Bear and a Banjo Interview with Poo Bear, Jared Gutstadt, Dennis Quaid, and Rosanna Arquette
Music is a powerful tool. It can make you laugh, and make you cry, and perhaps even make you feel something you’ve never felt before. The good folks at Jingle Punks know this, and they have found a way to bring music lovers a truly unique podcast entitled, “Bear and a Banjo.” Every Thursday, songwriter Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, and Jingle Punks President/CCO “Jingle” Jared Gutstadt bring their talents together and create a story out of a song. The two play the fictional music act that may, or may not, exist in this fable of Bear (Poo Bear) and Banjo (Jingle Jared).
Each episode explores a pivotal point in time, all of which take place between the 1930s through the 1970s, where the two fictional characters unwittingly impact history. It’s a brilliantly clever concept and one that revolves around a brand new song released with every episode. The weekly adventure also features the incredibly talented Dennis Quaid and Rosanna Arquette. Quaid exists as the narrator – he also serves as an executive producer – and he helps bring each and every story to life. Arquette steps in for the final episode in this eight-episode series featured on iHeartPodcast Network.
We Live Entertainment recently had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time with the fine folks behind “Bear and a Banjo.” During our discussion, Poo Bear, Jingle Jared, Quaid, and Arquette discussed the new podcast. It was an enlightening and informative talk about the influence behind this inspired series. They opened up about the many musical influences – Grammy and Academy Award winner T-Bone Burnett produced the music and the legendary Bob Dylan contributed lyrics. Not only do fans get a new Bear and a Banjo episode every Thursday, but they also release a single the following Friday.
As a music lover, it’s impossible not to get behind this incredible concept. In fact, during our time with this amazing group, I made the comparison to another legendary, yet fictional band, Spinal Tap. By offering eight separate stories, all influenced by history and music, I’m thrilled to remind you all that “Bear and a Banjo” premiered on October 3rd, and once again, you can find it at iHeartPodcast Network. If you love music, I cannot recommend you check this musical experience out enough. And if you need any other reason, you can also take in this incredible live performance from Poo Bear and Jingle Jared that we were lucky enough to witness in person.
Look for “Bear and a Banjo” now at the iHeartPodcast Network. And I’d like to thank Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, “Jingle” Jared Gutstadt, Dennis Quaid and Rosanna Arquette for taking the time to bring a bit of music into our lives.
For more information about Bear and A Banjo podcast please visit their official website at http://www.bearandbanjo.com
Below is some additional information about the Bear and A Banjo provided to us:
“Bear and a Banjo” is an innovative new podcast which stars Dennis Quaid (also serving as an executive producer), record/vocal producer and songwriter Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, and Jingle Punks President/CCO “Jingle” Jared Gutstadt, which will release via the iHeartPodcast Network on Thursday, October 3rd. All of the original music for the podcast was produced by multi-Grammy award winner, record producer, and songwriter, T-Bone Burnett (another executive producer); and features songs written by Poo Bear, “Jingle” Jared, and Bob Dylan (who wrote the lyrics for a track called “Gone But Not Forgotten”). The Bear and a Banjo band is comprised of Poo Bear on vocals and “Jingle” Jared on the banjo/guitar.
“Bear and a Banjo” is the first musical blockbuster for the podcast medium, and is a fictional anthology series that centers around the unlikely musical partnership between Bear (played by Poo Bear), a mysterious black man whose powerful voice can change hearts, minds, even history, and Banjo (played by Gutstadt), a white guitar player with a mischievous persona. Spanning through time, from the 1930s to the 1970s, each episode places this duo at pivotal moments in American history where they unwittingly influence and define events that would shape the 20th century. From the wrongful conviction of blues legend Leadbelly and card games with Sonny Liston to the wedding of Sister Rosetta Tharpe and the birth of the CIA, the story will take listeners on a walkthrough of important events through modern history. The whole series is comprised of 8 episodes, narrated by Quaid who plays a host named “Dr. Q” (kind of like an NPR host) and will include an array of characters, one of which will be played by Rosanna Arquette. Within each episode, a song will be written and performed – to be released via all digital and streaming platforms the same day. By the end of the series, an 8-song album will be made and available for purchase.
