Bootsy Collins And Jim Vitti In Conversation At The Grammy Museum - Funky!

Oh, Bootsy Baby! My brother, Paul, and I got the chance to go listen to one of the greatest dudes on this (and any) planet the other night at The Grammy Museum when Bootsy Collins was there to talk about the funk with his recording engineer and friend, Jim Vitti, and Grammy Museum director, Scott Goldman. I have to be honest and admit that I really wasn't at all in the mood to go to this on this particular evening, because my dear Mom had just been admitted to the hospital and was awaiting surgery, and I was freaking out about it. But we figured it doesn't do any good to pace around worrying, so off we went to try to not freak out. It was the right choice, and one that has made me feel better about it all ever since.

Goldman introduced the legends by saying, "Our guests tonight have been bringing the funk for decades," and that's a fact. Collins has been on the front lines of funk (inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame in 1997!), leading the way since his time in James Brown's band, on to the Parliament Funkadelic, and on to his own solo career with Bootsy's Rubber Band until right now.

The night opened with a funky video about Collins, narrated by Iggy Pop, that showed just exactly how this inventor of "Space Bass" came into being. Producer Nile Rodgers was there getting the claps started for his friend Collins, who came out in a sparkly top hat and sparkly everything, really, with Jim Vitti, who bears a close resemblance to Mr. Whipple these days, the guy from the Charmin commercials. No one would know that he has engineered and produced some of the funkiest albums of all time. But he did.

Their story starts in Detroit, where Vitti snagged himself a gig at United Sound Systems after coming home from 'Nam. He always loved music and technology, so he began learning and training his ear from the back end, by listening to master tapes. He worked with Bob Seeger, which sent him on his way. Meanwhile, Collins got booted from James Brown's band, saying, "We got sent home for being a little crazy ... he fired us for getting HIM high!" to which everyone gathered there to listen cracked up at.

Collins came to Detroit to be in the band for The Spinners, but knew that wasn't ever going to happen - not a good fit. But THEN he heard about George Clinton and thought, "What is this Funkadelic? I need to meet this mug!" He went to Clinton's house, and knocked on the door of what he said was like The Addams Family house, thinking, "This is the kind of scary I like - 'cause I was tripping too!" There were black lights on and incense burning in the dark, and he saw Clinton in a white sheet in the corner of the room like a ghost, "With chicken feet on like Foghorn, Leghorn!" That meeting let Collins know he was in the right place, saying, "That's who I want to be working with, he's out of his mind!" Soon enough they did begin working together, and that's when he met Vitti.

The Funkadelic would "steal gigs", meaning they'd ask to sit in with some band, and then just totally take over the gig. The energy the band created was unparalleled, and Goldman asked Vitti how they managed to capture that energy on recordings. Vitti answered that he had drawn the shortest straw, as no one else wanted to work with Clinton because he was crazy, but "I just fell in love with the guys!"

He dedicated himself to it, working for hours and hours on just the drum sound. They gave an example of that, playing the P-Funk track, "Funkentelechy" that had the whole room bobbing their heads along, and sharing a soul brother handshake at its end, while Collins' wonderful wife, Patti, danced along in her chair. You couldn't help it.

"This does not sound dated at all," commented Goldman correctly. It's as fresh as the day they recorded it in 1977, and kids today would totally think they just discovered the latest thing upon first listen. Collins' brother, Catfish, was also in the bands, and Vitti's voice caught talking about all the fun they had had, and how much he misses Catfish Collins, who passed away in 2010.

Looking back on their times together, Vitti said, "We were working at the speed of light, it was non-stop. It was like herding cats to get them on the same page, and it was always chaotic." Collins had been giggling while listening, and to this commented, "ALWAYS chaotic." - and you could tell that's just how he liked it.

"Bootzilla" was played next, and the two old friends shook hands, nodded and mouthed along with it. "I love watching you listen to this!", said Goldman, adding, "That bass is SICK!" - and again, he was not wrong. A trust had grown between Vitti and the band, and this song showed that it could be done. "They knew I had their best interests at heart. I love people. I love musicians," explained Vitti to much applause. "We were the craziest," said Collins, and Vitti perhaps felt the need to add, "I was the only straight one in the room!" They shared the story of how on "Knee Deep" Vitti wanted Collins to play the drums, for the 15 minute rock opera that he was sure he'd have to go back and fix, but Collins performed perfectly, shouting, "The Funk will always prevail!"

They spoke about the hand claps on P-Funk albums, and said that they created a monster, because it was on everything after that - to the point that people would call United Sound wanting to rent the "Hand clap machine" because they were always so perfect - but they were real. They told of how Collins was always experimenting with pedals and guitar things, and things like plugging his bass in through a Mu-Tron for "Chocolate City" - giving it that Funkadelic sound. "I was evolving into a monster, and monsters turn on you. Look at that Frankenstein mug!" ... everything that comes out of Collins' mouth makes you smile - almost as much as his music.

"Atomic Dog" was played next and got the whole room rocking. We learned that this classic had the bass and drum tracks backward, as they simply flipped the tape over and played it backwards when they recorded. Whatever they did was awesome, because every single person in there was dancing in their seats. (Note: I played it for my six year old friend the next day and he thought it was THE coolest thing ever! Timeless.) Goldman next opened it up for questions, and one person asked how Collins came to work with Buckethead. Collins answered that Buckethead had sent him a tape of himself sitting on a bed and playing with a bucket on his head, back in the '90's. He freaked Collins out just enough to say, "I want to work with HIM!" - and so they did. There were a couple technical questions from the heads that go deep at these events, and then Goldman asked the two friends what they had learned from their experiences together. Vitti answered, "I always say I've never worked a day in my life. The studio is where I wanted to be. Find something that you really love, get passionate about it, and you'll never work!"

The friendship between these gentlemen is as touching as it is unlikely from the covers of their individual books, especially back in the day, but you can tell it is real and lasting. It was surprising to hear that they had actually NOT seen each other for all of these years since those recording days, until getting back in touch about 4 months ago. They seem so easy and comfortable with each other that you assumed they'd been hanging out all of these years, but nope. They're going to do more music together now, and Collins summarized it all by saying, "It's beautiful when you find that person that helped you long ago, and nobody's tripping. We love each other." It really was beautiful to behold.

There was an after-party held at The Prank a few blocks away, but no one thought Collins and Vitti would make it there, as the line to meet and greet after the event stretched all the way around the current Backstreet Boys exhibit, as everyone wanted to say hi and get a photo with the absolute hero that Collins is. Finally, we looked up to see Bootsy and Patti Collins making their way upstairs, along with Mr. Vitti and his wife. I got to talking with Patti and it came up that we almost didn't come because we were concerned about our Mom in the hospital, and this angel of a woman took me by the shoulders and looked me in the eyes, saying, "Your mother is surrounded by angels. She is going to be fine." It moved me so much that she would even care, and then we were joined by Bootsy and my brother, and I felt a calm come over me, powered by the faith and love exuded by these beautiful people.

