Mulligan Stew Podcast

EP 200 | Joni Mitchell From The Archives

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Episode #200 – it’s a blur but I think captures what the times were like during a pandemic. The role that music played in getting people through.

Joni and I shared a band house in Regina. For 10 days.  Maybe 1966.

Then we reconnected when I hosted the first Greenpeace concert that Joni headlined in Vancouver. We would cross paths much later at The Last Waltz.

Joni Mitchell – MuchMusic Interview from Nathan Delphini on Vimeo.

This is a video interview I can’t remember doing. I also had forgotten the Greenpeace concert for some bizarre reason.

She talks about  The Last Waltz, being incorrectly painted as a Canadian ex-pat in LA,  the effect her songs have on people, the changing of “the old guard” at the Last Waltz, and how she wasn’t ready to retire.

We cover a lot of subjects and her music history.

How she calls her songs “her babies” and that it’s part of female nurturing

She waxes about Dylan, Steely Dan and answers the question do we know her as well as we think we do? Joni speaks out strongly on Indian rights!!

Backstage at Los Angeles Fashion Week FW/19 Powered by Art Hearts Fashion at The Majestic Downtown on March 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Neither one of us mention an album or name a song.  So I’m not exactly sure when this was recorded. But I’m thinking 1982???

I mention she’s on a speaking tour and Joni talks about organizing a date with  Sting,  Peter Gabriel, Bryan Adams that speaks of The Human Rights Concerts (Live in New Jersey). That first concert was in 1986..so let’s call this interview mid-80s.

The time of

82’s Wild Things Run Fast

86’s Dog Eat Dog

88’s Chalk mark in a rainstorm

Being influenced by Steely Dan, Thomas Dolby, Willie Nelson, and Peter Gabriel.

It’s the perfect interview to celebrate Podcast 200.

(Thank You Elliott Garnier and Corey Wood for getting me there)

God Bless Joni Mitchell

EP 199 | Shawn Edwards – 2022 Critics Choice Awards

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Shawn Edwards.

Film Critic. Entertainment Journalist. (WDAS Kansas City).  Creator. Producer. On the board of the Critics Choice Assn in LA.

Producer of A Celebration of Black Cinema. Currently shaping The Black Movie Hall of Fame in Kansas City.

Shawn returns to share a recap of the 2022 Critics Choice Awards last Sunday (in LA and London)

How those winning might affect The Oscars.

Plus The Super Awards winners.

We deep dive into

The Power of the Dog

King Richard

Tammy Faye

Jane Campion – Director

Halle Berry

Ted Lasso

We welcome back to the MulliganStew Podcast #199  Shawn Edwards.

NEXT WEEK – Joni Mitchell

EP 198 | Remembering Solomon Burke- Never before played interview

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Moving is never “fun” but along the way (if you’re lucky) you find little treasures.

During our latest move, I found boxes and cases with interviews.

It got me to thinking – where is that Solomon Burke Interview?

We had talked at the Edmonton Folk Festival several years earlier and in 2010 when he was releasing a new album Nothing’s Impossible.

Produced by Willie Mitchell in Memphis. Same Studio, producer, musicians as Rev Al Green!

We had a great chat and off he went – passing away weeks later as he passed through Amsterdam’s airport.

I simply couldn’t find the heart to go back and listen to the interview. Every time I heard the first words I started to tear up.

So. I walked away from the interview thinking the day will come when I can deal with it.

Well, today’s the day.

Solomon Burke was asked in an interview “are you a gospel/church singer or a blues singer?”..Solomon’s reply was “I’m a soul singer”

He was the first artist to use the phrase.

The man was a preacher, singer, writer, mortician!  When it came to the music business he was not to be messed with.

If you get a chance check out his life story. It’s a wild ride.

Solomon Burke by-the-numbers

Performed 55 years. 38 studio albums. 17 record labels. Grammy winner. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 17 million albums sold.  In 2008 was #89 of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 100 greatest singers of all time.

AND Father 21 children and Grandfather of 90 Grandkids.

 

EP 197 | Kevin Hearn-There And Then

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Kevin Hearn has released a stark album called There and Then:  Solo Piano Improvisations.  3 distinct rooms, 3 pianos, and 3 days of playing, each only for 3 hours.
No demos. No rehearsal. No real conversation between himself and producer Mark Howard.
Yes. The same Kevin Hearn who was a member of the Corky and the Juice Pigs Band, bandleader for Lou Reed, and a star member of Bare Naked Ladies.
Kevin worked for years with Gord Downie. Right up until Gord was lost to Cancer.
There and Then honors Gord (Among the Stars) and  Lou (Lou) and Garth Hudson (The Garth Hudson Institute) and the basic elements of great music.

The album cover was painted by Gord’s daughter Willo. Lou Video was directed by Mike Downie.
Rather than paint a word picture I’ve decided to let Kevin tell the tale of how all this came to be.
THIS is an album that will become a balm for the World we all live in.
Well done Kevin and Mark.

