Angels winking ... "I think it's a great project, " Kirk said. A-Threading through LOUISIANA STORIES concludes with reverence for the improvising musicians.

April 14, 2025

We dip as into a sunlit swimming-hole for more from the Interview by MICHAEL DOMINICI of KIRK JOSEPH and me. Especially we LISTEN to the exquisite and soulful improvisation by Rivers Answer Moons (ROGER LEWIS Saxophones, KIRK JOSEPH Sousaphone, DON VAPPIE, Banjo and Guitar, HERMAN LEBEAUX Drums-Set, and ALEXEY MARTI Congas and Cajon) with our guests LOUIS MICHOT Violin and ANDRE MICHOT Accordion.

0:00—1:54 “Our Trains Keep A-Comin’ ”, second-to-last Track of the Instrumentals Disc of LOUISIANA STORIES

1:55—4:25 “Our Trains Keep A-Comin’ ” with lyrics and vocal, recalling characters and elements from earlier in the Album and Stage-Show

4:26—5:48 TALK. “I think it’s a great project,” says Kirk. A Album of two CDs—Instrumentals, too, accompanying the Disc with vocals. It let Kirk “innovate” again—his Pedal-Boards instrument for both hands and feet that add effects and tonality to the music already generated by his Sousaphone.

5:49—7:18 Ending passage of LOUISIANA STORIES’ concluding Track, “Ev’ry Child Is Born To Be The Light Of Dawn”. Kirk’s swelling sound rolls with refrain of “Louisiana Days, Louisiana Nights / Freedom here be like nowhere else” and moves mountains along with Band to a kind of triumphal resolution.

7:19—8:05 “I had fun,” Kirk says, “and that’s important when you’re recording.” Michael pre-announces “The Bands Are Bringing Everyone Home” (Track 2 of LOUISIANA STORIES and asks if I have something to say. A celebration of Louisiana is the “Bands” Track, I say, and add that Louisiana from my first year of work in it has been to me a most hopeful State due to its peoples’ “generosity” and due to its mixing of Races. Everyone agrees: New Orleans in particular is a city like no other in what it has to offer

8:06—9:30 “Ev’ry Child Is Born To Be The Light Of Dawn” in its opening minute-plus, arriving once more at the “Train Keeps A-Comin’ “ essence of dauntless energies and freedoms to grow through melding.

9:31—9:47 “Heart of the Americas,” say I, and at last we arrive at play of “The Bands Are Bringing Everyone Home”.

9:48—14:52 “The Bands Are Bringing Everyone Home”. “Batons are twirled into Sun and Moons / Freedom! “ Feeling this day!”