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Wais, Tim
Medium
performance
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Contact the artist
Website: artist site |
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ARTIST BIO
Jungle of Cities is Tim Wais, Rich Harrington, Adam Spiegel, Michael Drouet, Annie Estabrook and Mandy Walsh. They offer lyrics freshly cut from the disturbing history being made in these times.
Songwriter Tim Wais (lead vocals, acoustic guitar and banjo) Tim had the pleasure of performing with some of the premiere artists from the 1970s Chicago folk music community, including Ginni Clemmons, who loved Tim's work and selected his song "Twelve Days at Three Mile" to perform during her shows. Bob Gibson, an icon of songwriter/performers, also felt that Tim's poignant lyrics continued the tradition of socially aware music integral to the cultural movements of the 1960s.
Rich Harrington (Fender Telecaster and Stringmaster steel guitars, Rickenbacker lap steel guitar, electric mandolin) took up the guitar in 1964, and except for his "real life coma" which lasted 20 years, has been involved in the Chicago music scene since the 1970s. He dimly recalls entering the music industry as manager, soundman, MC and visionary for the infamous Space Place industrial conglomerate and the early 1980s punka-locka scene.
Adam Spiegel (percussion and sound effects) played trombone, baritone horn and tuba while young, but changed to hand percussion after being exposed to Santana's "Abraxas". He has been playing bongo, conga and other hand percussion for 30 years. Adam likes to combine his love for travel with his love of music. He has played with reggae bands in Jamaica, punta rock bands in Belize, and all kinds of bands in Mexico, including a few nights sitting in with Lila Downs and Paul Cohen. |
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STATEMENT
Tim Wais - Jungle of Cities
From Picasso - "What do you think an artist is? An imbecile who has only eyes if he's a painter, or ears if he's a musician, or a lyre at every level of his heart if he's a poet, or even, if he's a boxer, just his muscles? On the contrary, he's at the same time a political being, constantly alive to heartrending, fiery, or happy events, to which he responds in every way. No, painting is not done to decorate apartments. It is an instrument of war for attack and defense against the enemy."
To me, this means to work and live the Artist as Activist spirit.
My inspiration is literary rather then musical: Bertolt Brecht, George Orwell, Stephen Vincent Benet, Aldous Huxley, William Golding, Ayn Rand, Jack Kerouac, Alan Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlingetti, Chris Hedges, Jared Diamond, Lenny Bruce and you, as you read this!
I have been lucky enough to find the right mix of like minded musicians to come together and breathe life into what I hope are provocative and cinematic tunes. So, I write the words, melodies, sing and play guitar and banjo. Adam Spiegel creates drive and intensity with percussions both big and little. Rich Harrington fills out those melodies with tasty leads on electric and steel guitars, sings harmonies and provides obscure literary references. Michael Drouet on viola, with astute observations from a Texan with dark secrets. Annie Estabrook sings and adds never ending optimism. Mandy Walsh - on Bass.
We have been playing in the Chicago area for about a year and doing some recording. You can see/hear us at:
www.jungleofcities.com
myspace/junglenow
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