Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage Collection
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- 2019 Kamasi Washington
- Interviewer - Michael Gourrier, 03:38 Kamasi Washington lists the musical members of his family; he describes his experiences in high school and college, both of which were in LA and reflects on Horace Tapscott 08:15 Recording, “Sax Chase” 09:54 Washington speaks to playing and recording with Gerald Wilson and reflects on some of his comrades in the LA jazz scene, and speaks to the limits and benefits of being somewhat insular 18:32 Washington ruminates on the power of the Central Avenue scene 19:35 Recording 20:48 Washington reflects on Phil Ranelin 22:40 Recording, “Scheherazade” 24:56 Washington speaks about Kendrick Lamar 28:02 Recording, “Desire” 29:04 Recording, “Knowledge” 29:56 Recording, “Integrity” 30:55 Washington discusses his first album as a bandleader, Harmony of Difference 33:30 Recording, “Fist of Fury” 35:16 Recording 35:58 Washington acknowledges the influence of Freddie Hubbard and Art Blakey; he discusses what led him to record “Hub-Tones,” and the spin he gave it; he describes the impact of the Thelonious Monk Institute 43:07 Washington discusses his new short film and touches on his upcoming tour 45:50 Washington discusses the importance of solitude in musical development 49:18 Interview ends
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- 2019 Little Feat
- With Bill Payne and Paul Barrere. Interviewer - Keith Spera, 01:09 Paul Barrere and Bill Payne try to review their own Jazz Fest set 03:57 Barrere tells his “genesis story” with music, citing the first record he ever bought; Payne describes his introduction to rock ‘n’ roll; Barrere describes his beginnings on the guitar 06:45 Payne ruminates on Little Feat’s early intentions; Barrere explains how he entered the band at the same time as some other members 10:20 Payne differentiates between the band’s New Orleans influence being born and being brought in, as it was on Dixie Chicken ; Barrere confirms seeing Clifton Chenier perform as a teenager; Payne discusses the influence of New Orleans players; Barrere and Payne discuss New Orleans’ influence on Lowell George 15:06 Payne celebrates George’s ability to bring people together; Payne gives the story behind the Dixie Chicken album cover 18:01 Barrere and Payne discusses the process behind Waiting for Columbus; Barrere and Payne explain their improvisational ethos 24:52 Demonstration, “The Old Folks Boogie” 29:55 Barrere and Payne consider George’s shout out to Tucumcari, New Mexico; Barrere and Payne explain the value of covers; they mull over the complicated nature of the band’s songs 36:18 Payne and Barrere discuss their marketability issues; describe how the band decided to keep going after Lowell George’s death; they explain how they came to gain a big following in Washington, DC 43:13 Barrere and Payne reminisce over their gig on the USS President and mull over Little Feat’s exclusion from the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame 50:06 Payne speaks to musical acuity transcending place or race 51:32 Interview ends
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- 2019 Samantha Fish
- Interviewer - Marc Stone, 01:17 Samantha Fish reviews her first performance on the Acura Stage, and explains how excited and nervous she gets before gigs; she explains that she primarily lives on the road; she describes the impact of Jazz Fest and her motivations for playing 04:08 Fish celebrates blues and roots music while explaining she doesn’t feel tied to any one genre; she describes a musical awakening she had as a teenager; she tells how her dad, a music fan, got her to her first concert; she testifies to the power and purpose of music 07:29 Fish explains the importance of learning the drums, her first instrument 10:28 Demonstration 15:25 Fish describes the production process behind her album Belle of the West and the strategy developed behind its release 19:40 Fish explains some of the decisions made behind touring versus recording; she reveals her manager helps her staff her band; she describes how she prioritizes the flavor of her albums – which are somewhat regional - over regional flavors of her musicians 23:20 Fish gives some details on her new upcoming album; she discusses her cigar box guitar 29:08 Demonstration 32:35 Fish explains prioritizing hooks and stories over genre or style; she describes Jim McCormick’s songwriting talents and names some of her favorite songwriters; she celebrates the importance of guitars as voices and names some of her favorite story-telling guitar players 37:20 Fish describes some of the balance on her new album, guitar-wise and names the artist she’s produced on her record label; she describes producing other artists 40:48 Fish gives some detail on that night’s gig and gets into her upcoming tour 42:15 Demonstration, “Chills and Fever” 45:45 Interview ends
