Another GRAMMMY for Cheryl Pawelski Coffeeshop Conversations @ Artichoke Music #412

·1 hr 8 min·5 clips

Cheryl Pawelski just won another Grammy for the Stax Songwriter Demos project after a 17-year effort.

The episode opens with the host congratulating Cheryl Pawelski on her latest Grammy win for Best Historical Album for 'Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos.' Cheryl has won multiple Grammys, including for projects on Mister Rogers and Wilco. She explains that the Stax project took 17 years to complete, starting when she worked at Concord Music Group. The material was sourced from Universal Music Publishing's holdings, where original tapes had been transferred to DATs that were deteriorating. Cheryl sifted through thousands of hours of audio to find 665 potential tracks. During the pandemic, she enlisted Stax publicist Dini Parker to help with clearances, especially for three discs of previously unreleased songs. A listening session in Memphis featured original songwriters like Henderson Thigpen, who became emotional hearing his demo. Cheryl reflects on Stax's cultural moment in the late 1960s, just before Dr. King's assassination. The conversation shifts to Cheryl's personal life, where her wife Audrey serves as a muse and editor. Cheryl discusses founding Omnivore Recordings after Audrey encouraged her to work for herself. They preview upcoming Omnivore releases, including Steel Eye Span, Doris Troy, Silver Convention, Ohio Players, Little Richard, Dr. John, and 10,000 Maniacs projects. Cheryl shares anecdotes about meeting Laurie Anderson and interviewing Dr. John. The episode concludes with light banter about baseball and hats blowing off in the wind.

As heard by us

A loose Artichoke conversation turns a recent Grammy win into a reflective talk about making things.

Cheryl Pavelski's recent Grammy opens the door to a wider conversation about weather, writing, pain, and the odd path from first idea to finished work.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play for a Grammy catch-up that drifts into Oregon weather, John Waters, and the mystery of making something from thin air.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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