Where Some Funk Hid

The middle portion of the proGram was the best spot to look for some funk-a-hiding:

Checking Out (Double Clutch)- Marvin Gaye
The Duke- Menahan Street Band
First Impression- True Loves

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Deep State- On The Spot Trio
High 45- Alan Evans Trio
Future Deserts- Tommy Guerrero
Descendent of Memory- Tommy Guerrero
Ignite- Envy Alo

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F0- PLS.Trio
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On The Lamb- Mike Dillon & The Bad Decisions
**pre-recorded conversation with Mike Dillon**
Pinocchio- Mike Dillon
Apocalyptic Daydreams- Mike Dillon & Punkadelic

To Howl Over

The first piece of the proGram had all the makings of a sharp-toothed, strong clawed good time:

In The Middle- Andrew McConathy & The Drunken Hearts
Call Me A Fool- Valerie June Ft. Carla Thomas
greenarrowradio promo- Skylar Rogers
Work- Skylar Rogers
Back To Memphis- Skylar Rogers

~
Scramblin’- Stratcat Willie & the Strays
Eat, Drink, Boogie, Repeat- Stratcat Willie & the Strays
I Like My Chicken Fried- Dave Thomas

~~
Magic Carpet Ride- The Chris White Experience Ft. Free Ferry
New Revolution- The Besnard Lakes
Shakin’- Black River Delta
Child Of The Moon- The Fleshtones
Manpower Debut- The Fleshtones

~
Tell Me I’m Bad- Editrix
Resister/Resist- Bisbâyé

A Trilogy Of Albums And Mike Dillon

Mike Dillon has spent the last 3 decades playing well over 200 shows a year with both his own band, as well as a vibraphonist/percussionist with artists including Rickie Lee Jones, Les Claypool & Ani DiFranco. So when the pandemic hit in early 2020 forcing him off the road, he instinctively directed his perpetually restless creative energy to writing & recording. Recently relocating to Kansas City after spending 15 years in New Orleans, he and producer Chad Meise would track a trilogy of albums. In collaboration with his longtime record label Royal Potato Family, they would offer the records exclusively via Bandcamp just days after they were mixed and mastered. On March 12, 2021, those albums now receive the full vinyl treatment, as well as complete digital release across all streaming outlets.

The first of the 3 records, ‘Shoot The Moon,’ is a 10 track collection, which Mike describes as “Punkadelic-Funk-Psych,” focused heavily on the current political climate in the United States. Assembling an assortment of stylistically uncompromising musicians to contribute, its line-up features Matt Chamberlain, Steven Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Robbie Seahag Mangano, Jean-Paul Gaster & Nick Bockrath among others. Highlights include the apocalyptic road warrior anthem “Drivin’ Down The Road,” a swirling New Orleans jazz-raga “Further Adventures in Misadventures” and the snarling punk rock diatribe “Quool Aid Man” with its indictment of the American right: “old men and their guns.”

The 2nd recording in the series, ‘Suitcase Man’ is a 9-song cycle through which Mike examine his life & choices made over the past 55 years. It’s a distinct entry in his extensive discography, notable for its strikingly honest lyricism & minimalist arrangements that incorporate sparse vibraphone & percussion with a handful of background vocals by Tiff Lamson of Givers and frequent collaborator JJ Jungle. Songs like “Empty Bones,” “Turkish Rose” & “Matthew” represent him at his most creatively daring, while confirming his ascent into the upper echelon of cult music outsiders in the lineage of artists like Tom Waits, Harry Partch & Captain Beefheart.

Mike completes the trilogy with ‘1918.’ The focal point here are his instrumentals: the dank and dark Moog/tabla/vibraphone psych vibe of “Pinocchio,” the electro analog trance of “Pelagic” and the jungle groove, space rock of the title track. Mike once again calls on friends like drummer Earl Harvin and guitarist Shane Theriot to assist. Thematically speaking, the material addresses the Covid-19 pandemic and recent social unrest.

