Rabble Without A Cause
Wednesday March 27th, 2013 with Bernard Stepien
Ottawa’s Mike Essoudry Mash Potato Mashers

I have always wondered where percussionist Mike Essoudry got his band name, Mash Potato Mashers. Well, when you listen carefully to his two CDs that band has recorded, it becomes pretty obvious. This project is about a fusion between at least three musical styles: the music of the Balkans that itself is already the result of a melting pot between Slavic, Turkish and Jewish music, New Orleans modern brass band like the Dirty Dozen Brass Band for example and finally Free Jazz improvisation. But fusion would be a mild way to characterize this music. Mashing all these musics together or sometimes separate them as you would do with people engaged in a browl is probably closer to the reality. The 20 or so compositions and arrangements, all except one by Mike Essoudry will always start in one of the specific genres, but as the piece progresses, all kinds of transmutation occur. Like a firework, there are shoots in all direction with different harmonic colors or rhythms. The project started officially in 2010 but Mike Essoudry’s got the idea of doing it much earlier. One important characteristic of this band is that it is purely acoustic. In this world of overwhelming electronics that certainly makes an instant contrast. Essoudry really thinks it is all dance music, Serbian Kolo or tekno music? Your choice! Tonight, we will sample his two CDs, Mash Potato Mashers and Hooray!