Album Notes

Chris Brubeck - Bass, Trombone, Piano & Vocals
Bill Crofut - Banjo, Vocals
Joel Brown - Guitar & Vocals
Peter Madcat Ruth - Harmonica & Vocals

"... high instrumental virtuosity and great vocal sensitivity." - New York Times

REVIEW:
"Highly recommending a recording of folk, bluegrass, ragtime, blues and (heaven forbid) Bach for a jazz catalog can get a little shaky; yet this recording falls on the edge of jazz, as jazz is nothing but a stepchild to the genre of blues and gospel. Anyway, all in jazz is fair. This is apple pie, baseball and Fourth of July coupled with "virtuoso" talent, musicianship, originality and aplomb....Sparks fly continuously throughout this eclectic program of energetic, animated and unstereotypic music. These guys are almost having too much fun. This recording by far eclipses any other of this nature that I have heard because of the unrivaled level of virtuosity." (H&B Recordings Direct)


Chris, Bill & Joel, joined by Madcat, put their own virtuosic spin on some of America's most beloved traditional music together iwth some original Brubeck tunes.

In the liner notes, Chris describes Madcat's playing on the recording ...

"As you will hear, Madcat's musical gifts are apparent throughout this recorded concert. His technique, his "time," his soulfulness, and his taste are superior. We also must explain why the audience is laughing so hysterically not only at Madcat's lead vocal and ridiculous traditional lyrics but also at his harp solo on Old Joe Clark. Every sound you hear in his solo after the second verse is made only by Madcat. There are no overdubs and somehow he does the following, in sequence, punctuated by the crowd's amazed outbursts: chugs along on the harp and adds a duck call to the corner of his mouth plus various vocal hoots; replaces the duck call with a siren whistle; whips out a toothbrush and brushes on the microphone for one bar; pounds his chest in rhythm with a plastic hammer toy; squeaks a rubber frog; fits a party favor into each corner of his mouth and in alternating quarter notes blows them while still flying on the harp; breaks into a polyrhythmic "hootin" frenzy while lifting a bass harmonica to play with his nostrils; and plays the melody while the audience sits in stunned anticipation of God knows what might come next!"