1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Taking a Walk, I'm buzznight and welcome to the Taking 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: a Walk Podcast. Now there's a sound that lives somewhere 3 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: between a Sunday morning church service and a late night 4 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Brooklyn bar, between the sacred and the celebratory, between gospel 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: fire and jazz cool. It's not a sound you can 6 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:23,119 Speaker 1: easily categorize, and that is exactly the point. The man 7 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: behind it grew up as the only black kid at 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: his school during the week, and then spent his Sundays 9 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: inside a church in Akron, Ohio, where his family played 10 00:00:31,920 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: and sang and called the spirit down. Those two worlds, 11 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: the outsider and the Anointed, shaped everything. He went on 12 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:42,879 Speaker 1: to anchor the house band on The Late Show with 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:47,959 Speaker 1: Stephen Colbert for nearly a decade, tour arenas with oar Co, 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: found the jazz funk collective Huntertones, and share stages with 15 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,160 Speaker 1: Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Gary Clark Junior. 16 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: And yet through all of it, he never st being 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: that kid in the church pew watching music do something 18 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: to people that words simply couldn't. His debut album, called 19 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: Night Service Live at Lunico's, proof that some things that 20 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: worth waiting for today, we're going to be taking a 21 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 1: Walk with trumpeter, vocalist, band leader and one of the 22 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 1: most joyful presences in music today, John Lampley. 23 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 2: Next on Taking a Walk, Taking a Walk. 24 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: John Lampley, Welcome to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 25 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 2: It's an honor to have you here. Oh, it's an 26 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 2: honor to be here. Buzz. Thank you so much for 27 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 2: having me. 28 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:45,759 Speaker 1: So your time growing up as this kid in school, Sundays, church, 29 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:51,800 Speaker 1: and Akron pretty extraordinary cultural tightrope that you were walking 30 00:01:51,840 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: as a kid. How did navigating in those worlds shape 31 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: you as a musician but also as a person. 32 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:03,520 Speaker 3: And I think that having kind of this unique experience 33 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 3: of being a kid growing up and a family where 34 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: all of my cousins and aunts and uncles and my 35 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 3: moms sang or played an instrument at church, being surrounded 36 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 3: by gospel music, but then kind of going to school 37 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:24,120 Speaker 3: and being in school band, which was an entirely different tradition, 38 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 3: those things shaped me in many ways. My family was, 39 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 3: you know, rooted in faith, so as a human being 40 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,120 Speaker 3: that was kind of like very grounding for me from 41 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,399 Speaker 3: a young age. And I think that had a lot 42 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 3: to do with, you know, how I've grown up, not 43 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 3: just musically but as a person. 44 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: But it was also really interesting because the older. 45 00:02:47,040 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 3: I got, you know, when I was a little kid, 46 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:51,239 Speaker 3: I was only allowed to listen to gospel music. 47 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 2: You know, there was nothing else. 48 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 3: But the older I got, you know, I'd start going 49 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 3: to my friend's houses and you know, they were listening 50 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 3: to alternative rock and hip hop. And so it's like 51 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,080 Speaker 3: I started to hear these new sounds as I got older, 52 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 3: and that was kind of coming through the lens of 53 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 3: this church kid who knew the sound of gospel music. 54 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,120 Speaker 3: And I feel like once I really started to you know, 55 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,840 Speaker 3: play and try to figure out how to improvise on 56 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,520 Speaker 3: the instrument, it was like all of these sounds were 57 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 3: kind of just coming out inside of me. But I 58 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 3: also think just growing up in Akron, Ohio and Ohio 59 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:34,640 Speaker 3: in general, there were so many phenomenal gospel musicians that 60 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 3: I got to hear at my own church on Sundays 61 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 3: or visiting other churches in the region. 