201. Interview with Maggie Delaney-Potthoff, Madison, Wisconsin (05:43)

Date:
2020-09-02
Main contributors:
Maggie Delaney-Potthoff
Summary:
Maggie Delaney-Potthoff (Madison, Wisconsin) Founding member of Harmonious Wail, Maggie Delaney-Potthoff is a vocalist extraordinaire whose percussive instrument of choice is a cardboard box (but who can also rock almost any household object). Harmonious Wail plays Americana-infused Gypsy Jazz. Along with her illustrious yet humble artist bandmates, she vows that every performance is played from the heart and infused with a perfect balance of inspiration, emotion, wit, and storytelling. Presently, the group celebrates ten recordings and over thirty years of existence. Their music has been played in films and they have received the 2017 Musicnotes Outstanding Musical Career Achievement. Award and the 2020 18th Annual Independent Music Awards Acoustic Song category for “Move.” Maggie’s captivating voice captured voters’ hearts and made her the 2020 AARP Superstar recipient. She also teaches voice. In this interview you will hear her talking about her teaching. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/02/2020.

202. Interview with Mercedes Mendive, Elko, Nevada (06:14)

Date:
2020-10-07
Main contributors:
Mercedes Mendive
Summary:
Mercedes Mendive (Elko, Nevada) Accordionist Mercedes Mendive is the daughter of Joe and Veronica Mendive. She attended schools in Elko and has lived in Reno, as well as eleven years in Miami, Florida. Her father was one of her greatest influences beginning at a very young age, when the sound of the accordion was constantly present in her world. Mercedes' musical journey has taken her to prestigious accordion festivals in Texas, Orlando, Florida, Miami, as well as festivals in California, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and all over the state of Nevada. Mercedes was invited to perform in July 2016 for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival while accompanying the Elko Ariñak Basque Dancers (Basque Dancers of the Great Basin). One of Mercedes' latest endeavors is the Ariñak Project that she co-founded during the summer of 2016 with lifelong friend and fellow dancer/musician Janet Iribarne. Their focus is to elaborate on the Basque culture not only with traditional dances, but with new dances, new music, instruments, language, and songs. Most recently, Mercedes was a featured performing artist with her band, Melodikoa, who performed throughout the prestigious 2018 National Cowboy Gathering in late January/early February in Elko, Nevada, titled Basques and Buckaroos.  Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/07/2020.

203. Interview with Mary Flower, Portland, Oregon (05:04)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Mary Flower
Summary:
Mary Flower (Portland, Oregon) An internationally known and award-winning picker, singer/songwriter, and teacher, the Midwest native relocated from Denver to the vibrant Portland, Oregon, music scene in 2004. She continues to please crowds and critics at folk festivals, teaching seminars and concert stages domestically and abroad, that include Merlefest, Kerrville, King Biscuit, Prairie Home Companion, and the Vancouver Folk Festival, among many. A finalist in 2000 and 2002 at the National Finger Picking Guitar Championship; a nominee in 2008, 2012, and 2016 for a Blues Foundation Blues Music Award; and many times a Cascade Blues Assn. Muddy Award winner, Flower embodies a luscious and lusty mix of rootsy, acoustic blues guitar and vocal styles that span a number of idioms – from Piedmont to the Mississippi Delta, with stops in ragtime, swing, folk and hot jazz. Flower’s twelve recordings, including her four for Memphis’ famed Yellow Dog Records—Bywater Dance, Instrumental Breakdown, Bridges and Misery Loves Company—show a deep command of and love for folk and blues string music. For Flower, it’s never about re-creation. Her dedication to the art form is a vital contribution to America’s music. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/12/2020.

204. Interview with Luis Herrera, Fillmore, California (06:12)

Date:
2020-09-08
Main contributors:
Luis Herrera
Summary:
Luis Herrera (Fillmore, California) Luis Herrera is brother number two in his family band, Hermanos Herrera, a musical group consisting of five brothers and their younger sister. The group plays various styles of traditional Mexican music such as son huasteco, son jarocho, and norteña music. They have shared their music with a wide audience, performing throughout the U.S. and Mexico at world-renowned venues, and shared the stage with Los Tigres del Norte, Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, Linda Ronstadt, Los Lobos, Intocable, Julieta Venegas, and Banda el Recodo, to name a few. In 2015, Hermanos Herrera joined the nationwide campaign to encourage Latinos in the United States to attend and graduate from college. Through their music they have raised over $100,000 for the community and have assisted in countless fundraising and community service events, educating children and assisting those in need. Hermanos Herrera continue to promote cultural awareness and appreciation of their Mexican heritage with musical presentations and workshops at both the elementary school and collegiate levels. They released their ninth recording, Ayer, Hoy y Para Siempre in April 2020. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/08/2020.

205. Interview with Queen Quet, Georgia Sea Islands (05:52)

Date:
2020-10-14
Main contributors:
Queen Quet
Summary:
Queen Quet (Georgia Sea Islands) Queen Quet Marquetta L. Goodwine is a singer/vocalist, author, computer scientist, lecturer, and cultural historian. She is the founder of the premiere advocacy organization for the continuation of Gullah/Geechee culture, the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition. Queen Quet was the first Gullah/Geechee person to speak on behalf of her people before the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and was also one of the first of seven inductees in the Gullah/Geechee Nation Hall of Fame. In 2008, she was recorded at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France, at a United Nations Conference in order to have the human rights story of the Gullah/Geechee people archived for the United Nations. She worked with US Congressman James Clyburn to ensure that the United States Congress would work to assist the Gullah/Geechees. Queen Quet then acted as the community leader to work with the United States National Park Service to conduct several meetings throughout the Gullah/Geechee Nation for the Special Resource Study of Lowcountry Gullah Culture. Due to the fact that Gullah/Geechees worked to become recognized as one people, Queen Quet wanted to ensure that the future congressional act would reflect this in its name and form. As a result in 2006 the “Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Act” was passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by the president. Queen Quet has appeared in numerous documentaries and films, and in print and other media. She uses her voice and vocal performances as healing arts. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/14/2020.

