Robert Rodriguez (4:22)

So it's basically like a four day immersion in Beatle land with all these great guests and scholars and you guys, the Fab Foe and Peter and Joan Osborne, Steve Forbert, all these great musicians, all these people have had hit records. All these people that are big, deep lovers of Beatles and Beatle music. It's a four day hang, basically.

Jack (4:44)

Yeah, it's a four day hang. It's kind of like a little bit of a Beatle fest in that it's obviously Beatle centric, there's performances, but it also has this educational side with rpm, you know, with the school I have with Walter Everett and Cameron Grider. So if you're a musician, you can get involved in different ensembles and play Beatle music. We have coaching with some of the teachers there. So if you want to get more into what the parts are, or if you want lessons on ensemble coaching, that's really helpful there too. Last year we had Bob Belloff do a demonstration on Beetle gear, which was fun. It's full on for like four days. It really is. You know, you get there on Tuesday afternoon, you check in, you have a meet and greet with the Fab Fo and some of the artists. And then there's a Fab Faux performance that night and then kicking it off the following morning on Wednesday. There's three meals a day, really good food. And after Breakfast. That's when we get into these master classes. So whether it's with Walter Everett, whether it's with you and Jerry, Scott, or Ken, they're usually topics that break down. Whether it's a Beatle album or something about the Beatles, that's in particular that gets discussed. Now, Ken Womack is an author as well as yourself, so it could be a topic about one of the books that they've written. Ken's had a number of books. Scott Freeman has Deconstructing the Beatles, which is a lot of fun. That's getting into what the minutia is of the recording process or maybe some of the harmonic process, the songwriting process, too. So there's all these workshops, there's stargazing. It's just a beautiful experience in a lovely place and a great time of.

Robert Rodriguez (6:34)

Year to be there as well.

Jack (6:35)

Yeah. I mean, I don't know about you, but right now it's freezing in the Hudson Valley. It's down to the single digits. So I have my sights looking at mid June, because that's when we do it in this beautiful setting. Yeah. Be nice.

Robert Rodriguez (6:50)

Yeah. This is essentially the week before the July 4th holiday. So if anybody is making their summer plans, they needn't have a conflict. Tuesday, June 24 through Friday, June 27.

Jack (7:03)

Yeah, yeah. Really good to mention that. This place is something else. I first got hip to it about four years ago. I was playing with Joan Osborne as a guest at the Cripple Creek Camp, which is Jim Weider's camp, and his band that plays original music, and they also play band music. And Joan was a guest and we played. And it was at that time that I saw, well, this would work out perfectly for the Beatle school that I have with Walter and Cameron and the Fab Foe and have this Beatle centric couple of days. They also have other artists up there, from Richard Thompson to King Crimson, Milk Carton Kids, Rhett Miller and a host of others. So from like May until October during the week, songwriting camps, performance camps, and different camps with different bands, it's well worth getting on their mailing list and checking it out for sure.

Robert Rodriguez (8:02)

It sounds completely amazing. Now, for the people that are listening to this, I'm of a certain age. I know who Steve Forbert is. You want to explain him to people who might not know his name?

Jack (8:11)

Oh, man. Steve Forbert came up in the 80s. I remember Steve Forbert with a number of tunes.

Robert Rodriguez (8:18)

Romeo's Tune.

Jack (8:28)

Yeah, of course. Yeah. But, Steve, you came out of the folk scene. That was. I don't know, should I say like a la Dillon a little bit? Something like that. That.

Robert Rodriguez (8:39)

That was absolutely the way that these guys got marketed. In fact, he was on the same label. He was on Columbia back in the day, Sony now.

Jack (8:46)

Yeah.

Robert Rodriguez (8:46)

And he's from Meridian, Mississippi, which is also the home of Pat Sansone from Wilco, who's been on the show a bunch of times, as well, as he pointed out to me. But Steve, I know as far as Beetle stuff goes, he's a big friend of Richard Courtney's, who's got the radio show from Me to you in Nashville, and they're great friends. And he's been on it a ton of times. So his Beatle background and musician credentials are solid. And then you've got your collaborator, Joan Osborne. For anybody who knows the name but might not remember exactly what she did, she is.