I'll never forget Collins telling me the last time I saw him at an event that he always wore star shaped sunglasses, because he wanted the young kids he meets to see themselves reflected as stars. That touched my heart so much, and cemented this "Mug" as one of my most highly revered. Patti Collins even texted the next day to check in about Mom, and once again assure me that God is great, and things will be o.k. That is the kind of people that they are, and while they are certainly the funkiest - they are also the kindest.

Whatever I can ever do to assist in their Worldwide Funk efforts, and their Bootsy Collins Foundation, that seeks to get an instrument in every hand that wants one - I am IN. Thank you to the Grammy Museum for having us, to KC Mancebo for the invite and the party, and to Bootsy and Patti Collins for making us feel so much better about this world, knowing that people like them are in it.

Bootzilla! (also the name of the Collins' wine label! Get some!)

* Photos by Paul Gronner Photography

Shooter Jennings And Duff McKagan In Conversation At The Grammy Museum - Tenderness

Longtime friends Shooter Jennings and Duff McKagan have teamed up on the forthcoming (May 31st!) solo album from McKagan, Tenderness, and they spoke about their collaboration last Thursday night at The Grammy Museum's Clive Davis Theater. Grammy Director, Scott Goldman, introduced Jennings by saying that he's collaborated with everyone from George Jones to Marilyn Manson (and recently won his first Grammy for producing Brandi Carlile's By The Way, I Forgive You!), and that tells you the huge range that you're dealing with, and that makes sense of how a member of Outlaw Country royalty would come together to work with McKagan, one of the founding members of the monsters of hard rock, Guns N' Roses.

Jennings and McKagan took the stage to much applause, and settled in for a chat about the new album, and their process in making it. These partners met back in 2001, when Jennings was in his band Stargunn (which is also around when I became friends with Jennings!). Jennings was much more metal back then, and said that he came to L.A. because of GNR, and the first CD's he ever bought were GNR. "That 'Welcome To The Jungle' video with Axl getting off the bus in L.A. - that was me!" It was rumored around town back then that he might even take over for Axl Rose in GNR at one point - he had the good hair AND the pants. Though that never happened, a friendship was born between Jennings and McKagan, because as McKagan put it, "I saw in his eyes that he was a truth teller."

As both musicians struck out on their own, McKagan was particularly struck by Jennings' Black Ribbons album (my favorite too - a conceptual masterpiece in my opinion), and had him in mind to work with when coming up with the songs that would become Tenderness. McKagan is also a writer, with books and columns, and refers to himself as an "Armchair Historian". He likes to visit tourist spots, like Monticello, and World War I museums, and is constantly out there meeting and talking with people, and said that when you turn off the news and really talk to people, there just isn't that divide that all of the media talks about. Like after 9/11 - everyone came together to help, it didn't matter what "side" you were on. We were in it together - as we are now and always have been. "Like, I've seen women in full head coverings rocking the fuck out!" Rad.

Inspiration for the new album came to McKagan from artists like Mark Lanegan ("The River Rise") and Greg Dulli ("Deepest Shade" - "that romances the shit out of my musical mind!" - D.M.), and Jennings understood that vibe immediately, and cited Failure's "Stuck On You" as his own touchpoint. Goldman blew smoke at Jennings by asking McKagan, "Was it intimidating to be working with such a dauntingly talented multi-instrumentalist as Shooter?" to which Jennings said, "I'm gonna leave." People talk about humble musicians, but Jennings is the REAL deal - and an awesome dude to boot (which makes sense why these two get along. McKagan seems super thoughtful and aware and kind too). To answer the question, McKagan said he addresses it in the booklet he wrote included with the album ... saying, "Shooter was a few steps ahead always, but didn't make you feel that way." He echoed Brandi Carlile's sentiment, that working with Shooter is "like being two kids in the basement making a rocketship!" After juggling touring and kid schedules, these true partners got down to it. McKagan also used Jennings' band for the project, and told about seeing them play The Troubadour last fall, and hanging over the balcony going, "That's my band!" all excited, because they're THAT good.

Several of the songs from Tenderness touch on issues we're all dealing with these days: addiction, gun control, suicide ... though McKagan is reluctant to pontificate on these things, and doesn't want to be yet another political voice, saying, "Oh, you should think this way .. Fuck me." Using the track "Parkland" as an example, he said it came to him as a B flat/D funeral dirge sound, and he name-checks sites of these mass shooting tragedies ... "And if that's political, you can fuck off." That got rousing applause - because Duh.

McKagan also addressed the issue of addiction, having lost many friends to it over the years. He credited his wife, Susan, several times with saving his own life, and it was refreshing to hear a dude gush over his longtime marriage, calling it "badass and cool". "Being strung out isn't a 'them', it's a "we", McKagan stated, and went on to talk about how losing so many inspired his song, "You're Still Here". Scott Weiland had died, whom McKagan tried to help many times. Then Prince. "My thing is Prince. 1999 saved my life, and got me out of heroin-infested Seattle to L.A." (I knew I liked him). He heard about that tragic death while on tour in Mexico City and was gutted. Then Chris Cornell (whose daughter Lily is two weeks apart from McKagan's daughter). The night Cornell died, Axl Rose had come to GNR and said, "Let's try 'Black Hole Sun' tonight" - which they had never played. McKagan got a text after the show that Cornell had died. Heavy. Then Chester Bennington. It's all so sad, but McKagan made it a little better, saying, "We're gonna remember you. You're still here." Having come out the other side himself, McKagan said, "The celebration is that I get to work with Shooter now, and do something also badass and cool."

Jennings and McKagan are readers, and talked about authors and their lyrical influence. McKagan is big on Cormac McCarthy and Hemingway, and their scarcity of words. "They can make me cry over a single sentence. I tried to write to standards of authors that I read. Like, do NOT rhyme 'fire' with 'desire'. Do not fucking do that!" Jennings added about making the album, "We were just chasing a sound. We had a center - which was us - and no boundaries." McKagan was about to add to that, then stopped himself, saying, "You realize this is the most we've ever talked about this. Now we're just making stuff up!"

Goldman publicly thanked McKagan for all of his work on behalf of MusiCares, helping other musicians because he's been there himself. "Being an alcoholic junkie is not part of the rock star dream, and now I have sobriety and a lust for life." He also talked about doing a book of "all the shit I don't remember, like interviewing friends saying, 'What did I do in Louisville?", which cracked people up. Listening to these guys talk together, you realize they're both just regular cool dudes, who also happen to be insanely talented legends that we were lucky to see in such an intimate setting ... and then it was time for them to play!

Joined by violinist, Aubrey Richmond, Jennings sat down at the piano, and McKagan strapped on a guitar. They opened with the title track "Tenderness" and its beautiful piano intro. It's really a song about empathy, and how badly needed that trait is today. Up next was "Chip Away" (which reminded me that McKagan was briefly in Jane's Addiction too!), an upbeat number that featured a fiddle solo and the notion of hanging in there until all of this mess in our country is through - or that's how I took it, anyway.

The short set ended with the one about all of the lost souls, "You're Still Here". It is slow, and there is a funeral air about it, but it's beautiful. The line, "You're still here ... when the lights go down, you are still here ... all you hold dear remains" proved that McKagan attained what he was aiming for. I cried over one sentence. The last notes rung out and McKagan shouted, "We'll see you on the road!" and they sure will. Because their show will be the one where you feel no division in this country, at least for a few hours.  Shooter and Duff ... Thank you for the Tenderness!

