Late Republic Nonsense
Late Republic Nonsense Podcast
Sean Davis: The Blues and the Honest Truth
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Sean Davis: The Blues and the Honest Truth

Chatting about music with the mastermind behind The Federalist. Plus: The sophisticated jive, jump, and blues of Amos Millburn.

Episode 13: Sean Davis

Federalist co-founder Sean Davis is one of those friends—so common now in the digital world—who you rarely see in person, but who nevertheless occupies a big place in your universe. Sean possess one of the most cutting and wicked senses of humor, and he’s mastered the art of the brutal put-down.

I wanted to do a podcast with Sean—and he was very keen on discussing music. We talked about the blues, about what lessons you can learn from music, about making a living as a performer or session player, and how it all relates to politics. Or doesn’t. It was a refreshing discussion.


Intro Music

Like the jump-blues idiom itself, Amos Millburn is something of a forgotten name. He was an early rhythm-and-blues pianist and singer, popular in the late 40s and early 50s, who brought sophistication to jukeboxes across the country.

Milburn’s music was happy, fun, and full of double-entendres. “Juice, Juice, Juice” was a 1956 recording toward the end of his run with Aladdin Records. If you spot the 10LP Mosaic box set for a fair price, grab it.

Late Republic Nonsense
Late Republic Nonsense Podcast
David Reaboi talks to his friends. I skipped the desktop computer and microphone for the couch and the phone. I had a feeling it would change the ambiance and energy of the chat—making it more intimate, and removing as much of the “podcast” artifice as possible. It sounds exactly like a phone call, because it is. I hope what’s conveyed to the listener is a bit of spontaneity, humor, insight, and real affection between the folks speaking.