Category Archives: All Interviews

Corky Siegel and Ernie Watts, two like-minded friends, bringing people together across different traditions. Corky Siegel is known internationally as one of the world’s great blues harmonica players, blues pianist, singer, and writer of unusual songs, a Chamber Blues progenitor, and sole pioneer/composer of award-winning revolutionary works that weave blues and classical forms together. Corky’s has a catalog of recordings on RCA, Vanguard, Alligator, and million-selling blues/classical recordings on the iconic classical label Deutsche Grammophon. Siegel learned his craft – personally – at the feet of such legendary first-generation bluesmen as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon, Little Walter, and Otis Spann. Ernie Watts has been featured on over 500 recordings by artists ranging from Cannonball Adderley to Frank Zappa and even the Rolling Stones. He was a featured soloist on many of Marvin Gaye’s albums on Motown during the 1970s, as well as on many other pop and R&B sessions. In 2014, Mr. Watts received the prestigious Frankfurt Music Prize. Watts has performed and/or recorded with a long list of who’s who in Jazz including Pat Metheny, Billy Cobham, Kurt Elling, Arturo Sandoval, and Jack DeJohnette to name just a few. His saxophone can be heard on countless television and film scores, and recordings too numerous to list. These are legends!

A few years back I had the pleasure and honor of chatting with both Mr. Watts and Mr. Siegel, separately about an upcoming performance they were putting toGether in Madison. Once again, we are back at it…this time a conversation as a trio. This time around they are heading back to the North Street Cabaret on May 20th, as a duo. We get into a lot of what will go down both musically and personality-wise as a true night of entertainment awaits. We also discuss some of the possibilities of the unknown that always seem to happen when there is a spontaneous shared spreading of joyous moments. Since this tour is made possible by the Johnny Carson Tonight Show Foundation, we get into stories of historical importance of both Ernie’s and Corky’s as it pertains to Doc Severinsen, the Tonight show and even, Mr. Carson. Classic. We go back to their first meeting and the humorous way the two share in how that “you only get one time to mae a first impression’ introduction went down. We talk about some of the new music Corky has been working on and putting out as a solo artist as well as MORE Different Voices, even….And well, we have a whole lotta fun, which, afterall….is the goal.

In 2020, Rudy De Anda moved his homebase out of California for the 1st time. He was headed East. Somewhere in the back of the U-Haul, among the boxes and stuff, was a mostly finished record. Once getting to Chicago, Rudy quickly found the final pieces of his new LP, ‘Closet Botanist’. It’s due out April 28th on Colemine/Karma Chief Records. The album was recorded in Austin, Texas at the Electric Deluxe recording studio, owned & operated by friend of the proGram Adrian Quesada, who helped produce & engineer this new LP. Rudy’s previous releases have grown synonymous with California sunshine. He was born in Los Angeles and spent most of his formative years in Long Beach. ‘Closet Botanist’ isn’t a total departure from Rudy’s beachy, psych-rock roots, but it does sound more mature. Most of the songs were written back in California with the help of Rudy’s previous bandmates. “Tu Mirada” was one of the first songs he wrote in Chicago. Then, a local friend helped him find “Hey Mr. Sun.” Rudy connected with Blake Rhein (Durand Jones and the Indications) during the final weeks of writing and the two worked on Blake’s tune, another step of maturity as this was something Rudy previously had not done to date. To get the sound just right, Rudy called his California bandmates to the studio. Jon Rivera played bass, Daniel Villareal laid down the drums, and Kyle Davis took care of the organ, piano & synth leads. Adrian Quesada produced the album & Aaron Glembowski engineered the sessions. The band recorded directly to tape to channel a classic rock n’ roll sound. Rudy points to The Velvet Underground & The Kinks for direct inspiration. Rudy dedicates the album to those who love so hard that they neglect to water their own garden. Even in a much colder climate, the closet botanist continues to grow.