62 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 2: And you know a. 63 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 3: Lot of people will ask, oh, well, like as a 64 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 3: trumpet player, as an artist, who were your you know, 65 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:51,360 Speaker 3: biggest influences. And for me, you know, before I go 66 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 3: to lists, the names that everybody knows, like the Stevie 67 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 3: Wonders or the Otis Reddings. I feel like my earliest, 68 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 3: you know, biggest influences were, you know, Eugene Wilson, who 69 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 3: was the choir director and would sing every Sunday, or 70 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 3: James Thomas, who was you know, one of the men 71 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 3: who sang on the praise team. Like these were the 72 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 3: voices that I was hearing from an early age and 73 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 3: watching them not only sing, you know, the way that 74 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,200 Speaker 3: they sang, but kind of command an audience and be 75 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:24,480 Speaker 3: able to control the tone of a room. I think 76 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 3: before I ever knew that I wanted to do this 77 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:30,680 Speaker 3: for a living, I saw that, and deep inside of myself, 78 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 3: I was like, you know what, I want to be 79 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 3: able to do that someday. 80 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 2: If that makes sense, it makes total sense. 81 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: And so that leads me to the trumpet and the 82 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: fact probably that when you first picked up the trumpet, 83 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: since so much of your influences were steeped in your faith, 84 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 1: it wasn't really like you were in all necessarily of 85 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: the lineage of great trumpet players. 86 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:55,880 Speaker 2: Is that right? 87 00:04:56,400 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 3: Absolutely correct? When I first picked up the trumpet, you know, 88 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 3: I'll never forget it. As soon as I could, you know, 89 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 3: play a couple of scales. You know, you get like 90 00:05:08,160 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 3: fifth grade band, sixth grade band, they're teaching you scales. 91 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:12,800 Speaker 3: As soon as my mom could hear that, like I 92 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,280 Speaker 3: could make my way through a couple of scales on 93 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 3: my own, she was like, all right, you're taking your 94 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 3: trumpet to church. You just go in the corner and 95 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 3: start playing with the musicians. 96 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: You know. 97 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 3: It didn't tell anybody anything, just showed up one Sunday 98 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,920 Speaker 3: and started playing. And I didn't know anything about you know, 99 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 3: Louis Armstrong or Freddie. 100 00:05:32,640 --> 00:05:34,919 Speaker 2: Hubbard or Roy Hargrove or Lee Morgan. 101 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 3: I knew that my mom wanted me to show up 102 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 3: at church and play trumpet, and so I was learning 103 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 3: all of these songs by ear. 104 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 2: You know, nobody was really teaching me any of the music. 105 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 3: It would just be listening to the organ player, listening 106 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 3: to the bass player and kind of like finding my 107 00:05:50,279 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: way through. Honestly, it wasn't until I got to college 108 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 3: and my freshman year of college at Ohio State, started 109 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:02,720 Speaker 3: hanging with some musicians that were like, hey, you should 110 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,479 Speaker 3: actually check out you know, this jazz lineage, because up 111 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 3: until then, it was like you know, I wasn't listening 112 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 3: to jazz. My family didn't listen to jazz. My dad 113 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,160 Speaker 3: listened to like R and B soul music. But when 114 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 3: I got to college and I actually started studying with 115 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:22,479 Speaker 3: an incredible trumpet player from New Orleans named Kenyata Beasley, 116 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 3: he was the one that was like, look, if you 117 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,240 Speaker 3: want to play this instrument, these are. 118 00:06:27,160 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 2: The guys that you have to check out. 119 00:06:28,640 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 3: You have to check out Louis Armstrong, you have to 120 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 3: check out Freddy Hubbard. And when I started listening to them, 121 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 3: it was mind blowing because you know, for me, as 122 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,440 Speaker 3: somebody who was in love with the sounds of gospel, 123 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 3: the sounds of soul music, to hear guys playing the 124 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 3: instrument that way, it was absolutely mind blowing. And eventually 125 