JamBase Music News: Recent Episodes
Team JamBase
The JamBase Podcast brings you inside the jam scene and beyond. Hosted by JamBase editors Scott Bernstein, Andy Kahn and Nate Todd, episodes feature entertaining interviews with musicians and other integral members of the industry, news and insights from the world of live music, and much more.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast presents a final episode of our music festival-focused season. This episode features a look back at the H.O.R.D.E. Festivals that toured amphitheaters across the United States each summer between 1992 and 1998.
Listen to host Andy Kahn as he recounts the circumstances that led to the first H.O.R.D.E. Tour in 1992. Blues Traveler frontman John Popper and manager Dave Frey (who later co-founded Lockn’) officially co-founded H.O.R.D.E. — an acronym that stands for “Horizons Of Rock Developing Everywhere.” The innovative touring festival served as a precursor of sorts for what’s become the modern music festival landscape.
Joining Blues Traveler on the initial ’92 H.O.R.D.E. roster were Phish, Widespread Panic, Spin Doctors and Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit, with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones replacing Phish on the tour’s second leg.
Hear the backstory to how the name “H.O.R.D.E.” was conjured and what some of the potential alternatives were, including one suggestion that later became the name of a Phish festival. The episode recaps each of the tours between 1992 and 1998, which featured an ever-growing list of participating musicians. Explore how H.O.R.D.E. expanded to include Dave Matthews Band, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, The Black Crowes and others including legendary acts like The Allman Brothers Band and Neil Young.
While H.O.R.D.E. is generally considered a friendly affair, the episode touches on the tensions that developed between The Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson and Popper during the 1995 H.O.R.D.E. tour. Though H.O.R.D.E. seemingly ran its course in the 1990s, a one-time only event was held again in 2015, marking the last time the H.O.R.D.E. name topped a billing.
Stream this episode and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast continues with another installment of the “Jerry Stories” series about Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Acclaimed author and longtime Deadhead Steve Silberman shares his story of the lone encounter he had with Jerry.
Silberman’s “Jerry Stories” entry dovetails perfectly with the last podcast episode focusing on the 50th anniversary of Summer Jam at Watkins Glen as he was one of the 600,000 people in attendance in Upstate New York in 1973. Not only was Silberman there at the event featuring The Allman Brothers Band, The Band and the Grateful Dead, but it was also his first time seeing the Dead, who he would go on to see many more times over the next 22 years.
Silberman is a noted author and journalist who co-wrote the book Skeleton Key – A Dictionary for Deadheads, which is an encyclopedia of information related to the Grateful Dead. Silberman is also a best-selling author of the book NeuroTribes about autism and neurodiversity.
Steve Silberman, August 1977
A press screening of So Far, a film co-directed by Garcia and Len Dell’Amico that blended artistic visual components with footage of the Grateful Dead in concert, was the setting of Silberman’s interaction with Garcia. The two spoke about a variety of topics, shared a joint and at the end of their meeting a memorable embrace that was close enough for Silberman to be left with a memory of the smell of Jerry’s beard.
Stream this episode and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast continues to celebrate music festivals with a look back at Summer Jam At Watkins Glen on the 50th anniversary of the landmark event. JamBase’s Scott Bernstein spoke to best-selling author Alan Paul, who covered Summer Jam extensively in his newly published book, Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the ’70s.
Several chapters of Paul’s book Brothers and Sisters are devoted to Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. Along with The Allman Brothers Band, the lineup for what was supposed to be a single-day event on July 28, 1973 included the Grateful Dead and The Band. An estimated 600,000 people showed up to Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway in Upstate New York, making it one of the largest gatherings of people on record. With the size of the crowd growing, the July 27, 1973, soundchecks performed by the bands on the lineup ended up equating to a full second day of music.
Digging into Paul’s book and research, he explains how Grateful Dead manager Sam Cutler (who recently passed away) and The Allman Brothers Band’s manager Bunky Odom played important roles in making Summer Jam not only happen, but a logistical success. Paul shares some of the rock ‘n’ roll details of what went down behind-the-scenes at Summer Jam. Listen for a cameo by Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann who chimes in with memories of Summer Jam.
The episode touches on how the nearby Woodstock festival in 1969 might have impacted attendance, dives into the performances of The Allmans and the Dead, the circumstances that might have led to Summer Jam being the last time the Allmans and the Dead played together and legacy of Summer Jam 50 years later.
Alan Paul’s insightful new book, Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the ’70s, is available via all major retailers, including audiobook format. Paul’s band, Friends of The Brothers, will take the stage for the book release show at City Winery NYC on July 30. Friends Of The Brothers will be joined by special guests Duane Betts, Lamar Williams Jr., Vaylor Trucks, Johnny Stachela and Peter Levin. Paul will also perform with End Of The Line at City Winery Atlanta on July 28.
Stream this episode and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast rolls on. This week’s episode features a discussion with Little Feat founding member and keyboardist Bill Payne. JamBase’s Nate Todd recently spoke with Bill about Little Feat’s Sailin’ Shoes and Dixie Chicken deluxe editions as well as the legendary band’s touring plans around the reissues, festivals and more.
Todd caught up with Payne via a video call shortly after the Sailin’ Shoes and Dixie Chicken reissues arrived in late June. The deluxe packages boast a bevy of rare demos and outtakes which led to a discussion of how some of the beloved songs on both albums evolved. The deluxe reissues also feature two previously unreleased live concerts from the era and Bill shared some memories of the shows. Payne also told Nate he’s writing a memoir and that Little Feat are working on a new blues album fronted by longtime percussionist and vocalist Sam Clayton.
The chat also touched on Little Feat’s Boogie Your Summer Away Tour with the current leg seeing support from Bill’s old friends Leftover Salmon. Payne talked about his relationship with LoS as well as collaborations fans can expect on the tour. This fall, Feat kick off The Albums Tour, which will see the band delivering two-night stands, performing Sailin; Shoes and Dixie Chicken a night a piece along with other favorites. Bill shared some insight on what fans can expect from the performances.
As Season Three of The JamBase Podcast focuses on festivals, Payne had some great advice on what to check out at Jazz Fest. Bill also related a humorous story about the band’s experience at the Pinkpop Festival in The Netherlands and gave previews of Little Feat’s own festival, Feat Camp, and an upcoming cruise the band is taking part in which will see ports of call in New Orleans and Mexico among others.
Hear this installment and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast continues with an interview with multi-talented mandolin player Sierra Hull. JamBase editor Andy Kahn recently caught up with Hull backstage at High Sierra Music Festival for an insightful “The Art Of The Sit-In” discussion.
After meeting at Blue Ox in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Kahn re-connected with Hull six days later at High Sierra in Quincy, California. The setting at HSMF was perfect for “The Art Of The Sit-In” given Hull’s role as artist-at-large and the many collaborations that entailed.
When the interview took place Hull had already appeared on various High Sierra stages with the likes of The Infamous Stringdusters, Katie Pruitt and Eggy, and shortly after the chat she was onstage with frequent collaborators Cory Wong and the Del McCoury Band. Hull also sat-in with Steve Poltz and Neal Francis, participated in a songwriters workshop and stopped by a Grateful Dead tribute set. Hull pulled back the curtain on what it was like pulling off all of those sit-ins from both a performance and a technical perspective.
Hull also talked about collaborating with her friend and mentor Béla Fleck, with whom she is on tour with now. The interview also touched on challenging sit-ins, like a recent incident with The Fearless Flyers at Bonnaroo, the difference between sitting-in with bluegrass musicians and other types of performers and additional aspects related to live collaborations. Hull also discussed working on a new studio album, writing new music and much more.
This episode is sponsored by Section 119, a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Stream Season Three, Episode Five and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast continues with the return of moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey. JamBase’s Andy Kahn caught up with Chuck backstage at the High Sierra Music Festival in Quincy, California.
In 2020, Garvey twice appeared on The JamBase Podcast for “The Art Of The Setlist” and “Tour Stories” segments that were among the last in-person podcast interviews recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2021, while the pandemic was still negatively impacting touring and live music, Garvey survived a severe stroke.
Garvey was barely able to speak or play guitar immediately after the stroke and his return to playing live with moe. was uncertain. With the help of speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, Garvey has made significant strides in his stroke recovery and triumphantly rejoined his bandmates and began touring full-time again earlier this year.
Listen for a mid-interview follow-up with Garvey about his first time singing lead with moe. since surviving his stroke, which happened at High Sierra shortly after his podcast interview.
Garvey talked about the role of music in his therapy and stroke recovery, relearning to play guitar, the challenges with speaking and singing and the support he received from his family, friends and bandmates. A truly inspirational story, Garvey’s courage to speak about his stroke recovery is commendable and admirable.
This episode is sponsored by Section 119, a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Stream Season Three, Episode Four and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast continues with an interview with rising guitarist Yasmin Williams. JamBase’s Andy Kahn discussed Williams’ “Musical Mentors” and more backstage at the Blue Ox Music Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Williams performed on the Blue Ox Main Stage on Friday and captivated the audience with her singular approach to playing guitar. Williams’ path to playing festival stages began as a youth when she mastered the video game Guitar Hero. Transferring some of the skills she picked up from the game, Williams found success by approaching the instrument from a new perspective.
Williams detailed how she went from Guitar Hero — a mentor of sort — to electric guitar before settling on acoustic guitar. She discussed learning about music production in high school and how she still relies on that instruction. A self-taught musician, Williams also talked about the challenges she faced when she began studying music in college, which was aided by a particularly supportive professor.
Williams also went into how she started writing songs, her unexpected approach to titling her instrumental songs, covering Post Malone, collaborating with fellow ace guitarists like William Tyler and what she learned from recording and performing with Tommy Emmanuel. Williams ended the chat by revealing she’s at work on a new album that will feature several special guests, including vocalists.
This episode is sponsored by Section 119, a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Stream Season Three, Episode Three and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast continues with a new episode featuring an interview with The Disco Biscuits keyboardist Aron Magner. JamBase’s Andy Kahn recently caught up with Magner backstage at the Summer Camp Music Festival to talk all things Bisco and more.
