The Tom Constanten Interview

Where to begin with my guest today. Maybe in the Cosmos dwelling in a lab suit concocting a keyboard that allows Dave Brubeck and Darius Milhaud to reincarnate themselves in a bastion of Hammond Pedals that's Pigpen brought over from Novato.

My guest has written many chapters on his ride through life. He was at the forefront of what was then considered "New Music." He was one of the avant garde composers who was expanding sound sonically - not just playing but listening to Phil Lesh who he met while studying Astronomy @ University of Cal Berekley. He happened to settle in an area with the likes of Lesh, Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Guys who were writing classical charts while world music was spinning all around them.

My guests relationship with Lesh led to a stint with the Grateful Dead which was after he dropped Acid and developed music in Military IBM frame computers.

During his time with the Dead he helped craft three albums and played on the same bills as Country Joe and the Fish, Miles Davis, Carlos Santana....the Fillmore had 6am jam sessions led by Merl Saunders and Wes Montgomery was playing the Both And.

Science, Space, The known the unknown, the mind expansion of legal LSD and collaborations with The MIDI wizard Bob Bralove.

Oh my guest received his PHD in music from Harvard University, has been inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of fame and continues to teach music theory today. Currently in long Beach for a gig this evening Tom Constanten welcome to the JFS