In the future, people will make shrines to Bobby Lee Rodgers. People will dress like him, talk like him, and in every other way try to be like him. Many will try to replicate his specific musical ingénue because it will have become part of the sound of an era gone-by. His sound will also become the basis for forthcoming generations. BLR, as those in the know call him, is a quiet, untapped center of musical genius. From his compositions to his performances, the man exudes the energy of a champion.
He has been overshadowed in the past by the legendary presence of Colonel Bruce Hampton. People attributed the main fireworks of the Codetalkers to the Colonel, when in actuality BLR has essentially written every song in their repertoire. But recently, the Colonel has stepped back to give BLR his full, earned limelight so we took a chance to speak with BLR in a rare (mostly) serious interview.
What was your weirdest gig ever?
Our weirdest gig was one in Zydeco, Birmingham. I looked over and Bruce had fallen backwards through all the amps on the stage. His body hit the wall and his head hit about an hour later, drilling the back of this bass amp…and he got up and looked liked “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” with about 9,000 cables hanging around him. He got up and had this knot on his head. He looked like one of those scarecrows in Looney Tunes, like [he’d been] hit over the head with a hatchet. He got up and fell forward and knocked everybody else’s amp over and took the bass out. And he came up to the front, and it was just me and the Falcon playing, he came up to the mic like he was going to play but what happened is the cord fell out of the microphone. So he just ran off the stage. And I was just sitting there with the whole stage collapsed. And Falcon was sitting there, half of his drumset was gone into Bruce. Everything was attached to him and wound with cables. I asked this guy from the audience later, “What did it look like from the audience?” And he turned around and said [in a thick Southern accent] ‘Wayelll, it looked like the Colonel collapsed the stage.’
Have you ever performed without your suits?
Yeah, the only time we performed without our suits was the time I forgot mine. And that ended up being for one of our videos. It was our only video of us at the time.
What is the hardest thing about being on the road so much?
Being away from my family is the hardest thing. That’s number one.
Do you have any children?
70. No, I don’t have any children. I’m married and have three dogs.
What’s the best thing about being on the road so much?
It’s that you get to be away from your family (laughs). No, the best part is that you get to go out and be with your road family, you know? That’s really what it’s about.
You’re about to start the Jimmy Herring / Bobby Lee Rodgers / Jeff Sipe tour. What material do you plan on playing?
We’re going to be doing a lot of my old stuff. You know, stuff I haven’t done with the Codetalkers. Maybe some of them [we played] a long time ago, but we’re revamping stuff I’ve written that I’ve had for years. A lot of this stuff I’d written before the Codetalkers, like “Niagara Falls.” All those tunes were around forever.
Did you write them while you were teaching at Berklee?
Yes, and when I first started my own group, Bobby Lee Rodgers and the Herd.
You’ll also be playing a date with Aquarium Rescue Unit.
Yes, the All Good Festival. I’m playing banjo in that. [It will be] me, Jimmy [Herring], Jeff [Sipe], Oteil [Burbridge], and Bruce [Hampton].
Speaking of festivals, The Codetalkers on the main stage at Bonnaroo is quite exciting.
Very. It’s the Codetalkers’ CD release party. I’ll also be playing a solo set there.
What have you been listening to lately?
The tires of the van…The only thing I ever really listen to is straight ahead jazz or classical. Coltrane, Parker, Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, and composers like Rachmaninoff. I love Rachmaninoff’s Concerto. You know man, that’s just heavy. That’s where I’m trying to get to. I don’t think I’ll ever get there but I’m trying.
Who are some musicians you want to play with?
Mozart. Most of the people I want to play with are dead.
Would Mozart have shared a stage?
Probably not, that’s why I’d like to play with him.
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What do you do to center yourself before playing a show?
Yoga…and we spend about 15 minutes together before we go on.
Do you notice a difference in audience reaction without Bruce at your shows?
The thing about the Trio is that we’re focusing on our music now. That’s what the difference is. You were there, you saw it. It’s a different thing.
Why does your guitar have tape on it?
An animal lives in it, a squirrel. I have to trap him in there with tape and I feed him these little feeds. No, it reduces the feedback. (laughs) Who else has tape on their guitar? I’m so ashamed. It’s my Gibson ES 125; it’s my favorite guitar.