Summer Camp took place over Memorial Day Weekend, which meant Magner and his band mates were coming directly from the glaciers of Reykjavik, Iceland to the corn fields of Chillicothe, Illinois. Magner talked about adjusting to all the travel and dealing with the jet lag that comes with it. The trip to Iceland was filled with many memorable experiences and Magner described what made it so special.
The interview took place a few hours before the Disco Biscuits played a late-night set at Summer Camp. Magner talked about Bisco’s evolving approach to taking the stage in the middle of the night and how that has changed as they get deeper into their career.
Magner was also asked about the rock opera The Very Moon that he’s working on with the Disco Biscuits guitarist Jon Gutwillig. Magner talked about how the new project came together, the possibility of songs besides the recently debuted “Falling” from The Very Moon being added to Bisco’s live repertoire and what might be next for the rock opera.
Magner gave an update on the Disco Biscuits’ forthcoming new album, the space-themed rock opera Revolution In Motion, which is completely separate from The Very Moon. Other topics the interview touch upon were the band’s approach to writing setlists in different settings, how the environment impacts performances, the possibility of Magner playing again with Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann‘s Billy & The Kids collective (who just announced additional shows) and more.
This episode is sponsored by Section 119, a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Stream Season Three, Episode Two and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast officially premeires with an episode featuring an interview with Leftover Salmon‘s Vince Herman. JamBase’s Nate Todd recently spoke to Herman about the new LoS album, Grass Roots, the band’s rich history performing at festivals over the past +30 years and much more.
Herman previously appeared on episode 21 of the podcast, back in 2018. For his return appearance, Herman chatted with Todd over a video call shortly after Grass Roots was released last month. The album is a collection of covers of songs that were especially influential in the band’s formative years. Herman talked about the guests the band recruited to contribute to Grass Roots, which included Billy Strings, Oliver Wood and Darol Anger.
Some of the songs on the album pre-date the formation of Leftover Salmon and were played by The Salmon Heads and The Left Hand String Band when they first began jamming together over three decades ago in a campground at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Members of those bands would later merge into Leftover Salmon.
Herman talked about Leftover’s legacy as pioneers of jamgrass, the band’s many subsequent performances at Telluride and he shared some of his favorite experiences at other festivals as well.
This episode is sponsored by Section 119, a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Stream the Season Three official premiere and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
JamBase is proud to announce the official launch of Season Three of The JamBase Podcast. The new season officially starts with an episode coming out next Thursday, June 15.
Hosts Scott Bernstein, Andy Kahn and Nate Todd have another exciting season of podcast episodes that you won’t want to miss. Subscribe now on your preferred podcasting platform to have each and every episode delivered directly to you.
Season 3 will see us focusing on all things festivals, from anniversary retrospectives to interviews conducted backstage at events and much more. “FESTIVAL!” maestro himself Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon, who previously appeared on Episode 21 of the podcast in 2018, recently chatted with Nate about the band’s new album, Grass Roots, which contains songs from artists that were especially influential in the band’s formative years. In addition to discussing Leftover Salmon’s legacy as pioneers of jamgrass, Vince also shared some his favorite festival experiences.
Andy, the podcast’s Season Three festival-going correspondent, already recorded an interview with a member of The Disco Biscuits at the recently held Summer Camp Festival in Central Illinois. AK will also be connecting for interviews at the Blue Ox Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin later this month and he’ll be heading out to High Sierra Music Festival in California at the end of the month to speak with artists there as well.
All of Team JamBase will be heading out to Boston this summer for JamBase’s 25th Anniversary Quadranscentennial Silver Jubilee. Umphrey’s McGee, Club d’Elf, the Jennifer Hartswick Band, Holly Bowling, Ron Artis and more will help us celebrate our 25th anniversary over four nights at three different Boston area venues this August.
Another significant anniversary taking place this summer is the Watkins Glen Summer Jam that was held in 1973. Summer Jam was held on July 28, 1973, at the Watkins Glen racetrack. It’s believed around 600,000 people came out that day to see The Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead and The Band. Alan Paul is set to publish an incredibly insightful book Brothers & Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the ’70s that dives deep into Summer Jam. We’ll be using that as a bit of a guide for our upcoming episode focusing on the 50th anniversary of Summer Jam.
Those are just a few of the exciting episodes of The JamBase Podcast we have planned for Season 3. Look for the first official episode to drop next Thursday, with subsequent episodes slated to follow each Thursday.
The JamBase Podcast Season Two finale episode features a look back at “The Art Of The Setlist” interviews with members of Widespread Panic, moe. and Greensky Bluegrass. JamBase’s Scott Bernstein, Nate Todd and Andy Kahn revisit past podcast interviews with WSP bassist Dave Schools, moe. guitarist Chuck Garvey and GSBG mandolinist Paul Hoffman and dobro player Anders Beck.
Season Three of The JamBase Podcast will launch early next month. While the team preps new episodes for the new season, there are dozens of past JBPC episodes available to stream while waiting for new episodes to drop.
Season two reintroduced themed interview segments that were set aside during the pandemic with keyboardist John Medeski taking a deep dive into “The Art Of Improvisation” and Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats returning to the podcast to recount the tale of his “Worst Show Ever.”
This episode highlights another recurring interview theme, “The Art Of The Setlist” which goes behind-the-scenes to examine how musicians prepare and plan before a show. You’ll hear Dave Schools talk about Widespread Panic’s evolving approach to writing setlist and the similarities and differences to what the Grateful Dead did during their career.
Also featured is guitarist Chuck Garvey, who recently returned to the live stage after suffering a stroke in 2021, from his 2020 interview when he talked about moe.’s system for setlist writing and how each member of the band handles their role in the process.
Another revisited “The Art Of The Setlist” interview is with Paul Hoffman and Anders Beck who explain how sometimes writing Greensky Bluegrass setlists is more “Battle Of The Setlist” than “The Art Of The Setlist.”
Stick around for the end of the episode as the team also revisits a “Tour Stories” segment with WSP drummer Duane Trucks and a “Reelin' In The Years” segment with Dead & Company bassist Oteil Burbridge that have connections to the late jam scene patriarch Col. Bruce Hampton.
This episode is sponsored by Section 119, a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Stream the Season Two finale and other past episodes of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Two of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, continues with an episode featuring an interview with David Bromberg. The legendary musician spoke with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about his upcoming final Big Band show in New York City and a variety of other topics.
David Bromberg connected with Bernstein last week through a video call. The extremely talented multi-instrumentalist has one of the most impressive resumes in music history. After honing his chops in the mid-60s Greenwich Village scene backing the likes of Richie Havens, Jerry Jeff Walker, Tom Rush and Emmylou Harris, he started working with Bob Dylan. Bromberg went on to launch a solo career by putting out a string of amazing albums throughout the ‘70s. He still found time during that decade to do session work with the likes of Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and many others. While David Bromberg took a 22-year sabbatical from touring and recording, he returned in 2006 and released more stellar LPs.
At age 78, Bromberg is ready to retire from the road. David Bromberg will assemble his Big Band for one last show in New York City on June 10. He discussed why the time was right to say farewell and previewed an evening featuring special guests Jeff Tweedy and John Hiatt. Bromberg recalled meeting Reverend Gary Davis and what he learned from the blues and gospel singer/musician. He also shared memories of recording and performing with Widespread Panic.
Section 119 is a clothing and apparel company that specializes in licensed merchandise for the Grateful Dead, Phish and other bands. Shop officially licensed Grateful Dead and Fishman donut apparel including button-downs, board shorts, ties, bowties, pockets squares, ponchos, suits, shirts, hoodies and accessories featuring distinctive logos and artwork. Section 119 also offers officially licensed merchandise for Pink Floyd, The Beatles, Jerry Garcia and David Bowie. Visit Section 119 at section119.com and sign up to receive 10% off your first purchase.
Hear the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Two of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, continues with the return of acclaimed bluegrass musician Peter Rowan. The episode features the premiere installment of “Jerry Stories,” a new series of interviews featuring memories of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia.
The “Jerry Stories” concept – to present stories about Jerry Garcia told by the people who knew him – first popped up last year, around what would have been Garcia’s 80th birthday on August 1. This August 9 will mark 28 years since Garcia’s death, and knowing that love for Jerry will not fade away, our team wanted the memories of the people who knew him to not fade away without first being captured for generations to come.
One of the first people contacted was Peter Rowan, who previously appeared on the podcast last July. The team asked Rowan to share a Jerry story, and the delightful storyteller — he’s a true raconteur — ended up relaying a few fascinating tales of their times together. Rowan spoke mostly about Old & In the Way, the legendary bluegrass band he formed with Garcia in 1973.
The group, which featured Rowan on guitar, Garcia on banjo, David Grisman on mandolin, Vassar Clements on fiddle and John Kahn on bass, essentially dissolved the following year. Though short-lived, Old & The In Way had an immense influence on what became the modern jamgrass scene.
For his “Jerry Stories” episode, Rowan recounts meeting Jerry, forming and performing with Old & In The Way and later seeing Garcia for a final time not long before the beloved musician’s untimely death.
The episode is sponsored by DelFest. Taking place Memorial Day Weekend, May 25 – 28, and hosted by Del McCoury and family, the 15th annual DelFest welcomes to the stage the Del McCoury Band, the Travelin’ McCourys, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Trampled by Turtles, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sam Bush, Peter Rowan, The Infamous Stringdusters, The California Honeydrops, Sierra Ferrell, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, and so many more musical acts playing around the clock for nearly four days. Grab your tickets today!
The episode is also sponsored by 2023 destination vacation events Moon Crush “Pink Moon”, Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush “Blue Moon”. Event producers Topeka Live connect you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) features The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) features Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; while Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) features Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
Listen to Peter Rowan’s “Jerry Stories” on The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Two of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, continues with the return of Eric D. Johnson of Fruit Bats. JamBase’s Andy Kahn interviewed Johnson about the excellent new Fruit Bats album, A River Running To Your Heart. The chat also included Johnson, who previously appeared on the podcast in 2019 and 2021, relaying the story of the time he performed his “Worst Show Ever.”
Fruit Bats’ album, A River Running To Your Heart, came out last week on Merge Records. The LP is the 10th Fruit Bats album released by Johnson, who is credited with producing the album along with engineer Jeremy Harris. Johnson talked about taking the reigns and self-producing the album, which was technically a first for him, and how that influenced the recording sessions.
