March 18, 2024 • 60 mins
Back in 2020, Questlove had a special one-on-one interview with Norah Jones. She has sold over 50 million albums and earned nine Grammys. In this special QLS, Questlove and Norah reflect on 20 years of their friendship, and her musical journey from a restaurant server to a Blue Note Records superstar for a new generation.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
What's Up?
Speaker 3 (00:07):
This is unpaid bill from Questlove Supreme.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So questlof does this thing.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Usually like once a season where it sits down for
one of them. Many of us do that and you
can expect to hear mine soon. But anyway, back in
May of twenty twenty, a Mere spoke with Nora Jones
about her career an unlikely journey.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Into the spotlight.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
There's a lot of heart and soul in this conversation,
and if you know Nora's music, that's no surprise. As
we celebrate women's history months, we are picking special.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Episodes for classics.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
This one is very special and you'll hear why.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
All right, this is gonna be silly. Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. This is
Questlove Today. I'm solo, solo alone, holding it down to
the fort without boss or paybilled sugar, Steve Light here
or take a look. We are very honored today to
be talking shop with a good friend of mine, multi
(01:04):
Grammy winner, multi instrumentalist, singer just just about everything, almost
almost celebrating twenty years in this industry since her debut.
What else is there to say? So well rounded, so awesome.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Norah Jones to Questlove Supreme.
(01:25):
I'm a cheering accession.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
How you doing, I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Where are you right now?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I'm in the country. I'm I'm in a bedroom, my
bedroom here. Yeah, I'm in bedroom.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Okay, So I'm sort of in bed, yeah, kind of
in this new reality yep. So yes, of course I
have to ask, like, how are you adjusting to what
we are now calling the new reality? You know, for
a lot of creatives, I know this is either a
moment for them to finally just take a breather and
(02:04):
not have to deal with the circle of the work
that we put into. For other people, it's like, okay,
more creativity, Like where are you falling on this?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Well, my kids are almost four years old and six,
so I wish I could be more creative, but there
isn't a ton of time. Okay, but I have little
snippets of ideas and yeah, it's more about how do
I get them to not yell at me?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (02:37):
So you're in that way entertainment mode, yes, exactly, full.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Time entertainment mood. Okay, I see oh.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Would you like a hot dog for lunch?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Again?
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Cool sor are there? Okay?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Good? Though it's a good distraction, I'll say that, Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
The prime purpose of the podcast for me is kind
of seeing the the machinery inside the vehicle and always
the creative process. So, I mean, I know you've been
asked this a billion times before, but you know, I
(03:17):
like to take this approach for our viewers or our listeners.
Where were you born?
Speaker 4 (03:24):
I was born in New York? Actually, yeah, what part
of the I think her apartment was like on twenty
seventh in Lexington, Okay, in Manhattan. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Do you know your first musical memory? Your first childhood
musical memory?
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Probably my mom's records. I don't know the exact first,
but I remember listening to Willie Nelson and Ray Charles
and Aretha Franklin.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So your mom was a promoter, correct, you know?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
She she That's how she met my dad. She worked
for a promoter for a short time, but not really,
not like long term.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
So she wasn't the Bill Graham of her error that time.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
No, she definitely wasn't. She had many careers. She was
a dancer, and then she broke her ankle, and then
she was in the theater, and she worked in commercials
behind the scenes, and then she was a real estate
agent and then a nurse. So she was kind of
all over the place.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Okay, So her record collection sort of seeped into you.
What types of records were those?
Speaker 4 (04:29):
A lot of gospel, Aretha Franklin, gospel era stuff, a
lot of early Ray Charles country music. She's from Oklahoma, Okay,
so that was sort of in the water too, because
I grew up in Texas. We moved to Texas when
I was about three.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Really, yeah, so how different was that from well, I
mean not that you would have.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
I don't have that many memories memories, but I actually
my first memory is of a dream I had of
playing in the playground at Washington Square Parks. So okay,
I don't really remember.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So even in the beginning, I mean, what was there
for you? I know, like a lot of musicians come
through either an older siblings record or you know, like
a cousin or someone that puts them onto it. But
for you, like, did you also like the music of
(05:29):
the day, Like I meant, by the time you were
five or six, like Madonna was a thing so like,
do you remember like your first actual purchase outside of
your mother's record collection.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, I mean I don't think. I listened to the
music of the day till I was about nine or ten,
and then I sort of started listening to pop radio.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Oh so you were old soul from zero to.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Nine, Well kind of okay, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Explained your seasoning, all right.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
I listened to like oldies radio, and you know, for
us in that generation, it was like the nineteen fifties
and sixties.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Pop music you got tricked.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Not the Beatles, like not as cool as that yet,
but like before that, pre that, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
No that that's my story, Like, yeah, which is bad.
My dad was an oldies duop singer, so I thought
the thing was that he tricked me. I thought that
was the music of the day.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
That's so funny.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And then in first grade, like my music teachers like no, yeah,
like here are the Beg's, here are you know that
sort of thing. But I thought, like Frankie Lyon and
the teenagers was like I thought there was like a
new record white a fool small love like that sort
of thing.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
That's pretty funny. Yeah, that was my stuff until I
was like nine and then because my mom didn't listen
to pop radio. She listen to NPR, so I didn't
know about that stuff. Maybe I had like a babysitter
who was into Madonna. But then when I was nine,
it was full on whatever was out and popular. I
was into.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So what were you like, how are you relating to
your friend friends in the area, like in school and
whatnot if you didn't share the same music taste that
they did.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
I don't even know. I mean I was in choiring
school and church. I don't remember it being weird or
being feeling different. And then by the time kids were
more interested in that kind of stuff, I was already listening.
I think the first cassette I purchased was Digital Underground
because I liked the humpy dance. Yeah, I loved it.
(07:30):
It was the best thing I'd ever heard.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Okay. Fiona Apple also has a hilarious story where when
she was making title, I think she was like getting
gas and she saw like SHATCHI Digital Underground, like lost
it like this around. That's amazing, freaking Digital Underground. Okay.
You mentioned, uh, playing piano in church? What type of
(07:53):
church was this? Was this?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
This was a Methodist church in you know, suburban Texas.
It was. It was a nice enough church, but they
had a really Actually I played, I sang in church.
I didn't play piano in church. But she was a
cool choir director. I think she was a maybe a
(08:18):
former Catholic, and so she taught us all these Latin hymns, right,
so it was cool. And then you know, we did
like our God is an awesome God. And then I
stopped going to church after that. But oh okay, not
because of the song, but you know, it was like
a mix of It was a mix of stuff, is
my point.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Trust me. Everyone has their church Exodus booth exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah, I see that, the children choir basically.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Okay, well she be noted you went to you went
to Booker t Washington. Yeah, high school. Yeah, notables. So
I meant at the time, well, Roy is way older
than you.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Yeah, he was older, but he was like the hometown hero.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So were you in school at the time of Erica
or was that.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Even she was with Well she was a little bit
older too, and her album came out when I was
a junior maybe or a senior. So again it was
like a huge big deal for us all and I
was obsessed with that album and it was so cool.
She came back and like did a talk at the
school and it was fine, Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
What is it about that high school? Is that a
performing arts high school? Or so what is it? Because oftentimes,
I mean when people think of Texas, we don't think
of like performing arts schools and you know, type of
artistic expressions and that sort of thing. But like, is
(09:46):
the community like that down there or.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I mean, Texas is a big place. The Dallas area
is a huge suburban place full of small neighborhoods, you know,
or big neighborhoods, so you know, you can travel twenty
miles and it's completely different community. But so this school
was cool because it draws. It draws from all over
(10:10):
the city. You have to audition to get in, but
anybody can go there. So kids were commuting from all
over the city and it was sort of a it
was I don't know, it was like the place where
all the cool, weird artists went ended up. You know.
I came from like a super heavy football marching band situation.
(10:32):
Cheerleaders were queens of the school.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Tea. You were in the marching band. I was. I
played saxophone, you played saxophone.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
I mean I haven't in thirty or twenty five years maybe.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
But if you see a saxophone, I'm assuming the alto
or a tenor like alto.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I do hold a special place for marching band in
my heart.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
But you'll never pick up a sax again.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
I mean, so gross. I still have my saxophone. No, no,
the saxophone is not gross. I still have my saxophone,
and I think like the read is still attached from
twenty five years. It's probably disgusting and growing up kinds
of mold in it, but for some reason, I still
have it somewhere.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I feel like you're the type of creative that will
You're the type of artist that I feel as though
you you like experiments. You often change, evolve and go
through metamorphosis. I do.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
That's feeling. Okay, when you break out your saxophone, I'll
be in that bad.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
I don't know about that. I don't know if that's
going to happen. I need to practice guitar more.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
First. You always down here, Like every clip I see
of you and you talk about your guitar. You always
saying like I need to prove my guitar. I need
to prove. Yeah, I do you seem to do fine?
Or are you saying that you just hide well behind
whoever's playing. Oh that's the secret.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Well, I think my thing on guitar is cool. I
just I don't play enough. I'm not I'm not good
at just playing music at home all the time. I
don't know how you are if you're always playing no
matter what. For so long. I think I just worked
so much I didn't even think about having to play
or practice, and so now when I'm not working at all,
(12:26):
I'm like, I forget to play, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I was going to say, I wanted to know well
before I get into that, I wanted to know what
your When when did piano was? I mean, when all
said and done, do you consider the piano your acts
of choice? Or voice and acts of choice? When did
you start playing piano?
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I started playing piano when I was seven, and I
wanted to take piano lessons really bad, and so my
mom got a piano and after a couple of weeks,
I wanted to quit because I didn't like the idea
of having to practice, you know, and so my mom, Yeah,
my mom was like, no, I bought you a piano
because you wanted to play, and she said, I have
(13:10):
She said you have to take into for five years
and that way, and then you can quit that way
if you ever want to go back to it'll be easier.
And I thought that was pretty annoying at the time,
but in hindsight, it's pretty It was pretty cool because
after five years I quit, like on the dot. I
was like, all right, my five years is up? Really
more scales? Yeah, I just didn't want to practice.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
How many hours a day did you have to practice?
Speaker 4 (13:34):
I'm the most lazy, p procrastinating practicer. But I don't
even remember. But I know I had a really good teacher.
She was awesome, but it was just the classical style
of learning and it didn't spark a lot of creativity
in my mind for some reason. So I quit. And
then about a year later, my mom took me to like,
(13:57):
I don't know, some she took me to a big
band concert, and then she took me to see Mary
and McPartland play in the park, right, and I said,
this is cool? What's this?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
You know?
Speaker 4 (14:10):
And so she found this teacher. Well, I think I
was playing saxophone by that time. In Marching Band, and
my saxophone teacher recommended this jazz piano teacher in Dallas
named Julie Bank. She was super cool and she was
a great teacher. She taught me how to readcord changes
and improvise and tried to spark me and writing songs.
(14:32):
So it just totally took a different direction from then.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So this is how you're discovering jazz chops.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Yeah, this is like eighth grade when I got into
jazz and my mom she checked out, like, you know,
the Smithsonian Jazz Collection at the library and we dubbed
it on a cassette and then that was my bible
for a few years.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Really. Yeah, So how did you hone those chaps into
like did you play and local bands? High school bands?
Like did you bond with anybody your age in jazz
or yeah?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
I just keep it to yourself, well being in Marching band.
I mean the kids in Marching Band already were sort
of into stuff like that, some of them there was
like a jazz band. And then I went to interlock
In for a summer.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
What is that?
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It's like an arts camp in Michigan and it's too Yeah,
it's two months long and I got really into hanging
with people who knew a lot about it, you know,
and then I really wanted to go there. They had
a they have a school during the year and arts school,
(15:46):
but you have to leave home. It's like a what
do you call it? A school where you live there.