I had the pleasure of catching up with friend of the proGram, Mike Dillon to discuss the creation and construction of these three different feelings and flavors of sound. We touch on the who and what, the how and the why and how a pirates’ voice for he comes into play.

All Them Tatses

The final portion of the proGram, combined a lot of flavors into that one that fit the hunger of the day:

Freedom- David Walters
Razlivishche- Staritsa
Razbeschastnyj Kazachok- Staritsa
Wheel- Vedan Kolod

~~
Equinox- Dezron Douglas & Brandee Younger
I Am Not Yours- Steve Yeager Ft. Katy Vernon

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Ballot Box Bounce- Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra w/Wynton Marsalis
Rakin’ and Scrapin’- Leon Lee Dorsey
Watermelon Man- Leon Lee Dorsey
I’m Walkin’- Leon Lee Dorsey
Red- Cameron Graves

~~~
Green & Gold- Victor & Malachi DeLorenzo

Walking Into That Setting Sun

The middle portion of the proGram had a certain funk in its soul-filled steps:

Dripping Sun- Kikagaku Moyo (live at Levitation)
~~
No Crime- Michelle Sarah
Ally- Adryon De León
Hey!- The Natural Soul Ft. Matt Schofield/Alan Evans/Darby Wolf/Pete Aleksi
Careless Whisper- Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
I Don’t Know- Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
The Main Course- The Tibbs

~~
A Thousand Shapes Of Change- Tommy Guerrero
Quiet Heat- Tommy Guerrero
I Believe In Love- Polyrhythmics & Lucky Brown
Unity (It’s Up To You)- Badge Époque Ensemble Ft. James Baley

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Log Jammin’- The Le Coq All Stars

Fire Blurr

The first portion of the proGram was visible even through the fuzziness:

Sing About It- Moira Smiley
Refugee- Moira Smiley
That’s Life- Willie Nelson
Run It All Together- Andrew McConathy & The Drunken Hearts

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Big Easy Bound- Stratcat Willie & the Strays
Blues Coming Down- Cash McCall
greenarrowradio promo- Veronica Lewis
You Ain’t Unlucky- Veronica Lewis

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Wake Up, Brother- Andrew Gabbard
It Won’t Hurt You- Triptides
Love Me While You Can- The Handcuffs

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She Comes Now- Modern Stars
Never Gonna Wake (Up)- Nancy
Leave Your Cares Behind- Nancy

