sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bruce Kulick, The Good Rats

30 JEWISH TELEGRAPH Friday March 5, 2010

CONTACT MIKE COHEN [email protected] ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Tel: 0161 741 2637 Axeman Bruce spend 12 years Mike Cohen meets a guitar hero with a GUITAR HERO: stunning CV promoting new RUCE Kulick solo album BK3 has never legally changed his named to ACADEMIC OF MUSIC: Professor Louie, left, with his band The Crowmatix ‘Former GuitaristB Bruce Kulick’. Yet it seems that every magazine feels obligated to call Louie was in a jam him that. But Bruce, who was with the rock legends for 12 years from 1984 to 1996, is quite happy with the moniker. “I’m really proud of my 12 after Brooklyn move years in Kiss,” Bruce told me. “How many people do I know WOODSTOCK automatically conjures BY SIMON YAFFE who are very talented ,who up images of the infamous 1969 festival worked on their careers, but which promoted three days of peace “It is well known that rock ‘n’ roll don’t have a name as big as Kiss and music. had come from gospel and blues and I on their resume.” But the town is also home wanted to experience the genre for Bruce — who released his to Aaron Louis Hurwitz — better known myself. It was a fantastic time.” third solo album BK3 last month as Professor Louie. Louie also continued to study music — took his first steps on the road Despite the pseudonym, he is no and perfect his abilities. to stardom when he starting scientist nor chemist, more an He said: “The music scene was playing the guitar aged around academic of music. becoming less enticing, but the studios 10. Louie — who has worked extensively were advancing technologically. He was spurred on after being with Bob Dylan’s former backing group “Various bands began to hire me to mesmerised by The Beatles The Band, as a performer, engineer and work with them in the studio.” appearance on The Ed Sullivan producer — plays a variety of His lucky break came when friend Show on February 9, 1964 — the instruments with his own band, Artie Traum, who had spent time as most-watched programme in TV Professor Louie and The Crowmatix. Dylan’s bass player, recommended him history to that point. “I started playing duo shows with to Garth Hudson, keyboardist with The “I think my brother Bob was (The Band’s) Rick Danko and he just Band. already playing guitar so it gave started calling me Professor Louie on They had split up years previously, me more ambition to go ahead disco band. guitar work for the album stage,” he said. but reformed around the time Louie and grab his guitar and play it,” “I was starting the long in 1984. Louie, who is of Russian and German became involved. Bruce said. journey of touring and playing “And Paul said to me ‘don’t cut descent, said: “A lot of musicians have He went on to co-produce, engineer “Early on I recognised I had guitar for people.” your hair’. Now, I didn’t know nicknames, think of The Duke or and perform on many of The Band’s some easy ability on it which But Bruce’s heart was always why. My hair was shoulder- ‘Robbie’ Robertson. albums, including High on the Hog, was fun and my friends were in rock. length at the time. I didn’t “I was proud to have a fellow Jubilation and Jericho. very encouraging.” He said: “Bob got an audition realise that they knew that musician give me a moniker.” Louie continued: “I was quite happy The 53-year-old added: “There for Meatloaf and they were Mark wouldn’t be well enough Born in 1960 in the New York town to stay behind the scenes in the studio. was always music in my family. looking for two guitarists. He for the European tour they were of Peekskill, Louie’s big break came in “Honestly, I was happy to help in any Less my parents, more my was very adamant it should be planning. way I could, I am a team player. The cousins who played piano and both of us. “So then I’m filling in first for Band already had great pianists, so violin. My mother claimed to “We had role models of Dick two to six weeks, then it turned I was really they did not need me in that way. have sang and my father played Wagner and Steve Hunter, who into 12 years. But the performing bug soon bit him the trumpet, but I didn’t see worked with Lou Reed and Alice “There was never the big again and he formed the Crowmatix in them so it wasn’t like there were Cooper — that’s how Bob saw us. announcement that I was the curious about 2001. musicians hanging around the guitarist. (British rock house. “I learned ’s Fellow band member Marie Spinosa parts for the tour magazine) Kerrang listed me and gospel music and Louie are married and have been in 1977-78.” showed a picture of me from my together for 25 years. Brooklyn-based Bruce was in Blackjack days with a They have recorded seven studio moustache which said I would be his early 20s when he started touring Asked to do the band Blackjack with CDs, two live CDs and their live concert , releasing two filling in for Mark. America with The Mighty Gospel Giants CD, The Spirit of Woodstock, was Of Brooklyn. ghost work on albums, Blackjack (1979) and “But in the States I wasn’t the c recorded at The New York State Worlds Apart (1980). official new player yet. For He recalled: “Peekskill was a really Museum to celebrate