A Songwriter's Life: A Conversation With Adam Hill

by Terry Mathley


After hearing "Smoke Trees" by Adam Hill, I knew I had to interview this guy.  One of the best albums you've probably never heard.  If there is any justice in the music world, that won't be the case in 2011.  As Benny Smith, a Knoxville, TN radio personality put it, "Adam Hill has the passion of Westerberg, the emotions of Townes, and can take you as high as the hills of East Tennessee where he was raised."

I had the opportunity to interview Adam over the last couple of days.  We talked about his influences, the ups and downs of being a songwriter/musician and why he keeps coming back for more. 


T-Bone's Prime Cuts: At what age did you realize that music was "it" for you?


Adam Hill: I don’t know that I’ve ever said that or realized it. I love music. It fell on me as a kid. Lyrics just pummeled me. Sound was like a mountain. It consumes me but there’s always a ton of guilt with it. I have a Protestant Work Ethic and this sort of overwhelming sense of responsibility. So I never looked down the road and saw a time where I could play or make music. When I was in college I wanted to play, I wrote songs in class in my notebook, I ran from class to come home and make demos, I loved my band. But once we were successful enough to be offered something I got really scared because of the unknown. Traveling or making money or being able to take care of my rent and all that. I spiraled into a terror of fear and quit. I clung to the responsibility of having to finish school because that’s what I was supposed to do. So I decided to write the great American Novel. I figured I could write and keep a day job. Have a safe life. When all my friends moved away I started writing songs again. I felt bad to because I had quit music and felt like they all would hate me if I wrote anything new so I did it in hiding. Then I started playing again. I had no idea why. I had no plan. I had nothing. Just play gigs. Drink beer. Try and meet girls.

I was buying tons of records and playing in a little apartment I had making demos. I just played dive bars and stuff in Knoxville. I remember playing The Longbranch a few times. I just wanted to meet a nice girl, settle down and quit. I figured once I found love I’d quit the music thing. I met a girl. We moved to New York. I went up there thinking I could start fresh on that scene or get a real job, whichever happened first. One good thing about moving was it taught me that I could travel. I could leave home and the earth wouldn’t spin off its axis. But New York City, music and I didn’t jell. I couldn’t meet anyone. I had no music friends. I worked with a bunch of guys at a furniture store who were from the Bronx. They dug rap. So I got into rap. I never went out. I was too scared. I recorded demos. I played in my bathroom on my acoustic and made tapes. I pushed the tapes through the mail slot at the Rodeo Bar with a piece of paper taped to it with my phone number. That's how I tried to get a gig. I never talked to no one. I played an open mic once. So I decided to move to Nashville and try to be a songwriter. That way maybe I could write a hit and make a ton of money and be okay financially so I could feel okay to spend my time working on my songs. I was still terrible at meeting people. I stayed in the apartment. I’d go out sometimes and drink in a corner. I went to the Americana Fest one year and sat in a corner at 4 bars in 1 night. Never said Boo to no one. I met with like two Publishers in four years. Both said I was like Bob Dylan, probably not because I am - but because that was the closest thing they could think of. Both said I was way too artsy for anyone to cover. I had a few tunes I could hear as hits but no one else heard 'em that way. I finally made a record but I made it on my 4 track. I think Nashville thought it was a joke. At least anyone who heard it. I just couldn’t see spending money unless I knew I’d make it back. Didn’t feel like I deserved it. Well then I was done with it all again. I ended up living in Chelle Rose’s basement. She was always real good to me. Elizabeth (Cook) and Tim (Carroll) were nice to me. So in the basement, I had 30 or so songs written and I did the demos for them and decided to call it quits. So I quit again. But then my friend Greg needed a guitarist. He met a drummer named Shannon. I figured I’d play for fun. We got paid in pitchers. Then in 2008 I had songs again. This time I made a record for real in a studio. I melted my credit card and took some cash I had saved. So here I am now, but I have a wife and a family and feel really like I don’t need to be playing, like I’m too old and need to just focus on something worthwhile. But I can’t seem to help it. I love writing. I love playing and I figure for the first time in my life I’m going to try hard enough to see what happens. So I can’t say I ever knew a time that I thought music was it for me and I let myself think I could ever have it. Make sense? Music and I fight all the time. It hates me. I hate it. I still don’t even call myself a musician. I always joke that I play the spoons if someone asks me what I play. That was supposed to be an easy question wasn’t it? 

TBPC: Growing up in East Tennessee, who were some of the musicians that influenced you early on?

AH: Local ones or big time ones? Well in East Tennessee music is around. I remember all sorts of stuff. Growing up with WIVK. It was country. Back then when it was real cool stuff. Guess I sort of hated it when I was like 8 years old but later I loved that stuff. John Anderson, Oak Ridge Boys, all that kind of stuff. Don Williams. My Dad loved Dolly Parton. My mom had all these Ray Charles records and Brenda Lee and tons of crooners. Nat King Cole, Rosemary Clooney and stuff like that. Then I got into Robert Johnson because of the movie "Crossroads."  So, I got into blues. Then around 1985 when I was 12 or so I heard The Georgia Satellites and asked for a guitar for Christmas. I dug hard into The Beatles and The Stones. Then The Who really hit me. The angst of Pete Townshend really spoke to me. Country finally made sense to me I think when I saw the movie The Last Picture Show. I’d been writing lyrics and songs but never had my voice, I wanted to be like Bob Dylan and play guitar like Jimmy Page but then I saw the small town desolation of that movie and it clicked with me and the small town in East Tennessee I lived in. That and I fell in love with The Replacements. Paul (Westerberg) just made everything suddenly seem like it was on fire. I got the way that I wanted to express all the anxiety and fear and anger you get as a kid that’s kind of different and shy. But once country and The Mats happened to me I was pretty clear on what I wanted to do as a writer for the rest of my life. One of the first times I remember seeing a local band and being impressed was when I saw The Viceroys. Scott Miller and John Paul Keith. I saw them open for someone at The Bijou. Maybe it was The Bodeans. I was like - damn that rocked!  They were just smoking. Opening up with that Roger Miller song too. 

