Little Charlie & the Nightcats

Infobox musical artist
Name = Little Charlie & the Nightcats


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Background = group_or_band
Origin = flagicon|USA Sacramento, California, USA
Instrument = Guitar, Harmonica, Bass, drums
Genre = Blues, Jazz
Years_active = 1976 – Present
Label = Alligator Records
Associated_acts =
URL = [http://www.littlecharlie.net/ www.LittleCharlie.net]
Current_members = Charlie Baty, Guitar (1976)
Rick Estrin, Harmonica/Vocalist (1976)
Lorenzo Farrell, Bass (2002)
J. Hansen, Drums (2002)
Past_members = Jay Peterson/Bass (1976)
Dobie Strange/Drums (1976)
Brad Lee Sexton/Bass (1991)
Ronnie James Weber/Bass (1992)
June Core/Drums (1996)
Frankie Randall/Bass (2002)
Joey Ventittelli/Drums (2002)

Little Charlie & the Nightcats is a four-piece combo, consisting currently of guitarist Little Charlie Baty, harmonicist/lead vocalist Rick Estrin, bassist Lorenzo Farrell, and drummer J. Hansen.

Charlie Baty was attending University of California Berkeley and studying mathematics when he formed Little Charlie & the Nightcats with Rick Estrin in 1976. The band's music relies chiefy on electric urban blues of the Chicago variety, but mixed in bits of many other compatible styles, including early Rock & Roll, Soul, Surf, Swing, Jump blues, and Western swing. [Vladimir, Bogdanov. "All Music Guide to the Blues", Backbeat Books, page 343, ISBN 0879307366] Nightcats issued their debut album, "All the Way Crazy", in 1987, with songs "Poor Tarzan", "Suicide Blues, and "When Girls Do It". Followed album "Disturbing the Peace" in 1988, with guitar opener, "That's My Girl", jazzy work on "My Money's Green", rockabilly licks on "She's Talking", and blues on "Nervous". The records help established them on the blues festival and club circuits, and they began touring the country extensively, playing a number of international venues as well. They have played at the legendary San Francisco Blues Festival in '80 and '82, Montreal International Jazz Festival, San Diego Street Scene and Seattle's Bumbershoot Festival, Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival in 2002, just to name a few.

In early 2008 Charlie Baty announced entering "soft" retirement, and will no longer tour with the band except for possible reunion tours/shows in Europe and very select North American festivals. Rick Estrin will carry on with the band as Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. Baty will be replaced on guitar by Chris 'Kid' Andersen (b. 1980), originally from Telemark, Norway. Andersen has been honing his chops in bands backing up Charlie Musselwhite, Terry Hanck, John Nemeth, Andy Santana as well as fronting his own band. Andersen is one of the few players around with the talent and skills to replace Baty.

Baty's last blues recording is as a guest on JW-Jones - Bluelisted (2008), an album which marks the first time in his career that he documented his harmonica playing on recording, and the first time he and another west-coast blues legend, Junior Watson have recorded together on the same tracks.

elected discography

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.intrepidartists.com/rickestrinandthenightcats.html Rick Estrin & the Nightcats]
* [http://www.littlecharlie.net/ Little Charlie & the Nightcats official website]
* [http://www.alligator.com/index.cfm?section=artists&artistid=14 Alligator Records review]
* [http://jazzinternet.com/vegasjazz/gallery/nightcats.htm Nightcats photos]