Tenderness is out May 31, 2019
Shooter Jennings & Duff McKagan play The Wiltern on June 13, 2019.
Tickets now available.

*Photos by Paul Gronner Photography

A Conversation With Lenny Kravitz At The Grammy Museum

I've been a fan of Lenny Kravitz since we used our fake i.d.'s to get in to see him at First Avenue in Minneapolis back in the day. It was freezing cold out, but about a zillion degrees inside that fabled club as everyone was squeezed in tight to see him play a 15 minute version of "Let Love Rule" to close out the night, making us feel like big peacenik hippies all together who could really make a difference. It was a special show, and I've never forgotten that feeling.

Last night at The Grammy Museum in Downtown L.A., I got that feeling all over again from simply listening to him speak. Kravitz is a real cool cat, and his conversation with Grammy Executive Director, Scott Goldman was intimate and inspiring, but also very touching. I got choked up more than once. Introduced by Goldman as an artist who transcends genre, style, race, and class, who has won 4 Grammys, had 11 studio albums selling in the millions, and is an actor too. Kravitz was there to discuss his most recent album, Raise Vibration - and that's exactly what he did in that room - without ever playing a note (which was kind of disappointing, if I'm honest, as usually they have a chat and then a little mini-set at the Grammy Museum, and this time only two chairs and mics were on the stage).

Kravitz, dressed in denim and shades on inside, spoke to how the recording of Raise Vibration in his home studio in the Bahamas was "an exercise in faith and patience ... I let the creative process be what it wanted to be." Three years had gone by since has last album, and there were a lot of outside opinions on what Kravitz should do next - most all of which he ignored. "I grew up West Indian and Russian Jewish ... it was all about respecting the elders. I've got people saying 'You've got to remain relevant' - what the hell does that mean? It's about respect. I produce my albums." He met with the hit songwriters of the moment, but "I didn't feel it in my gut. Authenticity is IMPORTANT to me." That much is clear. To that end, Kravitz went to the Bahamas and woke up with the dream of this record in his head ... and "The floodgates opened, and the whole album came out. I dreamed the whole record ... You just hear it, it's really hard to explain. I knew I was on MY path." The entire album was recorded, produced, and engineered by Kravitz and his dear friend and musical partner, Craig Ross ("His Mom is here so we have to talk about him!"), and they did it exactly their way.

Once living in his pea green, rented Ford Pinto and working at Leroy's Fish Market ("On Washington and Rimpau"), Kravitz said about those times, "I never said I wanted to be a Star. I said I wanted to be a Musician." That earned him both applause and respect in the room, as most people who attend things at the Clive Davis Theater care about the music, not the hype.

Often described as "Retro", Kravitz laughed at that, saying, "I like to play instruments. I like to hear the character of the players ... their hands ... it's not coming out of a box." The environment helps too, and about working in the Bahamas, Kravitz said, "That's where my roots are ... I FEEL the Bahamas. You can hear and feel yourself there." Both his first manager (Steve Smith) and the man who signed him to Virgin Records (Jeff Ayeroff) were there sitting in front of me, and once Kravitz got his first advance ("Remember when you used to get an advance?"), he bought his land in the Bahamas - and a Harley. The studio he built on that land is where Kravitz has recorded his last three albums, including Raise Vibration.

Digging into that album, Goldman asked Kravitz about some of the tracks and themes on it, starting with the song, "Johnny Cash". Kravitz said he woke up with the phrase, "Hold me like Johnny Cash" running through his head, and he couldn't shake it. He sat down to write about a breakup he'd been going through (I'm available for consoling, Lenny), and couldn't get that refrain out of his head. Then he shared the very moving story of his mother (Roxie Roker - Mrs. Willis on The Jeffersons - one half of televison's first interracial couple) dying from cancer. Kravitz had been sitting at her hospital bedside for days, and left only to go shower at producer Rick Rubin's house, where he had been staying. The mere 30 minutes that he was gone was when his mother passed away. He got the call on a house phone at Rubins' house, and as he received the terribly sad news, Johnny Cash and June Carter walked down the staircase to him. They were there to record Cash's American Recordings, and instantly saw something was wrong with Kravitz. He told them his mother had just died, and they both enveloped him on either side in a group hug of consolation and comfort and spoke to him almost in prayer, though they all barely knew each other. "God always provides what you need ... and that's where I got 'Hold me like Johnny Cash'." The hushed room broke into applause - and tears, if you're me.

"Do you consider yourself an activist?", asked Goldman, to which Kravitz simply replied,"Yeah." He elaborated, saying that 30 years later ("Good God!") in his career, he's still not even close to who he will become. "I've done nothing yet ... Activism, I know I'll be stepping deeply into." That brought up his friendship with Colin Kaepernick, who Kravitz said he admires for "Standing up - or kneeling down - for what he believes in." He talked about how if you look back at footage of Muhammad Ali, he said whatever he felt, and "That stuff was hardcore!" We all respect the flag, but "Let's focus on what's important. National Anthems are great, but it's ONE planet, and our survival depends on working together. We're ALL ONE." I was happy to see that those good old "Let Love Rule" vibes remain very much intact with this guy.

They next spoke about how there are vocals by Micheal Jackson on the new Kravitz song, "Low". Kravitz had worked on Jackson's Invincible album, for which these vocals were recorded, and they were good friends. "It's cool to have his spirit and sound on "Low" - his screams are an exclamation point on it." He said he's heard dissses like, "Lenny thinks he's slick trying to sound like Michael" and that he was biting from him, "Like it was wack" - but it's really him. The Jackson Five were the first concert Kravitz ever went to, and it made him realize, "It was everything about life that I wanted. It changed my life." When he got to record a song with Michael, and they listened to the track together, Kravitz said, "His leg went out -  WHOOPASH! - and I knew it was good." Everyone laughed at that, but Kravitz obviously revered Jackson, saying, "It's so beautiful to remain humble, hungry, to hone your craft ... He did it all, but he was still hungry. That's the way to be, Man." GROWTH.

"All I'm interested in is being myself," said the guy who realized he didn't need to be "Romeo Blue" anymore (his original stage moniker) - he was Lenny Kravitz (who he said sounded more like a lawyer or a psychologist, but this one is definitely himself - and definitely a Rock Star). "You get influenced, and then you find who you are." Race didn't matter to Kravitz until first grade when he went to school and it mattered to other people. His mother told him, "You're black and white. 50/50. Celebrate BOTH sides - but society will only see you as Black." Kravitz thought, "Well, didn't Black people invent rock and roll?" and was just fine with that.

Prince was another big influence on Kravitz, starting in high school (at Beverly Hills High, where he brought the "Culture" from Baldwin Hills. "They had Rodéo Drive - We had ROdeo.") with the Dirty Mind album. "Here was another young, biracial guy I could relate to. He didn't act like anyone else. He didn't look like anyone else. I got DEEP into it." After Let Love Rule came out, Kravitz got a call from Prince. PRINCE! They struck up a friendship, even double-dating French girls when they both were living in Paris. They would play gigs and guest on each others' stages, and Prince would give him a bag of money after. "He's the only person that ever gave me a bag of money." They were friends until he passed away, and of the new song "Gold Dust", Kravitz said he wrote it the morning that Prince died. After he was gone, Kravitz was given Prince's guitar - a main one that he used all the time on stage. "His guitar is all over this album. His energy was in the room and brought something special to this album." And it's true. You can hear and feel it.

