The Opus

Latest Episodes:

The Score: Fugees In Haiti Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

The Fugees were culturally unique in myriad ways. They were a trio comprised of one American-born Black woman and yet also two Haitian immigrants, who both took pride in their heritage. Naturally, this pride was weaved into the fabric of 1996's The Score, and the album's success meant that they were able to champion Haitian music in both America and abroad.

In this episode, host Jill Hopkins speaks to the trio's family, friends, and fans about Haiti’s effect on the Fugees and the Fugees effect on Haiti, Haitians, and their fans who saw their own American immigrant and refugee experiences reflected back at them.

Along for the journey are award-winning songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste, producer Jerry Wonda, Ruffhouse Records co-founder Chris Schwartz, music journalists Dometi Pongo and Insanul Ahmed, and reggae legend Sly Dunbar. Together, they study the symbiosis between band and homeland as it pertains to the Fugees.

Original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a Fugees prize pack, which includes vinyl, a turntable, and headphones. (Note: If you’re having trouble seeing the widget, enter here.)

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The Score: Fugees In the Basement Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

Instead of returning to the studio with outside producers, the Fugees took their $150k advance from Ruffhouse Records and ventured off to … the basement. Specifically, the Booga Basement in East Orange, NJ, where Wyclef Jean’s uncle and his cousin Jerry “Wonda” Duplessis lived.

Booga, along with The Dungeon in Atlanta (where OutKast cut their debut), were two of the most successful underground studios in the game circa the mid-90s. These locales came with a productive, family vibe and endless head bobs to judge the quality of work.

In this episode, host Jill Hopkins speaks to producer Jerry Wonda about building a studio and a sound that would continue the tradition of great New Jersey hip-hop. They also discuss why this kind of DIY ethos is so important to groups in the process of defining their sounds.

Also heading into the basement are special guests Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo of Ruffhouse Records, in addition to MTV’s Dometi Pongo and Genius executive editor Insanul Ahmed.

Original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a Fugees prize pack, which includes vinyl, a turntable, and headphones. (Note: If you’re having trouble seeing the widget, enter here.)

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The Score: Fugees at the Crossroads Mar 11, 2021

Show notes

In the Season 13 premiere, we’ll find out what it took for a group in its own artistic and personal transition to find their place at the top of the charts and on the Grammy stage as the biggest hip-hop act of 1996.

Hip-hop had considerably changed from when the Fugees started recording their first album in 1992 to just three years later when they began working on their second effort. The “Golden Age'' was coming to a close, and the genre was at a crossroads.

So were the Fugees, though. Coming off their critically and commercially divisive first album, 1994's Blunted on Reality, the New Jersey trio of Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel were similarly looking to reinvent themselves

Join host Jill Hopkins as she dials the clock back to the mid-'90s alongside producer Jerry Wonda, Ruffhouse Records co-founders Chris Schwartz and Joe Nicolo, and rapper Psalm One.

Original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a Fugees prize pack, which includes vinyl, a turntable, and headphones. (Note: If you’re having trouble seeing the widget, enter here.)

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Pearl: Janis Joplin, The Feminist Icon Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

The movement was called “Women’s Liberation”, and it pushed the needle of social change more rapidly than mainstream America was ready for in the late '60s and early '70s. The shift was palpable: The need for empowering feminist heroines prompted many Americans to look towards artists, athletes, and entertainers when politics came up short.

Janis Joplin was one such name. With a life lived aggressively free of the trappings of stereotypical feminine expectations, the late musician was as much of a revolutionary as Abbie Hoffman or her beloved Odetta. Today, Joplin's sexuality and her unwillingness to hide it serves as a reminder by third-wave feminists of how far we've come in America.

In the fourth and final episode on Pearl, host Jill Hopkins speaks of the shine and the struggle inherently involved in a feminist uprising, the songs that told Joplin's stories of love, sex, freedom, and pain, and the singer's place within the revolution. Special guests include Joplin's biographer Holly George-Warren (Janis: Her Life and Music), legendary rock writer Steve Huey (Yacht Rock), and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Grace Potter.

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

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Pearl: The Last Days of Janis Joplin Feb 11, 2021

Show notes

In many ways, Pearl was a wake for Janis Joplin, a celebration of the singer-songwriter, whose poetry and energy connected with fans, critics, and the general public alike. In hindsight, though, it also felt like the end of an era -- a fiery footnote to the '60s.

But what led to that moment? In this episode, host Jill Hopkins will look at the time between Joplin’s untimely death and the post-release reception. She'll also pivot to other posthumous albums to see if there are any parallels to be made with Pearl.

