Bob Cowsill and director Louise Palanker at the screening of Family Band: The Cowsills Story on 2/3/12 at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, plus the concert afterwards with Bob and John Cowsill at SOhO (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Steve Aoki at the Earl Warren Showgrounds, Santa Barbara, 1/20/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)

Larkin Grimm is a well-traveled, eclectic singer-songwriter in the “freak folk” genre. The Swans’ Michael Gira has described her as “the sound of the eternal mother and the wrath of all women”, and also said “her voice is like the passionate cry of a beast heard echoing across the mountains just after a tremendous thunder storm, when the air is alive with electricity.” Grimm’s fourth album Soul Retrieval, which was recorded with the help of famed T. Rex and David Bowie record producer Tony Visconti, will be released in February 2012.

This interview was done for a preview article for her 1/27/12 concert in Isla Vista, and was conducted by email, with answers received on 1/24/12.

Jeff Moehlis: What can we look forward to at your upcoming concert at Biko Garage?

Larkin Grimm: I will be playing solo electric 12-string Stratocaster and singing my songs.

JM: How would you compare the experiences of performing live and recording in the studio?

LG: To me, live performance is all about energy, and recording is more of a fine art. They are very different, and I love them both. I think my live performances are usually better than my recordings, which is frustrating. I’ve been trying to bridge that divide for a while. For this new album, we recorded the band all together at the same time, trying to achieve that live feel. The song “The Road is Paved with Leaves” comes closest to replicating a live sound.

JM: Your soon-to-be-released album Soul Retrieval was recorded with help from Tony Visconti. How did this come about, and what did he bring to your music?

LG: I recorded a song called “She Was Born to Be My Unicorn,” and Tony Visconti is the guy who produced the original track, so somebody who knew him heard my cover and forwarded it to him, and he was just so surprised that anyone still listens to Tyrannosaurs Rex. He was like, “Who is this person?” He lived in the West Village and I lived in the East Village, so we met through a friend, through a photographer who knew us both, and it was basically her idea that we work together musically. I don’t think I would have ever had the nerve to ask him. We ended up producing the record, and he played some shows in my band.

It was so awesome to have this production genius standing behind my work and legitimizing my vision in a way. It helped my confidence. I absolutely totally admire Mr. Visconti. He is amazing.

JM: Do you feel any special kinship with any other Tony Visconti-affiliated artists, say the Tyrannosaurus Rex-era Marc Bolan?

LG: I recorded a cover of “She Was Born To Be My Unicorn”. I love those albums! They contain such sincere experimentation.

JM: Can you explain where the phrase “Soul Retrieval” comes from?

LG: A shamanic healing ceremony. I had this experience studying with a guy, his name is John Perkins. He’s the author of this book called Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which ended up being a New York Times best-seller. But he was a Wall Street guy, who went down to Ecuador and got really, really sick. A shaman there saved his life. As a result, the shaman said, “Now I own you. [Laughs] Now that I’ve saved your life, you’re my apprentice. I’m going to train you to be a shaman.”

So I met this guy, who’s now a white shaman, who was going around doing these shamanic ceremonies with CEOs of companies, trying to prepare the world for 2012. And 2012 is supposed to be this time when the heart and the mind, or logic and institution come into balance. Some people call it the masculine energies and feminine energies. And part of the thing to get people to achieve this balance is you do these ceremonies called “soul retrievals.” It’s a ceremony where you search for pieces of your soul that have been lost, and you try and make yourself stronger and better and more uniquely you.

JM: How would you characterize your time playing with the Dirty Projectors?

LG: Oppressive.

JM: Your 2008 album Parplar was co-produced by Michael Gira and released on his label. What was it like working with him?

LG: Totally magical and wonderful. I love that guy. We parted ways for good reasons but it was an experience that changed my life for the better. Mr. Gira is a very inspiring man. He is also a truly good, kindhearted person. Not everybody realizes that about him because his music is so intense. I think I could work in the studio with that guy forever and be happy. But our lives outside the studio really clash.

JM: How do you think your upbringing in the hippie spiritual cult/commune called The Holy Order of MANS has affected your outlook on the world?

