Ep. 6 James Petralli: White Denim

White Denim performs a very intense brand of progressive and psychedelic rock and roll.  Their live shows are full of key changes, tempo shifts, and controlled chaos.  The music moves at the speed of a freight train that is about to derail, but never does.  It's their trust in each other's musicianship that allows them to pull off their impressive live show.  There is also a delicate and melodic side to James Petralli's songwriting.  His songs can be catchy just as much as chaotic and I assume that is what helped grab Jeff Tweedy's ear.  Not only did he take White Denim out on tour with Wilco, he helped produce their upcoming album Corsicana Lemonade.  There seems to be a ton of great momentum behind these guys right now and I highly suggest you catch them live if you can, as much as you can.

Ep.5 John Scofield: Uberjam Duex

Listening to a recording of myself trying to have a conversation with one of my idols has proven to be personally painful.  Since I was a teen I've been mentally preparing a list of questions of what I would ask John Scofield if I ever had the chance.  Here was my chance and not a single one of those questions came out.  Instead my brain went into fight or flight mode.  My heart was racing like a teenybopper sitting across from Lady Gaga.  All I can hear is how shaky my voice was, and after watching the video how extremely fidgety I can be when I'm nervous.

With that being said, what a dream come true it was for me to actually have a conversation with Scofield.  There is not much I could add to the accolades he has already received worldwide from musicians, critics, and fans.  With his instantly recognizable guitar tone, out of the box use of harmony, and sound twisting effects he has helped revolutionize electric rock and jazz guitar. The amount of groundbreaking artists he has collaborated with is nearly endless -- Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Pat Metheny, Charles Mingus, Herbie Hancock, MMW, and Bill Frisell are just a few on a list full of legends.  The man has been in the top of his profession for over 30 years and after listening to his new release Uberjam Deux, he shows no sign of stepping down any time soon.

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Ep. 4 Reed Mathis: The Lifer

Having a conversation with Reed is a lot like playing music with him: you think you might be on the same level but then he starts to speak and you quickly realize that you're dealing with a titan.  To illustrate my point, one of the scariest onstage moments I've ever had was a few weeks ago. I was sitting in with Tea Leaf Green at the New Parish in Oakland and Reed steps up to me and says "Lets play something just you and I." Before I could even finish tuning my guitar Reed unleashed a combination of virtuosic bass chops and high-pitched effects that I've never come up against in all my time on stage.  I felt like a lightweight stepping into the ring with the heavyweight champion of the world.  It felt like I didn't even land a single punch.  Similar feelings surfaced as soon as the podcast started.  He is quick to answer any question with unapologetic honesty, insight, and wisdom.  He talks about how he has nothing to teach anybody, but in my experience just being around Reed is an education.

Tea Leaf Green live at the New Parish 7/20/13

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Ep.3 Dave Margulies and Casey Lowdermilk: The Producers

High Sierra Music Festival has spent the last 23 years creating an utterly unique festival experience. Described as the "musician's festival," there is something about the energy of the picturesque fairgrounds in Quincy, CA that brings out the best in any band or artist that performs.  This is one of the rare festivals where you actually see the musicians hanging out with fans and roaming out in the campgrounds.  You can also detect a deep sense of pride in the people who attend the festival, people who help co-create the magic. Mostly veterans of the scene, these people create elaborate theme camps, march in parades, host their own events within the festival like crawfish boils or cocktail hours, build rogue stages on top of RVs, and stay up all night just to get weird and play a raucous and hilarious game of kickball at sunrise.  The type of community achieved here is one that most other festivals could only dream of.

Throwing a party like High Sierra is not an easy task.  From setup to takedown, food courts to security, hospitality to ambiance, it takes an army of employees and volunteers to pull it off.  Dave and Casey are two of only a handful of full-time employees that work year round. Their constant dedication to all things High Sierra is a major reason this is a success every year.

Here's a tip of the hat to the rest of the full-time employees as well, thanks for all that you do: Roy Carter, Rebecca Sparks, Matt Bryant and the amazing Debbie Crockett!