TBPC: One of the first things I noticed about you - was your unique songwriting style, You have a way of drawing people in and making them feel like they know who or what you're singing about. Did you start off writing as well as playing? Or did the writing come along later?

AH: Oh cool. Well thanks. Glad that comes across. I started writing as soon as I can remember. I was making my own comic books. I didn’t get a guitar until 1985 or 86 or so. After I heard The Georgia Satellites but I didn’t pick it up right away either. It ended up sitting in a corner. I had a bad Kay with an action that would be tough for a gorilla, much less a kid. But I was writing stories and drawing them since I could talk I guess. I was into Lennon and Dylan at first. Wanting to write like that. Which is just admiring something you can tell is really great but I had no idea how to turn something that was me. I had no idea what my vehicle looked like. So I wrote reams of lyrics for years. Then I got into guitar and would bash away on an A chord and sing song my songs to a tape deck. That continued on and on till this day. Just hopefully I’m improving as I go along.

TBPC: I've heard Chelle Rose cover your song, "Leona Barnett." As a songwriter, what's it like to hear someone else sing your songs?

AH: I always think wow I'm an awful singer. (Laughs)  Really, when I hear someone with a real voice it's always vindicating in a way. I feel like wow, see that was a real song. Julie that sings on my record she's like a pixie machine. I swear all she needs are wings and she'd fly around singing like a siren. When she added stuff to my songs it was like dang maybe i should just have her sing them. I love it when people do my tunes. I had hoped at one time I could make a living off it. Like a Cole Porter or something. I wanted to be this eccentric sort of southern shut in who had a thousand songs and people covered them and I bought cool suits with the cash. I've got other tunes I wrote with folks in mind but CR was the first one that fit. 

TBPC: You're a musician who's fought for what he has, struggled as to whether to leave it behind... yet kept coming back to it. What advice would you give to someone who might be going through something similar? 

AH: Goodness, that's a good one. It's tough to see that you're not making good decisions when you're battling it all. I guess look up the definition of crazy and really believe it. I honestly feel like if I'd made better choices the last 13 years I'd be much farther along. Maybe hubris but I think that. I guess deciding you're in it would be good. Make sure you're not trying to sneak in the back door because that ain't gonna happen. Really if your worth doing it you'll never stop. You won't quit. Billy Joe Shaver said "I'd quit but there's no one to quit to." So if you're a writer, a real writer, it's a compulsion for life. 

TBPC: What can we expect from Adam Hill in 2011?

AH: Hopefully I can keep playing out of town once a month and play Nashville. I have a day job and a wife and 2 kids so this will be a juggling act. I hope to get some new recording equipment and start the task of doing songs I wrote from 1996 to 2006. There are a lot of them but about 40-50 are worth a second look, of that we'll distill down to 30 or so. Hoping to release, digitally, 3 records. It'll be hard but that's the goal. I want to get caught up with my past. I feel like they need to see the light.

TBPC: Any parting words you'd like to leave us with?

AH:  Bear with me. Thanks I suppose. I used to always try and be cryptic on the parting glance but I'm too tired now.

Adam on the net: 

adamhill.bandcamp.com

twitter.com/adamhillrocks

facebook.com/adamhillrocks

Photo Credits: Emily Rushton

The Fields Of Bluegrass Radio Hour's Cary Allen Fields

by Terry Mathley

Cary Allen Fields is a man who wears many hats.  Host of two different radio shows, husband, father, musician, founding board member of a new foundation, ambassador for Bluegrass, Americana and Roots music, and the list goes on and on.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Cary at the WICR studios in Indianapolis this week.  We discussed music, his two radio shows, the new foundation and the Central Indiana music scene.


T-Bone's Prime Cuts:  What drew you to Bluegrass music?


Cary Allen Fields:  The first place I ever heard bluegrass music was on an old Philco floor model radio w/ a beautiful walnut cabinet, it belonged to my granny. The kind you turn on and wait for the signal to fade in as the tubes warm up.  The channel presets are labeled "WSM," "WLW" (Cincinnati, OH), "WCKY" (Villa Hills, KY) that played both kinds of music. As in, traditional country and traditional bluegrass. Mom sang that stuff to us when we were kids, my love for the music is encoded into my DNA and rooted in family.


TBPC:  How old were you when you realized you wanted to be on the radio?


CAF:  You know, I didn't allow myself to ever think it possible. Despite the fact that radio, in Chicago where I grew up and Kentucky were I spent summers on my uncle's farm, did so much to shape my musical taste. When I look back now and see how in demand the mix tapes I made for my friends were, and how the content of those things was a reaction to how homogenized and formulaic radio became in the 80s and 90s, it was obvious I was moving in that direction without realizing it. I felt compelled to share great music that my friends might not have had an opportunity to hear otherwise, driven even.


TBPC:  Were there any DJ's that influenced your style?


CAF:  Wayne Rice, my good friend and host of "The Bluegrass Special" on KSON in San Diego, was the cat that demystified radio for me and made me say, "Hey, I want to do that!" Tim D of The Free Zone on WICR is the individual that gave me the shot and made it clear that I'd need to go genuine or go the hell home. When Tim showed me by example that honest music + honest producer/host = something that will shine out like gold when all around is dark, everything else fell into place.


TBPC:  How do you see the role of the internet when it comes to the future of radio?


