Chris Strachwitz interviews Archives - Page 3 of 4

John Delafose Interview – Zydeco

John Delafose and his band, the Eunice Playboys, represent both a return to old time zydeco as well as a unique modern sound. He plays the old time button accordion in a staccato style that emphasizes syncopated rhythm over melody; at the same time he plays the more melodic modern soul/blues sound often on the piano accordion.

Smiley Winters Interview

Smiley Winters talks with Chris Strachwitz about his life as a jazz drummer. “I just studied. For awhile, I did to advance my studies. But after a while I did nothing but to learn theory and everything. And then I got a group, a bebop group in 1948 and we made the downbeat Ralph Gleason wrote about us.”

Joe Pullum Interview

Blues singer Joe Pullum talks with Chris Strachwitz about the music scene in Houston, TX in the 1930’s and later in Los Angeles.

Canray Fontenot Interview

Canray Fontenot was a legendary Creole french fiddle player. “…We played for white people…I still think about that…You go play dances, you could get in the front, or anywhere. The next day you wanted to buy a drink, you had to go in the back, if you was Black.”

Chuck Guillory Interview – Cajun

“Since I was four, five years old I liked music. I’d rather play music than eat.”….“George Jones, I’m the one who put him where he’s at…That man was poor. He begged me to play. I didn’t need him, I had a 7 piece band. I hired him anyway…five dollars a night…After the dance he would just sleep on the table ‘til daybreak and get a ride back to Beaumont.” – Chuck Guillory

Johnie Lewis Interview

“I said well Lord, if you let me live to see tomorrow I’m going to get me a guitar. That’s how I had my start. Then I went to Mrs. Patterson Pawn Shop”… “and I bought me a guitar with the name was Value. That’s the name of the guitar with pearl and ivory all around it. About a week, I was playing pretty good.”

John Littlejohn Interview – Blues

“So when I got 14 years old, my father won a guitar in a crap game. He asked me – He really didn’t give it to me. I’d catch him going from the house and I’d grab it, you know. The first tune I learned how to play was – I heard Lightning Hopkins playing this tune – ‘Baby, Please Don’t Go.’”

Paul Oliver Interview

In this hour long interview, British blues historian and author Paul Oliver and Chris Strachwitz discuss the Ann Arbor Blues Festival, blues, American music, culture, and much more.

K.C. Douglas Interview – Blues

“This guy, when the high water was in 1927, the Mississippi River had all that, they had all kind of”…”The guy made a record called “Barbecue Bob” about Mississippi Heavy Water Blues.”…”That’s the biggest high water they ever had in the Mississippi River. That’s the time, oh man. Washing houses and everybody, people was going down there to sit on top of houses, just going on out.”

Joe Patek Interview – Czech Polka

“We don’t do it for money, [or] trying to make a living out of it. We do it for hobby because we love music. I don’t go fishing. I don’t go hunting. I don’t own a gun and don’t own a fishing pole but I’ll go 150 and 200 miles to play a dance.”

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