“a sober Janis Joplin meets Steely Dan in Memphis”
When Michael introduced me to Ms. Tedi Brunetti, I couldn’t wait to learn more. What I found was a woman in her late 60s woman singing classic rock and blues getting ready to release a brand new artist album this summer. With decades of experience, experience you can hear in her voice coming from deep down in her soul, you can’t help but love her sound. I reached out for an interview and within a few days Tedi and I were chatting about songwriting, record deals, tattooing and shows at MSG.
This was a really fun discussion. Tedi has been around the block a few times, and it was fun hearing more about her journey. Tedi has been deemed a “sober Janis Joplin meeting Steely Dan in Memphis” and after hearing her music, and listening to her talk, that is spot on! She just started working with MTS and know Michael will take good care of her. This was a really fun conversation and I can’t wait for her new album to be released later this year. If you like real musicians playing blues based, classic rock and jazz influenced music or just want to chuckle, then Tedi’s your girl. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Ms. Tedi Brunetti.
Start by giving me an overview of Tedi Brunetti.
I’m a singer, songwriter, drummer and bandleader from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I’ve lived my life in and on stages. I pursued a music career in NYC in the 70s and 80s. Came back to Pittsburgh, my hometown, to raise our 2 sons. Did cardiac and vascular ultrasound for 20 years. Retired from that eight years ago and began playing and recording music again. I have a new album The Queen of Pittsburgh that will be released July 20, 2021 and the first single and video to be released may 25th by Sony Music/The Orchard.
Do you still have that taxi cab drum set? Curious what inspired that setup.
I was inspired to paint a drum set by Buddy Miles and his album Them Changes. I actually had to get a second album because I wore the grooves off the first I played it so much. The album cover featured Buddy behind a custom painted, red, white and blue flag motif drum kit. I stared at that cover and thought, “I’m gonna paint a kit someday,” and I did . I painted every little square and square inch of that kit. It was a mathematical nightmare! (Laughs.) It’s a Ludwig Standard drum set from the 60s. My first drum set and originally had a teal blue sparkle finish. It was known as a New York kit or a taxi/checker cab kit because it was engineered without bottom heads. The tom-toms all nested together, like those Russian dolls, inside the bass drum. The very lightweight cymbal stands fit into the corners of the bass drum case and the cymbal bag was put on top of those drums. There was a small suitcase type case for the snare drum and bass drum pedal with a tray on top for accessories. So, in 2 cases you had a complete kit that fit in the trunk of a taxi. Over the years I’ve added hardware to the bass drum and floor tom to allow for bottom heads on those drums. I get offers for that kit. I still play it but take it on gigs sparingly because the hardware fittings are getting old.
You describe yourself as a “sober Janis Joplin meeting Steely Dan in Memphis”. Can you elaborate on that? From what I am hearing, that is pretty spot on!
Well, for starters, I am sober. In October it will be 40 years without drinking or drugging. That gives a person CLARITY. Mind you, I don’t care what people choose to do, really I don’t. I mean after all I’m a musician. A lot of my coworkers use alcohol and drugs. It’s poison to me. I can’t handle it. After 40 years it’s just who I am today. Thus the “sober Janis Joplin”. It’s funny, there was a review of my music in my NYC days where the columnist described my voice as “Janis Joplin without the rasp”. Today, 30 some years later, I have a bit of a rasp. It’s natural, and my producers Dean Sargent and Mike Henegan , along with my husband Jim Mason , who is also my lead guitarist, encouraged me to just be natural and let it fly when we were recording my vocals for The Queen of Pittsburgh album. So yes, I have a raspy voice. I like it! Younger singers will push and over-sing to get that raspy sound going and it always sounds phony. My rasp comes out in ways that surprises me sometimes. I don’t think about it, it just happens. I sound closer to Janis now.
I’ve incorporated some jazzier elements into my blues based songwriting here and there. We tried to make a natural sounding album where real musicians are playing instruments and have a sound that seems like it was always there, much like Steely Dan. There’s some straight ahead blues shuffles and a blues ballad “White Man Dancing Blues,” too. That’s where Memphis comes in.
You are a drummer. Let’s say someone sitting at home wants to start playing the drums. Where do you recommend he or she go to get started?
I’m a schooled musician and always think live in person lessons is the way to go. There’s so much drumming information and instruction online it will boggle your mind! Drummers as a whole are very open, generous and encouraging when it comes to sharing tips with new drummers.
Tell me more about your work with Michael and the team over at MTS Management Group.
I love Michael’s work on my behalf and I’m happy to add MTS Management Group to my team. I’m new to his company and he’s rocked my world, in a good way! I had a long informative conversation with the lovely Miss Freddye, a friend and one of Michael’s clients and she sang his praises. I love that he’s a Pittsburgh guy. He’s very easy to work with and I look forward to a long standing business relationship with Michael and MTS.
Do you do only originals, or are you also performing cover songs?
I only do originals. I’ve been writing songs since I was 12. That’s 56 years! When I decided to get back to music, after a 20 year hiatus, I put together a blues cover band that played the local clubs just to see if I could do it (rust doesn’t sleep). It got old fast. I knew in my heart that recording and performing my own music is the only way to fulfill myself artistically.
What is that tattoo on your left arm?
That would be Ricky Ricardo forever babalooing on my arm. He was the first drummer and bonafide musician I ever knew about. It’s a Bob Roberts’ tattoo. I got it the day I had my last drink, October 14, 1981. No one, I mean NO ONE had tattoos back then except sailors, a few ex-cons, and drug addicts from the East Village, NYC. I caught a lot of hell about it in those days. Things have changed haven’t they!?
