Seedy

The First part of the proGram this week had to remember where it all begins.

Maybe It’s Not Too Late- Jeff Plankenhorn
Laying Right Here In Heaven- Tina Rose, Amy Nelson, Jason Hill & Jake Pinto
Crystal Closet Queen- Pixies


Runaways- Goodnight, Texas Ft. Kirk Hammett
She Still Shouts- The Blips


Godfather Theme- Popa Chubby & The Beast Band (Live AT G. Bluey’s Junk Joint)
69 Dollars- Popa Chubby & The Beast Band (Live AT G. Bluey’s Junk Joint)
Bloodshot Sky- Kyla Brox (Live at Köniz Castle)
Already Gone- EG Kight


789-0133- Dave Keller
Ain’t No If About It- The Groove Krewe Ft. Jonathon Boogie Long
More Days Like This- J.T. Lauritsen And The Buckshot Hunters Ft Mike Farris & Trez Gregory
Sticks and Stones- André Bisson
Roll Out- Jhett Black
Blues Don’t Care- Tom Hambridge Ft. Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

55 Years Of Tower Of Power

For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. .“We were a Soul band called The Motowns.” recalls family of the proGram, Emilio Castillo. “Rocco was the bass player, I was there, and my brother was the drummer. I met “Doc” Kupka back in 1968, and gave him an audition. He came in the band, and we eventually changed our name to the Tower of Power.” The reason for the band name change was that they had a specific goal in mind.East Bay Grease defined their sound and landed them with Warner Brothers. Bump City, their 1972 debut for the label, was a hit on both the Billboard 200 and the R&B Albums chart, and netted them the hits “You’re Still A Young Man” and “Down to The Nightclub.” The 70s were a boom period with radio classics like “So Very Hard to Go” and “What Is Hip?,” and the band continued to tour and record over the years. Castillo says their love of the stage is the same today as it was back in 1968. 50 years later, in 2018, they returned to Oakland to celebrate their landmark 50th anniversary. Tower’s window-rattling grooves and raucous party spirit has been a balm for the soul throughout their half-century existence, but the release of 50 Years of Funk & Soul: Live at the Fox Theater couldn’t have arrived at a better time. The band has long since surpassed Castillo’s modest aspirations, traveling the world, enjoying hit singles on their own and backing legendary artists including Otis Redding, Elton John, Santana, the Grateful Dead, John Lee Hooker, Aerosmith, Bonnie Raitt, and countless others. In the process they’ve defined an “Oakland soul” sound as instantly recognizable as those from Castillo’s hometown, Detroit, as well as inspirations like Memphis and Philadelphia. The future of Tower of Power is set out to be vigorous and dynamic, and will prove to be just that for fans around the world starved for the band’s groove just the way Tower of Power likes it! And you do too!!

It’s that time of year aGain and you can feel it in the air. Tower Of Power is heading back to Party in Madison on October 3rd at the Orpheum. As usual, we got a chance to hang out with Emilio to talk about what is going to go down. We chat a bit about there to hear and then to now, and a lot of the feelings and conversations shared between all the people in the venue. Emilio and I always try our best to connect to the younger crowd who maybe through it all has not quite bumped into this scene, we’re going to be on the look out for all of you(s) at this party.

Dante’ Pope and The Jazz Collective at Millennium Stage

Dante’ Pope is a multi-genre percussionist from the westside of Chicago, based in Washington, D.C. Dante’ serves as the newest addition to Grammy Award®–winning, Nashville–based group Old Crow Medicine Show as the percussionist & featured vocalist. Dante’ was featured on percussion and vocals on the 2019 Grammy®–nominated album Black Cowboys. The album is a collaboration with friend of the proGram, Mr. Dom Flemons, founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Smithsonian Folkways. Dante’ also served as drummer and music director for soul artists and lyricists Raheem Devaugh and Wes Felton, known as The Crossrhodes. His arranging and musicianship was featured for their NPR Tiny Desk Concert in 2017. Since his debut EP release After Five Music in 2019, Dante’ Pope has released several singles and EPs based in soul, jazz, blues, and hip hop traditions. As a solo act, he has played Rockwood Music Hall in New York City, the Strathmore Performing Arts Center, DC Jazz Festival and a host of venues throughout the U.S. He and the band put on yet another exception show on the Kennedy Center‘s Millennium Stage last night.