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- 2019 Smithsonian Folkways Celebrates Jazz Fest 50th
- With Jeff Place, Michael Murphy, and Dave Ankers. Interviewer - John Wirt, 01:50 John Wirt introduces the panelists 04:02 “Indian Red” recording by the Golden Eagles 05:09 Jeff Place explains how the track placement for the five-CD Jazz Fest box set was conceived, mimicking a day at the Fairgrounds, including ambient sounds like the welcome announcement by Larry McKinley 07:01 Michael Murphy describes how he got to the Smithsonian to pitch his idea for the box set 08:14 Place describes meeting Murphy, and how a Jazz Fest idea was already in the ether in the form of a suggestion of a tribute to George Wein 08:49 Murphy relates the sequence of events in planning the set, as he remembers them 09:29 Dave Ankers explains how he got involved in the project, and what his contributions looked like 11:01 Murphy tells how he came to accumulate a huge collection of Jazz Fest footage 12:20: Ankers speaks to WWOZ’s trove of Jazz Fest recordings, collected dating back to their first live broadcast in 1993; describes the process of whittling down the material, “an embarrassment of riches” 13:58 Place weighs in on the process, explaining how they knew what number of which sort of songs they wanted 15:02 Murphy reflects on the production experience; explains how his material from 1987-1989 was lost due to brittle cassettes 17:49 Ankers explains how a variety of obstacles could prevent certain tracks, but that an aim of the set was also representing less readily available music, as opposed to worldwide hit makers such as Fats Domino 18:56 Murphy reflects on John Campbell, a more obscure artist he included a track from, along with Ankers, who explains how he represents a mission of the set: to show that there are undiscovered pockets for discovery at Jazz Fest 20:18 Place underscores the set’s emphasis on Louisiana heritage, and Murphy speaks to the relief of a project, particularly in contrast to most television broadcasting, that didn’t put much stake in headliners 23:06 Recording, Champion Jack Dupree and Allen Toussaint 23:33 Ankers explains how Allen Toussaint’s accompaniment on the Champion Jack track was discovered accidentally 25:13 Ankers discusses Bonnie Raitt’s musical contributions on an Allen Toussaint track, and Murphy reflects on her relationship with Toussaint 26:30 Murphy relates how pleased he was that the Smithsonian folks wanted to focus on authentic New Orleans and Louisiana culture and talent 27:35 Ankers confirms that the project was conceived as one of live recordings; Place explains how he pulled some recordings before 1990 from a series of NPR shows 28:53 Place explains how he listened through all the tapes from a benefit concert for Professor Longhair after his house caught fire; Ankers tells how things came together perfectly, as the archive had the tapes, which had recently been digitized 30:23 Professor Longhair, “Big Chief” 30:25 Panelists discuss Longhair’s “Big Chief,” where he’s backed by the Meters and playing at breakneck speed; Ankers describes playing excerpts from the box set on air at WWOZ and what a hit it was, partly because there’s so little new Professor Longhair to discover 31:33 Ankers confirms that the fire benefit tracks are the oldest of those on the set, and that Big Freedia’s “N. o. Bounce” is the newest, from 2016, and reflects on the continuum of music Jazz Fest provides. Murphy underscores this sentiment, explaining how he’s decided to include Freedia in an upcoming feature on the city 34:28 Big Freedia, “N.O. Bounce” 35:24 The panelists describe how the government shutdown impacted production 37:10 The panelists affirm their pride in their work 37:21 Place details how much time he spent on the set, it having dominated his weeks from May though the end of February 37:51 Place explains that their wish list totaled a hundred and forty tracks, which would make issuing another set easy 38:21 Rachel Lyons point out some Folkways staff in the audience, and relays how much George Porter, pictured on the cover, enjoyed his copy of the book 39:40 Huib Schippers explains that Folkways is in “the forever business,” so the box set exists digitally; he also explains some drama surrounding the binding of the book 41:14 Place ruminates over his favorite tracks that didn’t make it onto the set 41:35 Ankers lists his three favorite tracks from the set 42:14 Murphy names John Campbell as his favorite track of the set 42:45 Place selects the Wild Magnolias as his favorite 43:20 Place and Ankers explain why there’s no Eddie Bo on the set, and the story behind the George Wein track “Back Home in Indiana” 44:12 Interview ends
