WEBVTT - Captain Kirk Douglas 0:00:15.476 --> 0:00:22.876 Pushkin. Captain Kirk Douglas is the longtime guitarist for The 0:00:22.956 --> 0:00:26.196 Roots and someone I've always considered to be their secret weapon. 0:00:27.036 --> 0:00:29.196 Kirk started playing with The Roots in two thousand and three, 0:00:29.356 --> 0:00:31.996 just as their guitar driven hit song The Seed was 0:00:32.076 --> 0:00:35.476 taken off. Over twenty one years, he's seen the group 0:00:35.516 --> 0:00:37.836 evolve from a touring act to anchor it around the 0:00:37.876 --> 0:00:41.116 Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, to having their own successful 0:00:41.156 --> 0:00:45.516 festival in Philly, all the while continuing for the most part, 0:00:45.556 --> 0:00:48.516 at least, to record albums for themselves and for others. 0:00:49.356 --> 0:00:52.556 Between the band's many commitments, and there are many, Kirk 0:00:52.596 --> 0:00:55.556 has also found time to record a solo project under 0:00:55.556 --> 0:00:59.716 the name hundred Wattheart. His most recent offering, New Unknown, 0:01:00.036 --> 0:01:02.316 was recorded in the basement of his childhood home on 0:01:02.356 --> 0:01:04.396 Long Island, where he first fell in love with the 0:01:04.476 --> 0:01:08.196 music of Van Halen, Hendrix, Sling, the Family Stone and 0:01:08.316 --> 0:01:12.676 so many others discussed in this episode on Today's Broken Record, 0:01:12.756 --> 0:01:14.836 I talked with Captain Kirk from the Roots Green Room 0:01:14.836 --> 0:01:17.316 in thirty Rock about the seductive pole he felt as 0:01:17.356 --> 0:01:19.716 a little kid seeing electric guitars on the cover of 0:01:19.756 --> 0:01:22.956 an old Kiss album. He also reminisces about his early 0:01:23.036 --> 0:01:25.516 days gigging around New York City in the nineties while 0:01:25.556 --> 0:01:29.436 working as a preschool teacher, and he recalls the elation 0:01:29.636 --> 0:01:31.716 he felt when Prince played one of his guitars on 0:01:31.756 --> 0:01:34.676 This Night Show, only to smash it on stage at 0:01:34.716 --> 0:01:41.196 the end of his performance. This is broken record liner 0:01:41.236 --> 0:01:44.916 notes for the digital age. I'm justin Mitchman. Here's my 0:01:44.956 --> 0:01:49.676 conversation with Captain Kirk Douglas of the Roots. This is 0:01:50.356 --> 0:01:52.196 the third place we were set to do this. This 0:01:52.236 --> 0:01:53.676 is amazing. I'm glad it worked. 0:01:53.436 --> 0:01:54.876 Out as am I. 0:01:54.876 --> 0:01:58.556 I'm so grateful to you for engineering this as well. 0:01:58.916 --> 0:02:00.036 I'm impressed with myself. 0:02:00.076 --> 0:02:03.236 I have to say, just because you know, there was 0:02:03.276 --> 0:02:07.876 a time when I was learning ableton and it took 0:02:07.876 --> 0:02:09.676 a while for me to like learn how to how 0:02:09.676 --> 0:02:12.596 to do it. And I was sort of forced to 0:02:12.716 --> 0:02:17.556 learn how to develop my skills with self recording because 0:02:17.556 --> 0:02:22.436 of the pandemic, because when doing things for the Tonight Show, 0:02:22.516 --> 0:02:24.836 we all had to do it from home. I was 0:02:24.916 --> 0:02:27.396 dabbling with it self recording at the time, and then 0:02:27.476 --> 0:02:30.916 once it once we went to lockdown, is like, okay, 0:02:31.476 --> 0:02:33.636 we're on, you're on. You have to figure this out, 0:02:33.756 --> 0:02:36.316 and you know, not just recording, but just how to 0:02:36.396 --> 0:02:40.556 send files, how to sync files up, you. 0:02:40.476 --> 0:02:42.836 Know, how to match video with audio. 