Category: Rochester

Steve Gadd: From Monroe County to Around the World

When you talk about the colorful landscape of all the distinct soulful musical genres, it’s safe to say Steve Gadd has explored all of them behind his drum kit. The comfortable corridor of his Upstate New York roots groove comes from growing up in Monroe County in the town of Irondequoit.

Gadd, who celebrates his 76th birthday on April 9, has been playing drums since he was 11. At this age was his first out of State gig on The Mickey Mouse Club in California after winning a National Talent Round Up Course by Walt Disney.

Steve Gadd by Artist Maria Friske

His music education continued in New York State as a member of the Rochester Crusaders local drum corps in High School. In 1968 he graduated from Eastman School of Music in Rochester. He was then drafted into the United States Army and played the next three years in the Army Band. In 2005 he received an honorary Doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music. In 2017, Eastman School of Music awarded him and Chick Corea with honorary Doctorates as well. In 2019 Steve Gadd Band self titled album won him a Grammy award for best Contemporary Instrumental Album.

A journey like this for Gadd is one that is always evolving however, this month he just released a live recording of his band from The Blue Note Tokyo. After a stay in England this past March and returning to LA he took time to talk with NYS Music about the ride. Sir Paul McCartney once said about Dr. Gadd, “Stevie’s a great drummer, no point having him unless I use his style, this great distinctive style”

Steve Gadd and Paul McCartney

Matthew Romano: Thank you for taking the time to speak with NYS Music today about Past, Present, and Future Music experiences in the State.

Steve Gadd: Absolutely. My Pleasure. Thank You.

MR: Tell me about growing up in Rochester going to see live music in Monroe County at the Ridgecrest Inn that started to put the groove in you.

SG: Everybody they brought in was great. Art Blakey, Oscar Peterson, Ray Bryant and his brother Tommy Bryant with Papa Joe Jones, Slam Stewart. I used to take my drums and sit in and play with those guys when i was a kid. Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Ventura, Gene Krupa, they brought all the big names in. It was fantastic and it was a small room. They had matinees on Sunday afternoons where they would let me and Chuck Mangione sit in with them. We had a lot of fun. A lot of great memories.

MR: Do you remember a piano player from Syracuse at that time by the name of Vinny Falcone?

SG: Sure I know Vinny, he ended up working with Sinatra. He was a great keyboard player man.

MR: Speaking of great keyboard players, At a Montreal Jazz fest you mentioned that Chick Corea helped show you some ideas on drums you were working out for yourself in the Sixties while developing a sound.

SG: Yea he did, I had got a new set of drums. I went from a 22 inch bass drum to an 18 inch bass drum and when I switched them out Chick wanted to come to the Club when I did it. He was a Tony Williams and Elvin Jones kind of freak. He loved their playing, He went up and just sort of played and I had been trying to figure out what guys like Tony and Elvin were doing for a long time. I did it by slowing the record down to speed 16 to understand. They were doing a lot of new things that haven’t been done. Seeing the way Chick approached the drums and how free he was helped make sense of a lot of the questions I had. Ya know he just had a great approach to everything and a great touch. The freeness.

Chick Corea and Steve Gadd

MR: Is there anything that sticks out from all the studio and live sessions playing with him over the years?

SG: All of my memories of playing with him were great. His level of consistency and level of playing music just kept on growing. So all of the projects were memorable. One that sticks out because it was a live thing with strings and horns and two different bass players was Leprechaun. The thing that’s different about that than the other albums is that everybody was live and the arrangements were pretty amazing. I’ll never forget that.

MR: Chick had a great quote about Return to Forever on playing music that has already been written, “Playing something old? You don’t create in the past or the future, you do it now, is it old? Is it new? I say its just all creation.”

SG: Right. He was a true artist, there’s no doubt about it.

MR: How did you start your years with Eric Clapton, in the studio or on the road?

SG: We started together live in the 90’s on a blues tour he was doing and then he kept on using me for different things after that.

