Cadillac Flambe`

http://backtorockville.typepad.com/back_to_rockville/2011/07/amid-grief-band-celebrates-life-lost-and-the-music-it-created.html - Tim Finn-Kansas City Star

Prior to his death in a car accident on June 19, James Garrett suffered from emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He also played harmonica in the blues Americana outfit Cadillac Flambe, which allowed him a respite from his illnesses.

"His doctor said it was a chance for him to open his lungs and not be breathing in cigarette smoke," says his bandmate Mike Payne. "But he was on kind of a downward spiral. God bless him, but he was physically in failing condition."

Still, it came as a shock when "Pappy," as Garrett was known by many in the local music community, was killed leaving a gig at Home Plate Grill and Sports Bar in Pleasant Hill, Missouri.

"We were driving down 435 North, trying to get to I-70, and right before 23rd Street, there was a big puddle in the middle of the highway," explains Kris Bruders, frontman of Cadillac Flambe. Bruders' wife, Havilah, was driving the minivan. Bruders was in the front passenger seat. Garrett was seated behind him. The car to their left hit the puddle and spun out of control, hitting their driver's side door, which in turn spun their car out of control. They were then struck by a semitrailer.

Medics arrived and extracted everyone from the vehicle, but the Bruders and Garrett were taken to separate hospitals. "About four and a half hours later, Havilah and I were released, and we rushed over to St. Luke's to see Jamie," Bruders says. "When we got there, a nurse pointed in the direction of where he was, and as I turned the corner, everybody started screaming. Jamie died right as I was walking in the door."

"We walked to where his family was coming out, and they were all teary-eyed and broken up," Payne says. It was Father's Day. (Garrett, 54, is survived by five children and five grandchildren.) "What do you say? I couldn't go in and see him."

Because of Garrett's medical problems, Cadillac Flambe had previously discussed the sad fact that he would soon no longer be a member of the band. "As morbid as it sounds, it was something we had to deal with, and he was OK with it," Payne says. "But as much as he'd talked about it, he was still so full of life. Like, why would we think that he would ever leave?"

On Friday night, 11 acts come together to pay tribute to Pappy at Davey's Uptown. Among them is Mark Smeltzer, of Rural Grit. "When I heard Pappy had been killed, I sang 'Little Black Train' to him and the rest of the universe," Smeltzer says. "It's a harmonica-filled blues song about a funeral train, and I'm going to do it again for the tribute show."

Cadillac Flambe will use the evening to release Eli's Porch, a six-song EP recorded with producer Chris Cosgrove. The band had been working on the project while Garrett was alive but completed it after his death. "Pappy was always a driving force in the studio," Cosgrove says. "Eli's Porch definitely reflects his Mississippi Delta influence. I hope people get to hear the record. The band is a hodgepodge of sounds, and Pappy really helped bring that out."

Funds from the show will go mostly to Garrett's family to cover unexpected debt and bills that have arisen from the accident. A portion will also go toward replacing the band's gear, much of which was destroyed in the accident. "The show is going to be kind of a turning point for us," Payne says. "We're kind of at a crossroads."

"Yeah, this is the turning point," Bruders says. "After this, we've got to sit down and really hash out what to do without Pappy."

- Berry Anderson-The Pitch

Alluvial soil, like that of the Mississippi River Delta, is an amalgam of silts, ores, gravel and gemstones. The dirt that comes from there is loose, fertile and rich — a birthing ground for a specific brand of blues that combines soulful vocals, emphatic rhythms and lush harmonica sounds. Kansas City's latest gift from the Delta gods is Cadillac Flambé, a five-piece ensemble that channels the soul and steaminess of the Deep South and brings it north to a city deep with blues musicians. Featuring the husband-and-wife combination of Kris and Havilah Bruders and the heavy harmonica chops of James "Pappy" Garrett, Cadillac Flambé caught the attention of local blues fans when it reached the final round of the contest to pick KC's next International Blues Challenge entrant. The band isn't going to Memphis in January, but look for Cadillac Flambé to deliver the dirt this week and in 2010.

