Remembering John: 12/31/1943 – 10/12/1997

Episode 26: BJ Leiderman

“Our theme music was composed by BJ Leiderman.”

If you’ve tuned in to NPR over the last 44 years, the likelihood is pretty great that you have heard this on-air credit. It’s because when BJ sold his themes to NPR, he made it a part of his contract that he would receive spoken recognition for his work. Little did he know he’d become one of the most recognizable names on the network.

BJ’s NPR credits include Morning Edition, Weekend Edition, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me, Marketplace, Car Talk, and Science Friday.

BJ has been in the music making business his entire life, and it encompasses much more than 30 second jingles (although he is damn good at them). In 2017, BJ released his debut album of original songs, entitled
“BJ”, although that wasn’t his first choice. “Natural Public Leiderman” didn’t sit all that well with NPR’s lawyers, so he went with the more eponymous title.

So much to share with all of you good folks! If you click on the album above (the NPR-approved version), you’ll be directed to his website where not only can you purchase this fine collection, he also has shared multiple fantastic videos of his songs, including a funky animated interpretation of “Walking Down The Street”, a boppy, upbeat song about getting dumped by his girlfriend and subsequently making his way to the top of the Empire State Building and jumping off the observation deck, plus all the adventures and observations on the way down. Yep, boppy.

We talk at length about the album, the personal investment in the songwriting, where they come from, and what they draw their life from. We also talk about the purpose of music in "moving the needle", so to speak. Good, good stuff. He really is a deeply thoughtful and intentional songwriter and you know right away where he stands when you hear it.

If you're an Ashvillian, check out the BJL in AVL group on Facebook that we chatted about. He's hoping to get the ball rolling for an in-person meet up -- mostly so he can get out from behind a computer screen and into the real world with real people!

Oh, and if you are still unsure if you’ve heard his music on the radio, enjoy this video he put together a few years back. The most creative self promotional media I believe I’ve ever seen!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4xr_i3aRxU]

Special Episode: Poetry Share!

Some of you may remember a few years back when I uploaded a reading of "The Velveteen Rabbit." That was a recording I had made for librivox.org, an online archive of literary works in the public domain, recorded by volunteers all over the world. Recently I recorded a few poems for an anthology they were putting together and I thought I'd share them with you. I hope you enjoy them! I've included the text below.

1. 1. 1. The Indian Burying Ground - Philip Freneau In spite of all the learned have said, I still my old opinion keep; The posture, that we give the dead, Points out the soul's eternal sleep. Not so the ancients of these lands— The Indian, when from life released, Again is seated with his friends, And shares again the joyous feast. His imaged birds, and painted bowl, And venison, for a journey dressed, Bespeak the nature of the soul, Activity, that knows no rest. His bow, for action ready bent, And arrows, with a head of stone, Can only mean that life is spent, And not the old ideas gone. Thou, stranger, that shalt come this way, No fraud upon the dead commit— Observe the swelling turf, and say They do not lie, but here they sit. Here still a lofty rock remains, On which the curious eye may trace (Now wasted, half, by wearing rains) The fancies of a ruder race. Here still an aged elm aspires, Beneath whose far-projecting shade (And which the shepherd still admires) The children of the forest played! There oft a restless Indian queen (Pale Shebah, with her braided hair) And many a barbarous form is seen To chide the man that lingers there. By midnight moons, o'er moistening dews; In habit for the chase arrayed, The hunter still the deer pursues, The hunter and the deer, a shade! And long shall timorous fancy see The painted chief, and pointed spear, And Reason's self shall bow the knee

         To shadows and delusions here.
         (More about this poem)

   Miracles - Walt Whitman
   Why, who makes much of a miracle?
   As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,
   Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
   Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
   Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of thewater,
   Or stand under trees in the woods,
   Or talk by day with any one I love, or sleep in the bed at night with any one I love,
   Or sit at table at dinner with the rest,
   Or look at strangers opposite me riding in the car,
   Or watch honey-bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon,
   Or animals feeding in the fields,
   Or birds, or the wonderfulness of insects in the air,
   Or the wonderfulness of the sundown, or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
   Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring;
   These with the rest, one and all, are to me miracles,
   The whole referring, yet each distinct and in its place.

2. To me every hour of the light and dark is a miracle,
   Every cubic inch of space is a miracle,
   Every square yard of the surface of the earth is spread with thesame,
   Every foot of the interior swarms with the same.

   To me the sea is a continual miracle,
   The fishes that swim—the rocks—the motion of the waves—the
   ships with men in them,
   What stranger miracles are there?
   (More about this poem as well as an extended version!)

3. Little Orphant Annie - James Whitcomb Riley
   Little Orphant Annie’s come to our house to stay,
   An’ wash the cups an’ saucers up, an’ brush the crumbs away,
   An’ shoo the chickens off the porch, an’ dust the hearth, an’ sweep,
   An’ make the fire, an’ bake the bread, an’ earn her board-an’-keep;
   An’ all us other childern, when the supper things is done,
   We set around the kitchen fire an’ has the mostest fun
   A-list’nin’ to the witch-tales ‘at Annie tells about,
   An’ the Gobble-uns ‘at gits you
   Ef you
   Don’t
   Watch
   Out!
   
