by Ariana Pekary, producer
The first time listening to Dave Stewart’s The Blackbird Diaries might be a little confusing. How one leapfrogs from the electronic beats of Sweet Dreams to the slow tempo piano duet with Stevie Nicks in Cheaper Than Free could be a stretch for some. But not so much if a) you have followed his backstage career for the past three decades, and b) if you listen to his interview with Bob in which he describes the blues influence in his work with The Eurythmics. As he points out, Missionary Man is a great example of that sound.
No matter what, it’s hard to deny the musical talent of Stewart, not to mention his ambition. No wonder the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Mick Jagger trust him like they do in the studio, not to mention, Nelson Mandela to create his 46664 Campaign.
What is most striking about the interview with Stewart is how open he is to discuss his life (and relationship with Annie Lennox) with such modesty. His newest album is a keeper, and for one, I’ll be anxiously awaiting his work in the future.
Watch an interview with Dave Stewart and Bob Dylan, filmed in 1985.
Here is “Blood in My Eyes” the product of Stewart and Dylan’s partnership.
The Traveling Wilburies happened thanks to Stewart (and his LA studio). Here is “Handle With Care.”
Here’s a link to Stewart’s documentary Deep Blues.
Read about Red River Dave, the eccentric country musician who inspired The Blackbird Diaries in a roundabout way. This is his obituary published in the UK’s The Independent.
And finally, watch a video of SuperHeavy, Dave’s other latest project.