My brain isn't working right now. But my mom was like,
no way, You're not leaving home. Oh yeah. I just
loved it. It was great, and I wanted to continue
doing it, and she was like, hell no. Checked the
(16:06):
school out and she found Booker T Washington and we
moved to Dallas just so I could be in county
to audition and go there, and then all the kids there.
That's I mean, I learned from the kids at my school.
I learned so much. So many of those kids knew
so much about music, so many geniuses, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Probably I was going to say any other notable students
at they're at the time that.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Are like, well, I think the people that I learned
the most with were piano players who a couple of
them were a year or two older, like I was
there when Brayln Lacey was there, and Sean Martin on
the keys. R. C. Williams right I learned so much
from these guys. They grew up in church, playing piano
(16:55):
in the church bands and stuff, and they knew. I mean,
they're just geniuses anyway. But I don't know. It was
a cool, cool environment.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Was an equally like a sort of accepting atmosphere or
did you feel like, all right, I got to come
with it and let them know I speak the same language,
or no, I'm such a dork.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
I was just like, Hi, guys, can I hang out
with you? It was super accepting. Everybody there was an oddball,
you know anyway, so everybody was cool.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
See I went to I went to school with Christian
McBride and Joey de Francisco Wow and and Kurt Roseawinkle
and I can. I I always compare going to that
the school I went to the Philadelphia version of that
(17:50):
school kind of as I consider it, sort of like
a it was like a gang experience, like a Bloods
and Crypts experience. And Joey and Chris like they wouldn't
even they don't give you the time of day or respect,
like you instantly know that they're the alphas of band
(18:11):
class and that you had to I mean the first
day of school the first day of school, Miles Davis
is giving a masterclass and not only takes Joey and
Chris to do this thing with him on television, but
then later hires Joey's to replace Kenny Kirkland. So that
(18:33):
was like my first day at the school. And so
you know, they just knew all traditional jazz. Meanwhile, Kurt Rosenwinkle,
who's such an experimental avant garde musician. I mean he's
on Verb Records right now, but back then he was
trying to unlearn me or unteach me all the traditional
(18:56):
like the traditional stuff, and he's like, nah, man, I
want you to listening to Frank Zappa, Yeah, Captain Beefheart
and you know Minor Vshue Orchestra John mclaughing. So you know,
I was like trying to I was on like both
sides of the gang.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
That's great for you.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I'm in school, but then I left them both for
a rap career.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
So oh you're informed. You're informed by all of it,
and you became who you are.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
You know, it helped, but it was it was like
it was literally like being into like whatever side was winning,
that was my side.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Like okay, that's funny. Here there the ping pong ball exactly.
I didn't feel that. I know that attitude you're talking about.
It's like a young musician thing, for sure, I feel like,
but I didn't feel that at my school. Maybe I
was too naive to see it, but I never I
never felt it. It's pretty pretty welcoming, honestly.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I mean before your career took off. I mean, did
you have a plan just for like, Okay, I'll do
the college thing, go to Berkeley or go to Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
I well, we were in Dallas, so I did. I
wanted to go to like the New School or Manhattan
School Music, but we stayed in state tuition because University
of North Texas has a great jazz program, okay, And
so I went there for two years and I took
all my classes, all my music classes, and I failed
(20:30):
my classical piano jury because I just didn't practice enough.
And then I came to New York for the summer,
and I had a real sort of moment of reckoning,
and I thought, well, if I go back to finish college,
I'm gonna have to take academics for two years because
I already took all the jazz classes and I'm going
(20:51):
to have to do classical two years of classical juries
and really practice, and I just didn't want to do
any of that.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
What does that mean? What did it 't tell? Like
the classical jury.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Part, it's not that it was so hard. It's that
I really just didn't practice enough. It was like scales
and arpeggios and one song. It wasn't that hard. I
was really into the other stuff I was doing, and
I kind of let it slide.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Understandable. I'm just standable. So once she came to New York,
what was the paradigm shift that really opened its doors
as far as like, Okay, I can have a career
and start singing. Like what was that moment?
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Well, I mean I realized that I could play gigs
and but I would have to start witting tables. It
was different because in college I had a weekly gig
where I made enough money to make my rent and
plus tips and food. I played at this restaurant and
I learned how to sing and play at the same time,
(21:58):
which is sort of It was just like paid practice.
So it was great. But then when I moved to
New York, I realized, oh shit, I gotta wait tables
because I can't make enough money playing gigs because they
didn't pay very much at all, and I got a
little burnt out. I came to New York singing jazz
and playing the piano, but I wasn't as good a
(22:20):
piano player as most piano players out there, but I
knew I could sing, so I had that, you know
that going for me, sort of, you know, trying to.
I came to New York to do this thing, and
then I what happened? Your eyes just went like.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Oh shit, you can't hear this, can you? No, Zoe,
I'm interviewing Nord Jones right Okay, this is a flex.
Zoe Kravis just interrupted us. I'm interviewing Nord Jones right
now for my podcast. Hi, She said, all right, this
(22:57):
is Are you okay over there in London? Okay? Thank you? Sorry? Wait,
I'm sorry, okay. Side note, it's twenty twenty. I'm the
person that likes a person to text me first and
then tell me that they're calling, not just call me.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
That's the thing that people do now, but it's kind
of weird too.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Wait are you a call before you are you a
text before you call? Person? Yes?
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Or at least because everybody.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Is, or at least Warren before you FaceTime.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
Yes, but I'm also not somebody who just picks up
the phone if somebody calls me. You seem to also
be someone who just picks it up no matter what.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Well. I saw it with her, and I'm like, okay,
this must be about I work on her show, so obviously,
but I forgot to turn my ringer off. So I
know that Bill kill me over that too. Sorry.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
No, it's the thing. You You either ignore the call
if you don't want to be caught off guard, or
you take it anyway. So I guess that says a
lot about you, even though you prefer the text.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I didn't know how to turn it off. Sorry, Oh
I don't care anyway. Yeah, so you were saying that
singing at least gave you an edge. I really I
love your voice, by the way, which I don't think
you get enough praise for. Like who's the person that
(24:30):
who's your your spirit animal when you're singing? Like you know,
because I'm not a singer, I can't say I know that.
When I'm drumming. There's four particular drummers that I know
influenced and raised me and I'm like a combination of that.
But who's your singing spirit animal?
Speaker 4 (24:51):
I think growing up it was Ray Charles and Aretha
Franklin and Billie Holliday.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
All right, I'm skipping into the future. How is it
working with Ray on the Ones stew Wets record?
Speaker 4 (25:04):
It was amazing. He was super sweet. We did three
live takes and then he left and that was.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It, just real quick in and out.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
It was just real quick live takes with the band
and Billy Preston was playing Oregon, so it was awesome.
My mom came. She saw him play when she was
in high school, so it's the first time I've ever
seen her quiet. You know, it was great. He was
he was he was pretty sick already, so okay, he
was nice though.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
So just sing the song got out super nice.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Though, Yeah, like like warm and kind. But I mean,
I love all these people, but I think I've tried
to keep I don't know, I learned. I think when
I came to New York and I was singing jazz
and I got a little sort of disheartened and I realized,
I'm singing all these old songs that Billy Holliday sang,
(25:58):
and I'm putting my own been on it and it's cool.
But I started going in the living room and writing
songs and singing songs by my friends that they were writing,
and I felt a little more creative in that way.
And I kind of fell off the jazz scene.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
So you didn't want to get typecast as like a
sort of derivative Billie Holiday.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And I don't know if it was about wanting to
get typecast. I think it was just about I couldn't
get any gigs that were satisfying. You know. I played
in restaurants. I went to Smiles a lot, and I
watched people play and it was awesome, but I couldn't
get a gig there yet. And I did get a
gig at the living room though, where the audience listened
and I felt really connected to something.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I was going to say, Okay, so I've been in
New York for ten years now, and how often I
got like I got a little maybe four or five
in the cut jazz spots that I go to just
to yeah, chilled and be anonymous, or is any that
says you can be at six ' three with an afro?
(27:03):
But but the one thing that really like it's disheartening
for me when I'm in these jazz clubs is oftentimes
like tourists will come and they'll just talk over you,
and it's almost like you're just a human juke box
(27:25):
and just in the background to their conversation. Like is
that just that's the disheartening thing that you were.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
I don't know if I realized it as tourists then,
I mean, that was twenty years ago. I moved to
New York twenty years ago. Last summer.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Well, now I'm observe. I observe it as like I'll.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Go now, well now it is more tourists. It is
more so than it used to be. But I mean
I think at the time, like I couldn't get a
gig there yet because I wasn't as good as a
piano player, and a lot of those places didn't hire
a ton of singers. Not saying they never hired singers,
but it wasn't really it didn't seem that easy for
me to play in a place where people were really listening.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Oh, you would have what I'm saying, So your piano
chops have to be on point to get kind of
I get it, okay. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
And also just like the gigs they could get and
did get. Were restaurant gigs were I kind of knew
going in. They weren't like listening room gigs, and they
were great practice. But once I started playing original music
for tips instead of like forty bucks, it was just
more satisfying. I started waiting more tables and doing less
(28:36):
restaurant gigs and more singer songwriter plays gigs, and it
was more sad. It was just more fulfilling and inspiring.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
If masse some I'm curious, before you started doing original material,
you would just go through the fake book and just
through the standards. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I kind of mostly did standards. I mean I wouldn't
just yeah. I mean I had like my favorites, and
that's I would do a lot of that.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
I wonder, is the fake book still a thing?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
I still have one?
Speaker 2 (29:08):
You still have a fake Okay?
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:10):
For our listeners out there. I don't I don't want
to date myself, but I would probably say that if
you were a jazz musician, a working jazz musician, or
a student. In the sixties, seventies, or eighties, there was
sort of a a Wikipedia slash cliff Notes guide tutorial
(29:35):
to core charts of every jazz song and the same
for singers as well. And it's almost like a Bible
of jazz, which yeah, you kind of need if you're cool.
So you still So they still make fake books.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I don't know. I know, I have an old, old,
old one.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
You. I just want to say, do you know why
they call it a fake book?
Speaker 4 (29:58):
I don't know. But then they had the real book.
They called it the real book, I thought, and then
they called it a fake book too, But I could
never understand the difference between a real book and a
fake book.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Well, I think I always guess is that the fake
book had other songs in it, and it wasn't officially
done by that company.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
But yeah, it was definitely like not nobody got paid
for it since it wasn't It wasn't chet music. It
was like cheat music that was underground and circulated like
on a Xerox machine.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Exactly. Yeah, when did you get your deal and how
did you come to the attention of Bruce at a
Blue Note?
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Well, I was doing one of those jazz restaurant gigs
at the garage on Seventh Avenue, and my bass player's
friend's wife, they all came for brunch. It was like
a brunch gig. And she happened to work for Emi
Music Publishing and I was doing jazz at that gig.
(31:00):
I had started, you know, doing those songwriter gigs already,
but this was a jazz gig. And she said, Hey,
I know Bruce Linvall. I met him at a company picnic.
What if I set up an appointment for you? And
I was like, all right, whatever, Yeah, I'm like okay,
I mean, sure, I'll show up, that's for sure. But
I didn't really know if she was for real all right.
(31:24):
And I had a demo that I had made to
take around the clubs to get gigs. So I brought
the demo. I had two standards on it, and I
had one song by my friend Jesse Harris who wrote
Don't Know Why, And we were already friends and playing
around together, and so I brought it in. I was twenty,
it was the gig was my twenty first birthday, so
(31:47):
it was probably two thousand. The yeah, it was two thousand.
April of two thousand is when I had this meeting
with him.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
When your birthday?
Speaker 4 (32:00):
No, the gig was on my birthday, so it was
like a month later.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Totally okay, okay. And then that's when you knew shit
was real.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
I mean, I knew she could get me an appointment
with him. I didn't really know what was real for
a while. But he said, well, there's this pop song
on here, kind of it's not really a pop song,
but whatever, it was not a jazz standard, right, And
he's like, so, do you want to be a jazz
singer or a pop singer? And I was like, I'm
sitting there in Blue Note office jazz singer.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
You know.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
And then he gave me some money to make some demos,
and the demos ended up being a few of the
songs from that first record, and he decided that it
wasn't super jazz. It wasn't like, it wasn't what he thought.