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- 2019 Spencer and Andre Bohren
- Interviewer - Lawrence N Powell, 00:30 Lawrence Powell introduces Spencer Bohren, providing some background on his musical career and art talents 04:15 Powell and Bohren discuss his musical background from the church 05:47 Bohren describes how he came to folk music, through the radio; explains that he left his hometown as he soon as he could to go to Denver, where he’d been exposed to a folk music scene. He started playing immediately, while working at the library 10:25 Bohren explains how he got to Oregon; describes his brief time in Seattle, which he left due to its being too wet, and from where he headed to Boulder to play with Judy Roderick, who Bonnie Raitt cites as her major inspiration 14:45 Bohren explains how the band Gone Johnson introduced him to touring, which took place in the American west 16:45 Bohren details how a cross-country road trip with his partner, Marilyn, led to his discovery of himself a soloist, which motivated him to explore the roots of American music 18:44 Bohren relates how a show at Tipitina’s, then the 501 Club, changed his life, and serves as an example of New Orleans having thoroughly seduced him and his wife; describes the move to New Orleans, and credits his wife with having kept him honest through some rather rough transitions 24:21 Bohren describes the combination of touring and circus connections that led he and his family to life on the road; gets into the nuts and bolts of the logistics of their family touring life, of which his wife was the fulcrum 27:48 Andre Bohren describes what it was like being homeschooled on the road, and how he’d pass time in the car driving 30:03 Andre charts his musical trajectory, from aspiring rock and roll guitarist to classical pianist, courting drums, funk, and honky-tonk along the way 34:45 Andre explains that he has long been into record production, but only recently emphasizing it 35:44 Both Bohrens introduce Spencer’s song “Your Love” 36:43 Demonstration: “Your Love” 42:21 Demonstration 46:51 Interview ends
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- 2019 Susan Cowsill
- Interviewer - David Kunian, 00:57 David Kunian introduces Allison Miner 02:10 Susan Cowsill addresses her state of mind and her Jazz Fest set; she describes the process of joining the Continental Drifters and moving from Los Angeles to New Orleans 07:53 Cowsill describes the Drifters’ first foray into commercialism; Russ Broussard explains how he joined the Continental Drifters and expresses what he finds special about the band 10:22 Cowsill and Broussard discuss the idiosyncrasies and wonders of the band; Cowsill reflects on the Drifters’ recurrent reunions 15:08 Cowsill discusses her Covered in Vinyl series 19:05 Cowsill picks the cover of Carole King’s Tapestry as a recent highlight; she tells the story of the Grateful Dead Covered in Vinyl 26:04 Cowsill remembers the Bruce Springsteen Covered in Vinyl, and she and Broussard reflect on how the general experience was an education and they remember some Covered in Vinyl failures 30:35 Cowsill and Broussard remember the David Bowie set, and the one for the Clash, which leads Cowsill to reflect on how she’s not tuned in 34:49 Broussard announces his upcoming gigs; they give some background on “Rain Song” 36:51 Demonstration, “Rain Song” 42:14 Cowsill mulls over what brought her to New Orleans, and what’s prompted her to stay 47:16 Interview ends
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- 2019 Swamp Pop Legends
- With Warren Storm and Willie Tee. Interviewer - Nick Spitzer, 00:12 Demonstration 02:37 Warren Storm mentions having become good friends with Fats Domino; describes the music he grew up with; explains how Fats Domino inspired him to move away from the music of his youth and lean toward swamp pop, which he says started with rhythm and blues 04:24 Willie Tee discusses his hometown of Judice, Louisiana; Tee and Storm discuss when they got together, in 1980 06:46 Storm describes how he got to record “The Prisoner’s Song,” in 1958 08:45 Storm introduces his band members and shows off some of his alligator paraphernalia 10:05 Demonstration, “Sick and Tired” 13:24 Storm and Tee dispense with the notion that they are ever sick and tired of playing music, and describe how they came to collaborate; Tee