INsite Atlanta August 2021 Issue

AUGUST 2021

C

INSITEATLANTA.COM

VOL. 30, NO. 1 FREE

0 YEARS! 3 G N I T ELEBRA

Jazz in the City Atlanta Jazz Festival

Labor Day Weekend Interviews with Jazz Legends

Patti Austin & Ron Carter

Also Performing Archie Shepp

CONTENTS • AUGUST 2021 • VOLUME 30, NO. 1

music at

the fred 2021 concert season presented by:

tickets on sale now

30 R AT I N G CELEB

YEARS!

Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 04 DragonCon Super Friends 06 Leighann Lord 08 Ellen Foley 10 Patti Austin

SAT, AUGUST 7 WHO’S THAT GIRL The Ultimate Diva Experience

12 Ron Carter

fri, august 20 a1a - the official jimmy buffett tribute band

COLUMNS

SAT, AUGUST 21 NATURAL WONDER – The Ultimate Stevie Wonder Experience and BOGEY & THE VICEROY sat, september 19 Face to face- a tribute to elton john and billy joel sat, october 2 ABBa Revisted - tribute to abba

FOR DETAILS VISIT w w w . a m p h i t h e ate r . o r g PG 2 • August 2021 • insiteatlanta.com

04

06

13 Doug Clifford

03 Around Town

08

07 New Releases 09 Station Streaming 14 Album Reviews

12

insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Steve Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Nick Tipton nick@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Lee Valentine Smith lee@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Music Editor John Moore john@insiteatlanta.com

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Contributing Writers / Interns: Alex. S. Morrison, Dave Cohen, Benjamin Carr, Demarco Williams Advertising Sales Steve Miller (404) 308-5119 • ads@insiteatlanta.com WEBSITE • insiteatlanta.com Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

© Copyright 2021, Be Bop Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved

AUGUST 2021

INSITEATLANTA.COM

VOL. 30, NO. 1 FREE

S! TING 30 YEAR CELEBRA

Jain thezzCity Atlanta Jazz Festival

Labor Day Weekend Interviews with Jazz Legends

Patti Austin & Ron Carter

Also Performing Archie Shepp

Around Town

Movies, Concerts and Festivals taking place this Month

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

SEPTEMBER 2 - 6

Duluth Town Green

Lost Mountain Park, Powder Springs

Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre

Downtown Atlanta

FLICKS ON THE BRICKS

MOVIES IN THE PARK SERIES

BRIAN MCKNIGHT WITH JON B

DRAGON CON

Watch a free movie while sitting under the stars on the Duluth Town Green. Enjoy themed entertainment, live music and food trucks before the show. e movie starts at 8pm and the screen will be to the left of the Festival Center Stage. See family friendly favorites Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Friday, August 6th and e Wizard of Oz on Friday, September 3rd. Flick’s on the Bricks is presented by the District of Duluth. Visit DuluthGA.net for more information.

Cobb County Movies in the Park Series continues Saturday, August 7 with Abominable at Lost Mountain Park in Powder Springs.

Pack your car with family and friends; gather outdoor chairs and blankets for a fun outdoor movie experience. The park opens at 7pm with trivia question time prior to movie start at sunset. $20 per vehicle ticket required. Visit cobbcounty.org/parks and click on "Register and Reserve" then click on the "Special Events" tab.

R&B legend and multi-talented, Grammy nominated, artist Brian McKnight is performing live at Mable House Barnes Amphitheater in Cobb County on Saturday, August 21st. This concert was originally set to take place last year but had to be rescheduled because of COVID. Now Brian and Jon B will finally be hitting the stage. The show is part of the Wade Ford Concert Series. Visit Mablehouse.org.

AUGUST 6 - 8

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20

A1A JIMMY BUFFET TRIBUTE SHOW

PIEDMONT PARK ARTS FESTIVAL

SUNDAY & MONDAY SEPT. 5 & 6

The Piedmont Park Summer Arts Festival is a 2-day outdoor event with an emphasis on the visual arts and family fun for people of all ages, customs, and interests. This event will feature up to 250 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metalwork, glass blowers, jewelers, and crafters. The Festival will also offer artist demonstrations, live acoustic music, a children’s play area, plus festival foods and beverages with healthy alternatives. The Piedmont Park Summer Arts and craft festival is bringing back the tradition to Atlanta’s arts community. Visit Piedmontparkartsfestival.com.

Piedmont Park in Midtown

ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL

Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater

Piedmont Park in Midtown

e Atlanta Dogwood Festival is a fine arts festival featuring the top 200 artists selected from more than 1,000 entries each year. e Atlanta Dogwood Festival Mimosa 5K welcomes runners and walkers to start festival Saturday off right. During the days, the festival offers a variety of live entertainment. Enjoy music from local bands and be entertained by dance troupes to international performers and children’s choirs. Ticketed culinary events are located under the spacious VIP Tent.

Parrot heads unite and come out to the Fred on Friday, August 20 as A1A: The Official Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band takes the stage singing all your favorite “Trop Rock” hits by Margaritaville’s own, Jimmy Buffett. Lead Vocalist and Guitarist, Jeff Pike will sail the proverbial ship straight to paradise with his energetic and family-friendly renditions of Buffett favorites such as “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” “Fruitcakes,” “Margaritaville,” and more. This concert was originally scheduled for Sat, June 19 but was cancelled due to severe weather. Amphitheater.org.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY AUGUST 21,22 Piedmont Park in Midtown

Dragon Con is back in Downtown Atlanta for five days over Labor Day weekend. e world's largest sci-fi, multimedia, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film in the world.

Dragon Con boasts close to 40 fan-based tracks, a night at the GA Aquarium, a vendor hall, comics, pop art exhibits and displays plus nightly concerts and parties.

Visit DragonCon.org for more details.

ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL

Atlanta Jazz Festival returns to Piedmont Park Sunday & Monday, Sept. 5 & 6 over Labor Day weekend. e lineup will feature a variety of up and coming artists like Sean Jones and Jazzmeia Horn along with legends Archie Shepp, Patti Austin and Ron Carter. e festival weekend offers a KidZone area with games and inflatables, two performance stages and a VIP Lounge. e Atlanta Jazz Festival is the perfect way to spend the holiday with family and friends. Admission to the festival is free. Visit atlantafestivals.com for full line-up.

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

Lost Mountain Park

1) Visit CobbCounty.org/parks

SEPTEMBER 11

AUGUST 7

MOVIES IN THE PARK SERIES 2) “Register & Reserve” tab 3) “Special Events” tab Fullers Park

Ticket required. Register at CobbCounty.org/parks

4) Get your family ticket

Movies begin at Dusk.

Atlanta’s Favorite Pizza!

Multiple Atlanta Locations: JohnnysPizza.com insiteatlanta.com • August 2021 • PG 3

EVENTS

SUPERCON: SUPERMAN & SUPERGIRL!

Smallville’s Tom Welling & Laura Vandervoort on Dragon Con’s return

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

B

OUNDING BACK AFTER THE Covidinduced hiatus, Dragon Con remains one of the world’s largest popular culture conventions. The five-day convergence of sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film is an annual pilgrimage for thousands of fanatics every year.

The 2021 edition promises another dizzying array of thrills and one of the event’s many beloved attractions is a myriad of celebrity invitees. Each year, attendees have the rare opportunity to meet and greet - and often take pictures with - a wide swath of special guests.

Two intriguing visitors this time around are actor-director-producers Tom Welling and Laura Vandervoort, perhaps best-known for their heroic tuns as Clark Kent and Kara ZorEl, the nascent supernatural cousins from the popular Smallville television series. Both have extensive resumes, with Welling’s fan-favorite roles in Lucifer and the 2005 remake of “The Fog.” Vandervoort is also known for a variety of enigmatic appearances, including the cultfave series Bitten and the 2019 reimagining of “Rabid.”

INsite recently caught up with Welling by phone from his home in Northern California and Vandervoort via email to discuss their iconic roles and other tales from the ‘Con side.

How are you handling the pandemic? Both personally, and professionally.

Tom Welling: I think the uncertainty was the worst part, especially at the beginning.

