a Russian Orthodox Priest/Monk now.
I am not kidding.
Jason Nodler has an interesting story about trying to contact him at the monastery. My brother and Nodler’s little brother actually went to the monastery.
Again I am not kidding.
I look forward to it Justin. It’s funny this guy’s been on my mind lately and I was looking for my Woody’s Jukebox cassette just the other day.
wow. I was wondering whatever happened to him. The last I saw him was probably in ’95, when he was going to St. John’s University in Santa Fe, NM, and Liz Cole and I tracked him down.
That Woody’s Jukebox never recorded an album is semi-criminal. I have many great memories of seeing them, possibly my favorite being at the metal club The Backstage, where somehow us (being Dyn@mutt), Seed, and Woody’s were booked on “Alternative Wednesdays”. At one point during their set, Jerm left the stage and ran around the entire rather large (and rather vacant) club, and the manager either yelled at him or tripped him or something. I think they were in the middle of playing the song that I call “My Left Foot Stomped”, dunno if that’s the real song. Anyway, he got back onstage and just started throwing all these lyrics about how the Backstage rules, I like the manager, he is my friend, etc. It was one of the more crazy jujitsu ways I’d ever seen of handling something like that, and I suppose in that way the monk thing makes a bit more sense.
Wow…I do remember that guy. I remember playing with Smile 69 at some backyard party, complete with tiki torches…it might’ve been on Lexington, I remember a freeway behind the backyard fence, and Woody’s Jukebox were there. I remember they played in the afternoon…it was still daylight. I didn’t really know that many people in Houston, I had only lived there for a very short time, but I remember this because they played a De La Soul song…”It’s Just A Ghetto Thang”…maybe? I also remember Jason Nodler, because we worked together at Bookstop and used to spend countless hours debating the best Dylan albums. The name Liz Cole sounds familiar, as well. Did she also work there? Was she a supervisor, something like that, because I remember someone named Liz…
I also remember Jerm. And Nodler… We shared a house with some other crazies, around the time he was getting Infernal Bridegrrom Productions off of the ground.. I remember a foggy night of going to Dave Dove’s house on Lexington for him to marry us… Ridiculous times. And yes one of his songs will be on the podcast. I am hoping to have it posted by tomorrow night.
That’s great Justin – what program did you use to sync the slideshow with the music?
The song reminds me a little of Jonathan Richmond but has hints of Dylan and Roger Miller thrown in too.
I hate to say it but the person formerly known as Jerm is probably not into this attention. Jason contacted him at the monastery because he wanted to get permission to use one of his songs for the IBP show Meat/Bar. Apparently the person formerly known as Jerm wasn’t happy that Jason found his number; asked that it not be distributed and did not give Jason an answer on the song so I don’t believe it was used.
Very nice song. Totally Jonathan Richman but in a nice way. Can’t go wrong with Euclid in my book.
I used iMovie, which is part of Apple’s iLife software that comes with Macs. I like it a lot more than Windows Movie Maker, the free Windows equivalent.
I prefer Al-Jayyani’s advancements in the trigonometry of spheres to boring old Euclid.
Every time I think about this Jerm dude, I can’t help but be reminded of the Seinfeld episode in which George decides to convert to some sort of Orthodoxy in order to impress a girl.
Sorry Jerm.
I always saw Woody’s Jukebox listed around town and thought it was some kind of frat-boy jockish date-rape band. Guess I was off the mark. I was off the mark, right?
Way off the mark. Unless we’re talking about a different kind of frat boy.
A young Lance Walker was the drummer for Woody’s Jukebox.
Claire – I forgot that you and Jason were married. Did Jerry Brown end up getting in the way?
Oh, I have pictures of the young Lance Walker too.
Wow. Carlos Anaconda has some issues, I guess. Had he heard the music or KNOWN Jerm, he would probably feel like a real prick for his “revue”.
For all else–yes, Jerm is in a monastery now. St. John’s College had a way of changing people. It’s a real loss to those of us who liked his music.
I’m wondering if you are the same person who did his second recording (not the cassette with the icon on the cover), I think it was in January of 96? His talent and music had matured after a good bit of music study at SJC–had become cleaner and even a bit more complex (if that’s possible). Funny story about the running…and the instrumental cheatin’ song, though he had told me that the “instrumental cheatin” had something to do with using different tunings.
In any event, I would love to get a hold of that second recording if you have it.
As far ast the first recording is concerned, Pedro the Frog is one of his simplest, and by far the most powerful.
I came to this thread late, but you are all super for remembering Woody’s Jukebox. It was a special band, and a special band to be in.
JUSTIN I am trying to reach you, re: those Public News photos…
[...] become Mary Jane’s, then Fat Cat’s, and now the Pearl Bar) with Woody’s Jukebox (Jerm Boor!) as the opening band. Hell, I’d forgotten some of these places even existed (oh, yeah, I [...]