Welcome Michael Beinhorn to the Compared To What POdcast family. For those of you who don’t know who Michael is, here’s a brief rundown. A young boy in Queens sells ice cream from a cart, saves his money, buys a micro-moog. He then meets Bill Laswell and helps make one of the most important sampling/synth/drum programming records ever with Herbie Hancock. “Rock it” from “Future Shock” defined an era. Michael was an absolutely integral part of its creation. Then he decided to continue producing and making music ( why not, its fun right?) and went on to Produce The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Korn , Hole, Marylin Manson , Social Distortion, The Verve Pipe , Ozzy Osbourne and Soul Asylum among many many others.Producing and laboring to make all of those artists best recordings. There, we said it. its true. (because we say its so ).  Michael is very up on the state of things in the music business. This episode is enlighting in many areas covering today’s shall we say “interesting” musical climate. Sit back and relax and enjoy the stories. If you can , try to listen to some late 19th century Russian string quartet music in the background. Michael would like that.  Welcome to the CTWP family Michael! So psyched to have you on the CTWP fun bus.

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Part 2 of the Tommy LiPuma and Matt Pierson Conversation. The fellas get started RIGHT where they left off. More stories from an incredible life in music. Tommy Lipuma!

Episode 27 had Matt Pierson joining the CTWP family when he sat down with Charlie and told some incredible stories. Now we get the absolute joy of having a former guest sit down with a new member of the CTWP crew. Matt sat down with music business legend Tommy Lipuma. Tommy has produced so many artists its hard to break it down. George Benson , Diana Krall , Miles Davis , Natalie Cole , Paul McCartney and Joe Sample just to name a few. The two sat down and recorded 3 ghouls of conversation this is part 1. Such an incredible history. Really excited to have Tommy join the family!

Question: Who has worked with Miles Davis,Roger Troutman,Marcus Miller,Meshell NdegeocelloJesse J,Kelly Clarkson and written 12 tone music/dodecaphonic jams with disco breakdowns?

Answer: The one and only David Gamson! (If you answered correctly please proceed to the bonus round!)

David Gamson is a song writer/Producer who first  came to fame as a major part of 80’s Synth Pop funk band Scritti Politti. With the smash hit “Perfect Way” leading the way Scritti made some astoundingly great albums. This conversation starts with Mowo! admitting he had obsessed over their song “Boom There She Was” while driving down to meet with David. Imagine the surprise Scritti Politti must have had when they learned that Miles Davis was covering “Perfect Way” for his “Tutu” album? That album was produced by Marcus Miller (a friend of CTWP Episode 42). The connections continue with Marcus having also played on the song “Boom There She Was”. That’s how we roll at CTWP. David Gamson also produced the majority of Meshell Ndegeocello’s absolutely classic first recording “Plantation Lullabies”. Mowo! and David sat down in David’s studio and covered everything from virtual synthesis,USB midi controllers,Hans Zimmer,our mutual friend Dave Porter (Episode 30 of CTWP) and Dave’s new TV show “Choose Your Wank” (this is not an actual TV show).  David  co-wrote Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (which was nominated for 2 Grammy’s) and has worked recently with Jesse J. More importantly though David is capable of writing 12 tone music with disco beats. Do not SLEEP on that folks! Welcome to the CTWP family David! Very happy to have you in the fold!

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Charles Walker is a soul singer and native of Nashville, Tennessee. He came up through the ranks and earned his stripes among the who’s who of cats. Charles recorded his first single in 1959 for Nashville-based soul label, Champion records. By the time he was 21 in 1961, he moved to Harlem, New York. During his first two years in the city, he went out on the road as the front man with the JC Davis Band on several tours opening for James Brown, Etta James, Little Willie John and Sam Cooke. By the mid 60’s, Charles had settled in NYC and formed his own group “Little Charles and The Sidewinders.” They recorded a singles for Decca and Chess, and held  residency in Small’s Paradise for nearly ten years.Since 2007, he’s toured the US and Europe as a member of Charles Walker and the Dynamites (sharing bills with Maceo Parker and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings) and has recently formed a small group with a new release on the way.

