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00000176-de2c-dce8-adff-feeff0f80000For years public radio has been home for diverse music in America. We all have that one song, one band, one moment that transports us to another time or place. Public radio has always taken creative risks by giving voice to new and emerging artists. And it has long been the champion of America's cultural heritage - Jazz.The BlueNotes blog is the place for you to rekindle your passion for music. Jazz, blues, AAA, folk, world...it's all here at Syracuse Public Media WAER.

Original Woodstock Group Canned Heat Heads Ridgestock Festival in Chittenango

cannedheatmusic.com

An iconic musical group with roots in Woodstock and Monterey Pop will be playing at the Ridgestockfestival in Chittenango this weekend.  WAER’s Chris Bolt and Live Space Entertainment’s Tom Honan got to talk with Canned Heat drummer Fito de la Parra and Manager Skip Taylor about the band’s 50 years of history. 

(Full interview of de la Parra and Taylor below)

De la Parra joined the band in 1967, shortly after its inception.  He grew up in Mexico City where he was introduced to Rock-and-Roll and blues through music of Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis and others. 

Credit Tom Honan/Live Space Entertainment

“I really fell in love with that kind of music and my dream to come to the United States and play that kind of music started in my head.  Eventually I married an American girl and came here in 1966.  I was very happy and very luck to join Canned Heat in ‘67”

He remembers the band getting a big popularity boost from the Monterey Pop festival

Canned Heat suffered a setback later in 1967 when they were arrested for marijuana being present during a gig at the Family Dog club in Denver.  Taylor remembers it caused quite a turn in the band’s fortunes.

“We all got arrested and eventually had to hire a high-profile attorney and put up bail.  The only way we could get money at that time was to sell the other half of our publishing.  Who knew down the road our publishing would become worth literally millions of dollars…and we don’t have any of it.  So when we hear a commercial today, like the Geico commercial, with ‘Goin’ Up The Country’, the most played commercial for 26 weeks now, and we get no royalties from it.”

Woodstock presented another positive turn for the band.  Taylor and de la Parra remember taking the stage right at sunset one day of the festival.

“It was a magical time and when Canned Heat came on there, 400,000 people rose up out of the rain and the mud,” Taylor said.  “And it was truly the most magical moment I’ve ever experienced in the entire, in my lifetime.” 

canned_heat_ridgestock_raw.mp3
Canned Heat drummer Fito de la Parra and Manager Skip Taylor share memories of Monterey Pop, Woodstock, struggles the band has had over the years, and more. (full interview with Chris Bolt and Tom Honan)

“Woodstock had a lot to do with our success worldwide,” de la Parra added.  “…because the festival itself became an icon for everybody to recognize the music of revolution.”

Credit Tom Honan/Live Space Entertainment
Canned Heat holds a place in music history along with other iconic bands from the 1960s and 1970s.

The band continued to play through the years and currently performs in numerous festivals.  Taylor recalls Canned Heat recently playing 11 festivals in 6 countries in Europe.  They both admit as the band gets older, playing music is fine, but the travel is more uncomfortable. 

Still, de la Parra says he practices at home with other musicians, even if there isn’t a gig or a recording session to prepare for…just for the love of playing.  The group is hopeful of getting a Blues Foundation lifetime achievement award soon. 

Canned Heat will be playing here in Central New York Saturday at the Ridgestock Festival, at the Ridge Tavern in Chittenango.  (Information here).  Ridgestock, Aug. 19th starting at 2:00 p.m., will also feature Professor Louie and the Crowmatix, Jamie Notarthomas, and Groupo Pagan, among other local musicians.  

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.