Category Archives: Outta World interviews

Legendary soul singer Lee Fields makes his full-length Daptone Records debut with his long-awaited new album, SENTIMENTAL FOOL, which drops officially on October 28. Mr. Fields’ first new album in three years. The album was produced by Daptone Records founder ‘Bosco Mann’ – producer/musician Gabriel Roth – at his Penrose Recorders/Daptone West studio in Riverside, CA. Mr. Fields recently wrapped a West Coast headline run and will celebrate Sentimental Fool with an eagerly awaited North American tour, which got underway October 15 at Space Ballroom and then traveling through a very special New Year’s Eve show at Brooklyn, NY’s Brooklyn Made on December 31. Hailed by Rolling Stone for “his classic American soul sound,” Mr. Lee Fields is arguably the greatest pure soul singer alive today. His prolific 5 decades career spans more than 20 albums & over 40 singles, an ever-evolving body of work which continues to grow via samples by such artists as J. Cole, Travis Scott, Rick Ross, & A$AP Rocky as well as outside-the-box collaborations like the worldwide dance club hit, “Jealousy,” with French DJ/ producer Martin Solveig. In 2001, Roth opened the doors on Daptone Records, with Mr. Fields releasing a handful of singles. Now, more than 2 decades later, he has officially joined the Daptone roster, reuniting him with Roth on the 25th anniversary of their first meeting to record ‘Sentimental Fool’, a deep, blues-tinged collection expertly showcasing the beauty, power, and raw humanity of Mr. Fields’ voice. The album – features backing from an all-star lineup of Daptone family members including guitarist Thomas Brenneck, bassist Benny Trokan, drummer Brian Wolfe, keyboardists Victor Axelrod & Jimmy Hill, saxophonists Neal Sugarman & Ian Hendrickson-Smith, trumpeter Dave Guy, along with an array of additional guest musicians/ backing vocalists. It’s clear with this new album, the top of his game is where Mr. Fields is at.

I had the pleasure of catching up with family to the proGram, Mr. Lee Fields ahead of his Saturday, October 22nd show in Madison at The Majestic Theater. It is always thrilling to have an artist be their complete self during a conversation and this one is a fine example. Mr. Fields expresses himself completely with just how happy he is with the Sentimental Fool tour kicking off and how the new record of the same name has turned out. We get into how he and ‘Bosco Mann’ got back together and made the vision of one, the success of two. Oh…laugh when you’re happy.

Also premiering in November is the new Lee Fields Documentary

[here’s a earlier conversation I had with the co-directors]

Academy Award winner & legendary mind-bender Steven Wright is a prototype comedian that many others constantly try to emulate. When you’re funny, people want to figure out just how. Deadpan delivery is not for everyone. Upon graduating from Emerson College and holding many odd jobs, he attended an “open mike” audition and became a regular performer at Ding Ho’s Comedy Club & Chinese Restaurant in Cambridge, MA. It was during this time that he got his big break and was booked for his first “Tonight Show” appearance on Friday, August 6, 1982. The king of late night enjoyed the performance so much he invited him to appear again the following Thursday, a rarity. His back-to-back appearances helped put his career into high gear. He soon found himself performing his off-beat routines on “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” & several stops back to “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” Mr. Wright expanded his comedy career to include comedy albums, film & television appearances. He has been nominated for an Emmy Award as a Producer on the 2014 season of the hit FX series, Louie and continued as a Producer for the 2015 season. He guest starred in two episodes of Louie in 2015 & 2011 and was in Louis CK’s critically-acclaimed web series Horace and Pete. Steven is a regular guest with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers and continues touring the U.S., Canada & overseas. The way he sees life and how it happens is presented in such a way that I for one, appreciate how much he has influenced my way of always questioning everything.

I had the chance to connect with Mr. Wright back just before the pandemic put a halt on everything. This conversation was recorded and placed on the shelf [with a mask]. The show was rescheduled a couple times and we set things up and then then things changed. Just like life. So, here is the re-edited, off the shelf and mask-less chat we had in 2020. Still fun and relevant. People here in Madison can catch him 10/8/2022 at The Barrymore and others can go right here to find out where they can get a dose of this special mind-bender in action. We get into the day in the life of, baseball, the perfect movie role for him and just the things that come up. Check it.