I had the pleasure of spending a little time talking with Rudy ahead of his April 26th event in Madison at The Bur Oak. We painted a little scene of what event goers should expect when in that space together. We got pretty deep into the new album – learning how things got accomplished, how Adrian and he worked and how the final product, in my humble opinion, is a step into the future of this psych soul sound. With that, Rudy takes the question on of building a setlist with a track off ‘Botanist’ and as usual, I feel the listeners would not mind if another artists took over the driver’s seat of the show. HA!

Ghost Funk Orchestra is the brainchild of composer/multi-instrumentalist Seth Applebaum. What started as a one-man recording project has now evolved into a powerhouse live band. It’s a sonic kaleidoscope that defies genre specification, but draws heavy influence from the worlds of soul, psych rock, salsa, and beyond. Their unique blend of genres has attracted praise from the likes of NPR, Bandcamp, KUTX, Brooklyn Vegan, Earmilk, and more. Local NY blog Post-Trash described their sound as a ‘psych odyssey of traditional sounds delivered in a non-traditional fashion.’ Bandcamp’s Editorial Director J. Edward Keyes praised the band’s ability to ‘leave no funk-adjacent genre unexplored.’ Experimentation is the key, and unpredictability is what has been attracting folks from all corners of the globe to see what GFO pulls off next…

I had the chance to catch up with Seth ahead of the April 26th show at The Bur Oak here in Madison. We talked about the differences between what is hear don one of GFO’s albums versus a live show. We got into the making and process of the latest album ‘A New Kind Of Love’ out now on Colemine Records. Within the conversation about the record, we explore how this group of people is on the cusp of many genres, and how that widens the pool of ears, and makes them a perfect fit for greenarrowradio. We take the talk of that latest album into what songs Seth would choose to build a setlist around and he gives a few tracks for consideration budling on top of those. Get ready to stretch with GFO wherever you can catch them. Which reminded me actually of the recent shows Ghost Funk Orchestra had a chance to be a part of with the legendary Brazilian Tropicalia group, Os Mutantes. I had to listen to how Seth’s voice changed a little bit while going into what that experience was like.

NYC-based Benny Reid is a producer, composer, saxophonist, & educator. He is a Fatbeats & Concord Recording Artist, as well as an endorser of Selmer Saxophones, Vandoren, Novation, Focusrite, & Applied Microphones. He has held the #1 Billboard spot for “Follow the Leader Re-Imagined”, a partnership with legendary hip-hop artists Eric B. & Rakim. Mr. Reid has performed with numerous acclaimed artists including Frankie Valli, Bon Jovi, Fergie, The Temptations, Buddy Rich Band, among others. As a composer, his music has been featured in Major Motion Pictures and on networks including CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Amazon, and MTV. Reid has composed and performed music for a variety brands such as Subway, Gevalia Coffee, and Mercedes. Currently, Reid produces and scores music for both picture and recording artists, as well as leads his various ensembles in performances worldwide. His most recent work, THE INFAMOUS LIVE: BENNY REID & HAVOC, is an amazing rebuilding of Mobb Deep’s iconic 1995 opus ‘The Infamous’. This ambitious new project is a collection of acoustic, sample-free renditions, built entirely from the ground up & performed entirely by the multi-instrumentalist. ‘The Infamous Live’ comes on the heels of that Billboard-charting take of Eric B & Rakim’s ‘Follow The Leader’. From this, Mobb Deep’s Havoc discovered his work and authorized him to reconstruct the timeless Mobb Deep album, giving his input and working with Mr. Reid in the studio to complete the project. His limited 7″ of “Shook Ones Pt. II” previewing the project, sold out quickly upon release in December 2022.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Benny Reid about this latest project after airing a couple of tracks and the phones lit up. We got into how this project with Havoc’s blessing on a legendary record that many hold near to their ear. We discuss the almost scientific approach her took while rebuilding this iconic sound from the bottom up as an instrumental. The how Havoc got wind of what was going on and gave the thumbs up on a push forward with this new feel of an old sound. Its the original source material that started the thrill, creating the allure to do other versions of the first track he rearchitected. This path was a long and difficult one, so we get a look into what’s next, and even get a peek under the hood of some of the ‘soon to happen’ projects being discussed and thought through. This album will give you both a nostalgia and a path forward to a brand new listening spot.

