Red, White & Blues

“We like to sing about what we would like to be, and we must sing about what we are. The songs of a culture speak for themselves. That is what this recording is all about – the contrasting sides of our national character as reflected in our diverse musical heritage. More importantly, it is in part a look at today’s America through yesterday’s songs.,” so say Bill Crofut and Chris Brubeck in the notes for this recording of folk and popular songs. The surprise on this recording is the Jew’s harp playing of Peter Madcat Ruth. Crofut and Brubeck continue: “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!”