[Harp-L] Madcat in New Jersey review (long!)

["Rob Paparozzi" <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I was fortunate to attend a wonderful night of music last night with my wife 
at Kean University in Union, NJ (my old Alma Mater).
Madcat was in concert with: a trio called "Triple Play" which features Chris 
Brubeck ( Fretless Bass, Trombone, Piano, Vocals), Joel Brown (Guitar & 
Vocals) and of course Madcat Ruth (Diatonic, Chromatic Harmonica, Jaw Harp, 
asst percussion & toys).

   If this trio is ever appearing at a College or Concert Hall near you, 
you must go! To say this was an entertaining show would be a serious 
understatement. The Myriad of Genres covered with such expertise in 90min 
set is just astonishing. The Level of Musicianship combined with the REAL 
power to connect and interact with their audience was equally impressive. 
The band can go from a beautiful ballad to a rollicking tune in 7/4 or 5/4. 
But the way it is presented and even teaching the audience to clap along in 
odd time sigs is something that adds to the way the whole evening of 
eclectic music flows and keeps the audience wanting more.

   The group plays two sets with a brief intermission. I think this 
configuration has been together for about 10-11 yrs, but the Madcat's 
Brubeck connection goes back as early as 1969 when Chris asked madcat to 
join his band which was to become SKY KING (Produced by the legendary Steve 
Cropper). I saw that band open for Muddy Waters in NYC in the  70's, I 
actually met Madcat the 1st time that night and we've been friends ever 
since..

   Really good originals by Chris Brubeck like "Now that the Children Have 
Gone".... a ballad about the empty nest syndrome all of it's perks and tears 
and memories! His dad's (Dave Brubeck's classics) "Take Five" & "Blue Rondo 
ala Turk" take on a whole new life with Madcat in the mix....wow! The 3 of 
them wrote a beautiful song en route to a gig down south called "Road to 
Thomasville"...and on and on...you should get this CD so when they come to a 
town near YOU you will be familiar with what they will share with you with 
MANY added surprises. This year the trio played with the symphony in 
Singapore, I got to hear some of it on audio and I'm just blown away of how 
well they blended with this orchestra using both conventional and eastern 
instruments. Another added perk is in addition to their World Class 
Musicianship, they all SING very well and has chosen some cool features 
throughout the show.

here is a link to Madcat's CD's...check it out and pick up one or 2, you 
won't be sorry.....!

http://www.madcatmusic.net/index.html

   Madcat did mention that Chris would be calling me up out of the audience 
to play on a number since I was a friend of Madcat's and Alumni of Kean U. 
However, I nearly went into shock, I got on stage for there last number and 
they go into a break neck tempo of "Blue Rondo ala Turk", OMG, I was hoping 
for a lil' swing blues to jam along on!..Luckily the trio had the melody 
covered and to my relief, there was a blues section to blow over...whew!...I 
also did the encore..."Crossroads" in A and Madcat threw me a D MADCAT harp 
and I'm NOT giving it back!!!,-) Thanx madcat for a most enjoyable evening.


   I've been a huge fan of Madcat's music for 30 yrs and he always raises 
the bar each time he puts together a new project. His last record with Shari 
Kane and Maxwell street is also a must have! here is a review I did of it in 
the UK Mag Harmonica World last summer: ( I hope Roger Trobridge won't mind 
me using it here as the article has already been out in a previous issue.) 
Thanx Rob Paparozzi




Summer in the States: SPAH Convention 09’,a new MADCAT CD

    In the US we have many harpin’ skeptics wary that a convention can be 
successful on either coast. Many contend that to be cost effective and draw 
a large crowd it needed to be somewhere in the ‘Center’ of the US. With more 
than 400 attendees and breaking former SPAH records, those contentions are 
now moot points and maybe the east coast will be next to challenge our 
Doubting Thomases.

    Sacramento SPAH was huge, sunny a big hit and probably the most diverse 
cross section of players came to ‘strut their stuff’. Hohner, Suzuki, Seydel 
& Hering all sent top managers an assorted vendors brought their wares by 
the box load.

