Interview with the Tillers
On today’s show I speak with The Tillers, an excellent 3 piece string band on tour from Cincinnati, Ohio. The Tillers were in New York over the weekend where they played at my “Down Home Live” show that I host every month at Banjo Jim’s on the Lower East Side. We met on Saturday afternoon at the Music Inn, the great old instrument and record shop on W. 4th St. and recorded this interview there in the basement.
The Tillers are Michael Oberst, Sean Geil & Jason Soudrette. Mike and Jason started out playing punk music, but in the past couple of years have begun playing old-time music – and have been particularly inpsired by Woody Guthrie. They do a number of songs that Woody Guthrie & Cisco Houston did together, and do them very well! I recorded their set at my “Down Home Live” show on Saturday night and play cuts from that, as well as from the Tillers’ studio album on today’s show. The Tillers also play some of their favorite records, both current favorites and old standbyes.
The Tillers’ CD, “Ludlow Street Rag” on the Chestnut Tree Records label is availale at: http://www.chestnuttreerecords.com .
Eli with the Tillers outside of the Music Inn on W. 4th St. in Greenwhich Village where this interview was conducted.