tavis: good evening. from los angeles, i am tavis smiley. tonight, first a conversation with singer gregory porter, who earlier this year won a grammy album withzz vocal his latest cd, liquid spirit. and we turned to a conversation with ben harper and charlie musselwhite, whose collaboration on their first cd together one of grammy as best blues album of the year. we are glad you have joined us. those conversations, coming up right now.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. tavis: grammy nominee gregg reporter had intended to be a linebacker but a football injury ,ound him twitching to music decision which is now paying some pretty nice dividends. after three albums he is making his mark not only as a singer but as a songwriter. entitledt cd is "liquid spirit." let's take a look at a cut from the cd. ♪

sorry that i had to ring your doorbell so late there's something bothering me i really am sorry, but it just couldn't wait is there someone else instead of me ♪ tavis: i was saying to gregory a moment ago that it took me about two we to get to track number five. i couldn't get off track number one. which is "no love dying." i had literally a friend of mine who called me, e-mailed me, text messaged me and said there is this brother named greg reporter who you must have on your show. you have a bunch of fans who are friends of mine that you don't even know.

ony said you have to get him . you've got to hear this song, "no love dying." so i went in search of it. we found it and found you. i'm just delighted to have you on the program. tell me about this first track. it is powerful. i literally was stuck on it for two weeks. -- life isi'm just poetry, in no way. i try to grab pieces of the debt or poetry and put it in a song. just a statement and a pushback in defiance against the pressures that come against low. it's like an old man coming out of the house on the porch and saying, there ain't going to be any trouble around here. these symbols and things that are in the face of love, the

dishonesty, you know. i make a statement. it is defiance, in a way. because the will of love is what i like to think about. it is powerful. there will be no love that's dying here ♪ you know? itis: i don't know how easy is to write about, but it's not always easy to practice. >> the thing for me in writing and thinking about music and putting music together is to try to be organic. sometimes people think it's like really clever, how did you make those connections between the music, the song, and a real story? if you really just think about

your life, i'll take my last record, for instance. my now wife's father called me and he was like, essentially, the conversation was, what are your intentions with my daughter? it shook me up. it rattled me. my intentions were to marry her. so the words that came to my head, pop up, don't you for greg, -- don't you fret and don't forget that one day you were in my shoes. now you're the picture of the man that i someday want to be. if you just really think about the basics of what it is that you want to say. this song rights itself sometimes. tavis: what do you make of the fact that you can put out a couple of albums, the old adage of overnight success. what do you make of the fact

that there are a whole bunch of folk who are just now discovering you? you have been at this for a while and even a couple about one's prior to this. to click on all cylinders for you to really be discovered. >> i felt like there is a pent up energy. the liquid is, unreal route the river, there some people down the way that are thirsty, so let the liquid free. it comes from an organic place. want thatpeople that music. a lot of your friends want that music. they are the people down the way that are thirsty. be part of that liquid spirit, but there is a whole bunch of musicians and artists that want to flow in the most

natural way. to those people that are thirsty down the way. we have gifts to give and no place for those gifts to live. what happens is, when people discover you, when you are trying to introduce someone, the comparisons are part of the process. person i have most said to friends of mine that you remind me of is a person i have been blessed to be a friend of in my lifetime, and that is ill with others. -- bill withers. the styling, the lyrical content, the sole. heard your song, i was thinking, this is bill withers all over. tell me how you feel about those

comparisons. to explain, go get his record, he sounds like. how do you handle those comparisons? >> when they do that to a new artist or somebody who has just come on to the scene, you know, that is a difficult weight to carry. because these are masters, stevie wonder, nat king cole, bill withers, lou rawls. these names sometimes,. i look at their history and my history, and we do have some camaraderie. we are cousins in a way. we had some church upbringing, some southern influence. strong mothers. an understanding of gospel blues. and those aret, masters in the music, and i'm very glad that my name gets