describes his various nicknames 16:39 Storm tells how he got his stage name, necessary partly due to his birth name not fitting on 45’s 18:03 Storm explains how J.D. Miller pitched “The Prisoner’s Song,” which charted, and describes the recording process 18:46 Demonstration, “The Prisoner’s Song” 21:30 Storm tells how “Prisoner’s Song” got him to meet Elvis, who himself recorded a dirty version of the song; gets into his time recording in Nashville 24:15 Demonstration, “Seven Letters” 28:38 Storm attributes his ability to maintain a heartfelt feeling in his songs to abiding love for music 29:06 Storm discusses his experiences with Lil’ Band o’ Gold, which helped him take his music worldwide; cops to sometimes singing in French 30:39 Demonstration, “Jolie Blonde” 33:45 Storm discusses the lack of accordion in the band, compromised with a keyboard that sounds like one 34:49 Haydee Lafaye Ellis tells a story of Fats Domino paying Warren Storm a high compliment; Storm counters with a joke Domino made, teasing him with his own song 36:16 Demonstration, “Thank You So Much” 39:12 Interview ends
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- 2019 The Mavericks
- With Paul Deakin and Eddie Perez. Interviewer - Derek Huston, 01:08 Paul Deakin explains the origins of the band; Deakin and Eddie Perez try to recall when and how they first met 08:43 Perez discusses leaving Dwight Yoakam; they mull over their influence from and connections to Doug Sahm 13:44 Perez and Deakin discuss Flaco Jiménez; reflects on the band’s Latin influence; discuss the band’s trip to Cuba, and its results 21:15 Perez celebrates Deakin as a drummer; Deakin describes the ingredients for a particularly special set; Perez speaks to the band’s chemistry 29:32 Deakin and Perez speak to their motivation; Perez and Deakin consider musicians they’d like to collaborate, and attest to their lack of a favorite song 34:36 Deakin and Perez discuss their upcoming Latin album; they ruminate on Jerry Dale 39:23 Interview ends
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- 2019 The Subdudes
- Interviewer - Scott Aiges, 01:43 John Magnie explains that they just finished recording their first original album in about ten years; Tommy Malone says that they’re working like maniacs, and that the travel can be hectic. 03:01 Demonstration: “I Smile” 08:19 Magnie explains that they’re happy simply having each other and having a good time. Malone expresses their bafflement that they’re still managing to get hired, giving perspective with the fact that he, at sixty-one, is the youngest of the group 09:58 Malone explains how he became friends with Johnny Ray Allen, the subdudes’ late bassist 10:23 Steve Amedée relates meeting Malone for the first time, when he was in the back seat of his mother’s car, who was coming to be Amedée’s catechism teacher 11:48 Amedée and Malone explain how they used to hop on instruments together during breaks in their brothers’ band’s rehearsals 12:44 Amedée and Malone reflect on Mamio, Edgard’s deputy sheriff 15:23 Magnie reflects on Johnny Zimple, the alias he developed upon moving to New Orleans, which was motivated by his love for Professor Longhair and James Booker, his favorite piano players 18:19 Magnie explains how he met Malone through hiring him to play with Lil Queenie 20:50 Malone explains how the subdudes first started playing together 23:01 Amedée explains how he came up with his tambourine technique 25:25 Malone tries to describe what motivated them to leave town as their group was gaining popularity 26:45 Tim Cook explains how he befriended the band in Fort Collins 28:22 Magnie explains some of the irony of their success landing a label after they re-located to Fort Collins, after actively pursuing labels on visits to New York, ultimately going with Atlantic 32:04 Demonstration: “A Little Light In Your Eyes” 34:56 Amedée reflects on how the first record changed them, requiring a lot of touring 35:55 Cook explains how he was invited to become the group’s road manager, and formed another band with Johnny and Steve after the first break-up of the subdudes, then diagrams the journey to the current formation of the subdudes, though multiple other shake-ups and break-ups, with Cook returning to tour managing until replacing Johnny Ray Allen after his sudden and unexpected death 42:10 Magnie and Malone respond to a question of whether they’re excited or intimidated about the state of music today, leaning toward the former 44:28 Demonstration: “Sugar Pie” 46:59 Interview ends
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- 2019 Wendell Brunious