206. Interview with Rachel Reynolds, Fox, Arkansas (05:54)

Date:
2020-09-11
Main contributors:
Rachel Reynolds
Summary:
Rachel Reynolds (Fox, Arkansas) Rachel is an artist and folklorist with a background in art and cultural policy and arts-focused grassroots organizing in underserved communities. Reynolds received a B.A. in American studies from the University of Arkansas and M.A. degrees in public history and heritage studies from Arkansas State University. She received a fellowship from the Southern Foodways Alliance to document Arkansas barbecue and was in the first cohort of Creative Community Fellows through National Arts Strategies. Her arts- and food-focused project, the Oregon County Food Producers and Artisans Co-Op, has been featured in Mother Earth News, Rural Missouri, Acres U.S.A. and others. In 2015, she founded the #NotMyOzarks campaign to counter anti-racial sentiment in the Ozarks region. Rachel is the Head Project Steward of Meadowcreek, Inc., a land- and art-based incubator in the Arkansas Ozarks, co-founder of the People's Library Project, and the Executive Director of the Arkansas Craft School. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/11/2020.

207. Interview with Randy Sabien, St. Paul, Minnesota (05:53)

Date:
2020-09-27
Main contributors:
Randy Sabien
Summary:
Randy Sabien (St. Paul, Minnesota) Randy Sabien has over forty years of performing experience as a contemporary violinist. He also has extensive touring and guesting experience, having toured as singer/songwriter Jim Post’s sideman, doing recordings with Greg Brown, appearing on Austin City Limits with Kate Wolf, guesting on Prairie Home Companion, and doing shows with Corky Siegel. Over the years, he has led his own bands as well, often featuring triple fiddles. Randy founded the string department at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1978, and then thirty years later, headed the string department at McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul. He is the author of the ground-breaking jazz method for strings, Jazz Philharmonic, published by Alfred Music. He has recorded a dozen albums to date. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/27/2020.

208. Interview with Rickie Monie, New Orleans, Louisiana (05:54)

Date:
2020-09-24
Main contributors:
Rickie Monie
Summary:
Rickie Monie (New Orleans, Louisiana) Preservation Hall pianist Rickie Monie was raised in New Orleans’s Ninth Ward. Monie’s parents played piano in church, and at home they would spin records by Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson, and other pianists. Monie’s father began teaching him at the age of eight, and he eventually played piano and organ in church. In 1982, Rickie Monie began to perform at Preservation Hall, where he has remained since. In addition to piano, Monie is also an accomplished clarinetist and regularly plays the organ in churches around New Orleans. As an ambassador of music for New Orleans and the United States, Rickie continues to share his love of music with students of all ages. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/24/2020.

209. Interview with Paul Anastasio, Richard, Louisiana (05:53)

Date:
2020-09-04
Main contributors:
Paul Anastasio
Summary:
Paul Anastasio (Richard, Louisiana) Paul Anastasio began studying violin at age nine and soon gravitated to popular and folk music. By his mid-twenties, he had studied with jazz violin pioneer Joe Venuti and had begun performing in Merle Haggard’s band, the Strangers. Later he served four years in the western swing band Asleep at the Wheel and worked for three years with Larry Gatlin and two years with Loretta Lynn. From 1997 to 2006, he traveled to Mexico to study and archived the folk fiddling of southwestern Mexico’s Tierra Caliente, transcribing over 1,000 tunes, which became an ongoing project. Paul has been teaching vintage jazz, swing, western swing, improvisation, traditional country, and Mexican fiddling annually at music camps and workshops across the U.S. He is a musician in Lafayette, Louisiana-based bands including Stop the Clock Western Swing and Runaway Fiddle. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/04/2020.

210. Interview with Arturo Rodriguez, Seattle, Washington (05:59)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Arturo Rodriguez
Summary:
Arturo Rodriguez (Seattle, Washington) An accomplished musician, author, teacher, and DJ, Arturo Rodriguez has performed worldwide, sharing the stage with such music legends as Tito Puente; Dave Valentin; Paul Horn; Pete Escovedo; Brandi Carlile; Crosby, Stills and Nash, and many more. Never one to stand still for very long, Arturo is both a familiar face and a powerful force on the local Seattle music scene. While moving through the musical boundaries of salsa, rumba, jazz, pop, rock, and even Afro Cuban ritual music, Arturo has an amazing talent for bringing people together. He currently performs with the Rumba Kings and is working on a new album with his new trio, Weave Poetic, a phenomenal performance group fusing Latin and jazz music together with incredible vocal harmonies. All members in the group sing and write original music. Arturo teaches Latin percussion and drum set and helps salsa dancers with their musicality both virtually and live. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

211. Interview with Jeanie McLerie and Ken Keppeler, Silver City, New Mexico (09:42)

Date:
2020-09-22
Main contributors:
Jeanie McLerie
Summary:
Jeanie McLerie and Ken Keppeler (Silver City, New Mexico) Bayou Seco plays music from the Southwest. Jeanie and Ken have collected music from older traditional American musicians for most of their lives and have learned to play many of their tunes and songs. They especially focus on Cajun music in southwestern Louisiana and, since 1980, have learned from traditional Hispanic, Cowboy, and Tohono O’odham musicians in New Mexico and Arizona. Both of them play fiddle and guitar and sing. Ken also plays one- and three-row diatonic accordions, five-string banjo (fretless), harmonica, and mandolin. They play at concerts, dances (where they can teach Spanish colonial dances from New Mexico and other dances), art centers, schools, museums, folk clubs, weddings, wakes, state fairs, and other types of events. They help run the radio station Gila Mimbres Community Radio (GMCR.org) in Silver City and their radio show, Roots and Branches, airs on Saturday (8-10 a.m. MST) with a jam-along with Ken and Jeanie from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/22/2020.

