Nona Hendryx is an
American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, author, and actress.
Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third
of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady Marmalade." Her music
has ranged from soul, funk, and R&B to hard rock, new wave, and new-age.
Her family's last name was originally spelled with an "i"; she is a
cousin of American musician Jimi Hendrix.
Nona Hendryx was born
in Trenton, New Jersey where she met fellow New Jersey native Sarah Dash and
later met Philadelphia-born singer Patricia Holte (Patti LaBelle). After a
short-lived tenure as a member of the Del-Capris, Hendryx and Dash formed a
singing group with Holte (once the lead singer of a girl group in Philadelphia
called The Ordettes). In 1961, Cindy Birdsong, from Camden, New Jersey, became
the fourth member of the group, who became the 'Bluebelles' and signed their
first deal with Newtown Records.
After the release of
their debut hit, 1962's "I Sold My Heart to the Junkman", their name
altered again to Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles. Hendryx's husky alto
differed from Dash's sharp soprano, LaBelle's mezzo-soprano and Birdsong's
second soprano. During this tenure, the group became known for their emotional
live performances and their renditions of classic standards such as
"You'll Never Walk Alone", "Over The Rainbow"and
"Danny Boy". The group often found themselves competing against girl
groups such as The Chantels, Shirelles and The Supremes. In 1967, Hendryx,
LaBelle and Dash were shocked to discover that Birdsong had secretly joined the
Supremes after Florence Ballard was ousted from the group by Motown. Different
members of the group were in touch with Birdsong over the years. Birdsong's
relationships with the Bluebelles healed and they came together again for the
ceremony when the group won an R&B Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award in
1999.
Back to the current
release in question: Gary Lucas and Hendryx starred in a symphonic Captain
Beefheart Tribute with Amsterdam's famed 65-piece Metropole Orchestra at the
Paradiso a few years ago. The album was co-produced by Gary and
Jesse Krakowand recorded at EastSide Sound in NYC. The World of
Captain Beefheart is being released by Knitting Factory Records on November
10th.
The World of Captain
Beefheart strikes a fine balance between the more bluesy and
groove-accessible songs in the good Captain's oeuvre and the more extreme,
darker and weirder side.
Nona Hendryx is a
longtime fierce admirer of Don Van Vliet's music, and possesses the huge voice
and the commanding stage presence necessary to do full justice to repertoire
that originally featured Beefheart's unforgettable multi-octave voice. Although
she's best known as a funk/soul great thanks to her long tenure with
international hitmakers Labelle (as well as the group's antecedent, Patti
Labelle and the Bluebelles) as well as her own excellent R&B-rooted solo
outings, she is no stranger to experimental rock territory, having been
featured as guest vocalist with cutting-edge ensembles including Talking Heads,
Bill Laswell's Material, and Jerry Harrison's Casual Gods.
To this day, Don Van
Vliet remains a cult hero, relatively unknown in mainstream circles. If any
album is able to change that, it's The World of Captain Beefheart.
THE WORLD
OF
CAPTAIN
BEEFHEART
Featuring
NONA HENDRYX
And
GARY LUCAS
available now
at
amazon.com
The World of Captain Beefheart featuring Nona
Hendryx and Gary Lucas from Knitting Factory Records available NOW at
amazon.com
For
more information about Nona Hendryx and concert dates visit www.nonahendryx.com
N O N A H E N D R Y X
INTERVIEWED ON
THE RAY SHASHO SHOW-BBS RADIO
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Pop/Rock singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jann Klose
is not only the quintessence recording artist and live performer; he’s
also a perfect paradigm for what the contemptible music mainstream ought
to be promoting extensively over commercial radio airwaves worldwide. JANN KLOSE has lived an intriguing life. Born in Germany, Jann was raised in Kenya,
South Africa, and Hamburg. He came to the U.S. by way of Cleveland,
Ohio as an exchange student and eventually began performing in touring
productions of Jekyll & Hyde, Jesus Christ Superstar, and The Who’s
Tommy.
Jann’s awe-inspiring songwriting, charismatic voice, and musical styles
have been associated with such legendary artists as Paul McCartney, Julian Lennon,
Sting, Paul Simon, Dan Fogelberg and many others. But Klose has
undeniably conceived his own musical trademark and characteristics. Jann
has shared the stage with such esteemed music artists as Hot Tuna, Rusted Root, Gary Lucas, Suzanne Vega, Annie Haslam and Renaissance, The Yardbirds, John Hawken (Spooky Tooth, Renaissance, and Strawbs), Roger McGuinn, Rosanne Cash, Pete Seeger and Les Paul.
'MOSAIC' the latest album:
Most recently, Jann Klose released an incredible studio album entitled ‘Mosaic.’ ‘Mosaic’ is enticing, exceptional, and musically essential!
