RE: [harp-l] Show report-Little Charlie and the Nightcats (longish)

[Andrew Wimhurst <awimhurst@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

- --Apple-Mail-2--14515335

Michelle,
Thanks for the detailed gig review. Estrin is probably my all-time 
favourite harp player. I believe the mic he uses is one that he got 
from Dennis Gruenling. I know that he uses crystal mics only, so I 
think it's a chromed GB with crystal element (maybe 707a?) with a 
switchcraft 1/4" connector.
I was surprised to hear that he was using a Harpking, but there ya go. 
I thought they'd made everyone sound ultra-compressed - was that the 
case?
Estrin's acoustic cup is ass-backwards but it does enable a very tight 
seal for the SBWII stuff.
Thanks again,
Andrew

> RE: [harp-l] Show report-Little Charlie and the Nightcats (longish)
>
> Hello, harp-l'ers -
>
> I had a real treat last night when I saw Little Charlie And The 
> Nightcats.
> I thought I'd tell y'all about it.
>
> Having seen LCNC a couple times before, I was expecting a top-notch 
> show,
> and I was not the least bit disappointed. Rick Estrin, Charlie Baty, 
> Jay
> Hansen (drums), and Lorenzo Farrell (upright and Fender precision 
> bass) were
> in peak form to kick off this year's tour and gave a stellar 
> three-hour show
> (two 90 minute sets).
>
> Before I tell you about the performance, I'll tell you about Rick's 
> gear.
> He had a huge red Harp King amp into which he was running a chromed 
> Shure
> bullet mic through a "little digital reverb" (as Rick described it--I 
> didn't
> press him). The bullet had a red screen (and a volume pot) and his 
> second
> cable (he broke his first mid-solo as I'll describe) was also red. Nice
> looking set up to go with Rick's dark suit and carefully coifed 
> hair-do. To
> hold his harps he had a molded plastic tray (that I've seen offered
> commercially but cannot remember where) mounted on a sturdy mic stand.
> Curiously, he had the tray tipped away from him for reasons I can't 
> figure
> out. The tray held what looked like 8-10 stock Marine Bands, two 
> 14-hole
> Hohner diatonics--either 365's or Steve Baker Specials, and two 
> unidentified
> chrome 16-hole chromatics, possibly Herings. He played only one song 
> on the
> chrom, but it was a jaw-dropper. He used the 14-holers at least 5-6 
> times,
> and could really make 'em smoke. The rest of the tunes he used 3-4 of 
> the
> Marine Bands.
>
> As far as his mic grip goes, it was a pretty standard 
> compression-cupped
> bullet grip, holding the harp and mic in his left hand and cupping 
> with the
> right. Tone? Must we talk tone? He had tone dripping out his very 
> pores.
> Early in the show during a lengthy solo, Rick began to have obvious 
> trouble
> with his mic cord. The cable was separating from the 1/4" plug. He
> finished the solo holding the cord together with his right hand and 
> cupping
> the harp and mic with his left. Still had tone to the bone cupping 
> with one
> hand! We talked about it during the intermission and he grinned, 
> pleased
> that I noticed. I don't think anyone else did because his one-hand 
> cupped
> tone, while diminished to the trained ear compared to his two-hand 
> cup, was
> still quite good. He did one song playing acoustically, and I was very
> happy he did. I was interested in his unusual acoustic grip. He held 
> the
> harp in his right hand--actually in the crook of his right index 
> finger, low
> holes to the left. His hands didn't look that big, but he was able to 
> hold
> the harp in the crook of his index finger of his right 
> alone--something I
> cannot do. Anyway, he used his left hand to create the other half of 
> the
> cup, to very good effect of course. During this solo he played wah-wah
> notes that sounded like someone talking, and got the crowd worked up 
> into a
> call-response sequence that everyone loved. Then after a dozen or so
> call-responses, he suddenly played a really complex series of wah-wah 
> notes
> that left the audience with their jaws dropped. He waved them off and
> chuckled and had the house following suit. Great performer and front 
> man,
> Rick Estrin. Great singer and songwriter, too. Really makes me feel 
> left
> out in the cold seeing someone that talented. Humph! No, really it was 
> a
> pleasure to behold.
>
> What can you say about Charlie Baty? I read a review in which his 
> playing
> as described as that of Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy combined. I don't 
> now
> about that, but I'll admit witnessing virtuosity of that order leaves 
> me
> pretty much without adequate adjectives to describe his playing. 
> Lightning
> quick, able to switch into any style of playing with equal ease and
> expertise, Charlie Baty has given me an eye-popping show each time I 
> have
> seen him. Thing is, like many great groups, the Nightcat's recordings, 
> as
> good as they are, are simply an inadequate means to convey the musical
> breadth and depth and excitement of their live performances. Just to 
> give
> you an idea, Rick let the rest of the band have the stage at the 
> beginning
> and end of each set. During these times, Charlie and the drummer and 
> bass
> player really lit the afterburners. Each of these guys is a stellar
> musician in their own right; literally some of the best I've seen at 
> each
> instrument. And they get into that special kind of synergism when they 
> play
> together. Anyway, during one of these three-man configurations, Charlie
> rips into a medley of surfer guitar tunes you would not believe! The 
> crowd
> went nuts, and I was right there with 'em. Not the sort of thing you'd
> expect from a California Jump blues band. Or is it? With Little Charlie
> And The Nightcats, you can expect anything and everything, especially a
> great show. Catch 'em whenever you can.
>
> One thing really irked me, though. :) None of 'em ever even worked up a
> sweat! A mile high and they were cool as cucumbers. Estrin blew his 
> brains
> out and still had wind to spare and nary a bead of sweat was to be 
> seen.
> And he did it in a suit and tie. Maybe there ~are~ some health 
> benefits to
> touring as actively as they do. I'd say it was the all the heavy 
> breathing
> Rick does, but the rest of the guys were dry as bones, too. I know I
> wasn't--I got all worked up boogie'n right along with 'em.
>
> Michelle
>
>
>

