Drop the Needle w/ Don Was

The guest for edition of “Drop the Needle” is musician and producer Don Was, who shares his impressions of and experiences with a selection of jazz and pop from the late 60s and early 70s that focuses on groove, attitude, and soul.

Born in Detroit in 1952, Don Was has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as a musician, record producer, music director, film composer, documentary filmmaker, radio host, and label head. 

He co-founded the satirical band Was (Not Was), whose 1988 debut “What Up, Dog?” was named to Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Best Albums of the 1980s. The album’s single “Walk the Dinosaur” hit #7 on the Billboard chart. 

He has won six GRAMMY Awards as a producer, including Album of the Year in 1989 for Bonnie Raitt’s Nick of Time and for Producer of the Year in 1994 for his work with Raitt, the Rolling Stones, and Randy Newman. His other productions have sold 100 million albums for Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mayer, Ringo Starr, Wayne Shorter, and The B-52’s. 

In 2011, Was became president of the iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, ensuring the company’s eight-decade legacy through the Classic and Tone Poet audiophile vinyl reissue series. He oversees the label’s current and historic roster of artists including Robert Glasper, Wayne Shorter, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Gregory Porter, Charles Lloyd, and Jason Moran. 

In 2018, Was and Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir formed the Wolf Brothers. The band consistently tours the world, as does Was’s Pan-Detroit Ensemble, who made their SFJAZZ debut in September 2024.

TRACK LISTING

1. Yusef Lateef: “Eastern Market” from Detroit Latitude 42º 30º Longitude 83º (1969)

2. Donald Byrd: “Black Byrd” from Blackbyrd (1973)

3. Bobby Hutcherson: “Ummh” from San Francisco (1971)

4. Phillip Ranelin & Wendell Harrison: “Beneficent” from A Message from the Tribe (1973)

5. Aretha Franklin: “Rock Steady” from Young, Gifted and Black (1971)

6. Van Morrison: “Sweet Thing” from Astral Weeks (1968)