Orange We Ready For This

The final part of the proGram just wanted to check in.

Humberstone- Davis Hall & The Green Lanterns
A Web, A Knot, A Tangle- Black Market Brass
The Town I Live In- The Faithful Brothers
Night Man- The Faithful Brothers


Echoes – Smoove & Turrell

Still Spinning- Kendra Morris
Special- Kendra Morris
The Soaring Seagull- Electric Keyboard Orchestra
Synthporn- Dressel Amorosi


Life Is So Beautiful- Ursula 1000 Ft. Yuuko Sings
Locked Up- Danger Mouse & Jemini The Gifted One
Born-A-MC- Danger Mouse & Jemini The Gifted One
Mindful Solutionism- Aesop Rock
Brujería- El Búho Ft. Li Saumet


Pelican Dance- Sandunes

The Moment Between Closing

The middle part of this week’s program liked to sneak riGht on through.

Bounce It- Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter & Superblue Ft. Huntertones
California- Franck & Damien Ft. Donavon Frankenreiter
Winding Roads- Stephen Marley Ft. Bob Weir & The Wolf Brothers & Jack Johnson


***pre-recorded conversation with Vinnie Amico of moe.***
The Conch- moe.
Tailspin- moe.
Tubing The River Styx- moe.

The Rain Song- The Caughtery
Jeane- The Persian Leaps
Don’t Rain on My Parade- Veronica Swift


Out In the Woods- Durand Jones & The Indications
Stranger In a Strange Land- Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
Rapture- Jalen Ngonda
Kava- Maiiah & Angels of Libra
Homer- Davis Hall & The Green Lanterns

Wash Drink Repeat

The first part of this week’s proGram had a purple haze to it.

Do a Little Dancing- Jeff Plankenhorn
Woman’s Work- Joan Osborne
Eve Was Black- Allison Russell


greenarrowradio promo- Teresa James
I’d Do It for You- Teresa James & The Rhythm Tramps
Me And My Chauffer- Candice Ivory
When The Levee Breaks- Candice Ivory
HooDoo Lady- Candice Ivory Ft. Charlie Hunter
Anything You Need- Gabe Carter


Mother-In-Law Blues- Mitch Woods Ft. John Hammond
Saturday Night Boogie Woogie Man- Mitch Woods Ft. Elvin Bishop
2:19- Chris Yakopcic (Live)


When Love Comes Knocking- Chris Beard
greenarrowradio promo- Tom Hambridge
Meet Me In Chicago- Tom Hambridge Ft. Rob McNelly
Ain’t It Just Like Love- Tom Hambridge Ft. Buddy Guy

30+ Years of moe.