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 3: I was led to who I would argue is my 126 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 3: biggest hero on the instrument, Roy Hargrove. And Roy Hargrove 127 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 3: I think spoke to me when I heard him play, 128 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:00,800 Speaker 3: because I could tell immediately that he was all also 129 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 3: coming from this gospel tradition, but he was so rooted 130 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 3: in the lineage of jazz, and I just wanted to 131 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 3: do what he was doing, both on the trumpet but 132 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 3: also I love that he he didn't just play jazz. 133 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 3: He was you know, his music kind of had this 134 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:22,000 Speaker 3: R and B flavor to it. He was featured on 135 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 3: you know, di'angelo records, John Mayer records, and I was like, 136 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 3: man like, I want to be like that guy when 137 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,040 Speaker 3: I grow up. But but yeah, it took me a 138 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 3: little longer to get steeped into the real lineage of 139 00:07:34,600 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 3: the trumpet, and I think that early on that led 140 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 3: to some insecurity. You know, there were people that were 141 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 3: listening to you know, Freddi Hubbard and transcribing solos when 142 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,240 Speaker 3: they're fourteen or fifteen years old, or hearing stories of 143 00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 3: Wynn and Marcelis like, you know, being able to play 144 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 3: all this stuff at the age of sixteen. I'm like, 145 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 3: man like, I had just found out who Lee Morgan was, 146 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 3: and I'm like nineteen twenty years old. But eventually, I 147 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 3: think it just kind of encouraged me to get to 148 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: the point where, you know, those musicians in that tradition 149 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 3: respected what I was doing. So I really kind of 150 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 3: dove into that lineage when I was in college, if 151 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 3: that makes sense. 152 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: You've been part of the Late Show House band since 153 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: I think day one right twenty fifteen, playing alongside John 154 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:25,680 Speaker 1: Baptiste and now Lewis Cato night after night. As I 155 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: said before we started the interview, I said, I see 156 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:32,520 Speaker 1: you every day, you know, and here you are. What 157 00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: does that kind of sustained a high wire performance teach 158 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: you that you can't learn anywhere else. 159 00:08:43,160 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 3: I think being a part of the band at the 160 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 3: Late Show for the past ten years has been an 161 00:08:53,080 --> 00:08:56,559 Speaker 3: incredible experience. It's really hard to describe. It's like every 162 00:08:56,640 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 3: day we're playing different music. Every day. You have to 163 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:08,880 Speaker 3: internalize music very quickly. It's been this massive study in performance, 164 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 3: not just with what we're doing, but watching Steven every 165 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 3: night and his team put that show together and how 166 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 3: he presents it both to the audience in the room 167 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 3: but also to the audience on TV. But I think 168 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:23,440 Speaker 3: the thing that I've learned that I would say I 169 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,840 Speaker 3: could not have learned, or anybody could really not learn 170 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 3: anywhere else, is how to internalize music incredibly quickly. And 171 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 3: notice that I'm not saying memorize, because I think memorizing 172 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 3: music and internalizing music are two very different things. I 173 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:44,160 Speaker 3: think it's like one day we will have to learn 174 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,400 Speaker 3: a specific song to walk on Michelle Obama and the 175 00:09:47,440 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 3: next day we'll have to learn a set of music 176 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 3: that we're playing with James Taylor, And it's like, you 177 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 3: only have so much space in the docket. So the 178 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 3: key is being able to internalize and learn that music 179 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:05,719 Speaker 3: kind of as quickly and as deeply as possible. And 180 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 3: I think the longer that I was over there, the 181 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 3: better I got at that. And we kind of all 182 00:10:10,160 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 3: talk about this in the band, how much quicker now 183 00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 3: we can learn music because of our experience there. I 184 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,120 Speaker 3: think that that's that's kind of the thing that is 185 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:23,959 Speaker 3: that happened over there that I