Kravitz credited his time with his love, Lisa Bonet, as what really got him started at being a good songwriter. They had a hippie lifestyle, very much in love, and very free. "No one could figure out what box to put you in," Goldman suggested, to which Kravitz offered his advice to new artists - "Do You". They next opened up the floor to questions, which ranged from if he considers his music gospel ("Absolutely. The first track is a prayer.") to not very subtly asking if he'd work with someone in a studio that he didn't know ("You never know.") to how he likes acting compared to music ("Let's be real, I've only made four movies. I like not having all the control, and I want to do more of it.").

Going back to Craig Ross, Kravitz said their friendship is a gift. He had just made Mama Said and was playing pool at HAC (Hollywood Athletic Club for those of you who remember that), and Charlotte from The Go Go's pointed to a guy with "A big Jewfro" and said, "There's your new guitar player" - which Kravitz needed. "We're always together, he moved to the Bahamas too ... we've never had an argument ... he's never asked for something and been said 'no' to, and I've never asked him something and been said 'no' to. We're like brothers." Then Ross's mother in the audience shouted, "Thank you!", and it choked me up again. So sweet.

Reflecting on the fact that Let Love Rule is coming up on 30 years old (!), Kravitz said it was a very special record to him ... "My dream came true." "I caught the tail end of the REAL thing. Real music executives who knew what was going on. It was me, but a very different me. That album set the tone of my music and my message, and from then until now, I've never left my message." The message that we'd all be so much better off if we all agreed to let LOVE rule. Thank goodness we still have artists like Kravitz to remind us of that, have always done so, and will continue to speak their truth to power.

Let. Love. Rule.

Raise Vibration is available now everywhere.


*Photos by Paul Gronner Photography.

An Evening With Leon Bridges At The Grammy Museum

I've been a fan of Leon Bridges and his music for a while now, but hadn't seen him play live, so when given the chance to check him out at The Grammy Museum last night - off I went. I was there just last week to catch Greta Van Fleet for the first time too, so I've been learning a lot thanks to this excellent venue.

The two acts - and the vibes in the room - could not be more different, but there were a lot of similarities too. Grammy Museum Executive Director, Scott Goldman, introduced Bridges to the sold out Clive Davis Theater audience, and we settled in to get to know him better. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Bridges was there to discuss his new album Good Thing. Decked out in a sweater with stars in rasta colors, Bridges was soft-spoken and thoughtful with his answers, and the energy from both him and the crowd was MUCH mellower than for the Greta Van Fleet guys last week ... but they're both very young, they both have influences like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, and both acts are doing things their own way.

Bridges' debut album, Coming Home, blew him up right out of the gate, with it landing at #6 on the Billboard Top 200. That retro-soul sound placed him on all the tastemaker's lists, but Good Thing is the album he always wanted to make. He said the theme during the recording of this sophomore effort was "Blood on the mics", meaning he was all in, and not at all settling for what was comfortable. He considers himself a crooner, but heard comments like, "Oh, that's for white people," admitting that black audiences were more of a challenge. For this record, Bridges teamed with producer, Ricky Reed, which was a big switch, coming from doing nearly everything himself his first time out. Arthur Alexander had a singing style that Bridges connected to, so Reed encouraged him to go for it with his falsetto, but his lead track on the new album, "Ain't Worth The Hand" has a more Curtis Mayfield "The Makings Of You" feel.  As Bridges said, "I've matured ... it's sexier." That got a laugh, and Goldman had to say, "I'd say there's a little more swagger, are you feeling yourself more?" Bridges answered, "Totally." (He said that a lot, actually).

Regarding the "sexier" part, Bridges' mom said, "I don't know about that 'Mrs.'", (a racier track) but now she's cool with it. Goldman mentioned that "Lions" was his favorite track, a spare, raw one that features Bridges alone with just a beat and claps. "Yeah, I wanted to get weird with the flow on that track." I respect an artist the most when they do exactly what THEY want to do musically, and Bridges seems to do just that. "Honesty and truth are very important, and what I want to chase as a songwriter."

Goldman said that "Georgia To Texas" was like his life story in 3 1/2 minutes, and Bridges agreed, saying that he'd started singing at 12 years old after his Mom brought him to Texas from Georgia. He cracked everyone up when he admitted that he had been obsessed with Sisqó at that age, singing all of that dude's songs, and then really started going for it at around 20. He went to church every Sunday, but never sang in the church, interestingly. Bridges went to school to pursue dance (also interesting), but picked up a friend's guitar, and "now I know three chords." That led to open mics around Fort Worth, where it was heavily country music oriented, and he'd be this "black kid with a guitar."  He was inspired by a band called the Texas Gentlemen and soon met co-writers Austin Jenkins and Josh Block at a bar, through a common love for Wrangler denim. Jenkins said, "I'd love to record your music in all analog." Bridges was like, "Great! But I didn't know what analog meant."

Bridges did a lot of Sam Cooke covers ("Because they were easy chords"), and found his own sound along the way. Before he knew it, he was opening for Harry Stiles in arenas, which was crazy, as he said, "His fans have a lot of energy." His understatement got a knowing laugh. Likewise, when Bridges said his hotel room info in Argentina got hacked and posted on Instagram ... "That was a great tour." I bet.

You'll find Bridges these days listening to Young Thug, Kendrick Lamar, and Chance The Rapper, and he's also made his first foray into acting, with the tall order of portraying Gil Scott-Heron reciting his "Whitey On The Moon" in the upcoming Neil Armstrong movie, First Man. Wow. After that revelation, Goldman opened up the floor for a Q and A from the audience. The first guy asked if Bridges' faith had been affected by fame. "I still hold to spiritual values. It's shifted, but I stand firm in my beliefs. Someone asked about dancing, and Bridges responded that he emulates Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly, and Fred Astaire - the high bars. Asked about past and future collaborations, Bridges said, without hesitation, "Past - Bobby Womack. Present - Drake." I bet we'll see that happen. Some wise guy asked what was his favorite Sisqó song. "'Thong Song', man, c'mon!" Awesome.

Someone asked Bridges to recite "Whitey On The Moon", and he did it perfectly - as much as he could remember on the spot like that.  Asked what else Bridges would like to achieve, "I'd like to win a Grammy" - I see that happening too, and it couldn't hurt that he was in the Grammy's house.  More impressively, he concluded, "I'd like to use what I've been blessed with to help other people." Again, kind of like Greta Van Fleet! The musical future is bright, everyone!

Goldman wrapped up the conversation part of the evening by asking about Bridges' collaboration with the eyeglass company, Ahlem. I was delighted to find out that the proceeds from the sales of these glasses go to our very own Westminster Elementary in Venice! How wonderful! I also learned that Goldman lives in Venice too - Huh. Bridges himself bought a house in Fort Worth - "Being with family and friends is a nice way to stay grounded." With that, it was time for the much anticipated performance part of the night, and a full band (sans drummer) and backup singers joined Bridges on the stage. "Here we go!"

