Hell's Kitchen Radio #609: Mitch Polzak Moseys On In To The Show

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When I prepare for an interview with a musician, it's mostly based on their music that I craft the questions. I want to know where the ideas for the stories came from. I want to know how they crafted the song, where the melody came from. Then I start to dig. I need to know their influences, musical and otherwise. 

This is when it gets fun. 

Tell me where you grew up. What was the first music that caught your attention? Who in your life do you credit with turning you on to the music that helped define your own journey? 

Once in a blue moon do I interview someone I've only met a few times but feel a quick kinship with.

Mitch Polzak is one of these people. I've seen Mitch play at the Ivy Room in Albany a few times, and once on his home court in Port Costa, where he once was mayor. 

Mitch will look you right in the eyes when he's playing, and you know he's playing just for you. And he is! He told me this himself last Monday when he was my guest. I told him that he had to guest DJ with me, and he did not disappoint! He brought 33 LPs along with him and everything that aired on Monday night was his choosing, except for my opening set and the single Mitch Polzak tune that I pulled out, and it's thanks to his delightful partner, Amanda, that "Sugrarfoot Rag" was chosen.

We caught each other saying "you too?!?!" a lot during the show, and a lot of laughter throughout. The

music ranges from delta blues, bluegrass, folk, Bakersfield Country, train songs, trucker songs, and honky tonk. 

What a magnificent night this was. 

I hope you take the time to listen into the music and enjoy our banter. Better yet, please take yourself and a loved one out to see Mitch perform live. You'll find Mitch was looking for you all along.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM Pacific
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Honky Tonk Blues: Hank Williams
Wham Bam: Buck Owens
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels: Kitty Wells
Cannon Ball: Merle Travis

Watch My Fingers: Lightning Hopkins
Cumberland Gap: Flatt and Scruggs
Ballad of 40 Dollars: Tom T Hall
Road Runner: Blackie Forestier

Sugarfoot Rag: Mitch Polzak
Sad Hour: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Randall Collins: Norman Blake
The Longer You Wait: Merle Haggard

Let The Good Times Roll: Buck Owens
Nitro Express: Redd Simpson
Bucking Mule (Piano): Uncle John Patterson
Tombstone Every Mile: Dick Curless
Caffein, Nicotine, Benzedrine: Gary Stewart
For A Few Dollars More: Ennio Morricone

Cause of it All: Howlin' Wolf
I Got Love If You Want It: Slim Harpo
Fire On The Strings: Joe Maphis
Stone Walls and Steel Bars: Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley

This Time: Waylon Jennings
Rain: Charlie Feathers
Alabama Jubilee: Roy Clark

Graystone Chapel: Johnny Cash

A Season in Hell #126: Not-So-Stormy Monday

It was such a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, it's daylight savings time, so it's staying lighter later, and love is in the air. I can't think of a better time to play two hours of the Blues.

Oh, don't get me wrong, the Blues is not about feeling bad. The Blues is about taking all those feelings you have down in your soul and shouting it out to the world! I was born in a blues town, Toledo, Ohio. How, you ask, is Toledo, Ohio a blues town? During the Great Depression Toledo, Ohio has the "Great" distinction of having the highest unemployment rate for an urban area; over 85%. Talk about the blues!

I haven't lived there since 1981, but don't let that stop me. Oh no, no, no. I now live in the most expensive city in the US, San Francisco, and I make it on a teacher's salary, no less. I'm no martyr.

For a long time, when I've gone record shopping (yes, I said record shopping, as I still purchase vinyl, and I always will, thank you very much), I've made it a point, if I'm buying more than two items, to make certain that at least one is either international, country, or blues. Because of this I have a rather vast international, country and blues library. I buy a lot of records. That's one vice I'm proud to call my own.

I remember in 1978 when my dad brought home the Blues Brothers' "Briefcase Full of Blues" LP. I loved it from the start. I memorize every nuance of that record, and easily wore out that first copy. It was from that record that I was able to set out on an adventure through the history of not only the Blues, but the history of American music, going back to slave songs and gospels, as well as the history of Rock 'n' Roll. It's safe to say that my musical knowledge was birthed from the Blues.

So tonight it's all Blues. How happy I will be! You should recognize many of the names on the list, but perhaps not all of the songs. And vice-verse.

This show is a great history lesson. Get a pencil, write it down, and feel some love for the Blues.

If you're feeling way down low, then download this show.
If you're feeling mellow, stream this fellow.
If you feel like a low down dirty dog, then listen to all of my shows by going here, or just scroll down.

Enjoy.

jh 

Hey Bartender: Floyd Dixon
It Must Have Been the Devil: Otis Spann

I Don't Know: The Blues Brothers
Rollin' and Tumblin': Elmore James
I'm Bad Like Jesse James: John Lee Hooker

My Last Affair: Howlin' Wolf
I Ain't Got You: Jimmy Reed
Cocaine and Whiskey: Eugene Huggins
Bring It On Home: Sonny Boy Williamson

Penitentiary Blues: Lightning Hopkins
Hoochie Coochie Man: Muddy Waters (May 14, 1977 1839 Theater, SF, CA)
Got My Mojo Working: Ann Cole

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl: Grateful Dead (09-29-68, Berkeley, CA)

It's A Man Down There: Gi Crockett
Stormy Weather: Etta James
Flip, Flop and Fly: Big Joe Turner
I'm A Man: Bo Diddley

Bad Luck Blues: Lightnin' Slim
"B" Movie Boxcar Blues: Delbert McClinton
Ridin' High: Joe Louis Walker

I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town: Allman Brothers
I've Got A Mind to Give Up Living: The Butterfield Blues Band

Shotgun Blues: Downchild Blues Band
Stormy Monday: Buddy Guy & Junior Wells (1983-09-30 Chestnut Cabaret, Philadelphia, PA)