Paul Szmal: Welcome back to FLX Morning. It is 754, we're at 69 degrees. It's not often I get a chance to talk to somebody I consider to be a local legend, but I am happy to be joined by musician Joe Whiting this morning, who is going to be playing at the Seneca Lake Resorts live at the Vista tomorrow. Joe, it is good to have you on the program. How are you, sir?
Joe Whiting: Paul, I'm doing good. I'm looking outside. It's looking like it's a little bit of rain, but hey, it's still summer.
Paul Szmal: Yeah, well, the good thing is, too, even if there's a chance of rain tomorrow, you guys are undercover, and people can enjoy the gig tomorrow under cover of the pavilion there at Seneca Lake Resorts.
Joe Whiting: Yeah, it's a great venue, and that tent is huge. You know, it's right on the water. There's food there. There's drinks there. There's camping there, and I think they even show movies later on for kids, families, and stuff, so it's a really good venue.
Paul Szmal: How many years have you been playing out now, Joe?
Joe Whiting: Well, I just released my memoir just two weeks ago called Saxophones, Microphones, and Buried Bones, and I've been getting paid for this since 1964.
Paul Szmal: Wow. What keeps you going and keeps you wanting to do it?
Joe Whiting: Well, I don't have to do it now, but the music and the people, honestly, it's really about communication. If you're not communicating with people, what are you doing? So I like people, and I like music, and it's still fun, and as long as it's still fun and creative, I'll work when I want to, and that's what I do now is I work when I want to. Probably all in about 50 dates a year, I sing with a couple of orchestras as well as my band, so enough to keep me enthused and keep me busy.
Paul Szmal: How long has this current version of your band been with you?
Joe Whiting: These guys have been with me, the bass players have been with me for over 25 years, but this actual lineup for 10 years, so it's all good guys, good people to work with, no bad habits. They just want to play.
Paul Szmal: And what do you like to play nowadays?
Joe Whiting: Pretty much it's what I call roots, rhythm and blues, rock and soul, stuff from my catalog, stuff I've been associated with, all stuff that's accessible to people, but it's not a cover band, it's not an oldies act, it's just a good collection of what I call Americana music.
Paul Szmal: Did you find being in this area that it was hard to be an original musician playing and recording your own music?
Joe Whiting: Yes it is, and it's even harder now because people expect, and some of it's always been that way, people want to hear what they're familiar with, but the fact of the matter is that you become familiar with something because it's different. Now forget radio airplay, forget even selling music, I mean even the Rolling Stones were crying out loud they couldn't sell that last disc and it was good music. It's just, yes, the short answer to your question, yes it is harder to do original bass stuff, but it always has been.
Paul Szmal: And you've been doing that for a majority of your career with a lot of success, I know you've won a lot of regional music awards over the years for your work.
Joe Whiting: Yeah, I mean I've been very fortunate that I've been able to stay active and at least enough people like what I do that keeps me doing it.
Paul Szmal: What's the plan for the future Joe, just basically the same thing of play when you feel like playing and go and do the gigs that you enjoy doing?
Joe Whiting: Yeah, I mean like I said my book is out now, so I've got a book signing tonight. We're working on new music that's almost done, but again it's trying to sell music, I mean everybody wants it for free, so you really have to look at your music almost as a business card. When I first started making CDs it was kind of a big deal for area people to do a CD, now everybody does it and everybody gets it online for free, so that's just the way it is, I'm not complaining, it's just the way it is.
Paul Szmal: You want to give a quick plug for where the book signing is tonight Joe?
Joe Whiting: Yeah, the book signing here is in Skinny Atlas, which is where I live and it's the American Legion right in town and they've been kind enough to, I'm a member of the Sons of the Legion, my grandfather was a past commander of the Legion here in town and my dad was a veteran, so I'm a member of the Sons of the Legion, so it's right here in town and should be a lot of fun.
Paul Szmal: Well Joe, it has been a pleasure to speak to you and we look forward to hearing you tomorrow night at Seneca Lake Resorts.
Joe Whiting: I'll be there Paul, thank you.
Paul Szmal: Alright, 759 on FLX Morning.