CAF:  The internet can make a niche that might only have fans numbering in the thousands in a given community viable. If you're from a tiny town anywhere on the planet and you put you a kickass radio show together, you've got you a real shot at being heard despite the "locationally challenged" deal. Man, when you realize you got a family in Northern China and an individual in Norway listening each and every week, not only does it bring home the fact that bluegrass and roots music has serious international cred, it validates your parking on the planet! We're in our ninth year of streaming live on the web and we've received emails from places like Australia, Japan, the UK, and from all over North America.

This community of ours is perceived as "The Land of Bean Blossom" by the rest of the world. And along with inventing the form in the first place, that is a big part of Bill Monroe's legacy (Monroe was the park's founder). If you live in Indiana, love bluegrass, and haven't been to Bean Blossom to attend a festival, someone in Idaho, Brazil, or Okinowa is wondering what the hell you're waiting for. Europeans in particular have a real sense of how great Indiana is. They know the history, who came from here. Someone from Amsterdam is more likely to know who the great bluesman and long-time Indianapolis resident Yank Rachell is. We're working to remedy that. 


TBPC:  You were off the air for a short while here and during that time you received an outpouring of affection in the form of letters, calls and emails. How did that make you feel?


CAF:  Like this thing is a hell of a lot bigger than whether or not producing a radio show week in and week out is a comfortable fit with a "day job," and being a husband and father. When the show went away for a couple of months I was absolutely overwhelmed at the outpouring of support and affection. You wouldn't believe some of the letters, it was absolutely overwhelming how nice folks were. And for them to care enough to take the time to let us know they hated to see us hang it up. That means a whole lot. It's renewed my resolve. You know that musician that has a gorgeous song that deserves to be heard, sleeps in his car after playing a bar, drives for hours to play a 43 minute set to 11 people and makes $23 dollars? Me and that guy have more in common than I care to admit. And the sooner we stop seeing the business end of things as evil and embrace capitalism, the sooner we can quit our day jobs.


TBPC:  What advice do you have for someone interested in a career in radio? 


CAF:  Volunteer. The next Ira Glass, David Dye and Elizabeth Cook is interning at a public radio station somewhere, I guarantee. And I hear The University of Indianapolis has a pretty killer Communications Program, if you want to go that route.


TBPC:  Besides Bluegrass, what other kinds of music do you enjoy? 


CAF:  I like any kind of music that comes from here (points to his heart). If I'm being told a story that I can identify with by a voice as real as the day is long, I'm particularly receptive to that. And more often than not, that kind of music isn't over-produced. And there are no synthesizers, drum machines, or cheez-whiz in general. Americana music is all over the road like Otis on his way home from the liquor store. Bluegrass, soul, ragtime, Cajun, REAL country, singer/songwriter, jazz, old-timey, rockabilly...it's a BIG umbrella. The opportunity to host Redbud Radio is a direct reflection of what I'm spinnin' at home on the box. And I know a lot of folks out there are hearing the same thing when they hit 'random' on their player.


TBPC:  Speaking of Americana, how would you describe the Redbud Radio show?


CAF:  I have to admit, I think I've looked at the Americana charts like, twice in the couple of years we've been doing the thing. If we are on a Stax/Volt kick that week, or if it's Clarence White's birthday, or if we just got a new Charlie Pride boxed-set, what you hear is what you get. Don't get the impression you ain't going to hear the new James McMurtry, Otis Gibbs or Ray Wylie Hubbard release, though. The old "free form" FM radio shows I used to hear late at night when I was a kid, it's not unlike that thing. Doing a theme show featuring train songs, or illustrating the connection between bluegrass and the blues, those are fun programs to put together. You throw in an in-studio performance from some great area talent or a band that drops by the studio while they're in Indy, and you really got you something. 


TBPC:  What are some other jobs you've had?


CAF:  Whether I was x-raying welds on titanium rods used in nuclear power plant installations, digging post holes in the hot New Mexico desert, operating a forklift on a dock in South Chicago, or running my own commercial cleaning business, it was all just a means of getting me to the music. You got to pony up, whether you want to see Junior Wells at The Checkerboard Lounge, Loretta Lynn at The Little Nashville Opry, or follow The Grateful Dead around for a month. Nowadays, you can add "supporting the family" as motivation. 


TBPC:  What can you tell us about The Redbud Foundation?


CAF:  The Redbud Foundation is a non-profit in the start-up phase. A clear need for an organization that gives all the great artists that pass through Indianapolis a reason to stop in for a visit on their way to elsewhere was the impetus. And providing the community-at-large with opportunities to proliferate information, attend shows, and take pride in this scene of ours is the basic focus. Indy doesn't know how great it is, so part of this is simply education, too. Planting the seeds that will give us the music scene of a Austin, TX or Asheville, NC in a decade or two is something that takes community involvement, that's a fact


TBPC:  What can we expect from Cary Allen Fields in the next year?


CAF:  Man, we got some good things planned for 2011. I could sit here and tell you about new websites and business plans and ideas for incorporating new features into "The Fields of Bluegrass Radio Hour" and "Redbud Radio" all dang day. The important thing is, we have some excellent live music planned for the year ahead. Sure looking forward to sharing that with our fellow Hoosiers. And if the world outside of Indiana tunes in to hear what we have going on, we'll certainly welcome them with our famous Hoosier hospitality.

Fields Of Bluegrass:  www.fieldsofbluegrass.com/
The Redbud Foundation:  www.theredbudfoundation.org

Photo Credits:
Top Photo- Haley Rae
Bottom Photo-  Dean Metcalf

EPK for Christine Ohlman's "The Deep End"

Solomon Burke 3/21/1940~10/10/2010 R.I.P.

R.I.P. Solomon Burke- you were one of the best soul singers this world has ever known.  Heaven's choir just got that much better.

