Mark Karan of Jemimah Puddleduck by Robin Tamburr

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who are Mark Karan and Jemimah Puddleduck?

Interview by Robin Tamburr … Part 1 of 2

Mark Karan plays lead guitar with Bob Weir’s RatDog, in his down time he plays with his own band Jemimah Puddleduck with John Molo (TOO, Phil Lesh & Friends, Fogerty) on drums, John “JT” Thomas (Bruce Hornsby) on keys and Bob Gross (Albert King, Delaney Bramlett) on bass. Mark brings his blues-based vocals and inspired guitar work to Jemimah Puddleduck, a band who delivers a soulful mix of rock and R&B, with a taste of folk, blues, reggae, jazz.

Over the years, Mark has worked with Dave Mason, Paul Carrack, Delaney Bramlett, the Rembrandts, Huey Lewis, Jesse Colin Young, Sheena Easton, Alex Call and Sophie B. Hawkins among others. Since 1998, Mark has toured with members of the Grateful Dead, including The Other Ones and Mickey Hart’s Planet Drum and Bobby Weir’s Ratdog. He also plays from time to time with Mark Karans Buds.

I had the opportunity to interview Mark so we can learn more about him, his music and Jemimah Puddleduck before they head out on their first east coast tour. I’d like to start by thanking Mark for doing this interview on his day(s) off from playing with Ratdog and to also give huge thanks to his staff for making it happen…

RT: Mark, you sound like you’ve been a pretty busy guy over the years. How did this all start for you? When were you drawn to music and playing?

MK: Oh, since I was a kid. I picked a guitar at around 9 years old… “Where have all the flowers gone”, “If I hadda hammer” etc… then the Beatles happened and I was hooked.

RT: You have a great bluesy voice. Have you always been a singer?

MK: Yes and no… I’ve been singing since I was a kid. I was in the San Francisco Boys Chorus… we even did opera and some shows with the Vienna Boys Choir! And I sang a lot in my youthful bands… but in my early 20’s I started getting a lot of work as a sideman type guitarist and there was less “need” for my vocal skills… LOL! Then when I moved to L.A. I started getting a lot of session work as a singer and was staff writer and producer… so here I am playing with a guy who’s best known for singing/writing & rhythm guitar… so in Ratdog I stick pretty much to guitar and in Jemimah Puddleduck I get to stretch as a writer and singer as well as indulging my muse on guitar.

RT: In the beginning, who/what were your strongest musical influences?

MK: Beatles without doubt… then I guess the Dead, Ray Charles, early-ish blooze- BB King, Albert, etc… Hendrix, Cream, Allmans. I’m 50, so I was a kid during all the “classic rock” thang. Between that, being nine when the Beatles happened and my Mom & Dad being Ray Charles, Billie Holiday and be-bop folks I had a pretty good “leg-up” in the influences department.

RT: So were you encouraged to pursue music as a profession or did your parents have something else in mind for you?

MK: Mom was pretty supportive of music, although I think my taking it as my “living” scared her… and she was right! The music BIZ ain’t for the faint of heart… LOL! It’s tough to make ends meet out there… but you gotta be what you are… period.

RT: You play so many diverse styles of music, what is the evolution of your musical education?

MK: Well, I took a few lessons as a kid but mostly my education is the result of a LOT of listening, copping stuff off records, playing with a lot of different people in a lot of different styles so I got exposed from actual “trial by fire” participation in funk, harder rock, country rock, blues, ol’ school R&B, country, oddball pop, some mainstream pop… and now, hopefully I’m able to draw from all those different experiences as my “musical education”.

RT: Do you know what you are doing in regard to theory?

MK: To a point. I certainly understand the basics and some more advanced stuff… but I tend to try to forget all of it when I’m actually playing. I don’t want to think. I want to intuit… so I risk getting lost and hitting wrong notes by just following my ears and fingers a lot of the time… but I’d rather make a few mistakes and be genuine than be calculating everything I’m doing…

RT: Sounds like it’s working to me. Do you play any other instruments?

MK: Some piano but just enough to sorta sound things out and write. I enjoy writing on piano because it forces me to do things I wouldn’t naturally gravitate towards on guitar… because my familiarity with guitar tends to make me go for “what I know”.

RT: What are your limitations or should I say, what are you refining in yourself as a musician?

MK: I’ve been working on finger picking… a skill that’s thus far eluded me… LOL. I have also been listening to a lot of old Caribbean melodies and trying to expand what I do in a “one chord” jam. I tend to get bored without chord changes and a melodic basis for a “jam”.

