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Cadillac Bob and the Rhinestones are soldiering on with a new venue for their 15th Christmas Extravaganza.
Santa had to arrive early this year to come to the rescue of Cadillac Bob and the Rhinestones.
When El Rey Theater, the veteran Albuquerque band’s traditional venue for its Christmas Extravaganza wasn’t available, Bill Kraemer was telling folks there probably wouldn’t be a holiday show this year.
Kraemer has been dressing as Santa Claus as the show’s ticket-taker.
“People were telling me that they want to see the band again. So my wife, Mrs. Claus, and I took it upon ourselves to find a venue,” he said.
“The Albuquerque Museum seemed like a good fit.”
The band and the female singers will perform Saturday, Dec. 15 in a concert at the museum.
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Cadillac Bob and the Rhinestones Christmas Extravaganza WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 WHERE: Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain NW HOW MUCH: $20 at the door |
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Saxophonist John Truitt said that year in and year out he enjoys the Cadillac Bob holiday shows because he gets to play with dear friends.
“In addition to that, it is really about the joy of the rhythms, the joy of seeing people dance to them and the joy of togetherness the music engenders,” Truitt said.
“We have played these songs for the most part for many, many years and they have never failed to really get us up, to make us feel good. It’s a hard thing to describe.”
The band has a variety of R&B, blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll tunes in its repertoire, and it is expected to play such fan and band favorites as “Respect,” “Chain of Fools,” “Good Lovin’,” “Willie and the Hand Jive,” and “Not Fade Away.”
Truitt believes that the experience the musicians have in playing as Cadillac Bob transcends the usual performance with other ensembles.
“If I were to go play even this same repertoire with any other group of people we would would not achieve the kind of cathartic experience that we have,” he said.
“We reach it once or twice a night in these Christmas shows. We all become so locked into the groove, and we do forget that we’ve been doing this for as many years as we have. Time melts away.”
This is the 15th Christmas Extravaganza, though Cadillac Bob has been playing for more than twice that long. Besides Truitt, the other players are keyboardist Arnold Bodmer, trumpeter Chuck Coulter, guitarist Dan Dowling, drummer Mike Fleming and bassist John Griffin.
The Rhinestones are Joan Cere, Denise Brissey-Cohen and Kathy Gutierrez.
Reprint story -- Email the reporter at dsteinberg@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-823-3925