"If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)" was up first, and as funky as the bass was, it felt a bit low energy (especially when the latest show I saw in this room was the all-out rock explosion from Greta Van Fleet). When they finished, Bridges said, "Our drummer just quit on us today, sorry about that," explaining what I had been wondering. Whoa ... I wonder what they're gonna do for their show at The Greek Theater tonight? "Bad Bad News" was next - and also real funky, finger snaps and all. The room was very quiet, which I read as respectful, but it was also a little awkward. It felt more like we were listening in on a rehearsal ... really good, just a little low-key.

The groovy "Shy" was next, and had all that good old R & B soul that makes a record timeless. That also goes for "Coming Home", that featured both crooning and smooth moves. I can see Prince getting behind "Mrs." with its kind of horny licks, that afterwards had us all answering "Great!" to the "How you feeling?" question posed. Excellent, really. "Beyond" was really pretty, showing both shades of Bridges country-adjacent past, and his super romantic side. It's the one currently getting a lot of play on KCRW, for good reason. It's great.

Bridges strapped on a guitar and stood alone save for a female backup singer to deliver my favorite number of the night, "River". I choked up, in fact, it was so gorgeous. I hadn't been feeling very well, just off and strange, and I swear, after this song I felt a little better. The power of  music to heal! I believe! That earned Bridges a standing ovation ... and earned us another song! This was the longest set I've seen at the Grammy Museum, and the room was more than grateful. "Thank y'all! We're gonna do a rock and roll one." That meant "Flowers" and its chorus, "I wanna tell you about the good news (good news)!" At a time when we all need good news perhaps more than ever, this night of music and learning together was just what was needed. There was another standing ovation, and then Bridges was off ... probably to go find a drummer for tonight's show at The Greek.

I'm so glad I got to chance to see this super talented artist in such an intimate venue for the first time. What a privilege ... and a healing! Thank you to the Grammy Museum, and to Leon Bridges and his band, for a night that truly moved the soul - with soul.

*Photos courtesy of The Recording Academy/Rebecca Sapp for WireImage.

Greta Van Fleet Blows Minds At The Grammy Museum!

I'd heard Greta Van Fleet on the radio, and their strong resemblance to Led Zeppelin is unmistakeable. To the point where some dudes I know diss them for it, but I think sounding just like Led Zeppelin could hardly be a bad thing. Especially when the oldest of these guys is 22! I was invited to check them out in an evening of conversation at The Grammy Museum, so I went to get to the bottom of this band taking the world by storm.

There was a BTS (who?) concert going on at the Staples Center last night, and there were so many people camped out in tents on the sidewalks around the venue that I thought Skid Row had grown even bigger. It turned out that this Korean pop band has a four night sold out stand at Staples - what?! The more you know ... ! Anyway, downtown was packed because of this phenomenon I knew nothing about, and I mention this only because I don't think it will be too long before it's Greta Van Fleet having their own multi-night stand at Staples ... because they are AWESOME.

I'm getting ahead of myself. The Grammy Museum was also sold out, and the Clive Davis Theater was also packed, with rowdy rock fans ready to hear this super-young quartet talk and play. Grammy Museum dude Scott Goldman welcomed everyone, mentioned upcoming events at the Museum (everyone got applause but Shawn Mendes - silence - interesting), and then introduced the three siblings and their childhood friend from Frankenmuth, Michigan that make up Greta Van Fleet (who got their name from an 87 year old woman who lives in their town). Goldman said, "Bob Seeger said 'Give me that old time rock and roll', and that is Greta Van Fleet" ... right on.

Jake (lead guitar) and Sam Kiszka (bass and keys) and Daniel Wagner (drums) took the stage in flashy duds, but could otherwise be extras in Dazed And Confused. Fresh faced and voices still cracking at times, the friends explained that lead singer Josh Kiszka was upstairs resting his voice for the performance part of the night. That seemed a bit diva-like to me, considering he could just sit there with his band and let them do most of the talking, but whatever. The three guys more than impressed without him, speaking eloquently and intelligently to every question posed to them.

The very young men got signed in high school and their Black Smoke Rising EP blew up, with their single "Highway Song" soaring all the way to #2, leading to gigs opening for cats like the Foo Fighters. A dream come true for four kids from Michigan, who never thought this would be their lives. They even met Bob Seeger himself ("It was so surreal, it might not have really happened"), who voiced his approval. Wagner said, "It proves music is a superpower. He's 73 and rocking ... my Grandfather would not be the same." They all grew up in a "vinyl playground", honing their musical tastes on such disparate sounds as Elmore James, Sam & Dave ... and John Denver. "John Denver is actually really important in our upbringing. It was sung around the campfire. It's freedom. It's nature. It's love - which by definition IS very rock and roll.", said the very well spoken Sam (my favorite. Girls always have a favorite member of the band. Only this one I could be his Mom. Weird.). This depth was met by "WOOOOO!" from the crowd - as most everything said and played was.

The guys aren't as impressed with contemporary artists, aside from Lewis Del Mar (who I now have to go look up) and Fleet Foxes and The Black Keys. "Music from the past is so good because it stood the test of time," said Sam in maybe the best defense of their sound ... not that any is needed. They played a lot of bars and a lot of covers as young kids (highly illegally), and would go into bathrooms saying "Please don't be a drug deal, Please don't be a drug deal. I just want to sit and read Tolkien." (Haaa. These guys are also crackups. We loved them all.) They began writing their own material "so our self-identity comes into play", and their first original song was "Highway Song". Wow.

Their writing process "happens organically" with each member bringing in ideas that are pretty close to formed, "and then Josh goes into a closet and writes lyrics in ten minutes." There isn't much sibling rivalry, aside from the usual trying to one up each other that goes down within families - although there have been several broken windows and doors in their home between Josh and Jake (the twins). "Josh is the velvet glove to my iron fist," cracked Jake. They all still seem incredulous that this is all happening ... "We had no idea we'd be professional, we just love it. Not one sliver of thinking this, it's one in a million - and it just happened! I can't imagine a better job for myself - or anyone," said Sam as a matter of fact.

Goldman asked about the "800 pound gorilla in the room", the inevitable comparisons to Led Zeppelin. Wagner answered that they all learned their instruments individually, and we come at each other until it sounds like us." Zeppelin was an inspiration, of course, but it's really because they grew up listening to the same American blues and R & B that Zeppelin did.  Greta Van Fleet's debut full-length album is coming out soon (which they revealed to be titled Anthem Of A Peaceful Army - rad), and "It will be new ideas when the album comes out," explained Sam. Can't wait. Of Josh's unreal ROCK voice, Goldman asked, "Did you know he could sing like that?" "No." "He told me in private one day," cracked Jake. Sam added, "We had no idea what he sounded like until we scrounged up enough money to get a P.A." Well, he sounds like a hybrid of Robert Plant and Geddy Lee - who probably wish they sounded like HIM. For real.