MR: How about the most raw blues project you did with him on the “Sessions for Robert Johnson” with Billy Preston, Nathan East, Doyle Bramhall II, and Chris Stainton. As an interpretation of the infamous and mysterious acoustic record from the Delta Crossroads?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1TDUyr42Is&t=1304s

SG: Eric brings the songs in and takes the lead on that stuff. For the most part he’s got it mapped out in his head. Sometimes an idea might make it flow better and he’s open to that. The players that he hired are hand picked guys that he liked how they played but most importantly loved where their hearts were musically. Ya know what I mean? It was like these are people that are his soulmates. It was fun and great to play with Billy Preston too.

MR: Any stand out moments over the years playing with Eric? Or the same concept as memories of playing with Chick where all the nights are unforgettable?

SG: Yes. They are all on a bigger level. Some because of the sound, the energy of the audience. Along the way some are more magical than others. But for the most part the bar is high, that’s the way we feel. We go up there and leave it all on the bandstand.

MR: Your last live release with Eric Clapton is from The Budokan in Tokyo. He mentions it’s the best place he has played in 40 years. Your band’s new album is from Japan as well and playing off what you said about the audience. Does a disciplined fervor for live music make for a better performance?

SG: I mean you always go off the audience. When you get it musically to a level where everyone on the bandstand is having fun and can hear each other and you can trust the audience is hearing it the way you are it gets to a spiritual level. In Japan or wherever you are. That’s the goal.

MR: In September 1981 you played to a Central Park audience of 500,000 people as part of Simon & Garfunkel The Concert for Central Park. How did that day play out spiritually?

SG: You don’t get a lot of those opportunities, those were ridiculous size audiences. That’s not an everyday occurrence for me, it was great. Gerry Niewood who I grew up with in Rochester played at that show as well on Saxophone. The stage was a few stories up to get it high enough for everyone to see and hear. It was pretty spectacular.

MR: Like all major musical gatherings in New York State history I don’t think anyone knew the performance would be so big.

SG: It was fantastic. I don’t know what they were anticipating but I know they were happy at the end.

MR: Going across The Great Lawn to the Upper West Side’s Beacon Theatre in March 2020 you were on drums as part of the house band for the Love Rocks NYC Benefit. That was the your last live performance in New York and also coincidentally the first socially distant concert to be streamed as the pandemic touched down that day. It limited us in the sold out theater to only 300 people. The house band alone had almost 20 people on stage. Highlights of the night was your cover of Derek and the Dominos “Why Does Love got to be so Sad?” with Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks . You also locked in a groove with percussionist Pedro Martinez for Dave Matthews set as well.

SG: Will Lee puts a good house band together for that event. I have played with Derek Trucks at one of Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festivals but that was my first time playing with Dave Matthews which was great.

MR: Your former percussion player with Paul Simon, Cyro Baptista, helped carry the beat at The Beacon Theatre at the end of last year for an eight week residency with Trey Anastasio. It served as the only other major groove to come out of The Upper West Side most recently.

SG: Trey Anastasio of Phish? Yea, Cyro and I played with Paul Simon for The Rhythm of the Saints. I’ll have to check it out.

MR: Speaking of being part of Paul Simon’s rhythm section over the years, did any of your time in the Army help inspire the almost military like precision on your iconic “50 Ways to Leave your Lover” groove?

SG: No the Army band was like a Buddy Rich kind of thing. What your talking about was from Drum Corps. When I was in Rochester Crusaders and Empire Statesmen. A lot of the rudimentary stuff I used came from there

Steve Gadd as a member of the Rochester Crusaders

MR: Spring just started. What’s on the horizon for 2021?

SG: We just released the new live album and waiting on some tours that keep getting rescheduled. I did a book on drum exercises that’s going to be released. I think Ill continue to write them. I enjoy it. A lot of new ideas came to mind. Different stickings and using the rudiments in various ways. It’s like a snare drum exercise book. I’m mainly just trying to stay in shape and stay creative so I’m ready for when things open up.

