Episode 40: Max Crawford

From poor farmer to guitar shop owner to Chief Luthier at Gretsch, to setting up guitar factories in Asia, Donnie Wade has had a very, very interesting life.  His passion for music started at a very young age where he risked severe punishment to sneak out and get just a glimpse of the happenings at the strictly forbidden local underground (black) music hall where Freddie King was driving 'em wild.  His stories are wide ranging and wildly entertaining with a sharp wit and a lovable disposition.  Get in here and learn something!

When you're good, and you're cool, everybody wants you.  Max Crawford has been charming his way into playing with loads of great bands with his warmth, ripping sense of humor and adventurous attitude.  He came by and shared generously  a few of his adventures in this realm of  music.  Not only is he a founder of an in-demand horn section called Total Pro Horns, he's played with Wilco, Poi Dog Pondering, and the Mekons just to name a few.  Come on in and be amazed and wildly entertained by this champion of a human and teller of great tales.

Here's a treat!  Arizona's preeminent music historian, archivist and scholar came up for a rollicking, laugh-filled, wildly informative discussion about Arizona music history, becoming a DJ as a kid, his wide ranging career in the music business and his tireless efforts to preserve and document the music of Arizona.  His Audio Ranch podcast is absolutely filled with interesting, well-curated song selections  that will keep scratch your musical itch for a very long time.  He's been deep in the music scene for a very long time and has the stories to prove it!  Get in here and get some.

Head slammin.  Feet shakin.  That's how you do it.  Meliza Jackson plays guitar for the Darts (US) and is having a blast doing it.  Their new album is on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label and is on the verge of release into the wild.  Come on in for a lively discussion about life on the road and making shit happen in the music biz.

The more you look, the more you love.  There is a mountain to discover where this man is involved.  An influential writer, creative director of Hello Merch, overseer of the world of WASTOIDS, neck deep in Aquarium Drunkard and Transmissions, and pushing great music on Range and Basin.  Look them all up.  You'll like them.  He's also a musician under the moniker JPW with a recent solo release called Something Happening/Always Happening on Fort Lowell Records.  And he's in the band Kitimoto taboot.  Damn.  Drop in for a wide ranging chat with this stalwart of the desert cultural experience.

Instruments to drool over.  Fantasize about.  Lust after.  Stephen Stratton has been building stringed instruments since graduating from the Roberto-Venn School of Lutherie in Phoenix in 1998.  He now creates playable works of art from his shop in the Sacremento Mountains of New Mexico.  Stephen stopped by the Goldwater Building to chat about, you guessed it, guitars, as well as the life and times of this remarkable craftsman.

Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew came through town again with their band The Boxmasters.  And being the generous chaps that they are, gave us an invite to come hang out on their tour bus for a bit and get the lowdown on their current adventures.  

He's a busy man, but we finally got him! Jim Bachmann is a wizard of words and an Americana master with his signature "good timing Stonerbilly"  sound and a presence of wisdom and authenticity.  He's been making music solo and and along with his band The Day Drinkers for over a decade now and is still making the rounds.  From playing "professional busker" gigs on a sidewalk downtown to  opening  for Billy Joe Shaver, Whitey Morgan and the 78's, Dallas Moore, Shinyribs, Reckless Kelly, The SteelDrivers, Ramsay Midwood, Mike and the Moonpies, Jeremy Pinnell, Paul Cauthen and more he's been grinding it out with the best of 'em.  Settle in and enjoy this warm conversation with a lovely man and a great hang!

He’s a prolific songwriter, an alt-country pioneer, a damn good talker and a fountain of thoughtful insight about music, touring, and keeping a band together for over 30 years.  He’s the primary songwriter for the Old 97’s with 12 studio albums and a long list of song placements in movies and TV shows.  He has also released 7 solo albums in his spare time.  On top of all that, he’s got a damn good podcast of his own called “Wheels Off” about the messy reality of living a creative life.  And the list of guests is indeed impressive.  We caught up with Rhett on the tour bus after the Old 97’s sound check for their Phoenix show as they tour the US and later head over to Europe.  Come on in and enjoy this thoughtful conversation with an artist that has truly stood the test of time and is still going strong.  

He’s a writer of songs. He’s a player of guitars.  He’s the winner of a multitude of songwriting competitions and is a regular performer at a long list of venues all over the southwest and beyond.  From the bars, to the coffee shops to the theaters and festival stages he’s been pouring out his special blend of bluesy folk for the last 20 some odd years. To know him is to love him and he’s right here laying out his warm, thoughtful, hilarious insights into songwriting, touring, family and making it all work.  Come on in a share some laughs and some great experiences with one of the valley’s musical treasures.