don't think would happen 186 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:24,679 Speaker 3: anywhere else. 187 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 2: But also, I. 188 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 3: Mean there's so many non music things that we've learned 189 00:10:30,440 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 3: over there. I think one of the big things that 190 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 3: I've learned over there is how to listen, both you know, 191 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 3: within the bandstand in an environment where there's cameras, where 192 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 3: there's an audience, but also again watching Steven interview hundreds 193 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 3: of hundreds of people over the years and just watching 194 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 3: the way that he's listening. You know, there's an agenda 195 00:10:49,760 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 3: that he's there to promote, but also if somebody says something, 196 00:10:53,320 --> 00:10:55,760 Speaker 3: he'll grab that and that will lead to a conversation, 197 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 3: and it's just like that type of listening is a 198 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 3: very deep thing and apple to you know, our world 199 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 3: as musicians. So I think I've learned a lot of 200 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 3: that as well. 201 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: So you're at an interesting crossroads here with the show 202 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: soon coming to an end unfortunately, and you've got new 203 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: music out as well. That's obviously something that I want 204 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: you to talk about and how proud you are of it. 205 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:27,560 Speaker 1: Talk about the new work and talk about this crossroads moment. 206 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, So it is, you know, very surreal that this 207 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 3: thing that has been kind of the centerpiece of my 208 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 3: musical world is coming to an end. But it's also 209 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 3: you know, giving me a lot of time to focus 210 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 3: on some of my own music. I've been very you know, 211 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,160 Speaker 3: fortunate to have a career where I've been at the 212 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 3: Late Show. I've been playing with this band Oar for 213 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 3: fifteen years. I've gotten to do some work with Lake 214 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:00,920 Speaker 3: Street Dive. I've been able to be a part of 215 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 3: a lot of really amazing bands and artists projects. Co 216 00:12:05,600 --> 00:12:08,319 Speaker 3: founded a kind of jazz funk project called hundred Tones. 217 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 3: But specifically, over the last three years, I've been focusing 218 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:12,800 Speaker 3: on writing my own music. 219 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,160 Speaker 2: Not just as a trumpet player, but also as a singer. 220 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 3: And I think that I'm really, really, really proud of 221 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 3: this album notes to self because I am kind of 222 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:29,400 Speaker 3: exploring different ways to make sounds, to try to amalgamate 223 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 3: all of the sounds that I'm hearing in my head, 224 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 3: all the different music that I like to listen to, 225 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 3: but also just it's my first fab really, you know, 226 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:41,320 Speaker 3: putting myself out there as a songwriter. And you know, 227 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 3: I've let a lot of my friends listen to the 228 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:47,080 Speaker 3: music that I look up to as songwriters and against 229 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:50,959 Speaker 3: a very vulnerable thing as like an instrumentalist primarily, and 230 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 3: everybody's like, man like a like you sound pretty good 231 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:56,800 Speaker 3: as a singer, and be like, we didn't know you were, 232 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 3: you know, writing songs like this, And that makes me 233 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 3: really happy that the people that I respect as artists, 234 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 3: you know, are saying that this work is cool and 235 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:07,920 Speaker 3: that it's meaningful. But at the end of the day, 236 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 3: I'm proud of this because I think it's a very 237 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,800 Speaker 3: honest reflection of where I'm at, and in the next 238 00:13:12,840 --> 00:13:15,719 Speaker 3: phase of my career, I kind of want my own 239 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,000 Speaker 3: artistry to be a bigger part of it. So I'm really, 240 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 3: I'm looking forward to people hearing it and kind of 241 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 3: deciding what they think of the music. 242 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: Music sounds unbelievable and appreciate that. 243 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 4: We'll be right back with more of the Taking a 244 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 4: Walk Podcast. Welcome back to the Taking a Walk Podcast. 