It wasn't jazz, but he still liked it enough to
sign it, right, so he went ahead and signed me.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
All right. So, in hindsight, because no one can plan,
no one can plan this phenomenon, how does one capture
lightning in the bottle? Like, there's no way in the
world that you can ever foresee that you're about to
make history. I don't even know if you accepted the
(33:10):
fact that you've made history or if you're just taking
the No, it was just those are the that's what
I was feeling at the time in nineteen ninety nine
and made these songs and that's.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Yeah, it definitely was. The actual album was just us
capturing moments, as a lot of albums are, but I
think this one was done with a lot of spontaneity.
And don't know why. That song don't know why. It
was the demo that we recorded the first day of recording,
and it was the live take. Everything in the take
(33:42):
is live. We added an extra guitar and some harmonies,
and that was it.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
So that was the very first thing you've recorded.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Yeah, And that was for these demos to get signed,
and wasn't even signed yet. And then once I got signed,
I like went back in and we did a bunch
of more produced sessions that ended up getting mostly cut,
and then we went back to kind of the demo
style of recording.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Just said, oh, let's get that first song we did
and see what happens with that.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
We tried to re record don't know why, and it
was so not as good, so we just.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
It's it's funny you say that, do you do you
know the story behind Christina Aguilera is beautiful. Linda Perry
has a story in which, you know, like she wants
our artist to like live with a demo for about
three or four weeks and then that way they really
internalized the song and then they come back and then
(34:33):
they kill the song. And so Christina is like, all right,
let me just go in and sing this thing real quick.
And so she just did like a rough you know, yawn,
All right, here's my take, and then I'll come back
and I'll really you.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Know, kill this before she lived with it.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Yeah, yeah, before she lived with it, you know. And
then Christina is expecting like to add her you know,
of her aguilera is to it, and you know, Linda
was like, no, let's just stick with the demo, and
Christina like it was like the biggest fight of their relationship,
(35:12):
like really, and She's like, no, the dryness and the
regularness of this is what sells the song, trust me.
And she I don't know they forced it or kicked
and screamed it, but like she, Linda Perry won the
battle and the demo is the version that we know,
whereas Christina felt like, let me, you know, add exclamation
(35:37):
points to the end of the sentence, and she's like, she's.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
Like an athlete. She's like this insane, right.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
But this was just a foul shot. It wasn't a
it wasn't the you know, the All Star dunk contest,
but it.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Had the heart. I mean, I think that for me,
I'm way better on first takes or not even just
for takes, but like when the spontaneity factor is there,
and yes, you need to know the song and be
able to sell the lyric. But for me, when I
when I overthink or over rehearse something, it's not as good. Yeah, spontaneity.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
My engineer is smart enough to know to record everything.
So oftentimes I'll like quote run down a performance and
then be like, all right, let me go for it,
and then we always just wind up choosing the or
you're not thinking about it I had or.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
The fifteenth drunk take, yeah, the first three, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Okay, So you worked with one of my heroes on
this record, mister Martin. Yeah, Reef Martin, Uh yeah a Reef.
You know he for me, I know this is odd
for people to hear, but the average white band is
like they were my heroes growing up, and their Gruman
(37:03):
Steve aron is my drumming idol. Steve Roon actually gave
me his actual drum set from all those Sun sessions
that I still use on the Tonight Show now and
a Reef produced them. And so that's how I came
to attention from you, because it's almost like anything that
a Reef has touched. Then I purchased it without fault.
(37:26):
So that's how like, that's funny. I was like, oh, wow,
he has a new artist, he's still producing, Oh my god.
And then that's how it entered. How did you how?
How was he assigned to you?
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Well, when Bruce Lundvall signed me, I was obsessed with
the Cassandra Wilson New Moon Daughter album that was on
the Note that he had, you know, put out a
few years before, and I really wanted to work with
Craig Street, who's an amazing producer, and so I did
and it was incredible, had the most amazing musicians. I
(38:01):
love Craig. It was great, but there was something about
those sessions that didn't capture my vocal in the right
way that where it sounded like the thing from the
demos that we had already captured. So we ended up
kind of going back to the drawing board, which was crazy.
At the time. I didn't think I was going to
(38:22):
have the option to remake my record. I didn't think
they were going to give me any extra money to
do it right, and it was weird that it even happened.
But Bruce, it was his idea to go back and
try to recapture the sort of first thing we did.
So he said, but I'm going to have my friend
a Reef Martin. He had just hooked up with Manhattan,
(38:44):
the label that Bruce was also running was another label
called Manhattan. Anyway, a Reef was doing stuff with him,
and so he said, I want a Reef Martin to
come and do it. And I was really nervous at
that point.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
I was like, Ah, did you know his predigree? By
that point I did.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
I mean, I grew up on all those Aretha records
and on Donnie Hathaway, and I was nervous that he
was going to come in and not listen to me
or not because he was this huge producer. And then
he came in and he's like the sweetest older Turkish
man and he came into the sessions and I told Bruce,
(39:22):
I was like, Okay, but after a couple of days,
if it's not working out, you're just gonna let me
do this right. It was so weird. I was like
twenty one years old, you know. I was both scared
and also really stubborn, you know, and he ended up
being he let us kind of do our thing, but
he guided us, but he knew the situation. And so
(39:46):
the more we got to know him, the more he
was able to help, you know, tell us more what
we should do musically. But he became like this great friend.
I never in my wife thought I would have a
a friend who was a Turkish Man in his seventies.
He was like one of my best friends, and it
(40:07):
was incredible.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Man. I think the night that I first met you
in person was at the Grammys when it was that
New York. The night that you oh yeah, because we
were like rehearsal went eminem so much. I couldn't get
to a reef. I saw him in the audience and
wanted to drunk for my drum set, like in stalk him,
but I couldn't do that.
Speaker 4 (40:32):
He was special.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I'm going to be the one person that doesn't ask
you the cliche of so what have you learned? After,
you know, for any lessons. So however, I will say
that once Kenny g covers your.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
Song, I forgot that. I forgot about that.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Actually, how many emails did you get over that?
Speaker 4 (40:57):
I don't remember. I remember Pat Metheny did it.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
I did.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
Don't know why. I mean, I didn't write that song.
My friend Jesse Harris wrote it.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
But still we still associated with you.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yeah, and I still feel like I own it a
little bit, but I don't remember. I must have forgotten
that era. There was a whole era there where I
don't remember very much. But that's so funny. I forgot
about that completely.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
How eager were you to knock over your your jinga
design to start all over again? I mean, that's the
only I can describe it. You feel way to describe it? Yeah,
how eager were you to do it?
Speaker 4 (41:40):
I was super eager. I was just eager to make music,
and I was eager to play guitar and write more songs.
I was inspired. I was listening to a ton of
like bluegrass at the time, so my second album was
a little bit more country inspired. But I was definitely
excited to get it over with as well. That's not
(42:01):
to say I rushed the music at all, or that
I was like hurrying and put out something I wasn't
proud of, but I was stoked to be inspired and
to just go ahead and plow through the second record
and not not overthink it.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Oh for feels like home? Correct, yeah, I think. But
that did like a million its first week.
Speaker 4 (42:21):
Which yeah, which was great.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Which it almost is like, okay.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
All right, I can move on now more than.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Where did you out? Out of your you know, because
you've gone through so many I won't even say phases
because I don't feel like these are like drastic Bowie
or Prince like changes in your music, but I mean
you you definitely added personality to all your records. My okay,
(42:54):
So my personal favorite of your cannon is Little Broken
Hearts but for you and don't give me the like
all my all my records to like my children, and
I guess some of.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Them I like more than others. Just kidding, but do
you feel.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
What do you feel? Is like what's your I put
my my ass in that one, my FOOTNT one.
Speaker 4 (43:24):
I think I also love that one you're talking about,
see I'm smart, The Danger Mouse one. It's just so
different and I love the sonics of it. But it's
funny because I've been playing the last couple of years.
I've been playing here and there with piano trio, just
me and Brian Blade on drums, Chris Thomas on bass,
(43:44):
sometimes different bass players. But when I started playing with
this group, I thought, oh, okay, I'm gonna pull out
some of the more jazzy songs in my catalog. But truthfully,
my favorite songs to play with this setup is the
songs from that album A Little Broken Hearts, and they
are it's not just not what I thought it would be.
They're just I think they're great songs, and I think
(44:08):
I think that Brian Burton is an incredible songwriter, and
we had so much fun making that record, And.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yeah, I think, yeah, no, it's it's it's it's definitely special.
Do you feel what is your creative process like with songwriting,
because I know that collaboration is also a big thing
for you. Do you tend to do birds of a
feather as far as flock to people that because I
(44:37):
know that you've worked with Jeff Jeff Tweety, Jeff Wilcome,
I always call him no like you work with Tweety
and but I'm just saying that, do you often ever
consider like totally like, okay, well, time out. I totally
(44:58):
forgot now that you worked with Andre three thousand. So
even when you're entering in what we would think your
general audience would think like not familiar territory, like, how
does the how does the process start?
Speaker 4 (45:12):
Well? I mean a lot of stuff I've collaborated with
people on it's already done and I'm just coming in
and singing. Like with the Andre three thousand thing, the
Q tip song, I went in and I just sang
what do you wanted me to sing? But as far
as collaborating songwriting, why is it's been evolving over the years,
It's completely changed. I mean I used to be a
(45:36):
nervous songwriter, and now I think after doing the record
with Brian, actually his process really opened me up to
no fear songwriting.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
I'm just curious, because we're supposed to eventually get with Brian,
what is his actual process because no, the thing is
I know I know his YouTube process.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Yeah it might be different for everyone.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
Oh, I know that's way different. I want to know
another non YouTube way, like, how does it start well?
Speaker 4 (46:13):
For us? I mean we just went in We're pretty
comfortable with each other. At this point, we were already friends,
we'd already hung out a bunch. I sang on the
Rome album with him, so I got to know him
through all that. But you know, we both play whatever
instruments sound good in the room, and the song starts
(46:36):
with a weird bass line or a weird chord progression
or me strumming something.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
On the guitar, and it goes to music first.
Speaker 4 (46:48):
I mean, honestly, I don't remember completely, not always. Sometimes
like it'll be a melody, or he'll have a melody
in his head, or he'll have a lyric and a
melody in his head, or I will, and it sort
of just built from there, and usually we tried to
get some kind of melody down, whether he's hearing something
or whether I am. And then this is where I
(47:10):
learned a lot from him, because first of all, this
process was totally different than anything I'd ever done. I'd
never gone into the studio with nothing or with a
bunch of instruments and just like adding stuff, layering it.
I've never done that. I had never done that, And
so I would like sing some scratch lyrics and he's
like that's cool, We'll get the lyrics later. I was like, really,
I'm so worried about it. Are we going to get him?
Speaker 2 (47:31):
You know?
Speaker 4 (47:32):
And I would come in and I'd be like, I'm
just worried about this. I really like this, but I
don't know what to write. What are the lyrics? He's like,
they'll come, don't worry about it, And you know what,
they always came, and they were always in the moment
and heartfelt, and you know, we worked on him. But
that was a nice way for me to learn. And
(47:54):
lately I've been doing more of that. I've been going
in with people with nothing and just trying to like
throw stuff at the wall and coming out with stuff
that I'm totally in love with. You know.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
So you never go through because the one the one
thing I had to commend you on at least, is
that you deliver and you push through. Because normally, whenever
anyone gets into a position of something that gargantuan or successful,
that's usually when they start sabotaging their creative process. That's
(48:27):
usually when writer's block sets in and decades go by
before even hear another note from them. And so the
fact that you push through it and also, I mean
all your side projects with the Little Willie's and with
Push and Boots. How many other side projects do you have?
