Only In The Green Room

Trumpet player and vocalist Jennifer Hartswick sits down with us in the green room at Jazz Fest to talk about her decades-long love affair with New Orleans — a city she calls "its own planet" — and the musical relationships that have shaped her career. 

Jennifer recounts her first New Orleans gig at the Maple Leaf, an overnight set that ran from 3am to sunrise, and reflects on what it took to earn that kind of audience. She shares the story of meeting Christian McBride, a musician she idolized as a kid, and forming what she describes as an instant soul bond. And she tells us about the night she met Phil Lesh — he didn't know who she was, noticed her trumpet in the green room, and the conversation that followed led to years of playing together in Phil & Friends. 

We also talk about High Sierra Music Festival's move to a new home in Grass Valley, and why Jennifer believes this inaugural year there is going to be something special. Guest: Jennifer Hartswick 
Website: jenniferhartswick.com | Instagram: @jhartswick 
Recorded live at Jazz Fest, New Orleans
#JenniferHartswick #PhilLesh #GratefulDead #ChristianMcBride #HighSierraMusicFestival #JazzFest #NewOrleans #OnlyInTheGreenRoom #MusicPodcast #MapleLeaf

Creators and Guests

Host
Dennis Strazulo
Dennis Strazulo & Tami Larson host backstage conversations with artists in the exclusive confines of green rooms at popular music venues and festivals.🎧
Host
Tami Larson
Dennis Strazulo & Tami Larson host backstage conversations with artists in the exclusive confines of green rooms at popular music venues and festivals.🎧

What is Only In The Green Room?

Welcome to Only In The Green Room - Backstage conversations from popular music venues around the country curated by Mount Tam Media.

Buckle up and listen in, as host Dennis Strazulo and Mount Tam Media founder, Tami Larson, dig up conversations with artists - before and after shows - in the exclusive confines of the green room. Barriers are down with stories abound!

 Welcome to Only in the Green Room

So Jennifer Hartswick. Hi. Welcome- Hello ... to Only in the Green Room, finally. Thank you- Finally we got you ... for coming. My first green room. Thank you for having me- ... in your green room. Well, this is certainly not ours, but isn't it a great one? I love this green room. It's a beautiful one. We like The Guild- At The Maple

but I don't know, this one has, like- It's got The Guild vibes ... a super cool vibe. This one has a touch of voodoo about it. It to- So- It totally does ... you can't say that about all green rooms. No. Totally does. So, uh, but we're happy to sit down. So we're, uh, from the Bay Area. Mm-hmm. And, uh, close to, uh, you know, Graham's team there.

Yeah. And so we've, uh... You saw that picture of you at the Terrapin, uh, Sunday Deadpool. Mm-hmm. So, but here we are in New Orleans. I mean, oh, my God. I mean, how does it feel as a musician to come play here? Let me just start with that. New Orleans is my favorite city, period, end of sentence. Um- Exactly ... I just - Right?

I just... It has my heart every time I come. I think about it. I think about it when I'm not with her. Aw. Um, I, I love it. I love it. Um, it's a very, very special place, unique place. It feels like its own city, its own country. Um- Own planet. And I can't believe it's in the US. Yeah. You just- I just had that conversation with my dad today.

Yeah. Today. Yeah. Yeah. And it's impossible to explain to people who haven't been here. Yeah. But- You summarized everything that we've- Yeah ... talked about- It's like, it's like- ... and everything th- people told us- Yeah ... for the last three years. Okay, great. I'll see you later. That's great. Yeah, so... Uh, but you feel the same way.

Yeah. Wow. Yeah. I mean, do you think everyone... Because, you know, I, I... It's kinda like, you know, people used to talk about the Grateful Dead, you had to, like, experience or get it before you got it. And I, I feel like New Orleans ha- it, it's a little bit like that. Like, it took me a while to actually feel that, right?