The boys in the band are extra mature for their years, saying, "Knowledge and practice breeds evolution. We've had time to mature." Which is kind of funny because the twins are still just 22 - but their manager, Al Sutton, has finely tuned these guys to the point where they can kind of shrug at opening for the Foo Fighters in front of 150,000 people. "He's a genius", said Sam, to which Daniel said, "Whoa, whoa, whoa ... TOLKIEN is a genius!" (They're big fans of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy). Sam went on to say, "We went from 15 year old kids who didn't know how to record an album to 17 year old kids that do." "He reels us back in when we say 'What if we have 100 oracles chanting in the background?" You just want to hang out with these dudes. You'd be highly entertained the whole time - and wouldn't even have to play a note.

They spoke about covers they do, like "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke), "Meet On The Ledge" (Fairport Convention - "That was Dad"), and "Rolling In The Deep" (Adele) - showing the depth and breadth of their musical backgrounds, and willingness to try anything -and it works great. They speak a lot about unity and love, being kind and treating each other better. "Treating each other right is unity. Music is about seeing old guys in the back, young guys in the front at the same show, and it wouldn't happen otherwise - unless it was a family reunion or something." Wise beyond their years, I told you.

Goldman opened the floor to questions, and the first one was what is their opinion of artists who use programming on stage in live shows and don't really play. Sam replied, "I won't be violent to them, but I don't believe in it." Word. Another audience member asked what albums they're enjoying now. That would be Paul Simon Debut and Elton John's Elton John. "Do you have other favorite films besides Apocalypse Now? "No." Haaa. Though they do also enjoy the Coen Brothers. Right on. Asked about advice for up and comers (funny, because they are), Sam the good public speaker said, "Stay in school, don't do drugs ... but really, Parents - encourage your children, because we wouldn't be here without their encouragement." Their parents must be SUPER proud, not only for the rock star stuff, but for what good and kind people their kids seem to be. Asked what else they'd be doing, Jake answered, "Probably this." He knows they're meant to be doing exactly THIS.

"They say you're the future of rock and roll," said Goldman, to which Sam said, "One person cannot wear that crown ... It takes an army." He went on to say, "I didn't know rock and roll was dead, but if you're giving us the responsibility of bringing it back, we'll gladly take it." That was met with cheers, and we broke for a moment for them to set up to PLAY.

OHHHHH, MAN! This band took the stage, and I don't think the Clive Davis Theater has ever been so loud. It was arena rock in your living room, and it was incredible. Josh Kiszka joined his bandmates now (and he is a perfect blend of a young Bob Dylan and Little Steven Van Zandt, for real), in long feather earrings and a headband, and the moment he opened his mouth, it was just HOLY SHIT from thereon out. This kid was born to be a lead singer in a rock and roll band. Period. He has a gift on a Chris Cornell level, and that's me really saying something big. He might even surpass him ... what?! He has a gift that is truly jaw-dropping, and ours were hanging wide open from his opening scream on "Highway Tune". They tore the place up, with still kind of gawky kid movements while playing, while sounding like MEN. We kind of laughed looking at Josh's ink-free, not that buff arms - so far - and wondered how long until he gets a slew of tattoos. It will be interesting to watch the ink progress ... ! Hobgood said, "I can see his cock." ... so he's already clearly very comfortable in the rock star role. Good for him.

The second song was "When The Curtain Falls" and was more grooving and bluesy, and you could see that the guys were having a blast playing it. Jake's guitar playing was super animated, going all out - but then, they all were. Sam began the next one with a nice Zeppy organ intro, and his brother Josh said, "It's called 'Flower Power'", so you know this one was all the way up my alley. Now Hobgood said, "He can fucking SING!" and she was not wrong. My notes are all just "WOW." "Let it WAIL!" and "CHILLS." They built it all the way up until the arms raised crescendo, and then the organ outro. They're already such pros, it's ridiculous. "RIPPING, DUDE!" After that one, Josh said," Is it loud enough?" with tongue in cheek, but some guy in the crowd was like, "LOUDER!" Of course.

They didn't even need to play another one after that, but then they let rip with "Black Smoke Rising", and Josh again just BELTED it. This one sounds very Geddy Lee, and just held those high notes until the room erupted into whistles and shouts of HELL YES! They closed with the big hit "Safari Song" that was what first made people go "Zeppelin" - for good reason. But dare I say, BETTER Zeppelin? Like Zeppelin for NOW. People were standing up and dancing in their seats with arms raised, punching the air, and I have NEVER seen that at the Grammy Museum - and I've been there a lot. And these boys deserved it.

They milked the last chords and drum bangs to put an exclamation point on the greatness of the performance, and the resulting standing ovation (though everyone was already standing) was deafening. Greta Van Fleet took their bows, all smiles, and left us all in a sort of shell-shocked state of having our faces just rocked off. We just all kept saying "Holy SHIT!" and are still humming that "Safari Song" right now. Believe the hype. We felt lucky to see them in such a small venue, because they're right on those BTS heels (again, WHO?), arena ready. It's sure gonna be fun to watch the long road in front of these ultra-talented, peace and love loving guys, doing their best to unite this crazy world through music.

LONG LIVE ROCK AND ROLL! And Thanks to Greta Van Fleet for giving it mouth to mouth. WOW.

*Photos courtesy of Rebecca Sapp for Wireimage.com

Brandi Carlile In Conversation At The Grammy Museum

I first heard Brandi Carlile about a decade ago on KCRW, and immediately looked her up after hearing her gorgeous, career-making song, "The Story". I was obsessed with that album in 2007, and then life got all busy and I lost track of what she was up to pretty much since. The Grammy Museum invited me to come to an evening of conversation with Carlile last night, and now I'm all back to being a super fan.

Slicked up in a black and red suit, Carlile took the stage to have a sit down chat with The Grammy Museum's artistic director, Scott Goldman for what turned out to be an extra insightful conversation that they allowed us all to listen in on. The audience was stocked with absolutely dedicated fans, who responded ultra-enthusiastically for everything Carlile said and played. With good reason. When Goldman introduced the Grammy nominated Carlile as "One of our very favorite people in the world", an audience member yelled "Ours too!" The admiration in the room was palpable.

By The Way, I Forgive You was the latest album (and her 7th) being promoted by Carlile, and though I've not yet heard it in its entirety, after what I heard last night, it's a must-own. Produced by my old pal, Shooter Jennings, and his old friend, Dave Cobb, the songs I heard simply soar. Carlile and her identical twin partners, Tim and Phil Hanseroth, have created something very special yet again.

Goldman kicked things off by asking Carlile about the genesis of the new album, and she shared that it all started with a memory that had haunted her since she was a teenager. She had attended a Baptist church and really wanted to be baptized. She did all the studies, invited all her family, wore her bathing suit under her clothes, and on the Sunday she was to be dunked, with all her family waiting in the pews to observe, the Pastor told her he couldn't perform the rite due to the fact that she was out as gay. Her wife told her she should forgive him for that pain he had caused her so she could let it go. So she did, via this beautiful new piece of work. She spoke to how the concept of forgiveness should be more than just a White America hashtag like "#blessed" as it's really "An emotionally radical concept ... I think it cures cancer." I think she's right.