Jack (9:19)

What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us. Joan, I've been working with on and off since the big hit One of Us, and actually before that. But Joan's had an incredible, and still has incredible career, not only as a songwriter, in her own talent, in her own career, but also as a singer with a bunch of different artists. You know, she was there a few years ago and her and Kate Pearson did a master class on Yoko Ono, which was really interesting. Joan has been a big fan of Yoko Ono and her music, as well as Kate Pearson. As you know, I think Lennon had said somewhere along the lines when she. When he heard the B52s, like, that's what Yoko does right here at Rock Lobster. Yeah, so Kate had her spin on that. And it was wonderful to have both of them up there and do the master class, because, like these master classes, they could be for musicians, but they're also the question and answer kind of thing. And so there's different topics. Last year we had May Pang, and May was great. She came up with her photography, all the photographs that she's had over the years. And she had her documentary film that came out two years ago. So that was a real treat for everybody. So again, whether you're a musician or just a fan, it's there for everybody. You know, there's a lot going on.

Robert Rodriguez (10:45)

And Peter Asher, everybody knows him as one half of Peter and Gordon, the hit making duo the 60s that came in the British invasion, had a number one right out of the box with the Paul McCartney donated world without Love. I don't care what they say I.

Jack (11:00)

Won'T stay in a world without love.

Robert Rodriguez (11:02)

Good tight friends with Paul in addition to, obviously in the 60s, his sister Jane was dating Paul, but he lived with the Ashers for a time. He was the first A and R guy at Apple Records, is credited with discovering James Taylor. But also Paul and he had this relationship going back to Peter being one of the co owners of the Indica bookshop in London along with John Dunbar and Barry Miles. And so you had that whole art scene going on. I only found this out recently because Peter does the fest a lot and he's got the radio show on the Beatles channel on Sirius xm. I didn't know that he's a Mensa member. Did you know that? You know the high IQ thing?

Jack (11:44)

No, I didn't know that.

Robert Rodriguez (11:45)

Yeah. So super smart guy, tons of things to talk about. And he's so not only Beatle knowledgeable, but just knowledgeable on things in general. And he's just very, very insightful.

Jack (11:57)

You know, it's interesting that you say that RPM had Mark Lewison on last semester in the fall. And one of the things that Mark had commented on, I don't know how it came up, but he said probably one of the biggest influences for McCartney was living at the Asher house because of the mother being a piano player and classically trained and the father being a doctor. So Mark Lewison paints this picture of what that home was like and how it really benefited McCartney. So the fact that you mentioned that about Peter Asher brings that even more to light. I'm excited to have Peter there every year. You know, we're looking for guests and we're looking for guests that are in this Beatles circle as much as can. So Peter committing and doing this is. Is a real treat. And I know Steve Forbert a little bit, have worked with him and that was a big selling point for him when he found out that Peter Asher was going to be there.

Robert Rodriguez (12:58)

Oh wow, that's great. Yeah, people who know know for sure.

Jack (13:02)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Robert Rodriguez (13:04)

So it just sounds like it's a super cool environment with this being the time of year it is and where it is and just all the accoutrements that come with the sort of camp locale for this whole thing. Very relaxed, very chill.

Jack (13:19)

Yeah, very relaxed, very chill. And the attendance, the campers, they get to know the artists and the musicians because we all eat in the same dining hall. So it's intimate in that way. You know, everybody's approachable and there's a lot of question and answers. One of the nice things to see too is just how like minded people come together in that environment and establish friendships that just continue outside of that. There's people that started a Facebook page, the Magical Mystery Camp, that share photos and share stories. I'm really amazed what can happen in just those three and a half days of exploring and celebrating Beatles music. I'm not amazed. I mean, it's something I grew up with my whole life as well as you have, and it's why we keep doing it. But when you're with those kind of people in that setting, it's more than a vacation, it's something out of a storybook, the way that the grounds are and the way that the artists are. And again, you know, there's different tiers for what people can afford or what they want to afford. There's like exclusive cabins, if you wanted that kind of thing. And then there's. There's even glamping. Really, really nice glamping situation right there, which brings you more into the outdoor environment. But you're obviously sheltered. There's jam rooms, like I said. There's late night hangs for people that just want to sing and play Beatle music or sing and play anything. There's student concerts because those that form bands while they're there in jam rooms are those also that take the private ensemble coaching for those two days. There is a student concert after the performance on Thursday night. It's not far from woodstock. It's like 20 minutes from woodstock. It's two and a half hours from Manhattan. If you're coming from other places, you fly into Albany Airport and you're less than an hour from Albany Airport to Full Moon Resort. But, man, if you love the Beatles and you want to kick off your summer, this Music Masters Collective, the fabfo, RPM Music School, Peter Asher, Joan Osborne, Steve Forbert, Robert Rodriguez, Jerry Hammock, Scott Freeman, Ken Womack, Toomes Dixon, Bud Mishkin. I don't know if you know who Bud Mishkin is, but he was and is a journalist and interviewer on New York 1. He's going to be part of this as well. He's going to be doing an interview with Peter Asher and the Fab Fo and maybe some others. It's amazing. Everything that we can fit into this. Three and a half days. There's scholarships available, so if you're in need of a little help from your friends, you can check the Music Master Scholarship program again. You can expect to be fed. Well, the rooms are beautiful and you're in the mountains in the Catskills. Just gorgeous.