0:02:43.516 --> 0:02:47.956 And it wound up enabling me to you know, develop 0:02:47.996 --> 0:02:50.756 a little new skill set just and then be able 0:02:50.796 --> 0:02:54.156 to record myself, send things in for the tonight show. 0:02:54.636 --> 0:02:57.516 And then when I had some extra time to record 0:02:57.556 --> 0:03:01.196 my own music too. So it and then when I'm 0:03:01.196 --> 0:03:02.996 not recording, then I go into life and I kind 0:03:02.996 --> 0:03:05.076 of forget that I'm able to do this. So moments 0:03:05.116 --> 0:03:06.796 like these where you're like, I don't have an engineer 0:03:07.116 --> 0:03:09.636 like three years ago, I'd be like, I guess we're 0:03:09.676 --> 0:03:10.756 just not doing this anymore. 0:03:10.836 --> 0:03:16.556 We're talking to each other micro Yeah, my iPhone's good, right, yeah. 0:03:16.636 --> 0:03:18.716 So yeah, it's always cool to learn a new thing. 0:03:18.916 --> 0:03:23.276 Absolutely so, even in your musical life, you weren't necessarily 0:03:23.876 --> 0:03:26.916 recording at home to pro tools or able to in 0:03:27.836 --> 0:03:30.716 or doing home recordings in that way previously. 0:03:30.876 --> 0:03:34.756 No, because well, let's set the stage, you know. 0:03:35.356 --> 0:03:39.396 So we are at thirty Rockbell Center, and we are 0:03:39.756 --> 0:03:44.716 in the rehearsal room slash recording room slash dressing room 0:03:45.516 --> 0:03:49.836 for the roots. This room serves many purposes, but pre 0:03:49.836 --> 0:03:52.956 recorded music that you hear on The Tonight Show is 0:03:53.676 --> 0:03:57.276 birthed here in this room. A lot of recordings that 0:03:57.316 --> 0:04:02.956 wind up on Roots albums from how We Got. 0:04:02.796 --> 0:04:06.596 Over forward We're recorded. A lot of that stuff's recorded 0:04:06.596 --> 0:04:08.516 in this room. Why is Up? Ghost? 0:04:09.276 --> 0:04:11.996 With Elvis Costello? A lot of that stuff was recorded 0:04:12.076 --> 0:04:16.196 in this room. A lot of the collaborations that take 0:04:16.236 --> 0:04:19.916 place with the Roots and fellow artists, the rehearsals for 0:04:20.236 --> 0:04:23.636 such collaborations take place in this room. So check Korea, 0:04:23.796 --> 0:04:27.156 has you know been in this seat? You know, Herbie 0:04:27.196 --> 0:04:29.716 Hancock has been in the seat that you're sitting in. 0:04:30.716 --> 0:04:36.356 Steven Tyler, Oh my goodness, George Benson, Steve Lucather, Oh man, 0:04:37.476 --> 0:04:39.836 what's so fun about moments like that? This room is 0:04:39.836 --> 0:04:43.796 so small and a lot of legends have been in 0:04:43.836 --> 0:04:45.836 this room. Yeah, that's always fun. 0:04:46.356 --> 0:04:48.876 When you guys got the Tonight Show gig right and 0:04:48.956 --> 0:04:51.356 you got sort of working with Fallon, Was this your 0:04:51.436 --> 0:04:53.276 room or did you did you have this initially? 0:04:53.676 --> 0:04:56.076 Yeah, this has been our room since we did Late 0:04:56.156 --> 0:05:00.396 Night with Jimmy fallonk and so for fifteen years essentially. 0:05:00.476 --> 0:05:00.796 Wow. 0:05:01.196 --> 0:05:03.116 Yeah, we got in and we're like, damn, this room 0:05:03.156 --> 0:05:05.556 is small and They're like, oh well, Conan's band's room 0:05:05.636 --> 0:05:08.996 was even smaller. So they're like, okay, good enough for me. 0:05:09.116 --> 0:05:11.436 Max Weinberg the mix Warnberg seven getting. 0:05:11.196 --> 0:05:11.516 Up for us? 0:05:11.596 --> 0:05:14.276 Yeah yeah, yeah, go up for Max and Jimmy Lavina. 0:05:14.116 --> 0:05:16.436 Yeah yeah yeah. Shout out to them. 0:05:16.676 --> 0:05:19.276 They're amazing. Did you guys do the John Legend album 0:05:19.356 --> 0:05:21.316 here too? The Wake Up? Some of that done? 0:05:21.356 --> 0:05:25.156 You know, we used a studio that was on forty 0:05:25.196 --> 0:05:25.676 eighth Street. 