Category Archives: Pickin’ Players Interviews

Friend of the proGram, Sonny Landreth has been called “the King of Slydeco” and plays with a strong zydeco influence. World-recognized guitarist Eric Clapton has said that Sonny Landreth is one of the most advanced guitarists in the world and one of the most under-appreciated. Sonny is famously known for his slide guitar playing, having developed a technique where he also frets notes and plays chords & chord fragments by fretting behind the slide while he’s playing. He also somehow plays with the slide on his little finger, so that his other fingers have more room to fret behind the slide. He is also known for his right-hand technique, which involves tapping, slapping, & picking strings, using all of the fingers on his right hand. He wears a special thumb pick/flat pick hybrid on his thumb so that he can bear down on a pick while simultaneously using his finger-style technique for slide. This is the kind of singularity I hear as I tune into Sonny’s work. He first played in Clifton Chenier’s Red Hot Louisiana Band, as the only white member of the band. In 1981, he released his first record, Blues Attack, which also featured C.J. Chenier on saxophone and Mel Melton on harmonica. In 1982, Landreth and Melton formed the band Bayou Rhythm, and eventually added C.J. Chenier to the lineup. The band recorded Way Down in Louisiana in 1985 [9] Landreth also frequently played in John Hiatt’s band, and with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers. The number of people and albums he has participated with and on is lengthy and wide, with awards and achievements to his name, Sonny keeps on keepin’ on bringing a sense of that good Louisiana lifestylin’ with him wherever he spreads that singular sound.

The deep roots tag team of Cajun slide guitar phenom Sonny Landreth & legendary New Orleans Latin-Americana rockers the Iguanas presents a mind-blowing musical trip through the scenic soundscape of the bayou. Still wet from crawling out of the swamps, this cross-pollinated confection will be both savory and sweet. Louisiana’s calling—here’s your chance to answer at the Stoughton Opera House on Saturday, April 6th. I had the true pleasure of catching up with Sonny once again, as he is very easy to talk to. This time we talk about the diversity of the sets both his band will bring (Acoustic vs. Electric) and well, all that different rhythms & grooves the Iguanas always fill a set with. We talk gumbo, introducing people to that Louisiana feelin’ and what album he’d bring to the studio if I invited him in but forgot all my records. While the entire talk was a treat, getting into how the music find him and how his guitars flow with so much newness, songwriting vs. songwriters and techniques, riffs & grooves. S’cool.

For the better part of 2 decades, The Wood Brothers have learned to trust their hearts. The Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music have cemented their reputation as freethinking songwriters, road warriors, & community builders, while creating a catalog of diverse music and a loyal audience who’ve grown alongside them through the years. Dubbed “masters of soulful folk” by Paste, The Wood Brothers formed after brothers Chris & Oliver Wood pursued separate musical careers for fifteen years. Chris already had legions of devoted fans for his incomparable work as one-third of Medeski Martin & Wood, while Oliver toured with friend of the proGram Tinsley Ellis before releasing a half-dozen albums with his band King Johnson. Drummer Jano Rix was soon added as a permanent third member. This is a trio of artists that wants to continue to grow as people and artists and that evolution continues with Heart is the Hero, the band’s 8th studio album. Recorded analog to 16-track tape, this latest effort finds its three creators embracing the chemistry of their acclaimed live shows by capturing their performances in real-time direct from the studio floor with nary a computer in sight. An acoustic-driven album that electrifies, Heart is the Hero is filled up with songs that target not only the heart, but the head a& hips, too. A continued sense of exploration pumps its way through Heart is the Hero like lifeblood. Arriving on the heels of 2019’s Live at The Fillmore, 2020’s Kingdom In My Mind, and Oliver Wood’s solo album Always Smilin’, all of which were released on Honey Jar Records, the band’s independent label, Heart is the Hero is bold, bright, & singularly creative, a fully realized collective effort ultimately greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps that’s to be expected from a group whose willingness to experiment has earned acclaim from Rolling Stone & NPR, as well as an annual touring schedule of sold-out music halls and theaters on both sides of the Atlantic. Ask The Wood Brothers, though, and they’ll tell you to keep expecting the unexpected.