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How do you start off a new year of episodes?? With a bang so without further ado please welcome…….(Cue dramatic  Las Vegas show room tympani roll)…..Marcus Miller to the Compared To What Podcast Family. Mowo! sits down with Marcus and the two cover a wide range of topics. The two have been friends since late 1986. Mowo! first reached out to Marcus as a fan at the age of 15 writing him a letter only to be astonished about 8 months later when he received a phone call from his idol (run on sentence alert!).Now today in 2015 that seems quite normal as Marcus has cemented himself as not only one of the greatest bass players of his generation but also as one of the best MUSICIANS of his generation. At the time though we’re not so sure he was getting lot’s of fan mail from 15 year old annoying bass players like Mowo! so the timing was great.  After an informal audition of Mowo!’s ability as a young bass player during a break at the mix session of E.U’s “Da Butt” where Marcus played drums and Mowo! played ONE million notes, Marcus invited Mowo! to come to any session he was producing to sit,watch and learn. Sit , watch and learn he DID! Those sessions included albums for Miles Davis , David Sanborn , Joe Sample , Luther Vandross , Roberta Flack  and Marcus’s group The Jamaica Boys.But enough about Mowo!, lets talk about his childhood……sigh…..So who is this Marcus Miller you may ask? (Thanks for asking)(how on earth do you not know who Marcus Miller is btw?!!?). Just listen to the conversation.That’s him on bass on “Just The Two of Us” ……He co produced and co wrote just about Every Luther Vandross album….. He joined Miles Davis’s band at the ripe old age of 20 isn’t that enough already?!?!??  Chances are he’s scored a film you love, played bass on hit record you love or tap danced his way into your heart somehow by now…..What more do you people need?!?!?!?  Please visit his wikipedia page! A not well known fact: Marcus is a huge fan of Gluten Free crackers! That’s all we’re gonna give away from this episode. Very excited to have Marcus in the CTWP family we hope you are too!

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Your fearless leaders meet up again in Los Angeles and discuss a world of topics. A state of the union if you will. CTWP is rapidly approaching its first birthday and Charlie and Mowo! sit down to discuss what’s coming,what’s happened and government cheese. Charlie happens to be in LA playing with his good buddy, drummer Scott Amendola so why not take this time to sit down and talk about Mowo!’s dearly departed Nigerian Uncle Linus. Charlie’s shares his love of mankind with all. A magical series of moments that you the takers and users get……..for nothing! Sop it up dear listeners………sop away! it’s short but boy is it sweet.

Howard Smiley……..what  can we say? He was so behind the scenes in the record business that the only photo we could find of him is one in the kitchen of him making some fried matzoh! Without further ado let us introduce you to Mr. Howard Smiley the man behind the man next to the guy behind the guy…….but don’t let his anonymity fool you. Howard worked some of the biggest records ever as a one man wrecking machine for Henry Stone’s TK Records.The  home of  artists such as George McCrae , Betty Wright , K.C. And The Sunshine Band , The Village People , Latimore , Ralph Macdonald etc etc…..Howard saw the birth and explosion of Disco happen and he was a big part of it.  Howard grew up in south Florida in the late 50’s and 60’s. A nice jewish boy who decided sort of to go into the record business.Kind of by accident as his record business job during college just happened to fit in between classes.  He also  batted (or attempted to)  against hall of famer Steve Carlton in high school but that’s an entirely other story. After an incredible run as the swiss army knife of a gigantic indie label  Howard moved to New York from Miami to basically invent the licensing and cross marketing of music for a plethora of other uses. Over the last 40+ years Howard has had his hand in just about every aspect of the music business expect for maybe playing bongos on an album but we hear that’s in the works. He can also hit a jump shot at will from just about anywhere on a basketball court. So here you go folks stories about an incredible time and what used to be an incredible industry filled with stories and characters. Howard was and is one of those amazing characters. Welcome to the CTWP family Howard…….now fry us up some matzoh!!!

Joining us this week is the incredible pop songwriter and  actual writer,writer Shelly Peiken.She recently had a piece on Huffington Post cause a big stir and her blog “Confessions Of Serial Songwriter” (she’s also writing a book with the same title) http://www.shellypeiken.com/confessions-of-a-serial-songwriter/  is a read you’ll always look forward to after you visit the site (THIS IS NOT A PROMOTION but a tool for creatives to find inspiration) .She writes from her heart. You may know Shelley for hits she’s written for  The Pretenders , Natalie Cole , Brandy , Britney Spears , Celine Dion , Backstreet Boys , INXS , Selena Gomez , Backstreet Boys , Keith Urban , Ethel Merman and Phil Silvers (ok…..not Merman and Silvers but you get the drift! ……we just love Merman and Silvers round these parts). Or you may not know her but you will now.  She also co-wrote the song “Bitch” for Meredith Brooks. A gigantic hit. A funny story about “Bitch” ……..but you’ll have to listen to the episode to get to that little chestnut. Shelly and Mowo! talk about the state of things. She’s kinda fascinating. She’s worked with so many different types of pop artists in so many settings. A real songwriter in the pop mold. From the older (she is NOT old) school. This episode is a look into the area of the music business you just don’t get to see very often that we’re very happy to share with you.  For the first and probably time in the history of this podcast Rhianna and Sam Smith will be spoken about. Fear not, it’s in a context that makes sense. Shelley speaks to writing songs today and staying in your lane. She’s driven. Do NOT let the calm nice voice fool you. She has found success in a “Game Of Thrones” environment. She’s also fun to sit down and talk to. You’ll enjoy this episode. Welcome to the CTWP family Shelley.