245 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: You've been in rooms with some of the greatest musicians alive, 246 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:49,240 Speaker 1: not just your bandmates who are unbelievable musicians, but people 247 00:13:49,280 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: like Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon and Billy Joel. Is 248 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:57,319 Speaker 1: there a moment from one of those collaborations that literally 249 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 1: stopped you in your track and reminded you how remarkable 250 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: life is? 251 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 3: I mean, there are many, There are many, but the 252 00:14:09,960 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 3: one that I will give is. 253 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:13,679 Speaker 2: Stevie Wonder. 254 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 3: I think has been a north star of mine from 255 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 3: very early on. Like I said, you know, grew up 256 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 3: listening to gospel music. My dad listened to a lot 257 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 3: of R and B and soul. And I picked up 258 00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 3: a CD when I was probably in ninth or tenth 259 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 3: grade and it was just like the Greatest Hits type 260 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 3: CD of Stevie Wonders, and I remember just be like, 261 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 3: how can all of this music come out of one 262 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 3: human being? 263 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 2: And then the older I got, the deeper. 264 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 3: I got into his discography, and just his music is 265 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 3: brilliant to me because it's virtuosic without sacrificing humanity. And 266 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:54,880 Speaker 3: also as a songwriter, I think he found a way 267 00:14:54,920 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 3: to speak to universal, universal issues of love, of you know, 268 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 3: pro test of the black experience of you know, unity 269 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 3: in a. 270 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 2: Way that everybody loved. And I've always loved his music. 271 00:15:07,520 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 3: And in twenty sixteen, he was interviewed on the show, 272 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 3: and he got up from the interview and came over 273 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 3: to the bandstand and sat at the piano and we 274 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 3: got to play his song Don't You Worry About a 275 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 3: Thing with him? And to be somebody that has revered 276 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,280 Speaker 3: Stevie my whole life and to have him just sitting 277 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 3: there right next to me on the piano while we're 278 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:34,400 Speaker 3: playing one of his songs, it's like. 279 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 2: It was exactly what you said. 280 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 3: One of these moments that it's just like, oh my god, 281 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 3: I'm so grateful and I can't believe that this is 282 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 3: my life, you know. And I've genuinely just every day 283 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:52,960 Speaker 3: I try to take a second and practice gratitude because 284 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 3: I feel like I've had a lot of moments like 285 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 3: that at various junctures, you know, like you said, like 286 00:15:57,480 --> 00:15:59,480 Speaker 3: getting to do that with Paul Simon or somebody like 287 00:15:59,520 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 3: thunder Cat, or literally the other day getting to sing 288 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:05,440 Speaker 3: background vocals with James Taylor, and I'm like, man, I'm 289 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 3: a kid from Talma, j Ohio, you know what I mean. 290 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 3: There's no way that I feel like this is what 291 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,280 Speaker 3: I could have imagined my life being. So I'm extremely 292 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 3: grateful for that experience, all of those experiences. But yeah, 293 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 3: the Stevie Wonder one took me like a full two 294 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 3: weeks to even realize that that had even happened. 295 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 2: You know, it's surreal. 296 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: Did you go back and watch it? 297 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:26,760 Speaker 2: Oh? 298 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, I like that night even watching it, it's like 299 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 3: you're it's like the type of thing where you watch 300 00:16:31,560 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 3: it and you're like, there's no way that's me. You know, 301 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 3: that's like somebody else on stage with Stevie Wonder. But 302 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 3: it's it's it's very very surreal to have those moments, 303 00:16:40,960 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 3: you know, it just I don't know, I feel like, 304 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:45,480 Speaker 3: I mean, at this point, I was almost ten years 305 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:46,680 Speaker 3: ago and it still really hasn't. 306 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 2: When I say it out loud, it's like, yeah, man, 307 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,720 Speaker 2: you got to play with Stevie it's like what you know. 308 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: Just hasn't really sunk in Bill, It's still it's wild, 309 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:00,560 Speaker 1: and describe what it's been like being inside theater. 