   

   Onc’t they was a little boy wouldn’t say his prayers,—
   So when he went to bed at night, away up stairs,
   His Mammy heerd him holler, an’ his Daddy heerd him bawl,
   An’ when they turn’t the kivvers down, he wasn’t there at all!
   An’ they seeked him in the rafter-room, an’ cubby-hole, an’ press,
   An’ seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an’ ever’wheres, I guess;
   But all they ever found was thist his pants an' roundabout--
   An’ the Gobble-uns’ll git you
   Ef you
   Don’t
   Watch
   Out!

   An’ one time a little girl ‘ud allus laugh an’ grin,
   An’ make fun of ever’one, an’ all her blood an’ kin;
   An’ onc’t, when they was “company,” an’ ole folks was there,
   She mocked ‘em an’ shocked ‘em, an’ said she didn’t care!
   An’ thist as she kicked her heels, an’ turn’t to run an’ hide,
   They was two great big Black Things a-standin’ by her side,
   An’ they snatched her through the ceilin’ ‘fore she knowed what she’s about!
   An’ the Gobble-uns’ll git you
   Ef you
   Don’t
   Watch
   Out!An’ little Orphant Annie says when the blaze is blue,
   An’ the lamp-wick sputters, an’ the wind goeswoo-oo!
   An’ you hear the crickets quit, an’ the moon is gray,
   An’ the lightnin’-bugs in dew is all squenched away,--
   You better mind yer parents, an’ yer teachers fond an’ dear,
   An’ churish them ‘at loves you, an’ dry the orphant’s tear,
   An’ he’p the pore an’ needy ones ‘at clusters all about,
   Er the Gobble-uns’ll git you
   Ef you
   Don’t
   Watch
   Out!

   (More about this poem)

Music for this episode by Kevin MacLeod, public domain.

Episode 25: David Wilcox

I've known about David Wilcox since I first heard "East Asheville Hardware" back in the mid 90's working at a summer camp. I was absolutely captivated and delighted at what I was listening to, and knew that this was something that I needed to pay more attention to, being a budding songwriter myself. What followed was a few decades of wonder and inspiration at the levels of depth to which a songwriter can go when it comes to communicating an idea. David is in a realm all to his own, and you get a good sense of this right off the bat in this episode.

Please do yourself a favor and make some time in your day to explore davidwilcox.com for loads of music, events like workshops and retreats, his tour schedule, and even a way to find which song can cure that which ails ya.

David is part of that sweet "Asheville Contingent" including David LaMotte, Barbie Angell, Chuck Brodsky, and Jamie & Ian Ridenhour, all of whom you can catch up on from previous episodes. I was really hopeful to speak with David at some point, and I was fortunate to catch him at a good time, just before a big week in Oregon (Sept 26 - Oct 1), when he will be teaching at the Americana Song Academy at Camp Sherman and performing at the Sisters Folk Festival. Go if you can! I hope it’ll be as soul-enriching for you as this chat was for me

Some of David’s music featured in this episode include “The Soul of It”, “Tattered Old Kite”, “The Beautiful”, andthe one I teased you with at the beginning of the episode, "The View from the Edge", which can be experienced here, in his official video. Much, much more can be found at his website.

Episode 24: Paisha Thomas

Y'all.

This woman right here has a story to tell, and it is massive. I met with her a week ago today (as of the uploading of this episode), and we chatted about her brand new memoir "Looking for Innocence", as well as a whole lot of other things, and there were still topics we left out. So I encourage you to do your own research and find out as much as you can about Paisha, and follow what she's up to (spoiler - it's a lot).

Here are a few things we talked about for you to check out:

Paisha's Bandcamp Page
Her Youtube Music Page

Melissa McFadden: Walking the Thin Black Line
Edie Driskill's Podcast, The Future of Policing in Columbus
Betty Lavette: A Woman Like Me
American History Maker (And Paisha's Cousin's Aunt!) Margaret Peters

Also, Here are a couple of pictures of Paisha's Pottery:

As well as a video of her Tiny Desk Concert submission featuring her song, "The Chicken or the Rent"

Episode 23: Eric Ahlteen

Eric and I first crossed paths when I made my way to Espresso Yourself Music Cafe, in Powell, Ohio, for an open mic night shortly after moving to Ohio. I consider myself really fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience the community and great vibes from EYMC before it closed in 2012. Eric and I talk a good bit about all that, plus a lot more. I met up with him at his farmhouse just out of town, where he spends his days gardening and tending to his bonsai trees.

Eric is a great songwriter with a great story, and I'm excited to share it with you. Not all stories are sunshine and roses, though, and this one has its share of stormy weather. But it was a great talk, I liked the direction it took, and I hope you will too. Check Out Mr. Eric's Music here, and find out what he's up to these days. You can also hear music from his band from a few years back, Chittenden Hotel -- which we never even got a chance to talk about!