Fortunately, we were able to escape to a ranch that we have and pretty much take every precaution we could take. It’s been pretty

PG 4 • August 2021 • insiteatlanta.com

isolated - just me, my wife and my son. Seven weeks ago, we had another boy, so now we have two boys. We were very fortunate to have an environment where we could feel safe and isolated, and the silver lining has been spending so much time with the family. One of the things about everything shutting down for a year in the film business, now it’s coming back so hard. I’m going to be really busy soon.

Laura Vandervoort: I think, like most, the beginning of the pandemic was rather jarring.

It definitely had its moments of frustration.

Personally, it allowed me to slow down and focus on what truly mattered in my life. The people I spent my time with and the experiences became more precious. Professionally, I felt creatively stagnant for the first few months but I found painting to be a creative outlet. I’ve felt more driven to create my own material. Midpandemic, I wrote my first film which I then had my directorial debut on. The film, “My Soul To Take” (@mysoultotakefilm) looks sensational with some incredible actors, including Colm Feore, Jenny Raven and Rainbow Sun Francks.

The upheaval of life with Covid looming made me more creative and daring, more willing to try new things.

things. But those are not the same interactions.

When you go to these events you’re meeting fans. You spend all day meeting thousands of people who are just so happy. It’s a very surreal, enjoyable moment.

The fans obviously love those superhuman As veterans of similar happenings, tell us about Smallville characters. In retrospect, how do you the convention experience. What’s it like from personally view those iconic roles? your POV, the guest side of the celebrity table?

Laura: Portraying an iconic female superhero Laura: My convention experience has always was an insane journey, a privilege and a huge been a positive one - both opportunity to be a role model for behind and in front of the women. Smallville was a hit series table. Meeting fans from and I couldn’t believe I was going around the world and having to be a part of that story. The fans September 2-6 an opportunity to trade stories welcomed me without hesitation and experiences has always Atlanta and have stuck with me years to been incredible. As time follow. I am eternally grateful for dragoncon.org goes on, it has been pretty the opportunities I had not only remarkable to see familiar faces on Smallville but the opportunities coming back year after year. that arose from it.

One of the craziest moments for me was at my Tom: I don’t think I had the opportunity or the very first convention. After they’d announced wherewithal or the wisdom at the time to fully me as ‘Supergirl,’ a fan rolled up their pant leg appreciate what we were doing. Families could and had my face tattooed on his leg. It had watch it together and I think it gave them a sense only been a month since the announcement. of heart and wholeness that really wasn’t around He hadn’t even seen my work as Kara so I felt much back then. When we started Smallville, the an immense sense of pressure to make sure visual effects that we were doing, nobody else he wouldn’t regret that tattoo! I’ve had a few could do literally until that year, because they’d marriage proposals as well, which can be slightly been too expensive. You could only do them awkward to respond to, but the sentiment and in movies at that point. It was special because the support of our fans has always blown me it was Clark Kent before Superman. And then, away. the end of the show with him leaping to be Tom: To see the joy in people’s faces keeps Superman, the whole idea of that ending was me happy during the Cons. We thrive on that that he’s going to go - but we can’t go with him. energy. When we were shooting Smallville, It was well-written, directed and photographed, which is probably my biggest draw at these so it was a lot of good things coming together. events, we were so busy that I never did the That’s why we lasted 10 years. The only reason conventions. I never had the time or the interest we stopped is because the guy had to become and I didn’t really understand them. So I never Superman. We couldn’t keep this guy down got to enjoy that part. A lot of times what anymore. He had to fly. happens when you’re on a television show is you do interviews or photoshoots and those sorts of You’re both best-known for acting but you’ve also directed projects. At this point, is one more challenging and/or satisfying than the other?

Tom: I’ve been very fortunate, especially on Smallville, I was around a crew and a cast that I was familiar with. We had a special language of communication. There’s a joke that everybody wants to be three things. They want to be a rockstar, they want to be a famous actor or they want to be president of the United States.

And the second two really only want to be the first thing, which is a rockstar. The thing about directing for me is when you’re acting, you’re never allowed to feel satisfied. You may have a good take or a bad take or whatever it is, but a lot of times it’s the director who decides whether or not they have captured what they wanted.

DRAGON CON

When you’re a director, you’re able to have that satisfaction of ‘Ok, we got it, we’re moving on.’

That was something I really enjoyed. When you’re acting, you might feel like you did a good job, but they may not even use that take.

Laura: I had always been curious about the ‘other side’ of the camera. Directing my first project (“My Soul To Take”) was an entirely eye-opening experience. I felt like a fish out of water and loved the challenge. It was (and still is) a huge amount of knowledge to grasp. From beginning to end, I wanted to be totally involved in the process. My producing partner, Jessica Petelle was always there to help guide and teach me. But acting and directing both obviously have their own challenges and joys. I think the only difference was, directing, writing and producing this project allowed me more control of the message and story. It allowed be to fully create what was visually in my mind. As an actor, you are only a part of the story. You are a pawn, often with little control.

Are there any future projects you’d like to mention?

Tom: Well, [fellow Smallville alum] Michael Rosenbaum and I are working on two different things. One is an animated series that’s basically where Smallville left off. He’s also written a very hilarious script about a couple of guys who used to be on a TV show and now they’re not, and how they navigate in the world. Then there are a couple other things coming, too. I’ve never had more on my plate in my life. But right now, I’m still soaking up all this time with my family because we’re going to have to learn to adjust and adapt in this new world.

Laura: I recently wrapped a feature called ‘Black Bags’ in Oklahoma. It’s an indie thriller with two great female leads. My character was complex and a real joy to navigate. In addition to ‘Black Bags’ I am heading to Vancouver in August to begin a new film. My production company has a few projects in development which I am working on in my ‘off time.’ I am also currently working alongside an all-female comic book team to bring the story of Reburn to life and to your comic book shelves.

Your combined canon of work is impressive, but what’s next? Are there any specific “bucket list” items still on your itinerary?

Laura: I just want to do everything!

Tom: I agree. It’s so much fun being creative and telling interesting stories. I’m a huge fan of the history of film. I’m a huge fan of television. I love it all. Really, I think the sky is the limit - no pun intended.

WE’RE BACK!

September 2 – 6, 2021 in Atlanta Dragon Con Night at The GA Aquarium Live Music and All Night Dance Parties Comics, Costumes, Games and so much more!

Meet stars from your favorite movies and TV shows Thousands of hours of programming & special events Huge Vendor Hall

Hurry, Limited Memberships Available. Get Yours Now!

Hotels and more info at DRAGONCON.org insiteatlanta.com • August 2021 • PG 5

COMEDY

LORD OF THE CON

From Clubs to Conventions, Leighann Lord Always Finds the Funny

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

C

OMEDIAN-ACTOR-PODCASTERauthor-host Leighann Lord is the penultimate multi-tasker. The busy performer is a twenty-five-year veteran of stand-up comedy, including a number of funny specials on every platform imaginable.

She may be best-known from her stint as cohost - with superstar scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson - on the Star Talk Radio podcast. She’s also heard on the Center for Inquiry’s Point of Inquiry podcast and is nationally in demand as a host and MC of a dizzying variety of functions and presentations.

Lord is also a popular fixture at Dragon Con. No, she’s not sitting behind a table, hawking glossy pictures and posing with starstruck fans. She’ll be hard at work, hosting thought-provoking science panels and various skeptic-related tracks. But no matter where she’s holding court, you can bet the sound of laughter is a constant companion.

Humor is second nature to the gregarious artist, whether it’s straight-up stand-up, live theater, podcasts or on the pages of seven (so far) hilarious and clever books. Her 2016 publication, Real Women Do It Standing Up: Stories From the Career of a Very Funny Lady is a must-have for any connoisseur of the fine art of humor.

Before her five-day stand at Dragon Con, she’s featured on the rescheduled “Funny Women Of A Certain Age” showcase at the Irvine Improv just before flying to Atlanta.

But cross-country travel is just another part of the job for the hilarious entertainer.

Recently on a rare day off, Lord spoke with INsite from her home in NYC. As a working comic, how did you enjoy the recent Zoom comedy boom?

Everything was closed here in New York.

Broadway, the clubs, everything. I was panicking. It was like, ‘Did I just get retired or what?’ But then someone reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, do you want to do a Zoom comedy show?’ And all I heard was ‘show.’

And I said, yeah! But then I was like, wait, what’s Zoom? Stand-ups rely on that audience reaction and when I started doing them in my kitchen, my cat was the audience. It was unusual at first.

