The Sound Podcast with Ira Haberman

John Kadlecik has been on the show before and we always enjoy welcoming such a talented guy. We were absolutely blown away by his new solo record On The Road, not only because of the tunes but because the time and care John put into tracking the record. The whole record is tremendous, and I would encourage you to grab it at johnkmusic.net.

Donna the Buffalo, are in fact a band beyond description, blending all a host of genres, into a hodge podge of styles from folk, to country to zydeco to everything in between. The band has had a rotating cast of characters, but the principle songwriters and vocalists, Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear have been at the helm of the herd since day one. Since the release of the White Tape in 1989, they have managed to host festivals, put out records, and tour extensively. Thats impressive for any band, let alone one that relies so heavily on touring for revenue. We caught up with Tara and Jeb on the road with the release of their latest record, Dance in the Street now a few weeks in the rearview mirror. Our conversation started when I asked if they ever get tired of the work that is an active touring band.

Joe Firstman has been a guy who has toiled in near obscurity but has had a fairly high profile career in the music business for almost two decades now. I suspect that’s about to change. He was, for almost a decade the band leader for Carson Daly’s late night show where he enlisted the likes of Kamasi Washington and Thundercat, and also put together other bands with people like Carl Broemal of My Morning Jacket and Slim Gambill of Lady Antebellum before we knew who they were. He's opened for Sheryl Crow, Jewel and Willie Nelson. All of this is to say, that this native North Carolinian has been developing his chops, both as a songwriter and a bass player, all this time, and he’s about to bust out large with The Cordovas. They’re a little bit country, a little bit southern rock, and a lot Bakersfield sound.

For the uninitiated, Sam Bush was a founding member of the band New Grass Revival, and as the name of this 70s outfit would suggest, this mandolin player and his cohorts including Bela Fleck, brought forth the progressive sounds of bluegrass that several of the newer bands are playing today. So it was quite a delight when a publicist sent me a streaming copy of Revival: The Sam Bush story. I knew many of the stories, but like most great documentaries, you always learn something new. The film, has been out on Amazon Prime now for a couple of weeks, and I'd encourage you to watch it, but first, have a listen to our conversation with Sam. The conversation started when I asked Sam how this film came about...

Way, way, way back in the day, I was obsessed with a band from Vermont called.... Strangefolk. There was something at the time that I really dug about the gentile voices of the singers, the great playing and indeed the messages of the songs. I felt their sound was a throw back to other sounds I was digging at the time, like American Beauty from The Grateful Dead and Music from the Big Pink from The Band. It was 1997 as I recall, and I was a tie-dyed, Jew-Fro hippy, and I sought music that none of my classmates knew or cared about. I would read Relix, to learn more about The Grateful Dead, Phish, and once in a while, new bands like Strangefolk. I kept an eye on them, but they would eventually break up. Reid would later emerge as a solo artist and then founded Assembly of Dust. This is all to say, that this guy, no matter what else is going on in his life, is a musician, a very talented one. I'm fortunate some 21 years later, to reminisce with some of my favorite musicians and bring their stories to you. Reid recently released a social feel good experiment called Conspire to Smile. Its a cover album filled with songs that no doubt will make you happy in these difficult times. Oh, and the guest musicians on this record, are mostly people you've heard of on this show and in the community.

We've been big fans of Dispatch, since 1997's "The General". Wow, it just hit me, that was over 20 years ago. Their sound blends folk and reggae, and this trio, who are back at it in earnest after a tumultuous break, have never sounded better. We caught up with Chad who has many different pseudonyms to talk about Location 13, their political and social discourse and much more.

California Kind is a jam band super group from the Bay Area in California mostly. The sounds and playing may all sound vaguely familiar, since their sound in many ways, is reminiscent of other San Francisco based jam bands. More to the point though, this super group comprised of Katie Skene along with Barry Sless, Pete Sears, John Molo and friend of the show Rob Barraco all have been stalwarts of the psychedelic, jam band scene forever. Together they make beautiful music, that you no doubt will enjoy. Katie is the young lead vocalist of the troupe, who all take this project very seriously. In fact, each time that I met Rob during the summer at DSO shows, he mentioned this pet project. He told me that he was having an amazing time playing with this group. So it was quite a treat to sit down with Katie Skene to learn more about her specifically and about how the California Kind project came together and their plans for the future.

