Although he grew up in a small town just south of London, England, spend some time listening to Jon Cleary and you will swear he is the result of some sort of super-engineering experiment that sought to combine the absolute best of New Orleans/Funk/ Soul music into one performer- it’s in his DNA- from the way he plays to the subtle ways it permeates his native English accent. In addition to being a pianist and guitarist of impeccable taste and feel, he is also a gifted vocalist. 

Cleary, who has 8 solo records to date, recently won a Grammy last year for Go Go Juice, (a record I had the pleasure of being a part of). He was also a member of Bonnie Raitt’s band for 10 years - (she once referred to him the “9th Wonder of the World”. ) 

 He frequently plays at the world famous Maple Leaf Bar, a place that he has had a connection with since the early 80’s, as well as touring all over the world with his band. In this interview we discuss piano, guitar styles, his early years and passion finally making it to New Orleans, James Booker stories, Bonnie Raitt, what makes the New Orleans sound unique to other styles, and much much more. We do a fair bit of playing in this one too. 

This interview took place at Jon’s home/studio in New Orleans, LA on June 2nd, 2017.

My guest today is Mr. Will Lee. What can you say about Will that hasn’t already been said? He’s one of the most recorded bassists ever-     He hit the ground running in NYC after landing the gig with Dreams at age 18 and hasn’t looked back appearing on well over 1000 records. He’s also a very talented singer and sang on many jingles that you probably didn’t even realize he was on. 

And even if you haven’t heard Will on records (which I’m sure is simply not possible) you’ve undoubtedly seen him in your living room night after night as a member of the "World's Most Dangerous Band" on Late Night David Letterman Show, a gig he held for a stunning 30 years. Will is a very positive and forward thinking person, his enthusiasm for music and his love of the Beatles is fully evident (as you’ll hear). 

In this interview I ask Will a lot of questions which he provides some great and oftentimes amusing answers to- The scene in NYC then and now, Steve Gadd, Hiram Bullock, Beatles, groove demonstrations, Jaco, Steely Dan and much, much more- oh and we do quite a bit of jamming at the end!! I've included a little bonus outtake at the very end where Will gives an example of how a top LA musician (David Garfield) was able to create his own scene and how any musician can do the same.

Hope you enjoy!

(This interview took place at Will's Manhattan studio, April 2017.)


 

My guest today is Mr. John Leventhal. John is a guitarist, songwriter and producer, having won 5 Grammys  and 16 nominations for records he has produced. (I may be incorrect about this, it might actually be more…) 

 As usual on the Riff Raff, I have “selfish” ulterior motives and tend to interview people who were influential to me as a guitarist/producer and John is at the top of that list. He was a big influence on the way I approach working with singers and in the studio. His uncoventional approachs to folk, country and rock/pop genres is hard to pin down and that’s exactly why I like his sound so much. 

John is married to Roseanne Cash,  an amazing singer/songwriter and the daughter of country legend Johnny Cash. (For this interview I get to play one of Johnny Cash’s guitars!) 

In this interview we discuss guitars, producing, working with singers, songwriting, alternate tunings, his early career, “letting go” of preconceived ideas, the importance of good time, and much more. We also do quite a bit of playing and you get to hear John do his thing. There is some really great gems at the end so if you are a fan of John's we were really just getting going....

This interview took place on a snowy day at John’s studio in New York City, March 2017.

Today’s guest is Mr. Warren DeMartini. Warren is best known as being the badass guitar gunslinger in one of the most prolific and massively successful of the 80’s bands- that would be Ratt. 

If you’ve been listening to Riff Raff for a while you’ll know that everyone on the show was an influence or even hero of mine and Warren is no certainly no exception- he had a huge impact on my own playing and style. 

I had been wanting to get Warren on the podcast for a while but I knew that he doesn’t like to do interviews but then after I told him about Riff Raff he said he would love to do it. Now the only problem was is that I was only in LA for 3 days and we kept running out of time. The day before I left LA Warren calls and says “hey I got an idea- what if I drive you around and you can interview me and I’ll take you to all the sites and places that made up the history of Ratt and the early years?” 

 He was really into it and he said- “this is gonna be cool- the story of Round and Round riding around the various landmark sites- it’s never been done before!” (Hey this is an interview that Eddie Trunk would be proud of haha) 

So for sure this is a really different episode of Riff Raff- you’ll have to excuse some of the car noise and traffic sounds but for Ratt fans there is a goldmine of great stories in this episode and even if you aren’t a fan, you’ll still love the stories! 

