WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.540 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're really 00:00:02.540 --> 00:00:04.440 digging into someone who's, well, more than just 00:00:04.440 --> 00:00:06.459 successful in music. He's kind of an industry 00:00:06.459 --> 00:00:10.099 paradox, a real musical shapeshifter. Don Edward 00:00:10.099 --> 00:00:13.140 Faginson, or as most people know him, Don was. 00:00:13.419 --> 00:00:15.500 Oh, shapeshifter is a good word for it. Maybe 00:00:15.500 --> 00:00:17.679 even putting it mildly. I mean, you look at his 00:00:17.679 --> 00:00:20.440 career, his CV, and it feels like it belongs 00:00:20.440 --> 00:00:22.480 to, what, three different people? Right. Yeah. 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:25.179 Our sources show this guy, he's won six Grammys 00:00:25.179 --> 00:00:28.399 as a producer, basically defining the sound for... 00:00:28.780 --> 00:00:32.939 Huge chunks of rock, blues, country, you name 00:00:32.939 --> 00:00:35.719 it, through the 90s and 2000s. But then he's 00:00:35.719 --> 00:00:38.079 also an active touring musician right now, playing 00:00:38.079 --> 00:00:40.899 double bass with Jam Band Legends. And then on 00:00:40.899 --> 00:00:42.979 top of all that, he's the president of Blue Note 00:00:42.979 --> 00:00:45.960 Records, the historic American jazz label. Yeah. 00:00:46.079 --> 00:00:47.799 So, yeah, the paradox isn't just a footnote. 00:00:47.859 --> 00:00:50.619 It's the main story. Okay. So that's what we're 00:00:50.619 --> 00:00:52.719 diving into today, this massive career. We've 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:54.920 got a lot of material here looking at just how 00:00:54.920 --> 00:00:58.179 versatile he's been. The impact is just huge. 00:00:58.259 --> 00:01:00.759 It really is. Think about this. Records he produced 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:05.200 sold close to 100 million albums worldwide. And 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:07.540 those six Grammys, they include the big one, 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:11.159 producer of the year back in 94. Our mission 00:01:11.159 --> 00:01:15.049 really is to try and trace this. almost unbelievable 00:01:15.049 --> 00:01:17.750 path right how does someone go from being say 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:20.230 university of michigan dropout with a quirky 00:01:20.230 --> 00:01:23.670 new wave hit yeah walk the dinosaur exactly how 00:01:23.670 --> 00:01:26.549 does that guy end up running a jazz empire and 00:01:26.549 --> 00:01:28.250 being the go -to producer for the rolling stones 00:01:28.250 --> 00:01:30.900 for like 30 years. It doesn't seem possible. 00:01:31.099 --> 00:01:33.140 It really doesn't. And look, if you need proof 00:01:33.140 --> 00:01:35.659 right off the bat of just how complex this guy 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:37.939 is, think about this connection our sources highlight. 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:41.840 Mid -90s, right? Don Wuss is working like crazy. 00:01:42.019 --> 00:01:44.239 Okay. He's producing the Rolling Stones' Voodoo 00:01:44.239 --> 00:01:47.379 Lounge, huge album, massive rock project, high 00:01:47.379 --> 00:01:50.000 pressure, super commercial. Right. At the exact 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.560 same time, he's directing and producing this 00:01:52.560 --> 00:01:54.980 really personal, sensitive documentary about 00:01:54.980 --> 00:01:56.900 Brian Wilson, you know, the Beach Boys genius. 00:01:57.019 --> 00:01:58.819 Oh, I just wasn't made for these times. Yeah. 00:01:58.840 --> 00:02:01.620 That's the one. It won awards. Think about the 00:02:01.620 --> 00:02:03.739 headspace required for that. Jumping between 00:02:03.739 --> 00:02:06.840 the Stones rock machine and the, you know, delicate 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:10.199 psychology of Brian Wilson, that's a kind of 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:12.419 mental juggling very few people could pull off. 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:14.400 Okay, so that sets the stage pretty dramatically. 00:02:14.659 --> 00:02:18.039 Let's go back to the beginning, the roots. Yeah. 00:02:18.120 --> 00:02:20.419 Got to start in Detroit. That's where Don Edward 00:02:20.419 --> 00:02:23.960 Faginson was born, 1952. He's pure Motor City. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:28.870 And that city's music scene. It's just, it's 00:02:28.870 --> 00:02:30.770 unique in America. He graduated from Oak Park 00:02:30.770 --> 00:02:33.069 High School there, soaking up that whole Detroit 00:02:33.069 --> 00:02:35.830 sound, you know, the grit. But the academic side, 00:02:35.949 --> 00:02:38.009 maybe not his main focus. He went to the University 00:02:38.009 --> 00:02:40.389 of Michigan in Ann Arbor, which is a great school. 00:02:40.550 --> 00:02:42.650 Top university, yeah. But the sources say he 00:02:42.650 --> 00:02:45.210 dropped out after just one year. Right. And you 00:02:45.210 --> 00:02:47.090 get the sense it wasn't about lack of smarts. 00:02:47.090 --> 00:02:50.250 It feels more like he already knew his path and 00:02:50.250 --> 00:02:51.969 it wasn't going to be found in a lecture hall. 00:02:52.530 --> 00:02:54.930 Music was pulling him too hard. So what was pulling 00:02:54.930 --> 00:02:56.860 him? What was he hearing in Detroit? Well, it 00:02:56.860 --> 00:02:59.000 was everything. You had that deep, raw Detroit 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.439 blues sound tied to the city's whole industrial 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:05.599 vibe. But crucially, at the same time, he was 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:08.919 really into jazz. Complex, serious jazz. Me too. 00:03:09.159 --> 00:03:11.099 Sources specifically mentioned the big ones. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.780 John Coltrane. Miles Davis. Okay, so that's not 00:03:14.780 --> 00:03:17.259 background music. That's intense stuff. Coltrane, 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:19.560 Miles. You have to engage with that, understand 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:22.259 structure, improv. Exactly. It wasn't just casual 00:03:22.259 --> 00:03:25.000 listening. It was like musical education by immersion. 00:03:25.479 --> 00:03:27.439 And he was already playing, too. As a teenager, 00:03:27.639 --> 00:03:30.020 he was the lead singer, played guitar in a local 00:03:30.020 --> 00:03:32.639 Detroit rock band. The Patterns, they were called. 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:34.680 So even before he's really an adult, he's got 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:37.000 rock performance chops, that blues foundation, 00:03:37.060 --> 00:03:39.620 and the kind of intellectual depth you get from 00:03:39.620 --> 00:03:42.560 studying jazz. That's quite a mix. It is. And 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:45.050 Detroit fostered this certain... I don't know, 00:03:45.069 --> 00:03:47.650 countercultural vibe, too. Sources mention influences 00:03:47.650 --> 00:03:50.530 like John Sinclair, the poet, activist, big in 00:03:50.530 --> 00:03:52.430 the rock scene there. Right, the MC5 connection. 00:03:52.469 --> 00:03:55.069 Yeah. So he developed this personality, maybe, 00:03:55.229 --> 00:03:57.550 that wasn't afraid to question things, try weird 00:03:57.550 --> 00:04:00.819 stuff, make humor and politics into art. Which, 00:04:00.860 --> 00:04:02.780 you know, really defines his own band later. 00:04:02.960 --> 00:04:05.120 And that brings us right to him becoming Don 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:08.180 Was. He takes that name when he forms Was, not 00:04:08.180 --> 00:04:11.659 Was, with a school buddy, David Weiss, who becomes 00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:14.300 David Was. Right. A partnership right out of 00:04:14.300 --> 00:04:16.939 high school built on this shared love for, I 00:04:16.939 --> 00:04:19.399 guess, satire and mashing things together. So 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:22.339 what was Was, not Was? Musically? They were. 00:04:22.740 --> 00:04:25.639 Unique. Deliberately blending stuff that didn't 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:29.220 seem to fit. Dance music, R &B grooves, new wave 00:04:29.220 --> 00:04:32.459 synths. But then these really smart, often funny, 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:34.660 sometimes political lyrics. Absurdist almost. 00:04:34.939 --> 00:04:36.639 Yeah, absurdist is a good word. They actually 00:04:36.639 --> 00:04:38.500 got pretty big, especially in the UK first, then 00:04:38.500 --> 00:04:40.800 the US through the 80s. Put out four albums, 00:04:40.980 --> 00:04:43.139 always hard to pin down. They felt more like 00:04:43.139 --> 00:04:45.819 a concept almost with a beat you could dance 00:04:45.819 --> 00:04:48.899 to. But for most people, if you say was not was, 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:51.120 they think of one song, right? Oh yeah, Walk 00:04:51.120 --> 00:04:53.959 the Dinosaur. No question. From 88, the What 00:04:53.959 --> 00:04:55.980 Up Dog album, that was the big international 00:04:55.980 --> 00:04:58.720 hit. Kind of cemented them in that late new wave, 00:04:58.839 --> 00:05:01.980 early alternative dance sound. It did. And the 00:05:01.980 --> 00:05:04.759 funny thing is, that one hit kind of overshadows 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.220 how musically restless they actually were across 00:05:07.220 --> 00:05:09.000 their whole career. They were always grabbing 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:10.980 different styles and twisting them. Like what 00:05:10.980 --> 00:05:13.800 else? Well, check this out. In 97, they did this 00:05:13.800 --> 00:05:17.209 side project called... Orquestra was? Orquestra 00:05:17.209 --> 00:05:19.209 was. Okay, what was that? Totally different. 00:05:19.329 --> 00:05:21.589 Nothing like the 80s stuff. It was an album covering 00:05:21.589 --> 00:05:24.430 Hank Williams songs. Hank Williams, the country 00:05:24.430 --> 00:05:27.449 legend. The one and only. But they did the songs 00:05:27.449 --> 00:05:31.410 as, like, jazz and R &B interpretations. The 00:05:31.410 --> 00:05:33.629 album's called Forever's a Long, Long Time. Wow. 00:05:33.850 --> 00:05:36.610 From Walk the Dinosaur to Jazzy Hank Williams. 00:05:36.750 --> 00:05:39.430 That's a jump. It's a massive jump. And it tells 00:05:39.430 --> 00:05:41.550 you so much about Don Was. His real interest 00:05:41.550 --> 00:05:44.209 wasn't sticking to one genre. It was about... 00:05:44.329 --> 00:05:46.649 Getting inside great songs no matter where they 00:05:46.649 --> 00:05:49.829 came from. Country Sorrow via Jazz Funk. Why 00:05:49.829 --> 00:05:51.810 not? You can already see the producer mind working 00:05:51.810 --> 00:05:54.689 there, can't you? Totally. That project is almost 00:05:54.689 --> 00:05:57.250 a blueprint for everything he did later in the 00:05:57.250 --> 00:05:59.769 studio. And hey, for anyone interested, Was, 00:06:00.029 --> 00:06:02.550 not Was, isn't just history. They actually got 00:06:02.550 --> 00:06:04.370 back together. Oh, yeah. Yeah, did a new hour 00:06:04.370 --> 00:06:07.550 called Boo. Yeah. And toured back in 2008. So 00:06:07.550 --> 00:06:09.810 that creative thing with David was it's still 00:06:09.810 --> 00:06:12.129 there even after all these years and all their 00:06:12.129 --> 00:06:14.550 separate success. OK, so that sets up the transition 00:06:14.550 --> 00:06:17.730 perfectly. That ability to move between, you 00:06:17.730 --> 00:06:20.029 know, new wave artist and someone who can dissect 00:06:20.029 --> 00:06:22.420 and rebuild a Hank Williams song. That's the 00:06:22.420 --> 00:06:24.759 toolkit he takes into the studio as a producer. 