0:05:25.996 --> 0:05:28.876 Againness, the name escapes me, but back when forty eighth 0:05:28.876 --> 0:05:33.636 Street was kind of like a more music row street. 0:05:34.356 --> 0:05:37.316 But eventually, you know, after being you know, using a 0:05:37.316 --> 0:05:41.436 studio around the corner, I guess we realized, you know that, hey, 0:05:41.476 --> 0:05:46.196 we can make quality recordings here. You know, quest Love's 0:05:46.276 --> 0:05:49.356 drunk Ruth is right next to you over there. And 0:05:50.916 --> 0:05:54.676 from sitting in this spot and recording so much, and uh, 0:05:54.796 --> 0:05:58.036 seeing what Steve, our engineer, was doing, you know, I 0:05:58.076 --> 0:06:01.156 got to have a front road seat to you know, 0:06:01.196 --> 0:06:03.876 how to do recordings. And I asked him a lot 0:06:03.876 --> 0:06:07.276 of questions, much to his chagrin. Yeah, but he was 0:06:07.316 --> 0:06:12.076 often gracious enough to answer, and that also gave me 0:06:12.196 --> 0:06:15.036 the curiosity to say, oh, I wonder how you can 0:06:15.116 --> 0:06:17.556 record at home. And then I also you know, hearing 0:06:17.556 --> 0:06:21.116 a lot of things about records that you love and 0:06:21.316 --> 0:06:24.916 discovering that not all of them were done in. 0:06:24.916 --> 0:06:26.516 Big budget recording studios. 0:06:26.596 --> 0:06:30.876 And you know, the longer I live, the longer I 0:06:30.956 --> 0:06:34.556 listened to podcasts and read articles more I discover that, 0:06:34.716 --> 0:06:37.076 you know, some of my favorite records were done in 0:06:37.156 --> 0:06:41.156 a home environment. And you know, if you have a 0:06:41.196 --> 0:06:45.876 place that has a great vibe, you can you know, 0:06:45.956 --> 0:06:47.476 capture a lot of moments with that. 0:06:47.636 --> 0:06:47.876 Yeah. 0:06:48.316 --> 0:06:51.516 Yeah, So hundred watt Heart is project what would you 0:06:51.516 --> 0:06:53.116 call it? A project? A group of yours? 0:06:53.396 --> 0:06:55.556 Is it project? Slash group? 0:06:55.756 --> 0:06:58.356 It's music that I write and I perform it with 0:06:58.356 --> 0:07:01.996 a drummer, Rick Sheridan, who is in a band called 0:07:02.036 --> 0:07:06.116 Earl Greyhound previously, and he's just like a you know, 0:07:07.036 --> 0:07:10.996 good friend for law time since like the nineties cool 0:07:11.236 --> 0:07:14.116 and through his friendship, I learned a lot of music 0:07:14.196 --> 0:07:16.156 and you know, we would just sit around and listen 0:07:16.156 --> 0:07:19.516 to music, and he exposed me to music I'd never 0:07:19.516 --> 0:07:22.116 heard before. And it was around this time of meeting 0:07:22.196 --> 0:07:25.916 him that I was also discovering the roots. And I 0:07:25.956 --> 0:07:29.356 also during that time I held the roots in the 0:07:29.396 --> 0:07:34.156 same regard that I held so many groups that you know, 0:07:34.476 --> 0:07:37.276 are part of the fabric of music that we know 0:07:37.396 --> 0:07:41.956 and love, you know, earth Wind and Fires, the Funkadelics, 0:07:42.036 --> 0:07:45.436 just the classic soul groups, the Jackson Five, you know, 0:07:45.556 --> 0:07:48.676 I mean Stevie Wonder, Like I had literal mixtapes, you 0:07:48.716 --> 0:07:51.476 know that would have you know, the Roots on it, 0:07:51.676 --> 0:07:53.836 that would have Stevie on it, that would have Marvin 0:07:53.836 --> 0:07:54.276 Gay on it. 0:07:54.596 --> 0:07:56.596 Like, I don't know, I just saw them in the 0:07:56.636 --> 0:07:58.156 same echelon. 0:07:58.796 --> 0:08:00.756 Had you seen them live at that point? 