Name: Yankee Racers
Members: Curtis Brewer (vocals, guitar), Nathan Jatcko (keyboards), Andy Hainz (bass), Jerry Mazzuca (drums)
From: St. Louis, MO
Genre: Folk-Rock, Jazz-Rock, Americana
MUSIC
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BIOGRAPHY
Yankee Racers emerged in 2011 from disparate ends of St. Louis’ rock scene and Chicago’s jazz scene. Its prime movers, guitarist Curtis Brewer and pianist Nathan Jatcko, spent years playing together in various professional groups before making the decision to produce their own music. The original conception of Yankee Racers was to be a strong recording duo, melding every influence of their diverse past to create the music that they wanted to hear. The result of their first collaboration is the full-length album Duologue (Amerigo Records, 2011). Duologue shines as a conscious ode to the format of 1960’s American radio, where one song exudes the primal churn of the kinetic youth while the next conveys introspective warmth through serene melodies and timeless themes. Their songs ebb and flow through tortuous moments of loss and alienation, intermixed with descants of love and longing.
With the explosive reception of their first release, Yankee Racers evolved into a dynamic live band utilizing Brewer as lead vocalist & Jatcko behind the keyboard. The formation of their band added acclaimed St. Louis musicians Jerry Mazzuca (drums) and Andy Hainz (bass). The strength and depth of their collective comes from each musician’s arsenal of experience and the uniqueness of their live show is in their unpredictability. More Joni Mitchell than Springsteen, more Jeff Buckley than Cobain, their sound pushes to be thoughtful in structure while retaining rock n’ roll accessibility. Yankee Racers refined focus on writing with live performances in mind is highlighted in their 2014 release American Music. With two European tours under their belt and more to come, Yankee Racers will be the next band in a long line to put St. Louis on the map.
TOUR DATES
11/15/14: St. Louis, MO – Blank Space
11/21/14: St. Louis, MO – Halo Bar at The Pageant
12/12/14: Marian, IL – John Brown’s on the Square
12/13/14: Edwardsville, IL – Stagger Inn
THE TEMP AGENCY publicity 