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AADL Talks To: Frank Uhle, Film Projectionist, Author, and Cultural Historian
Frank Uhle came to the University of Michigan as an art student, joined the campus film society Cinema II, and has worked for several decades as a University of Michigan and Michigan Theater film projectionist. He also hosts a radio program at the local U-M independent radio station WCBN, and enjoys researching regional music history. In 2023, Frank penned the book Cinema Ann Arbor, which takes a look back at the history of Ann Arbor’s vibrant campus cinema culture from the 1960s through the turn of the 21st century. I talked with Frank about Ann Arbor’s love affair with cinema, from its early history to its cutting-edge film festivals; the maverick professors and students who built the vibrant campus film societies; and the cultural changes he's witnessed in Ann Arbor and in the film industry over the past several decades.
Frank's book Cinema Ann Arbor is available in our catalog to check out or download. You can also read Frank's essay about legendary Ann Arbor record producer Ollie McLaughlin, written for AADL's Ann Arbor 200 project in celebration of the city's bicentennial.
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AADL Talks To: Bill Lynn, Former Member of the Mojo Boogie Band, Retired Musician and Auctioneer
Bill Lynn is a musician who lived in Ann Arbor during the late 1960s and 1970s, where he was part of the popular Mojo Boogie Band. Bill recalls living in Ann Arbor during the heyday of the counterculture movement. He reminisces about friends, band members, anti-war protests, draft dodging techniques, the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, favorite local venues, the changing national music scene, and tells stories about friendships and colleagues, including John Sinclair, the Tate Brothers, JC Crawford, and musician Andrew Williams. Additional stories can be found in the Bill Lynn Collection.
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AADL Talks To: Scott Morgan, Singer and Musician
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.
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AADL Talks To: Paul Vornhagen, Jazz Saxophonist, Flutist, and Vocalist
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
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Paul Vornhagen & Friends: Live at the Del Rio, with Kalle Nemvalts
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)
- Scrapple from the Apple
- Triste
- Tough Talk
- St. Thomas
- Manha de Carnaval
- I Mean You
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AADL Talks To: arwulf arwulf
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.
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Echos of Techno: Electronic Music in Ann Arbor
"Echos of Techno: Electronic Music in Ann Arbor is an intimate exploration of the city's innovative electronic music scene in the early 2000s, directed by artist and filmmaker Martin Thoburn. As a former Ghostly International insider and multimedia creator, Thoburn traces how Ann Arbor emerged as a vital hub for experimental electronic music, bridging Detroit's techno roots with the digital dawn of online music cultures. Centered around the story of Ghostly International—a record label that grew from a UofM college dorm room to global recognition—the film weaves together candid interviews with pioneering artists like Matthew Dear and Tadd Mullinix with rare archival footage to capture a transformative period when the city's avant-garde sound helped reshape electronic music's landscape." - Filmmaker Martin Thoburn
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AADL Talks To: Dick Siegel, Singer-Songwriter and Musician
Dick Siegel is an Ann Arbor singer-songwriter and musician who has written and performed regionally and nationally for over 40 years. In this episode, Dick talks with us about his musical influences and how a cross-country road trip and open mic nights at the Ark inspired him to start writing his own songs. Dick also sings some of his favorite lyrics for us and discusses how they were inspired by friends, family, neighbors, or -- as in the song “Angelo’s” -- a beloved local restaurant.
Check out Dick’s records at AADL. You can also watch his 2006 discussion on The Fine Art of Songwriting.
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AADL Talks To: Hiawatha Bailey, Founder of the Punk Band Cult Heroes, Former Community Activist, and Member of the White Panther Party
Hiawatha Bailey lived in one of the legendary Hill Street houses at 1510 and 1520 Hill Street where he was a member of the Trans-Love Commune, the White Panther Party, and later the Rainbow People’s Party. In this episode, Hiawatha traces his political awakening and community activism in Ann Arbor’s countercultural heyday during the late 1960s and shares stories of living and working in the commune, including the day he hung up on Yoko Ono and got a follow-up call from John Lennon. He also takes us through his musical journey as a roadie for the local rock band The Up and Detroit's Destroy All Monsters to founding his own punk band, Cult Heroes.
