EP 134 | Elvis Costello

December 5, 2020

hello

Hands up – is there anyone out there who hasn’t heard of Elvis Costello?

Not many of you. And I’m worried about those of you over there.

Right from the first notes, he’s staked his claim as a singular artist.

He was following nobody.

Elvis rose to prominence on the strength of three albums. One after the other.

My Aim is True, This Year’s Model and Armed Forces.

Never afraid to speak his mind or get in trouble for it he was branded a troublemaker. That got my attention right away.

His latest album is Hey Clockface.

Photo by Diana Krall

Recorded in Helsinki Finland and Paris France.

The Paris session was an amazing 9 songs in 2 days.

Elvis adlibbing his way through lyrics while being accompanied by French Jazz musicians, also adlibbing.

In several cases, Elvis spoke the words rather than sing them.

There’s a nod to Fats Waller & Tin Pan Alley.

There are elements of rap, hip hop, 1920’s Ukulele Ike traditional jazz songs, crooning like a Mel Torme session, and much more.

This is the complete interview. Wherein he talks about his new musical A Face in the Crowd, now stalled because of the Pandemic, and sings a song from the musical.

The re-release of Armed Forces, the possibility of working again with Nick Lowe, a fantastic story of Chuck Berry and Leonard Cohen.

His life growing up in England.

And a bag load of other moments in his life.

We welcome Elvis Costello to The Mulligan Stew Podcast

EP 133 | Sandra Oldfield, Kurtis Kolt, Rhys Pender. Helping Restaurants and Wineries in the year ahead

November 29, 2020

hello

You may have noticed that our Podcast has a subtitle

Music. Film. Food. Wine. Those are the subjects I keep coming back to.

We do lots of music and film and some food but the wine pods have been few and far between. That’s going to change.

The stories and interviews that stand out for me are the interviews affecting people everywhere.

This week it’s how we – the food and wine fan – can support our local restaurants and wineries, cideries, breweries, distillers.

The pandemic has caused many restaurants to close or hold on for dear life.

Wineries will disappear over the next year. The same with brewers, cider makers, and distillers.

I really wanted to hear from three voices that deal with this community every day. The question – what can we do. How can we help?

Sandra Oldfield – 20 years a winemaker and X-CEO of Tinhorn Creek Winery. Now head of Elysian Projects, assisting and guiding wineries and restaurants.

Kurtis Kolt – Wine writer, judge, and educator. Many years in the restaurant business in downtown Vancouver.

Rhys Pender – Master of Wine, Winemaker at Little Farm Wines. Educator via WinePlus. A calm voice inside all the noise.

EP 132 | Daniel Lanois Interview

November 20, 2020

hello

We’ve been long-distance friends since the ’60s but like many, I’ve followed his amazing career.

Best known for his producing work on landmark albums like Joshua Tree, Wrecking Ball, and Time out of Mind. His work with Peter Gabriel, Neville Brothers, EmmyLou, Willie, Robbie Robertson, Neil Young. Tinariwen etc earned this praise from Rolling Stone Magazine.

“His unmistakable fingerprints are all over an entire wing of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame”

In April he releases his next solo album Heavy Sun with a joyous/soulful band that blends gospel call and response, soul harmonics, and deep grooves. The intent is to “lift people’s spirits”. Lifted mine.

Because the album doesn’t drop until April 2021 this interview covers the first single (under a) Heavy Sun. Then Daniel takes us through his work with Leonard Cohen, Robbie Robertson, and that moment when Bob Dylan walked in on a Neville Brothers Yellow Moon session to hear their version of With God in our side.

EP 131 | Geeking Out on Island Pinot!

November 18, 2020

hello

The Stew Podcast has a subtitle

Music. Film. Food. Wine. Those are the fields where my interviews come from.

Lots of music.

Increasing film conversations.

The Food file is getting thicker

But I’ve been shortchanging the Wine stories.