MR: Staying true to your always changing chameleon man like musical background behind the drums of all different types of soul music. Can we keep expecting new tempos out of you in 2021 as well?

SG: I hope so. It keeps evolving. Ya do the best you can every new day. Thank god you have another one to live and ya give it your best shot. Ya know what I mean?

April 8, 2021
Hearing Aide: Steve Gadd Band at Blue Note Tokyo

On April 1, Rochester native, drummer and producer Dr. Steve Gadd released Steve Gadd Band at Blue Note Tokyo, from a tour of Japan in December 2019. That same year The Steve Gadd Band’s self-titled album won a GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. The group also played the Rochester International Jazz Festival that summer, leading up to this year end performance in Japan.

The line up features former Beatles collaborator David Spinozza on guitar in lieu of Micheal Landau, Jimmy Johnson on bass, Kevin Hays on keyboards, Walt Fowler on trumpet and Dr. Gadd on drums.

Blue Note Tokyo is a jazz venue in the Aoyama district of Tokyo, Japan that seats about 300 people and makes for an intimate performance. The band played to the disciplined fervor the crowd has for live music. Frank Zappa alumni Walt Fowler helped write the musical intro to the show, an arrangement from the film Cape Fear. The same theme is also found in the new series Ratched, which serves as a prequel to One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest. The whole band feeds the chilling composition, segueing to an iconic Gadd pocket groove for the tune “Where’s Earth?” World-renowned musicians like this might need some help finding it when their sounds stretch outside of our planet.

Gadd switches to a Latin beat on the drums securing his role as the consummate chameleon man of different musical genres for “Timpanogos.” Fowler and Spinozza then spread out nicely intertwining spicy solos before Hays helps cool things down with his Fender Rhodes. For those looking for a signature Gadd drum solo during the performance, there is only one to remind you why the man behind the kit is headlining the venue. “One Point Five” trails off Jimmy Johnson on bass to a full drum crescendo to end the song.

When asked about the tune “Way Back Home,” and if it has any significance to the comfortable corridor of his Upstate New York roots, Gadd said,

I like the song, I’ve played it with a lot of different bands, I did a live album in Rochester and titled it after that. I like the groove we get on it no matter how we do it, we get a good feel, it grooves, that one for me it keeps building, it gets pretty intense at the end and it takes a while to get there but it feels great the whole way to me, I love that track.
Steve Gadd

Only two tracks have vocals on the ten song performance. During a take on Bob Dylan’s “Watching the River Flow,” Hays channels appropriate lyrics for today: “That this ol’ world, will keep rolling on you know, so I’m gonna sit right on this bank of sand and watch the river flow.”

The bonus track on the Blue Note Tokyo album “Foameopathy” is one of five tracks (including “One Point Five”) played live from the GRAMMY Award winning album that year.

We worked hard mixing it too, my son Giancarlo and I, and then Rich Breen mastered it and sprinkled some magic over the whole thing and I like the way it sounds.
Steve Gadd

Keep an eye out for a full interview with Dr. Steve Gadd about his musical origins in Monroe County to his performances around the world. Download the album here.

Key Tracks: Wheres Earth?, Timpanogos, Way Back Home

April 6, 2021
Rochester Musicians Collaborate as The Ribbon Project – listen to the first single “Medicine”

Like many musicians, Jason Pariseau has been writing a lot of music over the past year. And as some artists discover, what they write may not fit with their current group and they branch out from there. For Pariseau, this meant that while some songs fit the mold for his group Periodic Table of Elephants (PToE), some had an alternative/indie rock sound. Thus, The Ribbon Project was born.

Pariseau wrote songs that were inspired by artists like The National, Bear’s Den, Novo Amor, and others, with “Medicine” the first of the new batch. Since the process to record these songs took a while due to the collaborative process, he decided to release these one-by-one, instead of waiting for an all at once EP release.