The interview touched on the album’s recurring themes of space and place, and how the influence of geography repeatedly surfaced throughout the album. Johnson was preparing to set out on tour with Fruit Bats, and he dug into his approach for translating what he does in the studio to the live stage.
The chat ended with a “Worst Show Ever” segment. Johnson recalled a Fruit Bats performance in Seattle in the mid-2000s that was particularly painful to get through. An utterly indifferent audience of record store employees, Thai fusion food being served for dinner, and the Postal Service receiving a Gold Record were just a few of the circumstances that led to it being his Worst Show Ever. Be sure to stick around to the end to hear that wild memory.
This episode is sponsored by DelFest. Taking place Memorial Day Weekend, May 25 – 28, and hosted by Del McCoury and family, the 15th annual DelFest welcomes to the stage the Del McCoury Band, the Travelin’ McCourys, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Trampled by Turtles, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sam Bush, The Infamous Stringdusters, The California Honeydrops, Sierra Ferrell, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, and so many more musical acts playing around the clock for nearly four days. Grab your tickets today!
This episode is also sponsored by 2023 destination vacation events Moon Crush “Pink Moon”, Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush “Blue Moon”. Event producers Topeka Live connect you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) features The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) features Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; while Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) features Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
Listen to the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, takes a look back at the Phil Lesh & Phriends concerts featuring Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell of Phish that were held back in April 1999. Narrated by JamBase’s Andy Kahn, the episode is the first to present a new format exploring seminal moments in the history of the jam scene.
The long strange trajectories of the Grateful Dead and Phish have been intertwined for 40 years. When Phish formed in 1983, the Grateful Dead were a touring juggernaut – though still years away from mainstream popularity that came with their lone hit, if you can call it that, “Touch Of Grey.” By the mid-1990s, Phish and the Dead were among the top touring acts going, with similar rabid fan bases that followed each band from city to city to see them play night in and night out.
The episode explores the early connection between the Grateful Dead and Phish, as well as the latter’s attempt to distance themselves from the former, despite the undoubtedly strong influence. Phish would eventually come around to embrace the Dead and the focus of the episode is on the moment in April when 1999 members of the two bands shared the stage together for the first time, performing each other’s music and more over three nights at the famed Warfield Theater in San Francisco.
The Phish/Dead summit led by Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh was held on April 15, 16 and 17 and also featured guitarist Steve Kimock and drummer John Molo, as well as former Grateful Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay. Revisit the magic of the landmark run that took place 24 years ago and ended up being merely the first of many subsequent collaborations between the members of the Grateful Dead and Phish.
This episode is sponsored by DelFest. Taking place Memorial Day Weekend, May 25 – 28, and hosted by Del McCoury and family, the 15th annual DelFest welcomes to the stage the Del McCoury Band, the Travelin’ McCourys, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Trampled by Turtles, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sam Bush, The Infamous Stringdusters, The California Honeydrops, Sierra Farrell, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, and so many more musical acts playing around the clock for nearly four days. Grab your tickets today!
This episode is also sponsored by 2023 destination vacation events Moon Crush “Pink Moon”, Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush “Blue Moon”. Event producers Topeka Live connect you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) features The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) features Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; while Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) features Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
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Listen to the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
An interview with legendary musician Nils Lofgren is featured on the latest episode of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network. The E Street Band and Crazy Horse member chatted with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about three new albums involving Neil Young and his Crazy Horse bandmates.
Lofgren was enjoying a day off from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s first tour since 2017 when he connected with Bernstein via a video call. Nils and Scotty began by discussing All Roads Lead Home, a new album released last Friday featuring individual contributions from all four members of Crazy Horse — Lofgren, Neil Young, bassist Ralph Molina and drummer Billy Talbot. The talented multi-instrumentalist explained how the excellent LP came together and the songs he wrote for the project.
Talk turned for a moment to World Record, the third Neil Young & Crazy Horse album released in the span of three years. Lofgren then shared memories of the sessions that yielded Young’s landmark Tonight’s The Night LP and touring in support of the album. Nils, Ralph Molina, Billy Talbot and the late Ben Keith, dubbed The Santa Monica Flyers backed Young on a run which was a cathartic experience following the deaths of original Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten and roadie Bruce Berry. Neil Young & The Santa Monica Flyers’ November 5, 1973 concert in London is documented on Somewhere Under The Rainbow, a new installment of Young’s Official Bootleg Series due out on April 14.
This episode is sponsored by DelFest. Taking place Memorial Day Weekend, May 25 – 28, and hosted by Del McCoury and family, the 15th annual DelFest welcomes to the stage the Del McCoury Band, the Travelin’ McCourys, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Trampled by Turtles, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Sam Bush, The Infamous Stringdusters, The California Honeydrops, Sierra Farrell, Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, and so many more musical acts playing around the clock for nearly four days. Grab your tickets today!
This episode is also sponsored by 2023 destination vacation events Moon Crush “Pink Moon”, Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush “Blue Moon”. Event producers Topeka Live connect you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) features The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) features Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; while Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) features Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
Listen to the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Two of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, resumes with an episode featuring an interview with John Medeski. The keyboardist discussed “The Art Of Improvisation” with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein.
John Medeski has an illustrious resume that includes co-founding Medeski Martin & Wood, The Word, MAGO, DRKWAV and numerous other projects. Medeski spoke with Bernstein about his approach to jamming while aboard Jam Cruise 19 last month.
The keyboardist was on Jam Cruise for The Word performances and started the conversation by explaining how the supergroup goes without a net for their shows. Medeski then detailed his early days in music and what opened his eyes to the magic of improvisation. He discussed all the different elements that go into improvisation, including the chemistry of the musicians involved, how they are feeling and the reaction of the audience.
While many of his bands don’t utilize pre-planned setlists, he revealed using them as a guide actually frees up musicians to jam. John Medeski talked about the format for MMW shows including their most recent performance at Brooklyn Comes Alive. The talented keyboardist also shared his experience improvising with Phil Lesh & Friends, gave an update on the status of the long-awaited new Medeski Martin & Wood album as well as his plans for the rest of the year.
This episode is sponsored by 2023 destination vacation events Moon Crush “Pink Moon”, Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush “Blue Moon”. Event producers Topeka Live connect you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) features The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) features Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; while Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) features Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
Hear the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Two of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, continues with an interview with bassist Joe Dart and guitarist Cory Wong of Vulfpeck and The Fearless Flyers.
Wong and Dart recently spoke to JamBase’s Scott Bernstein while aboard Jam Cruise. This is the second time Wong has appeared on The JamBase Podcast. The talented guitarist previously spoke to Andy Kahn about his “Musical Mentors” for an episode that came out in February 2019.
This time around Wong and Dart chatted with Bernstein about their experiences on Jam Cruise. This was Dart’s first time participating in the floating festival at sea, while Wong was a veteran of the event. The two were on the boat to perform with The Fearless Flyers. The funky group also features drummer Nate Smith and guitarist Mark Lettieri. Dart and Wong talked about incorporating long jams into Fearless Flyers sets, a new and exciting experience that happened during one of their sets on Jam Cruise.
Vulfpeck was also a hot topic of conversation during the interview. Dart gave an intriguing response when asked if he wished the band would play live shows more often than their current typically sparse scheduling. Dart and Wong also talked about Vulfpeck’s thematic performances, like their sauna-inspired festival set that influenced their 2022 studio album Schvitz, and what else might be in store for the band in 2023 and beyond.
This episode is sponsored by Topeka Live. Topeka connects you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. 2023 vacations include Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) featuring The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) featuring Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) featuring Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
Listen to the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Season Two of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media network, begins with an episode featuring an interview with Oteil Burbridge. The bassist spoke with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about the end of Dead & Company, an album of Robert Hunter/Jerry Garcia ballads he recorded and much more.
Oteil, who last appeared on The JamBase Podcast in 2019, sat down with Bernstein aboard Jam Cruise last month. Burbridge was on hand to perform two shows with an Oteil & Friends lineup that saw him joined by Eric Krasno, Jennifer Hartswick, Steve Kimock, John Kimock and Jason Crosby.
The chat started with Burbridge sharing his feelings on Dead & Company embarking on their final tour this summer. Oteil weighed in on whether he knew the announcement was coming and whether the band’s recent shows in Mexico were different in the wake of the news.
Burbridge was a member of The Allman Brothers Band when that legendary act disbanded in 2014. He discussed how the lessons learned from that experience will impact his approach to the end of Dead & Company. The 58-year-old musician also talked about Dead & Company’s stellar “Space” jams that emerge out of “Drums” at each show.
The conversation then turned to an album of Garcia/Hunter ballads Oteil recorded in Iceland. Burbridge spoke about the musicians he recruited to participate in the sessions, how they went and when he plans to release the LP. Additional topics hit upon were his Comes A Time podcast, his new fascination with professional wrestling, performing on Jam Cruise and more.
This episode is sponsored by Topeka Live. Topeka connects you with your favorite artists and people through meaningful shared music experiences in Miramar Beach, Florida. 2023 vacations include Moon Crush “Pink Moon” (April 20 – 23) featuring The Black Crowes, The Avett Brothers, Jason Isbell and more; Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend (May 12 -14) featuring Brandi Carlile, Bonnie Raitt, Mavis Staples, and others; Moon Crush “Blue Moon” (September 1 – 3) featuring Ben Rector, NEEDTOBREATHE and more. Visit www.topeka.live for details and to purchase tickets to Moon Crush Pink Moon, Mothership Weekend and Moon Crush Blue Moon.
Listen to the new episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
After taking a hiatus to regroup and refocus, The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, is set to return. A new season officially launches next week, Thursday, March 16.
Hosts Scott Bernstein, Andy Kahn and Nate Todd are back for another season bringing you the premiere live music podcast. So what can you expect to hear on the JamBase Podcast in the coming weeks and months?
You’ll still hear the same insightful interviews with the top musicians from the jam scene and beyond. But we’re getting back to our roots so to speak and relaunching our recurring interview themes like “The Art Of The Setlist” — deep dives into how musicians plan out their shows, or “Musical Mentors” — where we examine the people that have had an important influence on artists’ careers.