I had a chance to do my yearly check in with Oliver Wood ahead of us getting to spend time with The Wood Brothers, who will perform at the Orpheum Theater in Madison, WI on Sunday, April 7 in support of this brilliant new album. Oliver and I get into trying to define what a Wood Brothers show is like in less than two sentences. Not easy. We dive into the creation of Heart Is A Hero and how the ear is really the gut during this process, and we get into the inner working of the title track. I am always happy when the time of year rolls around to talk a little music wit Oliver, but I also remember that these 3 are not afraid of the give-back and I wanted to make sure to give Oliver a little time to talk about some of the who, what and how around a couple recent ways they are doing their part. I type this with a smile as preparing to see Oliver, Chis & Jano live gets me deep into the ‘ear’ of things on my end also.

Photo by: by Shervin Lainez

Jamgrass, newgrass, funkgrass, whatever you want to call it, Madison’s own Armchair Boogie is rapidly becoming one of those bands people are chiming in on. With an unbounded sound, this Wisconsin-based quartet is known for their powerful harmonies, timeless originals, & super choice covers, along with unforgettable live performances. Armchair Boogie is Augie Dougherty on banjo with Ben Majeska acoustic & electric guitars backed by tight, driving rhythms of Eli Frieders on electric bass and Denzel Connor on drums. This unconventional lineup enhances their lightning-fast bluegrass, allowing them to freely venture into the realms of funk or country. They truly feel like a band on the verge of really exploding, if all the satisfied festival goers are any indication Armchair Boogie is excited to independently release their 4th studio recording, Hard Times & Deadlines, on March 15. Composing these songs around the beginning of the pandemic, Majeska & Dougherty, who sing lead on the respective songs they wrote, were experiencing the stresses of entering their late 20s.

I had the chance to quickly chat with Ben Majeska ahead of the March 16th show at the Stoughton Opera House where the band will be celebrating the release of their ew record, ‘Hard Times & Deadlines. Ben and I get into what folks can expect for this live event, and why this venue was specifically chosen as a place to share moments within. We then go seed to flower on this new record and get a little in=sight into how the songwriting goes and how that banjo is such a versatile instrument. This group is well known for choosing and making ‘cover tunes’ a part of their show, so we discuss a little about how they chose which ones to give a little Armchair Boogieness to, and Ben makes a little setlist.

Texas Bluesman Seth James and his All-Star Grammy ® winning Band celebrate the great American Roots Music of Delbert McClinton. He gathers up eleven “deep cuts” and major hits by the artist Rolling Stone named the “founding father” of Americana Music, and got the band cookin’ just right and you can feel the respect pouring out of the speakers on “Lessons”, out now on Qualified Records. James found Muddy Waters and Lightnin’ Hopkins––then Booker T. & the MGs, NRBQ, Delbert McClinton, and ultimately, a sound entirely his own. A couple of decades ago, he emerged with an easy voice that can croon and soul-shout, campfire storytelling chops, and moody, virtuosic electric guitar playing capable of blistering rides, New Orleans drama, and roadhouse funk. He ended up really studying Delbert McClinton’s sound and style and songwriting, ended up touring with him and got his blessing on a track for an earlier album, so this was bound to happen…and thankfully, the time was now.

I had a really nice time talking with Seth about the new album, “Lessons”, an album that clearly emphasizes his admiration for and the importance of Delbert McClinton in his desire to be a modern day songwriter, with his own sound. From the get go, we talk about the importance of the eleven songs chosen and the time, you you know, that one time when he sat in front of Mr. McClinton with some raw beGinnings…ya, that time. Seth explains the timing, and how he put aside something he was nearly through to bring this project a heartbeat. And beat it really does. There is a fresh life to these tracks that really lifts the album into a must listen to, there are new old friends, or old new friends definitely hanging out within them. Of course, Seth builds a nice setlist that makes me think he and I should hang out under a tree one day with our collections and trade off.