Mm-hmm. To, like, feel like, "Oh, my God," you know? Th- Yeah, but as a musician- Part of me. Yeah. But as a musician- I think it's even a little different, yeah. It's pretty instant as a musician. I mean. I mean. Uh, music is such a part of everyone's day here. Yeah. Even if you're not a musician, you are still born- Right

into a whole culture of celebration and- Yeah ... you know, music when you're sad, music when you're happy, music when we're celebrating, music when someone dies, partying, celebrating at all times, and that feels very, uh, not like how I grew up, you know? And it feels like- ... what an incredible way to, to honor everything in life, the littlest things, the biggest things.

Let's just all get together as a community and hang out, play music, and party, and cook, and feed each other, and hang out. And, uh, I think it's, it sort of hearkens back to a very, like... You know, when we used to have tribes. Yeah. We were communal people, and it feels like that to me here. That was Beautiful.

And we've talked to folks about it that live here and that play here. It's, you know, they're kind of on the edge all the time. I mean, with the hurricanes and the weather- Yeah ... I mean- Yeah ... this is not, you know- It is a rollercoaster Yes. It's a rollercoaster, and it's, it's kind of, I don't know. And they're ready to deal with it, right?

They- When we live in San Francisco, we think of earthquakes, but I don't know- Yeah ... somehow this seems more precarious. Yeah, and it happens every year. Yeah. Even if, even if it's not completely disastrous and major, it's something that will ... There's a whole season for it. Yeah. It happens every single year, and it just- So when did you first start coming?

Like, tell us about your journey. I didn't start coming here until after Katrina. Ooh. Um, which is- That was still a while ago ... one of my biggest regrets was that- Yeah ... I didn't get here before then. But, um- But you're here now. That's important. Yeah. But I, I come down Four or five times a year. If I have a few days off- Yeah

I will probably just come down here. Yeah. Nice. Are you in Nashville? How did you, like- Yeah ... when was the f- like, did somebody- So ... do you play here when you, like, come here a lot? Yeah. Are you always playing? Yeah. That's how I started coming down here- Yeah ... was through music. Did you get, like, invited by anyone in particular?

How did it happen? I can't even remember. It's just part of my- It doesn't matter ... it feels like part of my DNA. Are you- So, like- Yeah ... yeah, I mean, it's been a while. It's definitely been a while. Um, but- Are you in Nashville? Is that where you live now? I'm in Nashville, yeah. Yeah, okay, 'cause it's- Yeah ... come down, so.

Yeah. Nice. I mean, I drove here. Right. Oh, all right. Right. It's like, just get in the car and come down. Yeah. We ta- you know, we talked to Luther, who you're about to play with, a little while ago, and he just talked about taking the train down here- He did ... when he got started. I was like, "Really? I wanna know."

In Mississippi. Oh, right. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, right. You can take it from Memphis. Yeah. Just take the train down. Nashville, you gotta get hip, man. Get a train. And, and he came here to play, you know. Yeah. How, how about... Let's just get more specific, the Maple Leaf. Yeah. Any particular experiences here besides- Oh, God

like, thousands? Actually, you know what? If we're talking about- Particular ... my first time playing here, my first Jazz Fest, and I cannot name you the year 'cause I don't live in a statistically built place like a lot of our friends do. Uh, but my band played here for the first time in New Orleans at the Maple Leaf.

Yeah. Jazz Fest, 3:00 AM set, Saturday night until sunrise. We played 3:00 to 7:00. Um, and that was the first time that, like, my band had played in New Orleans, and I... It's at least 15 plus years ago. Wow. I mean, more probably. Um, and that was... Yeah, the, it's, this place in particular is special. If you don't know, you know, it's off the beaten path.

So it's like, if people are just coming to Bourbon Street, they're just coming to Frenchmen, they're not coming here. Um, so I think it brings out a little more seasoned- Yeah, you're making an effort ... folks. You have to, you have to earn it- Yeah ... or, yeah. Yeah, you gotta know or, or, or you gotta take a chance and then- Yeah

be wowed. Um- Totally ... but it's just, it's an institution. I mean, look how teeny that stage is and how excited everybody is- There it is ... to just cram onto it. Are you gonna play the Superdome? What about High Sierra? You're, are you going to High Sierra this year? Should we talk about it? Yeah. Yeah, let's do it.

