ALL Interviews Episodes

Umphrey's McGee’s forthcoming record is entitled “You Walked Up Shaking in Your Boots but You Stood Tall and Left a Raging Bull” and is due out July 17th. The instrumental album features 12 walk up or intro song the band has played, but now the tunes are codified and more structured. These are the sorts of projects you get to work on during a pandemic when the band can barely play or meet. I was and still am quite curious about what the band was up to the last 18 months. So when I sat down withi...

Grateful Deadication is a new project from saxophonist Dave McMurray. It’s a cerebral and interesting take on some of the Grateful Dead’s work. The album itself is due out next Friday on Blue Note records. Jazz renditions or even instrumental covers of Grateful Dead music isn’t specifically new, but like all of the band’s performances, the work on Grateful Deadication is fresh, exciting and very inspiring. That may be in part to the fact that before taking on the project legendary Detroit area s...

Doom Flamingo, is a synthwave band out of Charleston, South Carolina. Sure, it’s been a while since we spent a lot of time with synthwave, but what makes this band’s story a little more intriguing for our community, is that Umphrey’s McGee bassist Ryan Stasik is an active participant in this band’s rise. In fact, as you’ll soon hear, this was a kind of make work project for Ryan who was looking for people to jam with when he was off the road and home. We caught up with Ryan ahead of the band’s s...

You’ve been listening to Lay it on Me, the title track from Gabe Dixon’s recently released solo record. I’ve been a fan of Gabe’s work, dating back to his 2008 debut album The Gabe Dixon Band, which also included Wood Brothers member Jano Rix. Gabe is a classically trained pianist, but don’t let the credentials fool you. This guy can play just about any style of music really well and you’ll notice his influences right away. In fact, Gabe Dixon is so talented he is now a member of the Tedeschi Tr...

You may know Oliver Wood as one half of the Wood Brothers, the other half being Chris Wood who also plays in Medeski Martin and Wood. Always Smilin’ is Oliver’s first solo record, but this savvy music veteran isn’t a newbie, and is well versed in blues, folk, gospel, country-soul and Americana music. This record shines a bright light on Oliver’s songwriting prowess, his unique guitar playing, and his very memorable voice. I caught up with Oliver to talk about the record, and wondered if this rec...

Many musicians who grow up in the shadow of their famous musician parents desperately try to shake their heritage in favor of setting their own path. Singer-songwriter Amy Helm isn’t one of those people. Instead she continues to pay homage to her father Levon Helm by continuing to pursue authentic musical experiences for herself and the audience. Her third album What the Flood Leaves Behind, is proof positive that Levon’s spirit purveys over an album full of material that is rich in lyrics, supe...

In the Moment is the seventh album from neo-reggae artists Rebelution. To proclaim this band simply a reggae outfit wouldn’t do their sound justice. This record was recorded over the pandemic and for the first time since the band’s inception it wasn’t recorded live with all the band members in attendance. When I sat down and chatted with guitarist, vocalist and frontman Eric Rachmany about the new record, our conversation started when I asked what the last year and a half has been like for the b...

While many touring musicians found the pandemic a great time to chill out, spend time with family and re-charge, Reed Mathis was busy as we’ve already in part 1 of our interview with him. In part two we explore all the projects he worked on, including a solo album and a great experience in Hawaii with Billy & The Kids for Bill Kreutmann’s birthday. First Song: 00:14: Looking West Interview Begins: 06:28 Extro Song: 43:12: The Ladder See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Winterwood out now on Royal Potato Records and available wherever you stream music, is one of the latest releases from Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey. What’s interesting though, is this album was buried and not even thought of since 2008. It’s an interesting story how this album and an additional 4 live albums have come to life. In fact, one could argue that if it weren’t for the global pandemic of the past year and a half, they may not have ever seen the light of day. I caught up with Reed Mathis, JFJ...

It’s not terribly shocking that a band like the Infamous Stringdusters would go back to their roots, and put together a compilation of Bill Monroe tunes. I get it, he’s the founder of Bluegrass, and they are part of the group that is carrying the torch forward. What is confusing though, is that Monroe was a mandolin player, and the Dusters are without a mandolin player, opting for other cool instruments like the dobro and fiddle. I mean being a quintet is limiting. At any rate, a Tribute to Bill...

I first heard about the High Hawks, an all-star Americana outfit consisting of players from mostly the jamgrass scene from Chad Staehly of Hard Working Americans and Great American Taxi when I talked to him a few months back about the John Hartford tribute record, and the band’s contribution of Waugh Paugh. The band includes, Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon), Tim Carbone (Railroad Earth), Chad Staehly (Hard Working Americans),  Adam Greuel (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades), Brian Adams (DeadPhish Orch...

Marcus Rezak is a classic rock n' roll cowboy. A man out on the plains, a gunslinger, well in this case, guitar slinger, with dreams, ambitions, and tons of talent. You know his name because of all the guest appearances he does on the Jam Band scene most notably with Umphrey's McGee. Aside from being an artist-at-large, Rezak also fronts Shred is Dead a Grateful Dead tribute band, and is a member of Digital Tape Machine and many other little bands. He does however take time to carve out solo rec...