Critically acclaimed French producer and DJ, Wax Tailor has released ‘Fishing For Accidents’ via his own label LAB’ORATOIRE. The album explores cinematic landscapes by sampling a world of vinyl, exploring with his sampler a world of vinyl and cinematographic references. A multi-recidivist talent scout he gathers a prestigious cast of talent from folks in the HipHop world like Mick Jenkins, Mr. Lif, Kuf Knotz, Mattic, and from the indie rock scene (Jennifer Charles, singer of the legendary band Elysian Fields and Victoria Bigelow). With one eye on the past and the other on the horizon Wax Tailor has made an album with one foot in the past and one foot in the present, the result is a unique and beautiful dance. Wax Tailor instills the incandescence of an organic sound and distills his art of sound anachronism in a wide gap between nostalgia and modernity that has made him one of the leaders of the international electro hip hop scene for over twenty years. Going to a live event where you are automatically taken from where you stand and are brought to a new space and place without moving…that’s the experience of a Wax Tailor shared in the moments together time brings.

I had the opportunity to catch back up with family to the program, J.C. (Wax Tailor) ahead of his March 24th performance at the Majestic in Madison. We reel in what the performance could be like for those in the there of the moment. We spend a good amount of time discussing the shaping of the new record “Fishing For Accidents” that he is out in support of. Once aGain, this is another artist that I find to be able to really find the perfect fits when it comes to collaborations or pairing…we get into how that sometimes goes about, and a few examples of other recent artists that have been examples of relationships that have worked out, including Mr. Lif and Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise. All I now is there is no accident with how this music fits together and certainly how I feel lie a different person after a live hang with Wax Tailor.

David Libert had such a long & interesting career in the music business, his friends encouraged him to write a book about it and so he did. The result is an autobiography 50-plus years in the making titled Rock and Roll Warrior, recently released on Sunset Blvd Books. It’s a chronicle of David’s inner circle life in the music industry as a popular international performer, singer/songwriter, tour manager, booking agent, producer, and drug dealer on the Sunset Strip. It’s a story so wild, so crazy, so over-the-top that it can only be true. You can’t make this stuff up! This book is a riotous, humorous, intimate, provocative story of Mr. Libert’s life in music. From his tenure as co-lead singer of 60s pop hitmakers, The Happenings, to his role as tour manager for Alice Cooper’s most legendary 70s tours, to managing funk/R&B legend George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic to…yes, there’s more even. Hailing from Paterson, New Jersey, he co-founded The Happenings w/3 high school pals shortly after graduation. The Happenings went on to have several hit records including “See You in September” and “I Got Rhythm.” Those 2 tunes were on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for 14 weeks in 1966 and 13 weeks in 1967, respectively, and both songs peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 charts at #3. Sales for both exceeded one million copies, resulting in R.I.A.A. gold record awards by 1969. David left the group to become a booking agent and eventually a tour manager. After a brief stint as road manager for Rare Earth, he became tour manager for Alice Cooper during Alice’s most formidable years (1971–1975). David figured prominently in Bob Greene’s book about accompanying Cooper’s band on 1973’s Billion Dollar Babies tour. He remains friendly with Alice to this day. In 1975, Libert migrated from New York to Los Angeles and in 1976, opened the David Libert Management Agency which represented George Clinton, Parliament/Funkadelic, Bootsy’s Rubber Band and The Runaways (Cherie Currie, Joan Jett, Lita Ford). In the early 80s, he met Prince through Sheila E, who was one of his management clients at the time. Sheila E opened for Prince on the legendary Purple Rain tour and he spent a lot of time hanging with Prince, many times assisting with his shows. In the late 90s, Libert formed Available Entertainment with entertainment attorney Alan Oken. Mr. Libert has promoted many concerts throughout his career including sold out shows at Madison Square Garden in New York (George Clinton) and the Cricket Wireless Amphitheater in Kansas City (Kool and the Gang). After some personal happenings that took some time to handle – these too are in the book, he regrouped and made a successful return to the music industry as a manager, working with acts including Living Colour and Vanilla Fudge, who were respectful of his knowledge and skills and were happy to work with him. These days, soon to be 80 years young, David is enjoying a much more relaxed and less hectic life. He lives in Southern California and is a devoted animal rights activist, helping to find homes for animals that desperately need one. There’s talk about the book being made into a feature length film as well, which excites David to no end.

