By ERIC SCHELKOPF Chicago musician Chip Ratliff is dedicated to taking funk
and soul to new heights. He takes another step in that direction on
his new album "Resilient," his first full-length album in more than 10
years.
He will celebrate the release of the album by performing at 7 p.m. Aug. 26
at Shorefront Legacy Center, 2214 Ridge Ave., Evanston. There is a $20 donation. I had the chance to talk to him about the new album: Q – Great
talking to you. "Resilient" is your first full-length album release in
more than 10 years. Have you been writing these songs for a while? Was
this just the right time to release a new CD?
Thank you for having me! A lot of the tunes on “Resilient” are songs
that have been in the hopper for a while. A couple are brand new.
For
instance, the dance tune “DirtyBlu” was actually the first song I wrote
after Prince’s death. It was the first groove I played when I picked up
my bass.
After going through a lot of challenges the past few years, I really
felt that it was time to share my gifts and make sure I leave some kind
of legacy. I really felt it was time to put something out that reflected
my love of funk and my blues roots.
Q – Do you see the album as a natural progression from your last album, "Electric Chittlin' Stew"?
Not so much a natural progression from the last album, but more of a
natural progression for me personally and as an artist. When I did
“Electric Chittlin’ Stew” I felt the need to be everything to everybody,
which is why it has such a broad range of material: funk, R&B,
rock, Santana style Latin-rock… a little bit of everything, like a stew!
“Resilient,” on the other hand, is more of me having a great time being
me! I wanted to put together an album that if you came out to a Chip
Ratliff show, this is what you would hear.
Q – What would you like people to get out of the album? I understand that
the album's title refers to overcoming any obstacles and challenges in
one's way. Have you had to do that in your own musical career?
I’m hoping that it not only entertains, but also inspires. [I hope that
it] inspires people to keep moving forward, regardless of the obstacles
that are in front of them.
The title “Resilient” actually comes from
something one of my doctor’s said to me on a follow up visit. He said,
“Mr. Ratliff, you are one of the most resilient patients I have ever
seen!”
It is a testament to God and the strength that he gives me. As I
say in the title track, “The Creator is brilliant…through Him, I am
resilient!”
Q - You come from a musically rich family, including being the cousin of
Chicago blues singer and guitarist Lefty Dizz (I watched a YouTube video
of one of his shows at the Checkerboard Lounge and he put on quite an
energetic show), along with the fact that your grandfather, Herman
Ratliff Sr., played guitar in Memphis clubs with legends B.B. King and
Muddy Waters in the 1940s. Was it inevitable that you would become a
musician? What kind of support did you get from your family?
Yeah, entertainment is definitely in my DNA! I’ve actually been
entertaining all my life, in one way or another.
I was the kid who would
get up at the drop of a dime and do my spot-on Michael Jackson or Elvis
(yes…I was an Elvis fanatic!) impersonation for the entire family...or
whoever wanted to watch! I actually call myself the first Michael
Jackson impersonator!
But as for my family, yes, music and entertainers
were all around me. My uncle Fernando (Jones) and I would play our
instruments (me on bass, him on guitar) in his mom’s (my grandmother’s)
living room all day on Sunday afternoons!
His brother, my other uncle
Greg, would teach us songs that he liked. Then we would play them all
afternoon!
The only reason that no one stopped us was because we sounded
pretty good! So, yeah, it was pretty inevitable.
Q - You shared the stage with Lefty, along with your uncle, Fernando Jones,
Buddy Guy, Willie Dixon and others. What did you learn from playing with
musicians of this caliber? What advice did they give you?
Playing with those guys allowed me to sit at the feet of some of the
greatest musicians and performers of all time and learn! I learned about
showmanship, timing and, most of all, TO BE YOURSELF!
One of the best
pieces of advice I got was from Fernando. He said, in so many words,
that the way you make people remember you is to be yourself. Be genuine.
Q - I understand you wrote your first song when you were 5, a duet with
Jones (who was 6 at the time) called "Get Out Of Here." Does writing
songs come easy for you?
One thing I’ve found is that you constantly have to keep practicing and
honing your craft. I always say that songwriters “tune in” to the
gazillions of songs that are out there in the air.
Not everyone can hear
them…but they’re there. Now…I don’t mean to be all deep, but the more
you stay in tune, the less difficult it becomes to channel the songs.
Q – You are president of the board of directors for Shorefront.Is it an honor to be associated with such an organization?
It is an amazing honor to be the President of the Shorefront. Shorefront
is a non-profit organization that collects, preserves, and educates
about Black history on Chicago’s suburban Northshore.
I have learned so
much about Black history in general, and the importance of preserving
heritage and using it as a foundation to move our community into the
future.
Q - What do you think of the Chicago music scene and how do you think you fit into it?
The Chicago music scene is not as open to new, original music as I and
others would like for it to be. Even with that said, it is a major city,
and it affords opportunities to create your own opportunities.
That’s
what I’m trying to do…not just sit and wait for things to happen. Make
them happen! Create opportunities for myself and others!
Q – What is on your plate for the rest of the year?
Well, more live performances to celebrate the release of the new
album. I’m looking to get my music heard by as many people, not only
locally but nationally and internationally, [as possible].
I’m also
looking to my move forward with the “Practice Your Purpose™”
initiative. The mission is to inspire the global audience to find and
practice their purpose on a daily basis.
Ever since forming Clinard Dance Theatre in 1999, Wendy Clinard has been pushing flamenco in a new and fresh direction.
Clinard Dance will present an afternoon of
flamenco featuring the Flamenco Quartet Project at 3 p.m. Aug. 20 at the National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Chicago. Tickets are $25 for general seating, available at www.brownpapertickets.com.
I had the chance to talk to Clinard about the upcoming show.
