J.K. NORTHRUP was the title chosen by erstwhile KING KOBRA, PAUL SHORTINOand Portland's RAIL guitarist Jeff Northrup for this solo venture. The guitarist had started his career as live musician for BILLY THORPE in the early eighties. The NORTHRUP band would be formed in 1988 and during this period the guitarist also contributed to KING KOBRA's 'III' album. In 1991 he united with erstwhile ROUGH CUTT singer PAUL SHORTINO to cut a jointly credited album 'Back On Track'. The mid nineties would be spent working up the CAGE project with XYZ frontman Terry Ilous.

The eponymous album, although issued in 2001, was actually recorded during the mid 90s and sees ex-KING KOBRA, WILD HORSES, BUSTER BROWN, ROYAL JELLY and FOREIGNER singer Johnny Edwards fronting the project. Edwards had previously fronted the NORTHRUP band. Larry Hart, another KING KOBRA veteran, and Glenn Hicks supply bass and drums respectively. The album was co-produced by none other than RONNIE MONTROSE.

Northrup joined XYZ for US touring in January 2005. However, the guitarist broke his hand in an accident with flightcases at a gig in New Jersey on 16th January. That Summer found a recovered Northrup forming up the 'Acoustic Outcasts' tour packaged with Ron Keel of KEEL, KELLY KEELING of MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, BLUE MURDER, BATON ROUGE and GEORGE LYNCH band repute, Charlie Wayne of the BULLETBOYS, HAWK, KEEL and WAYNE, Terry Ilous of XYZ plus Danny Vaughn, frontman for TYKETTO, WAYSTED and VAUGHN.

A new J.K. NORTHRUP album, 'Wired In My Skin', emerged in March 2007.

In late 2009 Northrup worked on fresh studio material with Terry Ilous and HEAD EAST guitarist Glen Bridger.