Eric Vloeimans (trumpet) is one of the best-known musicians in his native country, the Netherlands. He has led a wide variety of ensembles over the years and is a frequent guest soloist with bands & orchestras of all sorts. He has won 4 Edison prizes (the “Dutch Grammy”) for his recordings and has toured throughout Europe, Asia & the US with his own groups & artists such as Mercer Ellington, John Taylor, Peter Erskine, The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Wayne Horvitz, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and so many others. Will Holshouser (accordion) is a veteran of the New York music scene who has performed all over the world with artists including violinist Regina Carter, clarinetist David Krakauer, & improvisers Han Bennink & Michael Moore as well as with his own projects. He has also performed with Antony & the Johnsons, Kiran Ahluwalia, Uri Caine, Guy Klucevsek, New York City Ballet, New York City Opera, Martha Wainwright, Loudon Wainwright, Suzanne Vega, & many others. This dynamic duo hit the road September 11 – October 2 for a twelve city tour of the US & Canada to celebrate their expressive & playful live album ‘Two for the Road’. The album was officially released September 1, 2022 via V-flow/Challenge Records. The album was recorded during a live concert tour of the Netherlands in 2021, during a window in the pandemic when musicians & audiences could finally come together. The 2nd album from this duo, it showcases their expressive writing, playful & virtuosic improvising, & omnivorous range of influences, stretching the format to include a colorful range of sounds from their vibrantly vast musical backgrounds.

I had the opportunity to catch up with these two open minded conversationalists ahead of their event on Friday, September 23 at Audio for the Arts, here in Madison. We got into the two great tastes of accordion and trumpet working it out toGether and we dive deep into the new record. While there are moments one could consider ‘jazz’, there much more to this sound and rhythms. We learn about Eric’s beautiful “Innermission” series composed during lockdown: several pieces that range from introspective, almost Schubert-like meditations to joyful rhythmic romps. We also get into Will’s long-form composition/suite “Redbud Winter,” which was commissioned by the American Accordionists’ Association, and touches many feelings during its play time. I think this is music to soak in live and be amazed, but also to take home and use as needed.

Singer/saxophonist/flutist Karl Denson fronts the Tiny Universe as if he’s preaching the gospel. Highly regarded as one of the best live acts on the planet, KDTU distills the sweeping stylistic range of its concert performances into their own authentic sound featuring Denson and his long-standing seven piece unit. His energy and spirit are contagious while his songwriting serves a larger message of fellowship—across generations, genders, religions and cultures. Not surprisingly, he’s none too pleased with the current state of political discourse. Thus the reason why KDTU’s last album, ‘Gnomes & Badgers’ (out now on Seven Spheres Records), is Denson’s hard-grooving answer to these tragically divisive times. He was a member of Lenny Kravitz‘s band and has co-founded and led The Greyboy Allstars. Denson has recorded with artists including Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Slightly Stoopid, Blind Boys of Alabama, Blackalicious, Stanton Moore, and Jon Foreman of the rock band Switchfoot. He amazingly continues to lead his own KDTU and Karl Denson Trio (KD3), while touring with the Rolling Stones since 2014 to date.

I had the pleasure of catching up quickly with Mr. Denson right before he was heading out on a well deserved and hardly gotten vacation. So a biG greenarrowradio thank you to him for making the time. We talk about the upcoming event Live on King St. Free Convert Series coming up September 16th and get to know a couple of the newer names in the Tiny Universe. Karl opens up about his writing process and his recent listening back to his varied catalog and how that is making him feel since he is one who is usually a forward listener. We also learn a little about how he gets into an artist he likes. Karl mentions why working with someone like PHILCO, helps keep that innovative/improvisational tool in his toolbox sharp. He may also reveal what solo he plays as a member of the Stones gives him a special feel…maybe.

Over the years, Charlie Wooton and I have gotten together to talk about all the projects he has been touching for many years. We go back. From the times with Bonerama and Royal Southern Brotherhood, to his work with/as Zydefunk and his very own Charlie Wooton Project. The guy can play that bass in ways we have only seen a few do before and that can certainly lead to gigs, jobs and music that comes from certain places. Charlie can groove and funk with the best of them. He can make Zydeco sound like it did when it was born or add a little future to it even. This time around, he is heading up to Madison as part of friend of the proGram, Mr. Sonny Landreth‘s band at LA FÊTE DE MARQUETTE on July 16th.. We get into just how the opportunity to make some live music happenings with a childhood hero came about. That story starts off in a space we know well. Charlie relives a moment in Japan with friend of the show, Rafael Pereira, São Paulo native who brings his rich understanding of Brazilian rhythm to Janelle Monae and many others and how their collaborative groove was an introduction to their band Zabadodat, and from there, we get to Mr. Landreth. The tales wander, just like the innovation of the onward mobing artist – and Charlie has some stories and ways to share that will entertain, make you shake your head and of course probably gives you a want to catch this event live.

