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A popular live Peterborough band in the 80's.
Dennis
O'Toole wrote in The Peterborough Examiner on May 30 2007
about a reunion of The Heavenly Jukebox:
The return of Heavenly Jukebox,
once a staple of the local live music scene, is slated for Saturday
at 2 p.m. at the Montreal House Tavern, King and Aylmer streets.
The ‘MoHo
Matinee’ promises to be a summer jewel. May 26 featured Petunia
and the Loons and June 2’s Heavenly Jukebox Reunion is truly cause
for celebration.
Heavenly Jukebox
features the vocal mastery of Cris Cuddy (Max Mouse and the
Gorillas, Jeremy Dormouse, Uncle Bobby’s Arial Ballet; to name but
a few of the acts Cris has fronted over the years) along with
Prairie Oyster’s wizard of the strings Dennis Delorme (dobro,
banjo, perhaps pedal steel) buttressed by the bass and harmony
vocals of the long-time anchorman of choice J.
P. Hovercraft.
Hovercraft was
generally at Cuddy’s elbow through the many bands of the era as
well as gracing projects ranging from yours truly and the Crossing
to Innocent Bystander, with Dave Bingham of Ugly Duckling fame.
Between them, this
trio has a huge repertoire of material and influence, and most
certainly the chops to back it up. All of what we now assume to be
‘roots’ music will be part of the program, and the afternoon
will be a trip back in time, and a true treat for lovers of good
lyric and delivery.
Cuddy has long been
in tune with the ‘heart of the song.’ This has kept his
repertoire broad and deep and true as steel, informing his original
material with all the elements of the ‘great ones.’
Prairie Oyster
includes a stellar cover of Cris’s ‘Long and Lonesome Old
Freight Train’ on their remarkable new disc, ‘One Kiss.’ That
Cuddy would gravitate towards and be accepted as a peer by Mickey
Newbury (long acknowledged as the ‘songwriter’s songwriter’)
during his forays to and interludes in Nashville speaks to the
quality of his material and the purity of his vision.
‘Back in the
Day’ the Heavenly Jukebox was a working tavern dance band that
blended traditional material with the emerging rock, folk and blues
sounds and songs that clearly illustrated the bridges and bonds that
tie it all together with heart and soul.
Although Cuddy was
already a respected and established songwriter, the Jukebox tended
to rely on popular music of the post war era that made for a
repertoire designed to cross boundaries and appeal to a broad
audience with material that was in fact, ‘Heavenly.’
One can only hope
that the passing of time has prompted Cuddy to include more of his
own songs in the mix.
If this writer ever
makes it through the Pearly Gates with any spare change in pocket,
I’m going to be looking to punch in a Cris Cuddy selection on that
‘Heavenly Jukebox.’
In the meantime,
kudos to George Buchanan and the folks at the New Montreal House for
helping to keep local music alive. I guess it’s up to us to get
out and support it.
THE HEAVENLY JUKEBOX
Has GUESTED WITH:
Jim
Leslie
PETERBOROUGH Venues
that THE HEAVENLY JUKEBOX has PERFORMed in:
Montreal
House (The)
Contact
Information FOR THE HEAVENLY JUKEBOX:
E-Mail: criscuddymusic@aol.com
E-Mail: kprice@kawartha.com
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