I did a fun interview with an Iowa newspaper today for my upcoming performances as “Conductor Jack” (kids/family music) and “Jack Norton” (old-time vaudeville blues). We did this via email, so I thought you might get a kick outta reading the full interview – plus, ya never know how much of this the paper will use. Hehe. Here goes..
What can audiences expect from your shows in Fredericksburg?
The morning show (as “Conductor Jack”) is a family dance party – great for toddlers, preschool and early elementary aged kids. The evening concert (as “Jack Norton”) is old-time blues, vaudeville humor, and singer-songwriter “good-time” folk music.
What attracted you to perform at Plum Creek Art Center?
Well, even though I’m from Minnesota, I love performing and traveling throughout Iowa. It’s really a special place and I’ve heard great things about the folks at Plum Creek!
What do you enjoy about performing in small communities?
Everything. I’d rather play in Fredericksburg than New York City! I love the peace, quiet, and warmth of small towns.
How is playing an intimate venue different from a larger stage?
A lot of what I do on stage is rooted in the old-time traveling medicine shows of the late 1800s, and the early traveling vaudevillian performers – all of which played in the days before amplification and electricity on stages, so by nature their performance style was more intimate and personal. I like that, and try to channel some of that same energy into what I do today.
What do you hope people take away from your performances?
For the morning kids show – if families can come together and create some memories, all while kids put down the screen, then I’ve done my job! Hehe. As for the evening performance, I want folks to slip back in time to a simpler era, free from the stress and strain of the modern age we find ourselves in.
What inspires your songwriting?
Mostly my wife Kitty. She writes most of the music, and I come up with lyrics. We’re both rooted in the old-school Tin Pan Alley era of great American songwriters like Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, and Johnny Mercer.
Which song are you most excited to perform in Fredericksburg?
That’s a tough question because I never know what I’m going to do! I don’t have a setlist and I just follow where the audience seems to want to go.
What accomplishment are you most proud of as a musician?
That somehow I’ve managed to make a living out of playing music. When I was a kid I always though the guitar was a magic box: you hold it just the right way and a song will pop out, and when it does folks might listen, and when they do – well, you just might find yourself paying the bills and traveling around.
What keeps you motivated as a performer and songwriter?
The joys of time travel: going back to a time in this country where things were simpler, family came first, and folks weren’t glued to screens.
Why are local arts centers important to musicians?
Because they help connect musicians with audiences – art, in general, is all about connection. Is an artist truly an artist if no one sees, hears, or experiences their work? An artist must have a connection: and local arts centers are an incredibly important element in the artistic process.
What has been your most memorable performance experience?
My wife Kitty and I were performing a kid show at the Nashville Public Library. She was dressed in a possum suit and a mom came up and asked us if she and her kids could get their picture taken with us because they loved watching us on YouTube and on PBS Kids. Well, just after we took the picture and they left my wife ripped off her possum head and said, “that was Nicole Kidman!” And it really was! Uff da, I had no idea! LOL.
Why should local residents make plans to attend your show?
Well, if you have a kids in your life I promise I’ll have them dancing, laughing and forgetting all about video games for an hour! LOL. And if you just want to escape the hustle and bustle of modern day life and chill out for a bit that evening listening to some good old-timey folk tunes, well, I’m your man. I’ll even tell some groan-worthy dad jokes.
How did you get involved in music as a singer/songwriter? How long have you been involved?
My great grandpa was a vaudevillian, my grandpa was in radio, my folks were both musicians. It’s in the blood, I guess. Tiny Tim was my babysitter and taught me how to play the ukulele, and Leon Redbone was my guitar teacher. It’s a long story – I’ll tell it to y’all when I get to Fredericksburg!
Where did you grow up?
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Who were your biggest musical influences growing up?
I mostly listened to my grandpa’s collection of old 78 RPM records. I have a syndicated public radio show and podcast today called “Jack Norton’s Old-Time Radio Show”, where I play nothing but 78 RPM records – you know, the music of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. I still collect old 78s, and will probably stop at several junk stores, thrift shops and antique stores on my way to and from Fredericksburg. Musically I love guys like Bing Crosby, Jelly Roll Morton, Jimmie Rodgers, Blind Blake and Fats Waller.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?
Acoustic, simple, lazy, and old-fashioned. Oh, and fun!
Anything else?
What did you get when you cross a joke with a rhetorical question?
Saw this train in Trempealeau, Wisconsin this weekend. Pretty spooky! Think this is a cafe?