Did you enjoy the isolated nature of the shows?

Literally the first time, I had my kitchen chair on top of the table and the laptop on that, so it would be the right height. A tablecloth was my backdrop in my kitchen.

It was a lovely setup if I never wanted to get into my refrigerator again. But the cat was not impressed with it at all. He was like, ‘No, this is too near my food bowl, you need to move.’

But that’s what I spent most of the pandemic doing. Doing comedy shows on Zoom and hosting a lecture series for CFI, The Skeptical Inquirer Presents. We were hosting scientists and educators and they were talking about fantasy things. A lot of it was pandemic focused. We had some vaccine experts come in and talk with us. Dr. Paul Offit, who’s on CNN all the time, came in and talked with us twice. So it was a lot of good stuff and it’s educational for me. Everybody thinks I’m on huge in the science. I’m like, ‘Yeah it’s really science fiction. I’m science adjacent.’

That brings us to Dragon Con. I noticed on your EPK that you’ve worked a number of PG 6 • August 2021 • insiteatlanta.com

conventions. But I don’t see anything quite I love it. They’ve made me feel welcome like Dragon Con on your resume. every year. And you get to go and hang out, Well, there’s really nothing quite like and you get into the best, I’ll call them sort of Dragon Con, to be honest with you. Dragon ‘bar fights,’ but they’re not really, you just get Con, I feel like it’s its own special, amazing into the most amazing discussions about the thing. It really is the first thing of this type fine tuning of things like, ‘Which Enterprise is I was invited to. I get invited to MC or be the best Enterprise?’ You know what I mean? a performer at conferences, and we’ll have Important stuff! I mean, who talks about that speakers, or we might have a magician and in real life? Nobody. So you’ve got to save it a comedian, or I’m hosting it. But Dragon all up for Dragon Con, and I do!

Con is totally unique to anything else. When they invited me, I had no idea what to expect. Not only are you a fan of the event, you get I mentioned it to one of my to actively participate. Tell us other nerdy friends, and he a little bit about what you’ll goes, ‘How do you not know be doing. You’re not just going about Dragon Con?’ Like, to be sitting behind a table, you lose some serious Sci-Fi signing 8 by 10s.

September 2-6 street-cred for not knowing No, I don’t think I’m doing Atlanta about it. So I went the first that at all. I mean, who am I? I dragoncon.org year. I wish I could remember mainly come in and participate, what year it was - I know it’s and one of the biggest things I been five or six years now. do is a show called It’s Science and Fiction with my friend, Ian Harris. He What was your initial impression? is another comedian that always comes to It was incredible! I remember showing up the event. And in the last two years, we’ve and I was, I think it was in the Hilton, and combined our shows because we work I was standing in the lobby. I was actually together so well. We were on the big stage in paralyzed with amazement. It was just so 2019, but we’re always on the Skeptical Track. overwhelming. I thought I was a Sci-Fi fan. I Our show is on Saturday night at 10 o’clock really did. And then I show up at Dragon Con on the Skep Track. So that’s like the main and realize, wow, I’m bush league compared thing. But also, I am usually involved in other to everyone else there. things like various I mean, people were on Skep Track NOW I DON’T HAVE TIME TO panels cosplaying so well that combine humor that they could have ARGUE. I DON’T WANT TO and skepticism, that worked as the actual ARGUE WITH ANYONE. I JUST sort of thing. characters in the movies. The skill was WANT TO LIVE MY LIFE. The blend of science just that deep. So I’m and skepticism is standing there and I very healthy. was supposed to meet the folks who invited The science track also borrows me me over at the skep track. And I texted them, sometimes and I know that I’m doing an I said, “Can somebody please come get me? arts and sciences panel on Sunday. I’m I’m overwhelmed. I can’t move.” So that was moderating. The head of the track brings me day one, year one of me going. Now I can’t in and I tell them every year, ‘Steven, I’m not imagine a year without a Dragon Con. It is the a scientist.’ He goes, ‘No, but you get it.’ So I highlight of my year plus it’s also always my guess I know how to ask the right questions, birthday weekend. My birthday is September make things funny and move things along 2nd. So it’s just like this non-stop Labor Day because it’s emceeing, but we’re sitting down. party weekend. I call it Big Tent Nerdy.

So this year I’m doing the arts and sciences panel for him and a panel on ‘wereanimals’ After the initial shock, you seem to have sort of hypothesizing, because this is the fun acclimated quite well. of Dragon Con, you can have these thought

DRAGON CON

experiments in real time. What is the science of it all? But the skeptic in me goes, ‘But why should we believe it?’

Are you involved in the NASA panel?

Oh yes, I’m always on the NASA panel.

I host the panel and that’s usually because people know me from StarTalk. I was on for four seasons and a half, co-hosting with Neil deGrasse Tyson. So that’s another way that people know of me. I’ve actually had people come up to me like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know who you were, but then I heard your voice,’ which is hilarious to me. I was also on a Star Trek panel once. So people kept calling me to do more things. I’ve also been in the Dragon Con parade, every year that I’ve been there. Then the skeptics do a parade within the larger Dragon Con parade. I always regret it, on Saturday morning when I have to get up early and do the parade, after I’ve been out all night on Friday. But how can you not? It’s Dragon Con. If you’re going to bed early, you’re definitely doing the Con wrong!

Because as we know, there are parties that last until the following day.

Yeah. This is not the official way of calling it, but there’s the regular Dragon Con and then there’s ‘Dragon Con - after dark,’ and it’s just as exciting and frightening as it sounds.

As a comic-actor-podcaster-host-author, you are one of the most interesting hyphenates I’ve ever met.

Oh, thank you. It’s an interesting combination that has left my dating profile strangely silent.

Some people can’t deal with a sense of humor or skepticism or just general sarcasm.

It’s funny, I’m not what you would call an out-loud, angry atheist. That was college. That was fun then. Now I don’t have time to argue.

I don’t want to argue with anyone. I just want to live my life. So it’s nothing I wear on my sleeve, but if you get to know me, it’s evident.

For more information and tickets to Dragon Con, go to dragoncon.org. For more wit and wisdom from Leighann Lord, be sure to visit her website at veryfunnylady.com.

HOME THEATER

DRUNK HISTORY: THE COMPLETE SERIES

(Universal) Quite possibly the most helpful televised history program ever, thanks to inspired cameos and liberal amounts of liquor, can finally be found in this one massive collection. The 72 episodes that ran from 2013-to-2019 first started as a web series before getting picked up by Comedy Central.

It featured comedians and actors getting plastered and then reciting stories from history while a cast of actors pantomime to the stories (burps and all). Over the years the series has been nominated for a slew of Emmys and even inspired British, Australian, Latin American, and Polish versions of the show.

PUNK THE CAPITAL: BUILDING A SOUND MOVEMENT (Passion River) It’s not a legitimate documentary about the D.C. punk scene unless it includes interviews with Ian MacKaye or Henry Rollins. Thankfully, both are included in this stellar doc that covers the scene from 1976-to-1983. Directed by Paul Bishow and James June Schneider, the doc also includes

JUST A GIGOLO

(Shout! Factory) It’s fair to say this 1978 German black comedy is not great. But going into it with the right mindset (and low expectations) it can still be entertaining. David Bowie is easily the best thing about this movie that is hampered by a weak premise and even weaker dialogue.

Bowie plays a Prussian officer returning to Berlin after the war. Unable to find a job, he ends up working as a gigolo in a brothel run by Marlene Dietrich (who came out of retirement for this movie). Despite a bland role and lackluster dialogue, Bowie’s charm still manages to shine here.

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interviews with other seminal musicians from that scene including members of Bad Brains, Rites of Spring and Minor Threat and punk musicians that weren’t from the area but inspired by it, like Jello Biafra and DOA’s Joe Keithley. Even if you’re not a fan of punk rock, this fascinating look at the DIY movement that created the scene is entertaining on its own.

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MUSIC

MAKE SOME (URBAN) NOISE

Dynamic Vocalist Ellen Foley is Back with a Vengeance on Fighting Words

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

T

HE EXTRAORDINARILY talented singer-songwriter-actress Ellen Foley means different things to different sections of pop culture consumers. To some, she’s the unforgettable guest vocalist on Meat Loaf ’s “Paradise By The Dashboard Light.” To others, she’s the creator of a small but cool catalog of solo albums, beginning with 1979’s Night Out. For television fans, she’s instantly recognizable for her role as Billie Young on the NBC series Night Court.

