Category Archives: All Interviews

At age 29 Jerry Wennstrom set out to discover the rock-bottom truth of his life. For years he questioned the limits of his creative life as a studio painter. After destroying all of his art and giving away everything he owned, he began a life of unconditional trust, allowing life to provide all that was needed. He lived this way for 15 years. Jerry’s story is told in his book, The Inspired Heart: An Artist’s Journey of Transformation (foreword by Thomas Moore) published by Sentient Publications and in the Parabola Magazine documentary film called In the Hands of Alchemy: The Art and Life of Jerry Wennstrom. Jerry travels internationally lecturing, teaching and presenting his film and work and he writes a monthly piece on the spirit of the times for a New York City consulting firm. He has presented at the Birmingham Art Museum, the Seattle Art Museum, the EMP (Experience Music Project), Glen Arbor Art Association, the Old Firehouse Art Center, Other Side Arts, Pacifica Graduate Institute, UCS-NAROPA (Wisdom University), the Vancouver Public Library, Western New Mexico University, California Institute of the Arts and NYU. He has also done over 50 radio, TV and magazine interviews and art features. And he was a guest recently on greenarrowradio for your learning pleasures.

Open your minds and listen here for our chat about transformation.

In September of 2006, Cuneiform Records released two double CD sets of The Microscopic Septet, entitled “Seven Men in Neckties” (The History of the Micros Vol. 1), and “Surrealistic Swing” (The History of the Micros Vol. 2). To commemorate this hysterical event, we are reuniting the Microscopic Septet for a one-time-only tour in November and December of 2006, consisting of a few dates in the Northeastern US and more in Europe. On Wednesday, November 29th, the group will begin the tour in Northampton at the Iron Horse. Phillip Johnston, at the time he started the Microscopic Septet, was an NYU dropout who’d worked in a succession of jazz, rhythm & blues and polka groups in New York and San Francisco. A largely self-taught soprano saxophonist and composer, Johnston’s work in both areas reveals the powerful and positive influence of Steve Lacy. “I was interested in more arranged, compositionally-oriented music …. from within the swing big band jazz tradition,” Johnston recalls, “as opposed to (the conventional jazz) head-solos-head format.” Organizing a group of fellow musicians, he started with a sax section and planned to add brass later. However, he liked the sound of four saxes and three rhythm so much he decided to stick with that. When he originally named the group, “Claude Funston and the Psychic Detectives” it proved too “unwieldy,” he changed it to the “Microscopic Septet,” who played their first “regular gig” at New York’s Ear Inn in 1981.

Listen here for my conversation with Mr. Johnston.

Through the conscious and heartfelt songs composing Solace, the U.S. debut of Australian surf/roots artist Xavier Rudd, there’s stories of the mistreatment of the indigenous people of his homeland and songs about humanity, spirituality and the environment, compassionate songs encouraging understanding and looking to celebrate life. And running through those songs are all sorts of instruments: guitars, shakers, didgeridoos, Weissenborn slide guitars, Tongue drums, stomp boxes, djembes, harmonica, ankle bells, and slide banjo—and they’re all played by Rudd. Even more impressive, though, he recreates these songs live—playing the guitar, didgeridoo and various percussion parts simultaneously—using a unique stage set-up that finds him literally surrounded by his various instruments and singing from behind a stand holding three didgeridoos (of different keys). It’s a sight to behold for sure, one that’s drawn him a “one-man band” label from impressed critics, a tag that makes him grin: “I never really planned all the stuff I have around me. I never sat down one day and said, ‘I’m going to have all these things around me and I’m gonna try to use it all at once.’ It just sort of grew. I would just add things here or there. Sometimes I look at my setup now and I laugh.”

Listen to our brief conversation here.

HAZMAT MODINE draws from the rich soil of American music of the 20’s and 30’s through to the 50’s and early 60’s, blending elements of early Blues, Hokum Jugband, Swing, Klezmer, New Orleans R & B, and Jamaican Rocksteady. The band is fronted by two harmonicas which use call and response, harmony, melody, and syncopated interweaving rhythms. The band includes tuba, guitar, and percussion, claviola and Hawaiian steel guitar. The band’s sound reflects musical influences ranging from Avant-garde Jazz to Rockabilly and Western Swing to Middle-Eastern, African, and Hawaiian musical styles. Wade Schuman plays Diatonic Harmonica, Guitar, Banjitar and is lead vocals. If you are not aware of Hazmat Modine or the Album BAHAMUT, I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen to Wade and I talking about the mighty manifestation known as HAZMAT MODINE.

Listen here to our conversation.

