WERS 88.9 fm - Artist Interview: Ben Rudnick and Friends

December 03, 2006

WERS: Ben Rudnick and Friends (at least bassist/vocalist Arnie Ashford, Ben Rudnick himself, and John Zevos, mandolin player and vocalist) are here in the studio, they just finished playing another live set on the Playground. What’s new? The last time I spoke with you, you mentioned a DVD in the works, Challenger Baseball, you’re working on a new CD entitled Grace’s Bell. What else has been going on with Ben Rudnick and Friends?
 

BR: That’s a lot right there.

JZ: We finished Grace’s Bell.

BR: We finished Grace’s Bell and hopefully they’ll play some of it here on the Playground. That was a big thing. We just had a huge concert yesterday [at the Timberlane Performing Arts Center in Plaistow, NH]. John scored many parts for all kinds of chorus and band participants, so we had all of these talented kids join us on stage.

JZ: 77 kids.

BR: And that was just enlightening to hear our music amplified with that kind of instrumentation. I mean, we were pretty much doing the same thing we normally do, but to hear the extra...

JZ: Horns and strings...

WERS: Could that be a new pattern for you guys?

JZ: We’re hoping to add it to the palate. I think it was a successful first foray into that world.

BR: Yeah, if we can do it on a regular basis, it would be nice if we could get grants to do it in other school districts. That’s something that we’re going to be working on. Everything takes time, so, we’ll see. I was talking to some of the folks afterwards, I went out there, and they were just psyched. They were very, very happy.

WERS: Getting the kids involved and everything.

BR: Kids were involved and happy about it.

JZ: Very involved, not just marginally, but they were in there.

BR: That’s a unique thing to do for any band, really.

AA: And the one neat thing about playing at Timberlane is that they’re really committed to the arts. It’s obvious in the town choosing to vote for an expensive performing arts center. They’re very committed to keeping the arts alive.

BR: Yeah, you look at the schools and they’re these low-slung little buildings, then you look up at the Performing Arts Center right in the middle.

AA: It’s just state of the art.

WERS: You’re also playing the Regent next weekend.

JZ: Ah, yes.

WERS: Can you tell us about that, is there any other interest in playing holiday music?

BR: Well this is our fifth annual holiday show, the first one was the first annual...and we were optimistic there would be a second. It’s really turned out to be one of the highlights of our year. We pretty much play all year, I think our busiest time is during the summer when we play an awful lot, but our second busiest time is easily the holiday season. Last fall, I think, was one of the busiest periods of all time for us. We went to New York three or four separate times, we played at the lighting of the Lincoln Center Christmas tree, we played the Jewish museum for the second year in a row because we also do Hanukkah songs, but the Regent holds a dear and special place for us. It’s only three or four blocks from where I live and people come from the coast, they come from far and wide to the Regent show. Not only is that a gigantic compliment, but it makes for a really fun atmosphere.

WERS: You’ve had the chance to play theaters, studios, obviously, stadiums, and you’re consistently one of the tightest bands to come in here. I have to admit that I was surprised the first time I heard you guys because it’s "children’s music" and I suppose that I would not normally expect such musicianship.

JZ: Well thank you.

WERS: Of course, but how do you manage to keep everything new and interesting with all of this virtuosity and variation?

AA: Well I think that speaks to how the band progresses, you know, because we try to play at a certain level of musicianship, it really tends to evolve on its own. That’s the beauty of what we do. We have some things that are pretty much set, but as time goes on, they definitely do evolve to something new and different.

JZ: And that can happen at any point, for example, the "Macaroni and Cheese" center section. We used to have this kind of Pink Floyd way we did it, now it’s like Bob Marley.

AA: And it just kind of evolved, it just kind of happened that way.

JZ: No plan.

BR: So even if we’re playing – sometimes during the summer we’ll play five shows in three days and we did that at least twice this summer – we’re always looking out for the edge. You know, where can I twist or tweak the guy coming after me playing a solo? To make it a little more interesting with humor and fun and we all keep up our chops, or try, it gets busy, but we play so much in the summer that evolving is what you want to be doing. If you’re not doing it, something seems wrong, you know? Does that answer your question?

WERS: That’s what keeps Ben Rudnick and Friends on top!

JZ: That’s right.

BR: Well it keeps us having fun. You know I was telling Gina[, director of the Playground on WERS,] that we were recording Grace’s Bell and for me personally, as Ben Rudnick, I’m sitting there note by note for everybody, working on writing and making sure that everything’s happening, and it just was not fun. I basically stopped before the summer and I looked at the summer knowing we had a lot of shows, so I prepared for a good time. I’d say that’s what we had, a real good time.

JZ: Yeah.

AA: Oh, we had a great time.

BR: And after the summer, I was ready to go back in the studio again fresh and happy. On the Playground, you don’t want to record something that’s not happy and I don’t want to record something that’s not happy. One of our favorite musicians, at least John’s and mine, is George Harrison. You put on a George Harrison record and when it’s over, you’re happier. That’s how I think our records are. They just make you feel good without being sickly sweet or preachy or anything, it’s just well-played, good music.

WERS: Well awesome, thank you guys very much.

BR: Thanks a lot.

JZ: Anytime, thanks.

AA: Thank you.

- Will Selfridge