'Cause Dave would kill us if we didn't. Let's do it. Okay, as long as we're talking about firsts, and the Maple Leaf, and High Sierra was the first festival to ever bring my band to a festival. Really? Yeah. I wanna say 2004. Wow. We were children. Uh, we were an 11-piece band in a 14-passenger van with gear, no trailer, and suitcases, and we were very young.

And we traveled like that for a long time. Does that sound like so much fun, actually? Oh my God, the stories are- That sounds like fun. But no, that's like, that's the all the good stuff. Um, but yeah, they were the... High Sierra was the first festival to ever bring my band through. And, uh, I mean, I- Does Dave know that?

I think so. Dave, you know that? Um, yeah, I feel like we've talked about it. Okay. Um, and I just... It makes me nervous when he taps my microphone. Yeah. My volume. Well, this is good that you get to- Oh, wait, are they calling you? No. They better not be. I mean, they're not calling. No, 'cause I'm not up till after you.

Yeah. You're four- This is riveting- Yeah, four song Well, this is River, really ... radio for you guys. Well, this is, well, this is green room stuff. This is about the green room. That's why we only do interviews in green rooms. This is me, am I late to go on stage? Yeah. This is what's happening right now. This is gonna- Okay, no.

'Cause I don't go on till after Luther. Okay, great. But what's he doing? Yeah. I know. This is, we always bring... Do you know- Ask questions. Ask questions ... we, we always bring a monitor in for our interviews, so you c- Yeah. And by the way- ... I just found out that River, like River and Jake, they're all going, taking the River- Yeah, they're going

for the first time. River's playing. High Sierra. To High Sierra. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, great. Um, yeah, I lo- what I loved about High Sierra in 2004 Don't quote me on that. Like I said- ... I'm not a statistics person. Um, what I loved how family-oriented it was, and everybody who was a patron- Mm ... was, like, just a professional.

It was not, like, no offense- Eh ... 22-year-old kids in tutus running around taking drugs. It was like, these are all, like, seasoned, lovely people with families who love music, and it just seemed, again, so communal. It was, it was a very different festival than anywhere that I had ever been to. Um, and I loved it, and I still love it, and I'm so excited.

I'm excited for the growth. I'm excited for moving. I'm excited for keeping it alive. I'm excited to play. I'm excited to see my friends. I, I think it's, like, a really beautiful step that's been made, and I am so excited that it- And the- ... it's happening, you know? And the new location. Wow. That's what I mean, yeah.

Have you been to Grass- Yeah ... have you been to Grass Valley? I have, yeah. I played, I played there maybe a couple years ago, and it was actually- Is that the Strawberry one that everybody keeps talking about? The Crazy Horse? No. Oh, that's in Nevada City. That's, that's Nevada City. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, I played there for something, and I thought when I went there, this would be a great spot for High Sierra.

Yeah. And I was like, "I'm gonna mind my business if-" Did you tell Dave? No, I didn't. I actually didn't, and I didn't s- I didn't tell anyone of note. And- Yes. And I thought, like, this is such a great... This... I didn't know if they were moving, and I didn't know anything- Right ... you know? Um- I mean, uh- I don't think they did.

I mean, I think when- No, I don't think so either ... when Roy died, I think it, it was har- I mean, Dave was kind of left kind of, "What am I gonna do?" And- And then, so there's a big New Orleans connection with High Sierra this year. Probably always, probably because of Dave. But- Right ... we've been talking about the connection between that sort of Bay Area Grateful Dead scene, which you- Mm-hmm

delved into. Mm-hmm. Uh, and the New Orleans music. Do you have any feelings on that? As a musician- People who aren't musicians have, uh, really wanna talk about genres. Musicians don't wanna talk about genres. Yeah. It's like, it's just music, you know? Right. If you're a well-rounded musician, you should be able to do a lot of things, you know?

Right. And so for us, like, if people ask me, like, "What kind of music do you play?" Mm. I have a total, like, brain meltdown and I shut down. I'm like, "I don't know. Ask somebody else." I have a question. I literally don't know how to answer that. I have a question. Yeah. What do you listen to? Um, I listen to stuff that I don't sound like.