After all is said and done, Charlie not only opens up about changes to himself thru the years of our hanGin’, but also to where the desire to give back starts and grows. Blue Monday Mission is a nonprofit that takes care of elderly musicians that can’t work anymore. Most musicians live hand to mouth. Blue Monday Mission folks come in and help in anyway possible, from medical help to cutting lawns to just visiting. Blue Monday Mission is also educating younger musicians about the business so they can one day return the favor. It’s run by John Williams. Charlie also shared his thoughts on a potential Congo Square music-documentary that resides in his thoughts but seems ready to spill out in the world.

Free Radicals, a musical, political, & cultural force in Houston for over 2 decades, just dropped their highly anticipated new album ‘White Power Outage Volume 2’. The 25-track project is the follow up to Volume 1 and continues their quest to put an end to white supremacy. ‘White Power Outage Volume 1’ (2020) made waves with the press, radio, & fans through its diverse sound & beautiful mix of vocalists & musicians representing shades of Black, LatinX, white, Asian, mixed, & indigenous people that make the up the culture of Houston Texas. They came together to make revolutionary music, and to demand an end to the white supremacy in the arts, culture, politics, the economy, and in their personal lives. Volume 2 is another genre-bending compilation packed full of highlights. Leading up to the album, Free Radz released the single ‘Bipartisan Baby Jail’ featuring Michele Thibeaux, Henry Alvarez & Karina Nistal. The single also includes 4 year old kids from Peace Camp Houston and combines singing, rap, & poetry over funk. ‘Mutiny On The Bayou’ features one of Houston’s longest standing and best rappers, D-Ology, and rips open the suppressed history of Houston’s 1917 massacre of Black soldiers. ‘Checkpoint / Dompass / Hajiz’ sees Lindi Yeni expressing her lifetime of experience with human rights & South African apartheid to this track. Yeni is joined by Jitsvinger, EQuality, and Prince Alfarra. On ‘Killer Bee Honey’, the Next Generation, Cherria Rattler enlists her daughter Marium to re-record & expand on the track originally recorded by Cherria 22 years ago, protesting the destruction of the planet by shortsighted & greedy men. Other highlights include the Karina Nistal led ‘El Ritmo Contra Gitmo,’ ‘Pokke Koebês’ by Jitsvinger who nails white conquest of South Africa in Afrikaans, Karega Ani’s poem ‘Crystal Stare,’ & instrumental track ‘Manifestación En El Centro Hoy.’

I had the opportunity to check in with Nick Cooper, drummer and producer of Free Radicals along with one of the collaborators on ‘White Power Outage Vol. 2, EQuality. We get into the seed to flower construction of this new music, synchronizing with artists from around the globe on a mission for one, and EQuality dissects ‘America’s Blues’, a track he brought to Nick and away the went. We talk about protests they have attended and shared their sounds and beliefs at, and the desire to get more time with current and new collaborators. Maybe you can brinG them to you.

Writer, composer and musician Tomson Highway was born in a snowbank on the Manitoba/Nunavut border to a family of nomadic caribou hunters. He had the great privilege of growing up in two languages: Cree, his mother tongue, and Dene, the language of the neighboring nation, a people with whom his family travelled and hunted. He is the proud son of legendary caribou hunter and world championship dogsled racer, Joe Highway, and artist-in-her-own-right (as bead-worker and quilt-maker extraordinaire), Pelagie Highway. That’s them on the cover of the brand new record, ‘Cree Country’. Sung by the incomparable Patricia Cano, ‘Cree Country’ is a stylish collection of twelve new country songs from one of Canada’s most prolific artistic innovators. With a spectacular band including the very best of Canadian country players, the album’s compelling tunes speak of real life, love, longing, devotion, our connection with nature, and the courage it takes to strive for your goals. Produced by the award-winning John Alcorn, the virtuosity of each musician is given great room to shine, with backup vocals that recall The Jordanaires, the gospel quartet loved by Elvis. Cree is an Indigenous language spoken by 100,000 North Americans. Many of Canada’s most well-known place names are of Cree origin, including Winnipeg, Manitoba, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Chicoutimi, Québec, and Ottawa. It’s a very rhythmic language that lends itself naturally to music-making – and particularly country! Tomson recalls living in the Manitoba bush in the 1950’s and hanging a transistor radio high in the trees at night to hear country music waft north all the way from Nashville, Tennessee. The joy of hearing that music is the inspiration behind these tunes.