Her musical career has been an incredible roller-coaster of sonic adventures, beginning with a fateful appearance on Meat Loaf ’s 1977 tour de force, Bat Out Of Hell. Soon, she was collaborating with Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Blue Oyster Cult, The Clash and Joe Jackson among other influential performers. Legend has it that The Clash’s biggest hit, “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” was inspired by Mick Jones’ stormy relationship with Foley.

This month, for her first release since 2013, the singer is issuing a new addition to her compact discography. Fighting Words, published independently by her own Urban Noise Music, is a concise batch of volatile new music, primarily written by her frequent collaborator Paul Foglino.

The album concludes with a look back at her early days with a sly nod to the late Jim Steinman’s opus “Heaven Can Wait.”

Foley recently discussed the album with INsite by phone from her home in New York City.

You’ve always seemed to be a die-hard New York City person, so it’s fitting this album is out on the Urban Noise label.

I’ve always been very connected to it. If you’ve ever seen my publishing name on anything I’ve written, it says Urban Noise.

I created that back in the ‘70s because I’m always so attached to being in the city. It’s just a big part of who I am.

What a time to issue a great new album, right in the middle of an extremely weird era.

People will probably assume that it was done during the pandemic, but it was done during, I should never really talk politics, but for us, it was done during a really dark time in America. And that was another pandemic of sorts.

Right, the dark time was at least four years and the record echoes a bit of that sort of apprehensive tension.

I think that’s why it took five years to finally release it. With these songs, I was a little - I won’t say dismissive, but I kind of wasn’t into it at first. I’d been busy and touring and I was just out of the habit of creating new material. I would say Paul dragged me into this, kicking and screaming a bit, you know? Now that I see the outcome, that was pretty dumb but we got it done. And now I love it. I think the songs are great. I’m really proud of the band and I think I sang well because I was just so relaxed, you know? We did the vocals for it in my living room. He has Pro Tools and he brought a really great microphone. If you have a great mic, you can do it that way and it’ll really sound good.

PG 8 • August 2021 • insiteatlanta.com

There’s so much stuff available, it’s impossible to hear it all these days.

I don’t even know where to begin, there’s so much. I was making a Spotify list and I asked my son, ‘What are some of the current things you really like?’ He sent me some stuff and, I don’t know, it mostly just seems sort of insipid. I do like some of the Billie Eilish things. It took me a while to get used to her, because I always think that great singing has to be big and muscular and hitting the notes. She doesn’t do that but what she does do is pretty great.

I THINK THE SONGS ARE GREAT. I’M REALLY PROUD OF THE BAND AND I THINK I SANG WELL BECAUSE I WAS JUST SO RELAXED, YOU KNOW? WE DID THE VOCALS FOR IT IN MY LIVING ROOM. Even though it was recorded in isolation, it still really sounds like a band project, like everyone in [backing ensemble] the Worried Men is playing in the same room, at the same time.

It really does. Well he managed to set up the rhythm tracks and then added to it, so everybody had great guidance when they got their parts. So it sounds like the real thing in one room. Paul knows me so well, he’ll come in with lyrics and we’ll sit and think about how it works for me. I’m so glad you and other people are writing about it because who listens to albums anymore?

Except for people, maybe of our generation, which is my target audience, let’s face it.

They might sit down with a beer and put their headphones on and listen to a whole album. If they would just give it a listen, I think that would be fantastic.

Yeah, that’s a listening session the way God intended it.

Yes, the exact way God intended it! Thank you very much.

Closing the collection with “Heaven Can Wait” is a nice touch and a good nod to the past.

Well, I’ve sung it since 1977. I did a musical that Jim Steinman wrote and that song was in it and then Meat recorded it and it became his song.

But whenever I’ve performed in any kind of venue with the band, I’ve always sung it and I basically always close the shows with it. Because it means so much to me. First, it’s just a gorgeous melody. It fits my voice really well and then the lyrics I think really have a mystique to them for a lot of people.

I mean, they could really mean a lot of very different things to a lot of really different people. I think when I was 25 and singing this song, it was a completely different thing than it is when I sing it now.

Are you issuing singles from Fighting Words, or do you consider the whole album to be an entire piece?

Well there have been two singles. The first one was the duet with Karla DeVito, “I’m Just Happy to Be Here” and in the last few weeks, the new single has been the first cut, “Are You Good Enough.”

I’m not quite sure whatever ‘singles’ even mean anymore.

You just put it out there, you make it available to radio people, journalists and your fans.

Then you see what happens, right?

But I do think it was smart to do it this way, to give everybody a little taste of it and then on August 6th, the whole thing’s going to be thrown out there - for better or worse. These days, you just want people to hear it.

It’s such a different time in every way.

When we were both conscious of early rock and roll, people of all ages knew about it. They might not have liked it but they certainly knew who the artists were.

I think that’s because that was sort of the beginning, you know? There weren’t a million rock and roll bands or rock and roll singers yet. There was a much smaller pool of everything. So everybody knew the names at least. But still, normal people USA were ignorant of where it all really came from.

After enduring the major label deals, what is the biggest change you’ve seen over the years?

Oh gosh. That’s a hard question. Well I think the fact that I was able to do this record the way we did is one of the biggest differences. I mean, when I did those first few records, it was obviously a huge physical operation. Now you don’t need to do it that way. I know I’ve certainly benefited from the more mobile way to do things, for sure.

I mean, I don’t have a record company and I don’t even know if I’d want one anymore. I have a publicist and the word is getting out about this record. Before, it was the whole label machine pushing on it. And on me.

Just lately, I’ve talked to people from Europe of course, but Czechoslovakia and Brazil? I mean, that’s a first. For me, that’s for sure.

That might have never happened with a major label campaign.

But back in the late ‘70s, you definitely got a lot of press attention from the US and especially UK music mags. Every time you’d turn around, there’d be a great picture of you working - or just hanging out - with somebody cool.

Oh, it was great. It was like a big surprise in my life. I didn’t know. I mean, I had sung on one record before my first album and it was the Meat Loaf record. So you’re kind of thrust into this whole thing and it kind of felt like, okay, I guess this is the way it should be. But wow, it was really pretty fabulous. Then you’d go over to Europe or Belgium and Amsterdam where I had a number one record and people are going crazy for you. You start to believe your own hype like, ‘Oh look at me. I’m such a rockstar.’ You know? It’s crazy to look back on it now. We just put a bunch of my old videos up on You Tube and stuff. Things like “Stupid Girl,” from the Kenny Everett Show in England, where I’m in jail and dancing with these muscle men, it’s all pretty crazy, I got to say.

Fighting Words will be available from most music retailers on August 6 and via links on ellenfoley.com.

TV

Station Streaming

SHOWS HIT THE ROAD

BY BENJAMIN CARR

S

UMMER TRAVEL CAN BE A MIXED bag. Sure, it gets you out of the house for the first time in a pandemic year, but you also have to consider expenses, packing and all the other headaches that come with it.

Meanwhile, summer television offers you a variety of different escape destinations, and all the characters and headaches you find along the way are just entertaining.

New shows have made a point to take us to fantastic destinations, to surround us with escapism instead of escape.

SCHMIGADOON! (Apple TV+)

Keegan Michael Key and SNL’s Cecily Strong star in this insane, delightful new series from Lorne Michaels where a bickering couple get lost in the woods, then trapped in a strange magical town where everyone bursts into song and dance. On top of that, the couple realizes they’re expected to participate in the musical, sort through their problems and find true love, otherwise they may never escape.

The idea of a magical town in the woods actually comes from the musical Brigadoon, but Schmigadoon! is a good deal more zany, clashing modern sensibilities against the oldtimey schtick of stage shows like The Music Man and Picnic.

Strong, in particular, seems to be having a blast with this material, given a lead role that finally showcases all that she can do. Her character loves the whimsy of the magical situation, yet she is also appalled by its sexism and antiquated notions of courtship.

Key, at this point in the series, is relegated to playing the straight man, who’d rather not engage in any musical shenanigans.

The music is funny, and the premise works.

