Milwaukee purveyors of soul and funk, The Ghosts of Laura Palmer, haven't been around long, but the duo -- comprising Mario Martin and Andy Gulotta -- is ready to drop its debut CD.
"Blackbird" -- a masterful mix of vintage sounds from the likes of Joe Tex, James Brown, Bogis Chimes, Bill Coday and others -- officially drops at a CD release party Friday, April 15 at, yes, Bay View's Blackbird Bar.
But you can get a sneak preview when the duo takes part in AWEAR, the Sojourner Family Peace Center’s (SFPC) annual fashion show and fundraising event, Thursday, March 24, at the Harley-Davidson Museum.
And you can stream "Blackbird" for free here.
We talked to Martin about how he and Gulotta began working together and how their collaboration morphed into The Ghosts of Laura Palmer.
OnMilwaukee.com: How did you guys get together to form The Ghosts of Laura Palmer?
Mario Martin: It all started in 2005 when I was throwing a New Year's Eve party. Taking what I had learned about artist/event promotion from my years at Narada Records (Virgin/EMI), I created a forum for people to be invited to a formal event and promoted it as such. This was a black tie affair by invitation only. I spared no expense with the spirits and ambiance and felt the music was crucial.
My love for soul and funk music prompted me to ask Andy Gulotta, a guitarist and avid soul/funk record collector, to play 45s on my 1950s Grundig record player. We sat down and created a mood for the night and he nailed it. The party was a success that had an eclectic group of people enjoying themselves and dancing to the music.
OMC: And the DJ thing morphed into a band, too?
MM: We started an instrumental band after that to continue a musical project together, but I moved to Los Angeles to continue working in the music industry. We put the band on hold but I found a real love in DJing. I would spin tunes wherever I could in L.A. It came to the point where I was being asked to bring my own arsenal of music to parties and spin what I could. I just thought it felt natural. But after a while, I decided to move back to Milwaukee to be closer to my family.
OMC: And so, the ghost re-appeared, as it were?
MM: Upon my return in April 2010, I called Andy and told him my plan for a DJ duo, focussed on soul and funk. He loved it. The concept I had in my head was to DJ as a collaborative collective - live. Again, Andy loved it and I immediately got to work finding a place willing to give a new outfit a chance. We found our de facto home at Blackbird in Bay View.
We wanted to bring a live aspect to DJing. With that concept, we formed setlists based on the night we would play. Our forthcoming record, entitled "Blackbird" as an homage to our first home, is an actual setlist we used. We wanted to live in the unconventional with this project and managed to do so with our name, our look, our style, and lastly, our record.
OMC: So, it's taken a long time since the start of the collaboration to get the record out, then...
MM: Technically, we've been collaborating since 2005. But this project began in April 2010 when I returned from Los Angeles. It's kind of wild that we're releasing our first record about a year after really forming. But when something clicks, it just clicks.
OMC: Does Andy's musicianship figure in The Ghosts?
MM: The Ghosts of Laura Palmer is strictly an analog, vinyl project between myself and Andy. We only spin vinyl. But, Andy still plays with Will Phalen & The Stereo Addicts both live and on record. They are completely separate projects.
OMC: How does Laura Palmer, or more accurately, Laura Palmer's ghosts, fit into it?
MM: Ahh yes. Well, on the surface, Laura Palmer is the main character in "Twin Peaks" who is murdered in the first episode and caused everyone to ask "who killed Laura Palmer?" I love that it created such a phenomenon. I am a huge fan of David Lynch. His craft really inspired me. But more figuratively for us, Laura Palmer signifies passing away too soon. It seems that music does that. We wanted to lend a name that is just as apropos for genres like soul and funk. They tend to have their place when referenced, but the music itself isn't as mainstream and available. We wanted to resurrect soul and funk. I have always been such a fan that I named my company and label after it.
OMC: Tell us about the gig and why you're a part of it.
MM: Well, the Sojourner Family Peace Center reached out to us to to inquire about our availability. We were very interested in the event because we believe in what they do. It's such a great organization and a great cause that we wanted to be a part of it. Additionally, I have always felt that music and fashion go hand-in-hand. I had some experience with fashion in the entertainment industry that it all kind of just made sense. It's going to be a great night of fashion and we're supplying the music. I mean, how awesome is that? We create a musical project, and within a year we're being asked to play the Harley-Davidson Museum for a fashion show and releasing a record!
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