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:27.759 And this is where he really builds his global 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:30.180 reputation, right? Absolutely. This is where 00:06:30.180 --> 00:06:32.240 the awards start piling up, confirming he can 00:06:32.240 --> 00:06:34.420 master totally different musical languages. We 00:06:34.420 --> 00:06:36.660 mentioned six Grammys total. And it's not just 00:06:36.660 --> 00:06:38.660 the number. It's what they were for. That 94 00:06:38.660 --> 00:06:41.459 Producer of the Year Grammy, that's huge. That's 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:43.680 his peers saying he was the... Beth, the most 00:06:43.680 --> 00:06:45.860 impactful guy behind the board that year. Let's 00:06:45.860 --> 00:06:49.040 rewind a bit before 94. His first really massive 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:51.139 production success, the one that put him on the 00:06:51.139 --> 00:06:53.860 map as that kind of producer, was earlier, wasn't 00:06:53.860 --> 00:06:57.720 it, with Bonnie Raitt? Yes, 1989. And you really 00:06:57.720 --> 00:06:59.939 can't overstate how important that Nick of Time 00:06:59.939 --> 00:07:04.339 album was. Bonnie Raitt, late 80s. She was hugely 00:07:04.339 --> 00:07:06.899 respected, a critic's favorite, but commercially, 00:07:07.040 --> 00:07:09.240 things had cooled off. Right, she needed a spark. 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:12.300 Exactly. She's this incredible talent. Deeply 00:07:12.300 --> 00:07:15.180 rooted in the blues, but needed, well, a sound 00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:17.920 that felt current but didn't sell her out. Don 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:20.660 was produced Nick of Time, and boom. Massive 00:07:20.660 --> 00:07:23.079 hit. Massive. Commercially huge, critically acclaimed, 00:07:23.160 --> 00:07:25.720 won the Grammy for Album of the Year. It didn't 00:07:25.720 --> 00:07:28.100 just revive her career, it kind of redefined 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:30.779 what a veteran artist could do in that era. Don 00:07:30.779 --> 00:07:33.139 Watts became the guy you called for revitalization. 00:07:33.339 --> 00:07:35.519 And then his other Grammys show this almost... 00:07:36.579 --> 00:07:39.100 bizarre range. You mentioned one for Best Musical 00:07:39.100 --> 00:07:41.600 Album for Children in 2009. Yeah, collaborating 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:43.800 with Ziggy Marley on Family Time. Okay, now contrast 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:46.579 that with 2016. Right. He wins another Grammy, 00:07:46.740 --> 00:07:49.319 this time for producing The Rolling Stones' Blue 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:51.360 and Lonesome, which was them going back to straight 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.920 -up raw Chicago blues. So family reggae, one 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:56.459 year, hardcore traditional blues, the next. That's 00:07:56.459 --> 00:07:59.100 it. And it's not just working in different genres. 00:07:59.180 --> 00:08:02.500 It's understanding the specific sound, the aesthetic 00:08:02.500 --> 00:08:04.600 needed for each, the clarity you need for kids 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:08.240 music versus the, you know, analog grit and room 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:10.899 sound you want for classic blues. He can nail 00:08:10.899 --> 00:08:13.300 both. That kind of versatility must be why he 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:15.519 became so essential to some of the biggest names. 00:08:15.759 --> 00:08:17.899 Let's talk about the Rolling Stones, because 00:08:17.899 --> 00:08:21.560 that relationship is, well. it's a whole saga 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.839 isn't it it's huge it started in 94 with voodoo 00:08:24.839 --> 00:08:27.720 lounge and basically he's been involved with 00:08:27.720 --> 00:08:31.540 every major studio album they've done since stripped 00:08:31.540 --> 00:08:35.039 bridges to battle on A Bigger Bang, and then 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:36.580 Blue and Lonesome, the blues one we mentioned. 00:08:36.759 --> 00:08:38.940 He's basically been their main production partner 00:08:38.940 --> 00:08:41.220 for their entire modern era. Pretty much the 00:08:41.220 --> 00:08:42.980 longest, most consistent one they've had, yeah. 00:08:43.159 --> 00:08:45.299 And it's still going. It's still going. He was 00:08:45.299 --> 00:08:47.539 credited as an additional producer on a track, 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:50.399 Live by the Sword, on their latest album, Hackney 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:53.580 Diamonds, in 2023, which was really well received. 00:08:53.820 --> 00:08:56.500 So they clearly still trust his ear, his judgment 00:08:56.500 --> 00:08:59.320 after all this time. Absolutely. Implicitly. 00:09:00.019 --> 00:09:02.840 But his work with them goes way beyond just recording 00:09:02.840 --> 00:09:06.039 new songs. He became their archivist almost. 00:09:06.299 --> 00:09:08.259 Okay, what does that involve? Archival expertise. 00:09:08.740 --> 00:09:10.460 Yeah, it's a really specialized skill. Our sources 00:09:10.460 --> 00:09:13.559 really emphasize this. He was key in overseeing 00:09:13.559 --> 00:09:17.120 those big reissues of classic albums like Exile 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:20.360 on Main Street in 2010 and Some Girls in 2011. 00:09:20.620 --> 00:09:22.259 So that's more than just remastering the old 00:09:22.259 --> 00:09:25.740 tapes. Oh, way more. Think of it like... Musical 00:09:25.740 --> 00:09:28.360 archaeology. You're dealing with tapes from like 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:32.179 the late 60s, early 70s. They're delicate. His 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:33.919 job wasn't just cleaning up the sound on the 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.159 original album tracks. It was digging through 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:39.200 like hundreds of hours of old session tapes. 