Maria Muldaur has had an amazing musical journey, from her early days as part of the 1960’s jug band revival, to solo stardom in the 1970’s with her sultry hit “Midnight at the Oasis”, to membership in the Jerry Garcia Band and many guest appearances with other artists, to her ongoing explorations of the blues.
This interview was for a preview article for Maria’s concert at the Ventura Beach Club in Ventura on 3/20/15 – tickets are available here. It was done by phone on 3/15/15, with Maria full of energy – “I’m all caffeinated up!” – and insight while talking about the upcoming show and her life in music.
Review of Jim Kweskin and Geoff Muldaur at the Lobero Theatre, with openers Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, 8/25/12.
When the Jim Kweskin Jug Band formed in 1963, they breathed new life into the jug band music genre whose heyday had been several decades earlier. In the process, they inspired many bands including the Grateful Dead and the Lovin’ Spoonful, played several times at the Newport Folk Festival, and had a helluva lot of fun.
After the Jim Kweskin Jug Band broke up in the late 1960’s, Muldaur played with Paul Butterfield’s Better Days, and contributed to recordings for a number of notable artists. Both Kweskin and Muldaur have also released various solo albums over the years, and in recent years they have resumed performing together.
The following interviews were done for a preview article for the performance by Kweskin and Muldaur at the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara on 8/25/12. These interviews were done separately by email, with Muldaur’s reply received on 8/2/12, and Kweskin’s on 8/3/12.