Featherbeard claims that his transformation from the young man named Joseph H. into the performer that wears dresses and hand-sewn featherbeards and sings strange songs in multiple octaves happened in 2007 in a cemetery in New Orleans when he fell asleep from a heavy sandwich and a lot of beer. At this point, he insists that Baron Samedi, the voodoo God of the dead, claimed him as an eternal servant and gave him the featherbeard he is rarely seen without. As dubious as this may be it is emblematic of the kind of storytelling that can be found in featherbeard’s songs and performances. Whether his tongue is in his cheek or not, we cannot know, but there are some facts available to us that cannot be ignored or denied…cliffhanger…

More on Featherbeard’s fantastical story follows below the playlist. It’s gonna read nicely with the theme music you hear upon pressing play. We were really happy to have him come into dublab and unroll a musical map for your enjoyment.

ARTIST – SONG – RELEASE – LABEL
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John Jacob Niles-Venezuela-I Wonder As I Wander-Tradition
Morgan Sexton-Little Birdie-Shady Grove-Appal Shop
Victor Jara-El Derecho de Vivir en Paz-El Derecho de Vivir en Paz-Areito
Congregacion-Estrecha a tu Hermano-S/T-Lion
Gal Costa-Relance-India-Phillips
Allen Toussaint-Soul Sister-Life, Love, and Faith-Reprise
James Booker-Junco Partner-Resurrection of the Bayou Majarajah-Rounder
Professor Longhair-Tipitina-NewOrleans Piano-Atlantic
Featherbeard-Whale Song-Incantations-Self Release
Josephine Foster-The Pruner’s Pair-Hazel Eyes, I will Lead You-Locust
Scott Walker-The Old Man’s Back Again-Scott 4-Island Mercury
Talking Heads-The Good Thing-More Songs About Buildings and Food-Sire
Slapp Happy and Henry Cow-Some Questions About Hats-Desperate Straights-Virgin
Melvin Van Peebles-Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail-Brer Soul-A&M
Sonny Sharrock-Bialero-Black Woman-4 Men wtih Beards
Sister Gertrude Morgan-Way in The Middle of the Air-Lets Make a Record
Ivor Cutler-Shoplifters-Ludo-Parlophone
Featherbeard-Appal Seed-Incantations-Self Release
Jean Ritchie-Go Dig My Grave-Precious Memories-Folkways
Jean Ritchie-Morning Come and Mariah’s Gone-Preciuos Memories-Folkways
Tucker Zimmerman-Left Hand of Moses-Songpoet-The Village Thing
John Jacob Niles-I Wonder as I Wander-I Wonder as I Wander-Tradition
Yoko Ono-Midsummer New York-Fly-Apple
Terry Reid-Ooh Baby (Make Me Feel So Young)-Seed of Memory-ABC
Gilberto Gil-Back in Bahia-Expresso 2222-Philips
Featherbeard-the nexte Songe is the Beaste-Incantations-Self
Jorge Ben-Os Alchemistas estan Chegando os Alchemistas-A Tabua de Esmeralda-Philips

Sent to Los Angeles, a place he had never set foot, accompanied only by extraordinary circumstances and some acoustic instruments, Featherbeard has been performing ever since then in backyards, bars, music clubs, churches, and private celebrity parties. Whether with a supporting band or performing solo, he wears a dress so that he feels “pretty” when he performs, hoping to either connect with his audience as a mother figure or as an object of desire. Whether you deem the music “Art Folk”, “Archaic Funk”, or any other arbitrary genre tag, it is a performance that delights and entertains whether through witty satire or through dark and unfortunate earthly realities. At the center of it are the words, which insist that we can still communicate with poetry even in the 21st Century, and the voice, a four-octave range which is as ancient and filling as bread and as rich as odiferous thick-tanned leather.

Musical comparisons have been drawn to Scott Walker, John Jacob Niles, Ivor Cutler, Tiny Tim, The Incredible String Band, and many more, but Featherbeard cites as his only source the unbreakable connection and servitude to the master Baron Samedi ever since their first meeting in New Orleans. He actually believes that he is a vessel for Samedi’s creativity here on earth. Featherbeard says that the Baron is tired of only playing music to zombies below and prefers the audience of the living above. Unfortunately the Baron has not gifted Featherbeard with financial gifts along with his creative gifts and the production of Featherbeard’s first record has been slow however rewarding. Releasing the debut album, Incantations, in October of 2013, recorded on a four track reel to reel tape machine in Beverly Hills, CA, Featherbeard features mountain dulcimer, baritone ukulele, a mahogany guitar, the chorded zither (also known as autoharp) and of course, his voice. Samba drums, upright bass, sirenic backing vocals, and pump organs fill out the recording beautifully and pay homage to the music of the past and the music of the future. The present, if one exists, is the only place this music has trouble sitting down in and this is a point of pride for Featherbeard, knowing that he will never have to look back on an old photo of himself when he had a trendy haircut and remark with some tone of exasperation, “Oh! The 80s! I can’t believe I ever made such a terrible decision as that!”