I do many wine features for Tasting Room Radio but the podcast interviews have to be special.

This week it’s a complete geek out on Point Noir.

The most complex grape on the planet. Growers call it “the heartbreak grape”

It requires care, time, and attention to detail with no guarantee that the wine will be drinkable after a year of growing, harvest, and cellaring.

Great Pinot loves certain growing conditions found in France, German, New Zealand, Chile, and California/Oregon in the USA.

Now, because of global warming, it may become Vancouver Island’s turn. The winemakers of VI have long talked about such a possibility. Now they’re certain.

This gathering all took place at this year’s Victoria Wine Festival.

It started with a panel discussion and ended with a one-on-one group gathering (with masks) outside in the courtyard.

Mike Rathjen – Winemaker. Rathjen Cellars (Saanich)

Daniel Dragert – Winemaker Kutatas (koo-ta-tass) (Salt Spring Island)

Dan Wright – Winemaker Unsworth (Cowichan Valley)

Layne Craig – Winemaker 40 Knots (Comox)

Brent Rowland – Winemaker Averill Creek (Cowichan Valley)

Mike Neirychlo – Winemaker Emandare (Cowichan Valley) and panel host

Please remember, these are WINEMAKERS who love to geek out on Pinot.

IF you ever wanted to know more about the heartbreak grape this is your Podcast.

If you have a comment or opinion let us know…and Please subscribe on your favorite platform.

We’ll just “show up” after that.

NEXT week artist/producer/writer Daniel Lanois.

EP 130 | Kurt Vile

November 6, 2020

hello

It was always the name that got me. Kurt Vile. Got to be a punk, thrash metal guy right?

Turns out Kurt became a truly great singer/songwriter.

The voice is blue-collar but the songs and the way he sings them are unlike 99.9 % of the others.

He’s gone through the band phase with The War on Drugs. Then launched his solo career with a band of misfits called The Violators. Nice misfits mind you.

Dude has released a handful of albums and 18 EPS.

The latest is Sound, Speed, Lonely KV (EP)

It begins with a John Prine song and the second to last track is also a John Prine song, .WITH John Prine.

Enjoy the stories and the man.

Two Words….

Kurt Vile

John Prine

EP 129 | Sam Roberts- ALL OF US

October 31, 2020

hello

Happy Halloween…make it a safe one.

Sam Roberts (Sam Roberts Band) joins us on this week’s Mulligan Stew Podcast

They have just released their 7^th album All of Us.

Sam had most of the songs written out and recorded when he had a change of heart and something started making him re-write..

He’s glad he did. These are outstanding “open my heart “ songs. His fans are going to love these tunes.

We found Sam at home in Montreal on the Zoom machine.

Ladies and gents – Sam Roberts

EP 128 | The Trial of The Chicago 7- Aaron Sorkin

October 21, 2020

hello

For people of a certain age…The Chicago 7 represents a disturbing time in
American History.

For those who were too young to have experienced the events all across
America, simply look around you today.

Large groups of protesters in the streets and parks.

Violence between police/militia and citizens. Politics at its center with
changes in cultures a close second.

Racism was a spark…Martin Luther King Jr had been assassinated months
earlier.

1000’s had died in the war in Vietnam and Richard Nixon was in the White
House.

The Democratic National Convention was in Chicago, along with the National
Guard, 12,00 Chicago Police Officers, and 10,000 demonstrators.

The demonstrators were lead by the Yippies (Youth International Party) and
their leaders were Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin along with Tom Hayden and
Rennie Davis. There was an 8th defendant Bobby Seale a founder of the Black
Panther Party.

The lawyers who represented the accused were perfect for this legal battle.
William Kunstler and Leonard Weinglass. The action in the courtroom was so
wild, The 7 and their lawyers were charged with over 150 contempt’s of
court

It’s fair to say that the timing of this film and its subjects are perfect
for today’s audience which has been watching the Trump administration make
many of the same moves as Nixon.

