BR: I oftentimes listen to review albums on the road. I’ll have a note pad on my knee and scrawl out initial impressions. In the time we have left, how about if I just dole out some of my first-blush notes on the Black Dub album?

DL: (laughs) Sure – go for it.

BR: Here we go then. “Ring The Alarm” – My notes read: “Brian Blade is just scary good.” (laughter) He does so much with just the most basic of drum sets, doesn’t he?

DL: Yeah – it’s incredible. Just so you know, that drum take is from Massey Hall in Toronto; it’s actually a live performance and it had so much fire in it that I decided to build the entire cut on that drum track.

BR: I also scribbled out: “Deep and black midway through; flash of Hendrixian colors.” That would be in response to when everything drops out and there’s just that squall of joyous guitar sound.

DL: That guitar part is also live from that Massey Hall show. There were so many sounds from that night I felt I could never repeat, so I figured, “Accept it as a gift, man – put it on the record.” (laughter)

The original song is a Jamaican classic by Tenor Saw – are you familiar with him?

BR: No – I’m ashamed to admit I’m not. But I’ll tell my wife; Christmas is coming …

DL: (laughs) There you go. Tell your wife “Tenor” as in “tenor sax” and “Saw” like “sawing wood” – and the song is “Ring The Alarm”. (laughter)

I always loved that track – it’s one of my favorite Jamaican songs ever. So I stumbled upon this guitar sound – a euphoric, kind of rising guitar sound (imitates the guitar part) – and I thought, “Wow – let me marry that with Tenor Saw’s “Ring The Alarm”. That’s how that cut came to be – and that’s probably our strongest Jamaican connection on the Black Dub record.

BR: I’m only going to allow myself one gearhead question, as I could easily blow the 20 minutes we have talking about equipment …

DL: So could I. (laughter)

BR: Well, you mentioned that guitar sound – it’s your fault. (laughter) I’ve seen the Black Dub YouTubes – what is that sweet, sweet Les Paul you play on the album? And did it have the Bigsby tremolo on it when you got it?

DL: Ahh. (laughs) That’s a 1953 Goldtop Les Paul. Larry Cragg – he does Neil Young’s guitars – installed the Tune-O-Matic bridge and the Bigsby for me. I wanted to replace the back pickup with a humbucker, too, but he said, “I’m not allowing it.” (laughter)

BR: He’s a good man to listen to. Here’s another one – “Silverado”: “mix of techno beat/from-the-heart lyrics”

DL: (laughs) “Silverado” is a mixture of what I like to refer to as “flesh and machine.” There’s a cool beat box in there with real drums on top – it’s a non-stop desire of mine to mix the two.

You’re right: the song has been around for a while and I’ve just never released it until now. That was Trixie: she just loved the imagery and comradery in it.

BR: “Sing” – “Willie Dixon does gospel.”

DL: (laughs) It does sound like one of Willie Dixon’s bass lines, doesn’t it? (imitates the bass and laughs) It’s like a tuba, you know? Daryl played that, of course. He’s from New Orleans and a lot of those New Orleans bass lines came from tubas. It sounds great live, by the way. I’m real happy – singing is still one of the great ultimate therapies.

BR: “Canaan” – “Cross between ‘The Maker’ and ‘Somewhere Down The Crazy River’” – an old Robbie Robertson tune that you produced.

DL: Ohh – right, right. (laughs)

BR: I think it was the vignettes that got me – great snapshots.

DL: Yeah, I like the idea of it painting pictures: a mother changing her baby’s diaper in the front seat of a Rambler waiting for her gambler … she remembers what Mama used to say: “How far am I from Canaan?” You know – when will my ship come in? When will clarity come? It’s a soul-searching song – you could just keep on writing verses over and over and the chorus would still make sense for anyone who’s looking for an answer to a question.

BR: For sure – for sure. Daniel, I know you’re on the run. I appreciate the time you’ve given us today.

DL: I really appreciate the attention you’ve given to my work, man.

BR: I think it’s fair to say that for all you’ve accomplished, all the music you’ve created, you’re still moving ahead – and you’re still having fun.

DL: Absolutely – having fun, surrounded by people that I care for, and trying to make the best music possible. My appetite has not simmered at all; I want to keep on trying to make adventurous, innovative music.

The balance seems to be between the studio and the stage, you know? Both are important in my life, so this is it – Black Dub.

BR: Great – keep it going, Daniel.

DL: Thanks, brother – I appreciate it.

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