212. Interview with Belén Escobedo, San Antonio, Texas (06:06)

Date:
2020-09-16
Main contributors:
Belén Escobedo
Summary:
Belén Escobedo (San Antonio, Texas) Belén Escobedo plays rare and beautiful fiddle tunes in the South Texas-Mexican grass roots Tejano Conjunto tradition. Growing up on the south side of San Antonio and working as a professional fiddler since she was a teenager, Belén has preserved a unique style of fiddling that has all but disappeared from the Texas borderlands. Belén has a vast and unique repertoire, including tunes she learned from her grandfather’s whistling and a huge range of borderlands tunes from both sides of the border. The name of her trio, Panfilo’s Güera, honors her grandfather’s influence on her, the grandchild he called his güera, or “blondie.” Panfilo’s Güera is Belén, her husband Ramón Gutierrez (tololoche or double bass), and Stevie R. Vaveges (bajo sexto). Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/16/2020.

213. Interview with Bertram Levy, Port Townsend, Washington (05:47)

Date:
2020-10-23
Main contributors:
Bertram Levy
Summary:
Bertram Levy (Port Townsend, Washington) Bertram Levy is one of the few accomplished bandoneonistas in North America. In 1989, Bertram first heard the instrument played live by Astor Piazzolla. He was so moved by Piazzolla’s music that he abandoned all his other musical endeavors to pursue the bandoneón. At that time Bertram was in his late forties and had achieved an international reputation as a banjo and concertina virtuoso. He had been featured on more than a dozen albums, including the Smithsonian CD compilation American Folk Music. He had also authored the definitive concertina tutor The Concertina Demystified, was chosen as banjo player of the year by Frets magazine, and was highlighted in several national broadcasts of The Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. In addition, he created and directed the most prestigious instrumental folk music festival in the United States: the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. Bertram’s first bandoneón lessons were with Miguel Varvello in Buenos Aires in 1991 and later in Paris with Cesar Stroscio. In 2005, Bertram enrolled in the Conservatorio Manuel de Falla in Buenos Aires to study classical bandoneon with the great Rodolfo Daluisio. He founded Tangoheart in 1999 to introduce Pacific Northwest audiences to authentic Argentine tango. He currently lives both in Washington State and in Buenos Aires, where he continues his studies with Rodolfo Daluisio. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/23/2020.

214. Interview with Bethany Highley, Bonners Ferry, Idaho (05:38)

Date:
2020-10-05
Main contributors:
Bethany Highley
Summary:
Bethany Highley (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) Bethany is a professional recording artist and session vocalist with classical vocal training, choir, musical theater, and worship leading experience. She can also dance, play piano/keyboard, and write song lyrics. Bethany just finished co-writing and recording vocals for a chill but dark electronic album written and produced by Yuri Kryzhanivskyy. She defines herself as pretty trance, chill, alternative, alt/dream pop/rock/punk-oriented, but has dynamic singing style abilities. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/5/2020.

215. Interview with Carla Sciaky, Lakewood, Colorado (06:39)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Carla Sciaky
Summary:
Carla Sciaky (Lakewood, Colorado) Carla Sciaky is a multi-instrumentalist and folk singer-songwriter based in Lakewood, Colorado. As a soloist, she toured the US and Europe throughout the 1980s and 90s, recording first on her own Propinquity Records and later on Green Linnet and Alacazam Records. Her songwriting won her awards and/or recognition in such arenas as the Kerrville New Song Competition, the Louisville (Kentucky) songwriting competition, the Colorado Arts and Humanities Fellowship for Composition, the Billboard Songwriting Competition, and the Colorado, Utah, and Kansas Artist in Residence programs. As a member of the long-standing infamous Denver-area group the Mother Folkers, Carla was recently inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, and her solo Zoom series, Concept Concerts, has soothed fans worldwide during the sheltering time of COVID. In the classical/early music world, Carla performs on baroque violin with Sémplice, a Denver quartet specializing in baroque music on period/replica instruments, as well as being a member of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado since their first season. Carla is also active in the holistic and energy healing world, helping people find greater well-being through her practice Doorway to Healing, and is working on two book projects. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/12/2020.

216. Interview with Brian Walther, Bismarck, North Dakota (05:59)

Date:
2020-10-05
Main contributors:
Brian Walther
Summary:
Brian Walther (Bismarck, North Dakota) Brian Walther’s career in music goes all the way back to 1982 and he has played countless styles of music. Whether it be as a polka drummer, a bass player in a country punk band, a keyboard player in a blues rock outfit, or an acoustic solo artist, Brian has a lifetime of experience in the music industry. Brian has recorded two solo albums that are currently available and was a founding member of the seminal 1980s cult country punk band Eddie & The Shitheads. The Shitheads were at the forefront of the DIY independent music movement selling several thousand copies of their classic record Ignorant Prix. Brian is the lead vocalist and guitar player for the American Storytellers. He has also produced multiple independent artists and worked as a live sound engineer for many years. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/05/2020.

217. Interview with Brian Marshall, Humble, Texas (05:38)

Date:
2020-09-14
Main contributors:
Brian Marshall
Summary:
Brian Marshall (Humble, Texas) Brian Marshall is considered one of the keepers of the unique Texas Polish fiddle tradition. Performers like Brian Marshall have been responsible for a recent revitalization of the rich tradition of Polish fiddling from Texas that declined into obscurity until recent years. In the nineteenth century, Polish bands used fiddles to create a distinctly Texan sound. Brian and His Tex-Slavik Playboys bring back the old Polish Texan sound. A Houston native with Bremond roots, Marshall has a fiddle style redolent of the Old Country while containing elements of Western swing as well. Brian and his band have recorded several CDs including Texas Kapela and Texas Lowlands. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/14/2020.

218. Interview with César "Jarochelo" Castro, Los Angeles, California (06:29)

Date:
2020-09-15
Main contributors:
César "Jarochelo" Castro
Summary:
César “Jarochelo” Castro (Los Angeles, California) A professional son jarocho musician, luthier, and instructor, César Castro has been an active liaison between communities in the US and Veracruz, Mexico, for over fifteen years through Radio Jarochelo, a community-based podcast series he started in 2010, as well as various cultural projects, artist residencies with musicians from Veracruz, and cultural events in local communities, cultural centers, schools, universities, and California state prisons. He is very active as a community activist working to promote community building through music and participatory projects, particularly traditional Mexican son jarocho music. He conveys vast knowledge and experience in son jarocho/fandango musical practices and engages disenfranchised communities in building self-sustaining projects that tap into and build upon cultural knowledge, embodied experience, and memory. He plays requinto, jarana, improvises lyrics, and dance son jarocho. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/15/2020.

