Cap'n Jazz (sometimes stylised as caP'n Jazz) is an American
emo band from
Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
History
Brothers
Tim Kinsella and
Mike Kinsella formed the band Toe Jam with
Victor Villarreal, and Sam Zurick, in 1989, before eventually changing the band's name to Cap'n Jazz.
Drawing influence from such bands as
Gauge and
Fugazi
Fugazi (; ) is an American post-hardcore band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1986. The band consists of guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally, and drummer Brendan Canty. They were noted for their style-transc ...
,
Cap'n Jazz recorded several singles for independent labels in the early 90s as well as contributing to several compilations.
In 1995, the band released its only full-length album, ''
Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over'', on the Man with Gun label. The album is sometimes referred to as ''Shmap'n Shmazz'', which was printed on top of the CD release.
The band broke up in July 1995, shortly after Shmap'n Shmazz's release, on the night of a show at
Little Rock's Das Yutes a Go-Go. In 1998,
Jade Tree assembled a double-disc Cap'n Jazz retrospective titled ''
Analphabetapolothology'' which compiles the band's complete recorded works (save for Naive, their song on ''Achtung Chicago! Zwei''): ''Shmap'n Shmazz'', early singles, material from split releases, compilation tracks, unreleased demos and outtakes and several tracks from their farewell performance in Chicago.
Post-breakup and reunion
Cap'n Jazz reunited at the
Empty Bottle on Friday, January 22, 2010, as part of
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
's Don't Mind Control Variety Show. After playing a short, impromptu set in Chicago, the band played its first official reunited show at the annual
Forecastle Festival in
Louisville on July 10, 2010, and a hometown reunion show a week later at the Bottom Lounge, supporting the vinyl re-release of ''Analphabetapolothology'' on Jade Tree Records, where they gained success.
Due to the show selling out in about 48 hours, a second show was added the next night. Later, it was announced that they would also be playing reunion shows across the United States during the summer and fall of 2010.
Cap'n Jazz was included in the lineup for the 2017
FYF Fest in Los Angeles' Exposition Park. The FYF appearance was followed by shows in San Francisco, Chicago, New York and London, including an appearance at
Riot Fest 2017 in Chicago.
The band reunited again for a show at the
Empty Bottle in Chicago on Sunday, October 6, 2024. The band also played Best Friends Forever Fest in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 11, 2024. They have since announced a 2025 tour with Coffin Prick to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Shmap'n Shmazz.
Former members of the band continue to play music, most notably in
Make Believe,
The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring was an American rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that is recognized as part of the second wave of emo. Among various other EPs and singles, the band released four studio albums during their initial run: '' 30° Every ...
,
American Football
American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
,
Owls,
Ghosts and Vodka,
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc ( ; ; – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
and
Owen.
Influence and legacy
Cap'n Jazz have influenced a number of bands.
Algernon Cadwallader has been noted for their sonic similarities to Cap'n Jazz, and have likewise cited the band as a primary influence.
The American
post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...
band
Scary Kids Scaring Kids took their name from a homonymous Cap'n Jazz song.
Members
Current members
*
Tim Kinsella – lead vocals, French horn (1989–1995, 2010, 2017, 2024–present)
*
Mike Kinsella – drums (1989–1995, 2010, 2017, 2024–present)
*
Victor Villarreal – guitar (1989–1995, 2010, 2017, 2024–present)
* Sam Zurick – bass guitar (1989–1995, 2010, 2017, 2024–present)
Past Members
*
Davey von Bohlen – guitar, backing vocals (1993–1995, 2010)
Touring members
* Nate Kinsella – guitar, backing vocals (2017, 2024–present)
Discography
Studio album
* ''
Burritos, Inspiration Point, Fork Balloon Sports, Cards in the Spokes, Automatic Biographies, Kites, Kung Fu, Trophies, Banana Peels We've Slipped On, and Egg Shells We've Tippy Toed Over'' (Also known as ''Shmap'n Shmazz'') – LP/CD (Man With Gun Records, 1995)
Singles/EPs
* ''Sometimes if you stand further away from something, it does not seem as big. Sometimes you can stand so close to something you can not tell what you are looking at.'' – 7” (Underdog Records, 1993)
* ''Boys 16 to 18 Years... Age of Action'' – (Further Beyond Records, 1993)
Anthology
* ''
Analphabetapolothology'' – 2xCD (
Jade Tree Records, 1998), 2xLP (Jade Tree Records 2010)
Compilation appearances
* ''Achtung Chicago! Zwei!'' – compilation LP (Underdog Records, 1993)
* ''Nothing Dies with Blue Skies'' – 7” split w/ Friction (Shakefork Records, 1993)
* ''How the Midwest Was Won'' – compilation 2x7” (Subfusc Records, 1993) (Playing Field Recordings, 1993)
* ''Picking More Daisies'' – compilation 2x7” (Further Beyond Records, 1993)
* ''It’s a Punk Thing, You Wouldn't Understand'' – compilation LP (Shakefork Records, 1993)
* ''Ghost Dance'' – compilation 2x7” (Slave Cut Records, 1993)
* ''A Very Punk Christmas'' – compilation 2x7” (The Rocco Empire & Further Beyond Records, 1993)
* ''Punk TV'' – compilation LP (Red Dawg Records, 1995)
* ''We’ve Lost Beauty'' – compilation LP (File 13, 1995)
* ''Ooh Do I Love You'' – compilation 2xCD (Core For Care, 1995)
References
External links
Jade Tree Records’ band page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capn Jazz
American post-hardcore musical groups
Emo musical groups from Illinois
Musical groups from Chicago
Musical groups established in 1989
Musical groups disestablished in 1995
Jade Tree (record label) artists