NEM#234: John Kruth the Multi-Hyphenate

Not only is John a multi-instrumentalist (e.g. mandolin and flute) who’s played with Violent Femmes, Allen Ginsberg, Hal Willner, John Prine, The Meat Puppets, et al, but he’s released around 24 albums as a solo artist or with several groups including the NYC world music outfit TriBeCaStan. He’s also a poet and author.

We discuss “(Be Careful What You Say to) An Armed Lady” by Folklorkestra from A Strange Day in June (2023), the title track from Forever Ago (with La Società del Musici) (2018), “Bed Bugs” by TriBeCaStan from New Deli (2012), and listen to “Back Country” by The Electric Chairmen from Toast (1995), which features members of Camper van Beethoven. Intro: “Grim Reaper’s Song” from Midnight Snack (1986) (which features Violent Femmes’ Brian Richie on bass). More at kruthworks.com, johnkruth.bandcamp.com, and (for TriBeCaStan) at evergreene.bandcamp.com.

Hear all of “Grim Reaper’s Song.” Watch TriBeCaStan live with John on sitar, and here’s a whole live set. Watch the video for Waiting by the Window, another key track from Forever Ago. Here he is on banjo. Here he is live with The Illustrious Ancestors. Watch him playing flute with The Blues Project.

Here he is with Noodle Shop (feat. Jonathan Segel from Camper van Beethoven) and Elliot Sharp. We refer to Folklorkestra’s “A Pair of Boleros.” Watch a short documentary about John. Watch him talking about a recent book he wrote. Here are more videos that John has posted.

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