Catching Up With Steve Cropper

by Terry Mathley

A member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Songwriters Hall of Fame, The Musicians Hall of Fame and just recently, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. As a member of Booker T. & the MGs, basically the house band for Stax Records, Steve Cropper played on hits by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, "Sam & Dave and the entire Stax roster. He co-wrote, "Green Onions," "Midnight Hour", "(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay" and numerous others. His discography as a writer, producer and player would take two days to recite. Most people with credits like these would be happy to sit back and let their past speak for them. Not Steve Cropper! He continues to tour with both Booker T. & the MGs and the Blues Brothers. When he's not on the road, he stays busy writing, producing and recording. As a matter of fact, just a few months ago he released "Midnight Flyer." His second album with Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals.

I had a chance to catch up with Steve at his place in Nashville, Insomnia Studios. We talked about the new album, guitars, Otis Redding and the Blues Brothers.


T-Bone's Prime Cuts: What was it like working with Felix Cavaliere again?

Steve Cropper: It’s sort of like stepping back in time. The fact that he sort of came out of high school singing as a teenager and I was playing and singing as a teenager and wound up with Booker T. & the MGs and he wound up with The Rascals doing all those great songs and all. When I say a “step back in time” literally - if you close your eyes, he sounds as good or better than he did when he was 20 years old! And that’s what is really fun. Working with Felix, his attitude is so cool and when you hit a lick or something like that he doesn’t have to say, "What’s that lick?" He just feels it or knows it.

The neat thing about Felix and I - we had already worked together in another band. An all-star band, we did like 21 shows for Northwest Airlines. Went to a lot of cities and had a lot of fun together. Basically it was like a “Hits Band.” We played the ones that people knew and recognized and that sort of thing. It was mainly for their Frequent Flyers Program. People that had earned enough miles, they’d do a little banquet for them and a show.

Second time around it was a little easier, basically because we kind of knew what to expect. The first time we worked together on the album, “Nudge It Up A Notch” it was more of an experiment at least initially at the onset. We didn’t know what we were going to do. We just got together and came up with grooves and stuff like that. Then between 7 and 9 songs into the project we sort of thought we had a direction and went ahead and completed it.

TBPC: What was the process like for the new album?

SC: This last album, I’ll be the first to tell you- you probably won’t read about it in interviews, but I’ll tell you here… we were more than 3/4 of the way through the songs and Felix called one day and said, guys it’s not that I dislike what we’re doing, I just want to do some things that are a little more progressive. I’ve tried it and I’m just not real comfortable with the songs. And if it doesn’t upset too many people, I’d just like to start it over again. And we did- you could say we started over in midstream. It’s sort of like fishing and deciding to throw the tackle box overboard (laughs) and pick up some different bait and try fishing for a while.

TBPC: So, you had to start all over again? Go in a new direction?

SC: Well, we got into that mindset and started working with Tom Hambridge, who is a great drummer, an incredible producer and just a fun guy to be around. And he just sort of put it into a "new spirit." I wouldn’t say a new direction, put things into a new spirit. So we got together here in the studio, Felix was sitting here, playing the piano and kind of mumbling some words- and I was sitting about 3 or 4 feet away coming up with different grooves. And Tom was sitting over in the corner- and he would just kind of log everything. And our engineer, Eddie Gore would record what we would do. Whenever we would finish a groove that we’d like, Eddie would put it down on tape and Felix would take it home and we all sort of worked on the words together. And we wound up with a little record called, “Midnight Flyer.” Hope you guys like it.

TBPC: Let's step back in time a bit, and touch on influences. Who were some of the guitarists that influenced you early on?

SC: There are so many that the list would be endless- but the one guy that I always give credit for the inspiration, that I got to see live- is a guy named Lowman Pauling. The guitarist and I guess the bandleader of the Five Royales. That goes back to the fifties and early sixties. I got to see him live in Memphis, TN and it just blew me away. And the funny thing about him- he did a thing when he took a solo, well kind of like Chuck Berry- when Chuck would take a solo, he’d drop his strap down and play between his legs and do all this crazy stuff. Play behind his head and everything. Lowman Pauling didn’t have to drop his strap down- he had a really long strap, so his guitar always hung down below his knees. I thought that was the coolest thing I ever saw in my life! I couldn’t wait- I got home that night… my mom said, “What are you doing?” I said, “I’m trying to find one of my old belts… I need to make my guitar strap longer!” (Laughs) And I did! I found one and got my guitar strap and did some finagling and punched a hole in it and got longer so it would hold way down. And I think you can see that on one of my websites- or at least a silhouette of me playing the guitar WAY low. That’s that guitar and that picture came from a live show down at the Royal Peacock Nightclub in Atlanta, GA in 1961. I was an old guy then (laughs)… I don’t do that anymore, but it always stuck with me… so I always give credit to Lowman Pauling. There’s a song called, “Think" - all you guitar buffs out there, go and listen to “Think.” (Starts singing) “Think about the good times…” And listen to the guitar on there- it’ll blow your mind.

TBPC: Anyone else?

SC: I was mainly influenced rhythm wise by Bo Diddley, he’d be an idol of mine. Chuck Berry, others like that. I listened to a lot of the jazz greats, I won’t name them all… but, I listened to Chet Atkins and realized I couldn’t play like that. I listened to a guy who’s now a real good friend of mine, Duane Eddy. I love that kind of low stuff that he did. I grew up on The Ventures like everybody else in the 60’s. And one of our big influences, at least for the band we had was Bill Doggett. I still have Bill Doggert’s old vinyl and I get them out every now and then and play them. The first song I learned on the guitar was (plays the main riff to the song, "Honky Tonk"). It took me two weeks to learn how to play that (laughs)… it’s so funny. An old song called, “Honky Tonk.” It was actually in the key of F, and we didn’t have capos then. We had horns in a band called The Mar-Keys, so we’d start off playing it in the key of E… then when the horns came in, we’d modulate up to F. So, I had to learn in the early days to STRETCH! Never really learned how to use a capo. All these guys have capos and move ‘em up and down the neck. Which is like moving the nut up the fret markers to whatever key the song was in so you could play in the open position. I changed keys by using my index finger. So, I’m just not that educated on the guitar. I’m self-taught basically and just learned how to play some of the records that we liked. That’s how I wound up playing guitar.