Beyond that, the Broadway song-and-dance cred of the cast, apart from the two leads, is really, really impressive, full of Tony nominees, winners and emerging stars: Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Martin Short, Aaron Tveit, Adriana deBose, Jane Krakowski, Dove Cameron and Fred Armisen among them.

THE WHITE LOTUS (HBO Max)

Writer-director Mike White’s penchant for awkward comedy with a twisted heart has given us shows like Enlightened, and The White Lotus, his latest project, provides a subversive, strange look at a group of travelers on a luxury Hawaiian resort vacation.

The six-episode miniseries has a number of oddball characters, both among the travelers and the resort staff, and it kicks off with a bit of a mystery. At the end of the story, one of these people will be dead, but we don’t know who it is or what exactly happened.

Schmigadoon!

FREE ADMISSION

Among the guests are an entitled, spoiled rich kid (Jake Lacy) and his new journalist bride (Alexandra Daddario). The two of them have rushed into marriage without knowing each other well. There’s also a well-to-do family, led by characters played by Connie Britton and Steve Zahn, who are trying to escape from stress and a bad medical diagnosis. And the great Jennifer Coolidge portrays an amazing, daffy character, at the resort to spread the ashes of her mother.

Murray Bartlett and Natasha Rothwell play hotel staff, who are coping with their own problems.

Watching someone else’s dream vacation used to be entertaining. Watching a nightmare vacation like The White Lotus is somehow more appealing.

Sat. Sept. 11TH

FEAR STREET (Netflix)

Reserved Tables Available!

This trilogy of slasher films based upon the R.L. Stine novels, shot in Atlanta and originally intended for theaters, released on Netflix over three weeks in July. And the films were a blast from start to finish, covering a variety of horror premises with surprising creativity.

And the overarching story of the three films, about a town inflicted with a witch’s curse since the 17th century, built up to a very satisfying conclusion. Fear Street is a highly recommended good time.

The first film, 1994, dealt in a self-referential tone, similar to the Scream films, while the second film, 1978, takes on the summer camp slasher vibe of Friday the 13th and other films.

The final film, 1666, explores Puritan horror, similar to recent films like The Witch.

Playing Deena the final girl, Kiana Madeira does a great job with a role that becomes increasingly more complex as the films continue. Gillian Jacobs and Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink also turn in solid work.

You really, really wouldn’t want to live in Shadyside, but Fear Street is a great place to visit.

Noon - 10:00pm Logan Farm Park

Live Music

The Return (Beatles Tribute Band) Live In Concert 8-10pm

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Giant Slides, Obstacle Courses, Bungee Jumps, Rockwall & more!

CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION 770-423-1330 JRMMANAGEMENT.COM

insiteatlanta.com • August 2021 • PG 9

MUSIC

THE POWER OF MUSIC

Legendary Jazz-Pop-R&B Singer-Songwriter Patti Austin on ‘Scrolling Through’ Life lively telephone conversation from her home in San Francisco.

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

F

OR SOME ARTISTS, THE HONOR OF performing on the legendary stage of the Normally you’re crisscrossing the globe on Apollo Theater is a lifetime goal. Patti international tours. How does it feel to be a Austin notched that achievement when she was homebody for a change? four years old. Now, with over 65 years in the Strange! My life prior to COVID consisted of entertainment business, the singer-songwritergetting on and off planes in various countries actor-activist continues her storied career around the world. When it with a string of hilarious, all stopped abruptly, it was politically-charged viral like an instant vacation that anthems that are garnering a I was desperately in need of, whole new generation of fans. but I didn’t realize how bad I’d Sunday, September 5 But she hasn’t left her needed it. I really took it as an 9:00pm recording legacy behind by opportunity to just chill and any means. For pedestrian Atlanta Jazz Festival reevaluate what I was doing. fans, Austin is primarily (Meadow Stage) So I’ve been sort of scrolling known for her number one through my life since I turned atlantafestivals.com hit from 1982, “Baby Come 70 last year. People kept To Me,” a duet with James calling me a senior citizen Ingram. But she’s been a and it kept pissing me off. So I major-label recording artist since the ‘60s, was here, home alone and all pissed off - but it with a string of innovative jazz, pop and R&B actually worked out really good for me. albums and collaborations with Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and George Benson.

Sounds like you definitely channeled some of In addition to artist mentoring and that pent-up energy. podcasting, Austin has examined the Well, I spent a lot of time reading, watching influential career of Ella Fitzgerald through the news and I was getting even crankier for on a continuing succession of records and on a while. I was stewing in my own juices and concert stages around the world. On Labor then I started writing again - which I hadn’t Day Weekend, the jet-setting Grammy-winner done for a very long time. I’m not one of those returns to Atlanta to headline the 2021 Atlanta songwriters who gets up every day and writes Jazz Festival. a song, like Randy Newman or somebody. I The outspoken entertainer always has a lot wish I was, but I’m usually not that prolific. But to say and she recently graced INsite with a

PATTI AUSTIN

suddenly I had this plethora of material floating around me. When the whole election issue kicked in - in Georgia - I wrote a song about doing the right thing. The full title is “Georgia, You’re Not Just Voting For You, You’re Voting For Me, Too.” (“Georgia Ur Votin 4ME2”) You’ve gone from timeless to topical?

I was just inspired. I wrote it in about 15 minutes and recorded it at my friend, Greg Fields’ house. He was the producer on my first Ella record. He lives up the street from me and has a recording studio. I ran in, sang it and my musical director put a track together. Greg videoed me with my iPhone. It got featured on this amazing platform called MeidasTouch.

Com. They release a lot of videos that are politically oriented. They’re editors and just a tremendous group of brothers, all three of them.

Right. Crafty guys with a good sense of humor.

Yes! They have a tremendous sense of humor. Then we got it on Pantsuit Nation on Facebook. We got two million eyes on it, just from them. I sat, over a period of four days, and watched this little ditty that I came up with in fifteen minutes, get three million hits between Pantsuit Nation and MeidasTouch.

Impressive. But that’s the power of the Internet, right?

Exactly. And with that, I wrote a song called “Now I Understand You, Miss Kardashian.”

Because I had never experienced that much interest and or excitement about anything I’d ever done in my entire life in real time. There’s something very frightening and magnificent about it. When it was happening to me, I was going, ‘Oh so this is why she took those pictures with her butt hanging out!’ Attention is addictive.

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PG 10 • August 2021 • insiteatlanta.com

Psycho_Sisters_Atl

You had the bug!

Oh, I was bitten and smitten. Then I wrote another song about the inauguration and I’ve just written another tune called “Kill The Filibuster.”

This is a whole new direction.

It is. I learned a lot from the first experience with that first [viral] song. Bottom line is I’m trying not to look like a one-trick-pony with this whole thing. While I was down for the count with COVID - not with COVID but because of COVID, thank God - I wrote a lot of songs that were about the situation, about politics, about aging and about all of the stuff

that’s been coming to a boil in this world. I realized after the third song that I had about four more going. It was like, ‘Hey, maybe I need to do an entire project around this material.’

So that’s what I’m doing at this point. At least I’m building a reputation doing what I think is - well, certainly unique for what people think of me as doing. I’m hoping that if what I do in this way takes off, it will inspire other artists to do similar things because right now I don’t see a big push.

The bandwagon effect?

Yes. Usually, particularly in the United States, when we have big issues, we get a lot of celebrity testimonial activity. I don’t see that happening right now. I see it coming from the hip-hop and rap world, but I don’t see any other music representing any other demographic, really speaking to the issues that are happening now. There are people writing new lyrics to old songs but I’m writing completely new pieces of music to accompany these situations.

I just wish there was a lot more. Where’s the Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On” song for the 21st century? Come on guys. I know you’re out there!

The ‘60s and ‘70s had a whole slew of unifying and clarifying songs. Tunes that quickly became anthems and then standards.

Exactly, exactly. A great power of music is its ability to become an anthem and a driving force, to be this thing to pound your drum to when you’re making a point about something that needs to be fixed or changed. I don’t see that happening and it’s driving me nuts. So that was also part of my driving force, to write these songs and to use my fifteen years in the ad business and singing jingles as a way to approach this stuff. So what I’ve really done is, write two and three-minute jingles that are about a specific topic. Ones that will hopefully stick to your ribs. Because messaging gets through much faster with jokes and music than anything else.

