The Ben Sidran Interview Set II

As Branch Rickey said,"Luck Is The Residue of Design." If that's the case then this host walked ass backwards into Lucky Thompsonville exploring the players who created regional music in this country prior to full interconnection. Cosmic Cowboys who played with Hugh Masekela, Blue Mitchell, Dave Brubeck, Cleveland Eaton, Donald Duck Dunn, James Brown, Randy Weston, Allah Raka and Bill Monroe.

These cats were street scholars coming out of heterogeneous neighborhoods with Jewish families bordering on Italian Neighborhoods which bordered on the Black Neighborhoods where the messages of Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield, Wilson Pickett OC Smith and Johnny Nash permeated elaborate high school bands, opportunities in burgeoning studio scenes, game shows, commercials, strip clubs, 2nd cities intermeshing live stand up by Alan Arkin, followed by improvisation from the ghost opera in a brave new world where I lead a life, you lead a life and constant creation is paramount to further evolution as a human being.

My guest figured this out early in his career deftly navigating relationships with Blue Eyed Soul Singers and Tripped out Drummers who swung the band to wash away the dust of everyday life.

That was the purpose of the live music event. When there was light, a middle class and cats who wanted to be links in the chain for younger generations of musicians who were looking to be the straw that stirred the drink - maybe it was a sissy drink  concocted by the late great Herb Wong or a beer with two shots of Bourbon in it made famous by Butterfield and Bishop playing all night gigs on the South side of Chicago. Or even better late night care packages from Bob Krasnow and Tommy LiPuma who knew they were dealing with crazed hipsters like my guest who has continued to be resourceful- using what he has around him, not in excess but rather letting the music come through him. Like a wise man once told me "you don't chose music it chooses you."

Ben Sidran welcome back to the JFS