Guest artists include guitarist Florian Opahle (Ian Anderson, Greg
Lake), guitarist/record producer David Bendeth, flautist Tia Roper, and
oboist Megan Marolf (Phillip Glass, Roger Waters). ‘Mosaic’ is also set
to be released in vinyl very soon. Some of my favorite tracks are … “Make it Better”
spotlighting crucial and relevant lyrical content. The song is also
promoted in an avant-garde music video … The beautiful, graceful, and
inviting acoustic serenade of “Still”… “Long Goodbye” features
a superlative guitar performance by Florian Opahle. I also encountered
hints of Julian Lennon idiosyncrasy on the track … The hip & bluesy,
lyrical despairing “Falling Tears” was undeniably my favorite track … and next the breathtaking Tim Buckley cover entitled “Song to the Siren.”‘MOSAIC’ is mesmerizing and magnificently all-embracing …I rated ‘Mosaic’ the latest CD by Jann Klose with (5) Stars. Previous releases by Jann Klose include … (Sacrifice (EP), Reverie, Healthy Food for Thought, Black Box (EP), The Strangest Thing, and Enough Said).
Jann Klose tours extensively while performing 75-100 shows per year
in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He currently has dates in the U.S. and
Germany. Check out Jann’s touring schedule HERE.
Recently I had the wonderful privilege of chatting with Jann Klose
about his latest music endeavor entitled ‘Mosaic,’ the current tour,
music videos, collaborations, my infamous ‘Field of Dreams’ question and
much-much more.
Here’s my interview with singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and next generation of musical proficiency artists …JANN KLOSE. Ray Shasho: Hello Jann from beautiful sunny Florida. Jann Klose: “Hello Ray from rainy New York.” Ray Shasho: You’ve got kind of a mini tour going on and performed most recently in Ridgefield, Connecticut with Bret Michaels? Jann Klose: “Yes, it was great. He had a pretty full
house and rocked it! Bret thanked me and the crowd was really nice. It
was at the Ridgefield Playhouse; I played there a couple of times and
opened for Ben Taylor, James Taylor’s kid about a year and a half ago.
It’s a really great room; the sound is great and the people that works
there are great. So it’s one of those places that you want to keep
coming back to, it’s just a comfortable place to play and a beautiful
theater.” Ray Shasho: You also performed ‘The Last Waltz Live’ at The Highline Ballroom in NYC … an All-Star re-creation of The Band’s classic concert film. You sang Van Morrison’s “Caravan” and there was also quite a lineup at that show? Jann Klose: “Yes, I did Van Morrison’s “Caravan.” I
told Michael Falzarano of Hot Tuna/ New Riders of the Purple Sage a
story about one of my first gigs in college back in 1998-99. I opened
for Jorma Kaukonen and Hot Tuna which is how they were billed at the
time. I was so green and didn’t know what I was doing. But I asked
Michael …do you remember when I opened for you guy’s at Peabody’s
Downunder? He said, “No I don’t remember, but I remember the gig and I
remember that I was there.” I said, that was probably a good thing
because I walked up to Jorma and said … Hey, you guys want to do
something together? I’m sure he doesn’t remember, but it’s one of those
things that I wouldn’t do now. I wouldn’t walk up to the headliner and
say, Hey man what’s up; do you want to do a song together? (All
laughing)” Ray Shasho: Nowadays you are collaborating with many of those legendary artists … Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds, and Annie Haslam of Renaissance. Does the list also include Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull? Jann Klose: “I actually did play with Ian’s son
James who has a band, and we’ve done stuff together in England. Annie
and I have been writing together. I opened for Renaissance for their
fortieth anniversary tour. But yes, these days are much different.” Ray Shasho: One of the many interesting places you lived
while growing up was in Nairobi, Kenya. Any amusing childhood memories? Jann Klose: “My dad retired a few years ago and
still goes to Mombasa twice a year and stays there months on end. He
relaxes, enjoys the weather, and the Indian Ocean.”
“But I have a lot of memories about living in Kenya when I very
young. We had a creek behind our house and it was fenced off and we were
not supposed to be in there. Somehow my brother and I got out of my
parents eyesight and walked into the creek. The creek wasn’t clean and
they were concerned about infections, viruses, and what not. I just
remember my dad seeing us playing in that little creek and freaking out.