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Mtume….Musician,Producer,Composer,Political Activist,Radio Show host. Mtume is not someone that can be put in one box. That’s just not gonna happen. Mowo! had the absolute pleasure of being able to sit down with Mtume after Mtume finished his weekly radio show. 8am on a Sunday morning in NYC made MOWO! think of the famous Lenny bruce bit where Lenny gets called at 8 am and the caller says “Did I wake you up Lenny?” and Lenny says “Of course not, I always get up 14 hours before I go to work……”. There was no set of circumstances that were gonna keep this episode from happening. Along with his incredible stint with Miles Davis during the 70’s he also had a band under his own name that had some massive hits. Look up “Juicy Fruit” …….you’ve heard it 45,985,957 times on its own and sampled by many hip hop artists. We purposely didn’t even touch on this because there were so many other things to talk about. McCoy Tyner, Freddie Hubbard , Roberta Flack , Stephanie Mills , etc, etc. We touched on Mtume being a young black competitive swimmer in the 60’s. We touch on his now famous debate with jazz critic and prickly know it all Stanley Crouch and many many other things. Also joining us from time to time is Mtume’s partner Melody Fox so don’t be surprised by the occasional female voice. We are extremely proud to have Mtume now be part of the Compared To What family. So is Nile Rodgers…….

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Steve Berlin learned it the right way. Some of you may know Steve from his being a member of Los Lobos. He’s also been a member of The Blasters and Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs. He was born in Philly and subsequently moved to LA and cut his teeth working on just about every style of music you can mention.  His resume as a producer and sideman is incredible Angelique Kidjo, John Lee Hooker , Smithereens, Willy Nelson , Sheryl Crowe, Pual Simon , Rickie Lee Jones , Buckwheat Zydeco , Doug Sahm the list goes on and on and on. Charlie and Steve got to sit down over the weekend during the Monterrey Jazz festival and have a great conversation. Steve talks about how Los Lobos broke, his friendship and apprenticeship/touring experiences with Lee Allen ( Look up Lee Allen…….LEGEND ) and making it as a young musician in the wilds of late 70’s Los Angeles. An incredible addition to the world of Compared To What.

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Here we go again. Mowo! and Hal continue their previous conversation and cover a lot more ground. we open up on Hal doing an impersonation of  Marianne Faithful. With nothing but love in his heart but its kind of stellar. The conversations settles after a couple of minutes into Hal’s long loving relationship with Lou Reed. Another great addition to the CTWP library. Hope you guys enjoy it! “you’ll never work in this town again!” ( just remember that quote )

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Harry Manx is best described as where East meets West musically. “Mysticsippi”. Harry plays an instrument called the Mohan Veena the invention of Vishwa Mohan Bhatt  a very unique stringed instrument with 20 strings. Charlie sits down with Harry and talks about the incredible world of busking and being a street musician. For Charlie and Harry to sit down is kind of incredible. They both play and have mastered instruments that they basically pioneered. A very unique interaction between two incredibly gifted musicians. Harry spent 12 years in India learning how to play this instrument and unlearning what he had about a slide instrument up until that point. Harry explains in detail how he came to learn the instrument and how much it changed everything about his life. A very heavy set of circumstances. An incredible tail. He would go to Japan from time to time to play on the street so he could come back to India and have some money. Pretty wild in and of itself to be a Canadian surfing between those two intensely different cultures. One of the types of conversations that makes this show so worth doing. We really hope you enjoy it!.

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Who’s the dude that wrote all that insanely cool music on the TV show “Breaking Bad” and writes like 40 minutes per episode on “The Black List” ??  Answer : Our good friend Dave Porter.( hearty round of applause ). Mowo! sits down with the composer who just won ASCAP’s “Tv Composer Of The Year Award” for “Best Tv Music” for his work on the aforementioned programs. Dave is not a man of many words he let’s his music do his talking for him. He and Mowo! cover  many things as their friendship has spanned over 20 years. An interesting look into the world of composers. A fun time is had by all. We’re extremely happy to have Dave be part of The Compared To What Podcast family now!