Warren drives me to his old apartment known as “Ratt mansion West” where a few of the members of Ratt lived and many of the hits were written, the theatre where Ratt was signed, how Round and Round came about and we talk amps, guitars, a great story about Uli Roth, the early years of Ratt and the scene in LA in the 80’s, snakeskin guitars and so much more. (I’d like to thank my friend Jack Miele at Music Shed Studio for helping clean up the audio and reduce the car noise.) 

OK- I’m stepping out of the lobby of the  Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd and Warren has just pulled up in his car…I’m pushing record- step in with us, sit back and enjoy!

My guest today is Mr. Dweezil Zappa. I first met Dweezil a few years back at the Crown of the Continent Guitar Festival- an amazingly beautiful locale next to Glacier Lake in Bigfork, Montana where we were both teaching and performing. We hit it off and did a lot of jamming and trading ideas together in between our classes. Fast forward to this year and we’re at it again, teaching a weeklong master class together to a small group of students. 

I consider Dweezil to be a musician of the highest level who is constantly striving for perfection and originality. I’ve always thought he was a great guitarist- I had his solo record Confessions in the early 90’s and listened to it over and over. Frank Zappa was a big influence on me, and although he left a huge set of shoes to fill, I feel Dweezil has not only continued to carry on the legacy of his fathers music, but also leave his own footprint as one of the great guitar voices of our time. His many solo records and projects have proven this. 

Dweezil has probably done hundreds of interviews but this was probably a different kind of interview for him in that I just let him go- two guitar players who grew up sharing the same influences, just talking shop. 

It wasn’t my intention to talk so much about Eddie Van Halen, Frank Zappa stories, 80’s shred guitar, and not as much about Dweezil’s amazing band, his own projects and current tour- Cease and Desist tour- it’s just that well…you’ll hear! 

Great stories, growing up with the guitar legends in the 80’s,the challenges of playing the “Black Page” on guitar, some fun jamming at the end and you’ll hear about how I won a “Wiggy” amp in a guitar contest that Dweezil was a judge in 12 years ago before we met….( it was 12 years ago Dweezil- I checked!) funny- and an insight into what it was like growing up Zappa. We could have easily went another hour but just ran out of time! Enjoy! 

Interview took place in Big Fork, Montana- Sept 2016 

(Special thanks to Joe Guzzo for use of his quiet cabin to do this interview and Dennis Webster from Yamaha for use of the amps! Photos by Shiho Theriot)

My guest today is Mr. Kirk Covington. 

You know, out of all the musicians that I can think of, there aren’t many that are as freakishly talented as Kirk. I mean I know guys can play a little of this and that on drums and keys, guitar , that kind of thing. But Kirk plays at such a ridiculously high level on drums, keys and vocals that it’s kinda not fair!….. One of my favorite bands and a huge influence on my own playing was the band Tribal Tech with Scott Henderson on guitar. Kirk was a member of Tribal Tech for many years and manned the kit on many of their best records. He also worked with legends like Joe Zawinul, Alan Holdsworth, his own band Capt. Kirk, and was a member of the band Volto with Tool drummer Danny Carey. 

Kirk has a larger than life personality and he is always laughing and joking. I always enjoy playing and getting to hang with him. I thought he would be a no- brainer for a guest on Riff Raff and he proved me right. In this episode we talk about his North Texas State training, his influences, how Elvis helps him play a funky groove, Bobby Caldwell and Captain Beyond, odd meter grooves, Tribal Tech stories, some great Allan Holdsworth stories and much much more. I think you’ll love this one even if you aren’t a drummer!

My guest today is guitarist, vocalist and composer Leni Stern. Leni is someone I consider to be a good friend, as we’ve known each other for 16 years.  She’s one of the most inspiring musicians I happen to know and  - her contagious laugh and positive energy is something I never get tired of being around. Although she is married to guitarist Mike Stern (check out my 4th podcast)- Leni has her own distinctive voice on the guitar and an unmistakable touch and tone. She has won the Gibson Guitar  Best Female jazz guitarist award 5 years straight and has continued to push forward with each of her records and bands. 