TBPC: While we're on the subject of guitar, what gear are you currently using, both live and in the studio?

SC: I get asked quite often, either after a show or in the street somewhere- what my gear is and what I'm playing. Or I’ll be going through an airport and someone will ask, “hey man, what have you got in there?” And it’s always difficult for me to tell them what’s actually in there, because the number one thought of the headliner is- what do you play? I play a telecaster. But it’s not made by Fender (laughs). Most of the guitars I play live are custom made, so they’re basically one of a kind. They’re not production models and they’re either the initial prototype or they are just one of a kind custom made for myself. And they are of the telecaster style- just a little more streamlined. I’m not one of those guys that really goes back – I own a lot, well I probably own more vintage guitars than I need to! It would be very easy to go into the guitar locker and just pull out a guitar. I have all those great old pickups from fender and the Gibson P-90’s that all of these guys use. The difference between me and some of these other guys that really like the vintage stuff- I don’t have a floor full of footswitches. I get mine from my hands and the amplifer- go straight out of the guitar, I usually have it wide open. I play on the neck pickup- I get my tone settings on the amp.

TBPC: What are you using for amps these days?

SC: I use a red knob Fender “The Twin” which they don’t make anymore. Not a Twin- there’s a big difference between a "Twin” and “The Twin.” And I sort of try, even though my ears are a lot older than they used to be – I try to duplicate what I used to get out of a Super Reverb. Live with Booker T. & the MGs, I used to play a Quad Reverb because it was a bigger speaker cabinet and because it got a little more level out of it. The amp that I play is a 100 watt amp, which I really need to drive the pickups that I have- they’re just custom made Peavey pickups. That’s what I play.

Now on some albums, I’ll move around on some certain guitars and different combinations of amplifiers and so forth. We use a Victoria Twin on a lot of the recordings and I have a red knob Bassman head that I plug into an old Peavey cube and I’ve used that on 5 or 6 different albums. Most engineers love that sound and it always comes over the radio- you can pretty much tell it’s me playing. So, I kind of like that combination.

TBPC: Where do you think Otis Redding would be today if he was still here?

SC: God, I hope he’d been in the studio here writing songs. I can tell those people and tell anybody who is a Otis Redding fan- most of you, if you are a fan- know he died in a plane crash. What you probably don’t know is that before he left to get on the plane. The week we were writing, the week he was recording for the first time in a period of about two week recovering from a throat operation. He was just having so much fun writing and singing and all that. He told me, “Steve, I haven’t told anybody yet, but I want to come off the road some. I just love producing and writing and recording so much I’m going to get me a place and Memphis and move up here and you and I are going to write and produce records.” That’s what he told me the week before he passed away in that plane crash. So, all those dreams didn’t get to take place.

Where Otis Redding would have been today, because he would probably have had to stay on the road all the time like James Brown did and like Aretha does… always working, always working, always working. And would still be the "King of Soul." He would have been the guy. James was the Godfather and Otis Redding was the King. That’s why we made the King and Queen album with Otis Redding and Carla Thomas.

Otis and I were the same age. A lot of people don’t know that- so he would have been the same age as me and probably still out there doing it. I have as much fun today as I did 30 or 40 years ago. Playing, I enjoy people’s company and talking about music. And I enjoy getting up and performing for them and seeing the smiles on their faces. Seeing them dancing and grooving and moving. I’m all about the groove- I’m not about playing. I can’t impress anybody by what I may or may not be able to play. What I do- I like to get their spirit moving and have a little fun rhythm-wise. I have more fun leaning on and playing with a drummer and of course, my good buddy Donald “Duck” Dunn. There’s no band in the world that is more fun to play with than Booker T. & the MGs. We get to do that quite often. I also get to play in a great band with some of the best musicians on the planet- the Original Blues Brothers Band.

TBPC: Speaking of the Blues Brothers, were you surprised that the Vatican endorsed the Blues Brothers movie?

SC: Well, I doubt if they would have endorsed the dialogue in it 30 years ago because it had some pretty cruel words in it that got us an “R” rating. Of course they’ve cleaned it up a lot for television and maybe that’s where it’s all coming from. But it’s nice to be endorsed by the Pope… or at least from where he lives. So that was pretty cool. I hope John is up there lauging his kazoo off about that and just thinks it’s great - because we definitely were on a mission from God and we’re still on a mission from God. So, peace be with you guys.

Steve Cropper on the net:
The Official Steve Cropper Site
The Official Steve Cropper Facebook Page

Allen Toussaint at the 7908' Aspen Songwriters Festival

by Terry Mathley


This past weekend, I traveled to Aspen, Colorado for the 7908' Aspen Songwriters Festival. A festival presented by the city of Aspen and John Oates, and held at the beautiful Wheeler Opera House. I had the opportunity to hear some songwriters that I hadn't heard before; Jeff Black, Mason Reed, Jill Andrews, Reed Waddle, Gary Burr & Mike Rayburn. There were also several songwriters that I was familiar with; Jim Lauderdale, Suzi Ragsdale, Richard Butler, David Bromberg, Sam Bush, Jimmy Wayne, Tift Merritt, The Bird & Bee, Garfunkel & Oates, Jeff Barry, Allen Toussaint and the host- John Oates.