With a small pile of acoustic folk songs and a great deal of potential for them, Pariseau took the idea to Josh Pettinger at Wicked Squid Studios. They talked about the best way to approach the project, and instead of trying to synthesize everything in the studio, Pettinger encouraged him to lean on the local music scene in Rochester. When Pariseau started reaching out, the response was overwhelmingly positive.

As an indie-acoustic project featuring various musicians from the Rochester area, The Ribbon Project features PToE drummer Sean Scanlon on all tracks. For “Medicine,” Jason and Sean are joined by Joel Boyer (banjo), Arjun Baxter (upright bass), Ian Downey (cello), and Darren DeWispelaere (trumpet).

With the feedback received from the first song, Pariseau is looking to bring The Ribbon Project to a live audience sometime later this summer. Still, the group of musicians have not played together in person just yet.

The way the first song came together far exceeded my expectations. And, what has been an interesting approach is that at no time have all of these musicians been together to play the song. Everything was done digitally by sharing tracks and ideas, then having each person come into the studio one-by-one to record their parts. Once one person was done, I’d send the track to the next person, and they would add on their layers. Each person building on the previous person’s track. It’s been a fantastic project. The next song is about 50% done, and will include a different group of musicians.

While the next evolution of PToE will be a step back from 90s punk, and pay homage to other 90s bands like Hum, Failure and Our Lady Peace, The Ribbon Project will set forth on an indie route, adding to the rich music scene waiting to burst open once again in the Flower City.

Catch Pariseau perform virtually at “Homegrown Presents: Going Green Party” streamed from Lovin’ Cup in Rochester. The stream kicks off at 2pm on Saturday, March 20th.

March 19, 2021
Diving into Rochester’s Underground Music Scene with Ben Rossi of Friday In America

In episode 113, Ben chats with Ben Rossi from Friday In America, a Rochester band mixing rock, Americana, folk and hip-hop. As the band says, “If Abraham Lincoln was a band he’d be Friday In America.”

Friday in America has a range of influences spanning from The Band to The Roots, with the result a menagerie of music styles – from the heavy rock and funk arrangements of songs like “Hitman” to the stripped-down folk of “Water.”

In 2011, the band released their first full length album Cut the Brakes, and had the track “Water” featured in the closing scene of the AFI-Fest award-winning film The Hammer, which told the true story of deaf UFC fighter Matt Hamill.

The album’s rock and folk arrangements have garnered comparisons to artists like Jack Johnson and Bruce Springsteen, and have received regular rotation on shows like Scott Regan’s “Open Tunings” (NPR). The band’s love of all music and their ability to write and play across numerous mediums makes for a unique concert experience. They have opened for acts like Max Creek, Ekoostik Hookah, and the Ryan Montbleau Band, and are constantly fusing their disparate influences in a groove-oriented framework.

Timestamp:

00:31: “Hitman” by Friday In America

06:04: Conversation with Ben Albert and Ben Rossi

37:00: ” Renaissance” by Friday In America

41:29: Conversation Continued

1:00:19: “Six And Counting” by Friday In America

1:06:22: Conversation Conclusion

1:37:44: “Driftin” by Friday In America featuring Amanda Lee Peers

At Rochester Groovecast, the mantra “We’re Fans First!” harnesses the belief that the best businesses are built by fans. The podcast is deeply dedicated to playing an active role in the culture of its local scene.

The brainchild of Rochester native, Ben Albert, was created in 2016 to serve as a portfolio of the city, and nowadays, the entire region.

The podcast believes in the artistic brilliance abundant in Rochester, NY, and the surrounding regions. Ben seeks to play a pivotal role in our community by helping give Rochester a well-earned voice. He has seen first hand the abundance of talent, character, creativity, innovation, and beauty the Flower City has continuously offered.

Keep In Touch with Friday In America.

Download their albums FOR FREE!