LG: Enlightened by the age of 5, a spiritual outsider, nothing left to do but long endarkening experiments with human life force.

JM: Do you have any formal musical training?

LG: Not in the classical sense, but my whole family plays Appalachian folk music. Blood harmonies.

JM: Could you give a quick rundown on the different instruments that you play, and their relative merits?

LG: Lap dulcimer – mesmerizing drones and wonderfully limited modal scales. Only four strings to deal with. Simplicity is beautiful.

Banjo – ethereal, starry, otherworldly and dark. The fifth string provides the rhythm. It is really a drum with strings.

Classical guitar – 6 nylon and silver strings, so buttery smooth, rich and warm.

Electric 12-string – psychedelic and impossible to tune, always surprising me with its chiming charms.

Harp – it is nearly impossible to play an ugly sound on a well-tuned harp. And playing it is s primal and simple.

JM: I read that you are a descendant of the creators of the Grimm Fairy Tales. Do you have a favorite Grimm Fairy Tale, and why that one?

LG: I am a super great grand-niece, I think. The Grimms have a very strong intellectual tradition. There are not very many of us around. My favorite story is probably Thumbelina or The White Snake.

JM: What advice would you give to an aspiring musician?

LG: Don’t do it. It is a hard life. We do it because we aren’t suited for anything else. If you can hold onto another job, stick with that! But if you get fired from every job you have ever had and you are a high-strung orchid living on the edge of sanity, GO FOR IT! and try to be kind to the show promoters. They tend to be generous, sensitive, kind people and they deserve respect for what they do.

JM: Where are you responding from?

LG: An ice covered house in Olympia, Washington with no heat or electricity, in the middle of an ice storm.

Richie Furay is best known for co-founding two notable bands: Buffalo Springfield, which is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and for which Furay was one of the primary songwriters along with Neil Young and Stephen Stills, and Poco, which is regarded as one of the pioneering bands of the country-rock genre. After leaving Poco in the early 1970′s, Furay was in the short-lived supergroup Souther-Hillman-Furay, and has since released several solo records. His song credits include “Kind Woman”, “A Child’s Claim To Fame”, “Hurry Up”, “Keep On Believin’”, “You Are The One”, and “Let’s Dance Tonight”. Furay answered these questions by email on 1/5/12, and this interview formed the basis of a preview article for his 2/1/12 performance at the Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez, California.

The photo (by L. Paul Mann, all rights reserved) is from when Furay passed through Santa Barbara last summer as part of the Buffalo Springfield reunion tour, as reviewed here.

Jeff Moehlis: What can we look forward to at your upcoming concert at the Maverick Saloon?

Richie Furay: I will be playing songs that span 40+ years of my career – something old, something new. We include songs from each phase of my career – Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Souther-Hillman-Furay and my more recent solo musical projects that include “Heartbeat Of Love” with many of my friends guest appearing (Neil Young and Stephen Stills, Timothy B. Schmit and Jeff Hanna, Rusty Young and Paul Cotton, Mark Volman and Kenny Loggins and many more); The Richie Furay Band Alive – and two devotional CD’s In My Father’s House and I Am Sure. Sometimes it’s hard to decide what to play and what not to play because we’re always writing new songs to keep us inspired as well. Also featured in my set are several songs my daughter Jesse sings.

JM: Can you tell me about the band which will be joining you for this show?

RF: I like to describe my band as a multi-generational, family band. It includes Scott Sellen (guitar, banjo, lap steel, piano and vocals), his son Aaron (bass), Alan Lemke (drums) and my daughter Jesse Lynch (vocals). I am very proud of my band, obviously the “kids” keep us “old folks” young and it so awesome to hear them play the music with such a fresh approach.

JM: We’re very happy that the Buffalo Springfield reunion tour stopped in Santa Barbara in 2011. Great show! How did it feel to be playing with Stephen and Neil again after all these years?