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.120 Lost outtakes. Songs they started maybe half 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:44.799 finished, then abandoned in the vault. Wow. And 00:09:44.799 --> 00:09:47.250 then the really tricky part. Taking these vintage 00:09:47.250 --> 00:09:49.830 recordings, sometimes 40 years old, and actually 00:09:49.830 --> 00:09:52.490 finishing them, that often meant producing and 00:09:52.490 --> 00:09:55.029 recording brand new parts or getting Mick Jagger 00:09:55.029 --> 00:09:57.330 in to sing new vocals over these old backing 00:09:57.330 --> 00:09:59.409 tracks from decades ago. That sounds incredibly 00:09:59.409 --> 00:10:01.450 difficult. You'd have to perfectly match the 00:10:01.450 --> 00:10:03.789 sound and style of the band from 40 years prior. 00:10:04.090 --> 00:10:06.509 Exactly. It takes incredible technical skill, 00:10:06.590 --> 00:10:10.610 obviously, but also this uncanny knack for understanding 00:10:10.610 --> 00:10:13.309 the band's historical DNA. He basically became 00:10:13.309 --> 00:10:15.899 the guardian of their recorded history. A historical 00:10:15.899 --> 00:10:18.759 technician. Amazing. Okay, so the Stones are 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:20.960 the long -running gig. But we should circle back 00:10:20.960 --> 00:10:23.480 to Bonnie Raitt, too. Nick of Time was the breakthrough, 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:26.120 but he didn't stop there. No, he stayed with 00:10:26.120 --> 00:10:28.620 her. Produced her next big albums, too, Luck 00:10:28.620 --> 00:10:30.799 of the Draw and Longing in Their Hearts. These 00:10:30.799 --> 00:10:33.940 records really helped define that polished, bluesy, 00:10:33.940 --> 00:10:36.600 roots rock sound that was so big in the 90s. 00:10:36.620 --> 00:10:39.220 They were foundational. And outside of those 00:10:39.220 --> 00:10:41.759 core relationships, the list of artists he worked 00:10:41.759 --> 00:10:45.039 with is just... Wild. So many different styles. 00:10:45.220 --> 00:10:47.200 It's dizzying, honestly. Look at Pop and Rock. 00:10:47.419 --> 00:10:50.139 He did the B -52's Cosmic thing in 89. Remember 00:10:50.139 --> 00:10:51.899 Love Shack? Who could forget Love Shack? Pure 00:10:51.899 --> 00:10:54.659 party music. Totally. Maximalist, fun, theatrical 00:10:54.659 --> 00:10:57.159 pop. Now contrast that. He also worked with Iggy 00:10:57.159 --> 00:10:59.980 Pop. The godfather of punk. Yep. Produced Brick 00:10:59.980 --> 00:11:02.440 by Brick and Avenue B for Iggy. And later on, 00:11:02.460 --> 00:11:04.279 he worked with Stone Temple Pilots, the big arena 00:11:04.279 --> 00:11:07.379 rock band, back in 2010. So he could handle raw, 00:11:07.580 --> 00:11:10.639 intense energy just as easily as he could handle... 00:11:10.919 --> 00:11:12.960 You know, radio friendly pop gloss. And then 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.940 just when you think you have him pegged, he pivots 00:11:15.940 --> 00:11:19.539 again into folk and country. Hard pivot. Yeah. 00:11:19.600 --> 00:11:21.639 You worked with Bob Dylan on Under the Red Sky. 00:11:21.820 --> 00:11:25.080 OK, Under the Red Sky. That one gets mixed reviews 00:11:25.080 --> 00:11:27.419 sometimes, doesn't it? It does. Critics often 00:11:27.419 --> 00:11:30.480 call it one of Dylan's, let's say, less essential 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:33.399 albums, polarizing maybe. But the fact that Don 00:11:33.399 --> 00:11:36.480 was in there. producing that, trying to find 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:39.539 the right sound for Dylan's vision at that time. 00:11:39.580 --> 00:11:41.320 Yeah. It shows he wasn't afraid of taking on 00:11:41.320 --> 00:11:43.120 really challenging high stakes projects. And 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:44.940 he went deeper into that world, too, right? The 00:11:44.940 --> 00:11:47.019 country icon. Oh, yeah. Deep dive. He produced 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:49.179 Willie Nelson, a couple of albums across the 00:11:49.179 --> 00:11:51.980 borderline, Countrymen. Right. He did Chris Christopherson, 00:11:52.120 --> 00:11:54.480 This Old Road, Closer to the Bone. He worked 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:57.019 with Waylon Jennings, even The Highwaymen, The 00:11:57.019 --> 00:12:00.320 Supergroup. Wow. Willie, Waylon, Chris, Johnny 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:03.409 Cash. That's outlaw country royalty. Exactly. 00:12:03.409 --> 00:12:05.450 And his approach there seemed totally different 00:12:05.450 --> 00:12:09.230 from, say, the Stones or the B -52s. With these 00:12:09.230 --> 00:12:11.769 guys, it was often about minimalism, capturing 00:12:11.769 --> 00:12:15.809 the voice, the story, the weary honesty sometimes. 00:12:16.250 --> 00:12:18.149 Like that Christofferson album, This Old Road. 00:12:18.309 --> 00:12:20.289 That one's really sparse. Incredibly sparse. 00:12:20.289 --> 00:12:22.230 Often just Christofferson's voice and a guitar. 00:12:22.450 --> 00:12:25.049 All about the lyrics. So think about that shift. 00:12:25.960 --> 00:12:29.360 From the huge sound of Love Shack to the bare 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:32.159 -bones intimacy of Christofferson, it shows this 00:12:32.159 --> 00:12:35.419 amazing psychological flexibility. He wasn't 00:12:35.419 --> 00:12:37.500 imposing his sound. He was finding the right 00:12:37.500 --> 00:12:39.740 sound for each artist. He also dipped into more 00:12:39.740 --> 00:12:42.840 polished pop and soul. Yep. Produced some tracks 00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:44.480 for Elton John on that box set to be continued. 00:12:44.740 --> 00:12:47.240 Worked with Michael McDonald, Carly Simon, Joe 00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:49.700 Cocker. Guys with those big, soulful voices. 