170: Ben Sidran at 77

For the second year in a row, I talk to my dad, musician/producer/journalist/philosopher Ben Sidran in honor of his birthday. This time he’s turning 77, and we consider his recent projects, including the books The Ballad of Tommy LiPuma and There Was A Fire: Jews, Music and the American Dream, and his latest single “Who’s The Old Guy Now”. 

Of course these are atypical times, and so this is an atypical episode, in which we discuss being alive on the planet in Covidtimes, watching livestream jazz, getting older, the difference between Troubadours, Shamans and Griots, going “underground”, why jazz is sometimes called “the sound of surprise”, whether or not the idea of “popular music” will endure into the 21st century, how a bill becomes a law, Miles Davis’ posture, and just what exactly “hay foot straw foot” means.

Written, Produced and Performed by Ben and Leo Sidran Recorded August 5, 2020 at DNA Music Labs in Madison, WI by Mark Whitcomb Mixed by Leo Sidran and John Fields Mastered by Greg Reierson Download the song here: https://bensidran.bandcamp.com/track/whos-the-old-guy-now

Out Now Everywhere. Stream, Download, and Share here: https://ffm.to/vacant Second single from Telescope - a concept album from Eric Krasno. The story of a B...

Stream or Download it: https://IDOL.lnk.to/Its_All_Been_Done_Before Ben Sidran - It's All Been Done Before Ben Sidran (piano and voice) Jorge Drexler (guitar...

Ben Sidran "Times Getting Tougher Than Tough" (Jimmy Witherspoon) Featuring Leo Sidran (drums) Tom Warburton (bass) Antonio Serrano (chromatic harmonica) Rec...

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