There’s also “Quit My Day Job” — where we talk with musicians about the circumstances surrounding their decision to become full-time professional performers and “Tour Stories”– where artists pull back the curtain and share tales of life on the road. We have some other new themes cooking and we’ll be bringing some other familiar ones as well that we’re all super excited about.
Along with musician interviews, we’re also going to be looking behind the scenes and talking to people with a variety of roles in the concert industry to give you an inside perspective on what it takes to make great live music.
We’ll be producing and publishing JamBase Podcasts on a weekly basis, with regularly scheduled season breaks. Within each season we hope to augment those interviews with multi-episode series, one-off special episodes and other fun ways to examine the world of live music.
As a preview of the upcoming season of The JamBase Podcast, this teaser episode features clips from recent interviews conducted with Oteil Burbridge of Dead & Company and Cory Wong and Joe Dart of Vulfpeck/The Fearless Flyers. Hear Burbridge’s thoughts on the upcoming final Dead & Co. tour, and listen to Dart detail his feelings about the prospects of more frequent Vulfpeck performances.
Look for the official first episode of the new season one week from today and stream the season preview episode of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 153 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Adrian Quesada. The multi-instrumentalist talked to JamBase’s Andy Kahn about his pair of recently released solo albums, Boleros Psicodélicos and Jaguar Sound, and more.
Quesada spoke to Kahn over a video call from his home in Austin, Texas. The interview explored Quesada’s decision to release music for the first time under his own name. The multi-talented musician, who along with Black Pumas has been affiliated with several other bands, recorded what became Jaguar Sound in early 2020 during the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The instrumental album captures that moment in time and Quesada discussed some of the inspirations behind the LP’s groove-oriented and cinematic songs.
Despite being recorded after Jaguar Sound, the guest-filled Boleros Psicodélicos was released ahead of the instrumental record. Boleros, which is a style of Spanish love ballad Quesada explains the origins of in the interview, takes the format and brings it into the present with a modern flavor that stays true to the tradition. Quesada compiled an inspirational playlist of boleros recorded in the 1970s that incorporated elements of the psychedelic rock of the era. Both albums were largely recorded remotely, with the other musicians recording their parts from around the world, a process Quesada was familiar with pre-pandemic.
The interview touched on some of the special guests that worked remotely with Quesada, such as previous podcast guest, keyboardist Neal Francis. Other topics the interview covered were Quesada’s approach for titling instrumental songs, how he finds the right vibe when recording, what lies ahead for 2023, the possibility of a Boleros sequel and more.
This episode is the last of 2022 as we take some time off over the holidays. In fact, The JamBase Podcast will be taking an extended break from publishing new podcast episodes. After over five years and more than 150 episodes, this will be our first planned extended hiatus, which will give us time to refocus and regroup. Have no fear – The JamBase Podcast will return in early 2023 – and we may even drop one-off episodes here and there during the hiatus.
We have new ideas we’re kicking around and brainstorming others as we look to fine-tune what we do here at The JamBase Podcast. There will always be interviews with some of our and your favorite musicians, but we may start mixing it up next year with alternate formats, special series and other enhancements. Stay tuned for what’s in store for 2023, it’s sure to be another excellent year for The JamBase Podcast!
Stream Episode 153 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 152 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Rayland Baxter. The singer-songwriter chatted with JamBase’s Nate Todd about his recently released album, If I Were A Butterfly and more.
Nate connected with Rayland Baxter while the singer-songwriter was enjoying some time in Key West, Florida after participating in the recent Coast Is Clear festival. While hanging out at a restaurant on the beach, Rayland painted a vivid picture of his time recording his fourth studio album and first of original material in four years, If I Were A Butterfly, at an old Kentucky rubberband factory turned recording facility called Thunder Sound.
Rayland and Nate also took deep dives into some of the album’s tracks including opener, “If I Were A Butterfly,” which was inspired by Rayland discovering a tape of him singing when he was four years old. Additionally, the singer-songwriter gave insights into “Tadpole” and revealed the thread that runs between the songs “Dirty Knees” and “My Argentina.”
Rayland also discusses some of the guests on If I Were A Butterfly including his late father, renowned pedal steel guitar player Bucky Baxter, who collaborated with Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and many more. Bucky Baxter passed away in May 2020 not long after contributing to the album. The conversation concludes with Rayland talking about how If I Were A Butterfly songs are fitting into his live repertoire and his future touring plans as the singer-songwriter just announced a slate of 2023 spring tour dates.
This episode is sponsored by Soundscape VR. Soundscape VR concert performances are now available from jam scene favorites Goose and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They join Soundscape VR artists including Umphrey’s McGee, Dopapod, GRiZ, Evanescence, Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash, and others. Visit www.soundscapeuniverse.com to learn more.
Stream Episode 152 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 151 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Lake Street Dive‘s Bridget Kearney. The bassist and band’s primary songwriter spoke with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about the group’s upcoming New Year's Eve concert in Boston, 2023 Gather Round Sounds Tour and more.
Kearney recently caught up with Bernstein via video chat from her Brooklyn home, where she was enjoying a rare respite from the road. Bridget started by recalling the excitement of returning to the road after the pandemic in support of Lake Street Dive’s latest full-length studio album, Obviously. She then previewed the hometown “pajama party” New Year’s Eve show at Boston’s Roadrunner.
The Iowa-bred musician went on to detail the format for Lake Street Dive’s semi-acoustic Gather Round Sounds Tour. Kearney revealed the group is working on new material and spoke about the status of the next LSD studio album. The pair also discussed Lake Street Dive’s recently released Fun Machine: The Sequel EP featuring six choice covers as well as their tradition of putting out cover videos on Halloween. Bridget explained how the band landed on Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle With Care” for this year’s selection. Other topics hit upon were Bridget going electric, LSD contributing a theme song to a Netflix series and her BB Wisely project.
This episode is sponsored by Soundscape VR. Soundscape VR concert performances are now available from jam scene favorites Goose and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They join Soundscape VR artists including Umphrey’s McGee, Dopapod, GRiZ, Evanescence, Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash, and others. Visit www.soundscapeuniverse.com to learn more.
Stream Episode 151 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 150 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Rising Appalachia‘s Leah Song. The singer-songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, who co-founded the band with her sister Chloe Smith, chatted with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about the new Rising Appalachia album, Live From New Orleans At Preservation Hall, which is available now for streaming and download.
Leah and Chloe traveled to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to lend a hand as the city was rebuilt. What was originally supposed to be a short journey turned into a seven-year stay in the Big Easy as the pair fell in love with New Orleans. Song, who connected with Bernstein via video chat on Election Day as she was returning to her home in Georgia, discussed what New Orleans means to her. She also explained why she left after calling NOLA home for so long.
The musician and activist spoke about her appreciation for Preservation Hall, which hosted an audience-less Rising Appalachia livestream concert in 2021 featured on the just-released LP. Leah recalled the joy of performing and hanging in NOLA with Chloe and longtime bandmates David Brown, Biko Casini, Duncan Wickel and Arouna Diarra after the pandemic forced the group off the road. She also discussed the special guests who joined Rising Appalachia at Preservation Hall and how the band put the setlist together.
Song went on to talk returning to the road in 2022 and her Slow Music Movement project as well as touring via sailboat. Leah detailed the logistics of sailboat touring and the places around the world where she’d most like to perform. Talk then turned to the circumstances that led to Rising Appalachia’s surprise-released 2021 LP, The Lost Mystique Of Being In The Know.
Chloe recently shared on social media that she is pregnant. Leah revealed Chloe will take time off the road to focus on motherhood with fiddle player/guitar player and singer Lily Henley serving as her understudy. This way Smith can stay home without feeling the pressure of returning, while the rest of the band can stay creative.
This episode is sponsored by Soundscape VR. Soundscape VR concert performances are now available from jam scene favorites Goose and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They join Soundscape VR artists including Umphrey’s McGee, Dopapod, GRiZ, Evanescence, Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash, and others. Visit www.soundscapeuniverse.com to learn more.
Hear Episode 150 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 149 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Son Little. The singer-songwriter spoke with JamBase’s Andy Kahn about his latest album, Like Neptune, which is out now on ANTI- Records.
Son Little (Aaron Livingston) was on tour in Dallas this week when he chatted with Kahn. The interview began with a discussion about the current state of touring and how Little has overcome the challenges that intensified as a result of the pandemic. He recalled his recent tour of Europe and what it was like performing in front of those audiences for the first time in several years.
The interview then turned to Like Neptune, which is Little’s fourth full-length release and the follow-up to 2020’s Aloha. At the start of the pandemic, Little made the first of three trips to “a cabin overlooking the Delaware River in upstate New York” where the album was conceived and its beginnings recorded. Little discussed the impetus for making those retreats, the two albums he listened to while there, and how the quiet of the space influenced the album.
During the pandemic, Little dug into learning the music production platform Ableton, which he broke down in layman’s terms how it’s different from other recording methods. The looping nature of Ableton allowed Little to explore new sounds on Like Neptune including making 30-minute versions of some songs that were edited down for the album.
The interview also touched on the collection of notebooks from his childhood that were discovered by Little and impacted the new record. The notebooks were a mix of journals, other writings and sketches that Little revisited while making Like Neptune.
Other parts of the interview touched on the few guest contributors who appeared on Like Neptune, who is Neptune referenced in the title track, songwriting as a therapeutic process and much more.
This episode is sponsored by Soundscape VR. Soundscape VR concert performances are now available from jam scene favorites Goose and Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. They join Soundscape VR artists including Umphrey’s McGee, Dopapod, GRiZ, Evanescence, Guns n’ Roses guitarist Slash, and others. Visit www.soundscapeuniverse.com to learn more.
Stream Episode 149 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 148 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Pink Talking Fish‘s Eric Gould. The bassist spoke with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about the Phish/Talking Heads/Pink Floyd tribute act, his Marble Eyes band and Prince/Bowie project.
Eric last appeared on The JamBase Podcast in 2018, when he was joined by his Pink Talking Fish bandmates for a “The Art Of The Setlist” chat with JamBase's David Onigman at the Hangtown Music Festival. This time around, the Massachusetts resident connected with ScottyB via video chat just before leaving for PTF’s recent West Coast run.