0:08:01.596 --> 0:08:06.156 Yeah, yeah, I guess it was around ninety eight, no 0:08:06.516 --> 0:08:08.876 even earlier, maybe ninety seven when I first saw them 0:08:08.916 --> 0:08:12.916 live at the time. The guitar player Vernon Reid from 0:08:12.956 --> 0:08:18.076 Living Color. He was a huge influence on me, and 0:08:18.196 --> 0:08:19.996 I remember I got to meet him when I moved 0:08:19.996 --> 0:08:22.916 to Manhattan. I remember the day I was I was 0:08:23.716 --> 0:08:26.396 going to play with a drag queen named Head of Lettuce. 0:08:26.716 --> 0:08:28.956 That was my first gig getting paid in New York 0:08:28.956 --> 0:08:29.796 playing with the drag queen. 0:08:30.036 --> 0:08:33.236 It's a great name of Head of Lettuce, Head of 0:08:33.316 --> 0:08:33.556 let Us. 0:08:33.716 --> 0:08:36.396 Yeah, And I remember I was on my way to 0:08:36.396 --> 0:08:38.796 that gig at Don Hill's and I saw Vernon in 0:08:38.876 --> 0:08:41.756 the street and I'm like, yo, Vernon, I gotta play 0:08:41.756 --> 0:08:43.316 this gig. But later on tonight, I'm going to go 0:08:43.676 --> 0:08:46.556 see the Roots, and Verne's like, oh, I actually I'm 0:08:46.556 --> 0:08:50.436 playing with them tonight. So I saw him play with 0:08:50.476 --> 0:08:52.796 the Roots, and I remember watching them and just being like, wow, 0:08:52.836 --> 0:08:54.276 I would love to be in a band like this. 0:08:54.356 --> 0:08:56.076 And at the time, when I was playing with Head 0:08:56.076 --> 0:08:58.076 of Lettuce, that was the only gig I had. 0:08:58.116 --> 0:08:59.156 I was playing with a host. 0:08:59.196 --> 0:09:02.396 I played with like ten or eleven different bands back 0:09:02.436 --> 0:09:04.676 in the late nineties. 0:09:05.316 --> 0:09:06.436 But yeah, I saw them. 0:09:06.476 --> 0:09:09.116 They played five nights at the Knitting Factory, five nights straight, 0:09:09.156 --> 0:09:11.276 and I saw it like, I think three out of 0:09:11.316 --> 0:09:15.116 those nights because the tickets were fairly cheap at the time. 0:09:15.156 --> 0:09:17.036 I was a preschool teacher, but I could afford to 0:09:17.076 --> 0:09:19.196 see the Roots. It was cool to like see that 0:09:19.276 --> 0:09:20.956 up close, and I remember thinking like that would be 0:09:20.996 --> 0:09:23.116 I would love to be in a band like this. 0:09:23.236 --> 0:09:25.676 Yeah, you know, that's It's interesting that Vernon was playing 0:09:25.716 --> 0:09:27.116 with them at that time, and he must have just 0:09:27.116 --> 0:09:29.036 been sitting because they didn't really have a guitarist. 0:09:29.196 --> 0:09:29.676 Yeah he was. 0:09:29.836 --> 0:09:31.956 He was just sitting in with them. He wasn't it 0:09:32.036 --> 0:09:34.476 was not he was not a permanent member at all. 0:09:34.556 --> 0:09:35.796 How did Vernon sound with them? 0:09:36.036 --> 0:09:36.196 Uh? 0:09:36.916 --> 0:09:37.636 He did his thing. 0:09:37.676 --> 0:09:41.396 You know, It's like he was very much himself, very 0:09:41.476 --> 0:09:43.356 much Vernon Red, and it wasn't up for the whole time. 0:09:43.396 --> 0:09:44.756 I think they brought her up at like the end 0:09:44.756 --> 0:09:46.916 of the show. And at the time, you know, they 0:09:46.956 --> 0:09:53.876 had Rozelle Godfather Noise. He was there doing what he does, 0:09:54.156 --> 0:09:57.716 his his beat box box and so much more. They 0:09:57.756 --> 0:10:00.356 had started doing I guess, you know, their jam sessions 0:10:00.356 --> 0:10:02.836 at Black Lily, and I guess they were also doing Wetlands, 0:10:03.796 --> 0:10:06.916 but I somehow didn't see them at Wetlands, So there 0:10:06.996 --> 0:10:09.996 was always an element of you know, they weren't a 0:10:10.076 --> 0:10:13.156 jam band, but they were a band that jammed with people, 0:10:13.236 --> 0:10:14.676 So I guess essentially they were. 0:10:15.116 --> 0:10:17.196 Yeah, some of the best jams I've seen, by the way, 0:10:17.236 --> 0:10:21.276 and I've seen some great groups. You had jam, yeah, 0:10:21.276 --> 0:10:22.876 you know, but on some of the best jams I've 0:10:23.116 --> 0:10:24.756 seen is you with the Roots. 