Charley Orlando is no stranger to the road – in fact he makes any other so-called troubadour seem a homebody.   He performed for ten years with his former musical partner Steve Drizos as Dexter Grove on an enduring ten year musical journey that began in 1994 and saw them play 1,700 shows in 45 states including Canada and Mexico.  Now that Drizos is married to a Decemberist (Jenny Conlee), Orlando is back on the road in support of his new style of Acid Folk Music called "Organica Groove" to music rooms across the country. Orlando will be doing a bunch of Northeast and Southeast dates in April, May and June before hitting the road for all of July and part of August.

Orlando is working on a new CD and is in the process of deciding whether to release it as double CD or two seperate ones.  If that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, Orlando also has a Dylan tribute album in the works. Before hitting the road and in anticipation of a gig at Burlington, VT’s Parima, Orlando talked with Melissa Brodeur.

You are coming to Vermont in April. What is one of the best memories you have from Burlington VT? 

Playing Club Metronome and Toast with the original Strangefolk before there was a Jamband scene.  I really love those guys!  Always had a great time with them!

How would you describe Burlington VT to someone who has never been here or heard of it?

Pretty much like Boulder,CO, Athens,GA and Charlottesville,VA but wicked cold in the winter!!!  Always thought the music scene was great. Very supportive!

You have three albums coming out. Tell us about these albums.

Well the first two may be one.  I haven’t decided whether I would like to do a double album or two different albums.  The songs are so different from each other that I see them as twodifferent Albums but it would be cool to release one Double with 2 totally different sounds.  One side would be very folkie and the other would be an Organic Electronic album. The next one is a Tribute to Bob Dylan.  I have been covering his songs for years and just love them all.  So I figured it was time to pay homage to the genius that he is!  The Dylan album will only be available through my website for free download.

 
What is an interesting story about how one of your songs came about?

One of my favorite new songs I wrote the words to a while ago.  What I do is channel my music.  I don’t plan it out or write it out.  When the moment hits I just surrender to it and let it fly.  So that is what I did and later on I was drinking a beer from Ommegang Brewery and there was a quote from Marcel Proust on the bottle.  The quote is a line in my song "New World". It made me laugh cause I have written songs with Marcel’s help before but didn’t recognize it was him that time.  He’s been dead for a very long time so it’s nice that he can still write through other people.  He is very cosmic in nature!

You are calling the sound of your music Organica Groove, what does this mean to you?

What it is is my voice, an acoustic guitar, and harmonica backed up by a program called Ableton Live!  So it sort of reminds me of electronica music but it really is so organic and intuitive that it’s hard to say that it is electronica, so I call it Organica Groove cause it’s very trans like but with melody and lyrics.   It’s far to acoustic to be electronica.  It’s better to just experience it and come to your own conclusions.

If you could put together your own "dream band" with any musicians(EVER) who would be in this dream band and what would your name be?

That’s easy … Lewi Longmire on guitar and pedal steel, James Whiton on double bass, Steve Drizos on percussion, Crissy Noel on Vocals, Brian Lauri on Keys, and Greg Evans on drums.  This band would be out of control wonderful! Yeah so the name would have to be "Out of Control Wonderful" 🙂

It’s a beautiful summer day, you are on a relaxing drive, what album are you listening to?

That depends on what part of the country I’m in.  But in a general sense … Grateful Dead American Beauty!

What is your favorite childhood memory?

Getting my first guitar and amplifier!  I think I slept with my guitar that night! It changed my life!

What are a few things you are really looking forward to on this spring/summer solo tour?

Just playing music and seeing old friends and making new ones!  That is my favorite part of touring. Re-connecting with the people you only get to see when you travel.  Plus touring and playing live is very healing for my being!  In the moment the whole time!!!

If I never have to ???? again I will be the happiest man alive!

See, hear or feel people suffer in anyway!

 

 

 

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