On today’s show I speak with The Otis Brothers, the amazing blues/pre-blues string band from Queens, NY. Pat Conte and Bob Guida, who form the Otis Brothers have been playing together since the mid 1970’s. They met in high school, where they sang field hollers while working out in the gym! Both Pat and Bob have amassed large collections of awesome old instruments and rare records. But as we discuss in the interview, they’re not collectors, they’re musicians in search of a very particular sound and feeling, and all the instruments and recordings and other objects are a part of how they undertake that search.
My good friend Ernesto Gomez and I journeyed out the end of the 7 train line in Queens where Bob picked us up. We went back to his place, Pat was there and we took a swim in his backyard pool, had some food and then went down into the basement for the interview. The whole basement area was filled with rare records, awesome old instruments, old pieces of recording and playback technology, comic books and weird art. We had a great time!
The Otis Brothers play a mix of blues, pre-blues, old-time and gospel music. All my favorite stuff! Look out for the second part of this episode- “The Roots of the Otis Brothers” coming up in a few days where I will play many of the original recordings that influenced Pat and Bob (as well as some fun surprises!).
Be sure to check them out live at the TenEleven Bar on Manhattan’s lower east side, on Sat. March 1st!
Links
The Return of the Otis Brothers: Let’s Go To Huntin’ (their latest CD)
Gravest Hits – Buy Pat’s new solo album
The Secret Museum of Mankind – CD series on Yazoo edited by by Pat
Secret Museum of the Air – Archives of Pat Conte’s (w/ Citizen Kafka) old radio show on WFMU. Incredible stuff. What a resource.
Illustrated Otis Brothers Discography
Susquehanna Hat Abbot and Costello Routine – Comedy routine influential to Pat and Bob
Marimac Recordings – Early record label to issue Pat & Bob’s stuff. They got lotsah great stuff!
Action Comics #1 – Why are so many 78 collectors into comics too? Here’s one that Bob mentions in the show. Its awesome.
Bernie Klatzko Remembered – Record collector who influenced the Otis Brothers
Don Kent – Record Collector who influenced the Otis Brothers
Eli interviewing The Otis Brothers at Bob Guida’s house. Pat Conte (L), Bob Guida (R)
photo by Ernesto Gomez
R. Crumb cover for the Otis Brothers’ first record
Click Below for an interview with the Otis Brothers from the June 1984 issue of Fast Folk Magazine:
L to R Louie Kromm, Pat Conte, Bob Guida (The Otis Brothers, 1984)
Thanks so much for this interview!!!! it was so awesome and enlightening!!!!