Jason Noble Remembered on Louisville's Alt-Weekly

[leoweekly.com] When Jason Noble was born in Louisville 40 years ago, it was a much less interesting city. In his time here, Noble helped put Louisville on the map for many people, including this Florida-raised writer. As a leader of three influential and acclaimed bands over 15 years, he had fans from Tacoma to Tokyo. In his spare time, he wrote movies, comics, zines and essays; made visual art; scored theatrical productions; acted; booked concerts and ran live sound for other bands; and, often, put most of his energy into being a cheerleader for other artists and Louisvillians.

But for as much as Noble accomplished in the arts, the people he encountered on his path remember him even more for his kindness, his generosity, and how he made so many want to be so much better to each other.

When Noble died on Aug. 4, it was devastating, but it didn’t come without warning. In 2009, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called synovial sarcoma, which attacks soft tissue, primarily in the arms, legs and neck. Though Noble led what most would consider a healthy lifestyle, this type of cancer is practically impossible to screen for, and by the time he was diagnosed, it had reached Stage 4.

He wrote about it in Magnet magazine in 2010. “I laugh (a small awkward laugh) because this cancer type usually affects much younger people (and I took it as evidence of my immaturity and kid-like sense of humor). It’s actually not funny at all, but you have to hold on to little things to make you feel empowered, y’know?”

It’s safe to say many friends had let themselves believe his battle could be won. There would always be more music, more comics, more smiles, more silly jokes. There was no alternative.

QUIET VICTORIES

Jason Noble became known to music fans outside Louisville in 1994, when his band Rodan released an album, Rusty, through Chicago’s legendary underground label Touch and Go Records. “As was the norm when anyone met Jason, I instantly took a liking to him,” label founder Corey Rusk said in a statement.

Though the band quickly broke up, the album — a mature and forceful work of post-punk tension and beauty — continues to influence musicians today. Arriving in the wake of Slint, whose sound and ideas they furthered, and Nirvana, who had made combining hardcore noise and pretty pop sounds a commercially viable notion, Rodan’s premature break-up was unfortunate, leaving an audience wanting more from Noble and his friends.

What came next was surprising. Noble’s interest in modern classical and chamber music inspired a new project, Rachel’s, which he led with pianist Rachel Grimes and violinist Christian Frederickson. With the continued backing of Touch and Go, Rachel’s released five albums over a decade and toured around the world. Labeled a “post-rock” group by journalists and fans unfamiliar with classical music, Rachel’s brought something new to a generation otherwise disinterested in composers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Michael Nyman.

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