I had the joy of discussing the man behind the Rock And Roll Warrior himself, Mr. Liebert to get a little more insight into the tales, the people and the journey. We learn the about the beGinning of a rock and roll life and how it ld up to so many just jaw-dropping experiences. I looked over David’s extensive résumé and had to get a sense of how he was able to fit in with the variety of people and artists and worked with, or formed relationships with. The answer while I suppose is not shocking, it is interesting how much translates from one artist to the other as far as logistics and that stuff, but it’s the knowing when and knowing when not to and the being yourself that got me. We compare/contrast times with Alice Cooper versus the Funkadelic Mothership and there is some very intriguing insight into the man we know as Prince. This guy lived aspects of a life many people have wished upon, dreamt about or cringed towards and lived to tell about it, remarkably. In this book, David shares unvarnished, no-holds-barred, stories of his life in the rock ‘n roll fast lane on the road, backstage, on private jets & inside notorious after-show parties with music legends in the era of free-spirit, hard driving rock ‘n’ roll & R&B. It’s life on the road in technicolor. A roller coaster ride peek behind the curtain at the good, the bad and even yes, the ugly in the music biz of years gone by.

As they enter a new cycle, Bear Witness & Tim “2oolman” Hill of A Tribe Called Red are reintroducing themselves as The Halluci Nation, to reflect the evolution of their music & mission. The Halluci Nation, takes its name from a phrase coined by John Trudell, to describe the vast global community of people who remember at their core what it means to be human. As a visionary artist & activist, Trudell recognized the connection between his accomplishments and what ATCR did intuitively through music & art. Trudell’s voice was the first heard scattered throughout the music. The Halluci Nation’s future revolves around collaboration. From hip-hop star, Yasiin Bey (AKA Mos Def), to the Indigenous Australian band, OKA, to the Wayuu-Colombian powerhouse, Lido Pimienta, the group has always sought out artists from around the world who would join the Halluci Nation family to form a like minded community as well as an international indigenous alliance. The Halluci Nation maintains focus on what they feel they can impact most: how Indigenous people are seen. Through groundbreaking stage shows & ever-changing visuals, Bear Witness & 2oolman are constantly working to create media that reflects today’s Indigenous identity. They see themselves simply as contributors to a necessary conversation around a subtle and complex representation of the contemporary Indigenous experience.

I am proud to say I had the chance to catch up with Tim “2oolman” Hill (Mohawk, of the Six Nations of the Grand River) and Bear Witness (of the Cayuga First Nation) ahead of the December 13th event at the High Noon Saloon. We get into what someone who may not quite know what they should prepare for will be preparing for. The collaborative spirt of The Halluci Nation is what always drives my ears and mind [and a good body shake] to the music, and the scene so we get into some of the going’s on and going downs when working with artists. The relationships, the family style and the understanding of where each other is coming from unites the people and the sounds as they’re being created. I found it real cool to hear how what they are doing with the music and the culture took on a responsibility – and just how that all clicked in and how they pay homage to those who came before and lend a hand to those on their way. Oh yeah, there’s also a set list built by 2oolman & Bear.

Photo by Jon Riera