RF: It was a lot of fun for all of us. I believe the fact that there was no “agenda” made it all the more enjoyable – we just got together and played the music. Of course it came as a surprise to me that it would ever happen – but I’ve learned – “never say never”. When the phone call came to do the Bridge School benefit it was the furthest thing from my mind that we would ever perform together again. It was nowhere on my radar, not even a “blip” on the screen. It was from those two nights that prompted the seven shows last summer. It was so nice to renew our friendship after all these years.

JM: One of your songs played at the 2011 Santa Barbara concert was “My Kind Of Love”, which wasn’t on any of Buffalo Springfield’s three albums. Can you tell me about the history of this song?

RF: Obviously that song is very old – I think you will find it on Buffalo Springfield’s Box Set and on Poco’s Forgotten Trail – both unreleased on any other recording. As I look over the lyrics it’s obviously about a relationship struggling.

JM: Sorry, but I have to ask – what is the status of the Buffalo Springfield tour plans for 2012?

RF: There are no current plans.

JM: Going way back, Buffalo Springfield played many shows at the Whisky A Go Go in 1966, along with acts like The Doors and Love. What are some of your memories of that scene?

RF: It was sure a fun time to be a part of the music scene of the 60’s which had such an impact on American music and culture. If it would have been something we tried to plan – it would have never happened. We were just five young guys (well except for Dewey – just kidding) excited to have the opportunity to play music and have people pay to come hear us.

JM: A curiosity on the third Buffalo Springfield album is the song “In The Hour of Not Quite Rain”, with music by you but lyrics by Micki Callen. What’s the story behind this song?

RF: A radio station in Los Angeles, KHJ had a contest – some listener would provide the lyrics and someone in Buffalo Springfield would write the music. As it turned out when the lyrics were submitted we were going through one of our more difficult times and there wasn’t a lot of time and effort put into the lyrical content (I’m not passing judgment on Micki’s lyrics). I’m only saying everyone in the band was pretty much off and into their own thing and there wasn’t a lot of interest on our part to evaluate the submitted lyrics. The decision came down to Bruce (Palmer) – he picked the song and I was elected to write the music. I think KHJ was expecting something more along the line of “For What It’s Worth” or “Rock And Roll Woman” – something geared more to the AM radio format; but that’s what I came up with.

JM: After Buffalo Springfield broke up, you and Jim Messina formed Poco. What were your goals for this band?

RF: We were interested in exploring how to bridge the gap between country and pop – rock and roll. We both had country influences and along with The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers we pioneered a sound that would be significant for many years to come. Certainly the Eagles (Glenn Frey sat in my living room for many Poco rehearsals) perfected it from the R&R side and today, you can still hear the influence we had in the current country music. Poco, along with the above mentioned, was certainly the pioneer of the “country-rock” sound.

JM: At the time, Poco was sometimes called “too country for rock, too rock for country”. What is your take on that description?

RF: When you’re a pioneer, you’re breaking the ground for those who’ll follow. Because of that many times you go unnoticed and find that others are not yet ready to come along on the journey. We were doing what was natural to us – it wasn’t that we were ahead of our time as far as we were concerned, but to many we were and so we were told we were “too country for rock and too rock for country”. I guess that’s our legacy for the time.

JM: The third Poco album, From the Inside, was produced by Steve Cropper. What was it like working with him?

RF: Steve Cropper is one awesome musician and a wonderful person. I’m not sure our “marriage” was the right one for us at that time, but I’m probably not the best one to evaluate our time together. My life was a mess at that time and it’s very difficult for me to reflect, objectively, upon the project we did together. If I remember right it was the record label’s decision for us to work with Steve. As far as “working” with him – there was no problem; Steve is a class act!

JM: Besides you, one of the pioneers of country rock was your friend Gram Parsons. Could you describe the Gram Parsons that you knew?

RF: Gram was a self-destructive guy. He was very talented but could not control his destructive passions and it led to his death. He introduced me to the music of George Jones for which I am forever grateful. My country influences were more of the rock-a-billy type – Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent etc. and to hear George Jones sing, well it just added another dimension to what I was doing.

JM: What advice would you give to an aspiring musician?

RF: Enjoy the gift; be serious about it but don’t take yourself too seriously.