But is the world too segmented to embrace a single message at this point?

We’ll see. You think of the music that happened in the ‘60s during the Civil Rights Movement, which I was involved in as a teenager. There was music coming from everywhere - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the O’Jays, Marvin Gaye. Just about everybody was writing music that was about the times.

Songs that helped fire everybody up and get us through that moment and to a higher place.

That’s not happening now, y’all. We’re still just talking about how to get laid. If we don’t act, we’re gonna get laid, all right.

Yeah, laid out flat.

Right! If we don’t get it together. This is forcing me out of my mental retirement, geez.

It’s great that you have this new wave of creativity going, because a lot of people in your position would go the easy route and just issue another greatest hits album. Or some sort of re-imagined acoustic version of the old hits.

(Laughs) Yes! They do that all the time, don’t they? We do have an album coming out, actually. I did it four years ago with the magnificent Gordon Goodwin, but I did it on my own dime.

So it took a while to make. It’s another Ella project.

You’ve examined several aspects of her music over the years.

This time, I wanted to delve more into Ella’s catalog that a lot of people aren’t familiar with. A lot of people don’t know that Ella was like the Brittany Spears of her time.

Her hits, when she was younger, in her late teens and early 20s, were considered to be what they called novelty records. “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” “When I Get Low, I Get High.”

They were huge, huge hits and it made her an overnight success. And it’s what she got locked into. Everybody thinks of her now as this person that just sang the Great American Songbook to death but there was a lot of rock and roll going on before she got there. It’s a really fun project. I had a ball doing it and we took a lot of her stuff, twisted it around and brought back some of her more obscure material.

Are you excited or nervous about getting back on stage?

I’ve been talking about this with my friends a lot. I think my favorite ‘going back to work’ story came from DeeDee Bridgewater. It’s a bit of a long story. But bottom line is, she got out on stage and she was a mess. She said she didn’t even know what it felt like to walk on a stage after a year away. She got so overwhelmed that when the band started playing, she just cut them off. She said, ‘You know what? I got to pray.’

And she prayed. For everybody in the audience and for the guys in the band and the whole ‘I can’t believe we’re here,’ and all that. When she finished the prayer, a man from the audience came running up and reached out for her hand.

She reached down and shook his hand. He said,

‘Thank you so much. We all needed that.’ The audience went wild and she did her set. I said, ‘How did it feel. DeeDee? How did it feel?’ She said, ‘It felt great!’ I said, ‘All right, that’s all I wanted to hear.’

But you haven’t had your first show back yet, have you?

I haven’t. I believe my first one will be the Jazz Festival. And now I feel painted into a corner to not just do a ‘show.’ I feel that I must do something relevant. It needs to matter.

Ironically, before everything shut down, I had developed about three or four different shows, depending on where I am and what the configurations are. I have my pop show, a pop slash R&B show, my straight-up classic jazz show which has nothing to do with Ella and then I have the Ella stuff. Sometimes I’ll mix them all together and do a hybrid show, it just depends on the audience. Prior to shutting down, I had put a set together that really came from all the stuff that was going on around us, all the time we were on the road. I’ve started adding tunes that address the stuff we’re going through - in addition to my hits.

I do what everybody wants to hear, but I mix it in with stuff that has a powerful message.

The music will be doing the talking - but I know you’ll have plenty to say, as well.

Oh my dear, I’m talking between songs about all kinds of stuff! A lot of it gets me in trouble but I don’t care. There’s always going to be somebody that doesn’t like what you have to say.

You cannot live your life based upon wanting everybody to like everything you do or say. It’s not ever going to happen, so get over it. I just try to put a show together that represents the things that make us survive as a species - and that’s our ability to function together. Together! Let’s get things done as a team for a change and watch what happens.

Which songs have you added recently?

I started putting in things like “What The World Needs Now” and “Lean On Me.” We’ve added “Love Train” at the end of the night and people really love it. So that’s probably the show I’m going to do when I get to you - with a couple of new things thrown in for sauce. Then we’ll see if I can still sing and dance in a hotshot show after all this time away. It’s fun and inspirational and it makes people happy. And that’s the real power of music.

Summer Concert Series SATURDAY, AUGUST 7

BONEY JAMES

WITH AVERAGE WHITE BAND SUNDAY, AUGUST 8

Musiq Soulchild with Avery Sunshine & Ken Ford FRIDAY, AUGUST 13

Atlanta’s Best Soul/Funk SATURDAY, AUGUST 14

Jeffrey Osborne & Stephanie Mills SATURDAY, AUGUST 21

Brian McKnight with Jon B SUNDAY, AUGUST 22

Southern Soul Sunday FRIDAY, AUGUST 27

Respect Artist Tribute SATURDAY, AUGUST 28

Motown/Philly Revue 5239 Floyd Rd. Mableton, GA 30126 Box Office: (770) 819-7765 MableHouse.org

september 5 & 6 labor day weekend atlantafestivals.com

featuring: sean jones archie shepp mike phillips miguel zenón jazzmeia horn ron carter theo croker patti austin & many more

I JUST TRY TO PUT A SHOW TOGETHER THAT REPRESENTS THE THINGS THAT MAKE US SURVIVE AS A SPECIES - AND THAT’S OUR ABILITY TO FUNCTION TOGETHER. TOGETHER! LET’S GET THINGS DONE AS A TEAM FOR A CHANGE AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS.

insiteatlanta.com • August 2021 • PG 11

MUSIC

WORLD’S COOLEST QUARTERBACK

Bassist Ron Carter & His Quartet Highlight 2021 Atlanta Jazz Festival Lineup

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

O

The States don’t seem to be jazz musician friendly enough to allow us to not worry about needing a passport. So it was quite an event. I acknowledged the audience. I appreciated their being there to watch us read each other and play with each other for the first time in almost two years. Hopefully they enjoyed our learning process.

NE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2021 Atlanta Jazz Festival will surely be the 7 p.m. Sunday night set from legendary double bassist Ron Carter.

As of 2015, his appearances on 2,221 sessions note him as the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He proudly displays the Guinness World Records certificate on the How did you handle all the downtime? splash page of his website, but the soft-spoken GrammyI have a small self-publishing company I’ve been involved winner takes it all in stride. In conversation, he stresses that in for a couple of years and I finished three manuals on the music is the most important aspect of his message, even how to play the string bass - with some analysis and some though he has plenty of solid credentials for bragging rights. transcriptions of what I’ve done. So I’ve He has recorded with the finest talents had a pretty intellectually active 18 months of the jazz and rock worlds, including despite not playing the bass but 45 minutes collaborations with Gil Evans, Lena Horne, a day.

Bill Evans, B.B. King, the Kronos Quartet, Sunday, September 5 Dexter Gordon, Wes Montgomery and Speaking of playing, is there a different 7:00pm Cannonball Adderley. His 1963-1968 mindset when you play a club or a Atlanta Jazz Festival stint with Miles Davis is a hallmark of the theater show rather than a big, open-air genre but rather than look back on his (Meadow Stage) festival venue? accomplishments, he continues to record No, I have a program. For this gig last atlantafestivals.com and our. night, we hadn’t been together in two years, With band new album packages on the way so I sat down and found some programs we with his trio and quartet and an upcoming had done - the last one we had done, as a Spotify project (Live At Electric Lady) with Jon Batiste, matter of fact. I sent them this message: ‘This is the program.

Carter remains one of the most in demand players of any I recommend that you get the folder out for your music, take style of music. During the recent pandemic downtime, he a hour and spend your time just going over the melodies and crafted a series of instructional manuals, offering bassists of the changes in the form of this tune. So that when we hit the all levels a rare opportunity to learn from a true master of set it won’t feel so strange.’ the instrument.

INsite recently spoke with Carter by phone from New It worked out just fine, right?

York, the afternoon after his first live show in nearly It was smooth because we were prepared for how much we two years. didn’t remember. It’s one of the difficult things with bands who are really good but haven’t seen each other or played We’re excited about your upcoming appearance at the with each other. You need a kind of intellectual warmup for Atlanta Jazz Festival. It’s going to be a great event. the music to have a flow to it.

Me too. It’s definitely on our books. We’re still waiting for the nation to make a decision as to how they’re going to The new Spotify set you’re doing with Jon Batiste isn’t quite handle meeting people without giving them an air hug. But a band project, but you’re a big part of the combo. That’s we certainly expect to be there, given where things are going coming out pretty soon I hear. right now.