All his life, Eddie 9V has been acting on instinct. Aged just 15, this old-soul artist turned away from the path of college & jobs to burst all guns blazing onto the roots & blues club circuit of his native Atlanta, Georgia. Eddie 9V specializes in the sounds of the 1960s: he punctuates this sound with live shows that keep people talking. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Eddie 9V (born Brooks Mason in 1996) started playing local blues clubs when he was just 15 years old. Drawn to older blues & soul records, along with such Atlanta players as Mr. Sean Costello, he found a musical partner in his brother Lane Kelly. The pair played a lot of music toGether, especially focused in the blues. After some of these early projects wound down and looking for a place to channel his love for the blues and soul music, Brooks Mason reinvented himself as Eddie 9V, playing most of the instruments on Left My Soul in Memphis, a 2019 debut album recorded in large part in Lane’s bedroom. Within time, Eddie 9V caught the attention of Ruf Records and that contract gave the singer/guitarist the opportunity to hire local blues musicians for ‘Little Black Flies’, which the label released in 2021; the record was produced by Lane Kelly. Eddie 9V headed to the famed Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia to cut his next album. The aptly titled ‘Capricorn’, which was again produced by Kelly, which dropped in early 2023.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Eddie 9V ahead of his February 18th event at The Bur Oak here in Madison. After digging into his catalog over the years, what I always thouGht was ‘this kid has it’, and I’d bet his live shows are something else. The chance in Madison to be proven correct is here and Eddie and I get into what a live event is like once that first note is struck. We dive into the seed to flower of his latest release on Ruf Records, ‘Capricorn’ and how to me sounds like a dream come true time in Macon, GA pitting it together. Eddie and I have more than one person in common when it comes to some of our earlier years of ears, Mr. Sean Costello is one of them so we get into what it is about Sean that we both sorta felt. Before I let Eddie go, he choose one track (same track I’d have chosen) from ‘Capricorn’ and builds a sweet set list. You can thank me later after you catch this cat and his band out in the world live, it’s one of the somethings you are probably looking for.

Blues-rock band Texas Scratch released its new self-titled album on Quarto Valley Records. Texas Scratch is made up of three born-and-bred Texas guitarists, Jim Suhler from Dallas, Buddy Whittington from Fort Worth & Vince Converse from Houston. This mighty threesome of big dog guitar slingers takes no prisoners when it comes to red-hot guitar performances, both live and in-studio. This trio of six-string guitar beasts are accompanied on the album by drummer Jeff Simon and bassist Nathaniel Peterson. Their combined efforts have resulted in a debut album consisting of fiery, passionate guitar licks everywhere you turn, soaked in the blues and kicked in the ass by the blues-rock they all love to play. Some of the song titles on the album alone lets the listener know what they are in for – What the Devil Loves, Trip Hammer, Showdown and Louisiana Cock Fight – give a few clues as to what to expect musically. But the album is far from just a six-string shootout or shredding contest between top gun guitarists; the 9 total songs on the album feature 7 original songs written by a combination of Suhler, Whittington & Converse with killer arrangements, passionate vocals, tight ensemble playing, & clever lyrics. Suhler’s & Simon’s day jobs are longtime members of George Thorogood and the Destroyers,in fact, Mr. Simon is an original member of The Destroyers (he co-founded the band with Thorogood in 1973) and Suhler has been a Destroyer since 1999. Suhler is also a founding member of the band Monkey Beat since 1991. Whittington recorded/toured with blues legend John Mayall for 15 years before heading off to an acclaimed solo recording/touring career in 2008 that continues to this day. Converse made his bones with heavy blues-rock power trio Sunset Heights, touring with acts like Johnny Winter, Peter Green, Fats Domino, & Kenny Wayne Shepherd. A devoted blues musician, he now kicks ass with his band, Vince Converse and Big Brother. And Nathaniel Peterson was a member of Savoy Brown. For one reason or another through the years this HOTT blues album never got to see the light of day. That didn’t stop the stories from spreading throughout the music world about what a tremendous album it was. Recorded in October 2009, the album’s release took 14 long years to finally see the light of day as the musicians initially got together in New Jersey to jam and lay down each other’s tracks at the legendary Showplace Studios in Dover, NJ. The album was recorded in four days and produced by the late, great Ben Elliott.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Jim Suhler to get down and dirty into the new self titled album from Texas Scratch. We talk about songwriting and songs, dissect a couple of tracks including ‘I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good, which he co-wrote with Tom Hambridge. We discussed the choices of stretching out tunes in a live setting and sometimes not. It is clear where some of the influences of this music seem to come from, we do mention some of the pivotal music that helped shape Texas Scratch and most obviously, ZZ Top. Jim even shares an incredible tale of how Billy F. Gibbons officiated his wedding! By the end of the chat, I was very interested to hear what tune from the new record he would chose to build a setlist around and what other tunes/artists he’d combine to build that set. Always insightful and this was no less. At the time of this call, the Dallas Cowboys & Green Bay Packers had yet to play their playoff game, we share a quick ‘good luck’ to each other, and he once again, has a story of meeting some leGends of the game down in big D.

