Midnight Snack, by John Kruth

Midnight Snack

by John Kruth

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Lisa Love Stelloh-Quesada The first night I saw John Kruth, I left with this album. It became one of my all-time favorite records. John is a clever writer and a wonderful musician. This is my favorite JK album and I am thrilled it has been re-released. Thank you, John! Y'all should add this one to your collection right now. It's fun stuff!

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Includes unlimited streaming of Midnight Snack via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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1.	Yellow Bus 04:52	buy track
2.	Stretch Marks And Hairlines 03:21	buy track
3.	The Golden Frog (poem) 00:35	buy track
4.	Donut Shop 02:01	buy track
5.	Midnight Snack 03:49	buy track
6.	Poker Face (poem) 00:16	buy track
7.	Sensible Shoes 02:28	buy track
8.	Grim Reaper's Song 03:19	buy track
9.	Oh Joanne 03:01	buy track
10.	The Eternal Forest (poem) 00:44	buy track
11.	House By The Shore 03:54	buy track
12.	Ugly Mood 02:48	buy track
13.	The Giddy Wind (poem) 00:38	buy track
14.	Atomic Mama 03:05	buy track
15.	Hate Violin 01:58	buy track
16.	Little Sparks 02:45	buy track
17.	Tune For Rooney 00:54	buy track
18.	Because (poem) 01:23	buy track
19.	Try Again (poem) 00:09	buy track

about

Blind jazz artist Rahsaan Roland Kirk had as much influence on multi-instrumentalist John Kruth as the Beatles or Bob Dylan, and probably even more. Kirk, also a multi-instrumentalist, did astounding things with such instruments as the saxophone, clarinet, and flute. Although the two musicians never met, their paths intersected several times, with the result being that Kirk's musical mastery and spirited life had a direct influence on the emerging younger musician. Upon hearing the elder jazz statesman's diversity on the radio in New York, a teenaged Kruth came to the conclusion that a musician didn't necessarily have to be tied to just one instrument. It was one of those light-bulb moments when an idea clarifies and takes hold, and it set Kruth on his way to playing more than simply one instrument.

The second major point where Kirk's influence came into play in Kruth's life was in 1995. By then Kirk had been dead for 18 years and Kruth was quite ill, suffering from a thyroid ailment and unable to tour. Stuck in bed with a long period of recuperation stretching out in front of him, Kruth became energized by the idea of writing a biography of his musical hero. He devoted a total of about three years to his research for Bright Moments: The Life and Legacy of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, which was published by Welcome Rain and includes scores of interviews with people who had known, loved, or worked with the jazz great. Collaborating with producer Joel Dorn, Kruth also penned the booklet that accompanies one of Kirk's posthumous releases of live recordings, Dog Years in the Fourth Ring, which he also co-produced.

Kruth lived in Milwaukee during the 1980s through 1995. He performed as a member of the Milwaukee Creative Music Ensemble, and as part of the band that backed the Violent Femmes. Later in New York with Reckless Optimism, his own quartet, he played what he dubbed "folkloric jazz." In addition, he has performed in collaboration with Hal Wilner, Garth Hudson, and John Cale, and has put out about half a dozen CDs of his own. Kruth is also a poet. His first poem was published when he was 18, and his work has appeared in Rolling Stone and the New York Times, among other publications.

Midnight Snack Review by Richard Foss
The first album from wild talent John Kruth is about as mixed a package as can be imagined -- the musical styles wander through folk, avant- garde jazz, rock, spoken word, medieval music, and some pieces that defy categorization. The songs are sometimes oblique, sometimes direct, and always odd; there is hardly a conventional track on the album. This isn't to say that they don't connect emotionally, though. Tracks like "Hate Violin," about a neighbor who really is playing his violin that badly on purpose, confirm things we've always suspected, and the song "Stretch Marks and Hairlines" is a surprising and joyous celebration of the physical signs of aging. The band who backs up this carnival-esque madness is talented and diverse; all members of the Violent Femmes and Ecoteur, a Metropolitan opera diva, and Dylan sideman Howie Wyeth all contribute to the cheery delirium. Through it all John Kruth is a serene, bizarre presence, happily delivering a torrent of subversive and personal images. Midnight Snack was a weird, endearing, and eccentric introduction to an artist who acknowledged no limits, and is still a delightful listen. [Note: The album has been re-released twice since the original 1987 release, with new material added.]

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released December 2, 2022

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about

John Kruth New York, New York

With 12 solo albums to date, multi-instrumentalist, John Kruth plays mandolin, banjo, guitar and sitar as well as flute and harmonica. The former leader of the NYC "other-world" music ensemble TriBeCaStan, Kruth has played with Ornette Coleman, Allen Ginsberg, Sam Shepherd, John Prine, Rick Danko and Violent Femmes, and worked with producers Joel Dorn and Hal Willner. ... more

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