Interview: Reverend B. Kerry Keefe (of the Tombstone Blues Band)

HT: Great job on the new album. You’ve really come a long way musically since the Tombstone Blues Band days. I presume you must still play a lot?

Rev. Kerry: I’ve sincerely given my gift to God. It is in his hands. I’ve played for my church every Sunday for essentially the last fifteen years. I’ll never charge them for my services. Its a gift of Love. I serve in a predominately African American congregation, but despite my pigmentation, I fit right in. I’d have to say learning from my Pastor, Thurman Hargrove, who sings on my CD, his style of singing and improvisation has truly helped me and taught me to loosen up and go with the Spirit in the music. I’ve played in some bands, but it never catches fire the way it can in Church. The quick answer to the question is I do play quite a bit, and quite a bit more now that I’m free of my former behaviors.

Glory to his Name  – Title Track

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HT: There’s a line on one of my favorite songs, “Friends don’t treat me like they used to, since I laid my burdens down.” Is that in reference to your choice to follow God?

Rev. Kerry: That’s from a great spiritual you’ll often hear in the African American churches. You ever have drinking buddies and then you stop drinking? They don’t treat you like they used to. Best friends in bars might not even acknowledge you once they know your in the church. Then again, they may have taken gross advantage of you before you came to Christ, but now that you’ve been set free, they wouldn’t dare.

Some folks seem to like seeing you down and out. It makes them feel better about their own miseries. Finding salvation changes a lot of things with a lot of people. My mother once called my pastor, asking him what was happening to her son. He just told her, it’s the Spirit of God. There was nothing anyone could do about it.

HT: A lot of people would agree that music has a special place in religion, or even go as far as to say, music is religion. That must feel good to play for a higher power and share that in a celebratory manner?

Rev. Kerry: The bible teaches us that pure religion, undefiled before God is this: to visit the widows and the fatherless in their afflictions and remain unspotted before the world. Essentially, I interpret that as meaning religion is a practice. It is no a building or even a tradition, a ritual or a denomination. Religion is what I do with my faith. How I help my brother. Those who Christ would have helped. The sin sick and disabled.

So, the question is what is Music’s role in this activity? Music ministers to parts of the soul that words, sermons, acts of charity and even prayer cannot reach. It can open our hearts and prepare us for God’s love like no other medium. It can move our feet and cause our hands to clap. It can bring tears to our eyes. When the Spirit is moving through the music in our church and it catches the guitar homping off of the Hammond Organ and the choir is chanting and we’re going through a 1/4 groove, there is nothing that can touch it. Out of this world and touching the divine. Even the waxiest hearts would melt, and people become prepared to be saved. That feels very good. Outstanding questions by the way. Thank you.

HT: I understand this was three years in the making, could you talk about how the project came to fruition?

Rev. Kerry: My Dad taught me to play. He was a very strong influence on me and my music. I would dare to say on the Tombstone Blues as well. He took us all to see the Allman Brothers and I remember one time he took Mike and myself to a Bluegrass concert that I believe was quite important to Mike.

Anyhow, my Dad was a great player. Had a lot of neat rockabilly sounds that I often use today. When he passed in 2006, his music was gone with him. His talent was never recorded. I decided that would never happen to my kids. Though I am releasing this music to the public and God’s people, I was inspired by them. I wanted to do something that they could have forever. The reason it took three years is that the studio cost me more money than I make, so I had to piece it together. Had I had good full month of just doing this, I probably would have my next CD done. Counseling in the prison doesn’t necessarily pay what it’s worth, but I’m doing good and helping keep everyone safe. It’s God’s work. And look, despite the challenges, the CD is done!

HT: Given your place in early Phishtory, I think everyone reading will be dying to know a little bit about the Tombstone Blues Band days? Could you a little bit about the dynamic of the band in those days? Did you take it pretty seriously?

Rev. Kerry: I loved that band. I loved those guys. Dan McBride was my best friend for a number of years in high school. We were high school rock stars. Mike was a fantastic kid. Extremely talented and insanely funny. I could laugh hysterically just looking at him. Today, when I read his writing, Mike’s Corner etc., I’m right there. Cracking me up till I cry.

One of the interesting dynamics of that band I recall was Mike’s talent for hearing music and picking it up note for note. I recall Mike teaching us a lot of the songs. He took the permanently rented Farfisa organ, put it through a wah wah peddle and then learned the intro and synthesizer break to Won’t get Fooled Again by the Who. Now, Pete Townshend programmed that into his synth; Mike played it note for note from scratch. Insane talent for a 15 year-old boy. He picked up Magic Dick’s harmonica part to Wammer Jammer note for note. He picked up the entire Jumpin’ Jack Flash into Young Blood by Leon Russell then taught it to us. So many songs he picked up. I don’t recall him writing any.

Tombstone Blues Band – Won’t Get Fooled Again

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I read once that he had a catharsis up at UVM that took all his musical talent and culminated into the improvisational talent that he is today. Regarding songwriting, that was Dan and my job. We liked to write songs that would piss off our parents and other adults. Politically insensitive and incorrect. I later went into a locker room rock phase myself.

HT: Were you troublemakers?

Rev. Kerry: Maybe me more than the others. I was keen on the girls and I took the high school rock star thing to the limit. To be honest, it is a part of my youth I’m not particularly proud of. I believe I hurt some feelings along the way, which I wish I could take back now that I’ve grown older and learned. Maybe God will allow me to make those amends one day (one particular girlfriend comes to mind). We can treat people really bad when we put ourselves first, for those things I am sorry. Mike on the other hand seemed to put the music first. Looking back on it, and considering where he is today, that might have been the better route. Music before fame… Music before fame… Maybe I’ll get it one day.

This has nothing to do with the question, but in May, I went to see Mike’s new band, which is awesome by the way, in Northhampton, MA. As we were talking, I’m thinking to myself – rather than, wow, I’m talking to Mike Gordon the world renowned and likely the best bass player going in our generation – wow man, you played Down by the River with Neil Young. Lucky Duck. So, I proceeded to ask him “Hey, isn’t that the guy from Max Creek?” Sometimes my stupidity amazes me.

HT: Finally, who was cooler in high school, you or Mike?

Rev. Kerry: You know, I’m glad you got to the more important questions on everybody’s minds. Here I must apologize to Mike. I was in high school, and it is empirically documented, substantially cooler. Long blonde, Roger Daltrey in Tommy type hair, bluesy voice. I had the looks and the clothes and the attitude. Mike on the other hand, had all the stuff. And now we know how much talent he had. In high school, maybe me. Since high school, it would be hard to say that Mike isn’t slightly cooler than me. You never know, I might catch up.