(48:49):
Which one is? Well, my favorite is Carlo what projects?
Speaker 4 (48:52):
You're like, you're like the only fan of that band?
You know that that is called El Madmo And that
was brief. But we put out a record and we
didn't put any of our names on it because at
the time, I think it was right after my second
album had come out, and I think part of me
staying creative and enjoying music was to pull back a
(49:15):
little bit from all the attention, and so this album
was really fun, and then we put it out under
these fake names, and then nobody really knew about it. It
was kind of like we totally sabotaged it by doing that.
But you're like the only fan.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
But yeah, I have it. It's still on my iPod. Yes.
Speaker 4 (49:33):
That was sort of the beginning of me playing guitar,
and we went on like this huge stadium tour on
the fields like home record basically, and my drummer and
my backup singer at the time we started this band,
and me and her learned how to play bass and
guitar a little bit and that was before Puss in
Boots continued my sort of guitar education.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
But speaking of collaborations, how did you and Billy Joe
Armstrong wind up doing the Evely Brothers album.
Speaker 4 (49:59):
Billy Chill called me and he asked if I would
be into doing this thing, and I I was a
little unsure. I was like, well, let's go in the
studio a couple of days and see if we fit.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
I'm not going to commit to did you know anything
like of him?
Speaker 4 (50:16):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (50:16):
Yeah, well the screen day. But I mean like it
was like a cold call.
Speaker 4 (50:22):
And yeah, it was cold call and I picked up. No.
See that's what happens when you pick.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
Up and now you got to commit to an album.
Speaker 4 (50:30):
Oh damn it. No, No, I don't remember. I don't remember.
It was a cold call.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
But well, I can only imagine that there's other projects
that have been pitched to you that you were sort
of like, I'm not sure. Wait, can you name one
artist that you were supposed to work with or.
Speaker 4 (50:49):
I'll never tell.
Speaker 2 (50:50):
Okay, the.
Speaker 4 (50:54):
Things that I regretted saying no to though, let me
know one.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
Let me know one.
Speaker 4 (50:59):
No, Oh, I feel weird, Just say what I regret?
I got an email from Farrell once and I was
just too busy or something.
Speaker 2 (51:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (51:10):
I was bummed I didn't do it, but I don't know.
I don't know if it was something crazy or what.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
But I would have liked you on a song that
starts with four hits at the beginning, me too.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
Tell him to call me back, I miss I missed
my chance.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
An He's always created, So.
Speaker 4 (51:28):
Yeah, I mean that's the thing is. I think I
went through a little period of kind of being overwhelmed
by everything and just wanting to sort of chill. So
I said, notice some things. That year I had a
little bit of my own little mini nervous breakdown. But yeah,
Billy Joe called me and I said, let's try a
couple of days before we commit to doing it because
(51:51):
he wanted to do this whole album. It wasn't just
a song or two, and it was cool. He let
me hire the band from New York. He came to
New York to do it, and I really love that record.
Is beautiful. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
Surprising. Well, I mean it's not surprising.
Speaker 4 (52:07):
Because it is surprising.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
Well, I mean, the thing is is that I was
sort of like, okay, but then it's like, Okay, you
collaborate with everyone, so it's almost like I'm not shocked.
It wasn't that shocking, but yeah, okay, so.
Speaker 4 (52:25):
It's just cool play well with others. You could say, all.
Speaker 2 (52:28):
Right, so our alto saxophone, jermm, collaboration, we'll do sun
raw songs or whatever. So it's pick Me off the Floor.
That's going to be your eighth record, correct.
Speaker 4 (52:43):
I don't know, well, your eighths or eight I'm not sure.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
Okay, besides the single, I haven't heard the I haven't
heard the album yet.
Speaker 4 (52:56):
But oh that's too bad. I really I think you'll
be into it, are you, indo Brian.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Blade, Yes, well more than that, I'm a Neward Jones fan.
I'm not. I'm not doing this because you're just next
on the pike.
Speaker 4 (53:08):
Like, well, I think you'd like it because it's a
lot of this piano trio stuff I was talking about.
I got really inspired to write for this piano trio setup,
and we ended up adding stuff and adding some production
to it, but it all most of the records started
sort of stripped down, and the single is actually not
even what this is. The two songs I released so
(53:31):
far are the two exceptions to this sort of piano
trio bass of this record. But it yeah, a little bit,
but that's okay.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
But who did you work with? Production ones?
Speaker 4 (53:44):
I did two songs with Jeff Tweety, okay, and those
were awesome, and then the rest I just sort of
did it in New York. I've been doing these collaborations
and trying to release singles lately just to stay inspired
and not have to do like a whole album cycle.
And in the process of doing all these I got
all these extra tracks that I loved, and so they
(54:06):
all kind of fit together.
Speaker 2 (54:08):
And that's just to do a bunch of one off singles,
and yeah.
Speaker 4 (54:11):
I have been doing I have been trying to just
like collaborate with people I love, like like doing that
Billy Joel thing was so cool, but it was still
a commitment because it was a whole album. So I've
been trying to do just one song with people. I
did one with Tank, you know, Tank from the Bengus
and Jeff Tweety. We did a couple and these two
songs on this album are from that session too. I
(54:34):
just had all these extra songs from these sessions, so all.
Speaker 2 (54:38):
Right, well, I mean in terms of Do you still
feel that the the date will still get honored or I.
Speaker 4 (54:49):
Think we pushed it to June? Okay, yeah, you know
it's funny. I feel like people are home, maybe they
want something to listen to, but I think everybody's watching
that Flix, so it's okay.
Speaker 2 (55:03):
What are you? What are you watching?
Speaker 4 (55:04):
Like?
Speaker 2 (55:04):
What have you binged out on?
Speaker 4 (55:07):
Oh? A lot of Barbie Dream House?
Speaker 2 (55:10):
So what your kids are watching?
Speaker 4 (55:11):
Yeah? Basically I don't have any control. It's funny.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
I four to seven. Your kids are in the house.
Speaker 4 (55:17):
Oh god, they do. And every night they go to
sleep and then I'm like, cool, I'm going to watch something. Nope,
I'm asleep.
Speaker 2 (55:25):
I see, I see. I feel you.
Speaker 4 (55:28):
Have you watched Last Man on Earth?
Speaker 2 (55:30):
The sitcom?
Speaker 4 (55:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (55:32):
With what's his name? I love that show to death.
Speaker 4 (55:36):
Yes, I love that show so much. I'm so sad
when it stopped. I know every night I think I'm
going to rewatch Last Man on Earth. Right now it
feels like the right moment.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
But I'm one of those people that when I commit
to a series and I know it's going to be over,
I never watched the last three, Like my pen ultimate
is always like the last three or four. So even
with my modern family, which as a completist, I feel
like I have to watch the last season, even though
(56:05):
kind of Wayne Dalf thatf there's season nine. But I
never like watching the last three episodes of a series
when it's over. And really, yeah, I loved I loved
Last Man on Earth, and I kind of feel like
that's my reality right now.
Speaker 4 (56:23):
Well, I know that's that's what reminded me of it
for sure. Wait, so you didn't watch the last three?
Speaker 2 (56:28):
No, no, I did, Yes, I didn't watch. I didn't
watch the last three yet.
Speaker 4 (56:32):
No, Oh, you should watch them. Now it's the time,
is right.
Speaker 2 (56:39):
I hate goodbye? I mean I I don't know. It's
like her you.
Speaker 4 (56:43):
Like having it hanging over your head.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
Yeah, but now you're right, now is the time to
do it because I've been watching. I made the mistake
of watching that damn what do you call it? The
Tiger King thing?
Speaker 4 (56:57):
Oh? I didn't watch that?
Speaker 2 (56:58):
Yeah, which I kind of want my nine hours back.
Speaker 4 (57:02):
Well, you were part of a movement. You were in
it with the rest of.
Speaker 2 (57:08):
The world, every right, I mean everyone was part of
the conversation. I was like, I felt fomo and I
wanted you know. Okay, I want to watch it too
and now regret it. Yeah, so I don't know. I mean,
I'm going to finish Ozarks and oh yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (57:22):
Want to start that because I have never watched that.
I was talking about that.
Speaker 2 (57:25):
Okay, so does in my opinion, does okay, does Sopranos
or The Wire or Breaking Bad mean anything to you?
Speaker 4 (57:36):
I watched all the Sopranos, I watched all of Breaking Bad. Okay,
not watch all of the Wire.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Okay, then this could easily be in fourth place. I mean,
in my personal opinion, I feel like, oh, no doubt,
no doubt. I mean, even one of the actresses has
already won an Emmy for a performance. It's it's it's
(58:03):
that level of.
Speaker 4 (58:06):
Darkness and sounds delicious.
Speaker 2 (58:09):
So that's that's my recommendation. Wait now, I feel like
I'm taking away from creativity if I'm telling you to
start binging.
Speaker 4 (58:15):
Out on tele I would I would love to have
a show to binge on. I would love to. Okay,
I'll write a song.
Speaker 2 (58:25):
But I see, I see, well, you know, I appreciate
you for taking the time out to do this, and
you too.
Speaker 4 (58:34):
Good to see you.
Speaker 2 (58:35):
Hopefully, I don't know, maybe you can, you know, broadcast
from your crib? Do you do social media at all?
Speaker 4 (58:44):
No, it's it kind of terrorisfies me. I've started doing
some live recordings and putting them out during all this, right,
and it's been fun. But I'm not good at like
browsing the comments. It's no feel crazy.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
Never read the comments.
Speaker 4 (59:02):
Makes me feel crazy. I've tried to do. I tried
to do Instagram a few years back, and I just
felt like an idiot because I don't want to show
pictures of my kids, but I don't want to fake
it and pretend. So I just hated it. I couldn't
I couldn't deal. And then I was thinking about, oh,
what would be a good post. I'm like, Okay, that
goes against the point. You either got to like just
(59:23):
post whatever.
Speaker 2 (59:24):
Or or don't post what you're cooking. That's a that's
a good place to start. No one, no one ever disagreement.
Speaker 4 (59:33):
Talks for lunch again.
Speaker 2 (59:34):
Yes, there you go. You should just start a hot
dog account. Seriously, all right? Yeah, well, Nora, I appreciate you,
thank you for your artistry, thank you for taking the
time out. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. This has been
quest love Supreme. You have the team Supreme. I bid
you do. Stay safe for everybody and we will see
you on this story.
Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. For more
podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
What's Up?
Speaker 3 (00:07):
This is unpaid bill from Questlove Supreme.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
So questlof does this thing.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Usually like once a season where it sits down for
one of them. Many of us do that and you
can expect to hear mine soon. But anyway, back in
May of twenty twenty, a Mere spoke with Nora Jones
about her career an unlikely journey.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Into the spotlight.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
There's a lot of heart and soul in this conversation,
and if you know Nora's music, that's no surprise. As
we celebrate women's history months, we are picking special.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Episodes for classics.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
This one is very special and you'll hear why.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
All right, this is gonna be silly. Ladies and gentlemen,
Welcome to another episode of Quest Love Supreme. This is
Questlove Today. I'm solo, solo alone, holding it down to
the fort without boss or paybilled sugar, Steve Light here
or take a look. We are very honored today to
be talking shop with a good friend of mine, multi
(01:04):
Grammy winner, multi instrumentalist, singer just just about everything, almost
almost celebrating twenty years in this industry since her debut.
What else is there to say? So well rounded, so awesome.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Norah Jones to Questlove Supreme.
(01:25):
I'm a cheering accession.
Speaker 4 (01:27):
How you doing, I'll take it.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Where are you right now?
