CATFISH
TAKE THE PRIZE
There were big smiles all around from 2004 TBS Talent Search winners Bharath and the Catfish (l. to r.) Costa Zafiropoulos, Andrew Cowan, Bharath Rajakumar and Ben Caissie. Photo by Eddy B (Brake)
When Bharath Rajakumar first heard that Catfish had been selected as a finalist in the TBS New Talent Search, it was a total surprise. He hadn't known that they entered the contest and still isn't sure which recordings were submitted.
The Montreal band plays their own brand of 1950's Chicago blues inspired by the seminal groups of Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and sideman Jimmy Rogers. Fronted by Bharath's vocals and harmonica, the group provides authentic grit through vintage guitars and amps. "New Talent" is something of a misnomer for Catfish though, experienced players all.
A late starter by many standards, Bharath took up the harmonica seriously when, at a difficult period in his life, he succumbed to an impulse on his twentieth birthday and bought himself a harp. Listening to Sonny Boy Williamson cemented his relationship with the instrument and began his quest for "big tone". Little Walter then provided the direction. "Sonny Boy is harder to imitate", Bharath told me. "He used his harp like his voice. To really play like him you had to speak like him. Little Walter, though, provided the best of both worlds by combining deep blues with a jump sound and sax-like solos". As a self-confessed tone freak Bharath rattles off the mike/amp combinations used by Little Walter on many off his recordings. Garnering attention as the singer/ harmonicist for the Blues Committee, Bharath made guest appearances on two of the standout tracks on Steve Hill's Call It What You Will and provided harp on a very original take of the well-known song "Rollin & Tumblin" on Stephen Barry's CD Original.
What made this version original was the contribution of guitarist Andrew Cowan, a long-time member of the Stephen Barry Band, and now also a Catfish. He added a balafon to the mix producing a worldbeat sound and a unique interpretation of an otherwise overworked classic. One night at the Bistro A JoJo, Stephen Barry told me that while on their European tour Andrew astounded him night after night with his creativity, intuition and control. "I finally realized what a great guitar player he is," Stephen remarked.
Costa Zafiropoulos has been to the finals before. As a member of Big Mark & The Blues Express they won the TBS New Talent Contest in 2001 as well as the Maple Blues Award for New Artist of the Year. He also occupied the bass chair for Kevin Mark's new CD Rolling The Dice. Costa shares Bharath's obsession for early Chicago blues and I've been lucky to have him occasionally substitute for me on my radio show where he shares his extensive collection of vintage blues with our listeners. Costa was previously a member of Blue Mud which released a "Live Off The Floor" CD in 2000. The group at that time included Catfish drummer Ben Caissie.
This summer promises to be a busy one for Bharath & The Catfish. Following appearances in 2000 and 2001, Bharath will be participating in Harmonica Nights on July 6 at the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal with Mark `Bird' Stafford and Jerome Godboo. Catfish will be appearing at the Festival International du Blues de Tremblant on July 12 and at Weekend en Blues Victoriaville from July 29 through August 1. As part of the prize package awarded to the TBS Talent Search winners, there will also be showcase performance at the Cisco Systems Toronto Bluesfest.
Bharath is also looking forward to pulling out the book of original songs he's been writing and recording his own live-off-the-floor blues album. And party likes it's 1959.
- John Detcheverry
John Detcheverry is the host of Cha Cha Cha In Blue on CKUT FM 90,3 FM Sundays from 9-11pm