The Be Good Tanyas

The Be Good Tanya's great bluegrass harmony caught my ear, and as soon as I heard I just knew they were from Kentucky. Yep, Sur-nuff, the trio hails from Louisville, Kentucky but like most talented acts from the area they have left to populate other areas of the world filed with Midwestern talent transplants. Might proud of these girls and hope to see them live sometime soon. They hint a feminine strength of secrete seductive natures and healing vibrations.

A short video featuring Greta, the dog, and Sam, the boy. The song is "Dogsong" by The Be Good Tanyas.

Ray's Music Exchange, Paul Hogan and "Mad Dog"

Paul Hogan and "Mad Dog" Michael Mavridoglou were two of the 8 members that made up Ray's Music Exchange, a band of music graduates from Cincinnati, Ohio. Ray's Music Exchange blended jazz into jamming funky grooves creating unique orchestrated songs and funky dance rhythms. They created so many varying rhythms that the entire atmosphere filled with rippling waves of sound for the dancer to groove to; rhythms that even the ricochets and echoes were in sync with each other.

"The Zappa System of jamm"

This was no accident, one random night at a Cincinnati music scene called Topcats Live they were in a great groove, like two tornadoes spinning opposite of each other. I was healed of all human thought while the air was undulating in pulsating rhythms, they suddenly stopped cold. Like a light bulb loosing its electric my heart thought it should stop as well and I almost had a reverse heart attack! That is when Paul Hogan, the verifiable leader of the band, the man who would call the song's close and who always seem to be making hand signals to everyone, came out from behind his keyboard to the front of the stage.
"Do you all like what we do?" he asked with proper English. Most folks in Cincinnati would ask "DuYall"
"Uh, of course. Yeah" I said still entranced that the air was somehow clear, less dense, that the music had substance, had a physical weight to it.
"Well, here is how we do it." Paul said.

I don't know why they thought they should tell us, I don't know if anyone knew their system already, I know I didn't. Paul proceeded to tell us that the band incorporates a system invented by Frank Zappa. That the band is grouped in many subgroups within the eight members of the band. The drummer and base is a group and has a hand signal. The rhythm section and conga player are a group and have this hand symbol. the drummer and keyboard are a group and have this hand signal...and on he explained the groups. Each group inside the band then establishes 5 varying tempos and rhythms between themselves. Thus, the first hand signal signifies a group inside the band, and the second hand signal signifies what tempo that group should play. Paul was mathematically orchestrating the band from behind the keyboard!

Mathematical Orchestrated Jazz

Then he asked the audience, "who wants to orchestrate the band?" Ray's music exchange was letting people orchestrate the band! This is one of the greatest acts of all times. I personally regret not taking the reigns, but at that time in my life it took courage for me to even dance in front of people, and I get down! Several people took the helm and the band made it happen to whatever the people wanted. I am in awe of this musical feat even as I write this ten years later. It was the greatest music I have ever heard and the greatest showmanship I have ever seen to date.

Stage Fright

The feat was replicated later that year at the Peach Melba Gathering in Athens, Ohio, a super line up of a show graciously hosted by the band "Peach Melba". Again, after they explained their jamming system they announced that anyone could come up and lead the band, I could not do it. I remember a local promoter got up and led the band and afterward promoted a different festival from the stage. I was upset at myself for being defeated by my fear and allowing that to happen, "I was supposed to be there" I thought to myself. I felt like I let the band down in some way. I know I could not get on stage though, I would have frozen. I pissed myself on stage in a comedy production for school that I wrote and acted in, I mean, I seriously had an issue with crowds. Thank gowd I was wearing black pants because in an attempt to cover swelling piss mark with my hand everyone thought I was holding myself!

Dissolving Crystals

That summer I was on the road dancing to as much music as I could. I had told my touring friends about Ray's Music Exchange all summer and how stoked I was that they were playing at the Berkshire Mountain Music festival in Mass. Unfortunately, at their show, I was informed (by the guy who asked me to get up and lead the band months earlier) that Paul had left the band. I was in shock. Sometime after that the stellar kit drummer, Jason Smart, left the band and joined Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and "Mad Dog" Michael Mavridoglou joined the Jazz Mandolin Project.

Paul Hogan, already an intrepid jazz pianist with a fantastically talented and successful band, went to NYC and "back to school for his Masters?" Some of his projects are available at Paul Hogan's Music. His band "Frances" has recently released their album "Kettle" and currently performs live in NYC.

"Live Ray's Music Exchange show Cleveland 2000-03-11 @ www.archive.org

Mark Stegman, Jan 2009

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madmark is a dancer / production manager world traveler searching for where energy comes from; as far as he can tell, energy is created wherever music is enjoyed.(also in laughter) Enjoy!
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