In the interview you’ll hear how she left a successful career in her native city of Munich, Germany to come to the US and slowly build her reputation as one of New York City's finest. Now, some 20 plus records later, she talks about her new record, (Darkar Suite) what it was like studying and being in a band with Bill Frisell, the difficulties and advantages of being a female guitarist in a male dominated world, what it’s like being married to one of the most famous jazz guitarists in the world- Mike Stern, how she composes melodies etc…. and we play some ngoni and guitar duos too… Click here for Leni's Website

My guest today is Mr. Johnny Vidacovich- 

In a town that is filled with great drummers, all with their own unique style and approach, Johnny Vidacovich easily qualifies as an institution in the New Orleans music scene. His career spans 5 decades and he’s played with a who’s who of New orleans music royalty- Danny Barker, Professor Longhair, James Booker, Johnny Adams,  Astral Project, and many many others- as well as those from outside of New Orleans who have relied on Johnny’s signature street beat grooves - John Scofield, Joe Sample, Charlie Hunter and the list goes on and on. 

He has also taught many students including Brian Blade and Stanton Moore. 

Johnny is such a great person to chat with, and as you can hear in the interview he is highly animated and super passionate about life and music. He frequently gets up to dance or move his body in a certain way to illustrate a point. He is a highly musical drummer and one of my favorites- a real poet on the drums. 

As you’ll hear in the interview, I first met Johnny when I moved back to New Orleans. We went on to work together here and there throughout the years recording and doing some gigs from time to time….one highlight I remember is getting to do a gig with both Johnny AND Idris Mohammed- that was fun! If you like the music in this podcast check out Johnny's solo works- Mystery Street, Banks Street, Vidacovich and my solo record The Grease Factor.

In the interview Johnny talks about singing what you play, phrasing, the music scene in  1950’s and 60’s New orleans, we go over some traditional New Orleans grooves together, his poetry, love of Paul Motian (sorry for mispronouncing his name over and over !), play a few tunes, how colors relate to sound and music and much more. 

Hidden behind one of the more unique and quirky personalities that is Johnny Vidacovich is a treasure trove of wisdom learned from a lifetime of playing and teaching. 

This interview took place at Johnny’s house in the Mid City section of New orleans, LA in Feb of 2016. 

                                                                                                                              I hope you enjoy!

My guest today is Mike Stern. 

Mike is one of my favorite guitarists and has been since I first got interested in jazz as a teenager. Mike cut his teeth playing in blues and rock bands like Blood Sweat and Tears before joining the Miles Davis Band in the early 80’s. His career with Miles, Steps Ahead, and also with The Brecker Brothers and Jaco Pastorious is widely documented. His solo career has produced 16 solo records and numerous Grammy nominations. 

 I like to think of Mike's playing like equal parts NYC sophistication and part “cobra” guitar player -  he can bend your ear with the hippest be-bop lines played with flawless right hand technique or seduce you with that big piano sound he dials up (with that ancient Yamaha SPX 90) and then without warning he’ll stomp on his distortion pedal and slay you with screaming rock licks, building solo after solo up to an intensity like few guitarists can. 

This interview took place at Mike Stern’s apt in NYC  Feb 2016. 

In this casual interview Mike talks about many topics including -

the importance of good time, what he learned from Miles Davis, singing what you play, some cool sax licks Michael Brecker showed him,what it was like playing with his good friend the late Jaco Pastorius- and of course lots of funny stories! 

Mike is an inspiring guy to be around- he is always practicing and still hungry to learn after many years or playing. Even though he's at the top of his game he is a humble cat and it’s not beneath him to stop you to learn a lick or idea-  He’s also a pretty hilarious guy as you'll hear- Enjoy! 

MIKE STERN WEBSITE

Mike Stern and Shane Theriot NYC 2016

My guest today is Mr. George Porter Jr. George is best known for being the bassist for the “architects of funk” - The Meters, the funkiest band to ever come out of New Orleans and, for that matter, anywhere. His basslines get under your skin and won’t let go. Along with Zigaboo Modeliste on drums, Art Neville on keys and Leo Nocentelli on guitar, The Meters invented a type of funk that has been widely copied (and sampled) for many years now. 

The day this interview took place I was back in New Orleans recording on a couple of projects, and we just happened to be on one session together. I’ve known George for years and I mentioned how I started this podcast and wanted to interview him while I was in town for a few days. Knowing I was short on time, George graciously suggested that we do it that night after the session. 

In the interview I ask George about his influences, what he looks for in a drummer, trivial questions on various Meters folklore, why Paul McCartney said George was his favorite bass player, Allen Toussaint sessions, the proper way to play “Cissy Strut”, unison guitar/bass lines,etc…OH…and we play a lot of stuff together. Hope you enjoy. 

Recorded at the Parlor Studio, New Orleans, LA - Feb 2016.

On a session-
L to R- Shane Theriot (guitar), George Porter Jr. (bass), Johnny Vidacovich (drums) and Sonny Landreth (slide guitar)