- Interviewer - Gwen Thompkins, 01:10 Gwen Thompkins introduces the concept of trumpet players as New Orleans’ superheroes; gives a brief overview of Wendell Brunious’ musical heritage and span 03:00 Brunious plays Louis Armstrong’s introduction to “West End Blues” 03:40 Thompkins cites Nicolas Payton’s insights that the trumpet is regal, and an instrument of war and revelations, as well as tenderness. She explains that she associates Brunious with the tender side, which he affirms 04:13 Brunious explains how he was exposed to the album Clifford Brown With Strings as a teenager, which seems to have impacted his attraction to ballads. He identifies with the ‘finesse’ of the trumpet 06:16 Brunious describes how he tries to speak words with his trumpet, identifying learning lyrics, for ballads particularly, as crucial. He also emphasizes the importance of playing songs your own way. 06:52 Thompkins explains how many men of the Brunious clan – including Brunious’ father, brother, and nephew – are trumpet players 07:34 Brunious relates how the trumpet was always the one for him, partly due to there always being access to one in his house, and partly due to wanting to be like his dad, John Brunious, Sr. He acknowledges a sense of competition within the household. He explains that two of his sisters were also good trumpet players, but quit for fears of ruining/marring their lips. He gives insight into the lifestyle of such a musical family, simply putting mutes in when people in the house said playing was going too late 10:07 Brunious identifies trumpet players as bandleaders, leading melodically, as well. He cites his father’s expression, ‘If you don’t know the melody, you don’t know the song.’ He says he feels free to improvise ‘one hundred percent of the time,’ due to his deep familiarity with the melodies. 11:25 Brunious concedes that playing the trumpet may be physically taxing by admitting that he had a heart attack a year ago, but says he was born to play the trumpet, and if he has to die, wants to die after playing his best chorus 11:58 Brunious concurs that tone is everything, saying that “you can’t sound good if you don’t have good sound,” demonstrating the difference between a beginner’s and mature player’s tone. He excerpts “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans” to demonstrate playing words through the horn, and cites Clifford Brown as his greatest influence and endebttor in terms of sound, and raves, with Thompkins, over his jam session with Dinah Washington 15:07 Brunious tells the story of playing on the SS President with Lionel Hampton’s band at the age of twenty-three, and how New Orleans music grabs him in a way that nothing else can, citing local trumpet players’ individuality, a rarity on the national scene. He emphasizes the importance of learning the blues, to avoid being “a pocket full of scales” 19:20 Demonstration: blues 20:10 Brunious mentions the importance of touring from an income perspective; describes his brief job at Sears, which was so truncated because Herlin Riley came in and offered him a gig, which he got the same night 23:47 Tape of Riley relating that same story 25:25 Brunious reflects on Bourbon Street in that era, and what a nurturing, educational environment it was for young musicians like him and Herlin Riley, who would run out to sit in or catch even half a song from heroes after playing a six hour gig 27:10 Brunious explains his mission to revive that ethos of Bourbon Street, which he explains was motivated partly by a heart attack last year. He laments the demise of New Orleans music, particularly on Bourbon Street, which used to be a fulcrum 31:45 Brunious confirms Al Hirt’s salty mouth, explaining that he was well-intended but had a nasty vocabulary. He and Thompkins consider swearing as a form of potentially musical language 33:56 Brunious explains how Danny Barker got his father hired in the Cab Calloway band 35:51 Brunious divulges his best advice for young trumpet players: develop your tone, and learn the blues. He emphasizes the universality of the blues and how it facilitates broad communication. He demonstrates two examples, and explains that he once taught a course all about the blues, that required twenty-five 2-5-1 licks from each student. He explains 2-5-1’s, and adds that everyone ought to learn the bass drum, to better understand rhythm 40:24 Brunious describes the self-care he’s embarked on since his heart attack, celebrating the merits of a primarily vegan diet; the process of writing a memoir, celebrating his unusual experiences throughout his life 44:37 Brunious sings “That’s My Desire” 46:40 Interview ends
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- 2019 When Women Speak, They Make a Difference!
