It was a hot, muggy night in Columbus when I visited Brothers Drake Meadery & Bar last month to see The Rad Trads at the kind invitation of trombonist and founding member “Tall” Sam Crittenden. He and I had connected earlier in the year when I wrote a preview for a show featuring his other project, Sammy Miller and The Congregation. Unable to attend their performance due to a scheduling conflict, I wanted to make good on my promise to Crittenden that I’d show up next time he stopped in for a gig.
With my camera bag in tow, I maneuvered my increasingly sweaty self through the crowded venue to the front of the stage – just in time to see local jazz fusion ensemble Safety Squad finish their set. Shortly after eleven, The Rad Trads dove head first into the first single from their current album Must We Call Them Rad Trads, “Keith Richards and I” – a playful, debaucherous caprice that fantasizes about rock and roll stardom. While R&B guitar and bass lines perpetually bubble at the foundation of the band’s music, the shiny brass tones and agile percussion flavor it with New Orleans jazz and southern sass. If you close your eyes and forget you’re in Columbus, the rollicking “Delilah” could make you swear you walked into a late night session at Preservation Hall. “Rosalie” is another soulful romp that could have easily made the cut on any Sam and Dave record. The album is a delicious, well-produced confection and is deserving of every accolade it’s received to date.
I wouldn’t have initially thought that The Rad Trads’ style would fit into Short North chic, but the swarms of twenty-somethings at the Meadery swaying and cheering enthusiastically in the heat quickly proved me wrong. Crittenden, along with Alden Harris-McCoy (vocals and guitar), John Fatum (vocals and drums), Michael Fatum (trumpet), Michael “Big Red” Harlen (vocals and bass), and Patrick Sargent (vocals and saxophone), are exceptional showmen and have achieved a near-perfect balance between whimsy and cohesion. I’ve said it before, but I’ll gladly say it again for a band this good: there’s nothing better than watching musicians at work who love their craft boundlessly and truly enjoy being together on stage. These are nice, humble, and talented guys who want to spread goodwill through their art. It’s hard not to appreciate that.
Our busy schedules prevailed once again, preventing us from getting face time to talk more about the band’s album and ongoing tour; the latter is taking them overseas twice this year. Since they visit Columbus frequently, I suggested we exchange some questions and answers in preparation for their next stop-in.
I’ve been searching the web trying to figure out what a “Rad Trad” is. What’s the significance of the band’s name?
Alden Harris-McCoy: “Well we’re a little radical and a little traditional so that’s more or less the essence of the band. We started out as a Trad jazz band, and while we’ve become much more rock and roll oriented, we still use traditional forms as the building blocks for our new music.”
Sam Crittenden: “I agree. The respect we have for the rich tradition of American music has given us a sturdy foundation on which to build our identity. But we strongly believe in pursuing our own voices – both as individuals and as a band – and that pursuit inevitably drives us outside of the neat box of tradition. We’ve now mixed styles like blues and rock and roll with Trad Jazz and New Orleans brass band to find this new and more radical sound.”
So, your website bio states the band “started playing for a few free beers.” When was your first actual paying gig?
Patrick Sargent: “Our first paying gig was at a beer garden in Hoboken, New Jersey. We would play four sets from eight to midnight. This gig and others like it were how this band ‘cut our teeth’. It helped us develop our endurance, our repertoire, and our style, as well as teaching us how to feed off each others’ energy. When it’s the last song of the last set, and there are more people on the bandstand than left in the audience, you learn how to keep a smile on your face and on the face’s of those around you, even when you feel you have nothing left to give. To this day we have at least three hours worth of music ready to go at any moment, even though we find ourselves playing a 60 minute set of original music much more often.”
All of you really seem to glean a lot of joy in sharing the stage together – and your chemistry is palpable. How do you maintain positive relationships while you’re also doing business?
John Fatum: “The number one way we maintain positive relationships with each other is by having frequent band massage trains. But seriously…the key is most certainly respect. We all respect each other’s musicianship immensely, and we respect where everyone came from and how we all have different battles going on in our lives. The one place that should never feel like a battle is with each other, especially being on stage together. That’s our safe place, that’s our happy place, and it’s sacred to us. We have a democratic decision making process too, so everyone’s voice is heard and respected. It’s such a special situation, we don’t know anyone else who has it.”
Your music attracts a lot of energetic people – many of whom I bumped into when I was taking photos the other night. What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve seen while you’ve been playing to an audience?
Sam Crittenden: “Back when the band was pretty new we were hired to play a Limousine Drivers’ Convention at a casino in Atlantic City. Everything was as it should be – Guys in pinstripe suits with slicked back hair, cigarette smoke everywhere, a couple of us winning at the Blackjack table, and no shortage of booze. At some point in the night, the head of the convention waved Michael over and asked if he could sit in on guitar. With no idea what to expect, we cranked up a blues for him – this guy had more moves than anyone I’ve ever seen. He played behind his back, under his leg, over his shoulders, upside down…At some point we were all so enthralled we lost the form and he ended up playing by himself for a little while. By the end, everyone at the convention was going ballistic. To this day, I have no idea if what he played sounded any good, but I will never forget the image of that Limo Driver hopping around the stage and the accompanying feeling of awe.”
You’ve been touring Europe this summer for a extended period of time – and you even have a booking agent based in Italy. How have you established such a following overseas – and has that been different than doing so on this side of the Atlantic?