mentioned with those masters. have some writing to do and some singing to do before i really deserve it, but i'm blessed. >> this track on this project, once i finally did get past "no love dying" and started checking out the rest, this track hit me so hard, because there is a love and expression of it that you have for your parents. a minister. was she is from shreveport, louisiana. i grew up in los angeles until i was about seven, then bakersfield, california. she was a minister in the church of god in christ. she could not be a pastor, so she circumvented that by every church that she had was a

mission, and she was the head missionary. so essentially she was the pastor and was a great beaker. and i was her choir -- he was a great speaker. i am seven of eight kids. record that iss called "when love was king" is really her in a way, because she always talked about lifting of the people -- that line that i say ♪ he lifted up the underneath and all of those who dwelt beneath, so they could remember his reign ♪ that is my mother. the last day she was alive, the last hour she was alive, she said record, hand me my purse.

she wanted to get $600 from her purse so she could give to her family who could not make grant that month. and the children were around her and we were selfish, we were like mom, with your last breath, just enjoy yourself, enjoy us. and goust be a family out that way. now i think about it, and how great is it, with your very last breath, to give somebody something? that's what she wanted to do. that was life for her, to give. arethese life messages constantly coming out in my music, even when i don't expect them or even want them to. , i of the lyrics on the song sing ♪ i wish my mama was here

she would know what to do, what to say, how to pray to make inks better ♪ i didn't write that, it just came out while i was standing at the microphone. her spirit and her energy is constantly coming into my music. i feel like some of the grace i may be getting in the media, i'm on the tavis smiley show, i feel like it may be higher, some grace for her. i have one watching in indiana right now. that is my experience. way, hi, mom. i know she is watching. now that blue note has discovered you, and now that all the rest of us have discovered you, all the tv shows and the new york times and all the magazines are now celebrating. what is the endgame, what do you want to do with all this newfound fame and all these new fans, yours truly included, that you now have?

what kind of journey are you going to take us on? >> this is the thing i have learned about myself. this conversation and these my firsthat i've made, and my second album, they are a statement of who i am. i am realizing, when i watched this interview, i realize who i am. when i look at my lyrics, i realize who i am. that's a statement of who i am. and i have been consistent with these three records. things i have written before have not heard the light of day. man on who i am as a vinyl, on cd. these are the things i want to say. ♪ he lifted up the underneath and all his wealth he did bequeath so they can remember his reign, when love was king ♪

that's what i want to say to the world. i had my opportunity to say something. i want to say something that's going to elevate people. tavis: there's a whole lot of elevation on this project. an e-mail or tweet me and tell me if i am not right that you're going to get stuck on that first track for a couple of days. the new project is called "liquid spirit." that is track number two, so you will eventually get to it. this may be the first time you have heard the name gregory order, but it certainly will not be the last. gregory, good to have you here. >> thank you so much. i am in a dream. tavis: i'm glad to be in it with you. ben harper has teamed up with charlie musselwhite to produce a new cd for the

legendary label, stax records. songrote or cowrote every on the cd that is being called cinematic in its storytelling style. before we start this conversation, here is a small taste of what this collaboration sounds like. i don't believe a word you say i don't believe a word you say i don't believe i don't believe a word you say ♪ >> there's a sense of community when it comes to the blues. to bring out something that could not exist otherwise. tavis: one of the things i've always loved about you over the course of your career, and we are in our 10th season, you have

been on the program a number of times. so many times am a certainly more than any other guest i've for you have been on collaboration she went after that you wanted to do. the always are the legends, icons, the old-school guys who clear you have an affinity and appreciation for. about these old-school cats that you are so drawn to? depth heart and soul and of musical inspiration that they have brought into my life, all my life. and to have an opportunity like this, they don't come along often. won't -- this man knows a man -- new a man who played with charlie patton.