Magic Beans are a different kind of modern jam band. Aside from blending funk, soul and electronica, they even blend bluegrass into the mix. They recently released Slice of Life, a 14 track double record which gives a very clear audio indication of who this band is. The record was made over the pandemic during the slow down of touring. I sat down with guitarist Scott Hachey to discuss the new album and our conversation started when I asked how excited the band was about this new material… First...

On the surface Russ Lawton and Ray Paczkowski are two great musicians who are known mostly as the drummer and keyboard players for the Trey Anastasio Band. And though that has been the case for the better part of the past two decades, these two have also been active in their own project Soule Monde. This funk jazz outfit have now released 4 albums. I caught up with the duo to talk about Soule Monde and we got into a whole bunch is things. Since we had these guys on back in July to talk about the...

Dumpstaphunk have been honing their brand of New Orleans funk for the past 17 years. Of course it helps that Ivan and Ian Neville both have the sound in their bloodlines, but this entire outfit is more than just the sound of funk past, it's actually way bigger than those original roots. On their latest record Where Do We Go From Here, the band shows off its prowess in a pot pourri of genres and blend sounds for a fiery hot 4th record that not only packs a sonic punch, but is also politically cha...

Garage a Trois, made its debut some 22 years ago with Mysteryfunk, to wide acclaim in 1999 and then evolved into several different configurations before a hiatus in 2015 after releasing " Always Be Happy, Stay Evil". GAT was always a side project for drummer Stanton Moore, Guitarist Charlie Hunter and saxophone player Skerik. But they back with a new album Calm Down Cologne and perhaps some touring down the road. I caught up with Galactic dummer, and a third of GAT trio, the great Stanton Moore ...

For those who are unfamiliar, Leon III is primarily made up of Andy Stepanian and Mason Brent who were in Charlottesville based Wrinkle Neck Mules. I only bring up their former band as a point of reference for the kind of music they used to make, an Americana blend of honky tonk, alt.country and the like. This project though, is different with lusher sonic textures, and very exciting influences that blend for a very cool album experience. An experience that is severely lacking in our singles bas...

For the unfamiliar, Marbin are a four piece jazz rock or more accurately jazz fusion outfit, featuring Dani Rabin on guitar and saxophonist Danny Markovitch the principles for whom the band is named. Their blend of harmonics, grooves, and stellar solos make this a band to check out! Since Marbin is as fresh to me, as it may be to you, and because I needed to know more about this awesome quarter, I got in touch with Dani Rabin to fill in some details on how the band came to be and where they are ...

Crying for Hope is the new George Porter Jr. and Runnin’ Pardners album. This is actually the first Runnin’ Pardners record since 2015 and that release was an EP. That isn’t to suggest the Meter’s alumnus and bass player George Porter Jr. hasn’t been busy, but this configuration at least has been on hiatus. So when we caught up with the legendary bass player we asked what made him decide to work on this project again... First Song: 00:14: Crying For Hope Interview Begins: 03:37 Extro Song: 27...

Chris Panfolfi is the banjo player in The Infamous Stringdusters, but his latest solo project is a little different than what you'd come to expect from this newgrass stalwart. It fuses Chris' passion and playing of the banjo with his penchant for production. In all, it's a fascinating listen one that I'd encourage you to check out. We caught up with Chris to talk about the record, and a whole lot more. Our conversation started at the beginning though, when I asked Chris about what inspired him t...

It’s been a weird year to say the very least for bands and musicians who have been unable to tour like they have in the past. For funky jam band outfit Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, who released their 5th album Presto in late January of 2020, they had to significantly pivot their plans for the year. Luckily they’ve been able to play a few shows here and there and Saturday night, they’ll be doing a livestream from the Brooklyn Bowl, a Super Bowl PPPPre-Party. I caught up with the band’s front man Gr...

Not sure about you, but I’m a sucker for a good groove, especially one that involves the Hammond B3. When I first heard the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio a few years back now, I wasn’t only impressed with their vintage sound akin to Jimmy James or Booker T and the MGs, but also the idea that their sound was way more contemporary and very cool and hip. Until today, I’ve been rotating through their debut album Close but No Cigar which came out in 2016 and a live EP from a performance at KEXP radio rele...

Describing the aesthetic that is Lespecial isn’t the easiest of tasks. On the surface, they are a power trio, who add samples, synths and several other elements to their sonic landscape. Digging deeper, you figure out there music is quite complex and while extremely progressive, has definitive improvisational qualities, which make them quite appropriate for the jam band scene and beyond. We caught up with Luke and Jonny of Lespecial to get their take on their new record Ancient Homies, the proc...

Pluto Gang is a 6 piece band from Charlotte, North Carolina and they have a super interesting story, one that probably would have been told very differently if not for COVID-19, the pandemic and the lockdowns. In fact, the irony is that the pandemic may have sped things along for the band, in terms of putting out music, and beginning their rise within the Jam Band community. It's not often that new music strikes me, but when I got Better Out Here, I reached out immediately. Only after making a c...