"I had a lump in my throat the whole time I was writing this album, but now that I'm a mom, everything makes me cry." I'm not a mom, and everything makes me cry too, so I get it. Life is especially emotional these days, every time you hear the news, so this talk and music is also very timely.

About working with Jennings and Cobb, Carlile said, "They were like two kids in the basement building a spaceship - with my stuff." She added, "There was a lot of drinking." They allowed her to expand her notions of what is possible when recording, and she very seriously said, "I'll never be the same ... and we'll do it again." (That garnered a whole bunch of happy shouts).

Goldman dug into some individual tracks on the album, and asked about "Fulton County Jane Doe", which is the true story of an unidentified body in Fulton County, Georgia that was found in a field and never i.d'.d in 30 years. She had a tattoo of Jesus on her hand, and it haunted Phil Hanseroth until he had to write her a song. And it's a beauty.

"Sugartooth" is about the opioid crisis, and another true story about a friend the band lost to addiction. As a mother, Carlile now looks at everyone as someone's baby, and this man that didn't make it also needed a song. It's lovely that people who probably thought they'd be forgotten are actually now remembered through song for always. And they were someone's child.

Carlile is also an activist - thank you - and is very involved in depoliticizing children, and wants to "Bring compassion to the free movement of displaced people. I want to humanize people ... I want to make a mark and have my kids be proud of me." Mission - accomplished. She cracked people up when she added, "And I know how to make things rhyme."

Joni Mitchell was on constant rotation while Carlile and the Hanseroths were making this album, and Carlile put all her songs to the "Joni Mitchell Test" that referred to a quote from Mitchell who had said that if you hear her songs and wonder about her life, she wasn't doing her job. If you heard them and thought about your own life, that's the goal (I paraphrase). Well, another mission accomplished.

"Mother" is about becoming a mother to her daughter, Evangeline, and the feelings that went along with not carrying her own child, and also not having any real "Gay Parent Template" from which to work from or glean advice. She didn't feel worthy of the word "Mother", then embraced those feelings and wrote about them ... resulting in a song that for sure passed her Joni Mitchell Test.

"The Joke" was inspired by Freddy Mercury, and "We Are The Champions". She said that Mercury was shameless in being a drama queen, and though every sports team has co-opted that Queen anthem for themselves, Carlile always saw it as a song of triumph for the LBGTQ community - and now I see that classic in a whole new light.

In talking about her partnership/friendship with the Hanseroths, Carlile said that "We even live on the same property now, so it's gotten weirder and weirder." Though they all three take a different approach to song writing, she said the relationship is a very fulfilling one ... and the results are clearly awesome. Goldman asked about Carlile working with the legendary string composer/arranger, Paul Buckmaster, and found out that a young Carlile even had a poster of the dude on her teenage bedroom wall! She got obsessed with him while doing a book report at 11 on Ryan White, the young AIDS activist who was close friends with Elton John ... whose music turned her on to Buckmaster. When they finally met when she was 16, she played him a song and he cried (and he also cried about Bach ... about olive oil ... he was apparently a very emotional cat. I get it.). He told her he'd arrange her songs when she grew up, and he held true to that promise ... and By The Way, I Forgive You was the last album he live-conducted before he passed away last year. "The song 'Party Of One' is all him." Chills. And a lump in the throat for good measure.

When asked about the album's cover art, Carlile admitted to having a massive crush on its artist, Scott Avett (of the Avett Brothers, who is also an excellent painter, judging by this cover). "Have you seen his face?! He's BEAUTIFUL!" swooned Carlile, adding that "He paints earnestness." She also admitted that flying to North Carolina to be painted found her renting a car for the first time in her 37 years, as the Twins have always taken care of hauling her around the country. But she did it!

The conversation then veered from her admiration for Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and Patti Smith on to her Cover Stories project where artists as diverse as Kris Kristofferson (!) to Pearl Jam, Jim James, and Dolly Parton covered songs from The Story in a career-affirming achievement. That album alone shows the respect that Carlile has earned since bursting on to the scene in the Aughts.

Goldman opened things up for questions, which ranged from how does she find the time to write ("Songwriting just happens to me, usually at really inconvenient times.") to when she knows a song is done ("I get my affirmation from an audience ... they tell me when it's done. The songs don't come alive until I perform them.") to how drummers change the meter of things - from a drummer in the audience who hinted that she was available. Questions asked and answered, Goldman invited Carlile and The Twins to play some songs for us, and the room hooted and hollered its excitement.

"By The Way, I Forgive You", the title track from the album was first up, and truly beautiful with its harmonies and acoustic guitar picking - as well as its sentiment. "I'm doing just fine, except any time I hear that song" ... instantly relatable (passing that Ms. Mitchell test again).

"Cool, Man.", was Carlile's response to the thunderous applause they got for that one, then intoduced the next one by saying, "Here's a Freddy Mercury song", as they launched into "The Joke". Carlile just BELTED this one out, and I found myself with the lump in my throat that Carlile alluded to when writing it. SO good ... especially when the last lyric rewards the whole song, with the line, "The joke's on them." Awesome.

"Mother" was preceded by an anecdote about Carlile's young daughter, Evangeline, having a current obsession with death. After a dog and some chickens died, and being explained about death to, the little girl said to her baby brother, "Elijah, I love you, but you'll die too." Out of the mouths of babes! The song was tender and touching, and full of throat lumps, and great lines like, "When we chose your name, we knew you'd Fight The Power too." C'mon. That's great stuff.

The band closed the evening with "Whatever You Do" ... and its hard truth about life and love, singing, "I love you, whatever you do, but I've got a life to live too." We've all been there, and as Carlile's voice soared to the Heavens to finish it, the room collectively rose to our feet, almost involuntarily. It was just that good.

They took their bows, waved, and were off to catch a plane. I've slept on Carlile's career for a while, but I'm back, and grateful to know that there are still really good musicians that are also really good people. A rare combination, which Carlile embodies in thought, song, and deed. Treat yourself to her new album (and listen to it as an album, how it was meant to be listened to), and do go see this super talent any chance you get. Prepare for lumps in your throat.

By The Way, I Forgive You is available everywhere.


*Photos Courtesy of Rebecca Sapp/Wireimage.com for The Grammy Museum

An Evening With Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite At The Grammy Museum

The second collaboration between Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite (after their Grammy winning debut, Get Up!), is out today, and there was a performance and conversation Wednesday evening with the two bluesmen at The Grammy Museum to celebrate their brand new album,  No Mercy In This Land.

It was the eve of the new John Lee Hooker Centennial exhibit opening at The Grammy Museum, which was fitting, as Hooker was the one who introduced Harper to Musselwhite, and a good portion of the interview was spent discussing the legendary Mr. Hooker. I was fortunate enough to be seated next to Hooker's daughter, Zakiya ("Z"), who told me that she would be performing herself the following night at the opening. Grammy Museum Executive Director, Scott Goldman, hosted and moderated the event, and introduced Harper and Musselwhite, who came out to a warm reception, and in turn introduced their backing band - Jason Mozersky on guitar, Jesse Ingalls on bass, and Jimmy Paxson on drums. Harper explained that "The way we made this album was the same as in a circle like this, just in a different room," and they dug right into the opening and title track, "No Mercy In This Land." It's a swampy, traditional blues number that finds Harper and Musselwhite sharing vocal verses and trading licks on their guitar and harmonica respectively. The intimate audience loved it, and Musselwhite cracked, "Don't forget that we have a million dollar dance floor down here!", indicating the tiny space in front of the stage, but found no takers.

