Peter MadCat Ruth's C.A.R.M.A. Quartet, A2SF 2022 “Takadi"

C. for John Churchville
(tabla drum set)
A. for Brennan Andes
(bass)
R. for Dan Ripke
(guitar and vocals)
Ma. for Peter Madcat Ruth
(harmonica, ukulele, jaw harp, kalimba, and vocals)
This quartet plays
Eclectic Traditional and Improvisational Music.
All four members of this new band are veteran musicians of the Michigan music scene.
Back in 1963, when Peter Madcat Ruth was a freshman in high school, he began taking guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. In 1964, his interest in guitar led him to an album by Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Sonny Terry's harmonica playing inspired Madcat to pick up a harmonica and play along. He's been playing harmonica ever since.
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In his early years of harmonica playing, Madcat practiced along with whatever blues albums he could buy or borrow. He also listened to the blues live whenever he could at places like the University of Chicago, and Chicago's Regal Theater. Too young to listen to the blues in bars, Madcat was a devotee of the Pervis Spann radio program on WVON, and the Big Bill Hill radio program on WOPA, which featured occasional live broadcasts of blues performances from bars on Chicago's South Side.
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In 1966, Madcat met the legendary Chicago blues harmonica player, Big Walter Horton. Madcat was able to arrange to take harmonica lessons from him periodically over the next few years. As Madcat put it, "He's the man who opened my ears and mind to the amazing potential of the harmonica."
John Churchville is a Grammy Award winning tabla player now living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. John got his start in music in Marquette, Michigan. From there he moved to California to attend the esteemed California Institute of the Arts where he earned a degree in World Music Performance and began a decades long journey with the Indian tabla drums. Moving to Ann Arbor in 2006, John forged a unique path in both the music scene and in music education. At the same time, John was also recording, performing and developing his unique style of tabla drumming with the award winning Indian fusion group, Sumkali.
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Brennan Andes has been a diverse member and bon vivant of the Ann Arbor's music scene for over two decades. Having toured nationally and internationally, he's curated an attitude towards making his friends, fans and family dance and smile. His only aspiration is to continue teaching and playing with passion and intensity. Founder of The Macpodz, he's also performed with a variety of artists from the region and beyond including Luke Winslow-King, George Bedard, Peter Madcat Ruth, Shigeto, Sumkali, The Ragbirds, Rootsand, 7 Chakras, Jamie Register, Chris Bathgate, Jen Sygit, Seth Bernard, May Erlewine, Andy Adamson Quintet, Chris Good, Dick Siegal, The Tone Farmers, Vincent York, The Pherotones, and many others.

Dan Ripke has been a professional musician and educator for nearly 30 years. He is the owner and director of Ripke Studio, providing unique performance and educational experiences to people of all ages. Dan began recording albums and organizing music festivals in 1992. He performed with the experimental jazz-folk-funk fusion band, Perplex, while studying music theory and composition at Delta College and Central Michigan University. Dan toured and performed with the rock-bluegrass quintet, Back Forty, for 15 years. The band took the stage at many of Michigan and the Midwest's largest and most prestigious venues and festivals. After Back Forty, Dan took an exploratory dive into Indian music with the band, Sumkali. He performed with Sumkali for nine years, recording two albums. His fondness for many musical genres shows in his playing. Performing a hundred-year-old folk tune followed by a funk jam is heaven for him.

[@joshuacaulfield]

Found this at the right time, in the right mood, and the right level of intoxication. Thanks.