219. Interview with Dave Robinson, Phoenix, Arizona (05:20)

Date:
2020-10-21
Main contributors:
Dave Robinson
Summary:
Dave Robinson (Phoenix, Arizona) Dave Robinson is a Phoenix-based classical musician and jazz guitarist who plays everything from classical to contemporary music. He has performed with Stevie Nicks, the Four Tops, Sam Moore, Joni Sledge, the Phoenix Symphony, and many others. He is a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient and is in demand as a studio and performing guitarist. He has recorded with the Four Tops and appeared with Sam “Soul Man” Moore on the Motown Live TV show. He studied classical guitar and harmony at Arizona State University, as well as getting private instruction from Ted Greene, Joe Diorio, and Chuck Marohnic. He has also produced recordings for the Multimedia Library in NYC. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/21/2020.

220. Interview with David García, San Antonio del Guache, New Mexico (05:39)

Date:
2020-09-21
Main contributors:
David García
Summary:
David García (San Antonio del Guache, New Mexico) Lifelong musician and cultural anthropologist David García works at the Center for Regional Studies-University of New Mexico. He calls himself a community musician since he is a multi-instrumentalist who plays in different community settings and in various community ensembles as well as professional ones. He plays violin for the Danza de Matachines, a dance that takes place during a particular festivity on December 27 in northern New Mexico. He plays also in religious settings and funerals. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/21/2020.

221. Interview with Daniel Ho, Los Angeles, California/Honolulu, Hawaii (06:34)

Date:
2020-09-24
Main contributors:
Daniel Ho
Summary:
Daniel Ho (Los Angeles, California/Honolulu, Hawaii) Daniel Ho is an ‘ukulele virtuoso, slack key guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, singer-songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and record company owner. Daniel’s collaborations transcend genres, from Hawaiian regional roots to world music with Mongolian nomads, to duets with Pepe Romero, the maestro of classical guitar, to jazz and rock with Tak Matsumoto of the Japanese supergroup, B’z. Daniel is a six-time GRAMMY Award winner, eleven-time GRAMMY Award nominee, six-time Taiwanese Golden Melody Award winner, and recipient of multiple Hawaiian Music awards. Always on the move, Daniel is an American cultural ambassador, with tours completed to Japan, Thailand, Brunei, and Australia. In infinite pursuit of new musical adventures, he is also the designer of the Romero Creations Tiny Tenor ‘ukulele, Ohana Bongolele, and Shakerlele. His custom-designed six-string ‘ukulele is on exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/24/2020.

222. Interview with Dan Ansotegui, Boise, Idaho (06:06)

Date:
2020-06-10
Main contributors:
Dan Ansotegui
Summary:
Dan Ansotegui (Boise, Idaho) Dan Ansotegui was raised by the scents and tastes of his mother’s cooking and the sound of his father’s music. The music came from the accordion and the aromas that filled the house were brought to this country by his grandmother Epi. His exposure to the traditions of the Basque Country prepared him for a life of immersive study, commitment to preservation, and a talent for performance. Through his role as master, mentor, and entrepreneur, Dan is a bearer of Basque music, dance, and foodways traditions that contribute to the creative growth and sustainability of his cultural community. Dan is a National Heritage Award recipient (2019), performs traditional Basque dance music, and plays in a fusion Basque pop band called Amuma Says No. He is also one of the primary teachers in the Boise trikitixa and pandero teaching program, training new players of Basque music on diatonic accordion and tambourine. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 06/10/2020.

223. Interview with Dewa Berata, Los Angeles, California (05:57)

Date:
2020-10-23
Main contributors:
Dewa Berata
Summary:
Dewa Berata (Los Angeles, California) Bapak I Dewa Putu Berata is an internationally acclaimed Balinese musician, teacher, and composer based out of the San Francisco Bay Area and Pengosekan, Bali. A graduate of STSI Denpasar (Bali’s National Academy of the Arts), he has been an artistic collaborator with dance troupes, theater companies, and music ensembles in multiple countries. He has served as Gamelan Sekar Jaya’s Guest Music Director many times since his first residency in 1994. Berata is the founder and director of Çudamani, one of Bali’s most innovative and acclaimed gamelan ensembles that has toured extensively including appearances at the Cultural Olympiade (Greece), EXPO (Japan), Tong Tong Festival (Holland), and Lincoln Center & Zellerbach Hall (USA). Çudamani has become one of the most vibrant centers of artistic activity in Bali, endeavoring to study rare classic forms of Balinese arts. Berata’s life’s work has been dedicated not only to the arts, but to creating community by providing opportunities for active arts engagement to children, youth, women, and elders. He is also the musical director for Gamelan Sekar Jaya, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering artistic exchange between Bali and the United States and to sharing the excitement of this exchange with diverse audiences in California, the US, and abroad. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/23/2020.

224. Interview with David Romtvedt, Buffalo, Wyoming (06:19)

Date:
2020-09-10
Main contributors:
David Romtvedt
Summary:
David Romtvedt (Buffalo, Wyoming) David Romtvedt was born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in southern Arizona. He is a writer and a musician. A recipient of two NEA fellowships, the Pushcart Prize, and the Wyoming Governor's Arts Award, David served as the poet laureate of the state of Wyoming from 2003 to 2011, his work has appeared in numerous magazines, and he has published books of fiction, poetry, and essays including Gernikako Arbola, translations of the nineteenth century songwriter and poet Joxe Mari Iparragirre, and the 2021 poetry collection No Way, an American Tao Te Ching. He is a multi-instrumentalist and for many years played dance music of the Americas with the Wyoming-based band the Fireants. He is an ambassador of Basque culture and plays trikitixa, a two-row accordion designed specifically for Basque music. Romtvedt served as the program manager for the Centrum Foundation's Festival of American Fiddle Tunes and International Folk Dance and Music Festival and continues to work with the Children's Band Lab program at Fiddle Tunes. He lives in Buffalo, Wyoming, with his wife, the potter Margo Brown. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/10/2020.