"I Found The One" was more fun, an upbeat one with old school rock and roll riffs (derived straight from the blues) and rim shot drums, on which Musselwhite's harp really shone. He is THE master of harmonica, and after its tight ending, the room erupted in applause. The next one found Harper sitting down with his trademark Weissenborn, which garnered its own applause just for being taken out (Grammy Museum events in the Clive Davis Theater tend to bring out the real music aficionados). "I know better than to not check in with my Captain before lift-off," cracked Harper to explain the tune discussion that happened before they got down with "The Bottle Wins Again". This one is a real toe-tapper, for real. I looked around at my immediate area, and every single foot I could see was tapping away - mine included. "Broken hearts and broken dreams, turns out they weigh the same" is an example of the blues Harper must have had while writing this one, and his lap steel wailed away right into another tight ending. It's great stuff. They're not really breaking any new blues ground, but they are certainly shoring up the blues foundation, making sure it lasts beyond their generations.

"Nothing At All" found Harper at the piano, and it was my favorite tune of the evening. A slow, dramatic number full of the minor notes that are a weakness of mine. It featured a subtle and sensuous harmonica solo from Musselwhite, and this one was the standout for me. Sure, because it's beautiful, but mainly because it sounds different than the typical 1/4/5 chord changes that traditional blues is known for.

When the clapping died down, it was time for the interview portion of the evening. Goldman brought up the fact that the Hooker exhibition was opening the next night, and that Musselwhite heard Harper opening up for Hooker in 1993, and said of that night, "I heard the blues in Ben's guitar playing, and that got my attention. We met good." Harper said of Hooker, "What comes to mind about his music was the deepest ease. And his grace - he gave me an opening gig before my first album had even come out." Musselwhite added, "I learned from John Lee that you get your money up front!" - to much laughter. Musselwhite is a pretty funny cat, cracking up the audience the whole time.

The obvious good friends talked of how their music deepened by being on the road together to promote Get Up!, and how their shared collective musical information made this new album even more possible - and necessary. "Charlie makes me exceed myself. He pushes me to go places I could not go myself," explained Harper, with tangible admiration for his friend and mentor. He added, "Charlie's harmonica steeps the music deep into the ground AND gives it flight. We're not re-inventing the blues, we're re-invigorating the blues. The blues has to shape-shift to stay vital."

Musselwhite returned the admiration, saying, "This relationship works because we're kindred souls, searchers, and lifelong learners seeking the heart of things." - and the music shows this off, absolutely. Harper's mother, Ellen Chase-Verdries, was in the audience, and Harper shared stories about the making of their own collaboration, Childhood Home, and about how he used to trash her records by playing them to death. He finally got his own turntable and records "The little white Radio Shack one, remember, Mom?", and soon was listening to Hendrix ("Probably because we had matching afros, I had no business liking Jimi at 8 years old!) and The Who. He shared an anecdote about his mother coming home from work one day to find that a very young Ben had decorated his white bedroom walls - in Sharpie - with an entire The Who concert drawing covering three walls. She just shook her head and walked out. Kids.

Musselwhite was also an avid record collector of every genre imaginable ("Flamenco is some bluesy stuff!"). He joked that "'My baby left me' is a worldwide phenomenon - or 'She came back and it was worse'." Everyone laughed at that one. Haha. Harper added that he will say to Musselwhite something like "Have you heard the Furry Lewis song 'Turn My Money Green'?" and Musselwhite would answer, "Oh, I KNEW Furry Lewis." As a nod to his own wide appeal, Harper humble-boasted, "I promise you, I'm the only human being that has opened for Pearl Jam AND John Lee Hooker." He's probably right.

The majority of No Mercy In This Land was recorded live, and Harper explained that after being asked "When are you going to work with Charlie again?" in every language around the world, this record had to happen, and "I want to work with Charlie as much as I can from here forward." Watching them play together - and crack each other up constantly - you can see why. Goldman asked, "Is there more to come?" to which Musselwhite drolly replied, "Well, this one isn't even out yet ...", earning more laughter (but it IS out now!). Harper spoke to how he comes up with songs, mocking himself by saying "I'm just channeling - shut the fuck up - don't act like you know songwriting ... but silence doesn't make a good interview." After a decades-long and successful career, I think it could be time for him to hang up the faux-humility, as you probably DO know songwriting if, as he said, he's opened for both Pearl Jam and Hooker. Just saying.

When Goldman asked Musselwhite why he chose the harmonica, he answered, "It's the only instrument that you can't see what you're doing. It has a voice-like quality, and I feel like I'm singing without words, breathing the music." He talked about hanging out in Chicago ("Coming from Memphis, I already knew how to drink!") and watching Muddy Waters. A waitress (whom he may or may not have had a thing with) told Waters to check him out, and from then on he would be asked to sit in with "Mud" whenever he was in the audience, "And that was my ticket out of the factory!" Goldman followed up by asking, "What makes a deep player?" to which Musselwhite retorted, "That's a question that if you have to ask it, you probably won't get it." Burn. He quickly added, "Deep blues has the most feeling. It comforts you." After being kind of dissed, Goldman turned to the audience to see if anyone had better questions. One lady asked Musselwhite if he was familiar with Turkish blues - and of course, he was. Zakiya Hooker stood up and greeted her Dad's old friend, Charlie, and invited them to the Hoooker exhibition, and the respect given her from both was clear. As I was next to her, I raised my hand and asked that since they both have talked a lot about who inspired them and gave them their shots, was there an up and coming musician that they would like to inspire or give a shot to? Harper replied, "I paid mine forward permanently with Jack Johnson.", revealing uncharacteristic maybe jealousy and for sure selfishness (alluding to the fact that he initially gave Johnson a boost, and has been surpassed by Johnson in both sales and fame). I was rather taken aback, as Harper is usually known for his activism and helpfulness, but maybe that was a younger Harper's unjaded idealism. Regardless, he is where he is in a great place today, affirming that and concluding by saying that "My Grammys are cherished like nothing else."

The duo returned to their instruments for an unaccompanied version of "Trust You To Dig My Grave", where just when you think it's about the trust that these two clearly have for each other, Harper sings about "Don't want to be your first lover, I want to be your last", implying a different kind of relationship being sung about. Whoever it's about, it's good, and the friends and musical partners gave each other a big thumbs up at its conclusion. I give No Mercy In This Land a big thumbs up, and this insightful evening of music and conversation at The Grammy Museum gets BOTH thumbs way up. Any chance you get to attend ANY program at The Grammy Museum should be taken, as you always come away from it feeling more knowledgeable, and grateful that music programs such as theirs continue to exist in this crazy world. Perhaps there maybe IS a little mercy in this land after all.

Thank you to the wonderful Grammy Museum for all that they do, and to Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite for giving us the blues - in a good way.

*Photos courtesy of Alison Buck/Wireimage.com for The Grammy Museum