I am proud to say that I had the chance to catch up with Tomson Highway to discuss the seed to flower creation of this fantastic new release. It was incredible to hear how long this music, this show, has been a work in progress. The happiness and joy that this sound spreads is really incomparable to that which oozes out of Tomson…I am still noticing my smile is a little bit wider these days. Within these words, there are paths to inner healing and hints on ways to find that happiness that is clearly still all around – I think I will just climb the ladder a little higher and adjust my transistor radio…recalibrate and check out Tomson and Cree Country.

Saint Disruption, the spirit-driven music & art collective led by renowned improvisational keyboardist John Medeski and musician, scientist, and folk healer Jeff Firewalker Schmitt, has created a soulful rendition of John Lennon’s classic composition “Imagine.” The single features slide guitar work by Grammy winning vocalist, songwriter, guitar legend, >Warren Haynes, marking the first time that Haynes has recorded with his nephew Austn Haynes, cofounder of Asheville-based hip-hop quartet Free Radio. Out April 8, 2022 via Root Doctor Collective, the track also features impressively dynamic vocalists—Datrian Johnson and Grammy winning artist Debrissa McKinney (both of whom also work with Austn in Free Radio)—with the foundational bass parts played by Jake Wolf. “Such a cool, inventive take on this timeless tune,” says Warren. “It highlights the amazing strength and importance of the song while taking it into the future. It’s a real honor to work alongside my nephew Austn, my Asheville cohorts and my old friend John Medeski.” Medeski & Firewalker Schmitt had no idea they’d meet & strike up a friendship when they traveled independently to the heart of the Amazon to work with a shaman healer in 2008— but when they did, a collaborative creative relationship was born. Over a decade after that fateful meeting, in the midst of a global pandemic, the two felt an urgent need to join forces and make music as Saint Disruption. The group brings together musicians and artists to create works that support positive change in the world, with a spotlight on the rich artistic community of Asheville, NC as the creative hub. Firewalker & Medeski are pleased to have created the foundation to bring Warren & Austn Haynes together for the first time in a recording. Looking forward, Saint Disruption is planning to release more music & visual art collaborations, music videos, and their soon-to-be-launched No Simple Disruption Podcast/Video-show—released in conjunction with the No Simple Road Podcast and The UBC TV Network—which aspires to provide a platform for young visionaries to share their works and engage in deep dialogue with thought-leaders of their choice.

I had the chance to catch up with both Jeff and Austn about how they took such a life changing tune and made it into their own vision. We spoke of how the individual spirits combines to form this completely new rendition, the how’s and what’s that caused surprise and what are the possibilities for the future. We get into the healing and spirt side of earlier collaborations and how that music became the gateway bridge in/outward. There reflection on finding a new flow with new music, eldership and collaborations with the North Mississippi Allstars. Towards the end, we get into the coolness that is debuting n the Fall on thegiveback of the upcoming podcast/video show that brings true stories, from real people to the next generations. Deep fun times right here.

To the naked eye, Club d’Elf looks exactly like a world-class instrumental band: 5 or 6 fierce players laying down heavy grooves & exploratory solos on distinctive original material, as audience members dance or listen in amazed attention. To its fans, however, and its large and colorful cast of musicians, D’Elf is all that & much, much more. The paradox & the power of the unusually named Club d’Elf become increasingly clear through repeated encounters. Unlike almost any other band, D’Elf’s personnel changes radically from show to show. Fans have their favorite configurations & players, but unlike groups where musicians’ tenures are finite, ‘D’Elf-ians’ revolve in & out, reappearing in endless combinations. Beyond the cast of characters, the music itself is in constant flux. Individual songs can vary dramatically from performance to performance as new alignments of players make every moment fresh. No 2 sets are alike. Yet the feeling & philosophy that animate D’Elf remain consistent, the product of the vision & dedication of leader Mike Rivard (aka Micro Vard) and the ongoing contributions of his talented collaborators. Club d’Elf’s desire to move beyond the world of appearances & venture into the realm of the eternal is at the center their music. This metaphysical quest is embodied – much to listeners’ benefit – within one of the best bands you will ever hear – and one that rewards repeated listening. You can enjoy D’Elf any old way you choose it, but make no mistake: This community of sound gardeners intends to move your booty, excite your intellect, & ultimately join you in transcendence itself.

