Talking Threadheads: Recent Episodes
Nicole Snyder, Chris Joseph
Nicole Snyder and Chris Joseph interview fans, musicians, craft/food vendors, employees and others about the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (Jazz Fest).
About Nicole: A native of Carbondale, Pennsylvania, Nicole’s love of music and learning was fostered from a young age by her loving family. The radio was always playing at her Grandparents’ house and her beloved Grandpa had a supply of old-time country and western cassette tapes that accompanied the family on their many car trips. Her Mom worked at a record pressing plant and brought home the catalog of inventory and would allow Nicole to pick out anything that she wanted- a freedom that sparked her curiosity at a young age. Her love for reading and research lead her to a career as a legal researcher and Nicole holds a master’s degree in library and information science from Drexel University. A love for music and a curiosity for learning new things has always connected her with the best people and that is how she met Chris Joseph and the Threadheads. Nicole’s other interests include bicycles and spinning, gardening and sustainability, college basketball and the Philadelphia Phillies. Nicole has been attending Jazzfest since 2009. Nicole resides in Audubon, New Jersey.
About Chris: Over the last 35 years, Chris has started and managed three environmental consulting businesses, launched two fan-funded music record companies and founded a non-profit charitable foundation for New Orleans musicians. He's also dabbled in philanthropy, book writing, songwriting, and magazine writing. Chris is also an odds-defying, stage-three pancreatic cancer survivor and thriver since 2016, as described in his best-selling 2020 book "Life is a Ride: My Unconventional Journey of Cancer Recovery." He is also a co-curator and contributing author to "The Epiphanies Project: Twenty Personal Revelations." Chris' other podcasts include Oy Vey L.A., The Epiphanies Project, and Life is a Ride: Overcoming Huge Challenges in Unconventional Ways. Chris is a life-long music fan, and has been attending Jazzfest since 1988. He lives in Santa Monica, California.
Our 2022 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Wrap-Up is here! Part 2 covers the second weekend, with input by Nicole, Jordan, Swag, Marc and Russ. What did they love? What did they miss? What did they wish you would have heard? Tune in!
Our 2022 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Wrap-Up is here! Part 1 covers the first weekend, with input by Nicole, Jordan, Swag, Marc and Russ. What did they love? What did they miss? What did they wish you would have heard?
Michael Murphy and Cilista Eberle of Michael Murphy Productions join the Talking Threadheads podcast in Season 3, Episode 2. Cilista and Michael talk about their decades-long history of shooting live performances at Jazz Fest, and also discuss three of their New Orleans documentaries: Make it Funky (2005), Up from the Streets: New Orleans---The City of Music (2019) and the very recently released "Irma, My Life in Music". Their special memories of documenting the rich history of New Orleans music make this episode all the more rich.
Fore more information about their production company, please see https://www.mmptv.com/ Also mentioned on this show: https://call4freedom.com/
Season 3 of Talking Threadheads is here! Martin Shore, director of the new documentary film "Take Me To The River - New Orleans" joins the podcast in our first episode. Martin talks about his musical background, his history with New Orleans music, and the making of the film (and its challenges). More information about this film can be found at https://takemetotheriver.org/ Check your local listings!
A bonus episode for Season 2...the Threadhead Cultural Foundation announces the winners of the top prizes in the annual raffle!
The non-profit Threadhead Cultural Foundation 501(c)(3) promotes the cultural heritage of New Orleans through grants and assistance to musicians, artists, and others involved in endeavors relating to music and other artistic expressions whose work is in the tradition of preserving, promoting and disseminating the cultural heritage of New Orleans and the surrounding area of Louisiana. The Foundation raises funds through memberships, fundraising events and donations. Funds raised are granted to artists and artistic projects through an application process usually conducted in the Fall of each year… quite simply, the more they raise, the more artists and projects they can assist.
Season 2, Episode 17: Our last scheduled episode of Season 2! Rachel Lyons, the chief archivist of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, joins the Talking Threadheads podcast. The Archive’s collections include over 50 years of historic materials from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — including the Allison Miner Music Heritage Stage and African, Folk and Food Heritage stages. These sessions provide valuable information about Louisiana’s culture and its impact on the world. The Archive also houses collections of photos, posters, film footage, audio recordings, signs, business records and other artifacts from events dating to the beginning of the Foundation in 1970.
Links discussed in this podcast:
https://www.jazzandheritage.org/the-archive/
https://jfdb.jazzandheritage.org/
https://folkways.si.edu/jazzfest
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/music/article_eb6af96e-a824-11eb-a3b8-3b240c817cf6.html
https://youtu.be/IObrxC6iYgE
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/16/arts/music/irma-thomas-pbs.html
Season 2, Episode 16: Nicole and Chris talk with Jazz Fest photographer Jim Brock. Jim talks about his favorite Jazz Fest acts (photographing them and as also a fan); how he became a Jazz Fest photographer, and a typical day at the Fairgrounds. Jim also talks about his featured role in the documentary "A Year in the Pit" (https://vimeo.com/692566892), his recommendations for this year's Jazz Fest, and his favorite foods at the Fairground. Jim's work can be found at https://jimbrockphoto.com/. The YouTube version of this episode (so people can see some of Jim's work as he discusses it) can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ_zTWdyqEs
Season 2, Episode 15: Scott Billington is a Grammy® winning producer, musician, writer, and record executive who has worked with many of the greatest artists in American roots music. And he's also the author of a brand new book "Making Tracks: A Record Producer’s Southern Roots Music Journey". Scott talks with Nicole and Chris about his vast experience in the music industry, his fondest memories about some of his favorite recording artists, and what readers can expect from his new book about his life in the music business.