310 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:08,919 Speaker 3: I think that there are places that hold the weight of, 311 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,040 Speaker 3: you know, so much history, whether it be you know, 312 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:16,800 Speaker 3: for some people, maybe it's like a baseball stadium like Fenway, 313 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 3: or you know, a venue like Madison Square Garden, and 314 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:25,880 Speaker 3: the Ed Sullivan Theater is certainly one of those venues. 315 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,200 Speaker 3: You know, this is a theater that kind of carries 316 00:17:28,760 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 3: this deep, rich tradition of late night television, not just 317 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 3: as we know it now, but like literally you think 318 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 3: about somebody like Ed Sullivan who had some of the 319 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 3: legendary entertainers on this show, and then you know Letterman 320 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 3: who carried on that tradition, and then Steven who's carried 321 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 3: on that tradition, and you know, you think about the 322 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 3: epic moment of the Beatles with the women screaming, and 323 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 3: you're like, this is the theater that I play in 324 00:17:52,640 --> 00:17:56,719 Speaker 3: every single day. And when we're in there doing the show, 325 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,320 Speaker 3: it's like you can feel the ghost, for lack of 326 00:18:01,359 --> 00:18:06,040 Speaker 3: a better word, of that history in there when we're 327 00:18:06,080 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 3: making music and when we're creating, and I think that 328 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,520 Speaker 3: it's something that I really try not to take for granted. 329 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 3: You know, it's getting to be a part of kind 330 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 3: of the lineage of entertainment in American history, really world history. 331 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 3: And when I think about the show any that's one 332 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 3: of the things that makes me the saddest. 333 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 2: You know. 334 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:28,640 Speaker 3: It's like, you know, obviously it's going to be sad 335 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:30,880 Speaker 3: to not do the show with Steven and this incredible 336 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:33,680 Speaker 3: band as an incredible team. But it's like thinking about 337 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 3: that theater being empty is just very surreal when you 338 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 3: think about all of the things that have happened there. 339 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:45,720 Speaker 3: So I think I'm just very grateful to have spent 340 00:18:45,800 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 3: the amount of time creating in that theater. And yeah, 341 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 3: it's also really weird that a place like that becomes familiar, 342 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 3: you know, you know, I like kind of like just 343 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,680 Speaker 3: we rehearse there every other day. It's like I'm just 344 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 3: hanging out. Sometimes you got to be like, no, man, 345 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 3: this isn't normal. Like this is like the Ed Sullivan 346 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 3: Theater named after Ed Sullivan, who like your parents and 347 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,199 Speaker 3: your grandparents like grew up on and you've gotten to 348 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:13,960 Speaker 3: hang out in here for the last ten years. So 349 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 3: it's again, I just I've tried really hard not to 350 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,399 Speaker 3: take that for granted, and especially in these last couple 351 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 3: of months that we're there, it's like every day, I 352 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 3: just every day before I go down stage, I try 353 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 3: to like touch the wall and it's just a reminder 354 00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:30,200 Speaker 3: that it's like, yeah, man, like you are in here 355 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 3: and this is real, and like, do not take that 356 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 3: for granted. 357 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,560 Speaker 1: And the Ed Sullivan story, which I didn't know to 358 00:19:40,680 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: the depth that I did from watching the recent documentary 359 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 1: on how he was such a champion of you know, 360 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,280 Speaker 1: just endless array of artists, yes, you know, black artists, 361 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: and just really he broke the mold really when it 362 00:19:56,720 --> 00:19:59,680 Speaker 1: comes down to it, which a lot of people don't 363 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 1: think of Ed Sullivan that way, right. 364 00:20:02,560 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 3: I Mean it's funny because you know, the technically when 365 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 3: you watched the Emmys, the technical term for a lot 366 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 3: of these shows is like a variety show. And when 367 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 3: you think about the Ed Sullivan Show, it was like 368 00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 3: actually a variety show. You know, there were bands, but 369 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:21,920 Speaker 3: there were dancers, there were actors that would do all 370 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 3: different sorts of things. And you know, imagine if you're 371 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 3: if you're you know, you get home, you're tuning in 372 00:20:28,040 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 3: to the Ed Sollivan. 