Hailed by American Songwriter for their “mind-bending musicality,” moe.is treasured for their mesmerizing musical synergy, unfettered showmanship, & smart, resonant songcraft. For 3 decades, the band has corralled diverse musical forms on a truly original journey. Fueled by an impassioned fan base, moe. has spent much of those 30 years on the road, encompassing countless live performances marked by eclectic wit, deep friendship, & exploratory invention. Having built an enduring legacy with hard work and a confirmed commitment to creativity and community, moe. seem as surprised as anyone to find themselves at such a significant landmark. The more the band traveled, the more they grew creatively, evincing a remarkable willingness to progress as they went along. moe. quickly became part of a burgeoning scene centered around NYC’s Wetlands, a grassroots revolution that embraced freewheeling genre fusion – spanning funk & free jazz, country & classic rock, prog, new wave, calypso, pop & everything else under the sun – fan interaction, & unrestrained improvisation. moe. widened its reach across America, earning new fans and national attention with their ingeniously imaginative interplay and a regularly growing catalogue. The band spent almost as much time in the studio as they did on the road. As if all that weren’t enough, the moe. canon – released largely through their own Fatboy Records, as well as via two label deals, one major, the other independent – further includes a wide range of archival live releases (including 2000’s L), a Christmas album, even a re-recorded collection of greatest hits. moe. is truly a live band, rightly adored by a fervent following for their epic concert performances, each one imaginatively improvisational, rhythmically audacious, and utterly unique. Indeed, the band has spent much of its 30-year career on the road, including innumerable headline tours, international festival sets from Bonnaroo to Japan’s famed Fuji Rock, music-themed cruises, and sold-out shows alongside such like-minded acts as the Allman Brothers Band, Robert Plant, members of the Grateful Dead, Dave Matthews Band, The Who, Gov’t Mule, & Blues Traveler, to name but a few. As if that weren’t enough, moe. has both promoted and headlined at multiple festivals of their own, including snoe.down and moe.down. That illustrious career path has been supported and nourished by the band’s ever-growing legion of devoted fans and followers, known lovingly as moe.rons. With their astonishing prolificacy and awe-inspiring longevity, moe. is among the rare bands that somehow manage to transcend time and trend to be passed down from one generation to the next. Impossible to pigeonhole as anything other than simply moe., this one-of-a-kind band has never been easily categorized, their sonic adventurousness and tongue-in-cheek humor distinctly and undeniably their own. Despite current circumstances, moe. is celebrating their milestone anniversary with characteristic self-deprecation and wistful optimism. Here’s to the next 30.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Drummer of moe., Vinnie Amico ahead of the band’s arrival back in Madison on September 29th at The Barrymore Theater. We got into what someone new to the scene can expect from the live experience, which is really what this group of artist seems to live for. We talk about how, after thirty years, things are feeling as good and fresh as ever. This is one of those bands that gets into that (as Vinnie said), the music at times starts to play the band, so of course we talk about that in the moment spirt and energy between band members, the fans and the music. Once again, this is a band that has an idea or a map to what should go down once the how begins, but it is that shared moment of this is now happening, and here we go, makes each song, each setlist a unique to you experience. Being a big fan of Al’s writing, we find out a little bit about what happens when he walks into the studio and presents a song he’s working out. It’s a classic answer about process, discussion and family style working through.

Portraits by friend of the proGram Jay Blakesberg

It Was Electric

The final part of the proGram lite everything up differently than seen before.

Red Deer- Josh Cole : KIND MIND
Inward, Curve- Jason Moran, Marcus Gilmore & Blankfor.ms
Wild and Free- Peter Xifaras


Alice In The Congo- Kris Davis Ft. Terri Lyne Carrington, Julian Lage, Val Jeanty & Trevor Dunn (live)
***pre-recorded conversation with Kris Davis***
Dolores- Kris Davis Ft. Terri Lyne Carrington, Julian Lage, Val Jeanty & Trevor Dunn (live)


Ancient Chocolate Buddha- Broun Fellinis
***pre-recorded conversation with Kevin Carnes of Broun Fellinis***
The Mystery of 3- Broun Fellinis
Carla- Broun Fellinis

Squeezed The Pop

The middle part of the proGram made sure to get the all from each.

Groundhog Day- Johnathan Blake
Tour de Force- Mulgrew Miller (live/solo)
Blues For Burns- Mike Jones Ft. Penn Jillette & Jeff Hamilton


Conspiracy Theory- Pete McCann
Message From the Meters- Steve Snyder Trio
Hox A- Black Market Brass
Little Ghosts- Black Market Brass


Ashé Chief Donald: Tribute Big Chief Donald Harrison Jr. – Congo Square Nation- Chief Adjuah
Golden Crown (Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah – Xodokan Nation- Chief Adjuah
Xodokan Iko – Hu Na Ney- Chief Adjuah
Rat-a-Tat- Harold López-Nussa
Olivia- Mike Clark

The Swirl Started To

The beGinning part of the program today went to the ways of that way.