225. Interview with David Reihs, Portland, Oregon (05:40)

Date:
2020-10-14
Main contributors:
David Reihs
Summary:
David Reihs (Portland, Oregon) Playing Arabic keyboard and accordion, Middle Eastern percussion, ud, and elektro-saz, David Reihs is a multi-instrumentalist turned producer and educator who currently focuses on music of Turkish and Arabic cultures. He has been studying a wide variety of Middle Eastern genres and instruments since 2001, including four years living in Istanbul, Turkey, where he learned and spent time with many of the country’s finest musicians. Aside from his work with Ritim Egzotik, David’s company produces concerts, workshops and instructional DVDs for Middle Eastern music and dance. He is the artistic director for Ritim Egzotik, a modern Turkish and Arabic music ensemble that respectfully plays classic and popular Arabic and Turkish compositions and tosses in prog rock and psychedelic spices to add their own twist and modernize the songs they love. Added to this feast of sounds are Greek and Turkish Roman favorites. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/14/2020.

226. Interview with Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti, Bay Area, California (06:15)

Date:
2020-10-31
Main contributors:
Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti
Summary:
Dewa Ayu Dewi Larassanti (Bay Area, California) Dewa Ayu Larassanti is a Balinese dancer, musician, and vocalist who regularly teaches at Sanggar Çudamani, a Balinese performing arts school founded by her parents in Pengosekan, Bali. With Çudamani, she has toured Greece, Japan, Canada, and the United States. Ayu grew up both in the Bay Area and in Bali, experiencing the challenges and the beauty of two worlds. She loves to study different forms of music and dance, including choral music, jazz dance, and hip hop. She is a student at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/31/2020.

227. Interview with Eddie Parente, Portland, Oregon (05:07)

Date:
2020-08-31
Main contributors:
Eddie Parente
Summary:
Eddie Parente (Portland, Oregon) Originally from Jersey City, NJ, Eddie Parente studied violin and four-part harmony at Jersey City State College and played in string orchestra while studying jazz with saxophonist Emile DeCosmo. Eddie also studied with violinist Julie Lyonn Lieberman in NYC and credits trumpeter Ted Curson, who held jam sessions in Hoboken and encouraged Eddie to play jazz in those formative years. In the early 1980s, Eddie lived in Boston, Massachusetts, where he played in a Mexican mariachi band while studying classical Indian music with tabla, attending Irish traditional music sessions, and playing in an international folk dance band. Upon moving to Portland in 1985, Eddie participated in Ron Steen's jam sessions and studied and played with the great jazz violinist/bassist Rob Thomas. Since then, Eddie has played and recorded with a wide variety of musical groups. These days, Eddie is leading his own jazz quartet and plays in Mariachi Viva Mexico, a successful working mariachi group in the large and growing Latino community in the Pacific Northwest. Eddie has a CD of his original jazz and Latin compositions entitled Touraco and a CD entitled Quartet Jazz. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 08/31/2020.

228. Interview with Del Rey, Seattle, Washington (06:36)

Date:
2020-09-22
Main contributors:
Del Rey
Summary:
Del Rey (Seattle, Washington) Del Rey started playing guitar when she was four years old. At thirteen, she was immersed in the world of folk music via the San Diego Folk Festival. She has tried to get a whole band onto her solo instrument from the beginning. This gives her music an interesting complexity, especially when applied to the ukulele. Rags, blues, and tunes of the early twentieth century are her specialty, even as she writes new music to add to the tradition. Del Rey also has fashion sense that would make Minnie Pearl smile. Del Rey has taught and played all over the world and brings her distinctive finger-style approach to guitar and ukulele to her teaching. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/22/2020

229. Interview with Erin Heist, Juneau, Alaska (05:57)

Date:
2020-09-23
Main contributors:
Erin Heist
Summary:
Erin Heist (Juneau, Alaska) Born and raised in Juneau, Alaska, Erin Heist plays guitar and sings bluegrass, old-time, Cajun, and country music. She performs in a duo with her husband and in a honky-tonk, old-time band that plays at bars, festivals, or local events. She works for the State of Alaska and considers music a very important part of her life. She is very involved in Juneau’s folk music scene and praises the sense of community music brings to the city, particularly through the Alaska Folk Festival. Interview by Raquel Paraíso, 09/23/2020.

230. Interview with Gao Hong, Northfield, Minnesota (06:08)

Date:
2020-10-21
Main contributors:
Gao Hong
Summary:
Gao Hong (Northfield, Minnesota) Gao Hong, a Chinese pipa player and composer, began her career as a professional musician at age twelve. She graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with pipa master Lin Shicheng. She has received numerous awards and honors. In 2019, Gao Hong became the only musician in any genre to win five McKnight Artist Fellowships for Performing Musicians. In 2018, she became the first Chinese musician to win a Sally Award from the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. She has performed throughout Europe, Australia, Argentina, Japan, Hong Kong, China, and the United States, and has world premiered numerous pipa concerti with important orchestras. She has been featured as both pipa player and composer in important festivals in the U.S. Her composition for solo pipa, “Flying Dragon,” won the 2012 Global Music Award of Excellence-Solo Instrumental (Gold Medal). Since her arrival in the U.S. in 1994, Gao Hong has presented hundreds of educational workshops for elementary through college-age students and has been on the faculty of Metropolitan State University and MacPhail Center for the Arts. Currently, she teaches at Carleton College in Minnesota. During the COVID pandemic, Gao Hong released two CDs, Hunting Eagles Catching Swans (Chinese Pudong pipa music featuring Gao Hong and her master, Lin Shichen) and From Our World to Yours (ARC Music in U.K.). Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/21/2020.