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Sometimes on the show we just sit down with an old friend and have a funny conversation. Period. Enter Eric Kalb. Master drummer. Both Charlie and Mowo! have the pleasure of calling Eric an old friend. Eric has played with Charlie over the years , Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings and many incredible acts including John Scofield , George Porter Jr. , Melvin Sparks ,John Medeski and the band Deep Banana Blackout to name a very few. A great cat. An incredible player with the pocket of Joe Dukes and Bernard Purdie. High praise indeed. Charlie and Eric touch on some music stuff and then the touch on some VERy non music stuff. A conversation that takes many turns. MANY VERY FUNNY TURNS! Welcome to the CTWP family Eric. So glad to have you onboard  man! “This gum is old and I’m hornnnnnyyyyyy”   HA!!!!!!

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CLICK THE LINK BELOW ITS INSANELY AWESOME

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Mowo! had the honor of sitting down with Brad Parker. The two had met just about 10 days earlier at a music business meeting of songwriters and composers. Brad is a musician, a songwriter, a progressive thinker , a lobbyist and problem solver. Brad has a real clear viewpoint on what ails the music business and the United States in general. Raised in Iowa , New Mexico and Texas in the late 50’s and 60’s Brad and his brother figured out that sooner or later they’d be drafted into Vietnam so like any teenage musicians from the late 60’s they decided to move to San Francisco in the late 60’s. This episode covers a lot of ground. The late 1960’s  Bay Area movement in music , political thought , food etc etc. brad’s had a lot of success as a songwriter and producer. His body of work ranges from Psychedelic Rock, Punk , Country music and 80’s Hair Bands to Cher to Asian Pop. A wide range of work in music. brads take on how the music business works and what needs to change kicks in about halfway into the conversation. It’s what its all about. Artists , Songwriters and Label owners as Eddie Harris once said…….”Listen Up”.The conversation settles on a bigger picture of ISP’s , Big Technology and how the internet will be run and what we can think of and try to do to change that.  A great episode and a welcomed  addition to the  Compared to What Podcast  collection. Enjoy.  *** We sat outside in the lovely country side of South Pasadena…….so you might hear some outside noises. Big deal. Content Content content rules the day.

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So you wanna go into the record business eh kid?  Meet Matt Pierson. Matt has a long creative history in the record business. He got his start as the buyer for Peaches Records and Tapes in Miami in the early 80’s while attending the University of Miami on a full scholarship as a trumpet player. Born and raised in the Detroit area and the son of a professional musician it took until one night on a  gig as the second chair trumpet player to realize that it might be another 10-15 years before he moved over  to the first chair and that maybe, just maybe he had some more to offer in the way of skills. Matt moved to NYC in 1988 and after a little bit of luck and a lot of effort landed a gig at the Blue Note Record label where he learned from Bruce Lundvall and Michael Cuscuna ( a protege of Mowo!’s dad Joel Dorn ). Matt climbed the ladder quickly ultimately being plucked up by Warner Brothers to head their soon to be booming Jazz Department. Matt has produced and signed an incredible amount of artists over the years. While at Warners alone the roster he built included Joshua Redman , Kenny Garrett , Brad Mehldau , Larry Goldings , Joe Sample, George Duke and Kirk Whalum. A stunning roster in what were otherwise in some people’s minds very lean times for jazz. A musician, a producer, a businessman and a creative soul Matt sits down with Charlie and the two touch on so many topics that we don’t even really know where to begin to explain all of them. It’s a long episode. We didn’t want to split it in two. Ladies and Gents get your private Jets fueled and ready for takeoff. Matt Pierson will be your inflight entertainment. Don’t drift off.

Vince Wilburn joins the show this week. Mowo! sits down with Vince and talks about growing up in Chicago around one of the richest most creative music scenes in the history of American music. Vince is the nephew of music Legend Miles Davis. He toured and played with his uncle for years following in the footsteps of legends (major shout out to Al Foster!! ) .That experience in and of itself is worth the listen. Nothing is funnier than the thought of Miles Davis sitting in his room after a show and listening to the board tapes of that nights show and breaking walkman headphones wondering whether or not he was gonna buy the band dinner that night based on their performance. ( apparently Miles constantly broke Walkman headphones ). Vince talks about growing up and being mentored by Freddie White. ( Look up Freddie White. Brother of Verdine and Maurice White of Earth Wind and Fire and a major major musician ). Chicago was Earth Wind and Fire , Ramsey Lewis , Chess Records, Eddie Harris , The Blues ……..REAL MUSIC and history….period. The conversation touches on many different topics. It should be noted that Vince (along with his cousins Erin Davis  and Cheryl Davis) runs the Miles Davis Estate. A huge responsibility that he takes on with love and respect for the legacy of his family. We love Vince and we hope you do to!