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I'm in the country. I'm I'm in a bedroom, my
bedroom here. Yeah, I'm in bedroom.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Okay, So I'm sort of in bed, yeah, kind of
in this new reality yep. So yes, of course I
have to ask, like, how are you adjusting to what
we are now calling the new reality? You know, for
a lot of creatives, I know this is either a
moment for them to finally just take a breather and
(02:04):
not have to deal with the circle of the work
that we put into. For other people, it's like, okay,
more creativity, Like where are you falling on this?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Well, my kids are almost four years old and six,
so I wish I could be more creative, but there
isn't a ton of time. Okay, but I have little
snippets of ideas and yeah, it's more about how do
I get them to not yell at me?
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Okay?
Speaker 4 (02:37):
So you're in that way entertainment mode, yes, exactly, full.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Time entertainment mood. Okay, I see oh.
Speaker 4 (02:44):
Would you like a hot dog for lunch?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Again?
Speaker 4 (02:46):
Okay?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Cool sor are there? Okay?
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Good? Though it's a good distraction, I'll say that, Okay. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
The prime purpose of the podcast for me is kind
of seeing the the machinery inside the vehicle and always
the creative process. So, I mean, I know you've been
asked this a billion times before, but you know, I
(03:17):
like to take this approach for our viewers or our listeners.
Where were you born?
Speaker 4 (03:24):
I was born in New York? Actually, yeah, what part
of the I think her apartment was like on twenty
seventh in Lexington, Okay, in Manhattan. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Do you know your first musical memory? Your first childhood
musical memory?
Speaker 4 (03:42):
Probably my mom's records. I don't know the exact first,
but I remember listening to Willie Nelson and Ray Charles
and Aretha Franklin.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
So your mom was a promoter, correct, you know?
Speaker 4 (03:55):
She she That's how she met my dad. She worked
for a promoter for a short time, but not really,
not like long term.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
So she wasn't the Bill Graham of her error that time.
Speaker 4 (04:04):
No, she definitely wasn't. She had many careers. She was
a dancer, and then she broke her ankle, and then
she was in the theater, and she worked in commercials
behind the scenes, and then she was a real estate
agent and then a nurse. So she was kind of
all over the place.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Okay, So her record collection sort of seeped into you.
What types of records were those?
Speaker 4 (04:29):
A lot of gospel, Aretha Franklin, gospel era stuff, a
lot of early Ray Charles country music. She's from Oklahoma, Okay,
so that was sort of in the water too, because
I grew up in Texas. We moved to Texas when
I was about three.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
Really, yeah, so how different was that from well, I
mean not that you would have.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
I don't have that many memories memories, but I actually
my first memory is of a dream I had of
playing in the playground at Washington Square Parks. So okay,
I don't really remember.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So even in the beginning, I mean, what was there
for you? I know, like a lot of musicians come
through either an older siblings record or you know, like
a cousin or someone that puts them onto it. But
for you, like, did you also like the music of
(05:29):
the day, Like I meant, by the time you were
five or six, like Madonna was a thing so like,
do you remember like your first actual purchase outside of
your mother's record collection.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, I mean I don't think. I listened to the
music of the day till I was about nine or ten,
and then I sort of started listening to pop radio.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Oh so you were old soul from zero to.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Nine, Well kind of okay, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Explained your seasoning, all right.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
I listened to like oldies radio, and you know, for
us in that generation, it was like the nineteen fifties
and sixties.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
Pop music you got tricked.
Speaker 4 (06:05):
Not the Beatles, like not as cool as that yet,
but like before that, pre that, you know.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
No that that's my story, Like, yeah, which is bad.
My dad was an oldies duop singer, so I thought
the thing was that he tricked me. I thought that
was the music of the day.
Speaker 4 (06:23):
That's so funny.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
And then in first grade, like my music teachers like no, yeah,
like here are the Beg's, here are you know that
sort of thing. But I thought, like Frankie Lyon and
the teenagers was like I thought there was like a
new record white a fool small love like that sort
of thing.
Speaker 4 (06:39):
That's pretty funny. Yeah, that was my stuff until I
was like nine and then because my mom didn't listen
to pop radio. She listen to NPR, so I didn't
know about that stuff. Maybe I had like a babysitter
who was into Madonna. But then when I was nine,
it was full on whatever was out and popular. I
was into.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
So what were you like, how are you relating to
your friend friends in the area, like in school and
whatnot if you didn't share the same music taste that
they did.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
I don't even know. I mean I was in choiring
school and church. I don't remember it being weird or
being feeling different. And then by the time kids were
more interested in that kind of stuff, I was already listening.
I think the first cassette I purchased was Digital Underground
because I liked the humpy dance. Yeah, I loved it.
(07:30):
It was the best thing I'd ever heard.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Okay. Fiona Apple also has a hilarious story where when
she was making title, I think she was like getting
gas and she saw like SHATCHI Digital Underground, like lost
it like this around. That's amazing, freaking Digital Underground. Okay.
You mentioned, uh, playing piano in church? What type of
(07:53):
church was this? Was this?
Speaker 4 (07:55):
This was a Methodist church in you know, suburban Texas.
It was. It was a nice enough church, but they
had a really Actually I played, I sang in church.
I didn't play piano in church. But she was a
cool choir director. I think she was a maybe a
(08:18):
former Catholic, and so she taught us all these Latin hymns, right,
so it was cool. And then you know, we did
like our God is an awesome God. And then I
stopped going to church after that. But oh okay, not
because of the song, but you know, it was like
a mix of It was a mix of stuff, is
my point.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Trust me. Everyone has their church Exodus booth exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah, I see that, the children choir basically.
Speaker 2 (08:43):
Okay, well she be noted you went to you went
to Booker t Washington. Yeah, high school. Yeah, notables. So
I meant at the time, well, Roy is way older
than you.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
Yeah, he was older, but he was like the hometown hero.
Speaker 2 (09:00):
So were you in school at the time of Erica
or was that.
Speaker 4 (09:03):
Even she was with Well she was a little bit
older too, and her album came out when I was
a junior maybe or a senior. So again it was
like a huge big deal for us all and I
was obsessed with that album and it was so cool.
She came back and like did a talk at the
school and it was fine, Okay.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
What is it about that high school? Is that a
performing arts high school? Or so what is it? Because oftentimes,
I mean when people think of Texas, we don't think
of like performing arts schools and you know, type of
artistic expressions and that sort of thing. But like, is
(09:46):
the community like that down there or.
Speaker 4 (09:48):
I mean, Texas is a big place. The Dallas area
is a huge suburban place full of small neighborhoods, you know,
or big neighborhoods, so you know, you can travel twenty
miles and it's completely different community. But so this school
was cool because it draws. It draws from all over
(10:10):
the city. You have to audition to get in, but
anybody can go there. So kids were commuting from all
over the city and it was sort of a it
was I don't know, it was like the place where
all the cool, weird artists went ended up. You know.
I came from like a super heavy football marching band situation.
(10:32):
Cheerleaders were queens of the school.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Tea. You were in the marching band. I was. I
played saxophone, you played saxophone.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
I mean I haven't in thirty or twenty five years maybe.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
But if you see a saxophone, I'm assuming the alto
or a tenor like alto.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
I do hold a special place for marching band in
my heart.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
But you'll never pick up a sax again.
Speaker 4 (10:59):
I mean, so gross. I still have my saxophone. No, no,
the saxophone is not gross. I still have my saxophone,
and I think like the read is still attached from
twenty five years. It's probably disgusting and growing up kinds
of mold in it, but for some reason, I still
have it somewhere.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
I feel like you're the type of creative that will
You're the type of artist that I feel as though
you you like experiments. You often change, evolve and go
through metamorphosis. I do.
Speaker 4 (11:34):
I like that.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
That's feeling. Okay, when you break out your saxophone, I'll
be in that bad.
Speaker 4 (11:41):
I don't know about that. I don't know if that's
going to happen. I need to practice guitar more.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
First. You always down here, Like every clip I see
of you and you talk about your guitar. You always
saying like I need to prove my guitar. I need
to prove. Yeah, I do you seem to do fine?
Or are you saying that you just hide well behind
whoever's playing. Oh that's the secret.
Speaker 4 (12:05):
Well, I think my thing on guitar is cool. I
just I don't play enough. I'm not I'm not good
at just playing music at home all the time. I
don't know how you are if you're always playing no
matter what. For so long. I think I just worked
so much I didn't even think about having to play
or practice, and so now when I'm not working at all,
(12:26):
I'm like, I forget to play, you know.
Speaker 2 (12:30):
I was going to say, I wanted to know well
before I get into that, I wanted to know what
your When when did piano was? I mean, when all
said and done, do you consider the piano your acts
of choice? Or voice and acts of choice? When did
you start playing piano?
Speaker 4 (12:48):
I started playing piano when I was seven, and I
wanted to take piano lessons really bad, and so my
mom got a piano and after a couple of weeks,
I wanted to quit because I didn't like the idea
of having to practice, you know, and so my mom, Yeah,
my mom was like, no, I bought you a piano
because you wanted to play, and she said, I have
(13:10):
She said you have to take into for five years
and that way, and then you can quit that way
if you ever want to go back to it'll be easier.
And I thought that was pretty annoying at the time,
but in hindsight, it's pretty It was pretty cool because
after five years I quit, like on the dot. I
was like, all right, my five years is up? Really
more scales? Yeah, I just didn't want to practice.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
How many hours a day did you have to practice?
Speaker 4 (13:34):
I'm the most lazy, p procrastinating practicer. But I don't
even remember. But I know I had a really good teacher.
She was awesome, but it was just the classical style
of learning and it didn't spark a lot of creativity
in my mind for some reason. So I quit. And
then about a year later, my mom took me to like,
(13:57):
I don't know, some she took me to a big
band concert, and then she took me to see Mary
and McPartland play in the park, right, and I said,
this is cool? What's this?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
You know?
Speaker 4 (14:10):
And so she found this teacher. Well, I think I
was playing saxophone by that time. In Marching Band, and
my saxophone teacher recommended this jazz piano teacher in Dallas
named Julie Bank. She was super cool and she was
a great teacher. She taught me how to readcord changes
and improvise and tried to spark me and writing songs.
(14:32):
So it just totally took a different direction from then.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
So this is how you're discovering jazz chops.
Speaker 4 (14:38):
Yeah, this is like eighth grade when I got into
jazz and my mom she checked out, like, you know,
the Smithsonian Jazz Collection at the library and we dubbed
it on a cassette and then that was my bible
for a few years.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Really. Yeah, So how did you hone those chaps into
like did you play and local bands? High school bands?
Like did you bond with anybody your age in jazz
or yeah?
Speaker 4 (15:10):
I just keep it to yourself, well being in Marching band.
I mean the kids in Marching Band already were sort
of into stuff like that, some of them there was
like a jazz band. And then I went to interlock
In for a summer.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
What is that?
Speaker 4 (15:25):
It's like an arts camp in Michigan and it's too Yeah,
it's two months long and I got really into hanging
with people who knew a lot about it, you know,
and then I really wanted to go there. They had
a they have a school during the year and arts school,
(15:46):
but you have to leave home. It's like a what
do you call it? A school where you live there.
My brain isn't working right now. But my mom was like,
no way, You're not leaving home. Oh yeah. I just
loved it. It was great, and I wanted to continue
doing it, and she was like, hell no. Checked the
(16:06):
school out and she found Booker T Washington and we
moved to Dallas just so I could be in county
to audition and go there, and then all the kids there.
That's I mean, I learned from the kids at my school.
I learned so much. So many of those kids knew
so much about music, so many geniuses, you know.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
Probably I was going to say any other notable students
at they're at the time that.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
Are like, well, I think the people that I learned
the most with were piano players who a couple of
them were a year or two older, like I was
there when Brayln Lacey was there, and Sean Martin on
the keys. R. C. Williams right I learned so much
from these guys. They grew up in church, playing piano
(16:55):
in the church bands and stuff, and they knew. I mean,
they're just geniuses anyway. But I don't know. It was
a cool, cool environment.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Was an equally like a sort of accepting atmosphere or
did you feel like, all right, I got to come
with it and let them know I speak the same language,
or no, I'm such a dork.