Yeah. I was kind of his special friend on it. I had nothing to do with the project other than getting there in time to look at How was the show last night? Was it your first show back the music and try to play what I thought he needed. But my after all the downtime? involvement stopped with that. Other than being a musician, Yes, indeed. In Buffalo, a nice outdoor concert with some I had no input into the program, the musicians. I was just a lovely people and a fabulous audience. guy who was walking in, hired to make my part necessary.

I’m interested to hear what they finally used and the order of How did it feel to be back after so long? The past year has the tunes so I can understand what their concept was. been the longest time off the road for musicians in general.

Well, for most of us, traveling was just what we had to do.

He’s a great player with an incredible grasp of history.

He really is. Good piano players, like drummers, if they can do that when you hear them play, you understand that they know the history of their instrument. You can hear it.

RON CARTER

Will the trio from the new Golden Striker album be with you at the Atlanta Jazz Festival?

No. I think the quartet is coming, Renee Rosnes piano, James Green on saxophone and Payton Crossley on drums.

So Atlanta is the Foursight Quartet.

On your website. There’s a little stand-alone quote about the bassist being the “quarterback” of the band.

And I mean that. That’s part of my job, man. Bass players have to understand their responsibility. They play a completely different kind of music. They have a different kind of attitude, a different kind of, I hate this word, but “vibe.” I’m not sure that most of them understand what their responsibility is and how they can actually control the music with their skill level and their understanding of what their input really has to be.

Since we’re talking about the website, I noticed the Guinness Book of World Records commendation. That’s an incredible achievement. Of all those recordings, do you have any one certain favorite?

Well, if I salute only one of the bunch, that means the remainder were not so good to me. And that’s not the case.

I’m going to school for a free class whenever I’m playing with all those players on all those records. So they were all important to my development, all important to me growing PG 12 • August 2021 • insiteatlanta.com

up, all important to me because I had a chance to affect the results of the record we were making. I’ve made a lot of friendships because of those discs and those dates. So I must say, I don’t have a certain favorite one. They’re all my favorites. It’s like the mom who has six kids. They’re all her favorites. There’s no single one that’s loved more than the other.

I do want to ask you in particular about your time with Miles Davis. In that era, which was such a crucial time, everything was changing. Not just in music, but in the world. Obviously, his choice of material and styles were changing too. What was it like on the inside at that point?

Was he actively working toward the electric era? Was he already planning the whole fusion thing?

I have no idea where he was headed. The band was going one way and he was going with the band. I don’t know what he was hearing inside his head to say, “Enough of this.” I have no idea. All I know was that every night we played together, there were some wonderful sparks flying. Sometimes they were less than wonderful but that was okay for us, too.

What was he like in the studio? I’ve heard conflicting stories but everyone agrees that a Miles session was a pretty intensive experience.

He didn’t like a lot of takes. When we worked in the studio, he would start the tape rolling the moment we all showed up.

We’d make arrangements and choices as we went along. That was generally the format for me and the band.

Was his direction to basically say “just play” and feel it?

He had a sense of what he wanted. I don’t think he was saying, “You guys play what you want to do and I’m okay.”

He wanted to understand what was taking place based on what happened to the form and the changes. He was aware of the music, even though he wasn’t playing it because he’s just the trumpet player in the band. There are four other guys in the band who are adding to this concept of whatever you ultimately call it. I think he was happy to go along for the ride with his own questions and figure out what to play next. They’re all our collective records. That’s what made the music so fun, we could get a chance to hear our music played by these wonderful musicians.

For more information on Ron Carter’s music and books, visit roncarter.net.

MUSIC

COSMO’S VAULT STRIKES AGAIN

CCR Co-Founder Doug Clifford Presents the Supergroup That Got Away

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

L

AST MONTH, WHEN CREEDENCE Clearwater Revival co-founder Doug “Cosmo” Clifford answered his cell phone, he was eager to talk about music history. But not the legacy of CCR, even though the call coincided with the 51st anniversary of his former band’s bestselling album.

Now at well over four-times platinum, Cosmo’s Factory doesn’t really need any further promotion. Its sales should keep on chooglin’ with the recent news of CCR’s first-ever number one song on a Billboard chart. In July, “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” became the band’s first single to reach the top of the publication’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart. It only took five decades and the advent of modern technology to reach that lofty spot.

But that’s not the past the legendary drummer was currently excited about, either.

The Hall Of Famer’s pride of the moment is For All The Money In The World, the debut (and farewell) compilation of music recorded

by Clifford/Wright, an ill-fated supergroup of San Francisco Bay musicians in 1986.

Led by CCR’s Clifford on drums and Steve Wright from the Greg Kihn Band on bass, the personnel on the recordings include Joe Satriani, Greg Douglass (Steve Miller Band) and Jimmy Lyon (Eddie Money) on guitars, Keith England on lead vocals, with keyboardists Tim Gorman (The Who) and Pat Mosca (Greg Kihn Band). The good-time vibe of the ensemble should appeal to fans of any of the participating players and the album fits comfortably into modern, triple-A or classic rock categories.

Culled from Cosmo’s vault of unreleased tapes and released on his Cliffsong Records label, the album arrives as the second volume of a planned series, following Magic Window from last spring. Clifford reminisced about the archival project with INsite from his home in Reno, Nevada.

For All The Money is a good follow-up to Magic Window. Stylistically it’s very different but it makes chronological sense.

Well, it’s a whole different format. Steve Wright and I co-wrote all the music. And we were trying to get a deal with the tracks.

But back then, you needed to go out and play venues as well. But Steve didn’t want to do that, and I still don’t know the reason why, but he passed away in 2017, so I’ll never know.

But he’s a terrific bass player, I do know that.

And his playing on the record is superb, as is everyone else’s. We’ve got three terrific guitar players on there, including Joe, the metal man, Jimmy Lyon and Greg Douglass. So yeah, it’s a good rock and roll record.

It really is. I read that it was recorded in 1986. Is that about right?

Yeah. There were several recordings that were combined to make the one because we were trying to find a guitar player and Joe Satriani auditioned as well as doing a session with us. We asked him if he wanted to join us. He said, ‘Well, I’m going to do a heavy metal instrumental record.’ And we’re looking at him and we said, ‘Good luck with that, buddy.’ He had the last laugh on that, as the alien goes by on a surfboard.

Yeah, he did all right for himself, didn’t he?

He sure did.

I’VE NEVER LIKED PLAYING DRUMS AND SINGING. I MEAN, EVEN HARMONIES, I JUST DON’T LIKE DOING IT, I LIKE TO BE FREE TO PLAY MY INSTRUMENT.

When did Keith come into the picture? Did you audition singers for the project, as well?

He came in pretty early. We had only auditioned two and Keith came in then. One of the engineers, a friend of ours, brought him in. After we tried him out we sent the other guy home. He said, ‘But you didn’t give me a chance.’ I said, ‘I’ve found the voice I’m looking for, the diamond that we needed for this music.’

Whatever happened to that poor guy? Did he do anything else?

He’s around, I’ve spoken with him, told him the record’s coming out. He’s excited about that. He says he can still hit the notes - and I don’t know about that.

But he won’t have to, because I’m not touring anymore.

I’ve got Parkinson’s and a few other things to deal with. After twenty-five years of touring as Revisited, my body is saying, “Wait a minute.”

You’ve already been there and done it, right?

That’s the way I look at it. I’ve got my own label now, Cliffsong Records, and it’s being distributed by Sony Orchard. So I’ve got the big hammer and everything that a record company would need. And it’s a pretty cool thing, because all the songs that I will be putting out on that label, they’re all songs that I’m a writer and/or a co-writer on.

So the vault is good.

Oh yeah, the vault is very good!

When we spoke a few years ago, you were just starting to go through all that those tapes. Evidently it has yielded a number of gems.

There are more coming later on but this

one has just been born. Yesterday was the official release of “For All the Money in the World” as our first single. I think it’s a hit.

