Todd McTavish is the vocalist and Ryan Rogers is the bassist for Judge Jackson, a hard rock band whose origins date back to 1995. The band released its debut album in 1998, followed by a second album; both have long been out of print… until now. Judge Jackson is celebrating the long-awaited reissue of those first two records and more in a collection recently released by Valley Of Fire Records. The collection is titled Chapter One: 1995-2000 A collection of the early recordings from their days at The Junkyard.
In this interview, Todd and Ryan discuss the new package, which features remastered versions of the band’s first two long out-of-print records. They share their favorite memories of their late bandmate Lee Jackson, describe “The Junkyard,” reflect on the possibility of recording new material, and discuss what the future may hold for the band.
“Knucklehead” video:
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Hello everyone! My name is Scott Itter, but some know me as Dr. Music. I am a music journalist and photographer out of the Chicagoland area, and I have been in practice for over 20 years. I grew up in the 70’s with two big brothers that showed me all kinds of rock and roll. As I grew older I ventured out into different genres like jazz, funk, folk, and whatever else I could wrap my ears around. As I read every liner note and every Circus and Hit Parader like they were the Old and New Testament, I came to realize that I just love sound and appreciate all the people that create it.
I later became a stay-at-home dad and started honing my writing and photography skills to keep my mind from turning into mashed peas. My kids are now adults, my mind is only slightly mushy, and I am thrilled to have the honor of presenting my work to you!