Every now and then, an unlikely pairing of artists at an eTown taping reminds me of just how magical things can go down during production. On the surface, pairing an 84-year-old composer, writer and poet with a singer/songwriter like Steve Earle might seem like an ambitious undertaking, and while it certainly was in some aspects, the two musical guests on this week’s show have more in common with each other, with our hosts Nick and Helen and with the ethos of eTown than you might imagine. Apparently, Steve Earle had known David Amram from the time he was 13, and our host Nick Forster first met David back around 1980. Needless to say, David made a lasting impression on each of them back in the day, so to have the three of them reunite on the eTown stage this week was pretty magical.
Steve Earle has been a longtime friend of eTown, and always makes a point to come back and share his latest musical creations with us. This week, Steve dives into a blues record he just finished recording and enlists Nick and Helen and the eTones to back him up on several numbers. Per usual, Steve’s music sounds amazing, and he always has amazing insights and stories to share in the interview portion. You can see the full (unedited) interview with Nick Forster in the video links below.
I didn’t know a ton about David Amram until the weeks leading up to the taping, and I had clearly been missing out. In the interview Nick mentions that David’s openness as a player and his gift at jamming with anyone under any circumstance was an inspiration to Nick as he embarked on his own career as a professional musician etc. David is a true soul with incredible wisdom that can be taken from his philosophy on music, and applied to just about any area in life. I don’t have enough fingers on my hands to count the revelations I gained from talking with him in the studio after the show. Rather than type them all hear, I’d invite you to also watch his interview with Nick, as well as some of the behind-the-scenes conversations we included in his musical performance videos this week.
Along with Steve and David, we have a great eChievement Award story focusing on a local Boulder woman who has developed a way to provide food and water to villages all over Mali.
It’s an episode full of inspiring music and stories this week. Be sure to check it out via radio, podcast or our videos.
– Nick H.