Okay. All right. I like that, though. I listen to, like, I don't know, like- Like, what's your playlist? Like, what, what did you listen to yesterday, like? Oh, God. I learned the songs for the gig tonight. What do you mean? All right. Spotify thinks that I love- ... one particular kind of mu- Right ... music. Right. But that's just what I have- Right

to learn for the gig. Then it changes. Like, they're very wrong. Like, like, I don't listen to that for pleasure. Um, but no, I listen to, uh, you know, like, jazz pianists and, like, uh, cool... A- actually, living in Nashville, that's, that's, um, s- like, a type of music, that kind of like Americana and stuff like that, that was never on my radar and I never really gave it the, the respect and credit that- Yeah

it deserves. And, and songwriting as an art and all those kinds of things. Mm-hmm. Like, I've been in Nashville for a little over a decade and I, um, just being in that city makes... You can't escape it. Right. And it's been a really great education for me to appreciate the art of a song. And, um, I don't know.

There's... What we do, I don't know. I don't... I've never sat down to write a song to be, with the intention of, "I'm gonna write a song that people can sing along to." Like, that's not a thought in my mind when I write a song, and that's also a really beautiful thing that- Yeah ... happens in Nashville. Yeah. That's like, they're writing a song that's, that, that people can relate to- Right

that's accessible, that they wanna, like- Right ... sing that chorus to. And I'm guilty of, as a patron, that, you know? Like, I wanna go see Chris Stapleton and sing every- Right. Right ... stinking word and every nuance and every whatever just like the record, you know? I don't wanna play like that. Yeah. Right. But that doesn't drive you- Yeah, but-

to write a song that way. Yeah. Right. But I appreciate it. Yeah. And I think that's- ... that's, like, a, a beautiful thing about music is, like, I don't know, it's just- You know, it's, like, kinda never ending. I love the fact that, like, it's not like it wasn't your type of music, but then living there- Yeah ... you started listening and, and then you started appreciating, right?

It's be- Yeah. You just start- It, it has that- ... you just broaden your horizons I love your, uh- Music heals ... Music heals. Well, okay. Yeah. I love your affiliation with, uh, Christine McBride. Music... Yeah. Right. Oh, my God. Yeah. Friend. I just had to keep on moving, moving till I was back in your arms. Oh, is this- That's a deep one

right? 'Cause, like, that is like, I was such a jazz nerd when I was a kid, and continue to be. Um, and so we, I had all of his CDs when they came out, you know? Wow. When he was, like, first on the scene, 18, 19, 20 years old or whatever, and I would've been, like, 11, 12. Wow. And I scratched them, and I would buy a new one at, you know, our teeny, tiny little record store.

Um- That is deep ... and so, yeah, I mean, I... And I, and I just, like, was such a fan of his. And I never listened to trumpet players growing up. I never listened to singers growing up. I loved bass players. I loved piano players. Like, I don't, I can't explain it. I don't l- and I don't- It's, it's- ... feel the need to. Yeah.

Um, but, and when I finally met him in New Orleans, let's talk about that- Yeah ... uh, at Tips. I did a gig with Nigel Hall for DJ Soul Sister's birthday, and Christian was on the gig. And I called my mom a couple days prior. I was like, "Mom, I get to play a gig with Christian McBride." Ah, man. And I'm like, I get to, like- Yeah

meet Mick Jagger. Yeah. I didn't care. You know what I mean? Yeah. For me, like- Yeah ... this is my, like- Wow ... ultimate nerddom thing, right? Wow. And so we struck up such an incredible friendship that, that night or the day before during rehearsal, and, um, I realized that it's just like a, it's like a soul bond. Like, I, I, I understand you- Mm

as a person. A- and he's obviously a phenomenal musician, but to me it just feels like, oh, I think we spent, like, at least, like, 40 lives together . Wow. I'm just like, "It's nice to see you again." Yeah. That's how it feels with him. Beautiful. And I think that's, that's how- Yeah ... it, that's like- That's how musicians are

yeah. He is a great- You have your own language. You have your own way of communicating, I would think. Yeah. There's nothing ... He's a great guy. There's nothing to not love. I mean, but that's all you can say about him. Yes. You know? Now, I had the pleasure of meeting him and you together at, uh, the Music Heals International- Yeah, yeah

uh, benefit. Yes. Thank you for coming. Yeah. I'm the president of that organization. Yeah. And it was probably one of our best. It, you know, it was just a lot of good vibes. Was that when Dennis McNally was, like, standing there? Was that the one with Stella Blue? Uh, Dennis McNally, I... Did you sing Stella? Was that- Was it Stella Blue?