231. Interview with Fred Riedel, Gresham, Oregon (04:16)

Date:
2020-10-06
Main contributors:
Fred Riedel
Summary:
Fred Riedel (Gresham, Oregon) A retired schoolteacher, Fred Riedel is the bandleader, guitar player, and singer for the blues band—swing style—Blues Battalion. The group plays cover tunes as well as original tunes mostly written by Fred. Blues Battalion is John Johnston (keyboard), John McKenney (bass), Shelley Lenz (vocals), Cardo Bonjourno (drums), and Fred Riedel (guitar & vocals). Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/06/2020.

232. Interview with Jessica Pacheco, Los Angeles, California (06:08)

Date:
2020-10-15
Main contributors:
Jessica Pacheco
Summary:
Jessica Pacheco (Los Angeles, California) Jessica was born and raised in Miami, Florida, to Cuban parents Miriam and Jose Pacheco. Growing up, Jessica partook in numerous extracurricular activities, such as ballet, piano, art, music, drama, and classical Spanish dance/flamenco. Dancing highlights include performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England during the Monkees’ 2011 World Tour, performing with the Florida Grand Opera in Carmen, Turandot, and La Traviata, as well as the Los Angeles Opera in Carmen and El Gato Montés. Jessica’s dance company, Flamenco Tropical, combines classical Spanish, traditional flamenco, and modern rumba into one high energy show. Some of her theater credits include playing Celeste Finley in Tennessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth, Adela in Federico García Lorcas’ La casa de Bernarda Alba, and María in Daimary Sánchez Morenos’ Are You Bringing Something From Mexico? Jessica has been cast in several Telemundo telenovelas. Since moving to L.A., she has appeared on the TV shows General Hospital, To Tell The Truth, and Superstore, to name a few. She is also very proud to have been part of Pixar’s animated feature, Coco. Currently, she has just finished producing, directing, and starring in a comedic web series she wrote called Cuban Tales. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/15/2020.

233. Interview with Isaac Callender, Sand Coulee, Montana (06:06)

Date:
2020-09-22
Main contributors:
Isaac Callender
Summary:
Isaac Callender (Sand Coulee, Montana) Isaac has been a regular in the North American folk music scene for the last twenty years. He has performed with such notable acts as Jeff Scroggins and Colorado, the April Verch Band, Bobby Hicks, John Reischman, Tony Trischka, Tommy Emmanuel, and Peter Rowan, to name a few. Isaac's versatility as a musician has garnered him accolades on fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and bass. He plays mostly bluegrass and Cajun music. Isaac has performed and taught at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes; the Port Fairy Folk Festival; the Australian National Folk Festival; the International Bluegrass Music Association Festival; the National Old-Time Fiddlers Contest in Weiser, Idaho; the Grand Masters Fiddle Contest in Nashville, Tennessee; and on Irish (RTE), Australian (ABC), Canadian (CBC), and US (NPR) National Radio. Isaac’s current endeavors include playing with duos, trios, and bands throughout North America and Europe, teaching at camps and workshops, building and repairing instruments, recording, and publishing tune books with his wife Louise. He is the president of the Montana Old-Time Fiddlers. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/22/2020.

234. Interview with Nat Hulskamp, Portland, Oregon (06:00)

Date:
2020-10-20
Main contributors:
Nat Hulskamp
Summary:
Nat Hulskamp (Portland, Oregon) Born in Portland, OR, Nat Hulskamp began studying guitar with guitarist/composer Paul Chasman at age seventeen. He was soon introduced to flamenco guitar by José Solano. His interest in the influence of Arabic music on flamenco led him to study oud in Morocco. After returning to the U.S., he moved to Seattle to study ethnomusicology at the University of Washington. In 2000, he co-founded the Vancouver, BC, based Arabic/flamenco group Aire. In 2004, he moved to Portland and formed the group Shabava with kamancheh/sehtar/violinist and singer Bobak Salehi. In 2010, he formed the trio Caminhos Cruzados with master jazz guitarist Dan Balmer and Ghanaian percussion virtuoso Israel Annoh. Nat has studied with the top flamenco guitarists of today, including Diego del Morao, Manuel Parrilla, Pepe del Morao, Dani de Morón, and Antonio Rey, among others. He has recorded in Spain with Diego del Morao, La Macanita, Luís de Perikín, and LaBejazz, and has performed with José Antonio Rodríguez, Santiago Lara and Antonio Rey during their US tours. He now resides in Portland, composing and performing with Shabava, Caminhos Cruzados, and Seffarine. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/20/2020.

235. Interview with Nathaniel Kuster, Albuquerque, New Mexico (06:00)

Date:
2020-10-01
Main contributors:
Nathaniel Kuster
Summary:
Nathaniel Kuster (Albuquerque, New Mexico) Known as a “virtuoso de la quena,” Nathaniel Kuster (whose stage name for many years was Chichí Pérez) plays wind instruments from the Andes Mountains, including the quena, the quenacho, and the zampoña or siku. Nathaniel first heard the music of the Andes Mountains as a child in Peru. When he was an adolescent, he realized that it was the music he wanted to play. He soon mastered the quena and the zampoña with the help and support of many friends who encouraged him and accompanied him on the journey. He subsequently learned to play many other Andean wind instruments. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico where he works as the principal of Coronado Elementary School. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/1/2020.

236. Interview with Kozue Matzumoto, Los Angeles, California (06:00)

Date:
2020-10-14
Main contributors:
Kozue Matzumoto
Summary:
Kozue Matzumoto (Los Angeles, California) Born and raised in the Tohoku (東北) area in Japan and having lived in Tokyo as well, Kozue is now based in the Los Angeles area. She has played the koto since she was three years old under Ikuta-ryu (生田流) Miyagi-kai (宮城会) and holds a semi-master title (準師範). She has also played the shamisen and the shinobue since she was very young. In North America, she has been collaborating with various musicians and movement, visual, installation, and other types of artists. Not only does she play traditional, contemporary, and experimental music, she also improvises, composes, and creates mixed media arts. She has contributed her koto sounds to 2020 Tokyo Olympics (postponed) as well as Ghost of Tsushima, a PS4 game released in 2020. She has participated in various projects and performances including at Center for World Music (San Diego, CA), SASSAS (Los Angeles, CA), Washington Street Art Center (Boston, MA), and Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble (Vancouver, Canada), to name a few. A Japanese music ensemble instructor at California Institute of the Arts, she has been invited as a guest lecturer by schools in California and also travels throughout the U.S. for lectures, master classes, and workshops. She studied improvisation, composition, and music technology, and graduated with a Performer-Composer MFA from California Institute of the Arts. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/14/2020.