Q - Great
talking to you again. So what is the concept behind the Flamenco
Quartet Project and what should people expect from the show?
This project is dedicated to exploring new exponents of flamenco. Led by
an open minded spirit, our ensemble seeks to engage with contemporary
culture through vibrant performances that honor traditional flamenco and
our shared passion for music and dance discovery.
People can expect to
see/hear flamenco in the traditional sense but notice unique
instrumentation and world-informed influences. What is important is to
note that this is not a “fusion” project; the inventions are born from a
deep understanding of how traditional flamenco functions. Q - Violinist Steve Gibons, guitarist Marija Temo and percussionist Javier
Saume also are part of the show. What do you think they bring to the
show?
Steve and Marija have composed original pieces for the Quartet. Marija
has an extensive background in Classical Spanish and Steve has an
extensive background in Balkan forms as well as American jazz (including
his amazing improvisation sensibility).
Javier draws on classical and
world-form, as well.
Q - You created Clinard Dance in 1999. How did you think your group has
brought flamenco dancing in the spotlight? Where do you think flamenco
dancing has to go from here?
Our work is rooted in flamenco and understanding the unique way the
guitar, song and dance interplay (otherwise known as flamenco
structure). We lift this structure to play with unique instrumentation
and/or devise original departures from this structure.
We also extract
the universal qualities –the rhythmic /percussive nature, call and
response, isolations in the flamenco body so that the participants can
join in with whatever the “theme or story” of a given project directs.
Repurposing flamenco to find the live qualities of a particular time
and place (i.e. 2017 in Chicago,) is what is fundamentally and historically
“flamenco” and it holds the potential for growth in the form.
Sincerity
to place, person and the moment are of upmost importance to how
flamenco became an art form and how it will continue to grow.
Q - What projects are you most proud of? Where do you see Clinard Dance going from here?
I’m most connected to our original works like "From the Arctic to the Middle East" and "Chicago’s Watershed: A 156-Mile Choreography."
The heart of these works are dedicated to people’s place and their
sense of belonging and our artistic disciplines are used to serve that
inquiry.
The story that emerges aims to rally the human spirit. Where do
I see Clinard Dance going from here is rooted in a long term dedication
to art and flamenco; we’re in it for the long haul, large and small
projects alike.
That is evident on his sophomore album, the passion-filled "City of Vines," which was released on June 30. To celebrate the release of the album, Anderson will perform Aug. 4 at The Hideout, 1354 West Wabansia Ave., Chicago.
The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $10, available at www.ticketfly.com. I had the chance to talk to Anderson about the new
album:
Q - Great
talking to you again. "City of Vines" is your sophomore album. Did you
feel any pressure in following up your first album, "The Weaver's
Broom"? What were your goals for the album and do you think you
accomplished them?
I didn't really feel any pressure, but it did take some time to get all
of the songs together. "The Weaver's Broom" was made up of a lot of
story songs...that's an element of this record too, but "City of Vines"
is more personal than anything I've made before. I spent a lot of time
tweaking the lyrics. Other than that, I wanted a bigger sound: more
layers, more electric guitar, horns, etc. I definitely think we
accomplished that.
Q - You released the album on three different formats – vinyl, CD and
digital streaming. It seems like many artists are following that route
these days. Which format do you like the best?
Definitely vinyl. I've been collecting since I was a kid and have a
pretty big soft spot for records. I like everything about the format:
how it looks, how it sounds, and how it demands attention.
I know that
if somebody buys a vinyl they are going to sit with it. CDs are becoming
more and more obsolete and digital doesn't seem as tangible.
Q - How did you go about choosing the musicians on the album?
I've been playing with the core band on this record since 2014. They're
some of my favorite players in Chicago.
When I was writing for "City of
Vines," I was writing with them in mind: Brian Morrissey (guitar), Dan
Ingenthron (bass, keys), and Mike Holtz (drums). Dan and I have played
in a ton of projects together (including my old band Go Long Mule) and
he's easily one of the best musician I know. He can play anything.
Brian Morrissey is an amazing guitar player and songwriter in his own
right, and Mike Holtz seems to always play the perfect part on
drums...he's super creative. Nick Broste put the horn section together
and arranged the parts.
Chicago legend Gary Scheppers came in to play
some tuba. Gabriel Stutz put down some beautiful pedal steel and my
partner-in-crime Jen Donahue sang harmonies.
It was really just a great
collection of friends working on this together. It was a ton of fun to
make.
Q - You produced "City of Vines" with Brian Morrissey, who also plays on the album. What do you think he brings to the table?
Brian has a great ear for production and is a killer songwriter...he
really knows how to make production serve the song. For me, it was
really important to have somebody to bounce ideas off of and vice-versa.
I like hearing different ideas and trying different approaches. The
song "Diamonds" is a really good example of what Brian brought to the
table. The feel changes significantly from verse to verse, while the
chords and melody stay the same. That was Brian's idea.
Then, along with
the band and the wizard like skills of Nick Broste, we figured out how
to make it work . Brian and Nick really helped me get the sound that was
in my head out. I can hear their contributions in every song and feel
really luck to have had them working on this.
Q - You will be actively touring around the country in the fall, including
playing several dates in Oregon. Are there any areas of the country you
like playing the best? What do you think of the Chicago music scene and
how do you think you fit into it?
I'm pretty excited to get back to the northwest. We have some great
friends out there and it's always a blast. Honestly, I really like
touring around the Midwest.
There are a ton of surprising things
happening around this region of the country - a lot of people are
starting venues or festivals, and truly supportive musical communities
are popping up where there used to be none.
As for Chicago, there's so
much talent here it's mind-numbing. I think my favorite thing about this
scene is how collaborative it is.
Also, Chicago musicians love taking
risks. It's great to be surrounded by that kind of community.