Gould began by noting he will play late night concerts with all three of his projects in New York City during Phish’s upcoming New Year’s Run at Madison Square Garden. Eric and Scotty then deep-dived Pink Talking Fish. The bassist spoke about how the group goes about putting together setlists for Phish after parties and bringing in keyboardist Steve Learson for PTF shows when Richard James is on the road with Neighbor. Pink Talking Fish started nearly a decade ago with a revolving lineup, so they are no strangers to the situation.
Eric recalled the picks he made for a recent appearance on the SiriusXM Phish Radio program “Crowd Control.” Gould also detailed songs from the Phish, Pink Floyd and Talking Heads repertoire that just didn’t work for Pink Talking Fish. He went on to explain PTF tends to focus their Phish selections on tunes the Vermont-based quartet doesn’t keep in heavy rotation and aims to constantly pull off inventive song combinations never played before. Additionally, Gould previewed Pink Talking Fish’s show at The Paradise in Boston on December 2 and why that venue and city are special to both him and his bandmates.
Talk eventually turned to Marble Eyes, a band formed out of the pandemic featuring Gould, drummer Adrian Tramontano (Twiddle/Kung Fu), guitarist Mike Carter (The Indobox) and keyboardist Max Chase (Amulus). Eric was asked about the circumstances that led to the group coming together and his appreciation to have an outlet for originals in addition to his work with tribute acts. Gould revealed Marble Eyes has two new albums on the way. The genesis of all-star supergroup Prince/Bowie, Gould’s time in Particle and managing his projects were among other topics discussed.
Hear Episode 148 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 147 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Sylvan Esso‘s Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn. The duo spoke with JamBase’s Andy Kahn about their recently released studio album, No Rules Sandy.
This episode marks Meath and Sanborn’s second appearance on The JamBase Podcast. Their last time speaking to Kahn was in April 2021 and for JamBase’s Cluster Flies covers compilation that featured Sylvan Esso’s cover of Phish’s song “Farmhouse.” This time around Meath and Sanborn came on to discuss their fourth album, No Rules Sandy, which came out in August through Loma Vista Recordings.
The chat took place few weeks ago over a video call. Amelia was at home and Nick was at their nearby studio known as Betty’s. The interview touched on No Rules Sandy being the start of a new chapter for the duo and how their first three albums can in some ways be viewed as a trilogy. The title of the album comes from a line in the song “Your Reality,” and the pair were asked if they felt past records were restrained by rules, either formal or figurative.
The album was announced earlier this year and released soon after and they discussed their reasoning behind taking that approach over a more typical, drawn-out album rollout. Having taken place weeks after the album’s release in August, Meath and Sanborn were asked about their feelings now that something so special to them had been out in the world. They were also asked if they ever feel the need to separate themselves as Nick and Amelia from who they are as Sylvan Esso and their responses were both insightful and refreshingly candid.
The interview covered the now-annual cross-country road trip they took from their home in North Carolina all the way to Los Angeles which started on New Year’s Day. When they arrived in L.A. they began recording what became the new album. The pair just wrapped a tour supporting Odesza and where they played several venues Phish has played over the years. Nick described really cool idea he came up to listen to Phish audience tapes while sitting in the tapers section area of the venue where the recording was made in the 1990s.
Stream Episode 147 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 146 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Gov’t Mule‘s Warren Haynes. The guitarist spoke with JamBase’s Andy Kahn about being honored by the non-profit WhyHunger with the distinguished Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award.
Haynes will receive the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award at the annual WhyHunger Chapin Awards Gala at City Winery in New York on Tuesday, November 2. According to the origination’s website:
“In 1975, the late musician and activist Harry Chapin co-founded WhyHunger to protect the basic human right to nutritious food for all. He dedicated his life to ensuring equitable food access and used his music and activism to inspire others to tackle the root causes of hunger and poverty. WhyHunger presents The Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award to shine a spotlight on artists and community leaders who have proven their commitment to building social justice and ending hunger worldwide.
“Haynes engaged with WhyHunger in a variety of ways over the years, making generous contributions to the organization’s work, and donating several auction items and experiences that raised critical funds to support its mission. From his annual Christmas Jam and the important work of the W&S Foundation to his extraordinary support for Habitat for Humanity and career-spanning humanitarian efforts, Warren has led the music industry as an activist and visionary in creating a brighter future for all.”
Along with Haynes, others who will be given the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award include actor, musician, philanthropist and founder of SixDegrees.org Kevin Bacon, SixDegrees.org Executive Director Stacy Huston and former WhyHunger board member Bob Wolk. Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh will be at City Winery next week to present Haynes with his Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award.
Phil Lesh will join Warren when Haynes’ Christmas Jam charity concert takes place on December 10 in Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, North Carolina. Founded in 1988, Christmas Jam has worked closely with the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. The charity concerts have helped build over 40 houses and raise more than 2.7 million dollars. Haynes was asked about the seeds of charity work and what initially inspired him to give back to his community. He talked about what it means to be given such a prestigious award from WhyHunger and how it motivates him to continue his efforts.
Haynes discussed the upcoming Christmas Jam charity concert that will benefit Habitat for Humanity and the Asheville-based non-profit BeLove Foundation. Haynes is bringing back Christmas Jam, which began in 1988, for the first time since 2018. He’ll perform with Phil Lesh & Friends, alongside John Scofield, John Medeski and John Molo, Haynes will also appear with Gov’t Mule and likely elsewhere throughout the sold-out marathon concert. Tyler Childers, Dinosaur Jr and Brothers Osborne are also among those on this year’s lineup.
The interview also touched on the upcoming (seemingly) Spın̈al Tap-themed Mule-O-Ween Halloween celebration happening on Saturday in New Orleans, Haynes’ recovering from a shoulder injury earlier this year and more.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
This episode is also sponsored by Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds is a global community of music lovers creating space where music matters. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, places, and people, whether at home or abroad, in 400 cities around the world. Now integrated with JamBase’s Concert listings, Sofar shows transform everyday spaces – from living rooms and rooftops, to boutiques and museums – into captivating venues for secret, live shows, creating inclusive experiences that bring people closer together. Sofar keeps the location secret until the day before the show. The Sofar community creates an inclusive space where music matters so that you can get lost in the performance. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, visit www.sofarsounds.com or follow the conversation on social media at @sofarsounds or using#sofarsounds.
Stream Episode 146 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 145 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with My Morning Jacket‘s Jim James. The frontman spoke with JamBase’s Andy Kahn about the band’s recent tour in support of their self-titled album, the band’s upcoming Halloween hometown celebration and more.
My Morning Jacket will perform on Saturday, October 29 in their hometown of Louisville at the KFC Yum! Center. James talked extensively about the upcoming Halloween Costume Ball And Celebration over a phone call earlier this week. The chat started by talking about MMJ’s busy 2022, which saw the band playing more shows than in recent years.
James described what it’s been like hitting the road while still dealing with COVID. He talked about what it felt like to have to cancel shows in Louisville in June when he came down with COVID despite his best efforts to avoid it. The cancellation led to the rescheduling of the upcoming Halloween concert, which will feature support from local Lousiville groups Producing a Kind Generation and Louisville Leopards Percussionists. James explained how the band goes about selecting openers and whether or not to expect collaborations at the Halloween celebration.
Hometown shows can come with their own challenges and obstacles and James was asked if there is still added pressure when the band plays in Louisville. He discussed the Jacket’s history with Louisville, which dates back to the 1990s.
The interview covered James’ relationship with Halloween and how much he gets into the spooky spirit of the holiday. He was asked about the prospect of the band dressing up for the concert and if there will be a common theme. James noted that being able to play guitar and sing is something that needs to be considered with planning a costume to wear on stage.
James detailed My Morning Jacket’s process for preparing a setlist for a special concert and revealed they’ve already started working on one for the Halloween gig. James also covered how covers gets brought into the fold.
At the end of the chat, James was asked what plans My Morning Jacket has for the future – they don’t have any shows planned after the Halloween show – and he mentioned the band was likely about to start working on a new studio album.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
This episode is also sponsored by Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds is a global community of music lovers creating space where music matters. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, places, and people, whether at home or abroad, in 400 cities around the world. Now integrated with JamBase’s Concert listings, Sofar shows transform everyday spaces – from living rooms and rooftops, to boutiques and museums – into captivating venues for secret, live shows, creating inclusive experiences that bring people closer together. Sofar keeps the location secret until the day before the show. The Sofar community creates an inclusive space where music matters so that you can get lost in the performance. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, visit www.sofarsounds.com or follow the conversation on social media at @sofarsounds or using#sofarsounds.
Note: there were some instances where the audio was affected by an unstable connection. While not ideal, hopefully it does not distract from the insightful interview.
Stream Episode 145 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 144 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features the return of Robert Walter. The keyboardist spoke with JamBase’s Scott Bernstein about touring with Roger Waters, The Greyboy Allstars‘ recently reissued A Town Called Earth album and more.
Robert Walter is currently on the road as a member of Roger Waters’ band. He caught up with Bernstein last week via video chat from his home in California during an off day from the This Is Not A Drill Tour. The keyboardist, who previously detailed his Musical Mentors in a 2018 episode of The JamBase Podcast, recalled how he got the gig with the Pink Floyd co-founder. Robert then discussed the grand production of Roger Waters’ tour, playing huge arenas for the first time, trying to create a perfect performance each night and all the rehearsal that went into the trek. Walter also talked about how exacting Roger Waters is as a boss and why Robert appreciates the attention to detail.
Another topic hit upon was Better Feathers, a series of recordings Walter wrote and recorded during the dog days of the pandemic. Robert explained how he needed the creative outlet while stuck at home and recruited a number of his musical friends to collaborate remotely on the 12 tracks. Better Feathers was released last year via Royal Potato Family as a series of digital 45s. The keyboardist discussed how he picked the collaborators and why he put out the songs as digital singles.
