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Interview: Paul Cotton
Paul Cotton was a songwriter, guitarist, and singer for the country rock band Poco from 1970, when he replaced Poco co-founder Jim Messina, until 2010. His compositions for Poco include “The Heart of the Night”, “Bad Weather”, “Indian Summer”, and “Ride The Country”. He has also released three solo albums, and is currently working on his fourth.
This interview was done for a preview article for Cotton’s show at SOhO in Santa Barbara on 1/14/12. He emailed his answers on 1/10/12.
Concert Review: David Bromberg and Hot Tuna
Review of David Bromberg and Hot Tuna at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 1/6/12.
Photos: David Bromberg and Hot Tuna
David Bromberg Quartet and Hot Tuna at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 1/6/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Interview: Chuck D
Chuck D is one of the most important figures in the history of hip-hop music. He is the founder and lead rapper for the hugely influential (and controversial) band Public Enemy, which created a powerful mix of politically-charged lyrics and layered, aggressive sounds. Their second album, 1988′s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, is widely regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and is considered to be hugely important for making rap music popular with white audiences. Other notable Public Enemy albums include Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (1991), and How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul??? (2007).
Chuck D answered the following questions by email on 1/6/12 for a preview article for Public Enemy’s 1/14/12 concert at the Majestic Ventura Theater. (L. Paul Mann photo)
Interview: Jack Casady
Jack Casady played bass guitar for the Sixties band Jefferson Airplane, which is best known for the hits “Somebody To Love” and “White Rabbit”. Their albums Surrealistic Pillow, After Bathing At Baxter’s, Crown of Creation, and Volunteers are amongst the best of the psychedelic rock genre. Casady also played on “Voodoo Chile” with Jimi Hendrix, and “Song With No Words (Tree With No Leaves)” from David Crosby’s first solo album. As the Sixties wound down, Casady and Jefferson Airplane lead guitarist Jorma Kaukonen’s attention shifted to their new band Hot Tuna, which focused on acoustic and electric folk- and blues-based music. (L. Paul Mann photo)
Remembering Musicians Who Died in 2011
A list of some of the notable musicians who passed away in 2011, including a few who performed in the Santa Barbara area in recent years. Some are well-known, many are not, but all are worthy of our respect. R.I.P. — Rock In Peace.
Interview: Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson is often referred to as the “Queen of Rockabilly”, and for good reason. After some success as a country singer, Elvis Presley himself encouraged her to try singing rockabilly, resulting in a string of hot tracks including “Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad”, “Mean, Mean Man”, “Fujiyama Mama” (which hit No. 1 in Japan), “Funnel of Love”, and “Let’s Have a Party” (which was a Top 40 hit in the U.S.) She blazed the trail for women in rock ‘n’ roll, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. Not content to rest on her laurels, earlier this year she released an album of smoking covers called The Party Ain’t Over, which was produced by and featured the guitar of Jack White. (L. Paul Mann photo)
Interview: Leo Kottke
Leo Kottke is an extraordinary acoustic guitar player, with a style that draws on folk, blues, and jazz, but comes together in a way all his own. His musical career took off with his 1969 album 6 and 12 String Guitar, and since then he has released dozens of albums and entertained countless audiences with his guitar prowess, singing, and hilarious stories between songs.
This interview was conducted by phone on 11/18/11, and was the basis for a preview article on his 12/2/11 concert at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara.
Review: American Music Awards 2011
Review of 2011 American Music Awards, 11/20/11 at Nokia Theater, Los Angeles
Dr. Poplove at the American Music Awards
Or: how I (almost) learned to stop worrying and love pop music
Concert Review: Alan Parsons
Review of Alan Parsons Live Project at the Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 11/12/11.
Concert Review: Gordon Lightfoot
Review of Gordon Lightfoot at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara, 11/9/11.
Interview: Alan Parsons
Alan Parsons has had a truly amazing career in music. His start was as an assistant engineer on the Abbey Road and Let It Be albums by The Beatles. He went on to engineer Pink Floyd’s Atom Heart Mother and their sonic masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon. He also engineered and/or produced works by Paul McCartney (Red Rose Speedway, Wildlife), The Hollies (“The Air That I Breathe”), Pilot (“Magic”), Al Stewart (“The Year of the Cat”), and Ambrosia. He then focused his attention on The Alan Parsons Project, with classic albums including Tales of Mystery and Imagination, I Robot, Pyramid, Eve, The Turn of a Friendly Card, and Eye in the Sky, and songs including “Eye in the Sky”, “Games People Play”, “I Wouldn’t Want To Be Like You”, and “Sirius”, the latter of which is particularly beloved by fans of the Chicago Bulls.
This interview, conducted by phone on 11/1/11, was done for a preview article for a benefit concert by the Alan Parsons Live Project at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on 11/12/11 for the United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County.
Interview: Andy Shernoff
Andy Shernoff was the primary songwriter for The Dictators, a seminal New York City proto-punk rock band whose huge influence was sadly never matched by huge record sales. Shernoff also played bass, keyboards, and sang many of the songs. The band’s first album The Dictators Go Girl Crazy!, released in 1975, is a brilliant mix of irreverent lyrics and youthful energy. Two more albums followed – 1977′s Manifest Destiny and 1978′s Bloodbrothers. Their last studio album was 2001′s D.F.F.D. (“Dictators Forever Forever Dictators”), which is arguably their strongest album after their debut. Shernoff also played bass on Joey Ramone’s 2002 solo album Don’t Worry About Me, and has produced and/or played with various other bands/artists. He currently is playing solo shows at Manhattan’s Lakeside Lounge.