I’ve been around a lot of hits in my day. What I get from people, when I play these things for them, they always say that one’s a hit for sure. There are some other ones on there that could be hits, too but people really like that one. I like it because we never did a shuffle as a single in Creedence. And I love shuffles. This thing has a nice, easy going, relaxed rock groove to it. Then with Keith’s vocal performance on it and Steve’s bass playing, everybody on the record really did their job and did it well. It’s an East Bay thing because most of those guys are from there. Of course, I’m one of them, Steve was one of them. He’s from my hometown, El Cerrito, where Credence was born.

And if they weren’t born in the East Bay area, they were from the San Francisco area. So it became a super-session of area musicians.

just born yesterday, are all the songs like your babies?

Well, they are all my babies but I have to say the title track is right at the top of the class. “You Keep Running Away” is another one that has that has more of an R&B bounce to it. Steve really sets it up nicely with his bass playing. That’s also one that Joe Satriani plays on. He played on four songs total.

Well, it turned out great. “She Told Me So” is another solid track.

Oh, that’s a great one. That’s got a sassy attitude and a nice snappy tempo on that one.

It’s amazing that you saved all that stuff.

Some people might’ve trashed those tapes over the years in a cleaning frenzy or before a big move.

Yeah, I’ve moved a couple of times. I did have a few moments when I stopped and said, ‘Do I need these things?’ Usually I’ll get rid of stuff - especially if I’m moving long distance. But I said, ‘Ah, I remember there were some good things in there, but right now I’m busy doing something else.’ I’m glad I hung onto them, for sure. Now that I’m finally off the road, I can put out music and never leave the house!

“Weekends” also has that same kind of vibe.

Yeah. People love their Saturday nights, that’s for sure.

People live and work for that day, I’ve heard.

I’ve lived for a few of those kinda days but most of the time the weekend meant work for me. But it wasn’t really hard work for me to play. I’m one of those lucky guys because I loved it.

You are indeed. Do you have a personal favorite from this album yet? Since it was

When you and Steve were planning this band, neither of you wanted the lead vocal duty?

I’ve never liked playing drums and singing. I mean, even harmonies, I just don’t like doing it, I like to be free to play my instrument. We wanted a real rock and roll voice in there. Somebody with a special sound who could cut an attitude.

It would have been nice to hear these songs in the live setting.

I agree and I think we would have had a record deal - had that happened. But it wasn’t going to happen and that took the wind out of the sails of the project. Steve didn’t want to go out and play the venues that we were going to play. He said, ‘I’ve done all that already.’ And I said, ‘You know what? At one time, I was in another band, too!’ But the good news is, the vault comes through once again. It kept these ol’ audio tapes in the perfect condition to stand the test of time.

Clifford/Wright’s For All The Money in the world is available via most music retailers and direct from The Orchard at orcd.co/ CliffordWrightForAlltheMoneyInTheWorld. insiteatlanta.com • August 2021 • PG 13

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Liz Phair

Soberish (Chrysalis)

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It’s been more than a decade since Liz Phair’s last record, and for her return to the spotlight she paired once again with Brad Wood, the producer behind two of her most important albums (Exile in Guyville, Whip-Smart andwhitechocolatespaceegg). Unfortunately, Soberish lacks the energy and immediacy of those three groundbreaking albums. That’s not to say this one is a bad effort; it’s a solid album crammed with good, occasionally great songs, that brim with Phair’s witty lyrics, but the overall vibe is just so… mellow, which will come as a surprise to anyone who has seen her spirited live shows over the past few years.

In working with Wood, Phair told him her vision for this album. “I said to Brad I don’t know how many times: ‘I want this record to have an identifiable sound, but I want it to be something different that you haven’t really heard before. I want it to sound exactly like this record,’” Phair explains.

And as confusing as that sounds, it doesn’t sound like she’s retreading on familiar territory. Soberish is a big step away from her flirtation with Hip Hop on 2010’s Funstyle, but it also doesn’t completely go back to the lo-fi fantastically sloppy sound of Exile or Whip-Smart.

The opening track, the driving “Spanish Doors,” is also one of the standout songs here featuring Phair’s knack for writing a catchy hook and memorable chorus. Elsewhere, “Dosage,” another stellar track, boasts her lyrical trademark mix of optimism and heartbreak. Soberish is a decent album, but one that unfairly or not, has to live up to a 10year build up.

World War IX

Phoning It In EP (Emergency Break Thru)

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While you were learning to bake bread during the latest global pandemic, New York punk band World War IX got a new singer, recorded an album, and made a video to accompany that record.

Oh, and pulled together an entirely new comic book series_four total. How did the bread turn out?

On their new, five-song EP Phoning It In, Johnny Celentano steps up to the mic for a frenetic, passionate burst of fun that is over in under 10 minutes. With the self-explanatory, opening track, “Fired For Partying,” the band lay out the tone for EP. Not looking to change the world, the band just want to barrel through a quick collection of sometimes goofy (“Larry’s House”), often hilarious (“Portrait of Sobriety”) songs punctuated with machine-gun drumming and distorted power chords.

There is also a fantastic four comic series that pairs with the EP, the Thank God It’s Monday series created by guitarist Justin Melkmann. The set chronicles the history of World War IX better than any band bio ever could.

Loud, sloppy, and a hell of a lot of fun. If Gov. Cuomo doesn’t make “NYC Tonight” the theme song to the city reopening from COVID restrictions, he deserves to lose the governorship (also, deserves to lose for being a creep).

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The Indie rock credentials of the Chicago-based collective that make up Split Single are unimpeachable. The band is the brainchild of Jason Narducy (Bob Mould’s band, Superchunk, Verbow) and filled out with R.E.M.’s Mike Mills on bass, and Jon

Wurster (Superchunk, Bob Mould, The Mountain Goats) on drums. Across nearly a dozen tracks, the band brings up some pretty obvious musical comparisons given their resumes, specifically being able to perfectly meld ferocious, teeth clattering guitars with fantastic pop hooks and sweet as honey melodies. But there also some nods to Cheap Trick and X throughout.

Written and recorded this past year, obviously the global pandemic shaped a lot of the lyrics around this album, but so did the further march rightward by conservative politicians and their troops in this country, resulting in a particularly personal record.

The album’s first single “95 Percent” is an absolutely flawless burst of melody and loud guitar, matched by the equally brilliant “(Nothing You Can Do To) End This Love.”

The album closes on “Satellite,” one of the few slower songs on the record, but no less impressive.

“Satellite’ was the first song I wrote for this album,” said Narducy recently. “The lyrics are about searching for connection which is something many of us have felt deeply during the pandemic. I wanted the video to capture that feeling of isolation and then the jubilation once a connection is made.”

Thankfully, there are plenty of opportunities to catch Split Single live this summer beginning with a headlining tour this summer and then opening for Mould in the fall.

The Something Brothers Flak (Argosy Records)

It’s definitely not a unique story and sadly not a particularly rare one either.

In the mid-to-late 1980s when the music world was still open to guitarfocused bands that didn’t fit a specific mold, the Midwest band The Something Brothers set out for potential stardom. They played bars, which led to clubs, which led to bigger clubs. The shared stages with the Smashing Pumpkins, the Meat Puppets and Soul Asylum and put out records on small labels. Eventually and inevitable, as the band was pretty great, major labels started showing an interest, which led to meetings and hopes for something bigger... that never really came so the band ended up calling it quits in the early 1990.

Flashforward to 2015 when a major label deal is no longer the Holy Grail for struggling musicians.

We have the internet now; bands can book their own shows, they can record (cheaply), and they can put out their own records with the help of smaller labels having a lot of the same advantages that major labels had in the 1980s. So, The Something Brothers reformed and after decades of silence, put out Apollo in 2018. This year, The band is releasing a far, far more adventurous record with Flak, a three-disc, 60 song (60 songs!) album. The record is certainly intimidating, especially in a time when the latest generation of music fans consume artists by the single, rather than the album (let along three records at once), but for the adventurous the reward is definitely worth the time and patience.

To be clear, there is absolutely some filler on Flak, but even in their quirkier moments (and there are plenty of those moments) the band is still entertaining. There are also some remarkably great songs here, like “Another Bigger Ocean,” or the genre agnostic “Pardon Me.” The band’s first single “Blind,” is simply timeless and you could easily see this single charting in any decade from the 1970s on.

As overwhelming as a 60-song record can seem, in the case of Flak, it’s a task that most certainly pays off for the listener in the end.

insiteatlanta.com • August 2021 • PG 15

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