- Berry Anderson-The Pitch

The new album, Cadillac Flambe Live at Knuckleheads starts out with the energetic harmonica of James “Pappy” Garrett. The recording is tastefully crafted, with just the right reverb on the vocals to deliver an authentic live ambiance. The first song, Long Back Train, is filled with tight harmonies between the great bluesy voices of singers Kristopher Bruders and Havilah Bruders. This isn't your granddaddy's Long Black Train; all of the songs on this CD are originals. Kristopher Bruder's guitar work is crisp and lively. The bass work supplied by bassist Dr. Dave Duly makes their shows move, and it really comes through on this live recording. Mike Payne's drums retain all of the intensity and energy level of a live show throughout the CD, but Cadillac Flambe was not sacrificing quality for a live feel on this album. This CD is a great example of what can be done with a live album. Although there are no liner notes about the recording process, everything is so clean and crisp that it is easy to believe some studio work was put into this recording afterward as well. It's difficult for even a trained ear to discern, since the performances are all studio quality, but the energy level is always at a full, live roar.

Cadillac Flambe is one tight unit; few blues bands can keep a five person lineup together and on track these days, but this group sounds well rehearsed and comfortable. They have the kind of familiarity with one another that allows each musician to anticipate the moves of the others. Accents are hit together as a unit. Solos aren't stepped on by other players. This Cadillac is a well oiled music makin' machine. There may be some improvisation here and there, but every musical change comes out as if it is perfectly planned to deliver an eight cylinder, tire squealing breakaway from the starting line.

The best mood setter on the disc is track nine, Shotgun. Here are all of Cadillac Flambe's greatest talents presented in one great song—great harmonica intro, tight changes, soul-deep vocal harmonies, great song writing, driving beats, pumping bass, melancholic slow sections, and all of it skillfully performed with the honesty of a shotgun blast. You could listen to this song over and over all night and never feel like it was getting old. Other great original tunes on this album include Long Black Train, Death of Me, Workin', Sunrise, Bald Apple's Redemption, Freedom to Eat Right, Honky Tonk Gospel, and What Do You Think.

The album is Cadillac Flambe Live at Knuckleheads, and its twelve tracks include nine top notch songs and three short introductions. Cadillac Flambe strutted their stuff to first place at the Kansas City Blues Society's International Blues Challenge just a few days ago at The Office Bar & Grill. Their next IBC appearance will be at the Kansas City finals, which will be a homecoming for them at Knuckleheads Saloon, the location of their live recording. A win here would propel them to the International finals in Memphis, Tennessee. The competition at Knuckleheads Saloon will feature the bands Cadillac Flambe, Brother Bagman, Koolaide and the Exact Change Band, The Paperclips, and two other bands yet to be announced. Also competing to represent Kansas City as soloists will be Pharaoh Tarot (Skaught Patterson), Kevin Kraft, Jason Vivone, and Tom Tipton.

Cadillac Flambe at Knuckleheads Saloon, KCBS IBC Finals, four solo acts, six bands, October 9th at 2pm

Listen and shop: Cadillac Flambe Live at Knuckleheads CD

Sep 22 2010
9:00P
The Riot Room Kansas City, Missouri

Sep 25 2010
9:00P
Danny's Bar and Grill Overland Park, KS.

Sep 26 2010
2:00P
The Getaway Inn Blue Springs, MO

Oct 9 2010
2:00P
Knuckleheads Saloon Kansas City, MO
cd reviews International Blues Challenge

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Cadillac Flambe, new CD from International Blues Challenge Kansas City Finalists - Kansas City Blues & Jazz Music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/blues-jazz-music-in-kansas-city/cadillac-flambe-new-cd-from-international-blues-challenge-kansas-city-finalists#ixzz1CI4HsGPw - Scott Patterson-Kansas City Blues & Jazz Examiner