Papa Norco- Rascal Reporters

A Walk in the Hood, Pt. 2- Freddie Bryant
Naughty Number Nine- Kurt Elling, Charlie Hunter & Superblue Ft. Huntertones


Intercepcion- Aguankó
Wild Blues- Hilario Duran And His Latin Jazz Big Band
Pacá po Juanito- Hilario Duran And His Latin Jazz Big Band
Latin Gemini- Carlos Hernandez


Dance of the Elders- Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley & Brian Blade
Tsumamiori- House of Waters
Tiempos- Johnathan Blake

Kris Davis’ Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard

Pianist/composer Kris Davis introduced her acclaimed 2019 album ‘Diatom Ribbons’ by talking about the micro & the macro, using the titular microalgae as an evocative analogy for her compositional approach. The comparison could be extended, in a way, to describe the legendary Village Vanguard – although in time, rather than in space (the basement club’s notoriously intimate confines don’t allow for much of a macro view). On this venturesome new double album, the long & storied history of one of jazz’s most revered venues coexists with the immediacy of contemporary invention in thrilling and unexpected ways. With ‘Live at the Village Vanguard’, Davis’ 2nd release with her far-reaching Diatom Ribbons band, she adds her name to the astounding roster of legends who have recorded at the Vanguard, yet the music takes forms that even visionaries like John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins or Bill Evans could never have imagined. The album, which dropped September 1, 2023, via her own Pyroclastic Records label, reunites Davis with her core collaborators from that album – drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, turntablist & electronic musician Val Jeanty and bassist Trevor Dunn, as well as the addition of a new voice to the mix in the person of guitarist Julian Lage. ‘Live at the Village Vanguard’ follows in the kaleidoscopic spirit of its celebrated predecessor, which was hailed as one of the top 5 albums of 2019 by both DownBeat & JazzTimes magazines while topping the list of both the NPR Critics Poll and The New York Times. The music is an inspired collage of eclectic influences, drawing on the music and philosophies of Wayne Shorter, Olivier Messiaen, Sun Ra, Geri Allen, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, Ronald Shannon Jackson, Paul Bley & Conlon Nancarrow, among others. In her role as Associate Program Director of Creative Development for the Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice at Berklee College of Music, Kris plays an active part in remedying the historic injustices and imbalances in the jazz world while serving as a role model in her own work. She and bassist Linda May Han Oh are only the second & third women to win the Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Terri Lyne Carrington’s 2022 album ‘New Standards Vol. 1’, an honor they share with Carrington, the first woman to win the category with 2013’s ‘Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue’. This new record showcases the fact that Kris Davis also becomes one of very few women instrumentalists to have recorded at the Vanguard, preceded only by Geri Allen, Shirley Horn & Junko Onishi.

I had the honor of getting some time with Kris Davis to walk through the creation and performance of this new record. Kris explained how she was able to get onto the schedule of the Village Vanguard with Diatom Ribbons. ‘Knock Knock – who is it?” We got into the pieces of the band and how they fit into the whole of the space of the music and the spaces between. Having had Julian Lage on the program before it was clear about how these open-minded blazers of new trails made time for this project. Each person/artist fills a need for me as a listener to this live landscape – and you can feel the drops of their soul’s sweat in each note. We talk about song selection with honoring those who came before and also adding a bit of a newness to the past. Check out which tines we sorta dissect a bit including “Delores Takes 1 & 2”. I was able to get some insight into a new release on her Pyroclastic Record Label, “Sculpting Sound”, six high-definition concert films, each featuring two musicians famed for their distinctive voices playing with, and on, sound sculptures by Harry Bertoia‘s Sonambient sculptures. This has to be as maGical as it looks in writing. Kris and I also spoke about another visionry on the scene and friend of this program, Kassa Overall, as she was on his latest release and if you listen closely, there could be more to come.

