Jack And The Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk first came together in 1994 in Perth, Australia, through the musical inspirations of the Beatles, Matthew Sweet, Teenage Fanclub and the Lemonheads. Vocalist/guitarist Joe Algeri gathered friends Shane Bender (bass) and Rick Pomponio (drums) for the first lineup; by the time the group debuted for Spinning Top Records with an EP of demos, Gram Parsons, in 1994, the rhythm section consisted of Gerry McAvoy (bass/vocals) and Anthony Spinelli (drums). The Parasol Records 7" "Angeline" followed two years later, and the group's debut full-length, ...And Other Stories, was also released in 1996 (on Spinning Top in Australia and Parasol in the U.S.). A slightly retooled version of the album was released in Europe by the Swedish label Torpedo under the title Serial; it excised one track and added three others, including "Gram Parsons." McAvoy left in 1997 and was replaced by bassist/organist Stuart Loasby; second guitarist Kevin Borruso (ex-Superscope) also joined up, after having played with Algeri in an acoustic duo called Starsky and Hutch. Algeri released a solo album in 1999, titled Everything Under the Sun; the second proper Jack and the Beanstalk album, Cowboys in Sweden, was released in 2001, again by Parasol.