At the crack of four in the afternoon, Peter Wolf wakes up and makes himself a hearty breakfast to get the day started right. But, while other hard rockers sleep late simply because they can, Wolf, the singer of rock hit makers The J. Geils band, sleeps late because spends the night- the entire night- conjuring the spirits of pioneering American musicians with his guitar in order to compose tunes rooted in the very soul of America.
While the J. Geils band made a name for themselves in the 70’s and 80’s penning edgy cuts such as “(My angel is the) Centerfold,” “Love Stinks,” and “Freeze Frame,” Wolf has journeyed backwards, digging up the ancestors of rock music. His excavations have led him through the tombs of forgotten blues legends, passed unmarked country star graves, and over the bones of fading folk titans.
He returned to report his findings with his 2002 album, Sleepless, which had guest spots from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (and was also named one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 best albums of all time.) Now, he’s continuing his conjuring with his new album, Midnight Souvenirs, which digs up the beginnings of American Music with help from Neko Case, Shelby Lynne, and the living legend himself, Merle Haggard.
“Merle Haggard is one of the last greats, very much like Johnny Cash,” Wolf explains why he specifically chose Haggard to work with him on his new album. “Merle as a singer does what Frank Sinatra did. He knows how to bring a song to life. He knows how to see a song for what it truly is.”
It’s interesting to hear Wolf talk about other musicians. While many singers are unable to share the limelight, Wolf seems just as enthused about having Haggard on his album as his fans would be. But maybe, that’s because Wolf is originally a fan himself, having worked the late night DJ spot on the radio for some time before jumping into the music biz, “While a lot of guys say they get into to music to meet a girlfriend or whatever, I really joined a band because I was a music fan and it gave me an opportunity to meet musicians. By joining a band, I got to meet John Lee Hooker, Howling Wolf, The Rolling Stones. When I put together a duet, I do it because the song calls for it...I don’t mean I record the kind of duet that inspires sales. I record other singers because they artistically that lend their voices to the song.”
As Wolf continues, he refers to songs almost as living people- each one has its own individual background, defying simple categorization, which is probably why he has drawn issue with the term “Americana” which is often used to categorize pre-war American music of all genres. “With the Americana label, I know people do use it, but it’s very vague. I think for me to have roots, you have to pay homage to the artists before you.”
On Midnight Souvenirs, Wolf clearly draws from multiple wells. One moment he’s picking away at blue grass, only to ramp up the groove to early rock n roll on the next track, before smoothing it out with some soul. Interestingly, while all of those genres have different origins, Wolf is able to link them together, not so much to tell a story of progression, but to show that they all seemingly come from the same primordial urges.
“Certain artists are seeped in the tradition before them. But, there are different influences. ‘Everything I Do’, which is on the new album, is a really a great homage to the Philly sound. But, it’s very different than something like ‘Lying low.’” Wolf diagrams how his influences lock together, and points out they seem to all come form the same essence of the human condition. “Though all the songs have different roots, it’s not what people can simply call Americana. You know... it’s just music to me.”
So then, why is late at night the witching hour for music making? Why are tunes rooted in the soul of America best pulled upwards when the moon is high as opposed to say... tea time? Wolf seems to suggest the answer is as much supernatural as it is scientific, “Even with the ancient Greeks, something was going on at night atmospherically that just doesn’t happen during the day. It’s those wee wee hours where something happens. At that time, there’s a lot of relationship changes... a lot of pillow talk.” Wolf cracks a wry smile, “plus, a glass of bourbon or wine just isn’t the same at 3am as it is a 7 o’clock in the evening...”
Catch Peter Wolf on October 2nd at Yoshi’s in San Francisco. (1330 Fillmore st, San Francisco, 8pm)
Wolf recently released Midnight Souvenirs on Verve records in CD, digital, and double vinyl LP formats
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