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March 8, 2021
Rochester’s Old Fame Release “Nowhere to Be” EP

Today, Rochester indie-rockers Old Fame release their second EP Nowhere to Be, a collection of four songs written in response to the pandemic, the media, family disfunction, shame, and division amongst families over politics. Or, as the band puts it, “All the fun stuff!”

Artwork by JJ Pelechaty

On “Act II,” Old Fame demonstrates influences of psychedelic post-rock and emo. Previously, the band released singles “Short Cub” and “Cumberland” with the final track, “Slevin” debuting today with the release of the full EP.

“Short Cub” and “Cumberland” were written in 2019, while “Act II” and “Slevin” were written during the pandemic, thus, neither of the latter two tracks have been performed live. Recorded at Wicked Squid Studios is located in Rochester, the alt-rock tones are impressive, leading to much build-up and flowing seamlessly together.

Old Fame is Ben Armes (vocals, guitar), Doug Kelley (drums), Evan Clark (guitar), Jay Asarese (bass). Members of the band have played in Rochester area projects including Like Vintage, Alberto Alaska, Emulet, and Heavy Lies the Crown.

Listen to the latest EP from Old Fame below or on Bandcamp.
<a href="https://oldfame.bandcamp.com/album/nowhere-to-be">Nowhere to Be by Old Fame</a>

March 5, 2021
Emo-Rock Duo Losers Club from Rochester are Back with New Music

Losers Club are making their label-debut on Substream Records with a new single called “Fux W/ Ur Head,” set for release on March 5th, 2021.

The duet’s emo-rock sound is crafted by frontman Nate Blasdell, known for his role as lead guitar and background vocals in the melodic hardcore band I Set My Friends on Fire, and backed by Andy Champion on guitar. Losers Club’s sound is poppier than Blasdell’s previous work, akin to The All-American Rejects. Their music is anthemic and tightly packed with melody.

On their instagram account, Losers Club recounted the past year, saying “This year was a rollercoaster to say the least. What started as four, turned to three, then three became two, and now here we are, stronger than ever with 2020 in the rearview and so much to look forward to in 2021. New sound. New look. New album. New era.”

With their new sound and formation, Losers Club is ready to take on the music world with their label-debut single, Fux W/ Ur Head. You can pre-order it here.

You can find them on Instagram and Facebook and the label’s website.

February 25, 2021
Sharing Memories of Flour City Station

In episode 112, the community answers a simple question: “Favorite Moments At Flour City Station andddd Go!” Ben Albert, Host of Rochester Groovecast, posed this question on Facebook, reached to many people, and brought together a large collection of Flour City Station memories. Ben shares some of his insights, shares recordings of guest-submitted memories, and reads off the rest of the amazing collection.

Flour City Station is located at 170 East Avenue in Rochester, a town steeped in music tradition, from the Eastman School of Music just down the street, to the longstanding music festivals such as the Jazz Festival, East End Fest, Fringe Fest and Party in the Park.

Aqueous, April 4, 2018 at FCS – photo by Jake Silco

Flour City Station (FCS) provides patrons with a unique and friendly environment for enjoying the best live music Rochester has to offer. With a state-of-the-art sound system, FCS caters to a wide base of genres of music featuring both local performers and nationally touring acts. The safe environment and friendly staff keep customers coming back for the friendly social atmosphere where they can catch up with old friends, meet new ones, and enjoy premium live music. At FCS, they’re simply all about the bands, the fans and the experience.

Timestamp:

00:31: “Honey” by The Honey Smugglers

06:33: Episode Introduction

11:28: Favorite Moments at Flour City Station

33:29: Episode Conclusion

At Rochester Groovecast, the mantra “We’re Fans First!” harnesses the belief that the best businesses are built by fans. The podcast is deeply dedicated to playing an active role in the culture of its local scene.

The brainchild of Rochester native, Ben Albert, was created in 2016 to serve as a portfolio of the city, and nowadays, the entire region.