EP 196 | Keb’Mo’

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It’s fair to say Keb Mo is simply one of the most popular choices for anyone’s playlist.  An easy pull.

He delivers thoughtfulness, groove, and joy every time.

So imagine my delight in having him Zoom guest from his home in Nashville.

Keb’s new album is Good to be. It reflects the loss of his mother, returning  to Compton to remodel and freshen up the home he was brought up in and to reconnect with “the community”.  That’s one thing we talk about – I never thought of Compton as a community because everything I read and heard only referenced the toughness of the streets and what could be a hard life. (NWA!!)

Keb references and hangs with The Compton Cowboys.. real-life people. Legends in  Compton history. (Check out the video below)

Speaking of video – You can see the Zoom Interview on the Terry David Mulligan YouTube Channel!  His smiles and laughs make the session come alive.

Keb also talks strongly about his thoughts on  Black History Month, working with Vince Gill, Old Crow Medicine Show, covering his friend Bill Withers, etc.

He answers the last question straight up – Did you find the blues or did the blues find you?

The complete audio and zoom interview drops right after The Stew.  Details  at www.mulliganstew.ca

 

 

EP 195 | Paul Janeway – St. Paul & The Broken Bones

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St Paul and the Broken Bones.  The best name in years.

Our guest is the co-founder, lead singer, and co-writer Paul Janeway…the Paul of St Paul.

They’ve just released their 4th Album The Alien Coast. Fair to say, it’s not like the other three.

The groove is still there but they’re singing about classic painters, fever dreams, dancing as the World ends.

Paul Janeway looks like what he was planning to be – an accountant and bank teller – or a Preacher.

On stage, he brings the fire and brimstone of a Preacher but with the composure of Marvin Gaye and the driven belief of James Brown.

There’s so much to talk about here. Faith. Love. Devotion.

With three tracks included from The Alien Coast, we proudly present Paul Janeway – St Paul and the Broken Bones.

 

Tour Dates:

March 2-March 6 – North Charleston, SC – Riverfront Park Performance Pavilion

March 4 – Atlanta, GA – The Eastern *

March 5 – Charleston, SC – Charleston Wine & Food Festival

March 6 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz *

March 8 – Washington, DC – Lincoln Theatre *

March 9 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club *

March 11 – New York, NY – The Beacon Theatre *

March 12 – Lebanon, NH – Lebanon Opera House *

March 13 – Boston, MA – House of Blues *

March 15 – Philadelphia, PA – The Fillmore *

March 16 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE *

March 18 – Toronto, ON – Queen Elizabeth Theatre *

March 19 – Ottawa, ON – Bronson Centre *

March 20 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall *

March 22 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall *

March 23 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall *

March 25 – Minneapolis, MN – Palace Theatre *

March 26 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant

April 16 – Birmingham, AL – Alabama Theatre

April 21 – Dallas, TX – The Granada Theater^

April 22 – Houston, TX – House of Blues

April 23 – Dallas, TX – The Granada Theater ^

April 24 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s ^

April 26 – Tulsa, OK – Cain’s Ballroom ^

April 28 – Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom ^

April 29 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up ^

April 30 – Salt Lake City – Commonwealth Room ^

May 3 – Seattle, WA – The Neptune ^

May 5 – Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom ^

May 6 – San Francisco, CA/Oakland, CA – Fox Theater ^

May 7 – San Diego, CA – Humphreys Concerts By The Bay ^

May 10 – Los Angeles, CA – The Theatre at Ace Hotel ^

May 11 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet’s ^

May 12 – Phoenix, AR – The Van Buren ^

May 14 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater (with Brittany Howard, Drive-By Truckers, and Mavis Staples)

* with Thee Sacred Souls

^ with Danielle Ponder

 

St. Paul & the Broken Bones & Fitz and the Tantrums:

Jun 1 – Asheville, NC – Rabbit Rabbit

Jun 3 – Nashville, TN – Ascend Amp

Jun 4 – Wilmington, NC – Riverfront Amp

Jun 5 – Doswell, VA – Meadowbrook Park

Jun 7 – Burlington, VT – Shelburne Museum Green

Jun 8 – Portland, ME – Thompson’s Point

Jun 10 – New Haven, CT – Westville Bowl

Jun 11 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony

Jun 12 – Bethlehem, PA – Steelstacks

Jun 14 – Canandaigua, NY- CMAC

Jun 15 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavillion

Jun 17 – Kettering, OH – Fraze Pavillion

Jun 18 – Indianapolis, IN – TCU White Water Amp

Jun 21 – Kansas City, MO – Grinders

Jun 23 – Rogers, AR – Walmart Amp

Jun 24 – Des Moines, IA – Water Works Park

Jun 25 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s

SUPPORT:

Seratones – June 1-12

Devon Gilfillian June 14 – June 25

 

Europe / UK Tour Dates:

Jul 20 – Berlin, Germany – Kesselhaus

Jul 22 – Paris, France – Bataclan

Jul 24 – Netherlands, Amsterdam – Paradiso

Jul 26 – Leeds, United Kingdom – Brudenell Social Club

Jul 28 – London, United Kingdom – Electric Ballroom

Jul 31 – Cambridge, United Kingdom – Cambridge Folk Festival

Aug 2 – Glasgow, United Kingdom – Old Fruit Market

EP 194 | Shawn Hall: Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer live at the King Eddy

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Carefully assembled from the most powerful performances of a three-night residency at Calgary’s historically iconic blues mecca, the King Edward Hotel, between February 15th and 17th, 2019, Live at the King Eddy arrives as the latest installment of an already storied career that has to date produced six stunning studio releases. Following the independently released, raw folk and country-blues excursions of 2007’s The Blues Can Kill and the following year’s eponymous album, vocalist and harmonicist Shawn Hall – the Harpoonist – and guitarist Matt Rodgers – the Axe Murderer – truly hit their stride and found their sound on 2012’s Checkered Past.

Now. Three years after capturing these live recordings on The Stones Mobile, Harp and Axe release the finished product. Live at The King Eddy.

It’s a pumped and beautifully greasy set. Slick and unhinged at the same time.

Here’s a conversation with Shawn Hall – The Harp. We’ve showcased 5 tracks for you.

  • Mama’s in the back seat
  • Cry a Little
  • Roll with the punches
  • Sarah
  • Treat me kind

 

EP 193 | Sarah McLachlan – 1988 & 1992

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Not all the interviews we present on the Stew Podcast are brand new.

I’ve been at this interview thing since 1964 so there are always the possibilities of archival interviews.

Many are tied up in legal issues. Some were never kept or lost to time.

However, occasionally they just get “discovered”

The Sarah McLachlan interviews we present this week are the discovered type.

The first was in 1988. Sarah with her late 80’s Halifax Hair. Me,  holding her new album on Solace on cassette.

Then a large jump to 1992.

The year before Sarah had released Solace and was touring hard,  working on the songs for ‘93’s  Fumbling towards Ecstasy.

Everything changed right there. She had the songs, the voice, and the drive to become – what she became – a 40 Million album selling, Lilith Faire producing, and Grammy/Juno winning music star.

Sarah and I would later tour Thailand and Cambodia for World Vision. That’s another interview.

Two moments in time on the Mulligan Stew Podcast.

HELLO Sarah

EP 192 | Billy Joel 1988

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Two Words – Billy Joel.

One of the very few singing piano players who transcend the law of popular music.  There’s Elton John, Harry Connick, Leon Russell, Randy Newman, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Fats Domino etc.

Billy grew up on Long Island..in the shadow of NYC.

Determined to play piano and write songs Billy paid his dues in a Hollywood Bar. The kind where no one in the room was listening.

He has become a legend and a world star. Songwriter &  Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. Grammy winner. Kennedy Centre Honours.  This interview was done around 1998 or 1989..following the release of his album Storm Front. Produced by Mick  Jones of Foreigner.

There’s a good segment on Billy’s songwriting PROCESS…IT’S DREAMS EMBEDDED IN SLEEP.

EP 191 | Chief Clarence Louie ‘Rez Rules’

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Here’s what you might know about Chief Clarence…

CLARENCE LOUIE has been chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band, in the south Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, for almost 40 years. In 2013, Maclean’s named him one of the “Top 50 Canadians to Watch.” In 2003, Louie was chosen by the U.S. Department of State as one of six First Nations leaders to review economic development in American Indian communities… He is a member of the Order of British Columbia, the Order of Canada, and in 2019, he was the 1st  First Nations person ever inducted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame.

And some info you may not know.

When you talk to  Chief Clarence, ask your question, and then Get Out of The Way.

He’s talking about Respect. Truth. Reconciliation. Healing. Wellness. Land. Justice. Economic Freedom.

He believes in Native names for Sports Teams. He believes in renaming mountains, parks, rivers and cities/towns after the original nations who called it home for 10,000 years.

“tribes have been hanging around the Funding Trough for far too long.  I was taught by the old-timers that there is no such thing as a free lunch – Indians gotta stop looking for that free lunch. I’ve learned we have to move from spending Grant money to making our own money.”

The Osoyoos Indian Band leases include Arterra (Jackson Triggs), Spirit Ridge Resort, Sonora Dunes Golf course, District Wine Village, a provincial prison, 1,100 acres of prime vineyards, etc.

OIB businesses include a 300-acre vineyard, Nk’mip Cellars, a culture center, campground RV park, daycare, gas stations, cannabis stores, etc.


“A raw and honest perspective on First Nations leadership.”

—Manley A. Begay, Jr., former co-director, The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

“A common-sense blueprint for what the future of First Nations should look like as told through the fascinating life and legacy of a remarkable leader”  Google Books