I was fortunate enough to get the chance to talk with Mr. Grisman as he was busy at work in his studio. We had a conversation revolving around music and the idea of individual style and form. The names Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis are thrown around with Stephane Grappelli and one mention of Jerome Garcia. David Grisman started his musical career in 1963 as a member of The Even Dozen Jug Band. His nickname, “Dawg” was affectionately assigned by his close friend Jerry Garcia (the two met at a Van Hoy Campground (NC) back when they used to host the old time fiddlers convention). “Dawg Music” is what he calls his mixture of bluegrass and Django Reinhardt–Stéphane Grappelli-influenced jazz, as highlighted on his 1977 album “Hot Dawg“. Stephane Grappelli played on a couple of tracks on the Hot Dawg album and then the 1981 recording “Stephane Grappelli and David Grisman Live“. It was his early fusions with Reinhardt-era Jazz that led to the formation of the genre known as newgrass. Grisman, along with New Grass Revival are generally considered the modern day Bill Monroes to this new bluegrass-influenced sound. Bonnie Raitt‘s album, Sweet Forgiveness features Grisman on mandocello throughout the album.

Check out our conversation here.

The Easy Star All-Stars are a collective family of some of the finest reggae musicians in the New York area. The band features a rotating cast drawn from a talented pool of players, meaning that every show has its own nuances and its own life. The masterminds behind the All-Stars are Easy Star musical director Michael Goldwasser (a.k.a. Michael G), his production partner Victor Axelrod (a.k.a. Ticklah), and his two Easy Star label partners Eric Smith and Lem Oppenheimer. These four were the team behind the album Dub Side of the Moon (2003), which was a complete reggae re-vision of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. That record has been locked on the Billboard charts for over 3 years.
Three years later—while the album continues to register on the Billboard Reggae Catalog Chart—Easy Star is released their concert DVD, Dub Side of the Moon Live, on June 27, 2006. While over thirty musicians contributed to the Dub Side CD, the DVD finds a tight and crystallized live touring band. Following this release came Radiodread on August 22, 2006. The long awaited reggae version of Radiohead’s OK Computer.

Take a listen to Michael G and MisterG talking about music here.

Coming to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts October 24th, Matisyahu brings his uniquie sound of Jewish reggae music to Storrs. Matisyahu is currently getting some success in the mainstream with the live version of the song ‘King Without a Crown‘, which has broken into the Modern Rock Top 10; an accompanying video and new album – ‘Youth‘ – produced by Bill Laswell were released on March 7, 2006. On March 16th Youth was Billboard magazine’s #1 “Digital Album” and as of April 4th stands at 16th on iTunes’ top album. Also, his most recent accomplished output of exposure was his live showing in front of over 80,000 people at the Bonnaroo Music Festival 2006. In November 2005 Matisyahu was among the top 5 members in the American Jewish community in The Forward [2]. Matisyahu was given an Esky for Most Lovable Oddball in Esquire’s 2006 Esky Music Awards. The magazine called him “the most intriguing reggae artist in the world.” In an interview with Chabad.org, a popular Jewish website, Matisyahu states that “All of my songs are influenced and inspired by the teachings that inspire me. I want my music to have meaning, to be able to touch people and make them think. Chasidism teaches that music is ‘the quill of the soul.’ Music taps into a very deep place and speaks to us in a way that regular words can’t.”

Listen to our quick chat here.

Some of you might know Mike Mattison as the voice of the Derek Trucks Band. Well, he also has a project with music partner Paul Olsen called Scrapomatic. With a brand new release set for Oct 10th called Alligator Love Cry, Scrapomatic will be on the stage of the infamous Toad’s Place Thursday, October 5th. Oh, you can hear some of the artsist that have been inspirations along the way, this is a fresh sound that reminds you why you like music in the first place. A raw blend of blues, soul, and sometimes silly that I am sure will be even better live and in person. Listen to greenarrowradio for tunes off the new album and a review of the show if you cannot make it. Thanks to Blake and Nancy for helping set this up and thanks to Mike for being flexible in his schedule.

Listen to our conversation here.

Paul and I went back and forth for weeks, perhaps months setting up a chance to chat. I get so many calls on the show whenever I play Morcheeba. Those on the other side are asking “Who is this?” so I thought I would bring to you, one of the Godfrey brothers, who create the foundation of chill; the center of cool and when they want to, the entire jar of jam. In case the name Morcheeba is an unknwon for you allow me a moment. This band is so groove oriented it feels good to hurt. They work with sweet/soulful and seductive female singers to bring you many different looks. You can listen to Morcheeba in the dead of the night or the wake of the morn, in the still of sadness or the wide-opened eyed happiness you only feel as a child. If you are reading this, this music is for you.

Listen to Paul and I talk about Morcheeba here.