The podcast believes in the artistic brilliance abundant in Rochester, NY, and the surrounding regions. Ben seeks to play a pivotal role in our community by helping give Rochester a well-earned voice. He has seen first hand the abundance of talent, character, creativity, innovation, and beauty the Flour City has continuously offered.

Keep In Touch with Flour City Station.

Rochester Groovecast is Powered By balbertmarketing.com

February 22, 2021
RIT set to host Rochester International Jazz Festival in July

Just as we were losing hope in live music and festivals, it looks like there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Rochester International Jazz Festival is in the planning stages for their nineteenth edition which will be hosted on the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) campus.

Planning is a challenge when we don’t know what the future will bring. We do know that this year’s Festival cannot go on as usual. The way we work and how we live has changed. We are very encouraged that vaccines are becoming more available. And if public health guidelines allow us to proceed this summer, we must adapt to this new environment, which will require a more flexible and spacious festival footprint. The RIT campus meets that criteria.
Marc Iacona, Festival Producer and Executive Director

The original date for the festival was June 19, 2020. Unfortunately COVID-19 brought upon a nationwide shutdown of crowded concerts. Because of this, Iacona and his partner John Nugent had to postpone the festival a few times until their latest decision, July 30 through Aug. 7. Over 200,000 people attend the annual nine day festival, but this year Lacona and Nugent are orchestrating a safe way to go about the event.

Nat King Cole at 100 with Paul Mariano.

“With Covid-19 and health consequences squarely on the minds of all event-goers around the world, we again find ourselves at a crossroads,” said Iacona and Nugent. “We are deeply grateful to our loyal patrons and sponsors and for countless messages of support as uncertainty prevails. Early February now brings us to a critical junction as we explore how to potentially present a festival, secure programming, and put together the plethora of logistics.”

Throughout the course of the global pandemic, musicians have resorted to a different method of live performances. Live-streaming took to the internet in 2020 to provide a safe haven for those yearning to attend a live show. The Jazz Festival is the beginning to a new chapter for live music.

The CGI Rochester International Jazz Festival was founded in 2002, with performances by over 1500 artists from all over the world. Through the years, those artists have performed more than 350 shows at 20 venues. Lacona is a community and business leader, while Nugent is an experienced tenor sax player and the artistic brains of RIJF, but their goals for the festival are the same.

“The essence of our Festival has always been to bring our community together, drawn by the majesty of creative improvised music and celebrating as one entity,” said Nugent. “While this new location will be a change for us all, and the first time we are not downtown, we will still shine the musical spotlight on greater Rochester. We are committed to making every effort to include the City of Rochester and many of our downtown-based partners at this new location. We will create a festive atmosphere including a Jazz Street, assure the ability to walk between venues, and offer a shuttle service.”

Anyone can buy tickets from the RIJF website and club members can use their passes.

February 16, 2021
Old Fame Releases Long-Awaited “Act II”

Old Fame, an indie rock band from Rochester today release their long-awaited single “Act II.” With strong influences of psychedelic post-rock and emo, the band follows up previous singles “Short Cub” and “Cumberland” with “Act II,” all part of their EP Nowhere to Be, to be released in the next few months.

Old Fame is Ben Armes (vocals, guitar), Doug Kelley (drums), Evan Clark (guitar), Jay Asarese (bass) and they’ve been a part of projects including Like Vintage, Alberto Alaska, Emulet, and Heavy Lies the Crown.

Due to the chaos of 2020 and the COVID-19 restrictions that shut down the band’s studio, the second half of Old Fame’s EP that was originally meant to be released in 2020, was pushed back to February 2021. With fans eager for the long-awaited conclusion to Nowhere to Be, Old Fame today share their latest, “Act II.”

Given the challenge to describe the track in one word, nostalgic comes to mind first. “Act II” brings the listener back to the days of owning a myspace profile or listening to 92.7. It’s a song full of emotion and passion one can only suppose was strengthened by the hardships of 2020.