JM: Do you want to set the record straight on anything about your music or career?

RF: I believe Poco has been slighted in regard to their contribution to popular music. Their influence goes without question yet, for whatever reason (there’s not enough dirt to dig up on ‘em; they weren’t controversial enough or they didn’t have the hit records – what ever excuse) they have not been given their proper recognition as far as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is concerned. I know there are a lot of bands worthy of this honor for their contributions (i.e. the Turtles, the Moody Blues) but Poco influenced popular music for decades through those who perfected and carried out what they pioneered – the country-rock sound.

JM: Where are you responding from?

RF: Boulder, Colorado – hope to see you up in Santa Ynez. Visit me at www.richiefuray.com

Murray’s story is captured in the documentary film Music Man Murray, which premieres at this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival. This film was produced and directed by Richard Parks, with music by his father Van Dyke Parks, who has had his hand in many notable music releases over the last five decades. Richard and Van Dyke responded to the following questions by email on January 20 and 21, 2012.

For an earlier interview with Van Dyke Parks, click here.

Jeff Moehlis: Could you give a quick overview of your film Music Man Murray?

Richard Parks: It’s a short documentary portrait of a lovable-slash-prickly elderly man named Murray Gershenz, now 89, as he struggles to sell the hundreds of thousands of records in his Los Angeles store. Murray’s records represent one of the largest collections of vinyl, anywhere. But the records are more of a setting for a biographical sketch of a man nearing the end of his life, taking stock of what he’ll leave behind. It also looks at Murray’s relationship with his son, Irv, who has worked in the store his whole life.

JM: Why did you choose this particular subject for your first documentary?

RP: If you want to hear a story, it’s always a good idea to talk to the oldest guy in the room. I had read that Murray was considering dumping the records in the trash if he couldn’t find a buyer soon, and decided somebody should take a camera inside his store before that happened. I grew up in L.A. and started collecting records as a teenager, and going to Murray’s was always like going to the temple — all hand-made shelves and esoteric cataloging and a gruff old man sequestered, listening to Jussi Bjorling. Of course the opportunities for picture and sound are so rich. It’s a real-life museum of Jurassic technology, and a piece of the L.A. I grew up in that will soon disappear forever.

JM: What is the status of Murray Gershenz’ attempt to sell his music collection?

RP: He’s still courting potential buyers, and as I understand entertaining all offers.

JM: What is the coolest record that you have found at his shop?

RP: There’s a sequence in the film of some hip-hop kids digging in the stacks. By chance, an old purple-sleeved compilation, “50 Guitars Go South of the Border,” appears in the frame on a long shot. That happens to be a record I bought from Murray’s probably 15 years ago. Only recently did I dig it out of my parents’ garage with some of my abandoned collection, and now here it is in my house with the white “Music Man Murray” sticker on the back. It’s not exactly the vinyl equivalent of a madeleine — and I’m still unclear why I bought this particular recording of Latin favorites — but there’s something there for me, personally, that this record made it into the film that was made about Murray’s life.

Van Dyke Parks: “La Bohéme” conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham, (wherein I sang in a group of street urchins). This vinyl LP excites memories of a life filled with titanic musical talent, that ran into a floe of rock and roll, with mixed blessings.

JM: I expect that this film will have an “end of an era” feeling to it. What do you think the future holds for record stores, and for music consumption in general?

RP: I avoid addressing this question in the film because I don’t have anything interesting to add to the conversation about what’s happened to the music industry. For my part, I’ll keep going to record stores and paying for music.

VDP: Rumours of the Death of the Music biz (with apologies to Mark Twain) — are greatly exaggerated!

It’s yet within our powers of invention to sell music locally that has a tactile component, sleeved with great art, and available as long as mom and pop hold up a shop on Main Street, Anywhere, USA.

JM: Do you mostly listen to vinyl, CDs, or MP3s, and why?