Robert Rodriguez (16:21)

Amazing. Unbelievable. So anybody listening to this and wanting to get the details and find out more about the specifics of it. Where would you send them?

Jack (16:30)

Well, there's the site that maybe you can put up, but it's www.magicalmysterycamp.com and/something is the pre sale code, so the presale you can get in first dibs on what's going on. I encourage you to get on their mailing list because there's a whole bunch of other things and music classes and workshops and camps that are going on, but that's where you can find us. Is WW Magical Mystery Camp?

Robert Rodriguez (17:01)

Well, as somebody that's going to be ostensibly working there, I am really, really, really looking forward to this. Just for the environment, for the immersion, for the people you get the rub elbows with, as well as the people that will be attending it. Because every time I've had any kind of interaction with Beetle people, whether through the fest, whether through RPM School, through my own podcast, and the people that write in, it's just been a joy. So I'm really, really, really looking forward.

Jack (17:29)

Yeah, well, I'm so psyched to have you and Jerry there as well. Really am.

Robert Rodriguez (17:33)

And the book should be done by then.

Jack (17:34)

Well, the book is done. Right. It's just not out.

Robert Rodriguez (17:36)

It's inching along. Yeah. You know, this final Dotting Eyes and Crossing T's. But yes, as this audio airs, you will likely have the live link to it being out. So.

Jack (17:46)

Great.

Robert Rodriguez (17:46)

Very soon.

Jack (17:47)

Great.

Robert Rodriguez (17:47)

We're looking forward to talking about that and anything else people want to talk to us about.

Jack (17:51)

Yeah, yeah. And your master class is going to coincide with. With the book, right?

Robert Rodriguez (17:58)

Yes, yeah. The title is Early Clues to the New Direction. And this first volume of the Ribs of Rust series, which is a contextualization of the Beatles recording career, is the sort of prehistory covering the period where they discovered rock and roll and discovered their own capabilities as musicians and coalesced and created a sound as first John met Paul and then George was brought in and eventually Ringo. But the people they worked with, the influences, the things that were brought to bear on them as something they listened to, absorbed, fell in love with and wanted to build upon.

Jack (18:38)

Yeah, yeah.

Robert Rodriguez (18:39)

The secret to them is they loved records. And that was always their goal, was to hear themselves write original material and create records. So that's what this is all about.

Jack (18:50)

That's great. And that leads right up to the Tombs Dixon dance party on Thursday night. Because Tombs Dixon, the early rock and roll band that I have with Rich Pagano and Hudson Valley musicians up here, that is music from 53 to 63. So with that, we play a lot of the influences that the Beatles had, what you're talking about. And then it goes up pretty much like to the Cavern. That's what we do in that band. And that was the idea, is just to play all that early rock and roll right up through the beginning of Beatlemania in America.

Robert Rodriguez (19:23)

Well, it dovetails perfectly with what we discussed in the book. I always thought it was a great idea for somebody. And I think maybe some people have done that. You can base a Beatle tribute band just off the Star Club tapes alone.

Jack (19:35)

Right.

Robert Rodriguez (19:35)

And that would be a fantastic act.

Jack (19:37)

Right.

Robert Rodriguez (19:37)

But you factor in all the prehistory stuff, the skiffle, the country and western, the R and B, all the stuff that they were absorbing. It's just an amazing story. And what we hope to do in our presentation is show how those influences manifest themselves in the early Beatle compositions and recordings.

Jack (19:54)

Yeah. And not only in the early Beatle composition, but throughout their whole career, you know.