Kris Davis Diatom Ribbons by Caroline Mardok

Kevin Carnes of Broun Fellinis

Formed 1991 in San Francisco by Kevin Carnes, drums/sampler (Beatnigs), David Boyce, tenor/soprano saxophone, efx, synth, spoken word, and Kirk Peterson, electric bass. The miGhty Afrofuturists, Broun Feelinis, have been profiled on NPR, BET, and KCRW in the US and on Radio Nova in France. The trio has been featured at festivals such as the San Sebastian International Jazz Festival in Spain, the San Francisco Jazz Festival in the US and they’ve performed sold out shows at top venues such as Yoshi’s, The Independent, and The Warfield. The Broun Fellinis play a soulful and highly energetic style of post modern improvised/composed jazzical sound that is informed by dub, afro beat, abstract funk, hardcore/psych/prog rock and film soundtracks. Broun Fellinis have toured with Ben Harper and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band and performed with many great and varied acts such as Meshell Ndegeocello, the Roots, Rafael Sadiq, Mos Def, Living Colour, Erykah Badu, Bad Brains, The Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron, Zakir Hussain, Bernie Worrell, George Clinton, Les Claypool, Jimmy Smith, General Public, Ravi Coltrane, Galactic, Medeski, Martin, Wood, and more. This type of sonic diversity says a ton to me about the kind of exploration and ‘feeling’ that goes on within a live performance by this mind-opening trio.

And lucky for us here in Madison on September 22nd, we get to share in an evening of new moments and a walk through a fresh landscape with Broun Fellinis at Cafe Coda. I had the chance to spend some time with Mr. Kevin Carnes to talk about the upcoming sets and man, let me tell you, he gave me one of the greatest replies to paining that scene of where me may go from where we have been. He shared the who, the what and even a bit of the how we will all get to the new spaces – in a deep fashion that makes me wanna go out to be a part of it. We learn how the trio found one another, how they make the food on stage that involves all the emotions and ‘you hafta feel its’ that are within them and spread out amongst the masses, the universe and that yet to be. We also learn where in Madison you can find Kevin as he opens the paths up to others in a free to be improvising space. For me, this is the type of thinG that is like the fluids running through me for a survival of me spirit. That spirit deserves to roam.

I Feel Reds Bursts

The final part of this week’s proGram knew it would open all sorts of minds.

Stanishlaw- Harry Stafford & Marco Butcher
Faces in your World- Harry Stafford & Marco Butcher
Unreal Thing- Harry Stafford & Marco Butcher


Baby Ghost (from the 1900s)- mssv
**pre-recorded conversation with Mike Baggetta of mssv**
Pity Parody- mssv
French Road Drifters- mssv


Over and Out- Rascal Reporters
I Cries Crimes- Rascal Reporters
Fat Delivered- Rascal Reporters
Chrysanthemums- A Light Sleeper
Trees And Flora- A Light Sleeper

—-
De La Soul- Gareth Donkin
All I- Danger Mouse & Jemini The Gifted One
The Scoop- The Oscillators

A Human Reaction with Mike Baggetta Of mssv

mssv is releasing their second studio album ‘Human Reaction’ in their typical style: with a 58-show tour in the U.S. & parts of Canada. The band, composed of guitarist Mike Baggetta, Stephen Hodges on drums & mike watt on bass, creates music that is a hybrid of a punk power-trio and a dreamy experimental rock band, though they prefer the term “post-genre.” ‘Human Reaction’ was released on BIG EGO Records as a digital download, 12” LP vinyl, and via streaming platforms on September 1st. This brand new full length album finds the oddly memorable hooks of their noir-tinged adventure music with a lot more vocals from the Main Steam Stop Valve leader Baggetta, adding more personality than ever before, alongside his bandmates, Hodges & watt, who also share in the vocal duties throughout the album. Recorded mostly on May Day immediately following that last tour, ‘Human Reaction’ passes through a deeply broad sonic landscape, as expected from this nearly unclassifiable group, though with some even deeper twists & turns. With inventively churning drum textures from Hodges (an instantly identifiable sound honed in his days with Tom Waits & David Lynch) and the full-steam-ahead all-in attitude from watt, (as he’s displayed throughout his storied career with MINUTEMEN, fIREHOSE, & The Stooges), you can feel the steam being converted into an electrical energy. It’s real! Also evident is the more fearless exploring that comes from a band that has spent a lot of time together crafting their vision, as well as making room for guests like J Mascis, Petra Haden and Nels Cline on some of their previous releases. Mike Baggetta has had the pleasure to work all over the world with a wide range of visionary musicians across many generations including David Torn, Jim Keltner, Psychic Temple, Jeff Coffin, Henry Kaiser, Rev. Fred Lane, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Joseph C. Philips’ Numinous with Imani Uzuri, Viktor Krauss, Jerome Harris, David Wax Museum, Jon Irabagon, Eivind Opsvik and Ruth Brown among many others. Even though Mr. Baggetta wrote all the songs specifically for these bandmates to play, there’s no telling which way the band will turn at any given moment, a proposition that becomes a promise when they break down and reassemble these songs live, with an instinct for restraint and an openness to a little anarchy.