0:10:25.196 --> 0:10:25.556 Yeah. 0:10:25.636 --> 0:10:29.676 Well, when the Roots just started doing Late Night with 0:10:29.756 --> 0:10:32.196 Jimmy Fallon, you know, there was a lot of talk 0:10:32.236 --> 0:10:34.556 I guess about you know, really they're going to be 0:10:34.596 --> 0:10:38.516 on are they getting saw or they're selling out, and 0:10:38.636 --> 0:10:42.556 I guess our response to that was by having a 0:10:42.556 --> 0:10:45.076 weekly jam session at the High Line, which I believe 0:10:45.156 --> 0:10:50.036 is no longer there, and you know, people from Tom 0:10:50.116 --> 0:10:52.396 Morello would come and jam with us. Vernon definitely came 0:10:52.396 --> 0:10:55.916 and jammed with us and sat in Reverend Vince. You 0:10:56.076 --> 0:10:58.076 go on stage, you had no idea what was going 0:10:58.156 --> 0:11:01.796 to happen, like literally having no idea, just start playing 0:11:01.876 --> 0:11:05.796 and our manager, God Rest his soul. Rich Nichols would 0:11:05.836 --> 0:11:07.636 just be on the side of the stage making hand 0:11:07.676 --> 0:11:10.916 gestures to us, uh for what he wanted to hear 0:11:11.836 --> 0:11:14.596 coming out out of us musically, what really? 0:11:14.756 --> 0:11:16.196 Yeah, yeah, he do that, just. 0:11:16.116 --> 0:11:17.796 Like I don't know what this meant, but this is 0:11:17.796 --> 0:11:19.756 what he wanted to like, you know, I'm just I'm 0:11:19.796 --> 0:11:21.196 gesturing my hands up in the air, but. 0:11:21.196 --> 0:11:24.796 Almost like you're gestured almost like like bigger more Yeah, yeah, yeah, 0:11:24.836 --> 0:11:28.076 that's and that's what we aim to give him. 0:11:28.116 --> 0:11:31.676 You know, Rich has always loomed heavily as you know, 0:11:31.716 --> 0:11:35.956 a father figure to Amir and Tarik and then further 0:11:35.996 --> 0:11:37.716 down the line to the rest of us in the band, 0:11:37.836 --> 0:11:40.556 you know, and he's sort of you know, everybody that 0:11:40.596 --> 0:11:42.836 you see on that stage was sort of curated by 0:11:43.476 --> 0:11:44.196 Rich Nichols. 0:11:44.196 --> 0:11:45.756 You know, he's sort of the. 0:11:45.516 --> 0:11:48.796 Mastermind that brought a Mer and Tarique quest Love and 0:11:48.836 --> 0:11:51.516 Black Thought, brought them together and said, you guys have something, 0:11:51.556 --> 0:11:55.956 and cultivated that, nurtured that alongside with them. He was 0:11:55.996 --> 0:12:00.076 sort of like the uh, the unseen sort of producer 0:12:00.156 --> 0:12:03.356 behind so many of the Roots, all of the Roots albums. 0:12:03.396 --> 0:12:06.556 Really partially why I think it's you know, been taken 0:12:06.956 --> 0:12:09.116 such a long time to come up with the next 0:12:09.236 --> 0:12:11.476 Roots album because it would be the first one without 0:12:11.516 --> 0:12:15.876 Rich Nichols, and whatever the Roots puts out is, you know, 0:12:15.916 --> 0:12:19.036 we want it to be something that would be worthy 0:12:19.076 --> 0:12:20.036 of his legacy. 