I don't even remember. He was standing there. Maybe. Yeah. Yeah, Dennis McNally came right up to the stage. And just- Wow ... and just stood there. And, like, yeah. So there you go. It was a beautiful moment. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. All right. So how did you get hooked up with these folks? Oh, Lord. Uh- New Orleans suspects, I should say.

Man, I don't even- usual suspects, yeah ... that's another one. I don't even know. It's been so long. We did- Yeah. We just all hang in the same circles. Yeah. Uh, they brought me out on tour for, like, a few weeks, I feel like maybe a couple years in a row. That's gotta be at least 10 or 11 or 12 years ago at this point.

Um, but yeah- Wow ... just, just great people. Great people. Yeah. Great people. Super sweet. How many gigs while you're in town? We've hit a new record I wanna know. Two. One more than last year? One more. No, like 30 fewer. Um, I- What happened? ... played last night. I'm playing tonight. I leave tomorrow. That's okay.

Beautiful. I'm trying it out- Uh, tr- yeah. ... to see what happens. I'm just trying it out. Uh, usually I'm here for 10 days and- Yeah ... I play, like, 25 gigs. Yeah. Um, but I have shows with Umphrey's and Fresco in Mexico. Oh, nice. Okay. So, um, I leave midweek for that, and I was like, "Okay, cool. That's nice. It's nice to have an excuse to just try and see what this feels like."

Just kinda dip into it. 'Cause it's always too much. Yeah. Right. Like, I commit to too many things because I am in love with the city and all the people in it, and, and then, and then it's like, oh, I think I took, like- Yeah ... a good 14 months off my life. We get it. Just by working. And she, you're kind of the female version of Fresco.

We just, we just met- ... and interviewed- Did you say a Fresco? We just- A Fresco. We just- Is that what you said? Yeah. Okay. I- Because I mean, just the- Take it. Just take it. No, I, there's so many- That's a compliment ... like, I wanna FaceTime him right now- That's a compliment ... and see his reaction. That is such a compliment.

That is a bad statement. I don't, I don't think- We had him on ... he would be more honored by anything. I don't know how I feel about it, but I... No, I'm just kidding. Love you, buddy. We had him on

at High Sierra- I mean, we, we- I think we caught him at a good moment, like- So we have him at High Sierra last year ... it was the first time we ever met him was High Sierra last year, so ... and he had to, we had to bring him outside 'cause it was noisy, so sat in a lawn chair. And of course somebody flashed him during our interview.

Flashed him? Oh, sure. Yeah. That's him. Yeah. I just, he just- Yeah ... exudes inter- attraction. He's a magnet for so many things. Yeah. So many things. Yeah. But that's an interesting take, I have to say. I mean, well, just the openness and the, like- Yeah ... it's just sort of, like, thinking out loud and the authenticity and, I don't know.

I, I- Tell us a bit- ... felt that vibe with you. I, I did. I know you have to go. If you wanna give us a, your, I don't know how to do this, the last question, your Phil Lesh, um, feelings. 'Cause we've talked to so many people- Yeah ... that have played with him- Yeah ... in your group there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we have not had a chance to ask you.

Sure. And this is an open-ended question, I realize. Yeah. Um, I met Phil at Terrapin. Um-

Probably God, over a decade ago. Maybe 15 years ago. Maybe- Let's say 12 ... I don't know, somewhere around there. I love a 12 year. Uh, my band was playing there, and he came in. Um, and he was so sweet, and he came back in the green room, and my trumpet... He didn't know who I was, and he was just hanging out with his- They're not calling you, are they?