Robert went on to discuss The Greyboy Allstars who will kick off a celebration of their 30th anniversary with an upcoming New Year’s Run in their hometown of San Diego. GBA recently reissued their long out-of-print 1997 album A Town Called Earth on both vinyl and digital formats for the first time. Walter explained how he and bandmates multi-instrumentalist Karl Denson, guitarist Elgin Park, drummer Aaron Redfield and bassist Chris Stillwell truly found their distinctive sound and own musical voice between releasing their debut album, West Coast Boogaloo, and entering the studio to record A Town Called Earth. They figured out what they wanted to be and underwent a big evolution in time for their sophomore LP. Robert spoke about his favorite track on the album, the role he played in the reissue and how much The Greyboy Allstars mean to him personally to end the interview.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
This episode is also sponsored by Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds is a global community of music lovers creating space where music matters. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, places, and people, whether at home or abroad, in 400 cities around the world. Now integrated with JamBase’s Concert listings, Sofar shows transform everyday spaces – from living rooms and rooftops, to boutiques and museums – into captivating venues for secret, live shows, creating inclusive experiences that bring people closer together. Sofar keeps the location secret until the day before the show. The Sofar community creates an inclusive space where music matters so that you can get lost in the performance. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, visit www.sofarsounds.com or follow the conversation on social media at @sofarsounds or using#sofarsounds.
Stream Episode 144 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 143 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Ghost Light‘s Tom Hamilton and Raina Mullen. JamBase’s Scott Bernstein spoke to the guitarists/vocalists about the band’s new studio album, The Healing, which will be released on October 7.
The interview took place over a video call shortly after the pair finished filming the video for The Healing’s title track. The LP marks the quintet’s second album. Tom, Raina and bandmates keyboardist Holly Bowling and drummer Scotty Zwang recorded the follow-up to 2019’s Best Kept Secrets with former bassist Dan Africano. Africano left Ghost Light shortly after the 8-track effort was recorded with Taylor Shell tapped as the band’s new bassist. Hamilton and Mullen discussed what Taylor brings to Ghost Light both musically and personally as they shared their excitement to have Shell aboard.
Talk then turned to the songwriting process for The Healing. As the band’s primary songwriters, the pair described the many stages each song went through from initial idea to fully blossomed studio track. Tom and Raina would build out the arrangements and work out the intention of their material. Once the stack of tunes was big enough, they called in their bandmates for sessions that spanned late last year through early this year held at Hamilton’s studio in Philadelphia.
Hamilton, who made his The JamBase Podcast debut in 2018 for a “Quit My Day Job” segment with Bowling, produced The Healing and talked about what that role entailed. He noted the importance of staying honest with his bandmates and the need to care more about the song than themselves. The goal for Ghost Light is to make the best piece of art, so at times he needs to be a bullshit detector. He specified that goes for himself as well.
The chat eventually moved on to Ghost Light’s live show with the band about to start touring in support of The Healing. Mullen and Hamilton detailed the clever way the quintet makes their setlists these days and how that process has changed since the group first hit the road. The pair also explained why they haven’t played any covers so far this year, a trend they hope will continue.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
This episode is also sponsored by Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds is a global community of music lovers creating space where music matters. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, places, and people, whether at home or abroad, in 400 cities around the world. Now integrated with JamBase’s Concert listings, Sofar shows transform everyday spaces – from living rooms and rooftops, to boutiques and museums – into captivating venues for secret, live shows, creating inclusive experiences that bring people closer together. Sofar keeps the location secret until the day before the show. The Sofar community creates an inclusive space where music matters so that you can get lost in the performance. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, visit www.sofarsounds.com or follow the conversation on social media at @sofarsounds or using#sofarsounds.
Hear Episode 143 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 142 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Tim Heidecker. JamBase’s Andy Kahn interviewed the comedian/actor/singer-songwriter about his recently released studio album, High School.
Heidecker is perhaps best known for his comedy work with Eric Wareheim. They met while attending college at Temple University in Philadelphia and went on to create the widely popular comedy duo Tim & Eric. In addition to his Tim & Eric work, Heidecker has also appeared in several feature films, including Bridesmaids, The Comedy and Us. Heidecker is a co-host of the Office Hours podcast and recently completed a tour with Tim Heidecker & His Very Good Band. Each show began with a set of comedy performed by Heidecker’s self-described “No More Bullshit” stand-up character, followed by a set with his band.
The tour was largely in support of High School, which was released in July on the Spacebomb record label. One of Kahn’s favorite albums of the year, the two discussed the many relatable images and scenes Heidecker wrote about in the lyrics of the songs on the record. Both were 1990s high school graduates, Heidecker a few years older, and the interview touched on the shared experiences while attending high school.
Heidecker was asked to talk about his high school experience and he talked about the types of activities he was interested in, like theater and hosting a closed-circuit television show that was shown at his school. He talked about his musical mentors and what kind of music he listened to. Heidecker discussed his family’s musical background and its influence on his taste. Heidecker was also asked about his comedic influences and whether there was an overlap between them and the music he listened to.
Heidecker’s comedy, and at times his musical output comes from the viewpoint of a character or a persona, but that is not the case with the genuine and sincere High School. A portion of the interview explored Heidecker’s separation of his comedy from his music and overcoming assumptions about each.
The interview touched on the recording process that resulted in High School, starting from an early session with Heidecker’s longtime collaborator, Foxygen’s Jonathan Rado. Those early demos with Rado were fleshed out with the assistance of Drew Erickson, who worked with Heidecker on his 2020 album, Fear Of Death, that featured Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering. Heidecker explained that it was Erickson’s suggestion that they hit up Mac DeMarco, who appears extensively throughout High School. Mac invited them to his studio and those sessions unexpectedly became the basis for the album.
Two-time JamBase Podcast guest Eric D. Johnson – of Fruit Bats and Bonny Light Horseman – was then brought in to help Heidecker complete the tracks started with Drew and Mac. Johnson’s tasteful embellishments are among the most integral aspects of the album, and his high register vocals are typically sublime. Guitarist Kurt Vile also contributed to the track “Sirens of Titan,” one of several songs on High School dotted with relatable cultural references.
Other topics that came up during the chat included the similarities between Heidecker’s community of fans coming to his recent shows and the similarly connected fanbases of the Grateful Dead and Phish, the possibility of more live shows with his Very Good Band, writing new songs from a post-apocalyptic point of view and much more.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
This episode is also sponsored by Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds is a global community of music lovers creating space where music matters. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, places, and people, whether at home or abroad, in 400 cities around the world. Now integrated with JamBase’s Concert listings, Sofar shows transform everyday spaces – from living rooms and rooftops, to boutiques and museums – into captivating venues for secret, live shows, creating inclusive experiences that bring people closer together. Sofar keeps the location secret until the day before the show. The Sofar community creates an inclusive space where music matters so that you can get lost in the performance. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, visit www.sofarsounds.com or follow the conversation on social media at @sofarsounds or using#sofarsounds.
Stream Episode 142 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 141 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Twiddle‘s Mihali. JamBase’s Nate Todd interviewed the guitarist about the band’s new studio album, Every Last Leaf, as well has his own solo album, Effection, and much more.
Nate caught up with Mihali backstage at the High Sierra Music Festival where the guitarist was getting ready to take the Grandstand Stage with Twiddle. Mihali and the band were prepping for their Sunday afternoon set following a late night excursion in the High Sierra Music Hall the night before. So time was tight, but Nate and Mihali had an insightful conversion about both Twiddle’s new album, Every Last Leaf, as well as Mihali’s new solo record, Effection, which are both out now.
The conversation opened with Mihali talking about the difference in approach to a late night affair and a daytime festival set. The guitarist and singer-songwriter also detailed Twiddle’s new album, Every Last Leaf, as well as the first single, “The Devil,” featuring Blues Traveler’s John Popper. Mihali also revealed the interesting rhythmic production on the track “Beautiful.”
Mihali then discussed his new solo album, Effection, and working with producer and friend Nate Feinstein of Iya Terra. Mihali also talked about the featured artists on Effection including previous JamBase Podcast guests Jacob Hemphill of SOJA and Dispatch’s Chadwick Stokes. Additionally, the conversation touched on how Mihali’s work with Twiddle relates to his solo material and vice versa, his favorite reggae artists and more.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
This episode is also sponsored by Sofar Sounds. Sofar Sounds is a global community of music lovers creating space where music matters. Sofar invites guests to discover new artists, places, and people, whether at home or abroad, in 400 cities around the world. Now integrated with JamBase’s Concert listings, Sofar shows transform everyday spaces – from living rooms and rooftops, to boutiques and museums – into captivating venues for secret, live shows, creating inclusive experiences that bring people closer together. Sofar keeps the location secret until the day before the show. The Sofar community creates an inclusive space where music matters so that you can get lost in the performance. To learn more about Sofar Sounds, visit www.sofarsounds.com or follow the conversation on social media at @sofarsounds or using#sofarsounds.
Stream Episode 141 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 140 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with the Watkins Family Hour. JamBase’s Nate Todd interviewed siblings Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins about the new Watkins Family Hour album, Vol. II, and much more.
Nate spoke with Sara and Sean on-site at this year’s High Sierra Music Festival, where the duo performed two sets over the course of the weekend. The interview focused on Watkins Family Hour’s recently released album, Vol. II. The LP sees Sara and Sean commemorating 20 years of the Watkins Family Hour as well as paying homage to where the project began, at the renowned Los Angeles venue, Largo.
Sean and Sara — who are two-thirds of the band Nickel Creek along with Chris Thile — began performing at Largo during time off from their busy Nickel Creek touring schedule. A hangout for L.A. musicians, the sessions were naturally highly collaborative and the duo wanted to highlight that collaborative spirit on Vol. II, bringing in a number of guests for the record including Fiona Apple, Jon Brion, Jackson Browne, Madison Cunningham, Lucius, Gaby Moreno, Benmont Tench, Willie Watson and more.
Sean and Sara discussed how their guests helped to inform the song selection on Vol. II as well as some of the arrangements on the 11-track, all covers set. The duo detailed working at the historic EastWest Studios in Los Angeles where a number of landmark records have been made including The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. Sean and Sara also talked in-depth about the album’s lead single, a stellar arrangement of Tune Yards’ “Hypnotized.” Additionally, the conversation touched on performing the songs live as well as a busy fall touring schedule around Vol. II and more.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
Stream Episode 140 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 139 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with guitarist Chris Shiflett, who is a member of Foo Fighters. JamBase’s Andy Kahn spoke to Shiflett about his solo work, which includes a newly released single, “Long Long Year,” and much more.