0:12:20.276 --> 0:12:21.876 Of his legacy. Yeah wow. 0:12:21.916 --> 0:12:24.956 So he's almost like the like a Yoda figure, like 0:12:25.036 --> 0:12:31.436 a paternal figure, a north Star of the Roots, like 0:12:31.476 --> 0:12:35.316 a George Martin if you will, you know, a fifth 0:12:35.356 --> 0:12:38.196 beadle too, you know, that one that's off stage, but 0:12:38.476 --> 0:12:43.476 one that whose presence, you know, he casts a bright 0:12:43.556 --> 0:12:45.076 shadow over the band. 0:12:45.196 --> 0:12:48.196 Yeah, any group that is together as long as the 0:12:48.236 --> 0:12:50.396 Roots have been, including the Roots with you as a 0:12:50.436 --> 0:12:53.716 part of the Roots, I guess you to survive, you 0:12:53.796 --> 0:12:57.036 have to learn the wather changes. But it is wild. 0:12:57.156 --> 0:13:00.036 As you're talking, I start to think about all the 0:13:00.116 --> 0:13:03.236 various iterations and and just the things that have kind 0:13:03.276 --> 0:13:07.836 of transpired, you know, from I guess you're joining the group, 0:13:09.196 --> 0:13:11.716 know Rozelle at some point to party not being a 0:13:11.756 --> 0:13:15.236 part of it, Rich passing the Tonight show like a 0:13:15.316 --> 0:13:19.396 Hubbard leaving, like just things that are like, at one 0:13:19.396 --> 0:13:22.156 point seemed foundational to the group, right, and you guys 0:13:22.156 --> 0:13:23.796 are able to navigate it. 0:13:23.916 --> 0:13:28.196 Yeah, yeah, I just think of doing a podcast right 0:13:28.196 --> 0:13:32.476 now in this building, you know, just it's like a university, 0:13:32.556 --> 0:13:36.156 you know, thirty Rock University, and the Roots is like, 0:13:36.356 --> 0:13:40.076 you know, we're all sort of students of that, and 0:13:40.476 --> 0:13:42.876 being a member of the Roots is like the Roots 0:13:42.916 --> 0:13:45.756 is a university in and of itself, you know, and 0:13:47.316 --> 0:13:52.996 just like listening to Questlove Supreme, just watching how other 0:13:53.156 --> 0:13:56.516 members of the band, you know, are able to pivot 0:13:57.036 --> 0:14:03.596 outside of the band and still you know, keep the 0:14:04.516 --> 0:14:07.036 band itself as something that you always come back to. 0:14:07.236 --> 0:14:09.236 You know, it doesn't have to be oh, well, you 0:14:09.236 --> 0:14:10.916 want to do a bunch of other things. You know, 0:14:10.956 --> 0:14:13.396 It's either that or be a member of the Roots. 0:14:13.396 --> 0:14:16.636 It's yeah, and you see that from you know, the 0:14:16.636 --> 0:14:19.876 core members that you know, just from reading you know, 0:14:20.556 --> 0:14:21.916 Black Thoughts latest book. 0:14:21.956 --> 0:14:24.396 You know, there's always so beautiful man. Yeah, it really 0:14:24.476 --> 0:14:25.596 blew me away when I read that. 0:14:25.836 --> 0:14:28.076 Yeah, fantastic and just I mean it only makes sense 0:14:28.076 --> 0:14:31.236 because he's a wordsmith, you know, in the booth and 0:14:31.276 --> 0:14:35.676 on record, so he lends that to you know, the 0:14:35.716 --> 0:14:38.756 page you know that we all can read. Yeah, just 0:14:38.836 --> 0:14:41.036 watching all that, it's like you have all of this 0:14:42.156 --> 0:14:44.356 information that if it's if you look at it like 0:14:44.396 --> 0:14:48.396 as a class, you know, you see this potential syllabus 0:14:48.436 --> 0:14:51.836 before you that you are able to ignore. 0:14:52.116 --> 0:14:54.476 But it's you're making best use of your. 0:14:54.356 --> 0:14:57.836 Time if you participate in it and if you use 0:14:57.916 --> 0:14:59.036 it all as inspiration. 0:14:59.356 --> 0:15:02.036 What did join in the Roots? How did that impact 0:15:02.036 --> 0:15:02.796 your guitar play? 0:15:04.156 --> 0:15:04.356 Well? 0:15:04.396 --> 0:15:07.396 At its most basic level, I think my timing just 0:15:08.116 --> 0:15:11.236 in terms of keeping time growing up, I always paid 0:15:11.276 --> 0:15:14.796 more attention I guess to leads and solos and stuff 0:15:14.836 --> 0:15:20.316 like that, and playing in the Roots just really reinforced 0:15:20.876 --> 0:15:26.116 the concept of pocket. And there's you know, no better 0:15:26.436 --> 0:15:31.276 drummer to develop that with