the anniversary of business reasons they gave Mark ethnic town, it was full of large black, He also featured on Billy the festival. Animalize Squier’s 1980 album Tale of the a chance. He even came out on Jewish and Catholic families. The Crowmatrix’s new album tour with us for a few weeks. “The synagogue I went to was across Tape and Great American Music in Whispering Pines is released on “I treated it really positively. the road from a Baptist church. “I had some stars in my eyes, 1981 with . Tuesday. As much as I knew I was the Everyone got on great and it was a but it wasn’t like my only In 1983, he appeared on The title track is a cover of The better guy for the job, I wasn’t really tolerant place.” ambition was to meet girls and Bolton’s self-titled solo album Band’s hit and it also includes covers of c going to make life hard for him. Louie is in no doubt that his home be on stage. The guitar seemed and his 1985 release Everybody’s two other Band classics, The Weight to be a safe hobby. Crazy. We used to jam backstage. I town stood him in good stead for a and Ain’t No More Cane. “I could connect with it. A year before the release of think he tried a little too hard. career in music. He explained: “It was a Louie and the group also perform really artistic and musical place. That’s why I always encourage Bolton’s second album, Bruce’s “I had the home base their original song Melody of Peace people, even if not making a life was to change as he landed advantage with gigging with “The schools had great music with The Prague Radio Symphony. them for six weeks in Europe. departments and I remember a teacher career of it, but enjoying what it the gig of Kiss’ lead guitarist. For the last four years, he has been is to sit playing an instrument. Kiss were formed by Israeli That was my official start of called Vinnie Corozine who used to run to the Siberian city of Novosibirsk, being in Kiss.” music summer sessions for kids. It’s very healthy for people.” (Chaim Witz) and where he has taught English through Bruce revealed that the “At night there would be As Bruce was a big fan of New York Jew singing to students. original four members were performances by jazz bands, choirs and Cream bassist Jack Bruce, he (Stanley Eisen) in 1973 with Ace A documentary of his experiences in partners,adding: “You are paid orchestras. It all added up to give me a learned the bass guitar which Frehley on lead guitar and Russia, Woodstock-Siberia Blues very well, but you are not a good background.” “improved the strength in my drummer . Express, has been featured at 2007 partner of the band. After moving to Brooklyn, Louie fingers”. But Frehley left in 1982 first Woodstock Film Festival and The He added: “I realised I was a being replaced by Vinnie Businesswise I get it, but when attended the School of International Maine Film Festival. you look at the big picture, you Music for a short time. Brooklyn, he better guitarist than the Vincent (“he couldn’t work out Louie said: “ML Liebler, a guy I know guitarist in some of the bands I the business angle with Gene think sometimes, ‘wow wouldn’t explained, was full of musicians and lots who teaches at Wayne State University it be great if they did this, this of them lived in loft apartments. was in. I kept moving forward and Paul,” Bruce said) and then in Michigan, runs an exchange that way. Mark St John (“young hot shot and this’. “We would start jamming at 3am and programme with Russian students. “And, then again, you look at “I went through high school guitar player from LA”). go on all night, it became like a “He was asked by Eduard Shwartz, a it like, ‘I wasn’t there at the knowing I was playing well Bruce revealed: “I never rehearsal space for groups like The Russian Jewish entrepreneur if he knew start, I didn’t create this thing’ Mighty Gospel Giants Of Brooklyn,” he enough that people would thought Mark was right for the anyone who would go to Siberia to band. I remember reading about so it wasn’t something I was recalled. teach blues and jazz. respect me that way, but not knowing it would be a career. it and just reading his influences really upset about. He later joined up with the group on “I met Eduard in New York and we and thinking why did they hire “In the sense of being put out tour, playing the organ. got on really well. Going to Novosibirsk “I didn’t have a clue what I him.” there on the record covers, Louie said: “They welcomed me with has been a great experience. would major in — friends told But St John, who died in 2007 touring together, you are all open arms, I was going places no white “It used to be the capital of the me music so I said ‘guess so’. from a cerebral haemorrhage, band members.” person had ever been. gulags, but is quite a modern place “I signed up for Queen’s was diagnosed with Reiter’s Before Bruce joined Kiss, they now.” “I was really curious about gospel College. I did a year-and-a-half Syndrome — a form of arthritis. were one of the biggest bands in music. I www.professorlouie.com and got offers to travel. I was “Next thing I know, as my the world and their stage show playing in covers bands and brother had done before me, I was legendary. wound up touring Europe in a was asked to do some ghost They made their first