This interview was conducted by email, with answers received on 10/18/11.
Concert Review: Glen Campbell
Review of Glen Campbell at the Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 10/9/11.
Interview: Don Fleming
Don Fleming is a musician and producer who has had his hands in an amazing number of projects, mostly in the alt rock universe. As a musician, he was a member of the Velvet Monkeys, B.A.L.L., Gumball, and Half Japanese. As a producer, he has worked with Sonic Youth, Hole, Teenage Fanclub, Alice Cooper, The Dictators, The Posies, Screaming Trees, and more. Don recently released a cool EP called Don Fleming 4 which includes contributions from Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon.
This interview was conducted by email, with answers received on 10/10/11.
Concert Review: Don Henley and Emmylou Harris
Review of Don Henley and Emmylou Harris at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 9/24/11.
Photos: Peter Hook with Perry Farrell and Moby
Peter Hook at The Music Box, Hollywood, 9/14/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Concert Review: Bert Lams and Tom Griesgraber
Review of Bert Lams and Tom Griesgraber concert at Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company, 9/6/11.
Interview: June and Jean Millington
Fanny has a distinguished place in rock and roll history as the first all-female rock band to record a full-length album (the self-titled Fanny in 1970) for a major label. In this pioneering band, June Millington sang and played guitar, and her sister Jean Millington played bass guitar. Fanny released a total of five stellar albums in the 1970′s (the last without June), and toured with many of the era’s biggest artists. Both June and Jean played on albums by Ringo Starr and Barbra Streisand. June also played guitar on Cris Williamson’s classic Women’s Music album Changer And The Changed, and co-founded the Institute for the Musical Arts. Jean also performed on albums by David Bowie and Keith Moon. The sisters recently released the album Play Like A Girl.
This interview with June and Jean was conducted by phone on 8/19/11.
Photos: Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, House of Blues event honoring Motley Crue, 8/18/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Photos: Uriah Heep
Uriah Heep at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, Key Club, 8/18/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Photos: Public Enemy
Public Enemy at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/20/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Photos: Bush
Bush at the Sunset Strip Music Festival, 8/20/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Photos: Hippiefest 2011
Hippiefest at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, 8/4/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Interview: Tony Kaye
Tony Kaye was the keyboard player in the original line-up of Yes, and played on the albums Yes, Time And A Word, and The Yes Album. After touring with the band in support of the latter, he left Yes and played in Badger, which released two albums. He rejoined Yes for the 90125 and Big Generator albums. He also toured with David Bowie for the Station To Station tour. Kaye is currently playing keyboards in CIRCA:, which recently released the album And So On. This interview was done by phone on 8/15/11.
Concert Review: Katy Perry
Review of Katy Perry concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 8/14/11.
Be sure to check out the photos from the concert.
Photos: Katy Perry
Katy Perry at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 8/14/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
Concert Review: Happy Together
Review of Happy Together (with The Buckinghams, The Grass Roots, The Association, Mark Lindsay from Paul Revere & the Raiders, and The Turtles) concert at the Chumash Casino, 8/11/11.
Interview: Nolan Gasser
Nolan Gasser is an acclaimed composer, with compositions including American Festivals and two pieces written for NASA’s Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope. He is also the Chief Musicologist for Pandora Media, Inc., which provides the popular Pandora Radio streaming music service; he is the architect of all five Music Genomes (Pop/Rock, Jazz, Hip-Hop/Electronica, World Music, and Classical). Moreover, he is the Artistic Director of Classical Archives which is the web’s largest classical music site.
This interview was done in person on 2/25/11 at UC Santa Barbara.
Interview: Mark Volman
Mark Volman and long-time collaborator Howard Kaylan were founding members of The Turtles, whose 1960′s hits include “Happy Together” and a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe”. When The Turtles disbanded, Volman and Kaylan joined Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention, and due to contractual reasons adopted the names Flo & Eddie. Flo & Eddie performed on the Zappa albums Chunga’s Revenge, Fillmore East June 1971, and Just Another Band from L.A., and in the movie 200 Motels. Flo & Eddie also sang background vocals for T. Rex, including on the worldwide hit “Get It On (Bang A Gong)” and the albums Electric Warrior and The Slider. And that’s just scratching the surface. They also sang on records by notable artists including Bruce Springsteen (“Hungry Heart”), The Psychedelic Furs (“Love My Way”), Stephen Stills, Alice Cooper, Ray Manzarek, Keith Moon, The Ramones, and Blondie. Volman is also the Chair of the Entertainment Industry Studies program at Belmont University in Nashville.
This is from a phone interview with Volman on July 29, 2011.
Interview: Linnea Vedder
Linnea Vedder is the drummer and one of the singers and principal songwriters for Cliffie Swan, whose new Drag City album Memories Came True is a delightful blend of pop, psychedelia, and sweet harmonies. Cliffie Swan was formerly called Lights, with two albums released under this name including the wonderful 2009 album Rites. This interview was conducted by email; Linnea’s answers were received on 8/1/11.
Photos: Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton at the Santa Barbara Bowl, 7/31/11 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)
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