~~~
**pre-recorded conversation with Concert Promoter Danny Zelisko**

All Exce$$ With Danny Zelisko

When concert promoter Danny Zelisko says, “I’ve got some stories to tell,” he isn’t kidding. His remarkable new book, ALL EXCE$$ Occupation: Concert Promoter, takes you both backstage & on stage with music’s top stars, recounting his incredible five-decade career in which he has produced over 10,000 concert events throughout the country. Along with his vivid, insightful and highly entertaining recollections, Danny shares an eye-popping array of never-before-seen photos from his personal archives that might have readers thinking he’s a rock ‘n’ roll Zelig: There’s stories & shots of him with Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson, Roger Waters, Aerosmith, the Grateful Dead, members of Led Zeppelin and The Doors, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Kris Kristofferson, Chuck Berry, Jon Bon Jovi, Tony Bennett, Muddy Waters, Genesis, Tina Turner, Billy Idol, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Billy Joel, Bob Seger, James Brown, John Prine – as they say, the list goes on and on.
In addition, Danny chronicles his lifelong love of sports, his passion for collecting memorabilia/autographs, and some of the incredible friendships he formed while in his pre-teens with giants such as Chicago Cubs shortstop/first baseman Ernie Banks and Chicago Bears stars Brian Piccolo & Gale Sayers. He also talks about his first impressions & situations that followed with concert business legends Bill Graham & Shep Gordon, who went on to be his close friends and mentors throughout his career. What message does he hope readers will take away from the book? “Anything & everything is possible,” he says. “I want to inspire people, whatever they want to do, they can do it. You see a picture of me with Robert Plant or Muhammad Ali, and you might think, how did this guy get there? That’s the story I tell. And it can happen to you, too. You just have to believe in yourself & never quit.”
How does a starry-eyed Midwestern kid go on to become one of the biggest concert promoters in history? Danny details his rise from scrappy beginnings to overseeing iconic stadium shows. “A lot of people have no idea what a concert promoter actually does, so that’s something else I hope people take away from the book,” he says. “There’s the great times – hanging out with the stars, the fun, the partying – but there’s awful times, too. And there’s the work. My team and I are responsible for every aspect of putting on a show. Without the great people who have supported these promotions, day in and out, I could never have done it. They are the stars behind the scenes”.
At its heart, ALL EXCE$$ Occupation: Concert Promoter is a tale of friendships. His longtime pal & baseball legend Kirk Gibson wrote the book’s Foreword in which he describes the author as “the straw that stirs the drink.” “I’m very fortunate to have made such incredible friends,” Zelisko says. “I think a big reason for that is because I’m always very honest with the people I deal with. I can admire them and worship what they do, but I deal with them straight and tell them the truth. I think that’s how you last in the business, and it’s how you maintain relationships.”

I had the chance to catch up with Danny about this book of tales, some you might expect, some you might not. But the journey feels maGical when I put myself in his shoes through the pages. Hear what he has to say about it here:

ALL EXCE$$ Occupation: Concert Promoter is available at dzplive.com, you can also get it from Kindle, Amazon and Amazon Print on Demand. Additionally, a limited number of first-edition signed copies are available to benefit NIVA’s Save Our Stages (to support music industry employees affected by COVID-19).

Inside The Framed

The final sets of this week’s proGram had a little extra something to it when you took a double take:

Intro- Mayer Hawthorne
Fast Man (Rare Sounds Remaster)- The New Mastersounds
Love On Top- 45th St Brass
Monkey’s Are Heavy- 45th St Brass

~~
Pawn Shop- E.N Young
The Nod- Fat Freddy’s Drop
~~
Sublime- Supreme Beings of Leisure
So Much More- Supreme Beings of Leisure
Heat Miser- Massive Attack
Down Here On the Ground- The Ummah
Hit That Jive, Jack- Nat King Cole Ft. Izza Kizza (Produced by Souldiggaz)
~
No Lies- Dub Gabriel Ft. MC Zulu
Smells Like Teen Spirit (Beatnick & K-Salaam Remix) – Nirvana
Call Me Nasty- Ill Sugi

The Boil Is On

The middle portion of the program turned out to be one of my favorite ear meals—where else do you find these items on a menu:

You’ve Got To Have Freedom- Pharoah Sanders (live)
~
Freedom Raga- Doug Cox & Salil Bhatt
Ganges Delta Blues- Ry Cooder & V.M Bhatt
~
Fire In The Brain- Club d’Elf (live, Scotty Hard Benefit)
~~
Midnight Dream- Little Axe
Banal Reality- Organic Grooves
Diaraby Magni- Vieux Farka Touré Ft. Yossi Fine (live)
~
Shushan- Balkan Beat Box featuring Shushan

Wax In Wax On

The first part of the proGram took the fire and melted the very ways it made the liquid burn:

Freeborn Man- Tony Rice
Lonesome Reuben- Tony Rice
~
Piece Of My Heart- Erma Franklin
I Like Birds- Eels w/ Strings (live)
Hang on St. Christopher- Tom Waits
In A Hole- Brazz Tree
~~
Shine On You Crazy Diamond- Colonel Les Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade (live)
The Simpsons- Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius
~~
Le Rock Summer- Rinôçérôse
You Said a Bad Word- Joe Tex
Southern Gul- Erykah Badu

