The John Batdorf Interview

The success of Batdorf and Rodney was a confluence of factors. They came of age during free form radio. You might here The Flying Burrito Brothers followed by Cannonball followed by Buck Owens.

The jam circuit was alive and well for these seasoned woodsheders. They could go coast to coast have a week or more engagement building indigenous fan bases because you were in such close proximity to the band. Along the way they ran into other musicians that influenced their sound and maybe even joined the band.

Record companies had cats like Ahmad Ertegan who saw a place in the enclosing record industry for this acoustic electric duo. Let's get me down with the swampers in a Muscle Shoals with Barry Beckett playing vibes. Or back to LA with the likes of Jon Barbata Russ Kunkel and Brent Mydland heating up and cooling down all in sync.

These cats weren't playing Lydian scales rather honky blues lighting up movie theaters, playhouses and college campuses.

In these times of electronic music one way of coming back to a middle ground is by playing acoustic guitar, with great output but little amplification. The messages are relayed in stories unpackaged or uncorked slowly discriminating into danceable music.

Still doing it after 4 decades John Batdorf welcome to the JFS....