The Skiffle Players are some what of a hodge podge of terrific California players including singer-songwriter, Cass McCombs, Neal Casal of Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Circles Aaround the Sun, Dan Horne also of Circles Around the Sun and Grateful Shred, Aaron Sperske of Beachwood Sparks along with the incomparable and outstanding Farmer Dave of Beachwood Sparks. Together they play a sort of Skiffle music that blends jazz, blues, folk and American folk all together. Its an extraordinary sound, and SKIFF their second full length album is a tremendous delight. Fortunately, we were able to catch up with Farmer Dave, the skiffle music historian of the group, and the glue that holds the enterprise together. We dig these guys a lot, and SKIFF is a hoot. For more on the Skiffle Players visit skiffleplayers.com or check them out on Facebook.

While John Medeski fronts Mad Skillet, an interesting four piece borne out of New Orleans jams, the project is certainly a sum of its of it's parts. The band includes the under appreciated Will Bernard on guitar and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band rhythm section featuring sousaphonist Kirk Joseph and Terence Higgins on Drums. It's a very cool project, one that I certainly would love to see live. I caught up with John Medeski fresh off a stint in Japan. I can't begin to tell you what a thrill it was to talk to John, who is a freaking musical genius. Like you, I have been listening to Medeski, Martin and Wood since day one. Mad Skillet's debut is a tremendous record, and when you do listen to it, make sure you tune everything else out, and pay close attention to the production, the instruments, and the passion with which each of the players play. Oh, and I know you will want to get up and dance. For Mad Skillet tour dates visit johnmedeski.com or find the band on Facebook.

You may remember Elliott Peck’s name from Midnight North the band she fronts with Grahame Lesh. This project however is more personal and the songs are mostly her own. The record features an all-star cast of a backing band, a who’s who of the San Francisco music scene. We’ve always been big fans of Elliott’s sound, but hearing her sultry twangy stylings as the sonic focal point is a tremendous treat. Elliott's sound combines a lot of the things we enjoy about music. Solid songwriting, excellent performances, and genuine personality. There is no doubt she wears her influences on her sleeve, but what's exciting is that she makes each song her own. We're sure that Elliott has a long career ahead of her both with Midnight North and as a solo artist. While she is our first time three time guest, we know doubt will hear lots more from her. You can too, by visiting elliottpeck.com and listening to her music, catching her live or following her on social media where she is fairly active.

Keller is one of those guys we've been dying to have on the show, because he is so unique in his musical approach, while performing so many different types of music. He is an artist in the truest sense of the word, and we're always impressed when we see him play, or hear what he has to offer the community. We were particularly intrigued by his latest effort, an album, without words, and for an artist that has a lot to say, well, its quite the feat. While some of the work on Sans is a rework of some of older material, the album, is very fresh and exciting. With a packed tour ahead and lots of great music on board, you'll want to check out kellerwillams.net.

Lindsay Lou and her band the Flatbellys have been mainstays of the current neo-bluegrass revival. Her recognizable sound is both memorable and refreshing. As a woman on the newgrass scene, there are no doubt hurdles she has to overcome to be part of the gang. We recently caught up with Lindsay to talk about her tour, the band's more contemporary sound, and indeed being a woman in a male dominated environment. Our conversation started when I asked Lindsay how the audience is taking to a more eclectic sound, that keeps much of the Bluegrass tradition, but ads new flavours and textures to her sonic tapestry.

I think you'll agree that Sister Sparrow's voice is absolutely incredible, and this songstress's past efforts with her band mates the Dirty Birds have all been awesome soulful efforts. This record though, GOLD, marks a change, having written all of the songs with a team of writers including producer Carter Matschullat and not the band. The album, recorded in Brooklyn at Matschullat's studio DOOM, is a bit of a departure with a strong pop and hip-hop influence. We sat down with Arleigh AKA Sister Sparrow to get the low down on the record and her plans moving forward. We really dig the new sound, and still find time to listen to some of her older material which you definitely check out wherever you listen to music. For more on Sister Sparrow, you can visit her website at sistersparrow.com.

Been So Long is the title of Jorma's recent autobiography available from St. Martin's Press. The memoir is filled with delicious stories from this one time Jefferson Airplane guitarist, who now, 77 years young continues to perform with his pal Jack Casady in Hot Tuna, and as a soloist. Jorma's life is fascinating and his anecdotes match the great stories of his very early days to more contemporary ones. I should mention that we recorded this interview, a week before Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin's passing. I can tell you, that he was exuberant to talk about his book and story even before we started to record. You can learn more about Jorma at his website, which also houses his blog at jormakaukonen.com.

Having listened to Marcus King Band's Carolina Confessions now several times, I can tell you, that Marcus has grown as a songwriter, and this collection of songs shows a maturity beyond his years that match his guitar playing. We caught up for a lengthy discussion about the record while Marcus and his mates were on the road last week. he Marcus King Band are headed overseas for a bunch of dates, but will be back in North America ready to play what I can only assume will be a whole bunch of sold out dates so check out marcuskingband.com for tour and more. Get your tickets now.