Branford Marsalis with Gov’t Mule, 2006 Christmas Jam – photo by Brad Hodge
The 21st installment of Warren Haynes’ Christmas Jam is set to take place in Asheville, NC this weekend. In addition to Haynes and his group Gov’t Mule, the line-up includes: moe., Ani DiFranco, Counting Crows, Jimmy Herring, George Porter Jr., Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, DJ Logic, Audley Freed, Eric Krasno, Col. Bruce Hampton, and Robert Kearns. Also on the bill this year is Stax legend William Bell and Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford, both of whom, Warren discusses in this look at Xmas Jams, past and present.
Before we get to the music, let’s start out with Habitat for Humanity. Can you talk a bit about your association with them over the years?
In the beginning, going back twenty-one years, we started in a small club and we would raise a few thousand dollars and pick a charity usually after the fact. We donated money to a lot of wonderful causes: Vietnam vets, AIDs victims, homeless people. Eventually we stumbled onto Habitat and I really liked that you could see where the money was going. You could see the houses being built and know that the money you raised had built these houses.
The first few years we would see what was happening and we would know that we had built x amount of houses but I didn’t go to see the houses or meet any of the families. Then after the third year I got an invitation to do that and when I finally met the people and saw the houses become homes, it was an eye-opening experience. It made me realize the work we’re all doing is very valuable and it just accentuated the entire process. And now every year I go and see the houses that we’ve built and meet the people that are moving into them and it’s pretty incredible. The fact that musicians are doing what they do every day of their lives to raise money for people who can’t afford houses is pretty awesome.
As I look at the line-up, one name that sticks out is William Bell. I would imagine that some of the younger fans might not know who he is but I know that a number of the musicians are really excited about his appearance.
William and I have known each other since the early 90s. I am a big fan. As anybody that knows my history knows, I’m a big soul music fan and William wrote or co-wrote a lot of my favorite songs, including “Born Under A Bad Sign,” “You Don’t Miss Your Water” which Otis Redding recorded and later Taj Mahal and “Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday,” which is one of my personal favorites.
William and I performed together 2 or 3 times through the years. Once or twice with my band before Gov’t Mule was established and at least once with Gov’t Mule as well. He’s just a wonderful human being, a great talent and a huge part of history that I’m elated to have be a part of this Christmas Jam. I know what’s going to happen is that all the musicians are going to want to play with William Bell (laughs). One by one I’m starting to get each musician telling me, “You know William Bell is my hero, is there any way I can play with him?” So it’s really cool that some of the younger fans may not look at William as a household name but all the musicians are going, “Wow, this is awesome.”
In terms of those collaborations, what sort of role do you take in facilitating them?
I try to direct people towards one another if I think the collaboration has potential but a lot of the time, I let people decide on their own who to gravitate towards. A lot of beautiful collaborations come about just from people hanging out in the dressing room, the rehearsal area or knowing in advance that so and so is going to be there. It changes all the time. One moment somebody’s setlist may indicate that x amount of songs are going to be played and then 20 minutes later, “Oh no scratch that, so and so is going to join us for this song and so and so is going to join us for this song.”
A perfect example is last year with Michael Franti who came as a duo with his guitar player Jay Bowman. Mickey Raphael had called me weeks in advance if not months in advance and said, “You know, I’m a huge Michael Franti fan is there any way I can play with Michael?” So I called Michael and said, “Mickey would love to play with you” and he said, “Absolutely.” So the next thing you know they’re in the rehearsal room and John Paul Jones says, “I’d like to play with Michael Franti as well.” Then Robben Ford and the next thing you know all these amazing musicians are assembling around Michael, who an hour earlier was going to play as a duo. Those are the things I like to see happening. Branford Marsalis playing with Marty Stuart or Branford Marsalis playing with Dave Matthews, that’s not something you hear every day.
Brad Whitford [Aerosmith] is going to be there this year. How did that come about?
