A few weeks ago when it still felt like summer I found myself visiting my new grandson near San Francisco. It seemed a shame to be so near the city which gleamed in the distance from my daughter’s bayside home and not pay my respects to the man who has devoted so much creative energy to celebrating and explaining it.
So it fell upon me to hook up with Chuck Prophet in his downtown studio to talk about his new album, Wake The Dead, his new collaborators Qiensave and his recent health scare. It was a beautiful late summer day on the Bay (the weather in September is always better than the summer there) and once I negotiated a parking space and Chuck’s directions and useful parking tips it was great to sit down with Chuck and talk about …well…everything. As ever, it’s an entertaining conversation which Chuck’s anecdotes and sidebars always keeping things interesting. It will also be a great primer for those of you who have still not caught up with Chuck Prophet’s back catalogue and his various adventures with all manner of other musicians. For what it’s worth I always come away from a conversation with Chuck feeling I’ve just spent time with someone who’s managed to re balance the musical world a little.
On my way to the studio I passed a queue of kids waiting for a venue to open. I was a little confused about who they were waiting on and later on in a text Chuck filled me in, in the great way only he could. ‘…the reason the kids were lined up around the block wheree you were parking? Fontaine DC. Go figure!’
If that doesn’t explain Chuck enough then join me for this week’s AC where you can hear that conversation and some great music from Wake The Dead and look out for Chuck and The Mission Express coming your way in the new year.
We’ve also got some fabulous new music on this week’s show. Listen out for a modern classic from Riley Green, a new release from Priscilla Block and new names. Lanie Gardner and Drew Baldridge may well become familiar names too in the near future. I’ll aslo be reflecting on glorious live shows I’ve witnessed over the last few weeks from Leif Vollebekk, Bob Dylan and The Pearlfishers. It’s all in a two hour show which is available from 8 this Tuesday evening on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Sounds.
