Peter Madcat Ruth

Peter "Madcat" Ruth (aka "Madcat" Ruth, or Peter Ruth) is an American Grammy Award-winning virtuoso harmonica player, who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. He has been an invited guest performer at many harmonica festivals and workshops in North America, South America, Europe and Asia, and has performed with symphony orchestras, as well as on radio and television advertisements and appearances all over the world. His harmonica playing can be heard on over 130 CD's and LP's, a well as instructional DVD's.

Early life
Peter McCord Ruth was born in Evanston, Illinois, US in 1949. He attended elementary school at Carpenter School in Park Ridge, Illinois, and graduated from Maine South High School in 1967. He became inspired to play the blues when he heard a Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee record. He grew up listening to Chicago blues musicians, and he often visited Maxwell Street, and attended many shows at the Regal Theater in Chicago, as well as the University of Chicago to see artists such as James Brown, Junior Walker and the All Stars, Otis Redding, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Big Joe Williams, Sleepy John Estes, Yank Rachell, Robert Pete Williams, and many others, who would become a big influence on him and his music.

In 1963, when he was a freshman in high school, he took guitar lessons at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, and at the age of 14 began playing folk/blues on guitar and harmonica around the Chicago area in his first band, a duo called The Petey-Tweety Band. At age 18, Ruth began taking harmonica lessons from Big Walter Horton.

1960s
In 1968 he met bassist and trombonist Chris Brubeck, son of jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, at a jam session, and Madcat told Chris to let him know if he ever needed a harmonica player. In the spring of 1969, Chris Brubeck invited Madcat to join his rock band, New Heavenly Blue, who were located in Michigan. For the next two years, Madcat played with the band during summers and on weekends while attending Lake Forest College in Illinois.

1970s
In 1971, Ruth relocated to Ann Arbor to work full-time with New Heavenly Blue, and they recorded two albums, one for RCA Victor and another for Atlantic Records.

In 1971, Dave Brubeck wrote the cantata "Truth is Fallen", which featured New Heavenly Blue, and was performed with various orchestras, among them the Rochester Philharmonic, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. New Heavenly Blue also played the music for a touring company performing Jesus Christ Superstar, with Madcat playing all of the saxophone parts on the harmonica.

When New Heavenly Blue disbanded in 1973, Madcat joined the Darius Brubeck Ensemble, a progressive jazz group led by Chris's older brother, Darius. The group was often billed as opening act for the Dave Brubeck Quartet, and at these concerts Madcat was performing with such jazz greats as Gerry Mulligan and Paul Desmond, as well as Dave Brubeck.

In 1974 when the Dave Brubeck Quartet disbanded, Dave invited Madcat to join his new group Two Generations of Brubeck, which featured Dave, and his sons Darius, Chris, and Daniel, as well as clarinetist Perry Robinson and percussionist Muruga Booker. Madcat performed with the band for the next few years, at many high-profile concerts, including an appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York City, on July 2, 1975, at the Newport Jazz Festival.

In 1974, Madcat also joined Chris Brubeck's newly formed progressive rock group, Sky King. In 1975, Sky King released the album Secret Sauce, on Columbia Records, and made an extensive U.S. tour.

1980s
In the 1980s, Madcat went solo and began infusing the folk/blues tradition with elements of funk, rock and jazz, recording with the country rock band Blackfoot and Word Jazz vocalist Ken Nordine, as well as a wide variety of other artists. In 1987, Madcat recorded an album with Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Parliament-Funkadelic bassist Bootsy Collins.

In 1981, Madcat began a longtime association with twin brothers Sandor & Lazlo Slomovits and their band Gemini, performing music written mostly for children and families, and the resulting recordings have won a number of honors, including awards from Parents' Choice Magazine, the American Library Association, the National Parenting Publications (NAPPA), Early Childhood News, and the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts.

1990s
In 1990, Madcat and guitarist/singer Shari Kane formed the duo Madcat & Kane. They continued to record and tour nationally and internationally until 2014. In the 1990s, Madcat Ruth also recorded with W.C. Handy Award winner Rory Block, as well as blues guitarist Catfish Keith, and folk singer Rosalie Sorrels.

In 1997 Madcat was named "Harmonica Player of the Year" by the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH).

In 1998 Madcat teamed up with Chris Brubeck, and guitarist Joel Brown, to form Chris Brubeck's Triple Play, a band that he continues to perform with. That same year, he also started performing with Big Joe Manfra in Brazil, and he has completer thirteen tours in Brazil with Manfra since then.

2000s
Ruth also recorded with George Clinton, and he appeared on the 2003 compilation 6 Degrees of P-Funk: The Best of George Clinton & His Funky Family.

In 2005, Homespun Tapes released two DVDs of harmonica techniques taught by Madcat, "Anyone Can Play Harmonica – An Easy Guide to Getting Started", and "The Ins And Outs of Rhythm Harp – Percussive Techniques for Blues Players".

In February 2006 he won the Grammy Award for "Best Classical Recording", for his performance on William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, recorded live at Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan.

In 2009, Madcat was one of the featured musicians in the documentary film Pocket Full of Soul: The Harmonica Documentary, which was narrated by Huey Lewis.