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Dateline 1979: A young Charlie Hunter with his mom stumbles into a local guitar shop in Berkley,CA looking to pick up some basics so he can just know how to play a little guitar. The teacher he would meet that day happened to be a young Joe Satriani who just happened to have a gig teaching local kids how to play guitar. Not metal guitar , not progressive rock guitar. ACTUAL guitar. Nuts and bolts guitar. So it was at Second Hand Guitars that a young Charlie got his ass handed to him on a  weekly basis by a slightly older Joe. Joe just so happens to have also studied with Lennie Tristano. Think you know somebody by their body of work or the style the specialize in? You don’t.Not many of you would expect that Joe would be Charlie’s teacher. Both have such distinct styles and sound on their instruments. Says a lot about both Joe’s teaching ability and Charlie’s dedication to learning and developing on his instrument.  Joe and Charlie sat down in the lobby of a hotel in New York City that wasn’t gracious enough to give them a quiet place to conduct and interview. Thanks unknown overpriced midtown joint in Manhattan!!! Charlie and Joe speak about Joe’s start of his solo career by putting the expenses of his first record completely on a credit card. Taking a shot on making an instrumental rock guitar album during a time where nobody bought them. Joe invented something. Joe reluctantly taught at the guitar store for ten years and helped shape the styles and playing a many players in the area. An incredible conversation between old friends with a real love of music.  CLICK THE LINK BELOW AND ALL THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE WILL BE SOLVED

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audio:http://www.comparedtowhatpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ComparedToWhatPodcast-TheKristyEdmundsConversation.mp3   CLICK THE LINK AND WIN THE ROYAL DENMARK LOTTERY!!!!

Charlie sat down with Dave Dederer and had an incredible chat. You guys may know Dave as the guitarist of The Presidents of The United States Of America. Dave joins Charlie in his hotel room, makes a coffee. Dave is a fascinating individual because he’s managed to find success in both music and in the white collar world. Two very different worlds indeed. He also worked at a communist pizza parlor. Just had to put that out there because I wonder if they had a “Trotsky Pie” and what would be on it. Maybe Dave can answer that? We hear about the changes in Seattle over the years. Dave also tells us about how he came to a crossroads in his late twenties with the creation of The Presidents and the success that came with it  after having been a teacher and grad student. It’s a wild thing to find success in making music at that point in your life. You’ll love the way he explains that experience. Fans of the Presidents will also love listening to Charlie’s explanation of the Presidents sound and his complimentary words about their process and what they created. They touch on the using of space in music,Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Nels Cline.  We’re proud to have Dave join the merry mix up here at The Compared To What Podcast and hope you enjoy this conversation.  CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION IN ENGLISH!

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What’s the absolute coolest thing that George Carlin and Richard Pryor have in common? ( hint……it wasn’t having heart attacks) ….ok…..The answer is Rocco Urbisci. Rocco worked closely along side Richard Pryor on multiple films and tv shows. He co-wrote “Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling” with Richard and also Directed the NBC series “The Richard Pryor Show”. As if that wasn’t amazing enough in and of itself, Rocco is also directed all the  comedy specials during George Carlin’s amazing run on HBO between 1986 and 2008. Throw in some incredible work with Lily Tomlin on a  couple of specials and one woman shows and you begin to see that Rocco has really worked on and helped shape some of the most important comedy of an entire generation. Mowo! got to sit down with Rocco in the intimate setting of The Santa Monica Playhouse  (btw, thanks Santa Monica Playhouse for allowing us to use the main stage for this episode very nice of you guys). The two touched on many subjects and Rocco spoke glowingly of both Richard Pryor and George Carlin. He also basically makes it about the artists. He’s NOT about him…..he’s about them.  Good times indeed. Enjoy.