RP: There’s no real interesting reason, but I listen on all of those formats — and to internet radio quite a bit. I stream Jim Svejda from KUSC in L.A. (another L.A. institution) in my Oakland bungalow most nights while cooking dinner. His nasal mannerisms, and the whiff of browning onions, transport me back to the kitchen of my youth. After answering your last question, I put “50 Guitars Go South of the Border” on my turntable.

VDP: I don’t listen to anything beyond the car radio. Life’s too short.

JM: Could you describe the music that you composed for the film?

VDP: It’s a series of cues, skewed thematically (through the power of misquotation) from the song “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” Subliminal reference of that sort, (i.e.: thematically driven) in underscore, can tighten the focal depth of field occupied by the main character.

Said song (“Brother Can You Spare a Dime?”) not only wraps that man in his own social origins in the Depression-era, and yet heightens the irony of his dilemma.

It wasn’t a creative idea of mine to use these thematic variations — it was already embedded in the documentary — a wise call on the director’s part.

The result? A study in the triumph of the human spirit, and a unique archive, with a value that exceeds its individual parts.

JM: What can we look forward to at your concert on January 31 at SOhO?

VDP: Getting out alive, with indelible pleasures held in the heart! This, through a harsh lite on piano/vocal, abetted by maestro David P. Jackson on upright bass. What a coup!

JM: Your album Arrangements Volume 1 came out recently. With such a vast body of work, how did you choose what to include on this?

VDP: Taking the advice of Lewis Carroll, I just began at the beginning! I felt it was time to wrest my early efforts from the ignominy of record company vaults, where they’ve been hidden. My work may not outlive me, yet its durability should be celebrated while I’m alive. It all reflects on the superior talents I’ve associated with for the past 45 years. I owe it to those that still live, and those who’ve stepped off the planet to feature their gifts.

JM: When can we look forward to Volume 2, and what will it contain?

VDP: Later this year. What it holds and the release date is basically a legal process. (I don’t bootleg. I am so legit!)

JM: Which of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival screenings will you be attending?

RP: I’m thrilled because this is my first all-access festival experience. I hope to see them all!

VDP: I’ll be led by the advice of my favorite documentary film director since Robert J. Flaherty, whose pioneering efforts introduced me to the potential of the genre — and ignited the passion I continued through adult life (with scores for the National Geographic Society). It’s an honor to have played a minor role in “Music Man Murray”, so richly relevant to my own wide-ranging musical obsessions.

JM: Do you have any other film projects in the works?

RP: Sure! I think this piece could set up a short series about technologies on the verge of obsolescence — I’d love to make a film about small community newspapers that never made it online, mixing visuals and text with an unfolding story. I was editor of two such papers and know there’s plenty of potential in that setting. Maybe there’s a trilogy in there, and the last one is set in a barbershop — though I suppose people are getting as many haircuts as ever. I’m also developing a couple of radio projects that should start coming out soon, and considering launching my acting career at 29, for the health insurance.

Music Man Murray

Review of Public Enemy at Majestic Ventura Theater, 1/14/12.

Review of The B-52s at Majestic Ventura Theater, 1/12/12.

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.

Jeff Moehlis: Can you tell me about the band which will be joining you at your upcoming show in Santa Barbara?

Paul Cotton: This band is based in San Diego. They are all named Tom! Consisting of my good friend Thom Landt on guitars, vocals and pedal steel guitar. Tom on bass guitar. Tommy Neel in on drums. My son Chris Cotton from L.A. is sitting in drumming on a few songs. This is a special treat for me as we have not shared the stage or played together in over 10 years.

JM: Way back when, you were in the band Illinois Speed Press, which is (undeservedly) not very well known these days. Could you give a brief quick overview of this band?

PC: This band was from the Rovin’ Kind. The history can be found on my web site www.paulcotton.com under the ‘Archives’ link. Kal David, Michael Anthony and I were the three lead singers in this 5 piece band. Actually I still have fans in line after shows to autograph their Speed Press albums. There were two released on Columbia – the major airplays were “Get In the Wind”, and “P.N.S.” which I wrote. Kal and I reunited and had a Dueling Guitars Caribbean Cruise which was very successful. We hope to work together again soon.

JM: Are there any plans to make the Illinois Speed Press albums available again in some format?