He ran up and grabbed us while screaming, “Oh my God, my children,
you’re going to die!” So he was really freaked out, I remember that very
vividly.” Ray Shasho: Who were some of the artists that got you interested in becoming a professional musician? Jann Klose: “It’s very across the board; I listened
to a lot of classic rock growing up, but the person that really made me
want to be a musician was actually Prince, believe it or not. When I
first saw Prince and discovered him everything changed. I knew I wanted
to be like that, although I’m totally different. He wanted me to be a
performer.” Ray Shasho: I thought ‘Mosaic’ your latest release… was
enticing, exceptional, and musically essential. Would you say it’s your
best album to date? Jann Klose:“I’m proud enough to press a vinyl of
it. We’ll have the vinyl release in a couple of months. I’m really happy
with it and love the record.” Ray Shasho: The first glimpse I had of Jann Klose was on the
“Doing Time” video in 2010. I knew immediately that you were destined
to become a very important artist. Critics are notorious for comparing
great new artists to legendary performers, and your style has been
correlated with the likes of Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, and Sting to
name a few. But I hear Julian Lennon traits on many of your tracks. Jann Klose: “Of course, I grew up listening to
Julian Lennon a little bit. He’s a lovely guy. I was in a compilation
with him in 2011 called ‘Healthy Food for Thought,’ and we got a Grammy
nomination from it. From what I can tell, Julian is centered and very
much himself, like Sean his kid brother, who is pretty together these
days, and does his own thing.” Ray Shasho: Both “Doing Time” and “Make It Better” are
phenomenal music videos. They would have been played relentlessly during
the heyday of MTV. Jann Klose: “We did get a considerable amount of
airplay with it. We charted with ‘Mosaic’ and made the first round for
the Grammy’s. I got four nominations for The Independent Music Awards.
So we got a really good reaction for it being an Independent release.
As you know, the industry is not what it was, but we’re happy with the
results.” Ray Shasho: Another incredible track on ‘Mosaic’ is “Long
Goodbye.” You’ve got Ian Anderson’s proficient guitarist playing
awesome electric on several tracks on the new album? Jann Klose:“Yes, Florian Opahle from Ian’s band played on “Make It Better” and “Long Goodbye.” Ray Shasho: My very favorite track is “Falling Tears”… just a
really cool tune. And of course “Song to the Siren” your Tim Buckley
cover. You’ve developed a unique bond with the Buckley family? Jann Klose: “It started when I discovered Jeff
Buckley’s “Grace” in college, which became my favorite record. I started
doing tributes in Chicago every year and that’s where I met Jeff’s mom
Mary. Later I did a tribute in New York and that’s how I met Gary Lucas.
And since then I’ve been working with Gary. That’s how I got the gig in
the movie because he recommended me to the director. So it was just one
of those things that happened and I didn’t expect. Artistically it was
very-very satisfying, a career boost, and one of those lucky moments.” Ray Shasho: Jann, your music ingenuity allows you to perform
any given genre. I do worry about certain genres disappearing. Many of
the musicians I interview say those genres hopefully will circle back
again soon someday. Jann Klose:“The one thing that I do hope is that
people continue to support the arts as much as they can. I think that’s
something we always have to remind people to do. It’s one of those
things where people assume that all of that stuff is paid for. Even that
Bret Michaels show the other night … that was an expensive tour. It
costs a lot to go on the road and bring all those people with you. A lot
of what you make goes right back into it. The one thing that you can’t
download for free is a live show. It’s very much a reflection of
society at large. We have a big gap between rich and poor and also a big
gap between the few major label artists that are still left and this
huge pool of Indie musicians.” Ray Shasho: You have four nominations for the upcoming Independent Music Awards (IMA)? Jann Klose:“Yes, there’s a panel of judges
including …Raul Midon, Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Suzanne Vega,
Sharon Jones, G. Love, and the Smithereens' Dennis Diken. So they’ll
vote and the results come out in May. Then there’s an audience vote that
will be publicized in July. It’s significant and great to be honored in
that way. We submitted to them for years and never got anything, and
then all of a sudden this year I got four nominations.” Ray Shasho: Jann, what do you hope to accomplish with your music over the next five years? Jann Klose: “We’re doing the vinyl release of
‘Mosaic’ and I’m hoping to release a live album later this year. I’m
also working on a record with Gary Lucas and I’m touring more in Europe.
I’m doing all the things that I want to do, so just keep growing,
writing, and changing.” Ray Shasho: It has to be remarkable about all the support you’ve received from so many classic rock legends. Jann Klose: “Yea totally … Jim McCarty, Annie, Ian,
Gary, and just lots of folks. I have a great agent in Germany that I
work with that is wonderful. It’s tough out there so you need that kind
of support. It’s great to see some of the classic rock legends helping
out the young up and coming artists. Hopefully I can do that in twenty
or thirty years from now.” Ray Shasho: Jann, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I
interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play,
sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would
that be? Jann Klose:“In modern times … I would say Joni
Mitchell or Led Zeppelin. Someone from the past … it would be somebody
that’s old school from the 1920’s-30’s in the Berlin Theater world. I
would transport myself back to those early times because I have a
feeling it would be a blast!” Ray Shasho: Jann, thank you for being on the call today but
more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us and
continue to bring. Jann Klose: “Thank you buddy… you take care in Florida.”
Coming up NEXT … My recent interview with Andy Summers (The Police, Circa Zero)
And coming SOON …Original lead singer of Nazareth Dan McCafferty Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com- Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d
like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion
picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story
definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary
moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s
historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was
evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I
read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a
wonderful read for everyone!” …stillerb47@gmail.com