2010s
In 2014, Madcat appeared on Musician/Actor Jeff Daniels recording Days Like These.

In 2017, in honor of John Lee Hooker's 100th birthday anniversary celebration, he performed with Booker Blues All-Stars on a recording called Booker Plays Hooker. The band consists of drummer Muruga Booker, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Billy Davis (guitar & vocals), Tony "Strat" Thomas (guitar), John Sauter (bass guitar), and Misty Love (former backup singer for Kid Rock) (vocals)

Although he is always involved in many side projects and special guest appearances, Madcat currently plays with Peter Madcat Ruth's C.A.R.Ma. Quartet, with Chris Brubeck's Triple Play, and with The Schrock Brothers Band.

Equipment

 * Seydel Noble Harmonicas (with stainless steel reeds)
 * Shaker / Madcat harmonica microphone
 * Samson Airlines, AG1 wireless transmitter/ AP1 receiver
 * MXR 10 band Graphic EQ (customized by Elevon Audio to make it quieter)
 * Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop Overdrive
 * Electro-Harmonix Micro POG Polyphonic Octave Generator
 * Jim Dunlop Way Huge Supa-Puss Analog Delay
 * Peavey Transformer 112 guitar amp
 * The Amptweaker TightDrive Jr

Selected discography

 * 1970 – New Heavenly Blue – Educated Homegrown
 * 1971 – Dave Brubeck – Truth
 * 1972 – Dave Brubeck – Truth Is Fallen
 * 1972 – New Heavenly Blue – New Heavenly Blue
 * 1973 – Dave Brubeck – Two Generations of Brubeck
 * 1974 – Dave Brubeck – Brother, the Great Spirit Made Us All
 * 1975 – Sky King – Secret Sauce
 * 1977 – Bob White – Bob White
 * 1978 – Mike Smith – Mike Smith and the Country Volunteers
 * 1978 – Rosalie Sorrels – Traveling Lady Rides Again
 * 1979 – Ken Nordine – Stare With Your Ears
 * 1980 – Blackfoot – Tomcattin'
 * 1982 – Gemini – Good Mischief
 * 1984 – Peter Madcat Ruth – Madcat Gone Solo
 * 1986 – Ken Nordine – Grandson of Word Jazz
 * 1987 – Micro Wave and Bootsy Collins – Cookin' From The Inside Out!!!
 * 1989 – Madcat's Pressure Cooker – Live at The Pig
 * 1991 – Rory Block – Mama's Blues
 * 1992 – Madcat & Kane – Key To the Highway
 * 1992 – Bill Crofut & Chris Brubeck – Red White & Blues
 * 1993 – Rosalie Sorrels – Travelin' Lady Rides Again
 * 1994 – Peter Madcat Ruth – Harmonicology
 * 1995 – Robin & Linda Williams – Good News
 * 1998 – David Menefee – Brighter Side of Blue
 * 1998 – Chris Buhalis – Kenai Dreams
 * 1999 – Madcat & Kane – Up Against The Wall
 * 1999 – Chris Brubeck's Triple Play – Triple Play Live
 * 2000 – Madcat & The Cats – Live at the Ark
 * 2001 – Muruga GVCB – God Bless America
 * 2001 – Laz Slomovits – Harbor of the Heart
 * 2002 – Muruga GVCB – One Global Village
 * 2003 – Chris Brubeck's Triple Play – Watching The World
 * 2003 – Mustards Retreat – A Resolution of Something
 * 2003 – George Clinton – Six Degrees of P-Funk: The Best of George Clinton & His Funky Family
 * 2004 – William Bolcom – Songs of Innocence and of Experience
 * 2004 – Rosalie Sorrels – My Last Go Round
 * 2005 – Peter Madcat Ruth – Live In Rio
 * 2006 – Peter Madcat Ruth – Harmonica & Ukulele Project
 * 2008 – Rosalie Sorrels – Strangers in Another Country
 * 2008 – Dave Brubeck – Only the Best of Dave Brubeck
 * 2008 – Peter Madcat Ruth – More Real Folk Blues
 * 2009 – Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street – Live at the Creole Gallery
 * 2010 – Katie Geddes – We Are Each Other's Angels
 * 2011 – Booker, Dansby, Sauter & Love – The Hand I Was Dealt
 * 2012 – Dave Boutette – Mending Time
 * 2012 – Chris Brubeck's Triple Play – Live at Zankel Music Center
 * 2013 – Muruga & The Cosmic Hoedown Band – Changing The Sound of Your Room
 * 2014 – Jeff Daniels – Days Like These
 * 2014 – The Madcat Midnight Blues Journey – Live at Salt of the Earth
 * 2017 – Booker Blues All-Stars – Booker Plays Hooker

Filmography

 * 2005 – Anyone Can Play Harmonica – An Easy Guide to Getting Started
 * 2005 – The Ins And Outs of Rhythm Harp – Percussive Techniques for Blues Players
 * 2009 – Pocket Full of Soul: The Harmonica Documentary

Awards

 * 1997 – "Harmonica Player of the Year" by the Society for the Preservation and Advancement of the Harmonica (SPAH).
 * 2006 – Grammy Award for "Best Classical Recording", for William Bolcom's Songs of Innocence and of Experience