Podcast 328: Peter K. Siegel on Joseph Spence 

For our 328th podcast, we celebrate the music of Bahamian
guitarist Joseph Spence (1910-1984) and the forthcoming release
of Encore: Unheard Recordings of Bahamian Guitar and Singing (out
July 16, 2021 on Smithsonian Folkways). Recording engineer,
musician and producer Peter K. Siegel joins us to talk about how
he recorded these 13 tracks (both in NY and at Spence's home in
Nassau), the unlikely guitar that Spence used (it's not what you
think), and the music traditions of Andros that led to Spence's
singular sound. We also get some advice on other Bahamian music
to check out, learn how a former member of the Baha Men (yes, the
"Who Let the Dogs Out" band) is trying to keep Spence's music
alive, and hear about Siegel's recording session with Doc
Watson. It's a great chat. 


 


Go to fretboardjournal.com to hear four tracks from
'Encore' here. Pre-order the album here or via Bandcamp.


 


Subscribe to the Fretboard Journal magazine here.


 


Don't forget, we now host an entire family of podcasts,
about everything from lutherie to home recording: Luthier on
Luthier; The Truth About Vintage Amps; The Truth About Recording
& Mixing;Acoustic Voices; and Sweep the Floor.


This episode is sponsored by Mono Cases, Folkway Music and
Retrofret Vintage Guitars.