Word: cole
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This is what bassist Stu Cole has to say about the recent popular success of Squirrel Nut Zippers, a seven-member swing jazz outfit that has rapidly gained a loyal cult following throughout North America. The group's roots sprouted in 1993 when Jim "Jimbo" Mathus and Katherine Whalen formed a communal studio for disenchanted musicians in upstate New York. Their creative hideaway attracted an unusual array of artists that included a biomedical engineer, political worker, scientific repairman and professional gardener, all of whom were dissatisfied with the paths their lives had taken. This unlikely array of people soon discovered...
...trip; it's a rally," Cole said of the band's success. And the group's fruition has been more than helpful to the Squirrel Brand candy company as well: sales of the Nut Zipper bar have risen dramatically and continue to rise as the band gains fame. Speaking of the interaction between the band and the company, Cole said, "We have a really good, organic relationship. They load us up with mammoth amounts [of the candy], and we come back to visit the store whenever we have time...
Time, however, is not something the Zippers have much of these days. They've been touring almost non-stop recently, having just driven 20 hours from Atlanta to Manhattan at the time of the interview. The band played a show at the Orpheum Theater on Sept. 22, which Cole described as "excellent-the crowd was really enthusiastic, and we love Boston. Jimbo blew a whole month's worth of 'hell money' in one night there...
...Cole went on to describe his ideal situation, saying "I would hope that we'll have a touring schedule that we can handle and that allows us to pursue other interests as well as the Zippers." One of those other interests is Jim's recent tribute to Charlie Patton, with which Stu was also involved. Stu said, "We went to visit his family, and it was just amazing...Rosetta Patton was Jimbo's nanny, and she never saw any of the money Charlie made, so this album is kind of a tribute for her." The Zippers are also working...
With our interview rapidly drawing to a close, I asked Cole and Widenhouse in what direction they see the Zippers heading. Stu said, "We want to get into a cruise mode and keep going for a few years. Things are going great-I don't see how they could be better." He went on to mention the Zippers' new album, slated for release this spring. Some of the new songs from that album are included in the current tour and have been met with enormous support from the crowds. Je summed things up by adding, "the Zippers...