on a stage in front 0:15:31.276 --> 0:15:33.236 of like a large group of people and in a 0:15:33.436 --> 0:15:39.356 recording situation than Questlove. Because he spent so much of 0:15:39.396 --> 0:15:45.196 his formative years with a metronn with classic records with breakbeats, 0:15:46.076 --> 0:15:50.916 hours and hours like the proverbial you know, ten thousand hours, 0:15:50.956 --> 0:15:54.876 like he logged them and then some And also when 0:15:55.156 --> 0:15:59.116 that was not happening, he spoke about it, you know, 0:15:59.196 --> 0:16:02.796 so you know, he'd call me out like yo, pull back, 0:16:02.876 --> 0:16:05.876 you know, like and then you know, you listen, you 0:16:05.916 --> 0:16:08.676 listen to the other players and you see how they're playing, 0:16:08.676 --> 0:16:11.436 and you're like, oh, I want to meld with everybody 0:16:11.516 --> 0:16:15.356 and to bring awareness to if you're not doing that. 0:16:15.796 --> 0:16:17.316 Is there anyone you could look to to sort of 0:16:17.316 --> 0:16:19.236 feel like, Okay, maybe if I just do something like 0:16:19.316 --> 0:16:21.636 this or if I approach it like the way this 0:16:21.676 --> 0:16:22.156 person did. 0:16:22.276 --> 0:16:26.836 Was there any well, the guitar players in James Brown group, 0:16:26.956 --> 0:16:27.196 you know. 0:16:28.756 --> 0:16:29.996 Catfish Fish. 0:16:31.356 --> 0:16:33.236 Yeah, yeah, Boots himself, you. 0:16:33.156 --> 0:16:35.676 Know, because he played a lot of guitar on all 0:16:35.676 --> 0:16:37.596 the Funkadelic records, but like a lot of the p 0:16:37.756 --> 0:16:39.236 funk I hear that. 0:16:39.116 --> 0:16:40.796 He did a lot more like well even just him 0:16:40.796 --> 0:16:43.236 playing drums on Flash Flag Yeah. 0:16:43.156 --> 0:16:47.596 Yeah, yeah, it's crazy stuff like that. But yeah, and 0:16:47.636 --> 0:16:51.596 then and then you know the concepts of everything being 0:16:51.636 --> 0:16:53.396 on the one with with p funk and. 0:16:53.436 --> 0:16:56.076 Just uh that unity of everything. 0:16:56.316 --> 0:16:56.756 Yeah. 0:16:56.916 --> 0:17:00.156 Yeah, coming down on the one absolutely. 0:16:59.996 --> 0:17:01.436 The Michael Jackson records. 0:17:01.476 --> 0:17:04.476 You know, the players like Steve Lucather, you know, like 0:17:04.556 --> 0:17:07.916 what he does on like human nature stuff that like 0:17:08.036 --> 0:17:11.796 really makes the song. Yeah, you know Andy Summers, you know, 0:17:12.036 --> 0:17:15.516 on every breath you take. These are guitar players that 0:17:15.596 --> 0:17:20.956 like play these like iconic parts that you're they just 0:17:21.116 --> 0:17:23.716 weave themselves in the song and become somewhat of a 0:17:23.796 --> 0:17:25.636 glue in music. 0:17:25.956 --> 0:17:28.516 And U's a really interesting point. Like you know, obviously 0:17:28.516 --> 0:17:32.276 like in Van Halen Eddie's driving thing, Yeah, but in 0:17:32.316 --> 0:17:36.596 Andy Summers has equally iconic guitar parts. And my view 0:17:37.156 --> 0:17:38.876 and ever thought about it, but it's really like serving 0:17:38.916 --> 0:17:39.356 the song. 0:17:39.716 --> 0:17:41.636 Yeah, that's at the end of the day, it's all 0:17:41.676 --> 0:17:43.556 about serving the song, serving the music. 0:17:43.676 --> 0:17:43.836 You know. 0:17:43.956 --> 0:17:48.076 That's everybody you know should have that mindset. When everybody 0:17:48.156 --> 0:17:50.556 has that mindset, the music elevates. 0:17:50.636 --> 0:17:52.876 Guitar players notoriously sometimes don't have. 0:17:52.876 --> 0:17:53.756 That mind Yeah. 0:17:53.876 --> 0:17:56.316 Yeah, I mean, and there's a time and place, I 0:17:56.316 --> 0:17:58.796 guess for everything. There's times to step out, of course, 0:17:58.916 --> 0:18:02.116 you know, and to shine of course. But you know, 0:18:02.516 --> 0:18:05.956 with the roots, it's like everybody like trying to create 0:18:05.996 --> 0:18:08.116 something that's greater than the sum of its parts. 