I enjoyed everyone who performed during the festival- however, one really stood out: ALLEN TOUSSAINT. His performance was the best I have ever seen. I overheard several of the performers from the festival saying the same thing. I walked up to John Oates after the show and all either of us could say was, "WOW!" Ran into Jimmy Wayne at the hotel later that night and he was still in a daze from the performance. He looked at me and I just said, "I know, I know!" It was just an amazing night. And one I won't forget.



He gave us the backstory on the songs and the famous artists that covered them. Each song and story seemed to flow into the next. He was able to do what only a great performer can do- he made us feel like we were part of the show. About 2/3 of the way into his performance he brought out Sam Bush and John Oates for a medley of "Get Out Of My Life Woman" and "Working In The Coalmine." Three different musicians from three different genres, yet it worked like a charm. For the intro to "Southern Nights" he told a wonderful story about growing up in Louisiana and going out to the country to visit with his relatives. While playing piano underneath it all. It was such a fascinating and descriptive story that if you closed your eyes, you could see all the people he was talking about. The show ended with a standing ovation, followed by an encore and another ovation.

In addition to being a great musician/songwriter/storyteller... he's a very gracious man. I was lucky enough to hang out with him before and after the show. We talked about his latest album, "The Bright Mississippi", his appearance on Austin City Limits and a few other things. He treated me like he'd known me his whole life. He smiled, told stories and posed for pictures with everyone there.

Allen Toussaint is a music legend. Yet, there are a lot of people who don't know him. He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the great songs he's written, many of which have been performed by well known artists, and for the numerous albums he's produced. Yet, I enjoyed hearing him sing those songs. And he's just the tastiest piano player I've ever heard. If you fall into that group of people that don't know him- PLEASE check him out:

ALLEN TOUSSAINT on the web: http://www.allentoussaint.com/

And do yourself a favor- google the other artists I mentioned. They were all fantastic.

Photos by T. Mathley

Christine Ohlman - "The Deep End" Solo Acoustic Performance

Check out this amazing performance by Christine Ohlman. Christine has agreed to chat with T-Bone's Prime Cuts about her latest album, "The Deep End." Watch for it in the near future!





Christine on the web: http://www.christineohlman.net/

Mandy tells you where to go!

A conversation with Mandy Marie Luke

by Terry Mathley






If you live near Indianapolis, chances are you’ve heard of Mandy Marie Luke. Or if you’ve been lucky enough to catch her across the country when she’s been on tour, you know that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Witnessing a Mandy Marie & the Cool Hand Lukes show is a life changing event. When she opens her mouth and starts singing, it’s like going back in time. A time when country music was real and not glorified pop music. Then she gets to the middle of the song and plays a guitar solo, yes, that’s right- she’s the lead guitarist too! It’s not common to see a girl play guitar like she does, in fact I’m willing to bet that she’s sent a lot of male guitarists home hanging their heads after witnessing her prowess on the Telecaster.

In the last year she's also been doing some solo acoustic shows with Brigitte London across the country, with more dates scheduled for August. I caught up with Mandy about a week ago and we talked about guitars, influences, beginnings, guitars, family, guitars- oh, did I mention guitars?

T-Bone's Prime Cuts: How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a musician?

Mandy Marie Luke: I was 13 years old when I realized I wanted to be a musician. And the main reason was hearing James Burton play that crazy chicken-picked solo on “Elvis Live At The International Hotel” with Mystery Train and they blended in Tiger Man, that 2nd solo just grabbed me by the collar and kicked my ass and made me realize- I have to learn how to play guitar. And really from that moment on, my dad was a musician so I was kinda always around it and always wanted to play- from that moment on I really didn’t have a choice. It was, “You have to learn how to do this or you’re going to die!” You have to. It’s cool to be able to kinda pinpoint it down to a moment and sincerely that moment really did… it grabbed me and shook me.

TBPC: Who are some of the guitarists that influenced you early on?

MML: I think early, James Burton was huge- obviously… Don Rich was another big one. My grandparents had a killer record collection and I remember putting needle to wax on Buck Owens & The Buckaroos “Live At Carnegie Hall” and it was another life changing moment- it totally just grabbed me. Don Rich was cool too because, Don Rich and Luther Perkins I could actually learn what they were doing. Where with James I didn’t know how to (do what he was doing.) I learned how to play solos before I learned how to play chords because I never had guitar lessons. So, I was just picking everything out by ear. When you’re a little kid and you’re playing guitar by ear it’s easy to go (Picks up Telecaster and plays a Luther-style riff similar to “Walk The Line.”) So, I think Luther, Don Rich and James were probably my big ones. Then right after that, Roy Nichols grabbed me… big time… and he has not let go. Still to this day, Roy Nichols and Don Rich are probably my two… but there’s so many! Steve Cropper, I love them all! Reggie Young, Gene Moles is another gigantic influence on me. I love so many guitar players. What’s funny too- Man, I ain’t changed that much. The ones I loved then are still the ones I love now.

TBPC: At what age did you play your first gig?

MML: I played my first gig not long after getting my first guitar. My dad played in a band and I was learning how to play a few things… and the next thing I knew, he just got me up on stage. If there was a curtain, I’d be hiding behind it. I started playing three nights a week in my dad’s band when I was 13 years old. Missouri honky tonks, Arkansas beer dives, that kinda things. I literally grew up with a Fender Twin aimed right at my right ear, and breathing in cigarette smoke. My dad, he’s probably the reason I actually play music, because he gave me that love. Watching my dad play and just seeing how much love he had for music really wore off on me. So, yeah- I was 13 and I didn’t stop until… well, I haven’t stopped!

TBPC: You grew up playing guitar behind other people. How difficult was it for you to make the transition to fronting a band and singing?