- With Cheeky Blakk, 3D Natee, Keedy Black, and DJ Westbank Red. Interviewer - Holly Hobbs, 01:31 Introductions; Cheeky Blakk describes how different the scene was when she was a teen in the Lower Ninth Ward 05:08 3D Natee explains how deeply she looked up to hiphop artists as a teen, and how the bounce parties of her youth seemed more focused on dancing 07:07 Keedy Black describes how many changes she believes bounce to have gone through since her youth, due to factors such as speeding up and sexualization and increased lyricism 08:42 Westbank Red reflects on how early she wanted to become a DJ and how she feels bounce has changed, and how she imagines New Orleanians being able to blow up with it as it becomes an increasing international trend 10:23 Blakk explains how her first hit, “Twerk Something,” came about; Miley Cyrus’ controversy with twerking; Blakk describes how artists not having their paperwork straight has fueled unaccredited appropriation 14:07 Natee explains that bounce is a small part of what the world seems to want of New Orleans flavor, and that she believes that to be part of the deal with being from here, advocating consistency with the cultural passion intrinsic to this place 15:03 Black describes how she feels bounce’s place on the international scene emphasizes the necessity of tending to the business side of things, a lesson she’s learned through dealing with the use of Magnolia Shorty’s vocals; explains how her white male managers helped teach her how to get her paperwork together and keep it straight 17:31 Natee describes how fortunate she was to learn the paperwork angle early, through the realization, via Missy Elliot and Timbaland’s interest, that music could be her business 18:45 Black says that it was out of towners who taught her how to work her paperwork, and that she caught on to the necessity of asking a lot of questions for the sake of learning 19:25 Red explains how she’s found unapproved samples of friend’s music through all her music downloading, and emphasizes that paperwork is the most important component of the business side, given how easy it is to accidentally sign away rights 20:27 Blakk states that she was raised by her dad, and has been able to find her way through the industry by virtue of being a strong black woman 21:53 Natee describes her lack of self-muting, which she sees other women sometimes using strategically to get ahead. She explains what she sees as the source of her initial tough exterior, her parents’ descent into drug use, and how she sees her unexpected vulnerability connecting her with audiences 25:50 Black draws a connection between growing up female, socialized and accustomed to having to defend yourself, and thriving as a woman in the music industry, which requires a similar ability and willingness to stand up for and defend yourself; discusses the balance women have to strike between being firm and soft 28:23 Red describes men having tried to imply that she doesn’t deserve what she gets, though she acknowledges that while it may not be deserved, it has been worked for; explains how much smaller the Westbank is, musically, than the city of New Orleans 30:20 The panelists reveal when they returned after Hurricane Katrina; Red describes how from 2006 until 2016, she had to keep side jobs to support her DJing, finally breaking out of that in September, 2016, when she was able to focus on DJing and producing full-time 32:03 Blakk explains how all of her songs are her favorites, due to them all relating to her life 32:52 Natee describes “Maria,” which she identifies as one of her favorite of the songs she’s made due to its being a tale of redemption 34:07 Black picks “Hammer,” her first single, as her favorite, due to the surprise of it doing as well as it did, and its ties to Magnolia Shorty 35:22 Red speaks to versatility being key to DJing, so as not to get stuck in a niche, despite people’s eagerness to label any DJ from New Orleans a bounce DJ 37:19 Natee explains how much she appreciates the trend of richer, longer songwriting in bounce 37:54 Black seconds preferring lyrics over chants, though she shouts out Cheeky Blakk’s 38:25 Red expresses her enthusiasm over bounce getting back to being about dancing and having fun 39:03 Blakk plugs her upcoming video shoot and premiere 39:52 Natee displays her USB wristband, an innovative marketing technique 41:43 Black promotes her community engagement, which she emphasizes is open for volunteers 42:48 Red discusses her new instrumental beat mix tape, in the works, and her production partnership 43:23 Natee plugs her upcoming album with PJ Morton 44:24 With a dearth of audience questions, Blakk leads a call and response singalong 45:24 Interview Ends
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- 2022 Memories of George Wein
- with Quint Davis and Keith Spera