About

In the early 1980's, the Blue Flame Stringband toured everywhere from Italy to Vancouver to Chicago to Washinton D.C. The band reached a national audience with their appearances on Prairie Home Companion and made an influential album which covered an amazingly broad range of roots music: bluegrass, old-time string band music, jug band blues, African vocalizing, Greek rembetika, and Cajun-Creole music. The foursome has continued to get together informally, delving into various types of traditional music, including cuatro music from Puerto Rico.

During the years that Blue Flame's been on pilot, its members have been nominated for a Grammy (Kate), won an Indie award (Eric & Suzy), and traveled extensively in Asia as Executive Director for the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (Alan). Kate, Alan, Suzy and Eric have continued to evolve musically in their own bands: Kate Brislin with her partner Jody Stecher (and her recent collaboration with Katy Moffat), Suzy and Eric Thompson with the California Cajun Orchestra, and Alan Senauke (with Suzy and Eric) in the Aux Cajunals, and in the bluegrass band High Country.

Reviews

"Just got in from seeing the Blue Flame String Band at Berkeley's Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse. They were every bit as good as I figured they would be. The BFSB features Eric and Suzy Thompson, Kate Brislin, and Alan Senauke; they play old-time country, Cajun, blues, and you name it.

The BFSB recorded an album for the Flying Fish label back in the 1980's, which is regrettably no longer in circulation. They occasionally reunite and those attending the upcoming Strawberry Spring Music Festival can see them there.

Aside from the BFSB, Eric and Suzy Thompson perform often as a duo, with the fine accordionist Danny Poullard in the California Cajun Orchestra, and are joined by Senauke in the Aux Cajunals. Eric and Suzy Thompson have recorded for the Arhoolie label both as a duo (with many guests) and with CCO. Back in the 1970's Suzy Thompson and Brislin played together in the Any Old Time String Band; both of their fine albums have been re-issued as a single CD on Arhoolie. These days Brislin mostly performs in a duo with husband Jody Stecher; they have 4 excellent, old-time CD's out on Rounder. Brislin also has a very lovely folk CD out on Rounder featuring duets with Katy Moffatt. Brislin and Moffatt (along with Stecher on guitar and mandolin) are also making a rare appearance at the Strawberry Spring Music Festival.

Ray Alden has compiled 4 eclectic collections on Rounder in 2 separate series titled "The Young Fogies" and "The American Fogies". All 4 members of the BFSB can be heard in various combinations on these. Friday night's concert featured the stirring "Get Right Church" and the bluesy "Baby Please Don't Go", both of which are in the "The American Fogies" series.

What did I like best about Friday night's concert? Wow, everything. The band opened with an up tempo instrumental featuring Brislin on clawhammer banjo, Senauke on guitar, Suzy Thompson playing fiddle, and Eric Thompson on mandolin. They then went right into a great version of "Boil Weavel". Suzy Thompson is an excellent fiddler and Eric Thompson masters any instrument with strings (he played a few tunes on a 10 stringed Puerto Rican instrument). The band proceeded to play a real variety of material, switching around on instruments. Brislin played some triangle on a few Cajun numbers while Suzy Thompson did some accordion work and Eric Thompson picked up the fiddle. Senauke and Brislin did a fair amount of lead singing and I really enjoyed both. I love the way Suzy Thompson can belt out a song and she also sang some great harmony in the trios. Heck, I was even impressed with Brislin's kazoo playing!

The BFSBand is a wonderful, versatile band. I wish I could say that they are coming soon to a town near you. All the same, be on the lookout for these 4 individual artists and their various recordings."-- Todd A. Gracyk Petaluma, CA tag9@pge.com

"I think the Blue Flame Stringband LP on Flying Fish came out around 1981 or '82 and I was particularly taken with a wierd a capella version of "Blues Stay Away With Me" which they credited to an unheard of group called Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Around that time, Alan Senauke stayed with me for a few days when he came to Montreal with Howie Tarnower for a Fiction Brothers gig. Alan introduced me to the songs and music Ladysmith Black Mambazo and a bunch of other great African groups.

About four or five years later, "Graceland" came out and the whole world discovered the glorious harmonies of LBM. But, thanks to the Blue Flames, some of us had a head start." --Mike Regenstreif "Folk Roots/Folk Branches" on CKUT in Montreal