Jack Hadley, a blues guitarist based in Boulder, spoke with KGNU’s Joanne Cole. Jack discussed his new album, The St. Louis Sessions, Vol. II, released in April. Jack explained the album’s connection to St. Louis and its rich blues history. He also talked about his upcoming performance with Mike Maurer Band on September 7th at the Roots Music Project and his collaboration with R&B artist Hazel Miller (Interview date: 8/16/2024)
Joanne Cole: As promised, in the studio with me today is Jack Hadley.
Jack Hadley: Hi, Joanne.
Joanne Cole: Hi, Jack. Those of you in the blues world know Jack Hadley. Perhaps for those who are new to town, tell us who you are, Jack, and what you’ve been doing for the last X amount of years.
Jack Hadley: My name is Jack Hadley. I have lived in Boulder for quite a while. Whenever people ask me how I describe my music, I like to say I’m on the soul end of the blues and I think it’s really true. Everything that I do is a combination of my background. B.B. King, Robert Cray, Hendrix too, some SRV, and if you listen to my music, you will hear all of that.
Joanne Cole: Hey, let’s just play a cut of your music.
Jack Hadley: “I’m Coming Home”.
Joanne Cole: “I’m Coming Home”. We’re going to hear some Jack Hadley right now on KGNU and then we’ll come back and chat. That was a beautiful description of your music, so I want people to hear it. Here’s a new release from Jack Hadley titled The St. Louis Sessions, Vol. II, which we’ll get to in a minute.
That’s awesome, Jack.
Jack Hadley: Thanks.
Joanne Cole: That is the new release. When did this come out?
Jack Hadley: April 24.
Joanne Cole: It’s called Jack Hadley, The St. Louis Sessions, Vol. II. So is there a Volume I?
Jack Hadley: There is.
Joanne Cole: You are an extremely prolific recorder of music. How many record albums do you have ?
Jack Hadley: This is four.
Joanne Cole: Oh, four. I thought it was 40. Okay, so not so terribly prolific in your years. This is just beautiful. Tell us about who’s on this, how it came to be?
Jack Hadley: The musicians on this release are Bob Lohr on piano, Keith Robinson on drums, Terry Coleman on bass. There’s another drummer on here as well on a couple of the songs, Chris Miller. And the reason I recorded this in St. Louis is because I had met Bob Lohr about 10 years ago. We had a mutual friend from St. Louis, a fabulous guitar player named Neil Haverstick, who has since moved to New Mexico. Anyway, Neil’s also from St. Louis. We were doing a festival in Denver, and he invited Bob to come up. Bob and I hit it off. I told him, my wife is from St. Louis. I’m down there all the time. He goes, hey, hit me up, man. When you come down, let’s get together. That’s how the relationship started.
Joanne Cole: Not all those guys are St. Louis players though.
Jack Hadley: Yes, they are.
Joanne Cole: All right, very good. And the recording studio? Because it just sounds as clear as a bell.
Jack Hadley: Oh, yeah. Casa Del Torretta is the name of the studio, recorded on The Hill in St. Louis. It’s one of the studios that Chuck Berry recorded in.
Joanne Cole: I’ve never been to St. Louis. It says something about the vibe. The vibe is real in St. Louis.
Jack Hadley: The vibe is real. The blues thing is different in St. Louis than it is here in Colorado. The history is different, to say the least. These guys that I played with, they played with Chuck Berry for quite a while. Bob Lohr is the guy who took over the piano set when Johnny Johnson left Chuck Berry. So he was with him for 17 or 18 years. So these guys played with Chuck for quite a while. They also played with Ernie Isley from The Isley Brothers. Yeah, respected guys. It’s just a different kind of soulful feeling. I was real glad to have this quartet thing happening on the CD because Bob plays that kind of rock gut piano style. My band here is only a trio, guitar, bass and drums. And this is so freeing. It’s a different kind of sound for me. It almost feels more complete when you have the keyboards.
Joanne Cole: It’s wonderful. Our guest is Jack Hadley. We’re talking about The St. Louis Sessions, which can be found wherever fine music is sold. Jack, people can reach you online at jackhadleymusic.net.
Jack Hadley: Yep.
Joanne Cole: So you got a big show coming up.
Jack Hadley: Yes.
