The Jank Alley Cats or the JACs for short are a seven-piece band with a banging rhythm section, melodic horn section and kicking vocals. Drawing their influences from Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, James brown, right through the spectrum to modern collectives such as the Quantic Soul Orchestra, London Elektricity Trombone Shorty, Brass Roots, Brand New Heavies and everything in between. These guys have enough energy and originality to keep you stomping all night.

The band started with college/school pals Tom Ord(front man, trumpet, lead vocalist) Vaughan Batchelor (rhythm guitarist, harmonica, songwriter) Joe Tallowin (bassist) and Alex Batchelor (lead guitarist) jamming through old blues tunes together. Then Vaughan asked his other brother Lawrence to take up the drums and come play with the band. After a few practices Toms sister Rosie (backing vocalist) joined the band. Dave Smith (Saxophonist) filled in as a favour for our old (saxophonist) Mike Ward because he left the band to move to London just before a gig for the Amy Winehouse Foundation. After the gig we asked Dave if he wanted to get more involved and he happily obliged.

Now they've been together for a year almost to the day and performed in almost every venue Maidstone has to offer the JACs are ready to broaden their horizons and, with a few new tunes under their belt, are hoping to take London by storm.


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