Brad and I became friends initially in the mid-90s when he sat in with Gov’t Mule in Boston. And one of the songs we played was “Born Under A Bad Sign,” so I imagine he’ll be one of the people who’s going to say, “Hey, I want to play with William Bell” (laughs). Brad’s a great player and we had talked a few times since about Christmas Jam and I ran into him a couple years ago in LA and he told me, “Hey, I moved to Charlotte and I hear great things about your Christmas Jam I’d love to be part of it.” So this year it worked out and we’re very excited to have him there. I think the sit-in possibilities with him are wonderful.
Has that happened quite a bit? Someone expresses interest to you and then at some point maybe a few years later it just works out in terms of scheduling?
The way it seems to work a lot of times is people express interest and it may take a year or two or three for it to work into their schedule. Some people it works out right away, there are some people that are still trying to get here that haven’t made it yet. The more the event continues to grow, the more people seek us out and say, “I’ve heard great things about your Christmas Jam,” which is great because in the past it was always the other way around. I was having to reach out to people. So the word is spreading, which is good.
This year Christmas Jam is back to a one day event. Were the two days last year just a bit too overwhelming?
We always knew two days was going to be overwhelming (laughs). I only did two days for the 20th , knowing we would go back to one day. I wanted the 20th to be a big blowout and it was and I’m really proud of it but I couldn’t imagine doing that every year. It was so much work for everyone involved and it was a wonderful experience and a great way to celebrate the 20th anniversary but the whole time we knew that one day was the way to go.
This year you also have an official house band, the Xmas Jam Band. What are the origins of that?
Well we’ve kind of done this in the past but we’ve never given it a name. It’s a way of getting great musicians together that will back up several different singers or artists. Audley Freed, who’s been a friend for a long long time, has been one of the people spearheading that and he’s doing a really wonderful job. His friend Fred Eltringham is the drummer for the Wallflowers, he came last year and was part of it. And Robert Kearns, who is an old Christmas jam staple and is currently the bass player for Lynyrd Skynrd, is part of it as well.
Then we have this band that we’re putting together behind William Bell, which is going to do a slot of its own. That will be George Porter, Eric Krasno, Adam Deitch and Nigel Hall. So that’s another thing that’s going to be tremendous. This is going to be one of the years that reminds me of the some of the earlier years, when there were a lot of musicians coming together for the first time that are going to create some of the most exciting music of the night, which is truly in the Christmas jam spirit.
If you close your eyes and look back at past Christmas Jams, what is the first moment that pops into your head?
If I had to choose one it would be Ralph Stanley’s performance. Originally his management said he was just going to do one song. Then it was two, then it was three and then I think he did like five. Then he played the banjo which he had not planned to play and had not played in years. It was the only Christmas Jam moment I can remember where every musician was on stage watching. I remember standing next to Jorma and Jack Casady and Casady told me, “I saw the Stanley brothers in 1954…” It was wonderful because every musician on that stage was there to watch Ralph Stanley and nobody was going to miss it. And that’s kind of the way I feel about William Bell’s performance this year.
Then there a couple of the musical moments that I was involved with. One was “All Along The Watchtower” with Gov’t Mule, Dave Matthews and Branford Marsalis. That was completely magical. We did this jazz version that I’m sure Dave Matthews fans were not expecting. Then of course there’s the Allman Brothers doing “Mountain Jam” and Oteil [Burbridge] giving his bass to John Paul Jones as we segued into “Dazed And Confused” and back into “Mountain Jam.” That’s the kind of stuff that happens at Christmas Jam and nowhere else.
You’ve released a couple compilations of those cool Christmas Jam moments. Do you have additional plans there?
Eventually all of them from the past 10 years are going to be out on CD or DVD. The earlier ones we didn’t film, so they’ll only be available on CD but the past 6 or 7 years we’ve been filming. So eventually DVDs or CDs of all the shows from the past 10 years or so will be available. And we’ve been working on some of them as we speak.
Last question. In addition to the Christmas Jam proper there are a series of daytime events. I’m sure you’re swamped on the day of the show but are you ever able to check out some of those?
It’s hard for me because I have so much going on, but a couple years ago Gov’t Mule did a surprise slot at Stella Blue and last year Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi showed up unannounced and that kind of thing happens all the time. I want to check out as much of it is as I can but it’s impossible to see it all.
