JJB MUSIC: Pod Cast & DownLoads

• MP3 play whole song, hi-fi (broadband)
• MP3 play whole song, lo-fi (modem)
• MP3 download whole song, hi-fi

JJB Music’s Thelma Wind interview with producer/musician Stephen R. Duhart & Engineer Ser-Robert on the Life, Passing of Keyboardist Joe Zawinul and JJB Music’s Tribute song “Mud or Mongrel”

Thelma Wind: first of all Hellos to both of you. It’s been sometime now since I’ve been here at Studio T.I.P. / JJB Music Studios, I usually see the two of you at the Main Office.

Ser-Robert: hello to you, and you mean you usual see Stephen because I’m always here.

Stephen R. Duhart: Hello and Right you are my friend

T.W.: why did JJB Music decide to do a tribute Song for Joe Zawinul?

S.R.D.: Well Joe was an innovator of ours and a personal friend, Also one of my Best friend “Hollywood’s” Mentor.

T.W. : did Hollywood have anything to do with the song “Mud or Mongrel”

S.R.D. : Not directly, but indirectly.

T.W. : explain?

S.R.D. : well we have known and worked with Mr. Wood for some time now. I first got hip to Joe from my father’s record collection. One that I am most passionate about is Nancy Wilson & CannonBall Adderly With Joe on Piano. That’s a massive record. Later I was digging Black Market in High School and eventually got my first chance to see Joe Live at the West port Play House in St. Louis in 1986.
Me and Ser-Robert were there and we had at that point done a couple of records with Hollywood.

Ser-Robert: it wasn’t until we moved to cally in 1989 and Wood, all lived together in a / Studio Apartment / Studio did we really come to understand Mr. Woods Passion for Joe. I mean when you got four or five Musicians living, recording 24/7 you tend to maybe not willingly but not regrettable get into each others minds and massive record collections. For Duhart it was ZAPPA, for Wood it was Zawinul!

S.R.D. : that’s when we would go see Joe when ever he was in the South Land. Wood eventually found himself Backstage which in turn meant us as Well.

Ser-Robert: Joe over the years started coming out after his shows and sit and have a chat with us.

T.W. : Wow, like that?

S.R.D. : Like that!, I mean his son Ivan who traveled and was his F.O.H Engineer with him would always recognize us and invited us back after the shows.

T.W. : so why Mud or Mongrel?

SRD : well, there is also one missing element, I’m a big Wayne Shorter fan, and so was Wood, same deal same connection, Wayne would be in town and we would go see him blow and end up Backstage having a great Dialog. Wayne came up with all the Weather Report Song and Album Tittles,

Ser-Robert : Almost all

SRD : Right! So when Joe Passed Wood came down to the Studio on a Friday Night and we had a Zawinul Fest!

T.W. : What’s a Zawinul Fest?

SER : that’s when we play a game called got next…
T.W. : got next?

SER : Yeah, that’s when I play a record, and it can be anything as long as I give the next person in line 30 seconds to cue up there selection which can be anything and say Got Next.

T.W. : Got Next? Who’s was the Brains behind that?

SER : Duhart of course, he’s the “I’m board lets invent a new game” Master. So anyway, a Fest and in the case of Joe Zawinul that set the Theme, so you play anything concerning Joe with Got Next… Nancy Wilson, Weather, Syndicate, etc. it went from Friday night to Late Sunday after noon. A Zawinul Fest!

SRD : later on Sunday after noon our local way Hip Collage Station 89.9 Santa Monica Collage had a 1 hour special and interview with Joe. Very Deep incite and unknown facts, and I remember Joe saying something about Mud or Mongrel! “ Wayne Shorter?“ We keep a chalk Board in the Lab for late night thoughts, quotes etc. and I promised wood that I would one day write a song for Joe called…

T.W. : Mud or Mongrel?

SRD : you got it!

T.W. : so how, when, and Where?

SER : it was a one off, starting on a Late Friday Night. I Believe Oct 12th threw the early Morning of Sat the 13th.

T.W. : one night?

SRD : yeah, pretty much but Ser-Robert did the mix, master upload on another day.

SER : I remember is was raining real nice and we had not seen rain in about 168 days. So Duhart on one of his missions suggested we go for a walk in the rain with no Umbrella, Brella, Brella Yea,

SRD : He’s got a crush on Rihanna

SER : her Vocal Style

SRD : dig! I’m Feelin the Whole Delay Vox Rock Thang!

SER : so were out for a walk in the rain and I Must believe to say, Duhart is half way, way, way out there 90 % of the time. But this was quit refreshing. We had just received some new proteus sounds and I had loaded them up and Duhart Sat down and started to Play with the Patches. He found this one that he said was all Zawinul and played the template which is the main synth line on the intro and outro…

T.W. : Just like that?

SER : Just like that! He said lets save this and come back tomorrow , but before shut down mode he found another lick and the next thing you know its 5:30 A.M. and he’s got me putting a Matched Pair of Shure KSM Microphones on the Patio to record the Rain! About six feet apart and 5 feet off the ground.

SRD : you have to understand as im tracking all the windows to the Lab are open and the rain was fallen just right. We have this big wind chime that’s blowing and hittin just so Joe Zawinulish, and the few cars that where passing by so early in the morning gave it the Weather Report Thang. It was a must.

T.W. : just like That?

SER : well not quit, he had me record the rain at 5.6 MHZ “5 Million 600.000 Thousands Times a second” with the Korg MR 1000

SRD : it’s the closes thing to real capture, kind of of tapeie.

T.W. : Tapeie ?

SER : yeah like analog tape. Its the closet we have come to play back, sounding like record. without all the Digital artifacts!

T.W. : Just like that?

SER : well not quit, Duhart said give me the treatment, I’m hittin the hay!

T.W. : Treatment?

SER : Treatment!

T.W. : do I dare ask what’s the treatment?

SER : Duhart Like’s a lot of cool Delays, long, short, reflections and stuff, “and he says I’m the one with the Rianna Crush?” Kramer please!

SRD : “uncontrolled laughter

SER : yeah right, anyway I did the usual Treatment with the extra Joe on it, some Flange special effects stuff. Plus D&D Leahearts had the Studio booked for Sat and Sun, so I had to do a ruff mix and hit the Hay myself.

T.W. : so when was the first ruff mixed played?

SRD : I was explaining the whole night, Mud or Mongrel Before thang to Don & Di and we played it for them. After the first listen Diane said “where’s the Rain which had yet to be added, so Ser-Robert fired up the Mr 1000 and I mixed it fresh like that stereo out, BOOM Slam!

T.W. : Just like that?

SRD : Just Like that!

T.W. : so what people are hearing on the net is that BOOM Slam Mix?

SER : not quit, Duhart wanted to hear Joe’s very distinct voice in the intro which I snatched from the net. Then BOOM Slam!

SRD : the intro and outro is very Zawinul/Weather kind of thang and the middle is JJB ish.

T.W. : and what do you think Joe would think?

SRD : well he was a very honorable man, so Im sure Honored, but its not for what he would think but really on how he influenced not only my self, but millions of people around the world. This is a tribute about how he made me think, feel, create and beg to be a better innovator, not a imitator, but then again its so deep in my blood, Joe, ZAPPA, Prince, P-Funk, Zep I cant shake it and I don’t want to, I’m blessed to just be able to share and express what and how Zawinul had and will always have a most positive demanding effect on me, JJB and those who come long after us.

T.W. : Ser-Robert would you like to add anything?

SER : Just Like That?

T.W. : Just Like that!

SER : well in the words of the Great Cariosis Kick, BOOM, Slam!