Following last episode’s interview with Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, Shiflett’s appearance makes it back-to-back episodes featuring Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame members as guests on The JamBase Podcast. The interview with Shiflett mostly focused on his solo work, particularly his new single, “Long Long Year.” The track was produced by Vance Powell, who mixed and engineered Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio’s Ghosts Of The Forest solo album and mixed, engineered and co-produced Phish’s 2020 studio album, Sigma Oasis.
Shiflett explained entrusting Powell – who also worked with Chris Stapleton, Jack White and many others – with putting together the group of musicians that were part of the recording sessions for “Long Long Year.” Joining Shiflett were ace players mandolinist/vocalist Sierra Hull, bassist Jack Lawrence (The Raconteurs, Jack White), drummer Julian Doro (Eagles of Death Metal, The Whigs), steel guitarist Luke Schneider (Margo Price, Orville Peck) and keyboardist Mike Webb (Will Hoge, Brandy Clark).
The sessions were held at Powell’s studio in Nashville, and Shiflett described how Nashville influenced the record. He detailed some of his country-leaning influences, from legends like Waylon Jennings to his current contemporary collaborator HARDY.
Shiflett discussed writing the single in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, while not wanting to write a COVID song specifically. He talked about how the lockdown forced him, like many of his fellow musicians, to become better at recording himself but also how the “Long Long Year” demo differed pretty drastically from its final arrangement.
Out of respect for Shiflett and his bandmates’ privacy, a brief sharing of condolences was the only mention of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins. Shiflett will be performing with Foo Fighters on Saturday in London at an all-star tribute concert for Taylor Hawkins, who sadly passed away earlier this year.
The interview also touched on Shiflett’s plans to issue a follow-up single, “Born & Raised” as well as a solo album recorded with different musicians, the status of his podcast Walking the Floor and more.
This episode is sponsored by Psychedelic Art Exchange. Psychedelic Art Exchange is the premier source to buy, sell, and learn about vintage concert posters. Explore decades’ worth of exciting collectible concert art from the 1960s to the modern day featuring the Grateful Dead, Phish, and many more of your favorite bands and artists. Be on the lookout for JamBase’s four-part series documenting the history of concert posters. Visit www.concertpostergallery.com to explore their expanding online store or to bid on vintage rarities in one of their twice-monthly auctions. Happy collecting!
Stream Episode 139 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 138 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead, Dead & Company and Planet Drum. JamBase’s Andy Kahn, spoke to the legendary drummer about the new Planet Drum album, In The Groove and much more.
Planet Drum is an international all-star percussion ensemble currently made up of Hart, tabla master Zakir Hussain of India, conga icon Giovanni Hidalgo of Puerto Rico and talking drum expert Sikiru Adepoju of Nigeria. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1991 and won the first-ever Grammy Award for Best Album in the World Music category.
The second Planet Drum album, 2007’s Global Drum Project, also won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album. Hart explained how the COVID-19 pandemic afforded him and the other drummers the time needed to work on what became their third Planet Drum album – In The Groove.
The interview explored the various new technologies Hart employed while recording the new album. Recent advancements allowed the musicians to record remotely but in real-time. Hart detailed his sonification process for converting data from natural sources like the ocean’s tides and from outer space and converting it into rhythmic sounds.
Hart was also asked extensively about The Beam, which is an instrument he developed and uses during “Drums/Space” segments of Grateful Dead and Dead & Company shows. The Beam is an incredible accomplishment in ingenuity and simplicity and Hart discussed how the instrument was influenced by the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras. Hart was asked about the mechanics of playing The Beam during Dead & Co. concerts, whether he’s ever considered teaching courses on playing The Beam and how The Beam was used on In The Groove.
The interview took place on the date of what would have been Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia’s 80th birthday. Hart graciously shared a few fond memories of Jerry, including a couple of cool stories about his beloved former bandmate.
Stream Episode 138 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
A special Into The Sun episode of The JamBase Podcast features an interview with Neighbor keyboardist/vocalist Richard James. JamBase’s Scott Bernstein recently caught up with Ricky to discuss the three-day music event, the origin of the band and more.
JamBase and Neigbor will present Into The Sun at Soundcheck Studios in Pembroke, Massachusetts from September 9 – 11. Neighbor will appear along with two additional acts at all three nights. Jennifer Hartswick will also perform each night with The Nth Power, Club d’Elf, Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini and Duochrome rounding out the lineup. Purchase Into The Sun 2022 tickets now.
Neighbor will play in three different configurations at Into The Sun. On Friday, September 9, the quartet will play a Neighbor 9 set. The lineup features James and bandmates guitarist Lyle Brewer, bassist Dan Kelly and drummer Dean Johnston joined by saxophonist Matt Wayne, trombonist Rob Krahn, trumpeter James Cronin as well as backing vocalists Joanne Cassidy and Renee Dupuis.
Saturday’s Neighbor set will feature the classic four-piece iteration. Then, on Sunday, the band will go “unplugged” for a rare acoustic session. Morphine saxophonist Dana Colley will be the group’s special guest as part of a performance that begins unplugged before Neighbor closes the set electric.
Richard James caught up with Bernstein via a video chat last week. Neighbor had just wrapped up a tour featuring stops in new markets for the band, including Gunnison, Colorado; Victor, Idaho and Livingston, Montana. The discussion started with Ricky detailing what is in store for the Neighbor 9 set at Into The Sun. The keyboardist/vocalist talked about his relationship with the horn section and backing vocalists and how much they will bring to Neighbor’s music.
James then told Bernstein about preparations for the “unplugged” portion of Neighbor’s Into The Sun 2022 finale. Ricky noted the band will rework tunes they normally “take out” electricly and “turn them on their head a little bit.” Ricky went on to discuss his excitement to share the bill with Jennifer Hartswick and hopes for collaborations with the trumpeter/vocalist.
After Ricky detailed Soundcheck Studios’ important role in Neighbor’s history, the co-founding member dove into the group’s origins and his long friendship with Lyle Brewer. James also discussed the grassroots fashion in which they’ve built their dedicated fanbase. Neighbor isn’t on Spotify, a situation that is likely to change soon, but instead spread their music the old fashioned way by giving out CDs and making live shows freely available for download.
The four-piece has their debut studio album in the works. James filled Bernstein in on the status of the LP and explained how Neighbor went about choosing the 12 songs they focused on for the record out a repertoire featuring approximately 100 tunes.
Listen to the Into The Sun episode of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 137 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with impresario Peter Shapiro. JamBase’s Scott Bernstein stopped by Shapiro’s office at Relix HQ in New York City recently for a chat about the concert promoter/Relix publisher/filmmaker and venue operator’s new book, The Music Never Stops: What Putting On 10,000 Shows Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Magic, and much more.
Peter’s life was changed after attending a Grateful Dead show at Rosemont Horizon in 1993. He left the show inspired to turn his passion for live music into a career. The Northwestern film student spent a month the following summer on tour with the Grateful Dead to create the documentary And Miles To Go Before I Sleep. In 1996, Shapiro purchased the legendary New York City club Wetlands Preserve from founder Larry Bloch. Shapiro owned Wetlands until it closed in 2001.
Future/current ventures included owning and operating The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York as well as Brooklyn Bowl venues in New York City, Las Vegas, Philadelphia and Nashville, serving as the publisher of Relix, producing films such as U2 3D and organizing the LOCKN’ festival. Peter is one of the biggest independent concert promoters in live music history who, as the title of his book points out, has presented over ten thousand shows.
The Music Never Stops, out now via Hachette Books, was co-written with longtime collaborator Dean Budnick. Dean helped Peter put on the Jammys celebrations in the ’00s and now is co-editor-in-chief at Relix.
One of Shapiro’s most famous and successful projects was Fare Thee Well, a celebration of the Grateful Dead’s 50th anniversary held in 2015 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California and Soldier Field in Chicago. The book starts with a chapter about Fare Thee Well and the rainbow that appeared above Levi’s Stadium at the first show. Peter wrote honestly and articulately in chronological order (following the Fare Thee Well chapter) regarding his incredible career. The book is jam-packed with fascinating anecdotes and inside stories.
Bernstein and Shapiro discussed why the time was right for the impresario to write the book to begin their chat. Peter detailed the crucial role Budnick played in its creation and how the pair came up with the tome’s format of telling stories through the lens of 50 different concerts. When COVID hit, the live music industry veteran had plenty of time on his hands and really dove into the project.
Shapiro was direct and frank in talking about his career with Bernstein. Peter recalled the difficult process of launching Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas. He told Scotty about how the venue nearly went bankrupt and the story of a chat with a friend who is one of Sin City’s biggest dance club operators that sent him into a tailspin on opening night as The Roots took the stage.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Peter Shapiro isn’t on social media. He explained why he stays away from personal accounts on the different platforms. However, Shapiro still keeps up with live music news so much so that he contacted Bernstein minutes after JamBase published Scotty's report from LOCKN' in 2015 that was 99% positive but had one paragraph about the poor condition of the bathrooms. The pair recalled Shapiro resolving the situation within hours of the article’s publication.
The Music Never Stops is also an excellent guide for those who are interested in entering the live music business or putting on events of their own as Shapiro shares many of the lessons he learned over the years. He spoke with Bernstein on the importance of using college as time to try different ventures. Other topics hit upon were the multiple generations of jam acts, hanging with members of the Grateful Dead, the vital role good weather played in the success of ‘Fare Thee Well’ and the economics behind guest appearances.
Hear Episode 137 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 136 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Delicate Steve (guitarist Steve Marion). JamBase’s Andy Kahn recently caught up with Steve to talk about his new album, After Hours, and much more.
Marion recalled his time in Tucson, Arizona, where he decamped at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The year he lived there was spent away from the guitar and he talked about the effect that had on his musicianship, and ultimately the new record.
Marion gave the backstory on the 1966 Fender Stratocaster guitar that was the only guitar he played on the album. It turns out the guitarist not really much of a gear head and instead left the search for the perfect Strat to his friend and cohort Ofir Ganon. Marion described embracing the sound of the guitar, which was a different approach from many of his past recordings that tended to strive for obscure sounds from the instrument.