00:12:49.960 --> 00:12:51.679 And he stayed current, too. Worked with John 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:53.960 Mayer. Three albums for John Mayer. Born and 00:12:53.960 --> 00:12:56.240 Raised, Paradise Valley, and the more recent 00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:58.580 Sob Rock. Kept him right in that modern rock 00:12:58.580 --> 00:13:01.059 adult contemporary lane. Okay, we have to talk 00:13:01.059 --> 00:13:03.460 about one really weird one, though. The Garth 00:13:03.460 --> 00:13:06.620 Brooks project. Ah, yes. Garth Brooks in The 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:09.820 Life of Chris Gaines. 1999, what a trip that 00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:12.100 was. For those who don't remember, Garth Brooks, 00:13:12.340 --> 00:13:14.860 the country megastar, created this fictional 00:13:14.860 --> 00:13:16.980 alter ego Chris Gaines, who was supposed to be 00:13:16.980 --> 00:13:19.840 this Australian rock star. Right, and Don Woodster 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:22.190 produced the entire Chris Gaines album. Which 00:13:22.190 --> 00:13:24.429 wasn't just making music. It was like creating 00:13:24.429 --> 00:13:26.769 a whole fake musical history, a different persona. 00:13:27.129 --> 00:13:30.090 It required this massive conceptual effort, almost 00:13:30.090 --> 00:13:32.529 like being an executive producer on a film. It 00:13:32.529 --> 00:13:34.970 definitely proved he could handle, well, pretty 00:13:34.970 --> 00:13:36.990 much anything conceptually. So with all these 00:13:36.990 --> 00:13:40.250 different artists, different sounds, what was 00:13:40.250 --> 00:13:41.970 he actually doing in the studio? Was he just 00:13:41.970 --> 00:13:45.679 the ideas guy, the director? Or more hands -on. 00:13:45.700 --> 00:13:47.580 Definitely hands -on. That's key to his credibility, 00:13:47.779 --> 00:13:49.559 I think. He wasn't just sitting back telling 00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:52.419 people what to do. The sources consistently show 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:54.659 him credited playing instruments on these records. 00:13:54.919 --> 00:13:57.399 He's a real musician, a utility player. Like 00:13:57.399 --> 00:13:59.960 playing what? All sorts. He played bass on that 00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:02.440 Dylan album, Under the Red Sky. He played the 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:05.019 big, upright double bass on a Bonnie Reid track 00:14:05.019 --> 00:14:08.120 on Longing in Their Hearts. And on that stark 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:10.759 Chris Christopherson album, This Old Road, he's 00:14:10.759 --> 00:14:12.799 credited on piano, acoustic bass, and upright 00:14:12.799 --> 00:14:15.149 bass. So he's often part of the rhythm section 00:14:15.149 --> 00:14:17.470 himself. Exactly. He's not just talking about 00:14:17.470 --> 00:14:19.950 the groove. He's in the groove. So when he suggests 00:14:19.950 --> 00:14:22.129 something to a session player, he's speaking 00:14:22.129 --> 00:14:24.470 as someone who can literally pick up the instrument 00:14:24.470 --> 00:14:26.889 and show them what he means. That earns a lot 00:14:26.889 --> 00:14:29.450 of respect, especially from veteran artists who 00:14:29.450 --> 00:14:32.059 value musical authenticity. Okay, so the studio 00:14:32.059 --> 00:14:34.919 work is obviously immense, but his career didn't 00:14:34.919 --> 00:14:37.700 stop at the recording console. He branched out 00:14:37.700 --> 00:14:42.659 into film, TV, radio, a whole multimedia dimension. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:44.919 Yeah, it's another layer to the whole shapeshifter 00:14:44.919 --> 00:14:47.600 thing. And he got serious recognition for it, 00:14:47.620 --> 00:14:50.639 too. Not just music awards, he won a BAFTA. A 00:14:50.639 --> 00:14:54.059 British Academy Award. For what? Best Original 00:14:54.059 --> 00:14:58.899 Score, back in 1994, for the film Backbeat. Backbeat. 00:14:59.309 --> 00:15:01.009 That was the movie about the Beatles' early days 00:15:01.009 --> 00:15:03.389 in Hamburg, right? Focusing on Stuart Sutcliffe, 00:15:03.490 --> 00:15:05.789 the original bassist. That's the one. So scoring, 00:15:05.909 --> 00:15:07.629 that wasn't just about writing background music. 00:15:07.710 --> 00:15:09.870 It was about recreating the actual sound, the 00:15:09.870 --> 00:15:12.629 raw energy of rock and roll, just before it exploded. 00:15:12.750 --> 00:15:15.190 A big historical challenge. And then there was 00:15:15.190 --> 00:15:17.350 that Brian Wilson documentary we mentioned earlier. 00:15:17.549 --> 00:15:19.590 I just wasn't made for these times. He directed 00:15:19.590 --> 00:15:21.649 that one. Directed and produced it, yeah, in 00:15:21.649 --> 00:15:24.490 95. And it wasn't just some side project. It 00:15:24.490 --> 00:15:27.470 got real acclaim. Won the Golden Gate Award at 00:15:27.470 --> 00:15:29.500 the San Francisco Film Festival. Why was that 00:15:29.500 --> 00:15:32.419 doc so important? Well, it came out during a 00:15:32.419 --> 00:15:34.639 really difficult time for Brian Wilson personally. 00:15:34.840 --> 00:15:37.919 It offered this incredibly vulnerable, insightful 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.720 look at his genius and his struggles. It showed 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:45.049 Don Wise. could handle these really sensitive 00:15:45.049 --> 00:15:48.129 artistic stories with the same kind of care he 00:15:48.129 --> 00:15:50.669 brought to a massive Stones album. He could tell 00:15:50.669 --> 00:15:52.870 stories on film, too. And besides his own film 00:15:52.870 --> 00:15:54.970 projects, he was also kind of Hollywood's go 00:15:54.970 --> 00:15:57.230 -to music guy for a while. Seems like it. He 00:15:57.230 --> 00:15:59.509 worked as a music director or consultant on a 00:15:59.509 --> 00:16:01.649 surprising number of big movies, especially in 00:16:01.649 --> 00:16:04.129 the 90s. The list is pretty impressive. Let's 00:16:04.129 --> 00:16:06.409 hear it. Okay, you've got Thelma and Louise. 