Craig
Bracken - Vocals & Harmonica
Craig has a harmonica style and grace that is the envy of other
harp players.
Whether blowing that penetrating single whole note, hanging out
back or tearing the roof off... any which way, you can’t
resist his feel and tone.
His musical career began as front man for Auckland ska band Guava
Groove in the 1980s.
Spotting Darcy Perry perform at the Java Jive in 2002 prompted
Craig to turn up at his next gig ready to play and has featured
on all five Darcy Perry albums.
Craig has performed at many shows with the Darcy Perry Blues Band,
including the 2008 inaugural Bluesfest NZ (Whitianga), the Pohutakawa
Festival in Tairua, alongside Luke Thompson, Autozamm and Opshop.
The band has also shared the stage with Watermelon Slim and were
the support act for Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers.
Another highlight was when Craig played rollicking harmonica with
the Darcy Perry Blue Band at the recent Motown 50th anniversary
concert at Mission Estate in Napier.
In 2006 Craig co-founded the record label Roots Music Aotearoa
with Darcy.
The release of the Harmonica Masters of New Zealand (2007 RMA)
CD marked Craig’s first effort as a producer.
Doug Bygrave - Guitar
If you come along to a Mudcats’ gig hoping to hear screaming
solos and hot licks processed through umpteen pedals, you’re
gonna be disappointed.
Doug’s sound is all about space and tone.
Doug was a late starter on guitar, who was inspired to play by
the coolness of Pete Townshend’s windmills, but switched
to blues early on after witnessing Jimmie Vaughan’s no-nonsense
approach to the guitar.
It was also about this time that he found himself hosting a weekly
3hr blues radio show, which forced him to delve deeper into blues
history and all blues styles.
Following a number of pilgrimages to the States to experience
blues in its natural environment, he played in a number of Bay
of Plenty blues bands in the late 80’s through to the early
90’s, such as Austin Texas, Jigsaw Blues, Sensational Gutter
Bothers and Gurus of Groove.
He quit playing altogether in 1993 (for reasons he cannot remember),
until he joined the Flaming Mudcats in 2009.
Doug’s primary influences are Magic Sam, Johnny Guitar Watson,
Jimmie Vaughan and the Louisiana swamp blues sound of the likes
of Lazy Lester, Lightning Slim, Lonesome Sundown.
Ian Thomson - Drums
Ian says, “For me, musically, it’s only about two
things...the groove and the Blues”.
Ian’s first gig as a 10 year old was playing tenor horn
in a brass band in the Farmers Santa Parade. Not for long though….drums
was what he really wanted to play.
Listening to those great grooves from Louis Jordan, Little Richard,
Ray Charles, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley and Paul Butterfield was
inspirational to setting off down the road as a drummer.
At 14, Ian was playing in The Four Winds, all older seasoned muso’s
playing every Friday night at the Otahuhu Community Centre. An
amazing early apprenticeship.
Leaving high school, he joined the Dark Ages, then the Underdogs
and the Brew, playing alongside the likes of Red McKelvie, Neil
Edwards, Harvey Mann, Doug Jerebine and Bob Gillete. Later, he
enjoyed playing in many great line-ups, including Al Hunter, Glen
Moffatt, Gary Harvey and the late (and great) Sonny Day.
Recently he recorded on Donna Dean’s latest album produced
by Bill Chambers.
Sean McCarthy - Bass Guitar
“I'm a Blues bass player. I'm not a Jazz player. I'm definitely
not a Rock player who doesn't know better.
And I'm pretty sure there's a difference”, says Sean.
Sean still remembers the first time he heard the Blues.
He was at home with his Dad who was playing some of his old 45s;
the first few bars of Tommy Tucker's High Heel Sneakers hit him
like a ton of bricks and got him headed down the blues road forever.
He is talking blues the way it used to be played… Willie
Dixon, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson,
Little Walter, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed and Hound Dog Taylor to
name but a few.
He fell in love with Hubert Sumlin and his guitar playing, he
shuddered at the sound of Little Walter's harp playing, but it
was Willie Dixon, Calvin Jones, Dave Myers and Willie Kent that
got him tapping his feet and made him think..."Yeah, that's
what I wanna do!"
Sean was very fortunate to have begun playing with BlueHeat550,
a blues band in England trying to cut its teeth in the very competitive
London music scene.
On moving back to Auckland in 2006, Sean formed The Jukes.
The idea for this band was to continue playing the blues as it
was in Chicago in the 50's and 60's and to bring something different
to the New Zealand blues scene. |