RT: Looking forward to hearing that develop. Your bio contains an impressive body of work. In the beginning, what kind of jobs did you have before music became a full time gig?

MK: I’ve pretty much always starved for my art… LOL. I had a job as a seafood cook when I was 19. I worked as a custodial worker (janitor!) at an ol’ folks home, cut some wood for a minute… but mostly I, frankly, played a fair amount of music that wouldn’t have been my first choice, because it was a paying job PLAYING! And a lot of that is what helped make me more well-rounded than if I’d only followed my own interests.

RT: So what would you consider your first real break into the industry?

MK: Hmmm… the other ones in 1998 was a HUGE change for me… before that I’d done some cool stuff but it was here and there with a lot of time in between doing demo sessions, blues gigs around town, etc, etc… I did tour with Paul Carrack in 1988 and that was my first “real” tour. Before that I, believe it or not, did some funny stuff like lip-sync appearances on Solid Gold & Soul Train with Sheena Easton!

RT: LOL~ My next question was going to be… Soul Train?  : )  What’s that about?

MK: See above… LOL!

RT: You’ve played with and met many accomplished musicians over the years. Was there ever an instance when you were star struck?

MK: I’ve been intimidated sometimes by celebrity but it usually depends on the other artist’s attitude too. If someone’s open to being “real” I’m usually pretty comfortable. If they act all “star-time” then I usually can’t be bothered playing that game. Music isn’t sports. It shouldn’t be competitive. I hope to always come to any meeting with other musicians with a good attitude and a genuine desire to share something cool.

RT: That’s a great attitude and sheds light on why you’ve had success with such a variety of musicians. Was there anyone that really changed the way you looked at music, or your approach to music?

MK: Hooking up with Bobby and the Boys in ’98 was a blessing musically, in that it re-kindled a desire to do music for music’s sake and not to be so record deal/career focused… so in that sense, the GD boys… Other than that, no… there’ve been too many different people and situations that helped shape me to single any one person out… maybe Sarah Baker. When I was pretty young I was her lead guitarist and she showed me a lot about being an artist and being true to that and to your song/muse… playing to that stuff, not to the ego gratification side of the fence.

RT: Switching to your gear for a moment. I see that you’ve collected a few guitars over the years! Do you have any special stories about any of them?

MK: Not sure what would make a special story… I found my Fender 1951 Nocaster in Seattle with my wife. We went “browsing” at a vintage guitar shop (Emerald Guitars) and I saw this guitar. I wasn’t gonna buy anything but I picked it up and strummed one chord. Maile, my wife looked up from across the room and the look on her face said it all… HADDA have it!

RT: That’s great…I’d call that a special story!

MK: Other than that I don’t know that the acquisitions have been nearly as interesting as what they’ve been thru since they’ve with me…

RT: Hmmm… we’ll have to get back to that at another time ~LOL. What’s your gem?

MK: Can’t really choose just one. Maybe for GD stuff it’d be my “Strat”… but, along with the “Strat”, the “Nocaster”, the “SG”, the “Goldtop” and the “Gretsch” are my top five definitely.

RT: And what’ll you have out on the road with you?

MK: See above and add my Santa Cruz “Tony Rice Professional” acoustic.

RT: What other gear are you using these days?

MK: Got a few hours? LOL… that’s one of my favorite subjects. I’m afraid I’d likely bore your readers with too much detail. I have been using “Two-Rock” amps for a while now and recently started using an amp by a new company called “65 Corp”. I love toys… pedals… ways to give the guitar different textures, but without removing the actual “voice” of the guitar itself… I use hemp “Tone Tubby” speakers… I recently discovered some GREAT attenuators that allow me to maintain the “sweet spot” on my amps at any volume… lovin’ that.

RT: Cool! I’d like to ask you some questions about your experience with songwriting. How involved are you with writing music and lyrics?

MK: …to be continued.

I asked a lot of questions and Mark was kind enough to answer them all! Please stay tuned for part 2, to be posted in about a week.

Mark just finished up an east coast tour with Bobby Weir’s Ratdog and Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, followed by “Comes A Time” – A Musical Tribute to Jerry Garcia at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, Ca. He’ll be back east October 14-22, with Jemimah Puddleduck to rock us again with an intimate tour of clubs in MD, NJ, NY, and PA. The final shows are slated for Jersey’s own Fireside in Denville, on October 21 and 22, with the John Ginty Band (www.johnginty.net) as the opener. Tickets for all shows are on sale now!

For more info about Mark, the JP tour/ticket information and purchasing CDs go to www.markkaran.com

Photos provided courtesy of Alan Hess / Shot Live Photo www.shotlivephoto.com