237. Interview with LaRhonda Steele, Portland, Oregon (06:16)

Date:
2020-10-26
Main contributors:
LaRhonda Steele
Summary:
LaRhonda Steele (Portland, Oregon) Gospel, jazz, and blues singer LaRhonda Steele began her musical journey in Jones, Oklahoma, at age 13 singing her first solo in church. Her journey continued to Portland, Oregon and beyond culminating into a powerful legacy of musical experiences. Throughout her musical career, she has enjoyed working with local, national, and international artists including Gino Vannelli, Curtis Salgado, Norman Sylvester, Janice Marie Scroggins, and Tharp Memory. She is the 2017–2019 Muddy Award winner for Best Female Vocalist presented by the Cascade Blues Association and is a member of the Cascade Blues Association Hall of Fame. Performing in Porretta, Italy, at the 30th annual Porretta Soul Festival honoring American Soul Music; Lincoln Center with Obo Addy in 2005; and her yearly appearances at the Waterfront Blues Festivals are just a few of the many highlights of her career. LaRhonda currently enjoys directing the nonprofit Portland Interfaith Gospel Choir, serving as music director of the Portland Center for Spiritual Living, performing with her own LaRhonda Steele Band, vocal coaching, and songwriting. LaRhonda will be inducted into the Oregon Music Hall of Fame in 2021 since the 2020 inductees have to wait a year due to COVID. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/26/2020.

238. Interview with Lawrence F. Archambault, Fort Yates, North Dakota (05:38)

Date:
2020-10-12
Main contributors:
Lawrence F. Archambault
Summary:
Lawrence F. Archambault (Fort Yates, North Dakota) Lawrence (Larz) Archambault, a Hunkpapa Lakota from the Standing Rock Sioux Nation of North and South Dakota, is the drummer for the recording group Stones of Red. Fans describe their music as a mix of Lenny Kravitz, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, and Delbert McClinton, which Stones of Red finds humbling as all have been their influences. Since regrouping the band in 2016, Stones of Red has progressed at an astonishingly quick rate to emerge on the music scene as a budding young, high-energy group coupled with the group’s hauntingly soulful vocals and musicianship. Stones of Red is backed by seasoned musicians, playing original music and a variety of cover music during their live shows. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 10/12/2020.

239. Interview with Kevin LaMarr Jones, Richmond, Virginia (05:50)

Date:
2020-09-25
Main contributors:
Kevin LaMarr Jones
Summary:
Kevin LaMarr Jones (Richmond, Virginia) Kevin LaMarr Jones is a dance artist, choreographer, and performer. He is the artistic director of the community-based dance company and academy called Claves Unidos (translated United Rhythms), a collective of independent artists that celebrates the multiple Afro descendent roots—dances from different parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and the Americas. Kevin believes that beyond the barriers of race, age, gender, religion and geography, it is the African presence in the arts that unites the world. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/25/2020.

240. Interview with Luc Reynaud, Winthrop, Washington (06:08)

Date:
2020-09-02
Main contributors:
Luc Reynaud
Summary:
Luc Reynaud (Winthrop, Washington) Luc Reynaud is a musician, producer, and humanitarian who lives by the code that anything is possible if we do not limit ourselves. Along with his band Luc and the Lovingtons, a globetrotting world-soul-reggae band, he co-founded the Goodness Tour, a nonprofit organization that brings music and art experiences to people facing adversity all over the world. The tour travels to refugee camps, disaster zones, homeless shelters, hospitals, and anywhere that humans are in need of a positive outlet for expression. In 2005, Luc co-wrote a song with a group of kids in an evacuation shelter after Hurricane Katrina called “The Freedom Song,” which Grammy Award-winning artist Jason Mraz would cover on his Love Is a Four Letter Word album. In 2016, Luc and the band released a music video called "Welcome to My House," which was filmed in a Syrian refugee camp in northern Jordan and in the northwestern United States. The song and video paired Syrian and American youth together singing “You’re welcome to my house” in Arabic and English. In 2017 and 2018, Luc directed a project through the Goodness Tour that brought over a hundred Puerto Ricans together to write and sing a song in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. In 2019, Luc began co-writing a musical with Bahamian evacuees living in disaster shelters in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. Luc continues to respond to his calling with a dedication to serve humanity through music. Interviewed by Raquel Paraíso, 09/02/2020.

241. Interview with Giani Martinez, Tampa, Florida (06:06)

Date:
2020-10-03
Main contributors:
Giani Martinez
Summary:
Giani Martinez (Tampa, Florida) Metal/heavy metal musician Gianfranco Martinez De La Torre lives in Tampa, Florida, where he was born and raised. He does promotions and booking for a DIY venue located in a basement called “The Millhaus.” In recent years, he has played in local bands called Spit and Invade as well as filling in for the bands Poster and Bad Human. Most recently, he has been working with local producer Eric Dina on his first demo. The project is planned as a solo four-song self-titled demo tape.  Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/03/2020.

242. Interview with Hal Ide, Iowa City, Iowa (05:32)

Date:
2020-09-22
Main contributors:
Hal Ide
Summary:
Hal Ide (Iowa City, Iowa) Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1954, flutist Hal Ide grew up in a northern suburb of Detroit. He completed an undergraduate degree in Music Theory and Composition at Central Michigan University as well as a Master in Composition and a Master of Fine Arts in Arts Administration from the University of Iowa. Upon graduation, he served as Assistant Director of Operations for the American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, Austria, where he would continue to work during summers for the next two decades. During the academic year, he worked as an administrator at Hancher Auditorium on the University of Iowa campus. He has played with many local music groups over the years and has eight records of mostly original compositions.  Since retirement, Hal Ide has become a watercolor artist, and served as an Artist in Residence for the National Parks. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/22/2020.