PC: The CD’s are available at CD Baby, and I am not aware of any re-print of the vinyl. We never rule out new projects to come in the future.

JM: Illinois Speed Press was on the bill for gigs with an amazing set of bands, including Led Zeppelin, The MC5, Sly & The Family Stone, Tim Buckley, Spirit, and Ike & Tina Turner. Were there any performances by other bands that were particularly memorable?

PC: The Doors, Chicago of course, Blood Sweat & Tears (whom I will be playing with in the Keys March 24), Simon & Garfunkel. We played with Poco, which is where the initial introduction was made for me.

JM: How did you come to join Poco?

PC: Richie Furay called me when he heard of the Speed Press disbanding. I went over to this house and played an acoustic version of my “Bad Weather” I had written while in ISP. He was sold – as he tells it.

JM: Your first album with Poco was From The Inside, which was produced by Steve Cropper. What was it like working with him?

PC: Steve really liked my tune “Bad Weather” and introduced it to Yvonne Elliman who recorded it on her first solo album. He also liked my “Railroad Days” which was played on Saturday Night Live. I’d like to get one re-recorded. I’d like to touch base with Steve again — great guy.

JM: What was the feeling like in Poco when co-founder Richie Furay left a few years after you joined?

PC: Tim Schmit was still in the band, and that left Rusty [Young] and the two of us to write songs to fulfill an agreement with the label at the time. I think that helped each one of us become stronger writers.

JM: In the early years, Poco was sometimes described as “too country for rock, too rock for country”. What is your take on that description?

PC: I guess that is true to some extent. Over the years our wonderful fans have described us as the innovators of “Country Rock” and we are still referred to that way.

JM: The album Legend is generally regarded to be one of Poco’s best. To what do you attribute that album’s success?

PC: Timing really. The album contains two of our biggest hits – “Crazy Love” written by Young, and “Heart of The Night” which I wrote. So I would say that in itself made it successful.

JM: Poco took part in the No Nukes concerts. What was that experience like?

PC: It was a lot of fun! We played Madison Square Garden with Springsteen, James Taylor and many more. My song “Heart of the Night” was included in the album which attained Gold, and maybe Platinum status by now. I am very honored to be part of it.

JM: I’ve read that your song “Every Time I Hear That Train” is a tribute to Santa Barbara. What’s the story behind this?

PC: It is about Santa Barbara. The sound of the train whistle in the night that I heard while visiting there inspired the images for the song. It kind of wrote itself, reminding me of a familiar, beautiful place. I spent more time in Santa Barbara and really like it.

JM: You were with Poco for several decades. When you joined, what were your expectations/goals, and were they fulfilled?

PC: Well that was in 1970 and a young man’s expectations in that era were endless. My goal and main job was to write songs for a Rock and Roll band which was achieved. The rest I would have to say is “couda – woulda – shoulda”

JM: What are your plans, musical or otherwise, for the near future?

PC: I am very busy right now and have commitments for the next year. I have an awesome band in my home island of Key West, Florida. This band is based in Southern California. I have had a band for four years in Oregon, and now one in the North East and Midwest. That covers me spending the winters in the tropics, and touring on my own schedule. I am recording the fourth solo album in Key West. I am learning and applying all aspects of the recording process which I have never done. This has been more time consuming, but we are making diamonds and I’m very happy with the outcome.

We have scheduled and sold out our annual weekend Caribbean Cruise Feb. 24-27 out of Miami — which is being dubbed the “Nitty Gritty Cotton Cruise”. Jimmie Fadden – the 1966 founder and still current drummer for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will be drumming with me so we have fans from both bands and a big bunch of fun Keys Conchs. See the www.paulcotton.com Birthday Cruise link for bookings – they added four more cabins.

I am looking forward to meeting all of you at SOhO and thank you in advance for coming out. Happy Trails, Paul Cotton

Review of David Bromberg and Hot Tuna at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 1/6/12.

David Bromberg Quartet and Hot Tuna at Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, 1/6/12 (L. Paul Mann photos, copyrighted and all rights reserved)