J.C. Flyer is a country-rock artist who has been living in the Bay Area since 1978. Although he has always had a great love for music he wasn't a musician when he came to the Bay Area. He worked as a staff writer for Relix Magazine, using his real name J.C. Juanis, and has penned the Bay Area Bits column that ran in the pages of this magazine for over 16 years. So it is more than obvious that J.C. has been very supportive of the San Francisco music scene and personally knows many of the Bay Area musicians. Having said that, it turns out that J.C. Flyer - who became a musician himself over the years - creatively used these connections to spice up his 2003 debut album "Movin' On". He must have followed the wise words of his father James C. Juanis, Sr. who was a fisherman and taught him to be patient even if they weren't biting. In terms of guest artists they finally did bite and the result is a more than well crafted debut which was recorded over a three year period.

J.C. Flyer

Guest artists on "Movin' On" include The Dead and Phil Lesh & Friends keyboardist Rob Barraco, the David Nelson Band's Barry Sless on pedal steel, former Bruce Springsteen and the E Street drummer Ernest "Boom" Carter, harmony vocals by bluegrass legends The Rowan Brothers, Nash Bridges Musical Director George Michalski on piano, and Kingfish/Quicksilver Gold keyboardist Barry Flast (see Discography for complete artist list). It has to be said that all of the guest artists have to be seen as the icing on the cake. All of the album's country flavoured tunes were written by J.C. Flyer. Songs like "Long Hard Road" and "Goin' Home" are really road-tested as J.C. has played them for more than a decade and knows the effect his songs have on an audience. So even if J.C. had used unknown musicians to back him up, the album would still be worth more than one listen.

"Movin' On" can be compared to a road movie - it's an American musical journey. The album has many songs that have "Big Wheels" driving the "Long Hard Road" - "Drive All Night Long", drive to "California" or let us see the "Snowing In New England" which is far from San Francisco and is almost "Foreign Soil". So it is time for "Goin' Home", back "Towards The Sun". On the trip sometimes there is a "Red Light, Green Light" and as we stop we learn about "Outlaws On The Run", "The Ghost of K.C. Bishop" or "Thousand Trails". Trails that leave us "Alone With The Wind" and cause "Memories Of You" and let us drive "Back To You"...

One doesn't necessarily have to connect the songs in that order but it should be clear by now that J.C. has interesting stories to tell and I can only support Robert Hunter who said: "This album deserves to be heard." Besides it is fun trying to not listen to the lyrics and just be carried away by the music. Please follow the links underneath - especially if you like to know more about J.C.'s musical influences, his bio or how he got his name J.C. Flyer. This is a good chance to support another outstanding Bay Area artist.

Discography