244. Interview with J. Michael King, Greenville, South Carolina (06:01)

Date:
2020-10-14
Main contributors:
J. Michael King
Summary:
J. Michael King (Greenville, South Carolina) J. Michael King is a composer, writer, and accomplished Piedmont blues musician. He plays in the time-honored style of bluesman Reverend Gary Davis, a Laurens County native who played throughout Greenville and Spartanburg counties during the 1930s and 40s. The guitar stylings of South Carolina bluesmen like Blind Willie Walker, Josh White, and Pink Anderson are central influences. He apprenticed under Ernie Hawkins, who studied with Gary Davis in the mid-1960s. King has composed and performed music for four documentaries by filmmaker Stan Woodward, including Puddin' Pot, a short film produced in 2002 exploring the community-based foodways tradition. He was instrumental in co-producing a recording of Piedmont blues classics entitled Blues Haiku. King also produced his own albums, Carolina Bar-B-Q and Meat and Three, two collections of Piedmont blues and string band music featuring tunes about South Carolina's distinctive cuisine. King plays frequently with fellow musicians and Folk Heritage Award recipients Steve McGaha and Freddie Vanderford and has presented the South Carolina blues story to thousands of students and tourists throughout the state. He conducts educational programs about South Carolina Piedmont blues for Southside High School and the Upcountry History Museum in Greenville, Hagood Mill Historic Site & Folklife Center in Pickens, and the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia. King received the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award in 2018. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/14/2020.

245. Interview with Hasan Khalil, Lincoln, Nebraska (05:47)

Date:
2020-09-30
Main contributors:
Hasan Khalil
Summary:
Hasan Khalil (Lincoln, Nebraska) Hasan Khalil is a Yazidi Syrian immigrant who spent years in a refugee camp in Syria before relocating to Lincoln, Nebraska’s sizeable Yazidi community. Hasan is a multi-instrumentalist who performs throughout the area with his band, the Golden Studio, which performs primarily Arabic, Turkish, and Armenian traditional musics. The Golden Studio are fluent in many styles, including Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, and traditional Syrian music, and are much in demand for weddings and other community celebrations in and around Lincoln. Khalil is also the owner of the Lincoln-based barbershop, The Golden Scissor. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/30/2020.

246. Interview with José Alfredo, Chicago, Illinois (05:59)

Date:
2020-09-23
Main contributors:
José Alfredo
Summary:
José Alfredo (Chicago, Illinois) José Alfredo Guerrero is an educator and musician who grew up in Chicago’s La Villita.  A graduate of DePaul University’s School of Music, he is a member of Madera Once, a band that pays tribute to Mexican-regional and traditional music with a contemporary spin. Madera Once's mission is to keep Mexican and Latin American music alive as it forges a new identity through the musicians’ and audience’s lived experiences within the U.S. Their debut EP, Amado, enjoyed regional success. José Alfredo has a natural teaching talent, whether it be as a schoolteacher (his day job) or as a representative and champion of traditional Mexican songs. He performs original content but also has an impressive knowledge of traditional Mexican songs and repertoire, understanding the importance of carrying these songs not only to new generations but to older generations in the United States who are missing their home country of Mexico. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/23/2020.

247. Interview with Gregory Hodges, Spartanburg, South Carolina (05:26)

Date:
2020-10-01
Main contributors:
Gregory Hodges
Summary:
Gregory Hodges (Spartanburg, South Carolina) South Carolina-based blues musician Gregory Hodges has spent years touring with and performing with a number of different acts, including Col. Bruce Hampton and the Code Talkers. He relocated to New Orleans for a number of years and got a chance to perform with a number of his musical heroes, including George Porter, Art Neville, Hubert Sumlin, Aaron Neville, Lenny Kravitz, Charlie Musselwhite, Dr. John, Tom Jones, and more. After more than half a decade in New Orleans, Hodges relocated back to South Carolina, where he is the front man for the Gregory Hodges Band, which features Tez Sherard on drums, Frank Willkie on bass, and Aaron Bowen on keys. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/01/2020.

248. Interview with Javier Garcia, Miami, Florida (05:04)

Date:
2020-10-02
Main contributors:
Javier Garcia
Summary:
Javier Garcia (Miami, Florida) Born in Spain to a Cuban father and Irish mother, Javier Garcia is a composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer who performs in the realms of funk, reggae, world, funk, and Cuban rhythms. Javier has achieved gold record sales in three countries and has toured Europe and North and South America. He co-produced a recent album with Academy Award winner Gustavo Santaolalla. He has sung with Nelly Furtado and CeeLo Green, among others, and has written songs for Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio, and many more. Javier is currently working on his first English album. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 10/02/2020.

249. Interview with Jason Hedges, Gainesville, Florida (05:29)

Date:
2020-09-18
Main contributors:
Jason Hedges
Summary:
Jason Hedges (Gainesville, Florida) Jason grew up in Gainesville, Florida, and has been performing since childhood. He is a musician and actor and has been involved in the theater and music scene for many years. Jason has been a musician in residence at the local hospital’s Arts in Medicine program in recent years and has spent time in Haiti playing music for orphanages, as well as performing in nursing homes and hospitals for sick patients. He performs in a range of genres, including country/rock/folk, and is inspired by Elvis Costello and Tom Petty. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/18/2020

250. Interview with Jake Fussell, Durham, North Carolina (05:22)

Date:
2020-09-18
Main contributors:
Jake Fussell
Summary:
Jake Fussell (Durham, North Carolina) Originally from Georgia, Jake Xerxes Fussell is a singer and guitarist who lives in Durham, North Carolina. He has toured extensively as a solo performer and as a guitarist for a number of acts, including The Como Mamas and Joan Shelley. Fussell has released three studio albums of traditional material. He hosts a weekly radio program, Fall Line Radio, which airs every Wednesday afternoon on WHUP FM, a community station in Hillsborough, North Carolina. A long-time folklorist, ethnographer, and student of old songs and traditional repertoire, Fussell brings old repertoire to new generations in his own thoughtful and innovative way, honoring what came before while offering his own unique take on the world through song. Interviewed by Holly Hobbs, 09/18/2020.