Cooking With That Flame

The final portion of this week’s proGram had all the fire needed to keep on cookin’:

Lookout For Hope- Bill Frisell
~
Drume Negrita- Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban
Mambo Sinuendo- Ry Cooder & Manuel Galban
Dimensions- Doug Carn, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad
Windfall- Doug Carn, Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Adrian Younge

~
Love & Language- ZEM AUDU & MOTHERLAND SUNS
Trespass- The Autos Ft. Elliot Martin

~
Crystal Oscillations- Timeshard
~
Bus to Beelzebub- Soul Coughing

The Firing Line

The middle portion of the proGram knew right where to draw the heated line:

Screwloose- The Radiators (live)
Nancy- Teddy Presberg
~
Here With Me- Alan Evans
In Comes Slade- Crushed Velvet and the Velveteers Ft. Neal Evans
A Little Bit Of Sunshine- Brother Goodlove

~~
Old Devil Moon- Steve Yeager
Blue Bossa- Steve Yeager
Home- Steve Yeager
~
I Like’s That- Skeebo Knight Ft Chuck Leavell
Honey Burger’s Grill ‘New Mix’- Skeebo Knight Ft. Chuck Leavell
~~
Don’t Let Money Be Your God- James Taylor Quartet

In The Fire Pits

The first part of the proGram started the fire and the heat kept on pouring out in stars:

Space Jam- Jerry Garcia/David Grisman/Tony Rice
So What- Jerry Garcia/David Grisman/Tony Rice
13D- Dan Hicks & Acoustic Warriors (live)
Subterranean Homesick Blues- Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks
~
Tonight- Delaney Davidson
Let The Good Times Roll- Ry Cooder & Taj Mahal
~
At The Pershing- The Jazz Mandolin Project
Bosco Stumble- Leftover Salmon (live)
Can’t Wait (Alt Take)- Bob Dylan
I’ve Been Lonely For So Long- Hazmat Modine
~
Paint- Soul Coughing
Cities- Talking Heads
Paper- Talking Heads

At First Bite

The final part of the proGram this week had the first taste:

Dream Come True- The Brand New Heavies
Understanding- Black Sugar
Jazz Boutique- Lalann
Soul Train- Von & Renauld
~~
Sunrays No Shade- Space Kamp
Crabbuckit- K-OS
The Hop- Radio Citizen Ft. Bajka
~~
For Your Love- Sammy Johnson
Marijuana Mi Love- Sean Paul
Satta I- Daddy Lizzard

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Milk And Honey- The In Crowd
Man From Far- Clive Hunt & The Hit Men
Slow Ride- Kash’d Out

~~
Auld Lang Syne- Buru Style

Moon You Inside

The middle portion of the proGram had it’s own force into space, right down here:

Freedom Jazz Dance- Dr. Lonnie Smith
~
Start-Stop (DJ Logic Remix)- Medeski Martin & Wood
Time to Get Loose- All Good Funk Alliance Ft. Big Stuff & Think Tank
Fight The Power- Brownout
Shameless- Juno What?!
~
San Francisco Bound (DJ Obah Remix)- The Pimps of Joytime
Dancing Together- David Byrne & Fatboy Slim Ft. Sharon Jones
My Own Little World- Mocean Worker Ft. Lyrics Born & Mindi Abair
~
Freedom At Sunset- Doug Carn & Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad

With Another Look

The first part of this week’s proGram had our ears doing a double take:

Joey- Jeremy Pinnell
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Rhythm And Booze- Treat Her Right
Cure For Pain- Morphine
Cook For You- Twinemen (live in Chicago 2/2/2003)
~~
NY Soul Brew- Gridline (live)
Memphis Underground- Soul Summit (live at Berks Jazz Fest)
They Call Me Velvet- Alan Evans Trio Ft. Beau Sasser & Danny Mayer (live)
~~
Higher Ground- Marcus Miller
Is Anyone There?- Rob Wasserman