AADL Talks To: Scott Morgan, Singer and Musician

Tue, 07/01/2025 - 3:48pm

Scott Morgan is the former frontman and founding member of The Rationals, a popular Ann Arbor-based rock band that saw success in the mid-1960s and early 1970s with "Guitar Army," "I Need You," and their cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect." The Rationals played regional and national venues with groups like The Yardbirds, The Who, and Jimi Hendrix. After the group disbanded in the early 1970s, Scott founded and performed with other bands, including Guardian Angel, Scots Pirates, Sonic’s Rendezvous Band, the Hydromatics, and The Hellacopters. Scott talks with us about growing up in Ann Arbor during the 1960s and the region’s heady music scene during this period; his friendships and collaborations with area musicians such as Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton, Bob Seger, and Fred “Sonic” Smith. He also recalls some favorite Ann Arbor venues and how the local music scene has changed.
 

The Scott Morgan Collection comprises photographs, documents (including posters, postcards, and flyers) from the past 60 years, music from Scott's record collection, and a scrapbook from a fan of The Rationals. We also have news clippings and The Rationals: "Ann Arbor's Beatles," a 1991 interview with Scott Morgan and Bill Figg, by Frank Uhle.
 

AADL Talks To: Gregory Sipp, Retired Ann Arbor Public School Teacher and Mosaic Artist

Sun, 06/15/2025 - 1:44pm

Gregory Sipp is a retired Ann Arbor Public School teacher with a 35-year career teaching at both the elementary and middle school levels, first at Bryant Elementary, then Allen Elementary, and finally Tappan Junior High (now Tappan Middle School). In his 50s, Greg discovered a passion for mosaic art and dedicated himself to studying the medium and creating portraits, which he still does today. In this episode, Greg chronicles his early years as a teacher in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, highlighting encounters with mentors and colleagues, and the impact of school desegregation. He also takes us on his journey as an artist, discussing several of his mosaic works, the influence of jazz music on his creative process, and a memorable encounter with trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard.

AADL Talks To: Paul Vornhagen, Jazz Saxophonist, Flutist, and Vocalist

Wed, 04/02/2025 - 1:06pm

Paul is an award-winning jazz saxophonist, flutist, and vocalist who got his start in Ann Arbor in 1972 as an accompanist at the University of Michigan Dance Department. Over the past four decades, Paul has played in numerous configurations and venues worldwide. He talks with us about the jazz scene in Ann Arbor in the early years, some of his favorite local venues -- past and present, reminisces about some of the many musicians he's played with, and the many changes he's witnessed in Ann Arbor over the years.

Listen to a historical recording by Paul Vornhagen and Friends captured live at the former Del Rio restaurant

Paul Vornhagen & Friends: Live at the Del Rio, with Kalle Nemvalts

Wed, 04/02/2025 - 9:59am

This is a live recording of the group Paul Vornhagen & Friends at the Del Rio, circa early 1980s. Musicians include Paul Vornhagen (saxophone, flute, vocals); Kalle Nemvalts (trumpet); Rich Burgess (keys); Norm Shobey (congas); Pete Hodges (bass); Karl Dietrick (drums)

1. Scrapple from the Apple
2. Triste
3. Tough Talk
4. St. Thomas
5. Manha de Carnaval
6. I Mean You

AADL Talks To: arwulf arwulf

Tue, 02/18/2025 - 2:22pm

In this wide-ranging conversation, local radio personality and cultural historian, arwulf, recalls the many Ann Arbor institutions, icons, and events that shaped his life. He discusses the impact of Ann Arbor’s counterculture during his youth in the late 1960s, from an early introduction to 1950s-1960s blues, rock, and jazz; psychedelia in its many forms; and Ann Arbor's anti-war movement, to his artistic awakening through film, theater, art, and radio. He also shares memories of his interactions with members of the Rainbow People's Party, his work as a Psychedelic Ranger during the legendary Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festivals, and Ann Arbor’s experimental alternative education movement. 

AADL Talks To: Marcel Shobey and Ruth Natalie Kellogg about the Legacy of Musicians Armando and Norman Shobey, aka the Shobey Brothers

Wed, 06/26/2024 - 4:14pm

In this episode, AADL Talks To Marcel Shobey, joined by his mother, Ruth Natalie Kellogg. Marcel shares memories of growing up on Ashley Street on the Old West Side and he and his mother discuss some of the changes they've seen in Ann Arbor over the years. They also take a deep dive into the music career of the Shobey Brothers -- Marcel's father, Armando Shobey, and uncle, Norman Shobey. The Shobeys were hand percussionists discovered in the Bronx as children. They toured with Bobby Orton's Teen Aces and then went on to play in a variety of music ensembles of some renown both nationally and in several European countries for many years before settling in Ann Arbor at the invitation of musician Rick Burgess. Here they formed -- or joined -- a variety of music ensembles that played throughout the Midwest region. Their story is further documented in photos and flyers in the Marcel Shobey Collection.