Season 2, Episode 14: Tom Claypool joins the podcast to talk about attending Jazzfest, his weekly New Orleans radio show, his upcoming Blues Foundation Award, and his picks for Jazzfest if he was attending. This episode was produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 13: Our 2022 Jazzfest Cubes Recommendations! Nicole and Chris are joined by cube connoisseurs and long-time Jazzfest veterans Marc Engel, Russ Agdern and Swag, and they discuss their daily favorite acts, sleeper picks and potential scheduling conflicts.
Although Talking Threadheads is not associates with the Threadhead Cultural Foundation, please check them out at https://www.thcfnola.org and jazzfestgrids.com
This episode is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 12: Offbeat Magazine publisher and editor-in-chief Jan Ramsey joins the Talking Threadheads podcast. Jan talks about the origins of Offbeat, its successes and challenges, and gives us a sneak preview of the Jazzfest Bible cover art.
This podcast is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 11: New Orleans musician Andrew Duhon joins the Talking Threadheads crew to discuss his origins as a musician; his career arc to date; his new album to be released in July; and where he's playing during the upcoming festival season.
This podcast is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 9: Talking Threadheads speaks with musician Andre' Bohren as he talks about his unusual upbringing, the various instruments that he learned and plays, his multiple and varied music projects, and his new (and wonderful) album "Resonance". You can find Resonance on streaming platforms, and wherever you buy your music.
This episode is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 8: The Talking Threadheads interview the owners of Rosetree Glass, Mark and Brenda Rosenbaum. Rosetree Glass (link below) has been a craft vendor at Jazzfest for about 40 years; in their interview they talk about what Jazzfest was like back when they first started. Mark and Brenda also talk about Rosetree Fest (link below), their annual gathering at their studio on the Wednesday in-between Fest weekends. (This podcast was produced by AJ Joseph.)
To find more info about Rosetree: https://rosetreegallery.com/
Event information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rosetreefest-xv-tickets-294780535517?fbclid=IwAR3GgOQHCR6fa3Bx6EVScWs6f6tdWR1ysXMtTv7t6MIzrHLhLSJYcg-6yc0
Season 2, Episode 7: Talking Threadhead interviews...itself! Today's special guest is none other than co-host Nicole Snyder. Be sure to listen as she discusses her first Jazzfest, her favorite foods, and some recommendations for first-time fest goers. This episode is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 6: Nicole and Chris talk with New Orleans singer-songwriter Lynn Drury! Check out Lynn's new album "Dancin' in the Kitchen", available on her website or wherever you buy your music. Find Lynn at www.lynndrury.com
Season 2, Episode 5: Talking Threadheads interviews music journalist/writer/critic Steve Hochman. A long-time writer for the Los Angeles Times, Steve has also written for countless national and regional publications, including Offbeat Magazine in New Orleans. This episode is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 2, Episode 4: Talking Threadheads takes a deep dive with the Potters, interviewing them in their hot tub somewhere near the Rocky Mountains. They talk about their meeting with Fats Domino, traveling to Fest with kids, and Amy and Jeff also give their favorite memories of attending Jazzfest.
Season 2, Episode 3: Russ Agdern sits down with Chris and Nicole to tell us how his love of Fest started. He shares his tips for festing with kids and teases us with some second weekend lineup picks!
Season 2, Episode 2: Nicole and Chris interview local Threadhead Wynn Kapit, who talks about his Jazzfest experiences.
Season 2, Episode 1: Our new season kicks off with Talking Threadheads joyfully interviewing famed New Orleans musician and singer-songwriter Alex McMurray.
Season 1, Episode 9: The Talking Threadheads hosts interview New Orleans musicians John Boutte' and Paul Sanchez.
Season 1, Episode 8:Ross Perlmutter regales us with his stories of Jazzfest and New Orleans.....stories that you simply must hear!
Season 1, Episode 7: Talking Threadheads interviews Vance Vaucresson, head honcho of famed Jazzfest food vendor Vaucresson Sausage.
This podcast is produced by AJ Joseph.
Season 1, Episode 6: The Talking Threadheads podcast interviews Grammy winning musicians Craig Klein and Matt Perrine about their award winning album "Atmosphere".
Season 1, Episode 5: Nicole and Chris talk with Vanessa Pikler, in an episode filled with firsts---our first food related question and Nicole learns of the wonderland behind the scenes of Jazz Fest.
Season 1, Episode 4: Nicole and Chris speak with Threadhead musicologist Jordan Hamowy to learn his secrets to being everywhere at the Fairgrounds or at the clubs after Fest ends. Plenty of wisdom in this episode. Enjoy!
Season 1, Episode 3: Chris and Nicole interview Nate and Nanci! We learn about the origin of the Threadhead Patry and hear Nate and Nanci's tips for first time fest-goers.
Season 1, Episode 2: Talking Threadheads talks with a favorite Threadhead----Vicki Weber!
Season 1, Episode 1 kicks off with Nicole and Chris of Talking Threadheads interviewing Swag of www.swagland.com, the person who probably knows as much as anyone about the fan experience of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.