00:16:06.809 --> 00:16:09.250 Classic soundtrack. Totally. Toy Story. Wow, 00:16:09.370 --> 00:16:12.639 animation, too. Yep. Phenomenon, Tin Cup, Days 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:15.320 of Thunder, Michael, a real mix of genres. So 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:17.799 what does a music director or consultant do on 00:16:17.799 --> 00:16:20.799 films like those? It varies. For something like 00:16:20.799 --> 00:16:23.580 Thelma and Louise, it's about shaping the whole 00:16:23.580 --> 00:16:25.960 sonic vibe, right? Choosing the right songs, 00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.600 the needle drops that set the mood, fit the era, 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:30.899 and really hit emotionally without getting in 00:16:30.899 --> 00:16:32.919 the way of the story. Like curating the mixtape 00:16:32.919 --> 00:16:35.679 for the movie? Kind of, yeah. For an animated 00:16:35.679 --> 00:16:38.080 movie like Toy Story, it might be more about 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:40.899 advising on how the original songs fit in, making 00:16:40.899 --> 00:16:42.899 sure the overall musical feel is consistent. 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:45.419 It meant shifting from being a technical producer 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:48.919 to more of a cultural curator for a mass audience. 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:52.820 And he even got an Emmy. For TV work? He did 00:16:52.820 --> 00:16:56.460 in 2014 for Outstanding Music Direction. It was 00:16:56.460 --> 00:16:59.519 for that big CBS TV special, The Beatles, The 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:02.000 Night That Changed America. Ah, the 50th anniversary 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:04.420 show. Right. So that shows he can handle the 00:17:04.420 --> 00:17:06.720 immense pressure of live TV, celebrating these 00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:08.579 huge cultural moments. It's a different kind 00:17:08.579 --> 00:17:10.579 of skill set again. He clearly likes the broadcast 00:17:10.579 --> 00:17:13.079 world. He even hosted a radio show for a while. 00:17:13.220 --> 00:17:15.759 Yeah, on Sirius XM. He had a show called The 00:17:15.759 --> 00:17:18.140 Motor City Hayride on the Outlaw Country Channel. 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:21.259 Ran from about 2009 to 2012. Outlaw country. 00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:24.720 So more roots music. Exactly. Just reinforces 00:17:24.720 --> 00:17:26.940 how deep his knowledge and love for that stuff 00:17:26.940 --> 00:17:29.680 goes. And his ability to talk about it, share 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.779 those histories with listeners. But what's really 00:17:31.779 --> 00:17:33.440 interesting, I think, is that he didn't just 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:35.559 stick with National Satellite Radio. He went 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:38.720 back home, didn't he? He did. In 2021, he started 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:40.940 a new show called Don Was Motor City Playlist. 00:17:41.240 --> 00:17:45.759 And significantly, it's on WDET -FM. Which is? 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:48.960 Detroit's local NPR station. Public radio. OK, 00:17:49.019 --> 00:17:51.119 that feels important. Why go local after being 00:17:51.119 --> 00:17:53.519 on Sirius XM? It says a lot, doesn't it? He could 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:56.279 aim for another big national platform. But choosing 00:17:56.279 --> 00:18:00.299 WDET feels like a conscious decision to to reconnect, 00:18:00.400 --> 00:18:03.460 to give back. He's using his global name to shine 00:18:03.460 --> 00:18:05.740 a light on the music and the artists coming out 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:07.900 of the city that made him. It's feeding the roots. 00:18:08.039 --> 00:18:10.039 And that Detroit commitment goes beyond just 00:18:10.039 --> 00:18:12.220 the radio show, right? There's an annual event 00:18:12.220 --> 00:18:15.059 he's involved in. Yeah. Since 2008, he's been. 00:18:15.390 --> 00:18:17.849 hosting and leading the house band for the Detroit 00:18:17.849 --> 00:18:20.289 All -Star Review. It's a big local showcase. 00:18:20.509 --> 00:18:22.089 Lots of different Detroit artists get featured. 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:24.390 So he's taking the clout he earned producing, 00:18:24.509 --> 00:18:26.549 you know, the biggest rock band in the world. 00:18:26.690 --> 00:18:28.910 And Bob Dylan and Bonnie Raitt. Right. And he's 00:18:28.910 --> 00:18:30.890 directly channeling that back into supporting 00:18:30.890 --> 00:18:33.029 the music scene where he started. That's pretty 00:18:33.029 --> 00:18:36.630 cool. OK, so now we get to maybe the most. striking 00:18:36.630 --> 00:18:39.250 part of this whole paradoxical career. After 00:18:39.250 --> 00:18:42.190 mastering being an artist, producer, archivist, 00:18:42.230 --> 00:18:45.349 filmmaker, radio host, Don Waz takes on this 00:18:45.349 --> 00:18:48.710 huge executive role, one that puts him right 00:18:48.710 --> 00:18:51.289 at the top of arguably the most revered record 00:18:51.289 --> 00:18:53.769 label in American music history. Blue Note Records. 00:18:54.130 --> 00:18:57.150 January 2012, he's appointed president. He takes 00:18:57.150 --> 00:18:59.329 over from Bruce Lundvall, who was a legend in 00:18:59.329 --> 00:19:01.650 his own right. A total legend. And Blue Note. 00:19:01.829 --> 00:19:04.369 I mean, this is the label of Miles Davis, Thelonious 00:19:04.369 --> 00:19:07.289 Monk, John Coltrane. The very guys Don Waz was 00:19:07.289 --> 00:19:09.150 listening to back in Detroit as a kid. It's kind 00:19:09.150 --> 00:19:11.730 of mind -blowing. It sent a real message to the 00:19:11.730 --> 00:19:14.309 industry. Think about it. The guy who did walk 00:19:14.309 --> 00:19:17.109 the dinosaur and produce the stones is now running 00:19:17.109 --> 00:19:19.329 Blue Note. It wasn't like they brought in some 00:19:19.329 --> 00:19:22.130 pop exec to try and fix jazz or make it more 00:19:22.130 --> 00:19:25.009 commercial. They brought in someone who clearly 00:19:25.009 --> 00:19:28.430 had this incredibly deep, nuanced understanding 00:19:28.430 --> 00:19:31.430 and respect for jazz history and its integrity. 