GA based multi-instrumentalist J. Wilms is releasing his 3rd album as a singer/songwriter. ‘The Fighter was recorded, mixed, and mastered summer of 2023 by Kyle Spence at RJS in Athens, GA, produced by Wilms & Spence and will be released on 12” LP vinyl, as a digital download via Bandcamp and through streaming platforms from Cart/Horse Records on December 8th. After years as a much in-demand session musician in New York, Wilms stepped away from the grind of the city in 2020 during the beginning of the COVID lockdown and moved back to his hometown of Atlanta. There he returned his focus to stripped-down, honest playing & singing, writing songs that conveyed plainspoken but eloquent stories. J. was joined in Athens, GA’s RJS studios with by Nick Robbins bass & Bo Bedingfield drums, Guest musicians included Julia Haltigan on vocals on “Born to Die,” “I’ll Start Tomorrow,” & “Stopping on a Dime” and David “Smoota” Smith on trombone on “Props”. Jeremy “J” Wilms has had a long and varied career. He received his Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University and his Master of Music from CUNY Queens College, NYC. Jeremy’s jammed with Ornette Coleman at his loft and played Broadway revues at retirement communities in New Jersey (sometimes over the same weekend!) He was briefly in Chico Hamilton’s band playing guitar and played bass on Broadway in the musical Fela!. During the tour for Fela!, Wilms performed with Patti LaBelle and played with Fela Kuti’s son Femi at venues around the world including the Shrine in Lagos. He’s recorded with artists as diverse as Bebel Gilberto, Beyoncé, TV On The Radio, and many others. He has been a guitarist in the orchestra for MacArthur Fellowship winner Taylor Mac’s 24 Decade History Of Popular Music as well as the bassist on ABC Network’s The Gong Show. He was the arranger and musical director for The Heathens and other acts based at the fabled McKittrick Hotel in Manhattan, home of “Sleep No More” immersive show. Wilms arranged strings and brass for songs on Run the Jewels’ RTJ 4 and Tim Fojahn’s I Dreamed a Dream. Jeremy is still busy working as a sideman in both NYC and ATL, scoring for film and other media, and teaching. Wilms also releases instrumental music as Jeremy Wilms and is the leader of the metal/prog band NOMOTO.

I want to thank Jeremy for finding some time to chat. We went through the part of life that brought the songs of “The Fighter” to life. Seed to flower was only a part of that discussion. We get into the who and the path of a few wheres and the challenges of a time of biG change. The reflection I hear on these songs has my face staring back at me in the ponds on the walk. We find out how our friend Smoota becomes a part of J.’s life and he shares a little bit about several key moments in his career – and there are some interesting words shared, especially when talking about the time shared with Mr. Chico Hamilton. We get into a nice discussion about how he is able to play so well in all kinds of sandboxes of sound and how that led him to folks like Smoota, Kendra Morris and Rev. Vince as well as the amazing names mentioned above.

Founded by Ed Durocher, Apollo Suns is a 9-piece instrumental collective from Winnipeg, Manitoba. The band fuses the influence of jazz, rock & psychedelic music, to create their own unique sounds with a full dancefloor in mind. They have self-released three EPs: ‘Each Day a Different Sun’ (2017), ‘Dawn Offerings’ (2019), ‘A Relationship of Force’ (Color Red, 2021), and were awarded “Instrumental Artist of the Year” at Western Canadian Music Awards in both 2018/2020. In 2022, Apollo Suns returned to the studio with Juno award-winning producer Ben Kaplan (Five Alarm Funk, Mother Mother, The Rare Americans) to record their latest album, ‘Departures’. The band is signed to the Canadian label Do Right Music, home to such soul-filled groovy artists: The Souljazz Orchestra, Soul Motivators, & Luvmenauts. Developed over many tours trying out different arrangements & grooves, their new single ‘Pluto’ became a fan favourite at live shows due to those heavy-ass horns, dynamic groove, & catchy melody. This band is definitely best known for their high-octane live shows, they have captivated audiences at Winnipeg Jazz Festival, Big Fun Festival, Vermont Jazz Fest, & Calgary Stampede. Some of their most notable shows include support slots for The Comet is Coming, Makaya McCraven, Anomalie, The Brooks, and Five Alarm Funk. The core group includes Ed Durocher (Guitar), Tim Iskierski (Drums), Erika Einarson (Percussion), Bryn Herperger (Bass), Garrett Malenko (Trumpet), Benjamin James Hill (Trombone), Aaron Bartel (Bari Sax) and Anatol Rennie (Keyboards/Synths).