373 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:30,639 Speaker 2: Show, you knew to it. 374 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 3: You came to expect something that would blow your mind 375 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 3: and you'd learn something new. And I think that that's 376 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 3: a really wonderful tradition. And again I give a lot 377 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,679 Speaker 3: of credit to Steven, who is you know, taken on 378 00:20:44,800 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 3: that mantle and in his own way, really explored a 379 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:53,280 Speaker 3: wide array of topics across comedy but also across you know, 380 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:56,479 Speaker 3: interviewing the various guests and featuring different types of artists 381 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:00,399 Speaker 3: on the show. But yeah, Ed Slivan truly was aoneer 382 00:21:00,400 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 3: in that way. 383 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 1: So since we do call this podcast taking a walk. 384 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,640 Speaker 1: In closing, John Lampley, is there someone that you would 385 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: like to take a walk with if you could just 386 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:14,639 Speaker 1: suspend belief, living or dead, Who would you take a 387 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,119 Speaker 1: walk with him? Where would you take that walk with him? 388 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 2: Oh? 389 00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:22,400 Speaker 3: Wow, what a wonderful question. I feel like we could 390 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,760 Speaker 3: do a whole separate podcast. 391 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 2: On that alone. 392 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 3: Right, If I could take a walk with somebody, I 393 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:33,639 Speaker 3: would take a walk with Lewis Armstrong, who I believe 394 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:37,399 Speaker 3: is the greatest not just trumpet player. I think he 395 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:41,640 Speaker 3: is the greatest entertainer of all time. And obviously I'm 396 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:45,400 Speaker 3: a trumpet player, so I'm biased, but I would take 397 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 3: a walk with him around Prospect Park, which, for those 398 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 3: who don't know, is kind of the Brooklyn version of 399 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,400 Speaker 3: Central Park, if you will. And being a Brooklyn night 400 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 3: the entire time that I've been in New York, it's 401 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 3: kind of because I'm a place that's very comforting to me, 402 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 3: and i'd love to walk with Pops around that park 403 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:09,919 Speaker 3: and just you know, ask him for advice, not just 404 00:22:09,960 --> 00:22:13,159 Speaker 3: on trumpet, but on you know, being an artist, but 405 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,200 Speaker 3: also I think I just asked him story. I'd love 406 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 3: to hear him tell stories, you know, just over an 407 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 3: incredibly prolific and wide ranging career. I would love to 408 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 3: just kind of hear him talk about what he experienced 409 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,560 Speaker 3: and you know, in that voice that we have all 410 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 3: come to love. So I think that would be the 411 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 3: person I would love to take a walk with on 412 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 3: you know, a nice sunny day in Brooklyn, New York. 413 00:22:40,920 --> 00:22:43,240 Speaker 1: That'd be pretty amazing. And I'm gonna throw a plug 414 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: in for the Lewis Armstrong Museum and the house there, 415 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: which is an incredible take, especially with all the great 416 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: audio as you walk through there, but you feel like 417 00:22:56,119 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: Pops is actually there, but I'd love to be a 418 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 1: fly on the wall with that. John Lampley, congrats on 419 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,120 Speaker 1: Notes to Self. You have an open invite to come 420 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: back anytime on the Taking a Walk Podcast. Thank you 421 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:12,880 Speaker 1: for all the joy that you continue to give us, 422 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:15,639 Speaker 1: and thanks for being on Taking a Walk. 423 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 2: Buzz Thank you so much for having me. I really 424 00:23:18,040 --> 00:23:18,800 Speaker 2: appreciate it. 425 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:22,879 Speaker 1: I'm Buzznight, and thanks for listening to the Taking a 426 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: Walk Podcast. Now, please check out our companion podcasts produced 427 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:31,880 Speaker 1: by Buzznight Media Productions with your host Lynn Hoffman. Music 428 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:35,960 Speaker 1: Save Me showcasing the healing power of music, and comedy 429 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:39,359 Speaker 1: Save Me shining a light on how laughter is the 430 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:44,920 Speaker 1: best medicine. All shows are available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify 431 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: and are part of the iHeart podcast network.