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Mike
August 20, 2009
- in Entertainment Interviews , Jonah Smith by Mike
An Interview with Jonah Smith – HuffPost 8.20.09
Singer-songwriter Jonah Smith has many extremely loyal fans. Make that “friends” who went out of their way to contribute hard earned cash to fund Jonah’s newly released album,Lights On. This may not seem all that unusual given the need to improvise because of the shape of today’s withering music business. But while most of his […]
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August 17, 2009
An Interview with Raphael Saadiq – HuffPost 8.17.09
To catch everyone up, Raphael Saadiq was the former lead singer for Tony! Toni! Tone!, earned a #2 R&B smash with “Ask Of You” from the Higher Learning soundtrack, produced huge hits for D’Angelo and Joss Stone, and contributed as a songwriter to or collaborated with Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige, The Roots, Lionel Richie, John Legend, […]
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August 17, 2009
- in Advice for New Artists , Raphael Saadiq by Mike
Raphael Saadiq – HuffPost 8.17.09
[Note: This is taken from my interview with Raphael Saadiq since concepts like what inspires artists and of really “listening” to music are discussed briefly.] Mike Ragogna: …The Way I See It really isn’t a tribute album as much an application of classic soul elements to your music, right? Raphael Saadiq: I think every artist pays […]
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August 13, 2009
An Interview with Buffy Sainte-Marie – HuffPost 8.13.09
You most likely know Buffy Sainte-Marie from her many Vanguard folk albums or instantly identifiable hits. She’s penned An Officer And A Gentleman‘s Academy Award-winning theme song “Up Where We Belong” (released by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes), plus the classics “Piney Wood Hills” (recorded by country legend Bobby Bare), “Cod’ine” (covered by Donovan, The Charlatans, […]
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August 13, 2009
Buffy Sainte-Marie – HuffPost 8.13.09
Mike Ragogna: Buffy, you’ve always been associated with a class of folk artists that includes Judy Collins, Joan Baez, Tom Rush, Eric Andersen, Fred Neil, and many other mid- to late-sixties troubadours. But your influence reaches beyond that genre, to those acoustic artists that later became pop music’s “singer-songwriters,” many of them moved by the […]
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August 10, 2009
- in Advice for New Artists , Matisyahu by Mike
Matisyahu – HuffPost 8.10.09
[Note: This part of my interview with Matisyahu contains some inspirational information.] Mike Ragogna: When you perform in front of audiences, do you feel that connection between you and them? Matisyahu: The other night, I went to see this band called Tortoise. While I was watching, I had this experience of myself watching them play. […]
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August 10, 2009
- in Entertainment Interviews , Matisyahu by Mike
An Interview with Matisyahu – HuffPost 8.10.09
One of the surprise modern rock hits of 2006 was “King Without A Crown” by New York’s Matisyahu, a devout Hasidic Jew who employs reggae, hip-hop and alternative styles to communicate his very unique brand of music. His sound has tied him to influences such as the late Bob Marley; but it was guitarist Trey […]
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June 11, 2009
- in Advice for New Artists , Lamont Dozier by Mike
Lamont Dozier – HuffPost 6.11.09
[Note: These are sections taken from my interview with Lamont Dozier who co-wrote many hits with brothers Brian and Eddie Holland, and is presented here to be inspiring for new artists.] Mike Ragogna: What was the creative process like? Did you get into a room together and just write songs or did you craft them […]
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