Speaker 4 (17:17):
I was just like, Hi, guys, can I hang out
with you? It was super accepting. Everybody there was an oddball,
you know anyway, so everybody was cool.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
See I went to I went to school with Christian
McBride and Joey de Francisco Wow and and Kurt Roseawinkle
and I can. I I always compare going to that
the school I went to the Philadelphia version of that
(17:50):
school kind of as I consider it, sort of like
a it was like a gang experience, like a Bloods
and Crypts experience. And Joey and Chris like they wouldn't
even they don't give you the time of day or respect,
like you instantly know that they're the alphas of band
(18:11):
class and that you had to I mean the first
day of school the first day of school, Miles Davis
is giving a masterclass and not only takes Joey and
Chris to do this thing with him on television, but
then later hires Joey's to replace Kenny Kirkland. So that
(18:33):
was like my first day at the school. And so
you know, they just knew all traditional jazz. Meanwhile, Kurt Rosenwinkle,
who's such an experimental avant garde musician. I mean he's
on Verb Records right now, but back then he was
trying to unlearn me or unteach me all the traditional
(18:56):
like the traditional stuff, and he's like, nah, man, I
want you to listening to Frank Zappa, Yeah, Captain Beefheart
and you know Minor Vshue Orchestra John mclaughing. So you know,
I was like trying to I was on like both
sides of the gang.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
That's great for you.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
I'm in school, but then I left them both for
a rap career.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
So oh you're informed. You're informed by all of it,
and you became who you are.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
You know, it helped, but it was it was like
it was literally like being into like whatever side was winning,
that was my side.
Speaker 4 (19:28):
Like okay, that's funny. Here there the ping pong ball exactly.
I didn't feel that. I know that attitude you're talking about.
It's like a young musician thing, for sure, I feel like,
but I didn't feel that at my school. Maybe I
was too naive to see it, but I never I
never felt it. It's pretty pretty welcoming, honestly.
Speaker 2 (19:57):
I mean before your career took off. I mean, did
you have a plan just for like, Okay, I'll do
the college thing, go to Berkeley or go to Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:08):
I well, we were in Dallas, so I did. I
wanted to go to like the New School or Manhattan
School Music, but we stayed in state tuition because University
of North Texas has a great jazz program, okay, And
so I went there for two years and I took
all my classes, all my music classes, and I failed
(20:30):
my classical piano jury because I just didn't practice enough.
And then I came to New York for the summer,
and I had a real sort of moment of reckoning,
and I thought, well, if I go back to finish college,
I'm gonna have to take academics for two years because
I already took all the jazz classes and I'm going
(20:51):
to have to do classical two years of classical juries
and really practice, and I just didn't want to do
any of that.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
What does that mean? What did it 't tell? Like
the classical jury.
Speaker 4 (21:02):
Part, it's not that it was so hard. It's that
I really just didn't practice enough. It was like scales
and arpeggios and one song. It wasn't that hard. I
was really into the other stuff I was doing, and
I kind of let it slide.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
Understandable. I'm just standable. So once she came to New York,
what was the paradigm shift that really opened its doors
as far as like, Okay, I can have a career
and start singing. Like what was that moment?
Speaker 4 (21:35):
Well, I mean I realized that I could play gigs
and but I would have to start witting tables. It
was different because in college I had a weekly gig
where I made enough money to make my rent and
plus tips and food. I played at this restaurant and
I learned how to sing and play at the same time,
(21:58):
which is sort of It was just like paid practice.
So it was great. But then when I moved to
New York, I realized, oh shit, I gotta wait tables
because I can't make enough money playing gigs because they
didn't pay very much at all, and I got a
little burnt out. I came to New York singing jazz
and playing the piano, but I wasn't as good a
(22:20):
piano player as most piano players out there, but I
knew I could sing, so I had that, you know
that going for me, sort of, you know, trying to.
I came to New York to do this thing, and
then I what happened? Your eyes just went like.
Speaker 2 (22:36):
Oh shit, you can't hear this, can you? No, Zoe,
I'm interviewing Nord Jones right Okay, this is a flex.
Zoe Kravis just interrupted us. I'm interviewing Nord Jones right
now for my podcast. Hi, She said, all right, this
(22:57):
is Are you okay over there in London? Okay? Thank you? Sorry? Wait,
I'm sorry, okay. Side note, it's twenty twenty. I'm the
person that likes a person to text me first and
then tell me that they're calling, not just call me.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
That's the thing that people do now, but it's kind
of weird too.
Speaker 2 (23:24):
Wait are you a call before you are you a
text before you call? Person? Yes?
Speaker 4 (23:29):
Or at least because everybody.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
Is, or at least Warren before you FaceTime.
Speaker 4 (23:35):
Yes, but I'm also not somebody who just picks up
the phone if somebody calls me. You seem to also
be someone who just picks it up no matter what.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
Well. I saw it with her, and I'm like, okay,
this must be about I work on her show, so obviously,
but I forgot to turn my ringer off. So I
know that Bill kill me over that too. Sorry.
Speaker 4 (23:55):
No, it's the thing. You You either ignore the call
if you don't want to be caught off guard, or
you take it anyway. So I guess that says a
lot about you, even though you prefer the text.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
I didn't know how to turn it off. Sorry, Oh
I don't care anyway. Yeah, so you were saying that
singing at least gave you an edge. I really I
love your voice, by the way, which I don't think
you get enough praise for. Like who's the person that
(24:30):
who's your your spirit animal when you're singing? Like you know,
because I'm not a singer, I can't say I know that.
When I'm drumming. There's four particular drummers that I know
influenced and raised me and I'm like a combination of that.
But who's your singing spirit animal?
Speaker 4 (24:51):
I think growing up it was Ray Charles and Aretha
Franklin and Billie Holliday.
Speaker 2 (24:57):
All right, I'm skipping into the future. How is it
working with Ray on the Ones stew Wets record?
Speaker 4 (25:04):
It was amazing. He was super sweet. We did three
live takes and then he left and that was.
Speaker 2 (25:10):
It, just real quick in and out.
Speaker 4 (25:13):
It was just real quick live takes with the band
and Billy Preston was playing Oregon, so it was awesome.
My mom came. She saw him play when she was
in high school, so it's the first time I've ever
seen her quiet. You know, it was great. He was
he was he was pretty sick already, so okay, he
was nice though.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
So just sing the song got out super nice.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Though, Yeah, like like warm and kind. But I mean,
I love all these people, but I think I've tried
to keep I don't know, I learned. I think when
I came to New York and I was singing jazz
and I got a little sort of disheartened and I realized,
I'm singing all these old songs that Billy Holliday sang,
(25:58):
and I'm putting my own been on it and it's cool.
But I started going in the living room and writing
songs and singing songs by my friends that they were writing,
and I felt a little more creative in that way.
And I kind of fell off the jazz scene.
Speaker 2 (26:15):
So you didn't want to get typecast as like a
sort of derivative Billie Holiday.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
And I don't know if it was about wanting to
get typecast. I think it was just about I couldn't
get any gigs that were satisfying. You know. I played
in restaurants. I went to Smiles a lot, and I
watched people play and it was awesome, but I couldn't
get a gig there yet. And I did get a
gig at the living room though, where the audience listened
and I felt really connected to something.
Speaker 2 (26:41):
I was going to say, Okay, so I've been in
New York for ten years now, and how often I
got like I got a little maybe four or five
in the cut jazz spots that I go to just
to yeah, chilled and be anonymous, or is any that
says you can be at six ' three with an afro?
(27:03):
But but the one thing that really like it's disheartening
for me when I'm in these jazz clubs is oftentimes
like tourists will come and they'll just talk over you,
and it's almost like you're just a human juke box
(27:25):
and just in the background to their conversation. Like is
that just that's the disheartening thing that you were.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
I don't know if I realized it as tourists then,
I mean, that was twenty years ago. I moved to
New York twenty years ago. Last summer.
Speaker 2 (27:42):
Well, now I'm observe. I observe it as like I'll.
Speaker 4 (27:45):
Go now, well now it is more tourists. It is
more so than it used to be. But I mean
I think at the time, like I couldn't get a
gig there yet because I wasn't as good as a
piano player, and a lot of those places didn't hire
a ton of singers. Not saying they never hired singers,
but it wasn't really it didn't seem that easy for
me to play in a place where people were really listening.
Speaker 2 (28:08):
Oh, you would have what I'm saying, So your piano
chops have to be on point to get kind of
I get it, okay. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:15):
And also just like the gigs they could get and
did get. Were restaurant gigs were I kind of knew
going in. They weren't like listening room gigs, and they
were great practice. But once I started playing original music
for tips instead of like forty bucks, it was just
more satisfying. I started waiting more tables and doing less
(28:36):
restaurant gigs and more singer songwriter plays gigs, and it
was more sad. It was just more fulfilling and inspiring.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
If masse some I'm curious, before you started doing original material,
you would just go through the fake book and just
through the standards. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
I kind of mostly did standards. I mean I wouldn't
just yeah. I mean I had like my favorites, and
that's I would do a lot of that.
Speaker 2 (29:05):
I wonder, is the fake book still a thing?
Speaker 4 (29:07):
I still have one?
Speaker 2 (29:08):
You still have a fake Okay?
Speaker 4 (29:09):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (29:10):
For our listeners out there. I don't I don't want
to date myself, but I would probably say that if
you were a jazz musician, a working jazz musician, or
a student. In the sixties, seventies, or eighties, there was
sort of a a Wikipedia slash cliff Notes guide tutorial
(29:35):
to core charts of every jazz song and the same
for singers as well. And it's almost like a Bible
of jazz, which yeah, you kind of need if you're cool.
So you still So they still make fake books.
Speaker 4 (29:52):
I don't know. I know, I have an old, old,
old one.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
You. I just want to say, do you know why
they call it a fake book?
Speaker 4 (29:58):
I don't know. But then they had the real book.
They called it the real book, I thought, and then
they called it a fake book too, But I could
never understand the difference between a real book and a
fake book.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
Well, I think I always guess is that the fake
book had other songs in it, and it wasn't officially
done by that company.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
But yeah, it was definitely like not nobody got paid
for it since it wasn't It wasn't chet music. It
was like cheat music that was underground and circulated like
on a Xerox machine.
Speaker 2 (30:31):
Exactly. Yeah, when did you get your deal and how
did you come to the attention of Bruce at a
Blue Note?
Speaker 4 (30:40):
Well, I was doing one of those jazz restaurant gigs
at the garage on Seventh Avenue, and my bass player's
friend's wife, they all came for brunch. It was like
a brunch gig. And she happened to work for Emi
Music Publishing and I was doing jazz at that gig.
(31:00):
I had started, you know, doing those songwriter gigs already,
but this was a jazz gig. And she said, Hey,
I know Bruce Linvall. I met him at a company picnic.
What if I set up an appointment for you? And
I was like, all right, whatever, Yeah, I'm like okay,
I mean, sure, I'll show up, that's for sure. But
I didn't really know if she was for real all right.
(31:24):
And I had a demo that I had made to
take around the clubs to get gigs. So I brought
the demo. I had two standards on it, and I
had one song by my friend Jesse Harris who wrote
Don't Know Why, And we were already friends and playing
around together, and so I brought it in. I was twenty,
it was the gig was my twenty first birthday, so
(31:47):
it was probably two thousand. The yeah, it was two thousand.
April of two thousand is when I had this meeting
with him.
Speaker 2 (31:58):
When your birthday?
Speaker 4 (32:00):
No, the gig was on my birthday, so it was
like a month later.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Totally okay, okay. And then that's when you knew shit
was real.
Speaker 4 (32:08):
I mean, I knew she could get me an appointment
with him. I didn't really know what was real for
a while. But he said, well, there's this pop song
on here, kind of it's not really a pop song,
but whatever, it was not a jazz standard, right, And
he's like, so, do you want to be a jazz
singer or a pop singer? And I was like, I'm
sitting there in Blue Note office jazz singer.