No. All right, good. If they are, they can wait. That's exactly right. Yeah. They can wait for a second. They can wait. Finish the story. Go ahead, I'm sorry. So, uh- ... he comes into the green room, didn't know who I was. No. We had never met. And he just looked... My trumpet was sitting there, and he looked down, he goes, "Oh, whose trumpet is this?"

And I said, "It's mine." He said, "Oh. Neat." He's like, "I used to play the trumpet." I was like, "You did?" And then we got in a whole conversation about how he played trumpet, and how Jerry gave him this bass, and, and he didn't know how to play it. And I was like, man, that makes so much sense. He plays- Yeah ... bass like a trumpet player.

He doesn't play bass like a bass player. He plays bass like a- A trumpet ... horn player. Right. It's kind of like- Is that true, huh? Yeah ... interesting, huh? Okay. Anyway, and um, and when he started doing, you know, Phil and Friends shows, he called me to come join him for a couple, and a couple more, and a couple more, and a couple more.

And, you know, it was- Yeah ... years of- Ah ... getting to hang out with him. He was, like, just such a, such a sweet soul, and a believer in music and younger generations- Yeah ... of music, and, like, wanting to, wanting to, like, encourage what we had to bring to the table. And so, um, any time that I d- I didn't play a whole lot of trumpet on the gig.

It would, you know, maybe be, like, one or two things in a night. Uh, but the, the joy in his face when he heard, just heard the trumpet, you know? It's like he wasn't in a band with a trumpet player for his whole career. And so he would just turn around and just, he'd just light up. Wow. It didn't matter what I was playing.

Oh my God. I could be playing the simplest- It was a trumpet ... little thing. He was just like- Wow ... "Oh." And then, and then I, I... You know, as we got to know each other, I remember that we, we were playing the Capitol Theatre for one of his birthday runs. Yeah. They did several of those yearly- Yes, indeed ... before he passed.

And, and there was something that I, some solo that I played or something, whatever, and at the end of the song, he just, he just... People were clapping, and he turned to me and faced me, and just bowed to me. Oh. Wow. God. Like, like s- three or four or five times. And I was- Ah ... incredibly embarrassed, but also very moved.

Um, there's, like, a really beautiful picture of that somewhere. But, um- That's amazing ... anyway, it was like a, it was a cool, like, understanding of each other on a level that, like, wasn't string oriented, wasn't, uh, you know, song ori- oriented. It was just like a sonic thing that brought him joy, and that was a cool, that was a cool thing to, to share with him.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, what, how great is it to be affiliated with that whole- Yeah ... crew? Yeah. Yeah. I mean- Incredible ... it's really nice to have you. Yeah. Yeah. Thanks. It's so nice, like- We say it from the fans standpoint ... it's so nice to- Thanks very much ... get to know you. Yeah. Yeah. Love, um, love your music, you know, every time we- We do.

Yeah. Thank you. But, yeah. All right, we're gonna let you go because- It's really nice to- Time we go to work ... you know, you might get pulled away. And we're gonna go. We try to pull but- And listen, aren't we? ... we just kinda wanna get a good spot. Well, you're late. It's packed down there. It's hot, sweaty, packed. I think that's it.

We're gonna figure- All right. There's Luther, that means I'm up soon. We'll come up. There it is. There it is. That's not Luther. That looked like Nick for a second. I was like, "Nick's up there?" I was like- And Luther, how about Luther? Let's just end with that. Luther. Yeah. What a man. Oh, God, Luther. Yeah, he's- What a fella

he's a sweet- Yeah ... sweetheart. Yeah. All of them. Yeah. All right, happy Easter. All right. See you later. Happy Easter, everybody. Thanks, hon. Happy Easter, everybody. Thanks for sitting with us.

High Sierra this year, I have a feeling is going to be one of the most special years. I just do because of the new location. It's the inaugural event of High Sierra in their move, and that's something you don't wanna miss. You do not wanna miss the first time to be in such an epic venue. I look forward to, like, packing to go there.

We can never give up on this festival, ever, because this festival is also a work of art.