The John Medeski & Tisziji Munoz Interview

*w/ special guest Will Duncan

The cycle of birth and death. Who are you born to, what kind of family is it? Is it love or hate or both.

Love and Hate, Fear and Insecurity, Stone Genius one step forward 3 back 2 sideways. I'm Grateful for it all.

I'm grateful to be surrounded by people today who feel the emotions that drive the cycle of life and death. My guests today have been preparing themselves for peace in different ways. It could be through silent retreat for three years on a Mountain of Diamonds, it could be the resiliency of a Kid from NYC who was dreaming and connecting with his multi-dimensional self at as early as 5 years old- a prodigy drummer who hung in those parks in the Bronx banging the drum all day as the side paneling all fell off and he could find his true nature. He saw the worst of the human animal and became a beacon of light, inspiration  and perspective without the need for adulation.

It could be a renaissance musician who was partially responsible for the rebirths  and reincarnation of improvisational melodic soul in an acoustic trio setting. Playing old barns like The Sommerville Theatre or the Middle East with Ra-Kalamazoo Bob Moses playing free spirited music connecting with his multi-dimensional self. This host used to refer to it as "out of body" but in the cycle of birth and death you either check out or live.

You know you are alive if you feel pain when you are hurt or are the hurter. You know your alive When you have people floating in a see of liquid acid spinning wheels in a circus of sound in Maine and Vermont and Kentucky where the finest bourbon is made to numb you from being alive.

Because being alive means you have to accept who you are. As we have seen with icons they can toe that line of invincibility and than succumb to the lashings of public castration for secrets they may or may not have been hiding for years.

We are not infallible creatures which is why I have convened this panel. How to access your multi-dimensional being us essential to peace or getting as close to peace as you can. My show is about elevating the truths of leadership, how to love and not just be loved, when does the heart speak for itself, in my mind its when life is put in perspective by natural events it could be addiction, it could be the falling apart and repair of a ill fated trip, it could be the dissolution of a partnership or fatherhood.

My guests today have lived musical lives trying to balance between the elevated state of magic and the perfunctory realization of coming off the road to clean up dog droppings in the backyard. You are told over and over how good you are, how spiritual you are, how patient you are how do you do that?

The questions become exhausting because any multi-dimensional being knows they are struggling with the balance and need mentors to get closer to peace. To be satisfied with feelings and getting together to play when it feels right, play in a group and listen to each other, play melodies of the song that the bass and drums and guitar and piano or VOX organ can dance around that and begin to feel peace.

So much is promised very little is guaranteed. One guarantee is that I live for moments like this. Where we can celebrate getting closer to the truth while were putting in time on planet earth.

Tisziji Munoz, John Medeski and Will Duncan welcome to the JFS.