I had the chance to catch-up with Ed from the van out on the road, as Apollo Suns will be making their way to Madison on November 5th to funk up The North Street Cabaret. We get into just what the scene will be like when this nine piece gives an evening’s worth of good times out into the Madison. There’s a new album, their first fill lenGth and it does not disappoint. Ed and I get into the roots and fruits of that labor – dissecting the process, the building of tunes and the evolution that will be on display in a primed up condition by the time they get into town. They have a brand new opportunity to grow within the roster of Do Right Music!, and it does seem like this band is ready to explode. At the end of the chat, Ed (and I) create a little setlist, and that too would have you up and having FUN!!!

Globally acclaimed by critics & fans alike for his unique acoustic & electric fingerstyle guitar playing, Mr. Adrian Legg masterfully blends diverse musical styles, influences & inspirations to create a distinctive sound all his own. With multiple awards and accolades spanning 4 decades, he has been heralded as a “guitarist of astonishing virtuosity, (whose) imagination and melodic invention seem unbounded,” (Q magazine); “ridiculously talented,” (Music Week) and “simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard.”(guitar icon Joe Satriani). But there’s even more to Adrian Legg’s draw as an engaging, one-of-a-kind performer. Described by Audio Magazine as a “kind of cross between Robert Fripp & Garrison Keillor,” Legg is more fully characterized as a “genuine entertainer who excels at not only painting pictures, if not frescoes, and telling stories with music— but also wittily regaling his audiences with tales from his life and travels and his cogent and often oblique yet thought-provoking observations on a spectrum of topics. It’s all part of his dedication to making his performances a full- blooded emotional experience.” Over his career, he has released over a dozen recordings of his original compositions, which are consistently described as “thrilling, engaging, emotionally compelling and evocative.”, while encapsulates his own music by saying, “I’m a collision between European classicism and the American guitar.” Loyal fans around the globe enthusiastically appreciate Legg’s witty, entertaining stories, often shared in between songs onstage and on his live albums. As noted by popular BBC radio personality Andy Kershaw, “Quite simply, there is no one else like him,” citing Legg’s “dazzling technique and equally large dollops of spirit, humor, passion, eclecticism and spontaneity.” The essence of his creativity is in live performance. “Playing live is the whole point,” he stresses. “Everyone makes a journey, an effort; we all come together — me, the audience, the people who run the venue — to share this wonderful, universal, human emotional interaction. This is where music lives; it has a huge social value which I think is very important.” When it comes to musical technique, he plays fingerstyle guitar, mixing an alternating-bass style with harmonics, banjo-peg retuning and single or double string bending. Often, he plays a piece entirely in arpeggios (similar to a classical guitar style) and extensively uses altered tunings and capos to create his signature sound. In addition to his well-honed gifts as a performer, Mr. Legg is an innovator in guitar design & amplification technology, an instructor, photographer, writer, author, and an at-large commentator for National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” which still regularly uses many of his varied guitar interpretations of its theme music. So it’s no wonder that What’s Up magazine hails London-born Legg as “the greatest British import since Newcastle Brown Ale.”

I had the chance to catch up with Mr. Adrian Legg ahead of his October 17th event here in Madison at The Bur Oak. We got into talking a little bit about what it is people can expect when he heads this way to play live…and….with a Shel Silverstein quote at the ready, you may have to head out to the event to really get the full picture. When we stated to talk about his ‘signature sound and how that was developed and even if it is a real thing, the time got very interesting for me. When the sounds are there, go find a way to make them happen the way you hear & feel them. I do actually want to see if each one of his finGers has a little face and brain of it’s own while he is playing. More reasons to get there and see him. Just like his commentary – he is brilliantly witty and I did get a little more insight into a possibly way that trickled into the way he puts on an event. We close out by talking aboyut how Mr. Legg refreshes his mind and finds inspiration when he isn’t working on his musical endeavors. The history is real and I can even picture the trail his bike is taking passing the timelines of the past as he pedals. Oh and when you go check him out live, don’t be fooled by one man sitting with a weird looking guitar, the outside of this book is much different when it sits on the table then when you open it up (and fingerstyle through).