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Dorthaan Kirk is the heart and soul behind one of the best jazz radio stations in The United States, WBGO out of Newark,New Jersey. A tireless ambassador for jazz and music in general. Dorthaan also happens to be the widow of legendary musician Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Charlie got to sit down with Dorthaan and talk about what it was like for her to move to Los Angeles as a teenager in the late 50’s. Life with Rahsaan. Her incredible run of work at WBGO and about her letter from “Turkey”. You’ll figure out who “Turkey” is after a little while.  Let it be known that Mowo! is “Turkey Jr.” A beautiful conversation about life and family. For those of you who may not know who Rahsaan is please do yourself a major favor and check out the work of Rahsaan Roland Kirk. You should also check out the work of Dorthaan through WBGO and support the station…….unless of course you want a nation of radio stations playing the same Miley Cyrus song over and over and over and over again. You could also do that. Bright Moments everyone  CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN TO CHARLIE AND DORTHAAN’s CONVERSATION.

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PLAY BALL!!!!! This week we decided that with the new baseball season upon us that Mowo! should sit down with amazing baseball writer Dan Epstein ( hearty cheer heard round the internets). You may know Dan as the author of the definitive book on baseball in the the 1970’s entitled “Big Hair And Plastic Grass-A Funky Ride Through Baseball and America In The Swinging 70’s”. If you don’t know that book , look it up and make sure to read it as it’s an incredible ride through one of the best decades baseball has ever given us. Some of you however may know Dan from his many years of writing about music for Rolling Stone , Revolver and Rhino Record’s “Single Notes”. Dan’s also got a new book coming out called “Stars and Strikes” but we don’t promote anything here at The Compared To What Podcast  so you didn’t hear it from us and we’re also not telling you that the book is about the 1976 baseball season. We just don’t roll that way here. Mowo! and Dan sat down and talked some serious 1970’s baseball and growing up collecting baseball cards.  Committing the most mundane stats to memory was a badge of honor as children for the two ( for the record Dan has Mowo! beat by a mile in that category ).  Now all you need to do is get a mental  image of Ron LeFlore roaming the outfield of Tiger Stadium circa 1976 and then hit the play button below.  CLICK BELOW TO HEAR THE BEST BASEBALL STORIES EVER TOLD BY DAN EPSTEIN AND MOWO!….

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This week we continue our conversation with the great Stewart Levine. For those that don’t remember where we left off  we had decided to break for lunch. I can now confirm that a Badger Salad was NOT on the menu. Please check out part 1 of the conversation because I don’t want to repeat who and what Stewart Levine is here. During this conversation we cover Stewart’s time producing mega hits in England with Simply Red , Womack & Womack and Jamie Cullum. We also cover Stewart’s very spot on viewpoint of the American Idol show. I don’t want to give anything else away. Just give it a listen , you’ll be glad you did. (Stewart is the one on the left in the photo. His son Sunny is on the right…….two great cats. Oh and yes that’s Levine up top giving us a little taste on the sax.  CLICK  THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION

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It brings us great joy to add legendary drummer and incredible human being James Gadson to The Compared To What Podcast family of conversations. Mowo! got to visit James at his home and sit with him for a little while and chat. It’s not often you get to sit down with someone that can say (very modestly we might add) that they’ve played on upwards of 500 Gold and Platinum albums. For those not familiar with James here’s a quick list of artists he has played with: Bill Withers , Charles Wright And The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band , Dyke and The Blazers , The Jackson 5 , Marvin Gaye , Paul McCartney , Beck , Lady Gaga , Lalo Schifrin , Freddie King , The Isley Brothers, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Smokey Robinson, and Frank Sinatra………quite a list right? It might even be easier to list the artists James HASN’T worked with. That list would be shorter! James is easily one of the most recorded AND sampled drummers of all time. An unmistakeable sound and feel. One of kinds actually applies when you speak of James Gadson. So many things were covered in the short amount of time we hung out. Things are not quite as they would seem when it comes to how James learned how to play drums. Drummers take notice of the story of his progression as a drummer/musician. You will be surprised to learn that James was actually not much of a pocket player until well into his late 20’s. This is an astonishing fact based on his grand master level knowledge of “the pocket”. Good things come to those who wait. We really hope you enjoy this episode. It’s a special one……and yes…..you’ll hear some rainfall in the background. It does rain in southern California after all! CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION

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“There’s usually plenty of room on the high road”. That quote kinda sums up Monte Croft. While Monte is a highly accomplished recording artist and musician who has worked with many of the biggest names in music he is also an incredible thinker and has a distinct viewpoint on things. Even if you’re just friends with him on Facebook for example,on a daily basis you’ll learn something very interesting from him. Charlie sat down with Monte and the two talked about Monte’s experiences while being signed to the Columbia Records label. They spoke at length about Monte’s experiences growing up in Youngstown,Ohio and his path to New York City via music school in Boston (yes the one that Rhymes with “Shmerklee”) (I kid, I kid). Monte is the straightest of the straight shooters. It’s his truth and vibe that we seek on this podcast to share with all of you out there. MOnte talks about working with everyone from Gino Vanelli,Branford Marsalis, The Average White Band and more. Stories, Experiences and truth. Young artists listen closely to Monte’s experiences making his first solo album. “You use the science at home to make the magic on the gig”oh and Charlie….its not Goering……it’s Goebbels……..bitte baby……..CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION

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Full discloser: I (Mowo!) have known Hal Willner since I was the age of 5. The conversation you are about to hear contains some real gems. We’ve known each other for 35+ years. The conversation is bound to get a little inside. Having said all of that I am getting ahead of myself. Let me introduce you to Hal Willner. Hal has worked on a little lit of everything over the last 40 years. A champion of the downtown new york jazz scene………rock scene…….art scene………you name it, if there is a scene, he knows the key people in it and is without a doubt loved by the folks in that scene. He’s just that guy. How can you not love a guy that Ralph Steadman called “the great american wine slob”………..nuff said.  Hal has worked on films as a composer , music supervisor and music consultant for Wim Wenders (“The Million Dollar Hotel”) , Martin Scorcese (“The Gangs Of New York”)  , Robert Altman (“The Player”, “Kansas City” and “Short Cuts” )  and Gus Van Sant (“Finding Forrester”). That alone would be cool but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.Hal has been the guy that places all the music in skits for the last 30+ seasons on “SNL”. Hal’s also produced albums for Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, Lucinda Williams , Laurie Anderson , William S Burroughs and Allen Ginsgurg. Have you had enough? Just in case you have not Hal also single handedly invented the “tribute album project” with incredible projects focusing on the work of Disney , Monk  ,Nino Rota,Harry Smith  and Edith Piaf to name but a few.He also was the creative force behind an incredibly important music television show called “Night Music” which was hosted by the great David Sanborn. In an age of very few Renaissance Men/Women Hal is two Renaissance Men. A fascinating character and also personally a very important figure in my career as an artist. He also happens to be a student of my fathers.It’s win win folks.  This is a big episode for me personally on the show as Hal shared many experiences with my father in the studio. It ends at 1 hour as there will be a part two and potentially a part 3. Enjoy. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR HAL TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS

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Charlie sat down with Bobby Previte and had probably the most complete conversation to date on the show. It begins and ends on the same note. Really an incredible conversation. The epitome of what we want you guys to experience as listeners to this show. Bobby has had a really accomplished career as a drummer. One of the originators and main proponents of the New York “Downtown” music scene in the early 1970’s. He has worked with many different acts and is a leader in his own right. Bobby has worked extensively with Wayne Horvitz , Elliot Sharpe , John Zorn and Bill Frisell for example. More importantly just listen to the stories and the attitude of this conversation. If you’re a young creator of anything in any field actually hopefully this is inspirational for you as Charlie and Bobby repeatedly speak about constantly reevaluating their work on a regular basis. One of the great points of the conversations is the balance between musician and entertainer. Bobby has some amazing viewpoints on this and likes to think that every once in a while it’s not so bad if you have to sit through some music that actually makes you feel as the listener like you’re taking a gigantic virtual risk. Why would that be so bad? Every once in a while it’s not so bad for the listener to know what it feels like to be lost at sea. It’s just music, you aren’t actually lost at sea! If you ever meet Bobby,try not to be clever he has had enough of clever. A good thing also to remember is that “the sleek have inherited the earth”…CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION

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Mowo! sat down with Recording Artist, Songwriter, Record Producer and all around creative musician Joe Henry. This was the first time the two ever had a chance to sit down and have a little conversation. The two have worked with many of the same musicians and artists over the years but both share a real love for Richard Pryor which is where the conversation starts off ( Joe and his brother David have a book out now about Richard and while we promote NOTHING on this show …”Furious Cool-Richard Pryor And The World That Made Him”….check it out). Topics covered during this chat range from the aforementioned Mr. Pryor ,  discovering Jazz as a kid , Joe’s having grown up in suburban Detroit the son of a father in the auto industry. We also touch on the making of Joe’s album “Reverie” and the importance of sound in recordings and everyday life in general. Lastly this description would be useless without mentioning the great Little Jimmy Scott. Mostly because Little Jimmy Scott is truly an American Treasure. ( Joe and Mowo! have also worked with him. ). CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION

