The industrious collection of music makers known as Critters Buggin has recently released a live DVD, entitled The Clackervalve and the Old Clobberd Biscuits Out and Smack the Grand Ham Clappers Mother. The disc features an mix of live performances, short videos, and photo slideshows.
Continually redefining themselves since 1993, Critters Buggin have traversed groove, jazz, African and tribal rhythms, electronic, and funk. The group is comprised of saxophonist Skerik (Les Claypool, Garage a Trois, Skerik’s Syncopated Taint Septet, The Dead Kenny Gs), vibraphonist Mike Dillon (Les Claypool, Garage a Trois, The Dead Kenny Gs), drummer Matt Chamberlain (solo material, Floratone, Fiona Apple, Tori Amos), and bassist Brad Houser (Black Frames, The Dead Kenny Gs).
Though the band has been rather idle since the release of Stampede (Ropeadope) in 2005, the members are active in the projects listed above and many others. The DVD contains live footage from Critters Buggin’s 1999 show at the Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, held at Poland’s Palace of Culture and Science.
The disc also includes a pair of odd “intro films” for the band’s Tokyo performances in 2004, as well as a claymation video for “Brozo the Clown” and a shadow-puppet video of “Panang.”
The DVD was released in local record stores in Critters Buggin’s hometown of Seattle on October 31 and is available via the band’s website.
Critters Buggin: www.crittersbuggin.com
Ropeadope: www.ropeadope.com