Jane Lee Hooker exploded out of New York City in 2015, with members having spent time playing in Nashville Pussy, Bad Wizard, Helldorado, Lez Zeppelin, NYC punk rockers The Wives & Plasmatics offshoot New Hope. The band released a revved up album of Blues covers titled ‘No B!’ in 2016, and were immediately signed to legendary German Blues label Ruf Records. ‘Spiritus’ followed in 2017 and found Jane Lee Hooker touring extensively in support of these records – performing to packed houses across the US and Europe including Germany, France, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic & Luxembourg. While Jane Lee Hooker’s blend of rock, blues, punk, R&B & soul pays respect to the greats of the past, this is a band that lives fiercely in the present tense. JLH’s fiery performances have made them a must-see live act, and feature the dynamically muscular lead guitars of Tracy ‘Hightop’ & Tina ‘T-Bone’ Gorin, the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Mary Z and drummer Lightnin’ Ron Salvo and the full ranged, soul-scorching lead vocals courtesy of Dana “Danger” Athens. In a world full of manufactured bands and live shows backed up by hard-drives, Jane Lee Hooker play rock ‘n’ roll the way it’s meant to be played – loud and with uncompromised passion. You can easily feel that Jane Lee Hooker loves to play live and share their music with their fans around the globe.

I had the pleasure of catching up with Hightop ahead of Jane Lee Hooker’s upcoming set at Atwoodfest 2023 on July 30th as they help close the party out. It has been too long since JLH has been to Madison and Hightop misses this place as much as we miss them. The love of how they feel when they rock with us is shared and highly reciprocated, and now they’ll be back where it all beGan. Since it has been a bit since they last rawwwkkkked with us, we talk about what songs (especially the newer ones) we can expect to blow us away live in Madison, and how the ‘tune up’ went as they just got back from a wild time in Europe. I have no doubt if the first time you catch Jane Lee Hooker is when they hit Atwoodfest 2023, you will walk away, maybe head bangin’ away with a feeling of some new rockin’ friends coming into your lives.

Photo By: Rob Carter

Featuring two of Joe’s musical heroes, bassist George Porter Jr. (The Meters) and keyboardist Melvin Seals (Jerry Garcia Band), ‘Dead Funk Summit’ is the 7th album of original music by JOE MARCINEK BAND and is available through the label, Vintage League Music. Although the JMB studio albums have focused more on jazz and rock, Joe is also known for his “Dead Funk Summit” concerts, which mash-up influences from Funk and the Grateful Dead. According to Marcinek, “The concept started at a show we did together in 2018. Since then the ‘Dead Funk Summit’ has become much more as I’ve used the name to throw some crazy lineups together. Naturally, that lead to me wanting to do an album of original music with Melvin and George. So I wrote the songs on our new release with them in mind, trying to honor the spirits of those two musical worlds while bringing my own vision into the equation.” In February of 2022, Joe traveled to New Orleans to record with George Porter Jr. and his trio of Michael Lemmler (keys) and Terrence Houston (drums). Melvin Seals recorded his parts in San Francisco, and vocals (and a horn section) were added by Tony Hall. The mixing, mastering & artwork were all handled by friend of the proGram, Alan Evans (Eric Krasno, Soulive, The Motet).

Joe and I go way back now, and so it is always a pleasure to catch up with him on his latest accomplishments, but this one is something I personally have been rooting for. Joe’s unique way of getting people together has been something I admire as a person who diggs into the spontaneous nature of things, so I really couldn’t wrap my head around how it must ‘feel’ now that this music is out there. We get in there about how this whole process sorta went down – from live shows and relationship building to writing tunes for these two leGends. The music only tells part of the story so it is really exciting to share in the obvious glow of Joe as this album just dropped for all to share in. You can hear in his voice the thrill of this entire chapter of his life, and well, that shows in the sounds captured on the album – just imagine working with and in the service of two of your ‘idols’. The dreams are real!

To celebrate the album’s release, Joe threw a special album release party down in New Orleans on May 2, featuring another all- star cast of musical characters including: George Porter Jr., Dennis Chambers, Tony Hall, Jennifer Hartswick, Nikki Glaspie, & others.

Dead Funk Summit Musicians (Album)
Joe Marcinek – Guitar
George Porter Jr – Bass
Melvin Seals – Hammond Organ
Terrence Houston – Drums
Michael Lemmler – Keys
Tony Hall – Vocals on Tracks 1-2
Taylor Galbraith – Drums on Track 7
Ashley Galbraith – Bass on Track 7