Paul-G has been wART DJ for eight years. He produces & hosts Paul-G’s Great Music Show which is live ON the AIR Wednesdays from 5pm to 7pm and is rebroadcast the following Monday from 3 to 5. Paul-G, like many of us wART DJ’s has dreamt of being a radio DJ since he was kid - hiding his transistor radio under his pillow and tuning in when he was supposed to be sleeping. He loves Radio in all forms but got the initial inspiration for his WART show from a community conscious radio station out of Tampa, Florida - WMNF. Paul-G has lived in Madison County for over 50 years but grew up in the DC area. Paul states he’s “A guy of the 60’s in my 70’s….”
Paul-G got into Jazz influenced by his older brother and the cultural scene of Washington DC. He grew up in an “activist family” going on his first civil rights march in 1957. Paul-G was fortunate to later hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s iconic “I have a dream” speech from the Mall in Washington as a teenager. Paul has always believed that music was as much a part of the civil rights movement as the speeches and demonstrations.
Paul-G has seen Bob Dylan “about 15 times” and believes Dylan to be in the pantheon of songwriters and instrumental in moving rock & roll into a more reflective singer songwriter era. In 1965 Paul attended the famous, some may say infamous, 6th annual Newport Folk Music Festival, formerly known as the Newport Jazz Festival, where Dylan split away from the traditional “all acoustic” format and finished off his set with full electric amplification inviting The Paul Butterfield Blues Band on stage.
Paul G moved to California during the psychedelic 1970’s. Perfectly timed and located for many more historical and influential musical experiences to dance into his life. Among those was the Altamont Speedway Free Festival on December 6 1969. Paul said this experience cured him of any further desires to attend a large mega concert/festival with more than 300,000 people attending Altamont.
During our tea time Paul-G and I discussed the importance of connection and community that music and especially radio creates. Paul’s thoughts on how radio can build community include getting more youth involved like a show produced and hosted by Madison high school students, an updated and accurate community calendar, sports broadcast, and further outreach & events.
Brother Brown & Paul-G drew their “tea-time” to a close by taking a turn from folk into one Brother Brown’s favorites, the queens of R&B and Soul with a track from Mavis & the Staples Singers and the soul stirring recording of I’d Rather Go Blind by Ms. Etta James recorded at the famous Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. A rare gem and one of Paul-G’s all time favs, Europa by Gato Barbieri & Santana, took us out of Supper Sound’s first hour and concluded episode 2 of Tea w/ Brother Brown. Don't miss the next one!
To listen to Paul-G and Brother Brown’s conversation over tea, click the link below. As always your comments, feedback, and critiques are welcomed.
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this was a great interview. Paul's perspective as someone who was there for the 60s folk revival is amazing and his ideas about radio as a tool to build community are spot on
ReplyDeleteAgreed on all counts! Thanks for tuning in and participating in the community!!
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