3-3 Ted Onulak - Part 2

This episode is part two of a conversation with old friend Ted Onulak. A man of many talents, Ted is an accomplished saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter, blues harpist, and band leader. His band, Exit 10, can be seen in Washington DC on Monday nights at a venue called Madam’s Organ in Adams Morgan. We’ll hear more bootleg clips from the night before our talk. This episode is a continuation of that conversation, recorded the next day. If you haven’t heard part one of this interview I encourage you to do so.

 In this episode we’ll talk about performing and playing live. Then Ted will detail how he conceived, wrote, produced and recorded his song Threnody. We’ll end on a philosophical note with a bit of a sonnet Ted wrote.

Ted is a 1st generation Ukraine-American and has asked that you reach out to United Help Ukraine on Facebook or type unitedhelpukraine.org in your browser to donate.

https://unitedhelpukraine.org/donate-to-help-save-the-people-of-ukraine

If you want to donate to support this podcast then you can do so below. 

Thanks for your support!

Transcript

[Intro]
[Intro Theme – Motor]

Hello, again! This episode is part two of a conversation with old friend Ted Onulak. A man of many talents, Ted is an accomplished saxophonist, vocalist, songwriter, blues harpist, and band leader. His band, Exit 10, can be seen in Washington DC on Monday nights at a venue called Madam’s Organ in Adams Morgan. We’ll hear more bootleg clips from the night before our talk. This episode is a continuation of that conversation, recorded the next day. If you haven’t heard part one of this interview I encourage you to do so.

In this episode we’ll talk about performing and playing live. Then Ted will detail how he conceived, wrote, produced and recorded his song Threnody. We’ll end on a philosophical note with a bit of a sonnet Ted wrote.

Just a head’s up, I know I didn’t say anything in the previous episode, but this episode contains explicit language, and we may possibly discuss some adult situations. So be forewarned.

[Pod Lick – Big D]


We’ll pick up our conversation where Ted tells how he came to play the saxophone..

[Interview – Ted learns to play sax.]

[Bootleg – Ted Sax Solo]

That’s a clip from my bootleg recording of Ted and Exit 10 from the night before our conversation. In addition to Ted, Exit 10 consists of Jimi Jones on Drums, Charles Solomon on Bass, Johnny Vengrowsky on Electric Guitar and, of course, Marcus Esposito on Keyboards. Let’s listen to Ted talk a little about musician’s and their instruments and playing during the pandemic 

[Interview – Musician’s and their instruments]

[Podlick – What We Make It Intro]

That’s the intro to my song - What We Make It – Recorded with Ted back in 1982 at Bias Studios in Springfield, Virginia. Again, Ted is able to connect and communicate the feeling and mode of the song. Now, let’s rejoin the conversation as we discuss musical creativity.

[Interview – How to Rock on the Sax, On Singing, Learning to Sing and Church, Singing In The Band]

[Bootleg – Funky Broadway – Drum Solo]

Hey, I’m not saying that Jimi Jones is Tony Williams, but Jimi played this sweet, tight, funky drum solo on my bootleg recording of Exit 10. Okay, lets get back to our conversation as Ted tells us how the song Threnody came about. By the way if you don’t know what a threnody is, don’t feel bad. I had to look it up. A threnody is a song of lamentation for the dead. And on that cheery note we return to our Ted talk.

[Threnody]

[Interview – Threnody Live, Threnody In the Studio, Threnody in the studio 2, Universality]

[Podlick – Sad World]

This recording of “Threnody” is included on Exit 10’s album “Demi Monde” and features John Eggers on Acoustic Guitar, Marcus Esposito on Keyboards and Electric Guitar, Arch Alcantara on Electric Guitar, Scott McKnight on Bass and Banjo, Jimi Jones on Drums, and, of course, Ted Onulak on Vocals. Let’s listen…

[Song – Threnody]

[Outro]

So we conclude our conversation with Ted Onulak. Ted’s music is available on most popular music platforms. The band’s web page can be found at exit10band.com. 

But here’s special message from Ted before we go…

[Interview – Appeal for Ukraine]

Thanks for listening. 

As always you can subscribe to this podcast or stream or purchase my published music on your favorite podcast app or music source, Spotify, Pandora, Apple or Amazon. 

We’re going to close out today’s session with something a little different. We’re going to let Ted close it out with a bit of his own musical philosophy.

[Interview – Ted’s Music Sonnet]

[Outro Pod Lick]

[Quietly]
[Easter Egg – Ukraine National Anthem]