Jayhawks reunite with classic lineup

By JEFF BAENEN

MINNEAPOLIS — Though critics give the Jayhawks credit for helping invent alt-country, co-founder Mark Olson is quick to downplay the band’s contributions to the rustic blend of rock and country that blossomed in the 1980s and ’90s.

“If people credit us with it, I think it was more that we happened to be working along the same lines” as other groups, Olson says. “There was definitely people working on the same thing.”

Olson left the Jayhawks in 1995 but now is back in the lineup with co-leader Gary Louris. The re-formed Jayhawks played a couple of festivals in Spain in May and are scheduled to play their first U.S. show Friday in Minneapolis.

The concert coincides with Sony Legacy’s release today of “Music From the North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology.” The collection spans the Minneapolis band’s history from Twin/Tone Records through American Recordings; it’s available as a single CD or a two-CD-plus-DVD set that includes Jayhawks music video clips. In September, Sony Legacy will start rereleasing the Jayhawks’ five major-label releases, with bonus tracks.

Olson, 47, recalls the Jayhawks making waves when they began playing in 1985, when “the Minneapolis Sound” was defined by Prince’s funk-rock and the Replacements’ pop-punk.

The Jayhawks were attracted to the humor and world view of the Flying Burrito Brothers and the “great stories” of The Band, Olson said.

The Jayhawks signed with Rick Rubin’s Def American label (later American Recordings) and released two classic albums — “Hollywood Town Hall” (1992) and “Tomorrow the Green Grass” (1995) — with producer George Drakoulias.

Drakoulias said he first heard the Jayhawks during a phone call to the Minneapolis-based independent label Twin/Tone, where their 1989 album, “Blue Earth,” was playing in the background.

“I just loved the sound,” Drakoulias recalled. He says he loved Louris’ “pure tone” contrasting Olson’s “damaged” approach. “They just got to me,” Drakoulias said.

But after 10 years in the Jayhawks, Olson decided to leave the band when he married singer-songwriter Victoria Williams and moved to the California desert. (The two have since split up.)

“And for some reason I got in into my mind I needed to change,” Olson said. “Looking back, I probably should have taken a couple-year break or something.”

Olson said he also was put off by the “big tour buses” and other rock-star trappings that had enveloped the Jayhawks. He went on to tour Europe and put out albums as the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. The Jayhawks soldiered on, putting out three more albums — “Sound of Lies” (1997), “Smile” (2000) and “Rainy Day Music” (2003) — before Louris declared the band dead in 2005.

Olson and Louris hadn’t spoken much for five or six years when the two got back together in 2002 to write a song for a movie.

The two began touring as a duo and earlier this year released an album on New West Records, “Ready for the Flood,” produced by Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.

Louris, 54, said he’s glad the two have mended fences.

With keyboardist Karen Grotberg, a band member since 1993, available, Louris said it was decided to reunite the Jayhawks with the classic lineup.

“There’s a certain chemistry to each of the lineups. This is one of the people’s favorites,” Louris said.