| After singing the
blues to adults for more than 30 years, California-based bluesman Catish
Hodge is coming out May14 with his first album of children’s songs, "Adventures
at Catfish Pond," on the Music For little People label. It’s an opportunity
for the former Detroiter to have his first hit outside the adult-blues
field.The 50-year-old Bob Hodge grew up on Detroit’s east side. He moved
to Washington, D.C., while in his 20s and lived there for several years
before moving west. In Washington, he built a nice national following.
People still pack primo blues clubs up and down both coasts and across
the country, providing Catfish with a nice, rewarding life.
His albums always show up on blues sales charts, but Catfish has never had a big hit or national fame. Not that he ever sought them. That’s not Catfish. He makes his music for himself and his fans. The veteran blues master says, "A friend asked me the other day, ‘Catfish, do you find it strange that you spent all your life doing one thing and now you could have a hit doing something else?’ It’s not strange at all. Everything you do prepares you for the next thing. "I’ve been working on a children’s album for over five years. It’s not just a children’s record. It’s sophisticated enough for the parents — and the kids get it. The people at Music for little People have been just great. It’s owned by a another fellow from Detroit, Leib Ostrow." From the ‘70s through the inid-’80s, Ostrow owned the Midwest’s largest acoustic-music store, Strings & Things, at 14 Mile and Woodward. It was a major gathering spot for musicians. At one time, Ostrow had five stores.~Ostrow says his California-based Music for little People (1-800-727-2233, anytime) started out as a mail-order catalog "and just took off." It’s an award-winning international children’s music success, recording such major performers asTaj Mabal and Grammy nominee Los Lobos. |
Ostrow is most proud
of the quality they’ve been able to produce, making the label No. 1 in
children’s music. "Our ‘Hand in Hand’ collection of major artists’ songs
about parenting has also been a nice hit," he says.
Ostrow thinks "Adventures at Catfish Pond," is "a great record. Catfish is a unique performer. A great songwriter and story-teller. He’s not exactly as recognizable a name as our other artists now, but this album could change that. "I’ve always been a fan of Catfish’s blues and playing. I remember him from my Detroit days. While I don’t think we were ever introduced exactly, I did see him around and in some of the coffee houses back then." Catfish Hodge & Mystery Train featuringJim McCarthy will perform spe.. cial shows at Royal Oak’s hot new blues and barbecue spot, Memphis Smoke, April 19 and 20. Catlish will also do a benefit at 8p.m. Tuesday at the Holly Hotel for the Isaiah (Doctor) Ross Memorial Scholarship Fund at Mott Community College in Flint. Doc Ross was one the country’s best, but unheralded, Delta blues harmonica players. He died on May 28, 1993, in Flint, where he’d worked at General Motors since 1DM. He got his nickname from carrying his harmonicas in a little black satchel. Putting this $10-a-ticket benefit together is David Boyd, host of the "Blue Highway" Saturday night blues show on Flint’s WFBE-FM. Boyd’s Back Alley Blues Production company videotaped Doc Ross’ last concert at the Flint Public library. Produced by Steve Hester for Comcast Cablevision of Flint, it was a’94 Cable Ace Award nominee. |