Speaker 2 (32:30):
You know.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
And then he gave me some money to make some demos,
and the demos ended up being a few of the
songs from that first record, and he decided that it
wasn't super jazz. It wasn't like, it wasn't what he thought.
It wasn't jazz, but he still liked it enough to
sign it, right, so he went ahead and signed me.
Speaker 2 (32:50):
All right. So, in hindsight, because no one can plan,
no one can plan this phenomenon, how does one capture
lightning in the bottle? Like, there's no way in the
world that you can ever foresee that you're about to
make history. I don't even know if you accepted the
(33:10):
fact that you've made history or if you're just taking
the No, it was just those are the that's what
I was feeling at the time in nineteen ninety nine
and made these songs and that's.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Yeah, it definitely was. The actual album was just us
capturing moments, as a lot of albums are, but I
think this one was done with a lot of spontaneity.
And don't know why. That song don't know why. It
was the demo that we recorded the first day of recording,
and it was the live take. Everything in the take
(33:42):
is live. We added an extra guitar and some harmonies,
and that was it.
Speaker 2 (33:45):
So that was the very first thing you've recorded.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
Yeah, And that was for these demos to get signed,
and wasn't even signed yet. And then once I got signed,
I like went back in and we did a bunch
of more produced sessions that ended up getting mostly cut,
and then we went back to kind of the demo
style of recording.
Speaker 2 (34:01):
Just said, oh, let's get that first song we did
and see what happens with that.
Speaker 4 (34:05):
We tried to re record don't know why, and it
was so not as good, so we just.
Speaker 2 (34:11):
It's it's funny you say that, do you do you
know the story behind Christina Aguilera is beautiful. Linda Perry
has a story in which, you know, like she wants
our artist to like live with a demo for about
three or four weeks and then that way they really
internalized the song and then they come back and then
(34:33):
they kill the song. And so Christina is like, all right,
let me just go in and sing this thing real quick.
And so she just did like a rough you know, yawn,
All right, here's my take, and then I'll come back
and I'll really you.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
Know, kill this before she lived with it.
Speaker 2 (34:51):
Yeah, yeah, before she lived with it, you know. And
then Christina is expecting like to add her you know,
of her aguilera is to it, and you know, Linda
was like, no, let's just stick with the demo, and
Christina like it was like the biggest fight of their relationship,
(35:12):
like really, and She's like, no, the dryness and the
regularness of this is what sells the song, trust me.
And she I don't know they forced it or kicked
and screamed it, but like she, Linda Perry won the
battle and the demo is the version that we know,
whereas Christina felt like, let me, you know, add exclamation
(35:37):
points to the end of the sentence, and she's like, she's.
Speaker 4 (35:41):
Like an athlete. She's like this insane, right.
Speaker 2 (35:46):
But this was just a foul shot. It wasn't a
it wasn't the you know, the All Star dunk contest,
but it.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Had the heart. I mean, I think that for me,
I'm way better on first takes or not even just
for takes, but like when the spontaneity factor is there,
and yes, you need to know the song and be
able to sell the lyric. But for me, when I
when I overthink or over rehearse something, it's not as good. Yeah, spontaneity.
Speaker 2 (36:17):
My engineer is smart enough to know to record everything.
So oftentimes I'll like quote run down a performance and
then be like, all right, let me go for it,
and then we always just wind up choosing the or
you're not thinking about it I had or.
Speaker 4 (36:35):
The fifteenth drunk take, yeah, the first three, you know.
Speaker 2 (36:41):
Okay, So you worked with one of my heroes on
this record, mister Martin. Yeah, Reef Martin, Uh yeah a Reef.
You know he for me, I know this is odd
for people to hear, but the average white band is
like they were my heroes growing up, and their Gruman
(37:03):
Steve aron is my drumming idol. Steve Roon actually gave
me his actual drum set from all those Sun sessions
that I still use on the Tonight Show now and
a Reef produced them. And so that's how I came
to attention from you, because it's almost like anything that
a Reef has touched. Then I purchased it without fault.
(37:26):
So that's how like, that's funny. I was like, oh, wow,
he has a new artist, he's still producing, Oh my god.
And then that's how it entered. How did you how?
How was he assigned to you?
Speaker 4 (37:38):
Well, when Bruce Lundvall signed me, I was obsessed with
the Cassandra Wilson New Moon Daughter album that was on
the Note that he had, you know, put out a
few years before, and I really wanted to work with
Craig Street, who's an amazing producer, and so I did
and it was incredible, had the most amazing musicians. I
(38:01):
love Craig. It was great, but there was something about
those sessions that didn't capture my vocal in the right
way that where it sounded like the thing from the
demos that we had already captured. So we ended up
kind of going back to the drawing board, which was crazy.
At the time. I didn't think I was going to
(38:22):
have the option to remake my record. I didn't think
they were going to give me any extra money to
do it right, and it was weird that it even happened.
But Bruce, it was his idea to go back and
try to recapture the sort of first thing we did.
So he said, but I'm going to have my friend
a Reef Martin. He had just hooked up with Manhattan,
(38:44):
the label that Bruce was also running was another label
called Manhattan. Anyway, a Reef was doing stuff with him,
and so he said, I want a Reef Martin to
come and do it. And I was really nervous at
that point.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
I was like, Ah, did you know his predigree? By
that point I did.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
I mean, I grew up on all those Aretha records
and on Donnie Hathaway, and I was nervous that he
was going to come in and not listen to me
or not because he was this huge producer. And then
he came in and he's like the sweetest older Turkish
man and he came into the sessions and I told Bruce,
(39:22):
I was like, Okay, but after a couple of days,
if it's not working out, you're just gonna let me
do this right. It was so weird. I was like
twenty one years old, you know. I was both scared
and also really stubborn, you know, and he ended up
being he let us kind of do our thing, but
he guided us, but he knew the situation. And so
(39:46):
the more we got to know him, the more he
was able to help, you know, tell us more what
we should do musically. But he became like this great friend.
I never in my wife thought I would have a
a friend who was a Turkish Man in his seventies.
He was like one of my best friends, and it
(40:07):
was incredible.
Speaker 2 (40:09):
Man. I think the night that I first met you
in person was at the Grammys when it was that
New York. The night that you oh yeah, because we
were like rehearsal went eminem so much. I couldn't get
to a reef. I saw him in the audience and
wanted to drunk for my drum set, like in stalk him,
but I couldn't do that.
Speaker 4 (40:32):
He was special.
Speaker 2 (40:33):
I'm going to be the one person that doesn't ask
you the cliche of so what have you learned? After,
you know, for any lessons. So however, I will say
that once Kenny g covers your.
Speaker 4 (40:49):
Song, I forgot that. I forgot about that.
Speaker 2 (40:54):
Actually, how many emails did you get over that?
Speaker 4 (40:57):
I don't remember. I remember Pat Metheny did it.
Speaker 2 (41:00):
I did.
Speaker 4 (41:00):
Don't know why. I mean, I didn't write that song.
My friend Jesse Harris wrote it.
Speaker 2 (41:04):
But still we still associated with you.
Speaker 4 (41:05):
Yeah, and I still feel like I own it a
little bit, but I don't remember. I must have forgotten
that era. There was a whole era there where I
don't remember very much. But that's so funny. I forgot
about that completely.
Speaker 2 (41:25):
How eager were you to knock over your your jinga
design to start all over again? I mean, that's the
only I can describe it. You feel way to describe it? Yeah,
how eager were you to do it?
Speaker 4 (41:40):
I was super eager. I was just eager to make music,
and I was eager to play guitar and write more songs.
I was inspired. I was listening to a ton of
like bluegrass at the time, so my second album was
a little bit more country inspired. But I was definitely
excited to get it over with as well. That's not
(42:01):
to say I rushed the music at all, or that
I was like hurrying and put out something I wasn't
proud of, but I was stoked to be inspired and
to just go ahead and plow through the second record
and not not overthink it.
Speaker 2 (42:15):
Oh for feels like home? Correct, yeah, I think. But
that did like a million its first week.
Speaker 4 (42:21):
Which yeah, which was great.
Speaker 2 (42:23):
Which it almost is like, okay.
Speaker 4 (42:26):
All right, I can move on now more than.
Speaker 2 (42:30):
Where did you out? Out of your you know, because
you've gone through so many I won't even say phases
because I don't feel like these are like drastic Bowie
or Prince like changes in your music, but I mean
you you definitely added personality to all your records. My okay,
(42:54):
So my personal favorite of your cannon is Little Broken
Hearts but for you and don't give me the like
all my all my records to like my children, and
I guess some of.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Them I like more than others. Just kidding, but do
you feel.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
What do you feel? Is like what's your I put
my my ass in that one, my FOOTNT one.
Speaker 4 (43:24):
I think I also love that one you're talking about,
see I'm smart, The Danger Mouse one. It's just so
different and I love the sonics of it. But it's
funny because I've been playing the last couple of years.
I've been playing here and there with piano trio, just
me and Brian Blade on drums, Chris Thomas on bass,
(43:44):
sometimes different bass players. But when I started playing with
this group, I thought, oh, okay, I'm gonna pull out
some of the more jazzy songs in my catalog. But truthfully,
my favorite songs to play with this setup is the
songs from that album A Little Broken Hearts, and they
are it's not just not what I thought it would be.
They're just I think they're great songs, and I think
(44:08):
I think that Brian Burton is an incredible songwriter, and
we had so much fun making that record, And.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Yeah, I think, yeah, no, it's it's it's it's definitely special.
Do you feel what is your creative process like with songwriting,
because I know that collaboration is also a big thing
for you. Do you tend to do birds of a
feather as far as flock to people that because I
(44:37):
know that you've worked with Jeff Jeff Tweety, Jeff Wilcome,
I always call him no like you work with Tweety
and but I'm just saying that, do you often ever
consider like totally like, okay, well, time out. I totally
(44:58):
forgot now that you worked with Andre three thousand. So
even when you're entering in what we would think your
general audience would think like not familiar territory, like, how
does the how does the process start?
Speaker 4 (45:12):
Well? I mean a lot of stuff I've collaborated with
people on it's already done and I'm just coming in
and singing. Like with the Andre three thousand thing, the
Q tip song, I went in and I just sang
what do you wanted me to sing? But as far
as collaborating songwriting, why is it's been evolving over the years,
It's completely changed. I mean I used to be a
(45:36):
nervous songwriter, and now I think after doing the record
with Brian, actually his process really opened me up to
no fear songwriting.
Speaker 2 (45:46):
I'm just curious, because we're supposed to eventually get with Brian,
what is his actual process because no, the thing is
I know I know his YouTube process.
Speaker 4 (46:00):
Yeah it might be different for everyone.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
Oh, I know that's way different. I want to know
another non YouTube way, like, how does it start well?
Speaker 4 (46:13):
For us? I mean we just went in We're pretty
comfortable with each other. At this point, we were already friends,
we'd already hung out a bunch. I sang on the
Rome album with him, so I got to know him
through all that. But you know, we both play whatever
instruments sound good in the room, and the song starts
(46:36):
with a weird bass line or a weird chord progression
or me strumming something.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
On the guitar, and it goes to music first.
Speaker 4 (46:48):
I mean, honestly, I don't remember completely, not always. Sometimes
like it'll be a melody, or he'll have a melody
in his head, or he'll have a lyric and a
melody in his head, or I will, and it sort
of just built from there, and usually we tried to
get some kind of melody down, whether he's hearing something
or whether I am. And then this is where I
(47:10):
learned a lot from him, because first of all, this
process was totally different than anything I'd ever done. I'd
never gone into the studio with nothing or with a
bunch of instruments and just like adding stuff, layering it.
I've never done that. I had never done that, And
so I would like sing some scratch lyrics and he's
like that's cool, We'll get the lyrics later. I was like, really,
I'm so worried about it. Are we going to get him?