00:19:32.059 --> 00:19:34.539 His production work across all those genres must 00:19:34.539 --> 00:19:36.640 have given him immense credibility. And was he 00:19:36.640 --> 00:19:39.319 just like the figurehead president? Or did he 00:19:39.319 --> 00:19:41.279 actually get involved in the music side of the 00:19:41.279 --> 00:19:43.500 label? No, he definitely stayed involved creatively. 00:19:43.619 --> 00:19:46.019 You can see his producer credit popping up on 00:19:46.019 --> 00:19:48.779 albums by Blue Note artists during his tenure. 00:19:48.859 --> 00:19:50.980 It shows he was connecting his old skills to 00:19:50.980 --> 00:19:53.269 his new role. Like who did he produce for Blueno? 00:19:53.410 --> 00:19:55.769 Well, he produced Jason Ryan's album All Rise, 00:19:56.049 --> 00:19:58.730 a joyful elegy for Fats Waller. And he worked 00:19:58.730 --> 00:20:00.750 on an album called Enjoy the View, which featured 00:20:00.750 --> 00:20:03.529 the great vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson with 00:20:03.529 --> 00:20:05.750 David Sanborn. Yeah. So, yeah, he kept his hands 00:20:05.750 --> 00:20:08.569 in guiding the label sound, not just as an executive, 00:20:08.630 --> 00:20:10.990 but as a fellow musician and producer. OK, but 00:20:10.990 --> 00:20:13.549 here's the kicker. While he's president of this 00:20:13.549 --> 00:20:16.329 iconic jazz label sitting in boardrooms making 00:20:16.329 --> 00:20:20.210 executive decisions. He doesn't stop being a 00:20:20.210 --> 00:20:23.269 performing musician. In fact, he arguably ramps 00:20:23.269 --> 00:20:25.349 it up. He hits the road. Right. The contradiction 00:20:25.349 --> 00:20:28.609 is just fantastic. In 2018, he forms this trio, 00:20:28.869 --> 00:20:31.849 Wolf Bros. With Bob Weir from The Grateful Dead. 00:20:32.029 --> 00:20:35.069 Yep. Bob Weir on guitar and vocals, Jay Lane 00:20:35.069 --> 00:20:39.440 on drums, and Don was on... Upright double bass. 00:20:39.480 --> 00:20:41.960 Upright bass, not electric. Upright bass, which 00:20:41.960 --> 00:20:44.279 is, you know, physically demanding, rooted in 00:20:44.279 --> 00:20:46.940 jazz and folk traditions. It's a statement in 00:20:46.940 --> 00:20:48.700 itself. They started touring pretty heavily in 00:20:48.700 --> 00:20:51.339 2018, 2019. So the president of Blue Note Records 00:20:51.339 --> 00:20:54.380 is out playing gigs, laying down grooves on an 00:20:54.380 --> 00:20:57.039 upright bass in a band that's all about improvisation, 00:20:57.119 --> 00:20:59.259 very much in that Grateful Dead spirit. Exactly. 00:20:59.339 --> 00:21:00.619 It just blows your mind when you think about 00:21:00.619 --> 00:21:03.140 it. Does the day job running the venerable jazz 00:21:03.140 --> 00:21:05.940 institution, then goes out at night and plays 00:21:05.940 --> 00:21:08.779 these long exploratory jams. Is that, I mean, 00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:11.000 does one job inform the other? Does playing in 00:21:11.000 --> 00:21:12.980 Wolf Bros help him run Blue Note or is it just 00:21:12.980 --> 00:21:15.400 two totally separate lives? I think it absolutely 00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:17.539 informs it. How could it not? If you're leading 00:21:17.539 --> 00:21:20.200 a label built on improvisation, like Blue Note, 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:22.700 staying connected to live performance, to that 00:21:22.700 --> 00:21:25.799 spontaneous musical conversation. it keeps your 00:21:25.799 --> 00:21:27.759 perspective real, doesn't it? Yeah, it keeps 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.400 you grounded in the actual making of music. Right. 00:21:30.480 --> 00:21:32.880 And the Grateful Dead tradition, like jazz, is 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:35.140 all about that in -the -moment creation. So he's 00:21:35.140 --> 00:21:37.480 bringing that energy, that understanding, back 00:21:37.480 --> 00:21:40.039 into the executive role. And he's still doing 00:21:40.039 --> 00:21:42.380 it. Sources mention him playing at the Dead Ahead 00:21:42.380 --> 00:21:45.279 Festival in Mexico in 2024 with other members 00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:47.920 of that whole musical family. He's really living 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:50.680 this duality. OK, one more specific musical thing 00:21:50.680 --> 00:21:52.720 we need to touch on. His work with Bob Dylan 00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:56.680 again, but in a very unique context. These Ionic 00:21:56.680 --> 00:21:59.980 originals. What was that about? Yeah, this was 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:02.700 in 2021. Super interesting. It involves T -Bone 00:22:02.700 --> 00:22:05.119 Burnett as a producer. Another heavyweight producer. 00:22:05.279 --> 00:22:08.000 Absolutely. And they decided to rerecord some 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.309 classic Dylan songs. Masters of War, Simple Twist 00:22:11.309 --> 00:22:13.569 of Fate, but not just regular recordings. They 00:22:13.569 --> 00:22:15.589 created these things called Ionic Originals. 00:22:15.650 --> 00:22:18.170 OK, what is an Ionic Original? It's basically 00:22:18.170 --> 00:22:21.349 a brand new proprietary analog recording format 00:22:21.349 --> 00:22:24.250 T -Bone Burnett developed. Think of it like a 00:22:24.250 --> 00:22:26.910 super high fidelity, one of a kind lacquer disc. 00:22:27.190 --> 00:22:30.049 It's not digital. It's pure analog. And they 00:22:30.049 --> 00:22:32.089 only made one copy of each recording. Exactly. 00:22:32.130 --> 00:22:35.750 Each recording was a unique single object sold 00:22:35.750 --> 00:22:38.710 as such, like a piece of fine art. It was partly. 