In the latest issue of Waxpoetics, a 5-year-old bi-monthly magazine dedicated to soul, reggae, funk, jazz and hip-hop, Kruth has a paean to the late soul saxman King Curtis and the article's lead is set at Fuel Cafe.
"Back in the early '90s, I used to frequent a little smoky coffee shop called Fuel in the trendy River West (sic) neighborhood of Milwaukee," writes Kruth. "Famous for its killer coffee and lousy service, the place was a popular hangout for gangs of glum Generation Xers playing hooky while getting cranked on espresso and nicotine."
It was at Fuel that Kruth says he realized the impact of King Curtis.
The article appears in the December/January issue (No. 20) of Waxpoetics.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