charlie patton taught robert johnson. so i know someone who knew someone. [laughter] on you likeek out that. for me, the blues is where i come from, the foundation of every note i have ever hit or will hit. the deepest blues that have ever existed. tavis: the collaboration might look good on paper, but what makes you know it's going to work well in the studio, like for real? >> i think personalities. something that moves around us thathat is bigger than us, brings us to a place in our lives where we can move into who we see ourselves being. charlie and i meet right there in that spot. tavis: so the flipside of that

question for you, charlie, how does it feel for you to have these younger cats, people like ben harper, seek you out and want to hang with you, get in the studio with you, after all these years? >> i appreciate it. it's been a long road, and i'm still doing it. it's great to be working with a guy like ben. we just resonate, not only musically, but personally. it's just great to be out on the road laying music, nice to see all the smiling faces with a guy like ben. i don't feel old. i feel better now than i did artie years ago. tavis: you don't sound old. the soul is still there. why are you still doing this? you have made your mark.

why be on the road in these hotels and buses? >> don't talk him out of it. [laughter] lottery, i the wouldn't back out of my driveway again until i really felt like going somewhere. i mean, i love the music, but being on the road ain't a piece of cake. but it is real rewarding. all those people can come to my house, so i've got to get out on the road and play for them. tavis: how did the harmonica become your instrument? >> when i was a kid, they were just around. it seemed like all kids had a harmonica. when i was about 13, i was really interested in blues. got a harmonica, maybe i can play my own blues. it sounds so good to listen to it, it would feel even better to play it. so i would just go out in the woods and start teaching myself my own blues. it just took over.

the blues overtook me. tavis: so you're self talk. >> the harmonica is the only instrument you can see what you're doing, or anyone else. you are really on your own. it's the only instrument you breathe in and out of and you can see what you're doing. [laughter] tavis: speaking of mr. mintz, -- their instruments speaking of instruments, are their instruments that you just have a complete adoration for, that as often as you can, you want to include them on your projects? >> not one in particular. i let the song lead the charge, in a way. tavis: i only ask that because i just find that whenever i hear a

harmonica, which isn't terribly often these days, whenever i hear it, it stops me dead in my tracks. in part i think because of what charlie just described, what you are actually going through to get that sound out. every time i hear it, whether it is charlie, stevie, it just kind of stops me, the sound of the instrument. >> it something so special when it's played at this level. , forit comes to the blues me it has to be there. >> it's like a voice. when i'm taking a solo, playing the harmonica, it's like i'm singing the words. >> today on the show you have had two of the three greatest stevie wonder, taj mahal, and charlie are the three greatest humans to play that. when has stevie been on last?

tavis: maybe a year or so. as a matter fact, people stop me in airports and hotels and on the street and they thanked me for talking to so many music artist. was saying to our executive producer that the reason why i love music artist is you get the most authentic conversations with them. i love politicians, but they are always trying to stay on message. i love military generals, but they ain't going to give you nothing. i can talk about a number of different genres of people. you talk to artists, that is the best shot you have it having an authentic conversation, because what is in them typically comes out in one way, shape, or form. over the years i've been blessed to talk to so many artists. i love it.

charlie, you've got this briefcase. i'm afraid to ask what is inside it. i hope something legal. [laughter] is there a harmonica in there, by chance? for have a blues band obama. tavis: is there something you can play in their? this is the oldest harmonica company in the world. .lder than hohner it is from germany. i gave one of these to president obama. he said that stevie wonder had given him achromatic. i said if you want to play blues, i give lessons. he said that's nice, but i'm a little busy right now. [laughter] tavis: you can play a little something for us. way and i out of the

will give you the last minute to play us out. the new project from ben harper and charlie musselwhite is -- "getget up there go up." 10 tracks. send it to me. en, i'm always glad to have you on this program. charlie, an honor to meet you. i'm going to say one last thing and you have 30 seconds to play us out. as always, thanks for watching. see you back here next time on pbs. until then, keep the faith. ♪

♪ greg something like that. [applause] >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with sande andr emile robert randolph. that is next time. we will see you then.

>> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. >> be more. >> be more. announcer:

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