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our exclusive giveaway to win one (1) Hummingbird guitar, a Janis Joplin Festival Express 1970 sweatshirt, and a copy of Pearl on vinyl.

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Pearl: The Janis Joplin We Never Knew Feb 04, 2021

Show notes

Janis Joplin left it all on stage. Janis Joplin brought it all to the studio. Janis Joplin put it all on tape. With that exposed vulnerability, however, comes the illusion that the general public actually knew her. That's simply not the case.

In this episode, host Jill Hopkins speaks to the late icon's two siblings Laura and Michael Joplin, who shine a light on the Janis Joplin the public didn’t know. What was it like to grow up with her? Look up to her? Lose her? And then honor her?

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our exclusive giveaway to win one (1) Hummingbird guitar, a Janis Joplin Festival Express 1970 sweatshirt, and a copy of Pearl on vinyl.

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Pearl: Janis Joplin Never Stopped Singing Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

In the Season 12 premiere, we hop a train heading back to the Summer of 1970, when Joplin and the Full Tilt Boogie Band led the historic Festival Express across Canada. It's a strange and wonderful journey that ends with Joplin's magnum opus.

Join host Jill Hopkins as she walks from one carriage to another, learning about the making of the band that would help propel a voice that continues to inspire long after death. Along for the ride are Joplin's biographer Holly George-Warren (Janis: Her Life and Music) and legendary rock writer Steve Huey (Yacht Rock).

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our exclusive giveaway to win one (1) Hummingbird guitar, a Janis Joplin Festival Express 1970 sweatshirt, and a copy of Pearl on vinyl.

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Abraxas: The Beats Beyond Santana Dec 18, 2020

Show notes

Give the drummer some!

Over the years, countless session players have shaped the spirit and sound of Santana -- but especially the beats. Many stuck around, but others went on to carve out their own careers, the likes of which are among the most varied and vast in the industry.

For the fourth and final episode of Abraxas, The Opus takes a rhythmic tour between mainstays Michael Shrieve and Cindy Blackman Santana, celebrating the percussionists that have graced the kit for Santana over the years.

Join host Jill Hopkins as she bangs the drum alongside special guests Michael Shrieve and Cindy Blackman Santana for one wild and frenetic final episode. Because really, no great show is without one surprise epic encore.

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our exclusive giveaway to win one (1) SE Santana Singlecut Trem in Egyptian Gold from PRS Guitars and a copy of Abraxas on vinyl.

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Abraxas: Charting the Influence of Santana Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

As we've already learned this season, the members of Santana all came in with their own eclectic perspectives. From the traditional to the avant garde, they dropped a witch’s cauldron of diverse sonic experimentation.

For the third episode, The Opus wants to talk about the power of influence. Not only on the members of Santana, but how they've since left their own distinct thumbprint on artists for generations to come.

Groups like Oxomatli and Mana are obvious heirs, but who are the groups that took the sound and vision of Abraxas to even more psychedelic levels? What better time than now to sort through the connective tissue.

Join host Jill Hopkins as she connects the dots. Along the way, she'll hear vital insights from Carlos Santana, Cindy Blackman Santana, AJ Dávila of Davila 666, Carlos Arevalo of Chicano Batman, and the one and only Michelle Branch.

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our exclusive giveaway to win one (1) SE Santana Singlecut Trem in Egyptian Gold from PRS Guitars and a copy of Abraxas on vinyl.

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Abraxas: The Band Behind Santana Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

For the second episode of Season 11, The Opus is curious to know the stories behind the liner notes to Abraxas. Sure, Carlos Santana was the face and name of the band, but he wasn’t the voice and he didn’t make up the totality of their signature sound.

Of course, a good bandleader knows it’s not always about them, and Santana was no exception to that rule. His crew of players were all virtuosos in reach of their respective areas, and together they created a signature rock 'n' roll hybrid.

But, how did all of this talent find each other? Was San Francisco just teeming with genius in the late '60s? And, really, how do you write and record a sophomore album, perfect a new genre, all while the entire world is changing before you?

Join host Jill Hopkins as she continues her journey through Abraxas. Along the way, she’ll hear vital insights from Carlos Santana, in addition to his drummer Michael Shrieve, musicologist Mark Brill, historian Ashley Kahn, and musician AJ Dávila of Davila 666.

Featuring original music by Tony Piazza.

Don't forget to enter our exclusive giveaway to win one (1) SE Santana Singlecut Trem in Egyptian Gold from PRS Guitars and a copy of Abraxas on vinyl.

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