00:22:38.890 --> 00:22:40.690 about pushing the boundaries of analog sound 00:22:40.690 --> 00:22:43.410 fidelity and partly about creating these absolutely 00:22:43.410 --> 00:22:46.930 unique sonic artifacts, kind of reviving an old 00:22:46.930 --> 00:22:50.109 idea in a new way. And Don was played bass on 00:22:50.109 --> 00:22:52.250 these unique high stakes recordings. He did, 00:22:52.369 --> 00:22:55.009 which again tells you something. When Dylan and 00:22:55.009 --> 00:22:56.930 T -Bone Burnett are doing this highly specialized, 00:22:57.289 --> 00:23:00.329 philosophically driven project focused on pure 00:23:00.329 --> 00:23:02.589 analog sound, who do they call for the bass? 00:23:03.119 --> 00:23:05.380 Don was. He's seen as that ultimate reliable 00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:07.920 anchor in the analog world. It really seems like 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:09.900 his whole career, his whole approach is built 00:23:09.900 --> 00:23:12.079 on these deep connections, this ability to operate 00:23:12.079 --> 00:23:13.700 in different worlds. Maybe it runs in the family. 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.259 Sources mentioned some interesting family background. 00:23:16.539 --> 00:23:18.299 Yeah, a couple of interesting points. His father 00:23:18.299 --> 00:23:23.160 was a WWII vet, earned a Bronze Star Medal. A 00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:25.480 background of serious commitment there. And maybe 00:23:25.480 --> 00:23:28.279 more surprisingly, his sister is Nancy Potok. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:30.599 Who was? The former chief statistician of the 00:23:30.599 --> 00:23:33.160 United States. Wow. Okay. From music production 00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:35.960 to chief statistician, that's diverse. It really 00:23:35.960 --> 00:23:38.700 is. Yeah. Suggests maybe a family trait of being 00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:41.279 able to achieve excellence in really different, 00:23:41.420 --> 00:23:44.160 really demanding specialized fields. So we've 00:23:44.160 --> 00:23:47.690 traced this incredible path. Dawn was. From a 00:23:47.690 --> 00:23:50.210 Detroit kid dropping out of college through the 00:23:50.210 --> 00:23:53.210 quirky success of Was, not Was, becoming this 00:23:53.210 --> 00:23:55.490 key producer who revived careers like Bonnie 00:23:55.490 --> 00:23:57.430 Raitts, who became the trusted ear for the Rolling 00:23:57.430 --> 00:23:59.769 Stones. Winning BAFTA's Emmys for film and TV 00:23:59.769 --> 00:24:01.730 work. And then landing as the president of Blue 00:24:01.730 --> 00:24:04.349 Note Records, one of the most iconic labels ever. 00:24:04.430 --> 00:24:07.569 It's just an amazing arc. It really is. And the 00:24:07.569 --> 00:24:09.769 numbers, the six Grammys, nearly 100 million 00:24:09.769 --> 00:24:12.230 albums sold. They're impressive, but almost beside 00:24:12.230 --> 00:24:15.309 the point. What's really staggering is how he 00:24:15.309 --> 00:24:17.660 managed to balance it all. How he excelled as 00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:20.220 a creative artist himself, both with Was, not 00:24:20.220 --> 00:24:22.779 Was, and now with Wolf Draws, while also being 00:24:22.779 --> 00:24:25.799 this major industry executive and producer. That 00:24:25.799 --> 00:24:28.460 adaptability, that deep appreciation for all 00:24:28.460 --> 00:24:32.779 kinds of music. Rock, blues, jazz, country, pop 00:24:32.779 --> 00:24:35.420 seems to be the core of it. He sees the connections 00:24:35.420 --> 00:24:37.740 maybe where others see divisions. He's the ultimate 00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:40.359 curator, isn't he? He can shift from understanding 00:24:40.359 --> 00:24:43.359 the, I don't know, intellectual satire of his 00:24:43.359 --> 00:24:46.279 own early work to the gut level emotion of the 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:48.920 blues, to the deep harmonic complexity of jazz. 00:24:49.119 --> 00:24:51.460 He gets it all. He really is that definitive 00:24:51.460 --> 00:24:53.880 musical shapeshifter we started with. As someone 00:24:53.880 --> 00:24:56.539 who proves music history isn't really about walled 00:24:56.539 --> 00:24:59.700 off genres. So thinking about all this. What 00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:01.740 does it mean going forward? You've got the president 00:25:01.740 --> 00:25:03.880 of Mluno Records, the home of sophisticated jazz, 00:25:04.019 --> 00:25:06.259 who spends his nights playing upright bass in 00:25:06.259 --> 00:25:08.099 an improvisational rock band. Yeah, what does 00:25:08.099 --> 00:25:10.200 that lead to? Well, that's the provocative thought 00:25:10.200 --> 00:25:13.799 maybe we can leave you with. If the guy in charge... 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:17.359 sees the entire sweep of American music, rock, 00:25:17.579 --> 00:25:21.480 folk, blues, jazz as this interconnected whole, 00:25:21.599 --> 00:25:24.180 this giant playground, what kind of unexpected 00:25:24.180 --> 00:25:26.400 things might start happening at Blue Note? Like 00:25:26.400 --> 00:25:28.920 new kinds of artists being signed, boundary -pushing 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:31.960 collaborations. Maybe. What kind of cross -pollination 00:25:31.960 --> 00:25:34.119 could happen when the executive making the decisions 00:25:34.119 --> 00:25:36.960 has that kind of street -level, on -stage experience? 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:39.440 It makes you wonder what the future of that legendary 00:25:39.440 --> 00:25:41.720 label might look like, guided by someone who 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:44.559 truly embodies such diverse musical worlds. It's 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:46.240 definitely worth keeping an eye on. And maybe 00:25:46.240 --> 00:25:48.119 go back and listen to some of those wildly different 00:25:48.119 --> 00:25:49.920 albums he produced. You'll hear that polymath 00:25:49.920 --> 00:25:50.579 mind at work.