My guess about the connotation, if I may be so bold as to try to extrapolate Max's intention from his creation is that "Mudcat Cafe" is intended to suggest an old blues bistro from the Mississippi Delta (notice that this is a center of "blues and folk music"--blues are your first love, Max?) Another connotation: mud refers to down home country, a "cat" is of course "hep' (now "hip"), which means possessed of not merely musical (and music society) knowledge but also of musical "soul," without which musicians are mere academicians, capable perhaps of technical achievement but incapable of expressing passion through music.

And Jeri, how about these categories of threads: politics, who/what/why/when/where is a Mudcatter?, help us write a story, instrument information, pubs/jams/open mikes/concerts, tributes ("Doc Watson--an appreciation" etc. and obituaries).

--seed