Writing new songs gave us time to refocus on the world around us and incorporate our feelings in response to current events into the songs. We spent many weeks file sharing home-recorded demos back and forth until covid restrictions were temporarily lifted allowing us to safely rehearse and head into Wicked Squid Studios to record with Ian Fait & Josh Pettinger.
Doug Kelley

The build-up and flow of the song are impressive given the band’s smaller presence in the alt-rock community. The EP in its entirety showcases the band’s journey, as well as shows what they’re capable of, paving the way for future works to crush the scene.

Below, you can find the link to their newest song as well as explore their music in its entirety. If you’re a fan of alternative rock, they might be right up your alley.
<a href="https://oldfame.bandcamp.com/track/act-ii">ACT II by Old Fame</a>

February 1, 2021
Catching up with the Magical Mikaela Davis

Mikaela Davis has put the Flower City in Upstate New York on the map as a region where the harp and its sound has spread from Rochester to across the world. The last time we spoke to Mikaela was back in 2012 and was anticipating on what the future would bring for her. She took some time with us in the beginning of 2021 to talk about her past, present, and future music experiences in New York State.

The harp has been known since antiquity in Asia, Africa and Europe, dating back at least as early as 3000 BCE. The oldest description of a harp can be seen in the wall paintings of ancient Egyptian tombs in the Nile Valley. In the Americas, harps are widely but sparsely distributed, except in certain regions where harp traditions are very strong.

Matthew Romano: Who was involved in your musical education for the harp in New York State?

Mikaela Davis: Cynthia Andrews, who just retired this past year, she started me on the harp at Penfield School District in Rochester. I think Penfield is the only public school in Rochester that offers harp, then private lessons with Grace Wong who was the principal harpist in The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. I joined the Rochester Philharmonic Youth orchestra, that toured Canada and Europe. Then I went on to college at SUNY Potsdam to learn under Jessica Suchy-Pilalis at Crane School of Music.

MR: Are there any live music experiences in New York State during that time that stood out, that influenced you?

MD: Well, I remember in High School I used to ask for a Jazz pass for Christmas every year. Me and my high school buddies would go to every show at Rochester Jazz Festival we could, from 2007 to 2011. I’ve gone to so many concerts at this point they all blur together. At Mountain Jam 2016 where I sat in with Marco Benevento, Wilco played, after seeing them for the first time it confirmed that this is my favorite live band, it was the best live show I have ever seen.”

MR: Tell me about your history of the collaborations with Marco Benevento over the years?

MD: A friend of mine, who has a recording studio in the Catskills, where Marco lives, had passed my info along. Then he had me go open for him solo on the West Coast for some dates. That was where we met. My first time playing at Levon Helm Studios was with Marco. We’re really good friends, my band and his band and his family. We always play a couple shows together every year, I love hearing from Marco to play a show and it’s great, always a fun time. We joke about going to his studio to record a country record. It was his choice to cover David Bowie’s “Heroes” and to hang out at Mountain Jam to have me sing on it.

MR: How did your first collaborations with Bob Weir and Wolf Brothers come to fruition in Syracuse at The Landmark Theater and in Buffalo at Shea’s Performing Arts Center?

MD: Someone sent a live video of my band covering “Down by the River” by Neil Young in London to them and said, hey this harpist is cool she should guest with Bob. The Wolf Bros usually have friends sit in with them from around the world and they didn’t have anyone scheduled for Syracuse. That’s how it happened, being at the right place in the right time I suppose.

Mikaela Davis and Southern Star covering “Down By the River” in London

MR: How did you land on the song selections for the set?