- --Apple-Mail-2--14515335

<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller><smaller>Michelle,

Thanks for the detailed gig review. Estrin is probably my all-time
favourite harp player. I believe the mic he uses is one that he got
from Dennis Gruenling. I know that he uses crystal mics only, so I
think it's a chromed GB with crystal element (maybe 707a?) with a
switchcraft 1/4" connector.

I was surprised to hear that he was using a Harpking, but there ya go.
I thought they'd made everyone sound ultra-compressed - was that the
case?

Estrin's acoustic cup is ass-backwards but it does enable a very tight
seal for the SBWII stuff.

Thanks again,

Andrew


<excerpt>RE: [harp-l] Show report-Little Charlie and the Nightcats
(longish) 


</excerpt></smaller></smaller></fontfamily><excerpt><fontfamily><param>Courier</param><smaller><smaller>Hello,
harp-l'ers - 


I had a real treat last night when I saw Little Charlie And The
Nightcats. 

I thought I'd tell y'all about it. 


Having seen LCNC a couple times before, I was expecting a top-notch
show, 

and I was not the least bit disappointed. Rick Estrin, Charlie Baty,
Jay 

Hansen (drums), and Lorenzo Farrell (upright and Fender precision
bass) were 

in peak form to kick off this year's tour and gave a stellar
three-hour show 

(two 90 minute sets). 


Before I tell you about the performance, I'll tell you about Rick's
gear. 

He had a huge red Harp King amp into which he was running a chromed
Shure 

bullet mic through a "little digital reverb" (as Rick described it--I
didn't 

press him). The bullet had a red screen (and a volume pot) and his
second 

cable (he broke his first mid-solo as I'll describe) was also red.
Nice 

looking set up to go with Rick's dark suit and carefully coifed
hair-do. To 

hold his harps he had a molded plastic tray (that I've seen offered 

commercially but cannot remember where) mounted on a sturdy mic stand. 