Michael Fatum: “One of the things that makes us unique is that our music appeals to almost everyone. We did a show Thursday night for about 400 people on a dance floor who were going wild and were all about 23 years old. The next afternoon we played an intimate room in which the average age was 80… And those little ladies gave us hugs, kisses on the cheeks and bought up all our CDs as well. So, as we’ve gotten started as a band, we’ve been able to be flexible about the kinds of rooms we play on a daily basis to string together tours and keep the band on the road. This has also resulted in us having a very diverse following, which we love, and this would be no different in a foreign country than in the United States. Until we reach a level of recognition where we can show up in any city on any given night and sell tickets at any random ballroom, we will continue to go where we think we might be able to find and connect with new friends and fans… and right now that means almost any bar, festival, club, or party in the world that wants to celebrate joy through music.”
I know Sam and Pat also play with Sammy Miller and the Congregation. What other side projects are other members in the band involved with?
John Fatum: “Mike Harlen and previously Michael Fatum have been long time members of EMEFE. Alden leads a bunch of different bands, highlighting some of his unique musical interests (New Orleans, country, jazz organ group, etc.) , Patrick has begun leading his own band, and I’m releasing my second solo record of songs this fall, lead my own bands and keep busy playing on the folk/americana/country music scene in NYC when I’m not on the road. Changing it up and making music outside of The Rad Trads helps to keep our music fresh and constantly growing.”
You have an outstanding live show and a great record out. What’s next for you to conquer – what are your hopes and dreams as a band?
Michael Fatum: “For me, it’s all about the live performance. It’s the way we started as a band and it’s the best way for us to share our love for what we do with others. I am completely addicted to the feeling of being on stage, playing music with 110% energy and passion with my best friends and then looking into the audience and seeing so many smiling faces, people dancing, singing along, laughing, clapping, tapping their feet, and then jumping into the audience with my horn and joining them! Nothing better. Until I figure out a better way to share our joy for life, I hope that we will continue to just do what we do each night for bigger and bigger audiences in every corner of the world.”
I know this is almost impossible for musicians or audiophiles to answer – but I’m going to ask it anyway: each of you pick one album and tell me about why it moves you.
Michael Fatum: “I’ve been listening a lot to music from Gabby Pahinui, namely Pure Gabby and Gabby. He is a beautiful Hawaiian folk musician, and there is something so incredible about the honesty and calm in his voice. We travel so much and work our butts off to make it happen in search of this dream. Gabby’s music really helps me relax and always reminds me that life is beautiful and everything is going to be just fine.”
Patrick Sargent: “Is This It by The Strokes. When we flew to Malaysia and back last month I listened to this record 12 times in a row on the way back. Something about The Strokes I find wildly addictive, every note being play and sung is just so satisfying. This record in particular combines the rawness of live performance and the perfection of a great studio recording. The way the guitars, bass, drums, and vocals intertwine is mesmerizing. It blows my mind to think that this is a debut record by a bunch of 23-year-olds.”
Sam Crittenden: “Live at the Harlem Square Club by Sam Cooke. There are a lot of things that I love about this record. Sam sounds so good and his phrasing has inspired my trombone playing. The band is killing it – they’re not always the cleanest or the most ‘right’, but every note that they play is so fiery. And most importantly, you listen to that album and you just want to be there. You can feel how special that performance is, how electric the atmosphere is, and you can close your eyes and get lost in the moment. That’s such a special and rare thing and really makes this record stand out in my mind.”
Alden Harris-McCoy: “Brer Soul by Melvin Van Peebles. Some of the most expressive and cutting spoken word narratives paired with a raw funk band that adds humor and complexity to his poetry and characters. I love this record all the way through.”
John Fatum: “Masterpieces by Ellington has been one of my favorite albums for a while now. It takes a few of Ellington’s most famous compositions, and presents them in through-composed, 15 minute or so versions that are so gorgeous and magical… they take me to an entirely different place. It can be terribly difficult to express certain feelings through words, and this album expresses things for me that I have never been able to express verbally. I’m saying this as someone who focuses on writing songs and poetry as their creative outlet.”
Mike Harlen: “Grandes Sucessos De Bezerra Da Silva. I think this is a compilation, which is kind of cheating, but it’s probably what I’ve been listening to most lately. It’s just incredibly joyful, danceable, great music. Check out the track ‘A Bata Da Vovo’.”
You’re traveling the world with your music, which I know is in and of itself a huge accomplishment. Is there a location or venue you’d like to play that you haven’t yet?
Michael Fatum: “Everywhere and anywhere! Some dreams are to play in cities that we love and have played before, but to play on bigger and bigger stages in those cities… think Summerstage in New York or in Millennium Park in Chicago. And then there is the dream to simply make it to more parts of the world… I’m really excited for us to play in London this summer and start breaking into the UK market. We had an amazing time in Malaysia, and would love to share our music in Japan and other parts of Asia as well. I have this dream of getting the band to Cuba, which is where my brother John and my mom grew up… The Rolling Stones played Havana this year, so why not us!”
Stay in touch The Rad Trads as they continue their tour this summer, download their latest album “Must We Call Them Rad Trads”, and be the first to know when they’ll be in Columbus next by visiting the band’s website.
Photos by Grant Walters.
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