Mark Karan (RatDog, The Other Ones) - guitar, lead vocals
John Molo (John Fogerty, Phil & Friends) - drums
JT Thomas (Bruce Hornsby) - piano, organ
Bob Gross (Delaney Bramlett, Albert King) - bass, vocals
Influences
obvious by the covers- Little Feat, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, to name a few...
Sounds Like
a blend of The Band, Little Feat, Grateful Dead meets funky soul n blues.
Bay Area musician Mark Karan has added his distinctive guitar sound to a diverse musical tapestry of recordings and shows. Whether playing with timeless rockers like Dave Mason and Delaney Bramlett or more modern, mainstream acts like the Rembrandts, Karan has a signature soulful melodicism. Best known for his touring efforts with Grateful Dead-related bands The Other Ones and Bob Weir & RatDog, Karan also tours with his own band, Jemimah Puddleduck.
Jemimah Puddleduck is a group of players who, like Karan, have made their names contributing their talents to a variety of big-name acts. Grammy winner and groove guru John Molo has anchored the last decade of drums for Phil Lesh & Friend; keyboardist John “JT” Thomas tours and co-arranges with Bruce Hornsby, and is a two-time Grammy nominee; and bassman Bob Gross has anchored the low end for Albert King and Delaney Bramlett. Their collective resumes include tours with artists such as Tracy Chapman, John Fogerty, Paul Carrack, Sophie B. Hawkins, and Sparks.
Mark offers his soulful blues-based vocal stylings and inspired guitar work with this remarkably tight rhythm section, passionately delivering the sounds of Americana. JP is where rock meets R&B and country…adding the soul of New Orleans, reggae, and funk, flashes of psychedelia or whatever else the muse offers in the moment. In addition to his originals like “Time Will Tell” and “Leave a Light On” or those of songwriter friends, Mark covers a unique mix of covers like Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s “You Can Stay (But the Noize Must Go)”, Peter Tosh’s “Don’t Look Back”, and the Kinks’ “Lazin’ on a Sunny Afternoon”- his eclectic tastes in music are the hallmark of the rare JP shows.
Mark’s debut album, “Walk Through the Fire” will be released by Quacktone Records and DIG Music on June 30, 2009. It will be available in stores nationwide, online everywhere (including Itunes, Amazon, Napster, Rhapsody, etc.), at MK shows, at RatDog shows, and at markkaran.com. The album features special guests Delaney Bramlett, The Persuasions, Bill Payne, The Rowan Brothers, Mike Finnigan, Pete Sears, Hutch Hutchinson, Wally Ingram, and many others.
JP is touring in 2009 in support of this album, making appearances at festivals and clubs nationwide.