MML: That transition damn near killed me! (laughs) I’d been just playing lead guitar in bands forever and the singer from our old band quit, so I had about 11 days to fill the dates that band had booked. I started singing at practice, and we were still looking for a lead singer for this band- probably five months in. I didn’t think I could do it, I was nervous and scared to death that I’d puke right into the microphone. I had all this fear and angst and all these crazy emotions. It was hard for me, it was really hard. And it was really hard because I had never sang. Even as a kid I’d never sang. And there’s a big difference between just playing guitar and playing guitar AND singing at the same time. And that took me a little bit to get used to. Now I’m glad I did because now I really enjoy singing.

TBPC: You’re known for your rollicking band, Mandy Marie & the Cool Hand Lukes. Yet, you’ve recently released a great CD, “My Land Of Make Believe”- under just your name and did a little tour across the south, midwest and east coast with Brigitte London performing solo with just an acoustic guitar. I’ve heard through the grapevine that you were a bit nervous when you started doing these acoustic shows... how do you feel about them now?

MML: Playing solo versus playing with a band is like night and day. Just nothing similar about it at all. I got used to singing and fronting a band and then when I started doing these shows, thanks to Brigitte, just solo acoustic… where all you’ve got are your guitar, your voice and the songs you’ve written- that’s it. It’s tough, it takes a lot of guts to stand up there and try to entertain people when it’s just you. I’m still getting used to it. One thing about it that’s kinda cool is you go from where nothing in the world is better than playing with a band. You’re having a good time, you look back and you're smiling at your drummer and everything in life is perfect for that moment. And that’s what was missing when I first started playing solo. I didn’t have an upright bass player or a drummer or anyone to look at and grin if the audience hated my guts… you didn’t have that. So, finally after this tour with Brigitte, I started getting in the groove. Even if you don’t have your buddies with you, you get that connection with the audience. And the audience gets to be that band member that you have fun with and you get silly with. After a while you start feeling at home and comfortable. That’s where I’m at now, I sincerely enjoy the hell out of doing these solo acoustic things. It’s totally different, but it’s fun! You can write a song on the way to the gig, and then play it! You don’t have to teach it to anybody or say, “this chord change is weird” or “the timing is weird.” You just do it! The freedom of that is cool. So, now I really enjoy it. It took me a bit, but I really enjoy it now.

TBPC: After listening to the disc and seeing one of your acoustic shows, I’m struck by just how great you are at storytelling. Is this something you’ve developed on your own? Or was there someone in your family who was also a great storyteller?

MML: Everyone in my family is an amazing storyteller! I come from a family of characters, to say the least. They’re all a bunch of maniacs, so yeah- sitting around the table with my family hearing stories definitely gives you a little sense of who it is you’re sitting with. And that’s what I try to do on stage. Just tell a story about why I wrote the song and go from there. And I’m weird too, with writing- because you just write whatever comes natural to you. Most of the time for me it’s always a weird, sad or funny or just goofy story. I’m lucky that people don’t throw ashtrays or beer bottles at me! (laughs) People have been pretty nice to me. There’s times where my song will be three minutes and the story will be fifteen leading up to that three minute song. It’s cool!

TBPC: I happen to know that your husband, Danny Thompson is a MONSTER guitarist in his own right, do you guys ever get to do any shows together?

MML: You know, we actually don’t play together very often. Every now and then our bands will double bill. A couple of times I’ve been able to get up and play acoustic guitar with his band, which is always a blast. We both stay so busy in our separate bands that we don’t often get the chance. One thing I hate about Danny, I mean I love him, but whew! He’s one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen in my life. The guy plays guitar like Jerry Lee Lewis plays piano. Just full of attitude and super, super cool. He doesn’t pick up his guitar between gigs – ever, ever. I think he put in his wood-sheddin’ time and he’s done. It blows my mind. I play guitar constantly. If I’m home 19 hours out of 24 hours, I’m sitting here playing guitar. And Danny? He’s hanging, watching “The Wolfman” or “Frankenstein” he never, ever, ever plays guitar. Then I’ll see him live, and he just smokes! I think it just comes natural to that son of a bitch! (laughs) I wish it would rub off on me man! I gotta practice, I’ll forget it.

TBPC: I hate to bring this up, but usually when you go to see a band- the guitarist is a man. Have you ever caught flack or noticed an attitude from some of the male musicians in the crowd when you get up on stage with your Tele... only to see their jaws hit the floor once you start playing?

MML: I used to take it really hard when someone would walk up to me at the end of the night and say, “You’re really good… for a girl.” (laughs) And you feel that coming. You feel that second part. Anytime there’s a transition word, I know I’m going to catch some hell. Now, I take it as a compliment. I realize they’re not trying to mean to you, they sincerely mean it. They’re just so used to seeing a dude, that they don’t think about a girl playin’. So, it used to really bother me, but now I’m cool with it. I still get it all the time, but in this band it’s a little different- because I sing as well. I think, to be honest, that a lot of times people forget that I’m the one playing guitar. In my other band it was a bigger deal because our singer played acoustic and sang and the only electric guitar was me. We played in Nashville, at the 5 Spot one time and the soundman kept saying over and over, “I need a soundcheck from you, I need a soundcheck from you.” And every time I’d pick up the electric and start playing he’d say, “No, I need him to do his soundcheck.” And I kept thinking, “Dude, I’m the one that’s going to be playing!” And then it dawned on him, oh, she’s the lead guitar player. And I get that kind of stuff a lot, but luckily I’ve been doing it long enough that people kinda know what they’re getting. It’s cool being a girl guitar player though. You can play a James Burton lick and it’s no big deal. I do it, and it’s like the seas parted! Now I take whatever compliments I get. Even if they’re backhanded, I still take them.