Our guest is Aaron Sorkin, the writer, and director of The Trial of the
Chicago 7. (just premiered on Netflix this week)

You know him from The West Wing and Network. He wrote the screenplay for A
Few Good Men, Moneyball and won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
for The Social Network

This film ranks as one of his very best.

The audio was captured from a virtual press conference several weeks ago…

Enjoy Aaron’s great background on the story and the shoot. Makes the film
experience even better.

EP 127 | Afie Jurvanen/ Bahamas

October 10, 2020

hello

“I have music; I have a family, a house, a barbecue. I’ve got pants and a
hoodie, I got all kinds of whatever,” he says. “So that’s what I am
struggling with, this deeply internal thing. What are we doing here? We’re
just here on this rock for such a short time, and then we die.”

Afie Jurvanen’s comments from an article in American Songwriter

Afie Jurvanen is the creative spirit behind the artist known as Bahamas.

Afie has just released his fifth album – Sad Hunk

In Sad Hunk he writes and sings about – Forgiveness, dreams. belief, making
a living, family dynamics, cool/not cool,

Afie and his family moved from Ontario to Halifax and it’s reflected in his
spare, settled narration.

And music? His fans are going to love these tunes and it will win over
non-believers.

He’s the real deal..a Juno winning singer/songwriter who’ll be back at the
podium for next year’s awards.

Enjoy this Zoom interview with the funny and very direct Afie/Bahamas.

EP 126 | The War and Treaty

October 3, 2020

hello

Michael Trotter Jr – Tanya Trotter. The War and Treaty

They are the most interesting couple and the music they make is a heady mix
of blues, gospel, R&B, and country.

Their first album Healing Tide was so good, they ended up with a Grammy
nomination.

They were scheduled to open for John Legend for most of 2020 but you know
what happened there.

Now comes the all-important follow-up Hearts Town. Are they a one-shot wonder or artists
who will be making music for a looooong time?

(I’ll take door #2 Terry!!)

I love the shortlist of influences in their music

Ray Charles

Nina Simone

Aretha

AND

Johnny Cash

Here’s the deal: They bring real stories with their music. Michael’s post
war trauma, Tanya raising 3 kids, and her love for her Mother Judith.

Hearts Town is also about the people around them and their fans.

Listen to the life and death story behind the track 5 more minutes.

The call and response in Lonely in my Grief.

We welcome Michael and Tanya. The War and Treaty and their new album Hearts
Town

EP 125 | Bang! The Bert Berns Story

September 24, 2020

hello

Don’t know Bert Berns?

Maybe you’ve heard some of the songs he wrote and gave the World.

Twist and Shout. Piece of my Heart. Here comes the Night. Hang on Sloopy. Brown Eyed Girl. Under the Boardwalk. Cry To me.

He produced Solomon Burke. The Drifters. Ben E King. Wilson Pickett, LaVern Baker, Isley Bros, and Van Morrison.

Bert was the first American Producer to record British bands in London.

One was Them, featuring Van Morrison. Led Zeppelin recorded Baby Come on Home for their first album. Was released later in a box set.

He started his own label BANG. It featured artists like McCoys, Strangeloves, Neil Diamond. Van Morrison recorded his first solo album with Bang Records. It featured Brown Eyed Girl, the great TB Sheets, and the first-ever version of Madame George. Van has said “Bert Berns was a genius”

Berns was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He died in 1967 of childhood rheumatic fever at age 38. A lot of songs died with him.

This is an interview I did with his son Brett who was one of the directors and producers of Bang! The Bert Berns Story, a documentary on his father’s life.

The film is narrated by Miami Steve van Zant from the E Street Band. It’s an inspired choice as Steve is known for playing a mob gangster, which is exactly what Bert Berns was known for. Hanging around mafia guys when he wasn’t working.

Enjoy the story. I believe you can find this documentary on Netflix.