MD: Bobby wanted me to play on “Birdsong,” I suggested “China Cat” into “I Know Your Rider,” and “Wharf Rat,” maybe. Yea, then last minute I suggested “Down by the River,” three days prior they said Bobby hasn’t done that before, let’s do it. So that was really magical, really fun. That was probably my favorite sit in, even though I was so nervous to play with these legends, Don Was, he’s incredible and Jay Lane

Jay Lane, Bob Weir, Mikaela Davis, Don Was

MR: Was the second encore at Landmark where you all did “Ripple” planned?

MD: No, he threw that one at me, “lets go do ‘Ripple,’ come on”, he does that every time I sit in with him. “Hey I want you to play on this too,” so I have to be ready. Cian McCarthy, my band mate, who’s a massive Dead fan, helped me learn all these songs inside out and assisted me in the back with the chord changes

MR: Hearing your harp on the song “Peggy O,” a cover of an old Scottish ballad from 1644 that the Dead made popular inside the Shea Theater in Buffalo,. really made that venue come alive with art and history

MD: That’s great, that was magical too, I forgot about singing “Peggy O” with them.

Mikaela Davis with Bob Weir & Wolf Bros at Shea Theater in Buffalo, NY

MR: Did these collaborations help influence you and Southern Star to cover the Live/Dead 69′ Album in October of 2019?

MD: Oh yea definitely, that’s why we chose to do it , learning Live Dead was really fun and difficult, we rehearsed like twice a week for a month because we really wanted to play through like the record with no stops. It gives me so much respect for that band, they were really innovative and incredible in what they were doing. I think “Feedback” was possibly my favorite.

MR: You and Southern Star stayed at Stone House Cottage on Oneida Lake in Summer of 2020 for a recording of “Cumberland Blues” How was that experience?

MD: There was five of us in this tiny house, we rented it and hung out on the lake, played music and did psychedelics. We just played that live with two microphones and recorded it for an Australian Radio Show for the 50th anniversary of Workingman’s Dead.

“I don’t know now, I just don’t know if coming back again” Oneida Lake 2020

MR: In Summer of 2019 you were in attendance for The Particle Kid, Lennon-Claypool Delirium, Flaming Lips Concert at Saranac Brewery in Utica, NY between Southern Star shows that also had Krist Novoselic from Nirvana in the crowd, any cool takeaways from that night on the town?

MD: That was honestly one of the most magical shows I’ve been to in a while, My friend Jake Engalls is in the Flaming Lips so we got to hang out, I’ve often collaborated with him for his solo band “Spaceface” A quick Hey thank you for being you was said to Krist Novoselic. Sean Lennon and I exchanged information and I was going to play with him for a residency he was planning at The Stone in New York City that unfortunately got postponed due to the pandemic

MR: You started 2021 with a show at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs where Bob Dylan played in 1960, isn’t your harp named Luna?

MD: Yea , I named her Luna when I was a teenager, I guess I named her that because she comes alive at night

MR: You debuted new material that night that came from a Seven day songwriting session with the band Rubblebucket, I think “The Pearl” was a standout as a musical analogy on what’s going on with the world inspired from a story by your Aunt Julia who referenced the dirty muck that we are all kind of stuck inside America right now

MD: Oh thank you, Yea that’s what I thought when my Aunt was talking to me about it , and she’s been wearing her pearl earrings a lot so, I truly believe ya know something great can come out of terribleness, I suppose if an oyster can make a pearl, so can we.

Caffe Luna January 9 2021

MR: At the end of the Caffe Lena Show you said “ I feel alive again, well see ya again soon, cheers” What’s on the horizon for 2021?

MD: I am hoping to make a record with my band, actually not hoping we’re going to do it. we’re going to make a record this year, we have enough songs and basically just trying to figure it out to do it remotely or safely gather and find a spot to record

MR: Marco Benevento or Sean Lennon’s studios in the Hudson Valley could be a great spot or maybe even with the virtual options you can gather a group of friends remotely for a cover of Talking Heads “This Must Be the Place”

MD: Yea great tune, well have to keep that in mind, yea well anything is possible that’s for sure, it’s a new age

January 31, 2021