Other topics that were explored included his songwriting process and how the album came together during recording sessions held last year. Among the other musicians who appeared on After Hours were Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco and bassist Shahzad Ismaily and the discussion explored how they each played integral roles in creating the album.
The interview also touched on Steve’s experience as a touring member of The Black Keys in 2019 and 2020, leading up to the pandemic. The guitarist shared some interesting insights from the perspective of someone who has a successful solo career stepping into that role of touring musician.
Stream Episode 136 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 135 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Dawes frontman Taylor Goldsmith. JamBase’s Andy Kahn spoke to the guitarist about the band’s new album, Misadventures Of Doomscroller, and much more.
Back in October 2020, Kahn interviewed producer Jonathan Wilson for The JamBase Podcast, who at the time revealed he was about to start working on a new Dawes album that he described as more “jammy.” The resulting Misadventures Of Doomscroller is a seven-track (six-song) album with a 45-minute running time. Two of the tracks are over nine minutes long and another is over eight minutes long.
The band’s eighth album is quite a sonic departure for the group, who took a self-professed “maximalist” approach to the new record. Goldsmith talked about working with Wilson to achieve that goal and explained how important the producer has been to the band. Dawes recorded Misadventures Of Doomscroller at Wilson’s Laural Canyon recording studio. Goldsmith detailed Wilson’s role in the band’s early development – Wilson also produced their first two albums and 2018’s Passwords – and how he is forever grateful for the support Wilson has given the band over the years.
At one point, the interview turned to a discussion regarding music labels, and in particular the jam band label and the somewhat negative stigma associated with it. Goldsmith provided his take from a musician’s perspective about the subject of jam bands, and of music genres in general.
Goldsmith also talked about some of the other projects he’s been involved in recently, like getting recruited to perform with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh as a member of Phil & Friends.
Goldsmith was asked about the work he has done recently with his wife, actress and musician Mandy Moore. The couple recently wrapped an emotional tour in support of Moore’s new album, In Real Life. Goldsmith described the experience of getting to watch his wife perform and relish in the response she received from her fans at her shows. They were actually supposed to be on tour when Goldsmith was interviewed, but Moore decided to scale back her schedule since she is pregnant with their second child.
The interview also touched on Goldsmith’s collaboration last year with Goose (the interview occurred before they performed together again at Newport Folk Festival), as well as Dawes' upcoming tour with Bahamas and much more.
Stream Episode 135 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 134 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Arlo McKinley. JamBase’s Andy Kahn spoke to the singer-songwriter about his newly released studio album, This Mess We're In, and much more.
McKinley and Kahn spoke recently over a video call that started with Arlo calling in from the front seat of his tour van while out picking up supplies for tour. The signal turned a little wonky, so about 10 minutes or so into the chat he headed home to call back in with the assistance of a strong wifi signal.
The interview focused mainly on McKinley’s new album, This Mess We’re In, which is his second album on Oh Boy Records following 2020’s Die Midwestern. Oh Boy Records was co-founded by the late John Prine. McKinley talked about the times he got to meet Prine, and what it means to be part of the roster of such an important independent record label. McKinley detailed his relationship with Jody Whelan, Prine’s son who now runs Oh Boy.
McKinley was peppered with questions about his songwriting and he went deep into his evolving process. McKinley discussed writing songs about real-life experiences and how they help him work through some of the heavy emotions that can be attached to them.
As he did on Die Midwestern, McKinley worked with producer Matt Ross-Spang on This Mess We’re In. McKinley talked about his experiences working with Ross-Spang, who has a truly impressive resume, and what it was like recording at Sam Philips’ historic studio in Memphis. McKinley also talked about working with the same musicians that appeared on Die Midwestern, each with their own impressive resumes, that included drummer Ken Coomer, guitarist Will Sexton and keyboardist Rick Steff.
Other aspects of the interview touched on the mysteriousness of what it means to be Midwestern, song-related tattoos, singing the National Anthem for the Cincinnati Reds and much more.
Stream Episode 134 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 133 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Peter Rowan. JamBase’s Nate Todd spoke with the bluegrass legend about his recently released album, Calling You From My Mountain, and much more.
The interview with Peter Rowan took place at the 2022 High Sierra Music Festival. Peter was fresh on the heels of performing Old & In The Way with Railroad Earth. Rowan discussed what it was like sharing the beloved collection of songs — just a few days ahead of his 80th birthday — featuring many of his classic tunes including “Midnight Moonlight,” “Panama Red” and “Land Of The Navajo” as well as how the Old & In The Way collaboration with RRE came about.
Peter also spoke in-depth about his fantastic new album, Calling You From My Mountain, much of which he recorded with his ace band in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area. Rowan touched on how the album evolved from a tribute to Hanks Williams Sings Luke The Drifter to an LP colored by the pandemic as well as other current events affecting the world today. The title track, “From My Mountain (Calling You),” inspired by his friendship with Tibetan singer-songwriter Yungchen Lhamo, served as a starting point for the new set of songs as well as a metaphor for the isolation of the pandemic but also a new form of connectedness that arose from it.
“From My Mountain (Calling You)” features Molly Tuttle and Lindsay Lou. Peter spoke about how the singers helped to craft the song’s gorgeous vocal arrangement. Additionally, Rowan talked working with guitarist Billy Strings on two of the album’s tracks, “A Winning Hand” and “Freedom Trilogy,” as well as a new guitar Billy used on the record which shared a connection with Peter’s Old & In The Way bandmate Jerry Garcia.
Rowan also gave a rundown of some of his upcoming performances as well as how the new material is fitting into his live sets. The conversation concludes with Peter detailing a song on the album, “The Red, The White And The Blue,” which carries an anti-war message, and how it relates to its companion song “Light At The End Of The World.”
This episode is sponsored by Grateful Fred. Grateful Fred specializes in high-quality chrome car badges that incorporate designs like the 13-point bolt, the stealie, bears and numerous other classic Grateful Dead designs. Check out a wide array of designs and find the full Grateful Fred collection at Grateful-Fred.com.
Stream Episode 133 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 132 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Clay Finch and Sam Blasucci of Mapache. JamBase’s Andy Kahn spoke to the duo about their recently released studio album, Roscoe's Dream, and much more.
The interview with Blasucci and Finch took place over a video call, with each musician calling in from their respective homes in California. The guys talked about making Roscoe’s Dream, their third full-length album, with their longtime collaborator and essentially third member of the band, bassist Dan Horne. Part of the interview focused on recording at Horne studio in Los Angeles, where they lived for a time, and how the familiarity helped set the right vibe while making the album.
The pair of guitarists discussed their approach to singing and recording their ever-so-sweet vocal harmonies. They also got into the expansive sound and instrumentation featured on Roscoe’s Dream, which they said was a natural progression for them as a band.
Blasucci and Finch talked about writing and recording songs in different languages. They’re known to sing in Spanish, which they do on the new album, but this time around they also covered a song written in Hawaiian.
Blasucci also talked about his dog Roscoe, a 15-year-old Boston Terrier whom the album is named after and that’s been with the band since the start. The interview touched on a variety of other topics, such as their recent tour through various locales in California as an homage to PBS show hosted by Hugh Howser California’s Gold.
This episode is sponsored by Grateful Fred. Grateful Fred specializes in high-quality chrome car badges that incorporate designs like the 13-point bolt, the stealie, bears and numerous other classic Grateful Dead designs. Check out a wide array of designs and find the full Grateful Fred collection at Grateful-Fred.com.
Stream Episode 132 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 131 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Dopapod‘s Rob Compa. JamBase’s Scott Bernstein interviewed the guitarist about the band’s recently released self-titled studio album, Dopapod, and much more.
Compa spoke to Bernstein from his home in Vermont via a video call. The guitarist discussed the timeline of the Dopapod album, which the quartet began working on before the pandemic started. The self-titled record features a mix of “new” material along with older songs. One of the tracks in the latter category is “Grow” and Rob explained how Dopapod returned to the song with a new outlook and fresh arrangement nearly eight years after its live debut for inclusion on the album.
The guitarist also talked about how he knows the particular strengths of each of his bandmates and is fine with them handling aspects such as naming the album and coming up with its sequencing rather than having “too many cooks in the kitchen.” Compa went on to discuss the songwriting process that birthed Dopapod cut “Fannie.”
Dopapod’s vinyl packaging integrates a playable board game. Compa recalled the initial idea behind the time-traveling board game and how the band collaborated on the concept with former crew member Luke Stratton. Rob also discussed Dopapod’s year-plus hiatus that came before COVID-19 led to a pause in live touring and how the hiatus actually prepared the band to handle the realities of the pandemic.
This episode is sponsored by Grateful Fred. Grateful Fred specializes in high-quality chrome car badges that incorporate designs like the 13-point bolt, the stealie, bears and numerous other classic Grateful Dead designs. Check out a wide array and designs and find the full Grateful Fred collection at Grateful-Fred.com.
Hear Episode 131 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.
Episode 130 of The JamBase Podcast, a partner of the Osiris Media Network, features an interview with Lettuce‘s Adam Deitch. JamBase’s Andy Kahn interviewed the drummer about the band’s recently released studio album, Unify, and much more.
Deitch spoke over a video call from his home in Colorado. The interview focused mostly on the new Lettuce album, Unify, which came out on June 3rd. Deitch detailed making the album during the COVID-19 pandemic and maneuvering through the challenges it presented. He explained how the band takes a song from a demo and develops it into a fully formed piece of music.
The multi-talented musician described the amazing experience of getting to work with the legendary funk bassist Bootsy Collins who appears on the Unify track “Keep The Funk Alive.” Deitch and his Lettuce bandmates have worked with many iconic musicians over the years, but Bootsy – a pioneer when it comes to funk music – was among the all-time highlights for Deitch.
The interview also touched on the other guests who contributed to the record, including Dumpstaphunk bassist Nick Daniels on “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and Berklee professor Jeff Lockhart on guitar on “The Lock.”
Listen to hear Deitch go into the band’s creative process, explain how they communicate in the studio, what led to them self-produce Unify and the experience of working with engineer Jesse O’Brien at Colorado Sound Studios. Those are just a few of the many topics covered during the fun and insightful chat.
Stream Episode 130 of The JamBase Podcast via all major podcast services including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Google Podcast.