This is always a special time for me, when Club d’Elf celebrates the release of new music. Micro and I dive way deep into the new music off You Never Know. We get personal…like the music tends to feel…and we learn how the sound formations took place, where the origins were and how the growth and friendship allowed a new bloom to blossom. The album offers a fusion of jazz, gnawa & other North African traditional music influences refracted through a prism of contemporary psychedelia—Morocco turned technicolor. Over an hour & 15 minutes, the record unfurls upon kaleidoscopic clouds of spiced smoke, shifting from chopped dub-jazz through trance epics that reimagine Boston as a city of bazaars. Micro talks of being inspired to make the record after overcoming a life-threatening embolism he suffered while on a spiritual quest in Peru. In the studio, he was joined by collaborators Dean Johnston (drums), DJ Mister Rourke (turntables), Paul Schultheis and John Medeski (vintage analog keyboards), Casablanca-native Brahim Fribgane (oud, vocals and percussion) and guitarists Duke Levine, David Fiuczynski and Kevin Barry—ceded the spotlight to the collective, allowing for free-play and improvisational dexterity. Through it all rides the trance, pulsing, calming and seeking mystic truths. I welcome you this community, in service of the Groove.

Why would one of poetry’s most revered voices want to curate a jazz saxophonist’s album of gospel hymns and spirituals? “These songs are so important,” says Nikki Giovanni, one of Oprah’s 25 “Living Legends” and a Maya Angelou Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2017. “They comforted people through times of slavery, and during recent years we needed them to comfort us again. But a lot of the students today do not know about the history of these songs, and they should. So I’m out here putting water on the flowers, because they need a drink.” Giovanni’s historic collaboration with saxophonist-composer and former Jazz Messenger Javon Jackson has yielded The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni, available today on his Solid Jackson label. “The spirituals have been around so long,” says the renowned poet, activist and educator, who came to prominence in the 1960s and ’70s as a foundational member of the Black Arts movement following the publication of such early works as 1968’s book of poetry Black Feeling, Black Talk/Black Judgment and 1970’s Re:Creation. “Some spirituals have been updated and stayed around and some have been lost over time,” Giovanni notes “So for me, it’s just helping to keep something going. And I do it because there’s a need.” Jackson brings his bold-toned, Trane-inspired tenor lines to bear on a series of hymns, spirituals and gospel numbers hand-picked by Giovanni, who was also the first person to receive the Rosa L. Parks Women of Courage Award. And the 78-year-old poet makes a rare vocal appearance on the tender ballad “Night Song,” singing a song identified with her close friend, the late civil rights activist and High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone. Joined by an outstanding crew comprised of pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist David Williams and drummer McClenty Hunter — the same lineup that appeared on Jackson’s 2018 album For You and his 2020 follow-up, Deja Vu — Jackson interprets gospel staples like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Wade in the Water,” “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel” and “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” with authoritative tenor tones, deep walking bass lines and an organic sense of group swing. “It’s the first time I worked in a collaborative manner,” Jackson says. “The project is personal for me. I come from a lineage of devout Christians, and that has afforded me the chance to connect with that ancestral stream. Captured live at Telefunken Studios in South Windsor, CT, the 10 tunes were all done without the use of headphones, another first for Javon. “This music is something that people will probably be a little surprised to see coming from me,” he says. But given the state of the world, it could be just in time. Both poet and saxophonist stand on the shoulders of their ancestors on The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni.

I had the complete honor to connect with Mr. Jackson to discuss the creation of this project – the way the seeds were nurtured into the beautiful and important flowers released today. We talk about the choice singing by Nikki Giovanni to honor her friend, Nina Simone – how the interpretation of well know tunes made him feel and how one of the miGhty poet’s poems was placed ever so perfectly in a familiar tune. My words cannot express the depth of cool within these 10 tracks, nor the conversation Mr. Jackson and I share in discussion of it. Please earGrab both and let them take you where they will.