Curiously, he had the tray tipped away from him for reasons I can't
figure 

out. The tray held what looked like 8-10 stock Marine Bands, two
14-hole 

Hohner diatonics--either 365's or Steve Baker Specials, and two
unidentified 

chrome 16-hole chromatics, possibly Herings. He played only one song
on the 

chrom, but it was a jaw-dropper. He used the 14-holers at least 5-6
times, 

and could really make 'em smoke. The rest of the tunes he used 3-4 of
the 

Marine Bands. 


As far as his mic grip goes, it was a pretty standard
compression-cupped 

bullet grip, holding the harp and mic in his left hand and cupping
with the 

right. Tone? Must we talk tone? He had tone dripping out his very
pores. 

Early in the show during a lengthy solo, Rick began to have obvious
trouble 

with his mic cord. The cable was separating from the 1/4" plug. He 

finished the solo holding the cord together with his right hand and
cupping 

the harp and mic with his left. Still had tone to the bone cupping
with one 

hand! We talked about it during the intermission and he grinned,
pleased 

that I noticed. I don't think anyone else did because his one-hand
cupped 

tone, while diminished to the trained ear compared to his two-hand
cup, was 

still quite good. He did one song playing acoustically, and I was very 

happy he did. I was interested in his unusual acoustic grip. He held
the 

harp in his right hand--actually in the crook of his right index
finger, low 

holes to the left. His hands didn't look that big, but he was able to
hold 

the harp in the crook of his index finger of his right
alone--something I 

cannot do. Anyway, he used his left hand to create the other half of
the 

cup, to very good effect of course. During this solo he played wah-wah 

notes that sounded like someone talking, and got the crowd worked up
into a 

call-response sequence that everyone loved. Then after a dozen or so 

call-responses, he suddenly played a really complex series of wah-wah
notes 

that left the audience with their jaws dropped. He waved them off and 

chuckled and had the house following suit. Great performer and front
man, 

Rick Estrin. Great singer and songwriter, too. Really makes me feel
left 

out in the cold seeing someone that talented. Humph! No, really it was
a 

pleasure to behold. 


What can you say about Charlie Baty? I read a review in which his
playing 

as described as that of Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy combined. I don't
now 

about that, but I'll admit witnessing virtuosity of that order leaves
me 

pretty much without adequate adjectives to describe his playing.
Lightning 

quick, able to switch into any style of playing with equal ease and 

expertise, Charlie Baty has given me an eye-popping show each time I
have 

seen him. Thing is, like many great groups, the Nightcat's recordings,
as 

good as they are, are simply an inadequate means to convey the musical 

breadth and depth and excitement of their live performances. Just to
give 

you an idea, Rick let the rest of the band have the stage at the
beginning 

and end of each set. During these times, Charlie and the drummer and
bass 

player really lit the afterburners. Each of these guys is a stellar 

musician in their own right; literally some of the best I've seen at
each 

instrument. And they get into that special kind of synergism when they
play 

together. Anyway, during one of these three-man configurations,
Charlie 

rips into a medley of surfer guitar tunes you would not believe! The
crowd 

went nuts, and I was right there with 'em. Not the sort of thing you'd 

expect from a California Jump blues band. Or is it? With Little
Charlie 

And The Nightcats, you can expect anything and everything, especially
a 

great show. Catch 'em whenever you can. 


One thing really irked me, though. :) None of 'em ever even worked up
a 

sweat! A mile high and they were cool as cucumbers. Estrin blew his
brains 

out and still had wind to spare and nary a bead of sweat was to be
seen. 

And he did it in a suit and tie. Maybe there ~are~ some health
benefits to 

touring as actively as they do. I'd say it was the all the heavy
breathing 

Rick does, but the rest of the guys were dry as bones, too. I know I 

wasn't--I got all worked up boogie'n right along with 'em. 


Michelle 




</smaller></smaller></fontfamily></excerpt>
- --Apple-Mail-2--14515335--