I had the complete pleasure of catching up with Mike before the road warrior type monster stretch of a 58 day/58 show tour (Aki Tour), and when mssv makes their way to Madison on October 1st at the High Noon Saloon. Mike introduces the band to us to get any folks unfamiliar into the scen and we get into about how they go about their business of playing the new tunes and then recording an album, giving them time to form and shape into themselves and he evens shares the expectations for those in attendance to prepare for a taste of the past, future and present of a live show musically. This lead right into a deep dive into the seed to flower of this brilliantly unique sounding new release ‘Human Reaction’, including the how/why/when he started taking on a little more of that singer aspect of the instrumentation (including a tale from little Mike days). This leads us down into a conversation about different layers added to make that trio feel like more people, like more beings being and doing. It is alwsays fun to talk about visions people may have when inviting others to collaboration with other people. We get into that a bit to see how Mike tries to keep his way of approaching music and taking on that conversation by being himself. The facts is that this group is a young, ever-evolving, take your chances kid type of situation, wrapped in some dynamic layers within that/this moment improvisation preparing themselves and listeners alike on a unique journey toGether. That’s what it’s all about and mssv, the people, the artists, the sonic sculptors of then and now take the influences of everything and here’s our adventure. It just so happened that Mike was right there with his turntable and we learned exactly what he is/was listening to recently. It would make a great greenarrowradio set.

mssv by Devin O’Brien

Bracelets Everywhere

The middle set appeared to throw a party.

Every Chance I Get (I Want You In The Flesh)- Dan Auerbach
Chicago Express- Mitch Woods Ft. James Cotton
Never Get Out Of These Blues Alive- Mitch Woods Ft. John Lee Hooker


Relatable- Buddy Wynkoop
Out There- The Macks
Rock Hopping- Bad History Month
Psychotic Reaction- The Luck of Eden Hall
Crimson and Clover- Jeremy and the Lemon Clocks


Roco- Butter Brick
Man Out Of Time- The Len Price 3
Folsom Blues Prison- Red Rockers
Oh Lulu, Won’t You Be My Girl- Arthur Alexander
There She Goes- The Feelies (live)

Seeds And All

The first part of this week’s proGram twisted the turns of the tunes.

Papa’s on the Housetop- East Nash Grass

A Cage Made of Tin- Roscoe Tripp
Natural Devotion 2- SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
Really Happening- SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE
Gotta Get Drunk- Bill and the Belles


greenarrowradio promo- Tom Buenger
Get With Me- Tom Buenger
You Got Me (Where You Want Me)- Coco Montoya
Take A Ride- The Dig 3
Trying To Live My Life Without You- Johnny Rawls
Walking Heart Attack- Johnny Rawls


They’re Gonna Kill You Anyways- Van Plating
Don’t Let The Devil Ride- Leo “Bud” Welch
Tell Everybody- Robert Finley

Pre-show Bursts

Did a little b4 the show, show. The proGram looked like it was a natural.

Adagio Con Fuoco- Picchio dal Pozzo
Looking Down at the Ground at This and That- Miller Twins
Soft Shoulders- Miller Twins
I Saw Fire In Your Teeth- Miller Twins
37.33 Seconds- Koppel Colley Blade


The Shores of Infinity- Menagerie
Idylla- Léon Phal Ft. K.O.G.
Doomed- Kiefer
Again and Again- Wajatta Ft. March Adstrum


All About- DJ. Taek
Sick The Dogs- Khemist Ft. Bilal
Night Night- Khemist Ft. DJ Jazzy Jeff
Filthy Water- Khemist Ft. Ursula Rucker