0:18:08.196 --> 0:18:08.436 Yeah. 0:18:08.516 --> 0:18:13.196 Yeah, and the roots sort of like reinforced that concept, 0:18:14.116 --> 0:18:16.316 like watching p Funk like we'd be on the tour bus, 0:18:16.356 --> 0:18:20.116 like watching James Brown videos, watching Marvin and montro like 0:18:20.156 --> 0:18:22.116 and just like checking out what the band is doing 0:18:22.556 --> 0:18:24.476 and gaining inspiration from that. 0:18:24.756 --> 0:18:28.396 Wow. After a quick break, we'll be back with more 0:18:28.436 --> 0:18:35.876 of a conversation with Captain Kirk. We're back with more 0:18:35.916 --> 0:18:39.396 from Captain Kirk Douglas. When did you pick up the 0:18:39.436 --> 0:18:41.236 guitar and who were you starting to listen to and 0:18:41.236 --> 0:18:42.156 how did it all evolve? 0:18:42.476 --> 0:18:46.556 Oh? Well, I mean all right, I have Jamaican parents, okay, 0:18:46.676 --> 0:18:51.396 so I'll start with that, and they were their music 0:18:51.596 --> 0:18:55.316 was very prevalent in our household, and my dad was 0:18:55.316 --> 0:19:00.036 a record collector and avid record collector. He was an audiophile, 0:19:01.116 --> 0:19:05.276 so grew up with you know, Big Moran's Power Amp 0:19:05.356 --> 0:19:09.796 Moran's preamp Tenois speakers. I mean, I remember these Tenois 0:19:09.796 --> 0:19:13.636 speakers as you know, to my three year old body. 0:19:13.836 --> 0:19:17.676 These were monoliths that helped me learn how to stand. 0:19:18.396 --> 0:19:20.316 But not just learn how to stand, but sound came 0:19:20.316 --> 0:19:20.836 out of them. 0:19:20.956 --> 0:19:21.516 You know what I mean. 0:19:21.716 --> 0:19:24.796 And my first memories of music was like the song 0:19:24.916 --> 0:19:29.436 Daniel from Elton John and then in the same night 0:19:29.516 --> 0:19:36.596 hearing Easy by Commodores along with various you know, reggae songs. 0:19:36.916 --> 0:19:38.556 You know, my dad would have his friends come over 0:19:38.596 --> 0:19:39.756 and play music. 0:19:39.836 --> 0:19:41.996 With the reggae records. Where those have been records he 0:19:42.116 --> 0:19:44.476 knew from from Jamaica, Jamaica or did he would he 0:19:44.516 --> 0:19:45.156 pick them like he. 0:19:46.036 --> 0:19:48.836 Brought them over from Jamaica. I'm the only one in 0:19:48.836 --> 0:19:51.196 my family that was born in America. So they lived 0:19:51.236 --> 0:19:54.076 in Jamaica for a while and then they came to Brooklyn, 0:19:54.596 --> 0:19:56.716 and I was born in Brooklyn in seventy two and 0:19:56.756 --> 0:19:59.356 then but so yeah, when anytime he'd go to Jamaica, 0:19:59.436 --> 0:20:00.676 he'd come back with records. 0:20:00.676 --> 0:20:01.876 Do you have those records still? 0:20:01.996 --> 0:20:04.836 Absolutely? Yeah, Yeah, they're all out in Long Island. 0:20:04.876 --> 0:20:05.796 That's so cool. 0:20:06.516 --> 0:20:08.996 My mom is in the house that I grew up in. 0:20:09.476 --> 0:20:13.076 My dad's no longer around. He passed nine, but he 0:20:13.196 --> 0:20:17.436 left behind that same stereo system, those same speakers, those 0:20:17.436 --> 0:20:20.756 same records, And so that's what would happen during the week. 0:20:20.796 --> 0:20:23.156 But on Sundays, you know, Sunday was church day and 0:20:23.196 --> 0:20:24.956 it would all be all about classical music. 0:20:25.316 --> 0:20:25.476 You know. 0:20:25.556 --> 0:20:29.876 My brother, his name is Handel, named after the composer Handel, 0:20:30.476 --> 0:20:34.836