Joanne Cole: The Blues Night Double Header at this great new venue that I still have not been at. It’s with you and a fellow named Mike Maurer band. The show is September 7th.
Jack Hadley: It’s coming right up. This is two guitar trios, I think Mike has a horn player once in a while.
Joanne Cole: And where’s he from?
Jack Hadley: He’s from Denver. He’s an excellent young player. I’ve known him for quite a while. He approached me about doing this show. I’ve been associated with the Roots Music Project for quite a while. In fact, I’m on the board.
Joanne Cole: I was just gonna say, since its inception, Jack, because maybe you were a mover and a shaker in that. Full disclosure, Jack and I don’t know if you were on the board at the time, but I was on the Colorado Blues Society Board way back in the day. So good on you for walking the walk, trying to keep blues alive and interesting music alive here in Colorado. So we’re talking about the Roots Music Project.
Jack Hadley: The Roots Music Project is a music incubator, started about five years ago by Dave Kennedy. He is supporting all kinds of music, all different styles of music. Jazz, blues, bluegrass, all kinds of Americana. R&B. It’s a couple of performance spaces, and he gives opportunities to young people who are trying to start out as musicians. It’s on 47th and Pearl, I think.
Joanne Cole: So in the industrial area that we know and love. All your car needs and the Parkway Cafe.
Jack Hadley: Right across the street from there.
Joanne Cole: Oh, wonderful.. So if you can find the Parkway, as we say. My sister and brother in law were just here and they went to the Parkway every morning for breakfast. They happened upon it and then they loved it. So that’s a big plug for the Parkway.
Okay, but we’re talking about the Roots Music Project and you’re going to be playing with Mike Maurer, Saturday, September 7th, starting at 7:30. And I know a lot of people have gone. We’ve partnered with y’all on lots of music. I see what’s happening there, and it’s great. It is. It’s really great. Hats off to everybody, and again, thank you for being on the board. If you’d like to be on the KGNU board, we’re looking for some takers. Be like Jack, and walk the walk. You gotta put in the time.
Jack Hadley: Somebody has to do it.
Joanne Cole: That’s right, somebody has to do it, and I appreciate you, Jack, for that. So a new CD. Gig on September 7th. But you play around town quite a bit. Where can people find you?
Jack Hadley: I do. My schedule is always current on jackhadleymusic.net. One of the things I’ve been doing, a new thing in the last couple of months, and I can’t believe I hadn’t made this connection before. I was at a show at the Roots Music Project. Hazel Miller was there.
Joanne Cole: See, R&B.
Jack Hadley: R&B. We started talking. She says, we should start doing some things together. My band has opened for her. We have played together. We were just in La Veta about three weeks ago, and it was Hazel and I and a bass player named Paul McDaniel. So I played, and Hazel and I sang together, and Paul played bass. Sold out show. And we’re going to be doing more of this.
Joanne Cole: That’s wonderful. Let me just put a plug in for Hazel Miller because she’s another person who absolutely walks the walk. Years ago when I worked here at KGNU, we had a little women’s blues thing. She said yes without batting an eye. She’s always there and I see her and I appreciate it. I see what she does in the community. And it’s above and beyond what you need to do, right? I know everybody’s accessible. I’ve never met a musician who wasn’t. But Hazel is in a class of her own. So good on you for partnering with her. I’m that I will come to see, you and Hazel.
Jack Hadley: It’s a beautiful thing
Joanne Cole: I bet it is because I love her so much. Jack, I really appreciate you coming in this morning.
Jack Hadley: Thanks, Joanne.
Joanne Cole: Is there anything else you want the folks to know?
Jack Hadley: I would just like to say, keep supporting the music. Whatever it is that you’re into, go see somebody.
Joanne Cole: Do it. That’s right. And you’re saying that directly to me. All right. I want to go out with another cut. What should we hear? Not the sad one about the bad relationship. Because that killed me. I played that on the blues show – it about killed me. I was like, oh, this poor man! But when you came in this morning you said that was fiction and that you’re very happily married. So I love that.
Jack Hadley: Oh yeah, totally fiction.
“Afraid to Love”.
Joanne Cole: We can do that. My guest is Jack Hadley. September 7th. Come hear him play with Mike Maurer Band. Check him out with Hazel Miller. Check out all the music. Support live music.