    The biggest buzzes were about the groundbreaking Hohner Crossover 
(bamboo combed) Diatonic. The Seydel Saxony 12 Hole Chromatic (Stainless 
Steel Reeds) and the Suzuki with the highly acclaimed Manji Diatonic which 
touts it’s customized attributes at reasonable ‘street prices’ about $40 in 
US dollars. The new Gregoire Maret 12 hole Diatonic was THE most talked 
about for tone & playability.

    Mr. Manji Suzuki 87 had to cancel due to health last minute but won the 
Lifetime Achievement Award and yours truly was in shock and still riding 
high as recipient of the prestigious Bernie Bray Harmonica Player of 2009 
Award. Too many great players to cover here so I will just say that this 
year’s headliner, Tommy Morgan is and will always be my Mentor, his 
performance was nothing more than Stellar! I’m sure Brendan will have more 
to report.

    Being a writer of sorts I get many CD’s for review, it is not often 
that one jumps out of the awaiting stack and stays in my player for this 
many weeks! I’m talking about this summer’s release by Madcat & Kane and 
Maxwell Street: Live At The Creole Gallery. I must admit I’ve been an avid 
Madcat fan since the 70’s but this project of Madcat’s is a real ‘band 
effort’. When I heard Madcat with partner Shari Kane years ago I knew this 
was a duo that had a ‘magical symbiosis’. Now, with addition of Maxwell 
Street (Mark Schrock on Bass & Vocal and Mike Shimmin on Drums and Cajon) a 
band or Quartet of pure joy has been captured live in Lansing, Michigan.

    With co-fronting chores by Peter ‘Madcat’ Ruth on Vocals, Harmonicas 
and Ukulele and Shari Kane on Guitars and Vocals the band really treats us 
to a wide palette of the blues. This is a blues CD that really covers a lot 
of ground with inventive arrangements of classic folk blues. I truly love 
the 3 part vocal harmonies that you rarely here in this genre and that is a 
large part of the charm coupled with some real high level fills and solos 
throughout. But as I mentioned earlier the winning factor here is the GROUP 
effort and that is, truly listening and playing off of each other’s nuances.

    The CD kicks off with a Train medley like you’ve never heard, 4 train 
standards that are wove together in a way that will leave your mind on a 
train platform in awe of the sounds most sung about in the blues. Too good a 
topic to leave so fast the 2nd tune that follows the medley is Furry Lewis’ 
“Casey Jones” featuring Shari on the lead Vocal.

    From that Shari set ups her blues girl prowess on Willie Dixon’s 
“Hoochie Coochie Girl” and Madcat’s harp answers in all the fervor that 
Little Walter did when Muddy sang his version of this timeless classic. Just 
when you get comfy in the Chicago Blues mode, Madcat grabs the Vocal mic and 
leads the band and Shari’s slide guitar back down the Mississippi on ‘Rollin’ 
and Tumblin’ with the tempo brisk enough to let Madcat channel Hambone 
Willie but don’t take my word for it go to your computer and type ‘youtube 
madcat rollin’…it’s ALL there from the club!

    The Three part Harmonies interspersed with Diatonic and Guitar on songs 
like: ‘Honest I Do’, ‘Sweet Home Chicago’ and ‘Linin’ Track’ really treat 
the listener to a true blues ‘mini choir’ that is to the best of my 
knowledge never been used on these covers. Good rockin’ blues like ‘Step it 
up and Go’ really let the band find the ‘pocket’ and get the audience to 
groove along. Shari leads the band thru Robert Johnson’s ‘Red Hot’ and 
Madcat with just percussion & gtr on the traditional ’61 Highway’ leave you 
wanting more. The CD has the perfect closer to say goodnight, ‘Fixin’ to Die’ 
if I could play that good and brisk on my harp by the end of the night, I 
imagine I’d truly be fixin’ to DIE,-) Get this CD folks, a keeper if I ever 
heard one, it FRESH it’s the Blues and a Harp Lovers Paradise!


Rob Paparozzi
www.myspace.com/hudsonriverrats