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Mowo! got to sit down with his old pal Moby. It should be noted that he got to sit down with his friend Moby outside poolside at Moby’s house.From time to time the audio is compromised by the subtle breezes of the rarified air of the  Hollywood Hills hitting the recorders microphone. We apologize for the audio blips and bleeps but the content of the conversation far outweighs the audio quality.  Subjects touched upon = The rats of the Hollywood Hills , Crack Addicted Landlords , Junkies jumping into garbage from the 3rd story of an East Village apartment building. The hidden secrets of Los Angeles , Two fellas moving to Los Angeles after a lifetime in New York City. A fun conversation that starts out with Moby explaining for the listener how he felt his career was over when “Play” was released.  We all know how that worked out. It’s fun to sit down with a friend to find out he admires another very close friend and wishes he had more recognition. Moby’s comments about Hal Willner  (the friend in question) alone are worth the listen. Also every once in a while it sounds like we are sitting on a boat and the anchor is hitting the side while we are drifting. Appropriate when you’re speaking to someone named Moby (………….moan here……now) CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR TWO BALD MEN SPEAK TO EACH OTHER ……….OH , AND THE EPISODE TOO.

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Charlie got to sit down with old friend Dionne Farris. You may know Dionne from her days as a key member of  the Hip Hop group Arrested Development. Without a doubt you know her her smash hit from the 90’s “I know”.  She’s an incredible singer and musician who has continued to grow and master her craft. Do not judge this book by it’s cover. Dionne breaks down the experience of pop stardom and it’s a really fascinating tale indeed. You’ll really enjoy this conversation and you may even hear Charlie’s dog running around in the background too. That’s how we roll.  CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION

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How many people do you know that can say that they’ve worked with Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones and Charles Manson? The answer is none. You know actually none people that can say that until now. Meet Gary Stromberg. Gary is a fascinating individual. He got his start in film making , moved on to publicity with a very very short foray into recording producing with a homicidal maniac named Charles Manson. Shortly after that he produced one of the classic films of the 1970’s entitled “Car Wash”. Did I also mention he’s a best selling author who’s book “The Harder They Fall” is an incredible tail about fame and addiction. Mowo! got to sit down with his old pal Gary and talk some talk. We hope you enjoy it.CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR FROM A NICE JEWISH BOY ABOUT CHARLES MANSON…………..AND OF COURSE THE EPISODE.

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Les McCann is one of the true legends of music. At least that’s how we look at it here at the Compared To What Podcast. While some of you may be familiar with his mega hit recording along with Eddie Harris of “Compared To What”(yes the inspiration for the name of this podcast). He also is a real innovator in the history of recorded music. A real pioneer in the use of Synthesizers (please check out the album “Layers”). A great singer,songwriter,comedian,photographer and just about everything else. Les also just knows how to make an audience feel good. He’s all about making the room swing. It should also be noted he is basically our favorite piano player ever. Take that Jazzer-Know-It-Alls!   CLICK BELOW TO HEAR FROM ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING HUMANS , SINGERS AND PIANO PLAYERS OF ALL TIME………..EPISODE AUDIO LINK BELOW

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Brand New Grammy Winner Lalah Hathaway is probably the most singular voice of her generation. She’s also an incredible musician who will sing a chord at will and slay you. Deservedly she’s also been nominated (thankfully WON this year) for multiple Grammies. Mowo! was lucky enough to sit down with her and have a nice chat ranging through many topics. The one major thought that was left with Mowo! after this conversation is that Lalah should eventually host some sort of Late Night Talk show. They also spoke a little bit about their fathers having worked together on a couple of classic recordings. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO HEAR THIS EPISODE.

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Welcome to the Podcast. Seriously,sit down and relax,get comfortable and prepare yourself for probably the best conversation about the inspiration for the starting of a podast between a 7 string guitarist and a 30’s inspired electronic musician you will ever hear. Impressed? We know we are. In this episode The hosts sit down and interview each other about why they wanted to start the show in the first place. “This was Charlie’s idea so blame him!” says co-host Adam Dorn (A.K.A Mocean Worker). We wanted to create a conversation show. Some folks might think this is an interview show but really we just sit down with people that we really admire and get more of a sense of who they are and why they do what they do. Is it a music show? Not really. It’s just conversations about life in America seen through the eyes of creative Americans and Americants. CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN TO THE CONVERSATION.

p.s. What’s up with the “urban graffiti” settings Charlie and Mowo! are hanging out in in these pictures!?!? Is that a shot from Charlie’s days on “The Wire” ……is this Mowo! as “Toilet Trader” ??

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