Band

It was 1965 when a promising young guitarist from North Bay Ontario named Jake Thomas hit the road in pursuit of his musical passion. His travels took him to cities such as Detroit and Montreal, but it wasn’t until 1967 that Jake landed and decided to stay in Toronto. It was here that Jake found himself merging with well-known Toronto blues, jazz, and R&B performers including George Olliver, Bill King, Aaron Space, and Doug Kershaw. Jake also joined the musical brotherhood in bands like Truck and Buckstone Hardware. To supplement his busy gigging schedule, Jake also took on numerous recording sessions and even some film work with actor Don Scardino and film producer Don Shebib. The highlight of Jake’s career in Toronto had to be when he opened shows for blues greats such as Taj Mahal, Muddy Waters, Johnny and Edgar Winter, James Cotton, and Ruth Brown. These were influential times for the young guitarist from the north. By the late 70s Jake had re-established himself back in North Bay to raise a family and by the early 90s he formed the first incarnation of Jake and the Fundamentals, playing the kind of music that had always inspired him, blues and R&B.

Since then, Jake has played with greats such as Dutch and Garret Mason, Willy “Big Eyes” Smith, David Rotundo, Enrico Crivellaro, Chuck Jackson, Danny B., Jack DeKeyser, Jeff Healy, and many others. Jake and the Fundamentals have opened for dozens of headliners over the past decade and continue to frequent festivals and clubs across Ontario. Although he is recognized as a skilled and soulful electric guitarist, Jake is being rediscovered as a fine finger-picking country blues performer on the acoustic as well. When all is said and done, Jake delivers the goods big time. With his blood ‘n guts style of guitar playing, Jake Thomas IS the Wyatt Earp of the blues.

For Paul Pruneau, front man and vocalist extraordinaire for Jake and The Fundamentals, it all started at age 3 with a wooden spoon and a set of 12 butter tart tins. “That’s right, I was a drummer first!” In the early 60s, much to his mother’s delight, Paul relinquished her cooking utensils and opted to emulate the vocal stylings of the Beatles via television performances instead. But it wasn’t until Led Zeppelin came on the scene that Paul really sat up and took notice. “I would emulate Robert Plant’s vocals, not realizing that I was singing old Willy Dixon tunes, (I can’t quit you,babe).” It was then that the blues became an integral facit of Paul’s musical picture. Jazz performers like Ella Fitzgerald also had an impact on Paul, and for three years he spent time emulating the difficult jazz scatting technique.

At the end of the day though, he always came back to rock and the blues. Paul’s powerful command of the rock vocal style kept him in demand as lead vocalist in “too many bands to recall”, not to mention recordings and radio commercials as well. It wasn’t until he reunited with longtime blues brother Jake Thomas in 2006 that Paul finally felt at home as a vocalist and front performer. With their edgey rocky approach to blues and R&B, Jake and the Fundamentals afforded Paul a platform from which he could give 110%, just the way he likes it. “Having performed and recorded on the last two CDs with the band, they’ve allowed me to express myself like no other band has done.” As if being North Bay’s Robert Plant isn’t valuable enough, Paul also brings to the table his expertise as a class A licenced and in demand electrician, an asset indeed when the power goes out in the middle of a performance!

Danny started playing stringed instruments at the age of 4 and eventually joined the Toronto Musician’s Union as a professional electric bassist at age 15. His influences ranged from jazz guitarist George Benson, pianists Oscar Peterson, Herbie Hancock, and Chic Corea, electric bassists James Jaimerson, Jaco Pastorius ,and Rocco Prestia, to Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, and Van Halen.

He is a veteran of the Toronto music scene, having played bass for local jazz greats such as Guido Basso, Bill King, Pat LaBarbara, and Carol Welsman. Danny has also held down the bass position for several noteworthy Toronto bands including Latin funk singer Paul Christopher Caldera, and 90s pop artist, the late B.B. Gabor. Noted also are brief performances with Chet Atkins, Gene Pitney, The Royal Alex Theatre group, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

Having had his fill of city life, Danny moved to North Bay in 2003, where he met resident veteran guitar hero Jake Thomas. “It took a few years for that bass position to open up and when it finally did in late 2007 I knew I was in for a good time with Jake and the Fundamentals. Their music is reminiscent not only of the jazz and blues I grew up with, but also the power trios of the 60s. To me Van Halen and Led Zeppelin were power trios with a lead singer added up front.” As well as performing as Jake’s bassist, Danny is also the accredited engineer and producer of the band’s soon to be released (in June 2008), eponymously titled CD.

Colombyan Music Inc. (www.colombyanmusic.com) is the umbrella under which Danny also operates as a successful music producer and television composer since 1988. His most recent TV music collaboration, with North Bay composer/multi-instrumentalist Peter Cliche, can be heard on the popular series ‘Survivorman’ on OLN and The Discovery Channel U.S.

When not involved in musical endeavors, Danny can be found pursuing his ‘other’ passion as a fishing guide on Lake Nipissing, North Bay. Wanna see some big fish? Check out www.nipissingmuskies.com

It comes as no surprise that Mike Perreault, the youngest member of Jake and the Fundamentals by a few decades, can hold his own amongst his seasoned band mates. Mike was raised in a musical household and took his early cues from his professional vocalist mom and popular jazz-country guitarist dad. Mike began playing drums at age 11, guitar and bass a year later. He spent his teenage years drumming for local punk, hard rock, and metal bands in and around North Bay, Ontario. At 21 Mike joined the Ottawa pop-rock trio ‘The Pretty Nothings’ as their drummer and rediscovered the funk and R&B music his dad had played him as a child.

Mike soon made the move to Toronto where he assembled the five-piece metalcore group ‘Oh The Humanity’, taking on the role of guitarist and principal songwriter. In 2006 Mike returned to North Bay and in early 2007, joined forces with Jake and the Fundamentals.” I relish the opportunity to be back in the drummer’s seat once more!” Among Mike’s talents and interests, he is also an avid record collector with a self described ‘voracious musical appetite’, drawing from such diverse influences as jazz organist Jimmy McGriff, legendary rock band Led Zeppelin, to Sigur Ros and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Rounding out his well defined musical persona, Mike also travels the world as a product specialist and purchaser for his family’s own music retail store ‘Music City’ in the heart of North Bay, Ontario.