Robert Rodriguez (19:59)

Oh, yeah. You watch Get Back and you see how they were. The pull out, out of the air. These songs they know by heart, from the 50s, from their formative years. That stuff stayed with them forever.

Jack (20:09)

Well, it was just a thing, too. Is like. Is. I keep learning, you know, especially as we dissect. We're doing Abbey Road right now. But, you know, we start dissecting stuff in that class. And you're hearing certain guitar licks or certain piano licks come straight out of Fats Domino or come straight out of Carl Perkins. But because they're recorded in 68 or 69, they have a different spin on them. So you might recognize it and you might not. But it's still a vocabulary that as musicians, regardless of if you're the Beatles or somebody else, that's your vocabulary. And however many hours that the Beatles had spent in the early days listening to that early rock and roll, no matter what was shifting culturally. And they were still growing as musicians and taking in what was available in whatever year, every moment. They still had that toolbox of all that earlier stuff from the previous five years. And it still comes out, no matter what song that they're doing, you know.

Robert Rodriguez (21:09)

Yeah. Well said. They were much bigger than rock and roll, that's for sure. Even though that was their sort of target, what they were shooting for.

Jack (21:16)

Yeah.

Robert Rodriguez (21:17)

Their influences and everything that manifests was way bigger than that.

Jack (21:20)

Beautiful. Love it.

Robert Rodriguez (21:22)

So this sounds like an amazing, amazing experience. And people can maybe consider factoring it into a road trip, if you want. To go visit the site of Woodstock in Bethel and all that stuff. It's just a cool place to go on vacation. And here you got four days worth of a beetle themed thing amongst artists and people like myself who geek out on this stuff and can pretty much talk as long as you want us to on any aspect.

Jack (21:47)

Yeah, that's fun that you talk about a road trip or a vacation, because it really can be. You know, you could have your time up at the camp and get immersed in all of this wonderful Beetle magic and then. Right. I mean, Woodstock's close. Bethel woods is close. I mean, you're in the Hudson Valley, so there's so much to do up in that area, from hiking to seeing art to going to different venues for music. I know for myself, I've been up here since 2017 and I love it for all those things. There's so much music, there's so much culture, there's so many restaurants, and the scenery is just gorgeous. Yeah. So especially in the summer, you know, make a vacation of it. Come on up.

Robert Rodriguez (22:32)

Endless attractions. There you go.

Jack (22:33)

Yeah. Yeah.

Robert Rodriguez (22:35)

Well, thanks, Jack. I really appreciate you getting into the details of this stuff and I'm really looking forward to sharing this with the listenership of Sapie and getting some good feedback off of it.

Jack (22:45)

Thanks, Robert. Thanks very much. We'll see you all up there.

Chris Pandolfi (22:58)

Hey, everyone, it's Chris Pandolfi inviting you to check out the new season of my podcast, Inside the Musician's Brain, with new episodes airing now.

Unnamed Speaker (23:06)

Hearing it in that room, these guys playing this thing and trying to figure out how to play this song was mind blowing. It's so inspiring to know there's so much more to it than you ever thought, and it just opened another door.

Unnamed Speaker (23:19)

But when people find faith, because they need to, in terms of just filling a void to feel better without actually being better, that's when it becomes a crutch, much like drugs and alcohol do.

Unnamed Speaker (23:31)

Man, I don't have all the time in the world here if I want to be a professional bluegrass musician. I felt like I had to take a very strategic approach, just trying to get rid of the barriers and figure out what those barriers were.

Unnamed Speaker (23:42)

The feelings still come and I have to reckon with that, but I think I have better ways of moving forward and not being stuck, which I think was the killer for me.

Chris Pandolfi (23:51)

Catch all that and so much more on the new season of Inside the Musician's Brain.

Unnamed Speaker (24:00)

The Helping friendly podcast explores the music and fan experience of Phish through interviews and deep dives on shows and tours for more than 10 years, we've created insightful and fun discussions about our favorite band, and with the help of our guests and thematic series, we're still discovering new angles of appreciation for fish. And when the band is on tour, we provide a review of every show the following day. As one of our listeners said, any Fish fans that enjoy meandering conversations and incredible insight on new and old Fish shows, this is for you. Highly recommend. It's not just about the band and the shows, it's about the journey. Getting there throughout 2024, we're going to be running down the top 25 fish tours of all time, and that'll be interspersed with show reviews and regular episodes. Join us and check out the Helping Friendly podcast wherever you get your podcasts.