Speaker 2 (47:31):
You know?
Speaker 4 (47:32):
And I would come in and I'd be like, I'm
just worried about this. I really like this, but I
don't know what to write. What are the lyrics? He's like,
they'll come, don't worry about it, And you know what,
they always came, and they were always in the moment
and heartfelt, and you know, we worked on him. But
that was a nice way for me to learn. And
(47:54):
lately I've been doing more of that. I've been going
in with people with nothing and just trying to like
throw stuff at the wall and coming out with stuff
that I'm totally in love with. You know.
Speaker 2 (48:04):
So you never go through because the one the one
thing I had to commend you on at least, is
that you deliver and you push through. Because normally, whenever
anyone gets into a position of something that gargantuan or successful,
that's usually when they start sabotaging their creative process. That's
(48:27):
usually when writer's block sets in and decades go by
before even hear another note from them. And so the
fact that you push through it and also, I mean
all your side projects with the Little Willie's and with
Push and Boots. How many other side projects do you have?
(48:49):
Which one is? Well, my favorite is Carlo what projects?
Speaker 4 (48:52):
You're like, you're like the only fan of that band?
You know that that is called El Madmo And that
was brief. But we put out a record and we
didn't put any of our names on it because at
the time, I think it was right after my second
album had come out, and I think part of me
staying creative and enjoying music was to pull back a
(49:15):
little bit from all the attention, and so this album
was really fun, and then we put it out under
these fake names, and then nobody really knew about it. It
was kind of like we totally sabotaged it by doing that.
But you're like the only fan.
Speaker 2 (49:29):
But yeah, I have it. It's still on my iPod. Yes.
Speaker 4 (49:33):
That was sort of the beginning of me playing guitar,
and we went on like this huge stadium tour on
the fields like home record basically, and my drummer and
my backup singer at the time we started this band,
and me and her learned how to play bass and
guitar a little bit and that was before Puss in
Boots continued my sort of guitar education.
Speaker 2 (49:52):
But speaking of collaborations, how did you and Billy Joe
Armstrong wind up doing the Evely Brothers album.
Speaker 4 (49:59):
Billy Chill called me and he asked if I would
be into doing this thing, and I I was a
little unsure. I was like, well, let's go in the
studio a couple of days and see if we fit.
Speaker 2 (50:11):
I'm not going to commit to did you know anything
like of him?
Speaker 4 (50:16):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (50:16):
Yeah, well the screen day. But I mean like it
was like a cold call.
Speaker 4 (50:22):
And yeah, it was cold call and I picked up. No.
See that's what happens when you pick.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
Up and now you got to commit to an album.
Speaker 4 (50:30):
Oh damn it. No, No, I don't remember. I don't remember.
It was a cold call.
Speaker 2 (50:34):
But well, I can only imagine that there's other projects
that have been pitched to you that you were sort
of like, I'm not sure. Wait, can you name one
artist that you were supposed to work with or.
Speaker 4 (50:49):
I'll never tell.
Speaker 2 (50:50):
Okay, the.
Speaker 4 (50:54):
Things that I regretted saying no to though, let me
know one.
Speaker 2 (50:57):
Let me know one.
Speaker 4 (50:59):
No, Oh, I feel weird, Just say what I regret?
I got an email from Farrell once and I was
just too busy or something.
Speaker 2 (51:09):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (51:10):
I was bummed I didn't do it, but I don't know.
I don't know if it was something crazy or what.
Speaker 2 (51:16):
But I would have liked you on a song that
starts with four hits at the beginning, me too.
Speaker 4 (51:22):
Tell him to call me back, I miss I missed
my chance.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
An He's always created, So.
Speaker 4 (51:28):
Yeah, I mean that's the thing is. I think I
went through a little period of kind of being overwhelmed
by everything and just wanting to sort of chill. So
I said, notice some things. That year I had a
little bit of my own little mini nervous breakdown. But yeah,
Billy Joe called me and I said, let's try a
couple of days before we commit to doing it because
(51:51):
he wanted to do this whole album. It wasn't just
a song or two, and it was cool. He let
me hire the band from New York. He came to
New York to do it, and I really love that record.
Is beautiful. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:05):
Surprising. Well, I mean it's not surprising.
Speaker 4 (52:07):
Because it is surprising.
Speaker 2 (52:09):
Well, I mean, the thing is is that I was
sort of like, okay, but then it's like, Okay, you
collaborate with everyone, so it's almost like I'm not shocked.
It wasn't that shocking, but yeah, okay, so.
Speaker 4 (52:25):
It's just cool play well with others. You could say, all.
Speaker 2 (52:28):
Right, so our alto saxophone, jermm, collaboration, we'll do sun
raw songs or whatever. So it's pick Me off the Floor.
That's going to be your eighth record, correct.
Speaker 4 (52:43):
I don't know, well, your eighths or eight I'm not sure.
Speaker 2 (52:49):
Okay, besides the single, I haven't heard the I haven't
heard the album yet.
Speaker 4 (52:56):
But oh that's too bad. I really I think you'll
be into it, are you, indo Brian.
Speaker 2 (53:01):
Blade, Yes, well more than that, I'm a Neward Jones fan.
I'm not. I'm not doing this because you're just next
on the pike.
Speaker 4 (53:08):
Like, well, I think you'd like it because it's a
lot of this piano trio stuff I was talking about.
I got really inspired to write for this piano trio setup,
and we ended up adding stuff and adding some production
to it, but it all most of the records started
sort of stripped down, and the single is actually not
even what this is. The two songs I released so
(53:31):
far are the two exceptions to this sort of piano
trio bass of this record. But it yeah, a little bit,
but that's okay.
Speaker 2 (53:40):
But who did you work with? Production ones?
Speaker 4 (53:44):
I did two songs with Jeff Tweety, okay, and those
were awesome, and then the rest I just sort of
did it in New York. I've been doing these collaborations
and trying to release singles lately just to stay inspired
and not have to do like a whole album cycle.
And in the process of doing all these I got
all these extra tracks that I loved, and so they
(54:06):
all kind of fit together.
Speaker 2 (54:08):
And that's just to do a bunch of one off singles,
and yeah.
Speaker 4 (54:11):
I have been doing I have been trying to just
like collaborate with people I love, like like doing that
Billy Joel thing was so cool, but it was still
a commitment because it was a whole album. So I've
been trying to do just one song with people. I
did one with Tank, you know, Tank from the Bengus
and Jeff Tweety. We did a couple and these two
songs on this album are from that session too. I
(54:34):
just had all these extra songs from these sessions, so all.
Speaker 2 (54:38):
Right, well, I mean in terms of Do you still
feel that the the date will still get honored or I.
Speaker 4 (54:49):
Think we pushed it to June? Okay, yeah, you know
it's funny. I feel like people are home, maybe they
want something to listen to, but I think everybody's watching
that Flix, so it's okay.
Speaker 2 (55:03):
What are you? What are you watching?
Speaker 4 (55:04):
Like?
Speaker 2 (55:04):
What have you binged out on?
Speaker 4 (55:07):
Oh? A lot of Barbie Dream House?
Speaker 2 (55:10):
So what your kids are watching?
Speaker 4 (55:11):
Yeah? Basically I don't have any control. It's funny.
Speaker 2 (55:15):
I four to seven. Your kids are in the house.
Speaker 4 (55:17):
Oh god, they do. And every night they go to
sleep and then I'm like, cool, I'm going to watch something. Nope,
I'm asleep.
Speaker 2 (55:25):
I see, I see. I feel you.
Speaker 4 (55:28):
Have you watched Last Man on Earth?
Speaker 2 (55:30):
The sitcom?
Speaker 4 (55:32):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (55:32):
With what's his name? I love that show to death.
Speaker 4 (55:36):
Yes, I love that show so much. I'm so sad
when it stopped. I know every night I think I'm
going to rewatch Last Man on Earth. Right now it
feels like the right moment.
Speaker 2 (55:45):
But I'm one of those people that when I commit
to a series and I know it's going to be over,
I never watched the last three, Like my pen ultimate
is always like the last three or four. So even
with my modern family, which as a completist, I feel
like I have to watch the last season, even though
(56:05):
kind of Wayne Dalf thatf there's season nine. But I
never like watching the last three episodes of a series
when it's over. And really, yeah, I loved I loved
Last Man on Earth, and I kind of feel like
that's my reality right now.
Speaker 4 (56:23):
Well, I know that's that's what reminded me of it
for sure. Wait, so you didn't watch the last three?
Speaker 2 (56:28):
No, no, I did, Yes, I didn't watch. I didn't
watch the last three yet.
Speaker 4 (56:32):
No, Oh, you should watch them. Now it's the time,
is right.
Speaker 2 (56:39):
I hate goodbye? I mean I I don't know. It's
like her you.
Speaker 4 (56:43):
Like having it hanging over your head.
Speaker 2 (56:46):
Yeah, but now you're right, now is the time to
do it because I've been watching. I made the mistake
of watching that damn what do you call it? The
Tiger King thing?
Speaker 4 (56:57):
Oh? I didn't watch that?
Speaker 2 (56:58):
Yeah, which I kind of want my nine hours back.
Speaker 4 (57:02):
Well, you were part of a movement. You were in
it with the rest of.
Speaker 2 (57:08):
The world, every right, I mean everyone was part of
the conversation. I was like, I felt fomo and I
wanted you know. Okay, I want to watch it too
and now regret it. Yeah, so I don't know. I mean,
I'm going to finish Ozarks and oh yeah, I.
Speaker 4 (57:22):
Want to start that because I have never watched that.
I was talking about that.
Speaker 2 (57:25):
Okay, so does in my opinion, does okay, does Sopranos
or The Wire or Breaking Bad mean anything to you?
Speaker 4 (57:36):
I watched all the Sopranos, I watched all of Breaking Bad. Okay,
not watch all of the Wire.
Speaker 2 (57:42):
Okay, then this could easily be in fourth place. I mean,
in my personal opinion, I feel like, oh, no doubt,
no doubt. I mean, even one of the actresses has
already won an Emmy for a performance. It's it's it's
(58:03):
that level of.
Speaker 4 (58:06):
Darkness and sounds delicious.
Speaker 2 (58:09):
So that's that's my recommendation. Wait now, I feel like
I'm taking away from creativity if I'm telling you to
start binging.
Speaker 4 (58:15):
Out on tele I would I would love to have
a show to binge on. I would love to. Okay,
I'll write a song.
Speaker 2 (58:25):
But I see, I see, well, you know, I appreciate
you for taking the time out to do this, and
you too.
Speaker 4 (58:34):
Good to see you.
Speaker 2 (58:35):
Hopefully, I don't know, maybe you can, you know, broadcast
from your crib? Do you do social media at all?
Speaker 4 (58:44):
No, it's it kind of terrorisfies me. I've started doing
some live recordings and putting them out during all this, right,
and it's been fun. But I'm not good at like
browsing the comments. It's no feel crazy.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
Never read the comments.
Speaker 4 (59:02):
Makes me feel crazy. I've tried to do. I tried
to do Instagram a few years back, and I just
felt like an idiot because I don't want to show
pictures of my kids, but I don't want to fake
it and pretend. So I just hated it. I couldn't
I couldn't deal. And then I was thinking about, oh,
what would be a good post. I'm like, Okay, that
goes against the point. You either got to like just
(59:23):
post whatever.
Speaker 2 (59:24):
Or or don't post what you're cooking. That's a that's
a good place to start. No one, no one ever disagreement.
Speaker 4 (59:33):
Talks for lunch again.
Speaker 2 (59:34):
Yes, there you go. You should just start a hot
dog account. Seriously, all right? Yeah, well, Nora, I appreciate you,
thank you for your artistry, thank you for taking the
time out. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. This has been
quest love Supreme. You have the team Supreme. I bid
you do. Stay safe for everybody and we will see
you on this story.
Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeartRadio. For more
podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or
wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Laiya St. Clair
Questlove
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