TBPC: I know you were able to befriend one of your idols, Eugene Moles. How did that come about?

MML: We did these shows with Brigitte London in Nashville at this place called, Douglas Corner. And she had told me who all of the band was. I knew it was the majority of the Waylon Jennings band. So, I knew Richie Albright who I’m a fan of. I knew Fred Newell, who I’m a fan of. I knew Jerry Bridges, but she didn’t tell me who was playing guitar. So, I walked in that night and Eugene Moles was there. I had to sit down because I was all choked up and excited, I was almost bawling my eyes out. My bandmates were like, “what’s your problem? What’s wrong with you?” I was like, “That’s Eugene Moles! His dad is Gene Moles. That’s the only guy who’s ever been a Buckaroo AND a Stranger! He’s awesome! He’s one of my heroes!” Finally I got to get up on stage and play guitar with him and it was the first time I got to say hi or anything. Totally one of the coolest moment of my whole life. Turns out he’s like the coolest guy in the world. We’ve been pals ever since. In fact that’s his amp over there (points to Fender amp across the room.) We’ve been friends since that night. Like soulmate friends. Just a great guy and sincerely one of my favorite telecaster players on the planet.

I have Brigitte London to thank for all of this. Without her I would have never met those guys. Through her I’ve met some of the people who are now my best friends. That “Spirit Of The Outlaws” thing was cool. It changed the lives of a lot of people, myself included. I’m really thankful I had the chance to do that. And that she believed in my goofy ass enough to let me hang with people that were way better than me. I was just a goofy kid.

TBPC: On your Facebook page, you list your occupation as, “Standing behind a telecaster and grinning like an idiot.” Has there ever been anything else you’ve wanted to do?

MML: No! I’m not good at anything else in the world besides music. And I’m not even all that good at that. So, no… my mom cut her finger off in a shoe factory, so that’s not in my blood. Really music is the kind of the only job I’ve ever had. I think if I hadn’t played music I would’ve maybe been a teacher or something like that. I still do a bunch of stuff now, I paint and draw make claymation stuff. I’m not good at it, but it’s other things I’m passionate about and enjoy. But as far as a normal job, no- I’d probably work in a record store. There’s never been anything else in the world that I’ve really wanted to besides this. I love it! I’m so thankful that I get to do this! Man, I love it… sincerely.

TBPC: What was it about Telecasters that made you decide that "this is the guitar for me?"

MML: Man, there’s so many things about the Telecaster that I love and just grab me. I think to be honest, it’s probably seeing James Burton with one, Don Rich with one, Roy Nichols with one. And eventually, Eugene Moles with one. My first guitar was a Strat, and I kept turning myself down. I’d play a chord and turn myself down. Finally, I begged and pleaded and got a Tele and I haven’t had anything else since. Well, I’ve had Gretsches and I’ve had other cool guitars. I’m a big guitar geek, so I’ve had tons of vintage guitars. I never gig ‘em though. They just kind of hang out in my house. My husband has this rule, that if you don’t play it- you don’t need it. So, all these cool guitars I’ve had I’ve ended up selling because I don’t gig ‘em. I always go back to a tele. Can’t beat ‘em they’re like boat oars! Best guitars on the planet.

TBPC: If you were going to teach a young guitar player some licks, what milestone albums or guitar masters would you tell him or her to listen to or study?

MML: Well, I think if they were cool, I’d try to get them to listen to the Hellecasters. I’m a big Hellecasters geek. Really, I think all the classic stuff- the Buck Owens stuff, early Haggard, Gene Moles or James Burton. Those are the big ones… but I think it’s also cool- not that Luther wasn’t a great guitar player, he was. But I think it’s cool to listen to someone that’s amazing, but what he’s doing you can learn. I think that’s a big deal, so I’d probably try to get someone into Cash. It depends on what they’re into. All the Telecaster Gods- Reggie, Albert Lee- listen to that stuff, I love it.

TBPC: What can we expect from Mandy Marie in the next year or so?

MML: Well, a lot of stuff really. I’m going to be doing more traveling with Brigitte, getting into Texas and going West. So, a whole bunch of traveling. The band, The Cool Hand Lukes are going to be working on another album, which I’m excited about. I’m probably going to be doing another solo album too. But not so much, just me but with a full band. Not so much rockabilly, but a little bit of everything. You know how it is, you write whatever comes to naturally to you. And what comes naturally to me isn’t always an upright bass, it’s whatever’s in your heart at any given moment. So, I’m excited to record a bunch of the stuff I’ve written that isn’t that fits with the band. That’s definitely something I want to get on.

TBPC: Any parting words you’d like to leave us with?

MML: I think if I could say anything it’s really that life is too short to listen to whatever music is spoon-fed to you. Get out there and dig deeper and try to find music that touches you. There’s so many bands that need people like you guys to listen to them, buy it, go see live shows, buy a t-shirt and give ‘em gas money to get back home. Playing music for a living is hard. It’s really, really hard. And this day and age it’s even harder than it’s ever been in my opinion. And we need you guys to find us. Find music that you like. I’m not saying my band, you may hate my band… but find a band that love and support them, follow them around. They need that. If you just keep listening to all the shit that mainstream radio feeds you, you’re never going to find what means something to you… that’s it.



More on Mandy:

Mandy Marie and The Cool Hand Lukes on MySpace

Mandy Marie and The Cool Hand Lukes on Facebook

Pictures by T. Mathley

Welcome aboard!

So, this is the beginning…

This blog will include interviews I do with musicians, music reviews, articles, videos and my thoughts of the day. If I can turn you on to some music you haven’t heard before… or reintroduce you to some music you haven’t heard in a while- then I’ve done my job.

As always, your comments are welcomed -whether you agree or disagree. It’s all about communication.

Thanks for stopping by,

T-BONE