SOCORRO, N.M. – It’s a harvest full moon and the crazies are playing: Le Chat Lunatique will perform at New Mexico Tech’s Macey Center on Saturday, Oct. 3. Part of the NM Tech’s Performing Arts Serie, the concert will be live-streamed through Facebook, YouTube and Twitch beginning at 7:30 p.m. 

In these difficult financial times for arts organizations, PAS especially appreciates that this concert is supported with funding from New Mexico Arts, a Division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as by the NMT Student Government Association.

As unpredictable, fearless, and entertaining as their namesake, Le Chat Lunatique (literally The Crazy Cat) promises an evening of jazz and swing reminiscent of smoky speakeasies and zoot suits. They call it “filthy, mangy jazz, a signature sound that makes you want to smoke and drink too much – if only you could get off the dance floor.”

Le Chat Lunatique plays Western swing, classical, reggae, doo-wop, and “anything else we damn well please” making it into strikingly original compositions and audaciously reworked standards alike. Watching their videos, one might just be transported back to that time when life seemed easy and it was especially fun to be just a bit naughty.

And after a summer of being cooped up, who doesn’t need to loosen up? This group will have your feet moving even if it’s only tapping the rhythm. So, roll up your carpet or enjoy the show outside and dance away under the moon and stars – all while maintaining current protocols.

All live-stream performances offered by PAS this season are free. Family memberships of $40 a year help pay for production expenses and will afford families specials including pre- and post-concert events and first chances for any drive-in festivals and concerts. For more information visit nmt.edu/pas or call 575-835-5688.

Watching the group’s videos, you might believe they are straight from the Roarin’ ’20s, but you quickly get an inkling of the group’s eccentric genre-bending music when you look at their Facebook profiles. Over the years, they have found an enthusiastic audience in Albuquerque’s jazz scene and most recently were featured at an AMP virtual concert.

Muni Kulasinghe, violin, is a native of Albuquerque who split his time as a youth between New Mexico and Sri Lanka. He began studying violin at the age of 7, continuing his musical education in Colorado. He played with the Bowed Piano Ensemble during a tour of Western Europe which included an evening on the same bill with Herbie Hancock. He says he was inspired both by historical jazz figures and by a chance meeting with a legless Polish man he encountered on his vagabond travels in Europe. He also was involved in theater, creating and performing in New York City and Philadelphia. Currently, in addition to Le Chat Lunatique, Muni teaches Elements of Improv at UNM, manages the Noon Concert Series for the Arts-in-Medicine program at UNMH, and happily does theater with friends when they ask.  

John Sandlin, guitar, has played with several local groups over the years, including The Sandlin and Starr Jazz Duo which has opened for many acts in the Popejoy Lobby, including, Al Di Meola and Manuel Barueco, The Benny Goodman Orchestra, and others. John received his musical degree through the University of New Mexico, studying under a former student of Andres Segovia and Michael Anthony, 25-year Los Angeles studio veteran and local jazz hero.

Jared Putnam, bass, at one time listened only to death metal. Also a widely traveled individual, Jared studied music at UNM. He has played with Hector Pimentel, Syd Masters, and Lynn Anderson, and sometimes still plays with Syd Masters. Active in making music videos, you may also see him working at La Montanita Co-op in Duke City.

Fernando Garavito, drums, was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. At the age of 18, he moved to the United States with his family, initially to Maine and two years later to New Mexico where he now lives. Son to a writer and a ballet teacher, he was surrounded by music and the arts since an early age. He began by playing piano at the age of 8, and at 12 he moved towards the study of drums. At first, self-taught, he learned mostly by listening to a great variety of musical genres. He was formally introduced to jazz when he moved to Maine where he enrolled in jazz studies at the University of Southern Maine. He continues his study of music and plays with a variety of musical ensembles.

As a group, Le Chat Lunatique has won numerous awards including Best Band, Best Jazz Band and Best Jazz Song. They have opened for numerous national acts including The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Asleep at the Wheel and The Hot Club of San Francisco.

Just a skip through Le Chat Lunatique’s website gives you a view into their fun and funky music styles. This concert is just the answer to a full moon and the need to relax, enjoy and feel like you’re really getting away with some mischief, without really doing so. For more information about this show or the PAS season, call 575-835-5688 or visit their website at nmt.edu/pas.

– NMT –