What is your songwriting process like? Do you sit down with a pen and paper, or do songs just come to you?
I studied songwriting at the Songwriters Guild of America and The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers in NYC. I write much like the Tin Pan Alley songwriters wrote. I write from a title. I write my music on guitar, my first instrument and sometimes begin with a bassline. My guitar playing fell by the wayside over the years. I scratch something out and teach it to my husband who can play it properly. I have pages of titles, song lines and ideas. I write and rewrite and rewrite music and lyrics. I let the ideas float in the back of my mind until the right words or phrases and grooves hit me. My songwriting mantra is “the right words are out there and will appear when I’m ready for them”. Collaborating with Dean Sargent, one of my producers, who also has 50 years of songwriting experience, on some of the songs on The Queen of Pittsburgh was great! You can’t get 50 years experience when you’re 20, and this album has that undeniable quality of seasoned professionals on all levels.
You have a store on your website. What sort of items are you selling in there?
I have all kinds of items on my website. Number one will be CDs and Vinyls of The Queen of Pittsburgh album along with cool t-shirts, hoodies, coffee mugs and coming soon Tedi Bears! (Laughs.) People should know that when you make a purchase from my website you are helping sustain me financially so I can continue to create and provide you with awesome music and videos that keep your playlists fun and fresh!
Tell me more about The Tedi Bear Club. How many members do you have and what sort of access to fans get? I LOVE that name, but the way!
Yes, The Tedi Bear Club. I chose that name for my email list fan connection because I have a theory. Men, as well as women, need some sweetness in their life. Once the women’s liberation movement took hold, and I’m mostly glad for it, women became more assertive and aggressive. Before that men always had big manly dogs like German Shepards. You wouldn’t see a man walking a poodle when I was a kid. Nowadays it’s common to see a man cuddling a Chihuahua or Pomeranian. Men need softness and sweetness like women do. And who doesn’t love a teddy bear?
The Tedi Bear Club is in the hundreds and hopefully soon thousands. Membership means you will be FIRST to receive news on my wild music career, specials and discounts on items in the store. It’s a way to get to know my fans better and for them to get to know me.
When can we expect The Queen of Pittsburgh to be released?
The Queen of Pittsburgh is scheduled for release July 20, 2021. It will be on all streaming platforms and CDs and vinyl copies will be for sale on my website.
What are you listening to when you’re not performing?
I listen to all types of music. Right now The Traveling Wilburys are my jam. Their songs are funny as hell. I’ll search new jazz releases, new rock releases, new funky releases on Spotify
and pick a playlist and listen. And of course I go back to classics like Steely Dan, Junior Wells, and Aretha Franklin.
How do you know Dean Allen Sargent?
Dean produced and engineered my first, never released, solo album titled Tattooed Women in New York 30 years ago. It still holds water and Sony/The Orchard has asked to release it. I’m thinking it will be released either in November of this year or the first quarter of 2022.
I know you like to travel. But COVID-19 put a damper on that. When things settle down, where are you excited to visit first?
I have an Italian cousin, Enrica who I love and miss. She lives outside of Venice, Italy. I’d love to grab the ball and chain and spend some time in Italy again.
Your logo is a trip… Almost getting dizzy just looking at it. Who designed that for you?
My 93 year old father Ted A. Brunetti designed that logo 40 years ago for me. He was a commercial artist before going back to his first love which is acting with my late mother. He still is a member of Actors’ Equity.
Songwriting is akin to storytelling. I bet you have some stories to tell. Well, let me have it. Tell me a story!
I made this album for our grandchildren so that one day they might realize grandma and grandpa were cool. We recorded much of it in and near the Poconos Mountains where Dean Sargent and Michael Henegan, my co-producers live. We, my husband and guitarist Jim Mason and I, made three and four day trips every other week to the Poconos to record. It’s a six hour drive from Pittsburgh and was kicking our butts. We finally rented a house in the Poconos for a month so we could finish most of the tracking. Michael Hennegan has a mobile studio MSR and he recorded most of the additional tracks. Dean needs to hear 90dB of bass at a certain point when he’s mixing. That’s loud as hell! Most studios can’t produce it clearly. There was a studio in East Stroudsburg, PA boasting an SSL console and other state-of-the-art equipment. We had finished the tracks for “Evil Woman” and we were all excited to hear it in a big studio. Dean gave the studio, Soundmine Recording Studio, a call and yes, they produced a lot of heavy metal there and had the horsepower we were looking for. I told Dean, “Okay, cool! Book four hours, we’ll put up ‘Evil Woman’ and see if we can mix there.”
We went into Soundmine, a beautiful, comfortable studio. Michael, my producer, engineer and bassit along with Dan Malsch the owner put “Evil Woman” up on those huge honking speakers Dan has. Dan mainly stepped aside and took everything in. We all looked at each other like, “Hell, yeah! This is gonna be a great album and it’s not even mixed yet!” Jim and I returned to Pittsburgh knowing Dean and Mike had a studio to mix in. They don’t need me there for every mix. They sent emails with the mixes, I’d listen at home and give them my preferences and they’d adjust and send the mixes back to me. Yay digital recording!
So a few days after our return home, we were watching The Weather Channel sipping our morning coffee and my phone rings. It’s Dino. He says, “You have a record deal, if you want it.” I’m like, “WHAT?!” Dino proceeds to explain that Dan called him, said he loves my music and he “wants this project”. It turns out Dan Malsch has a few platinum albums under his belt, has helped 100 or so artists as an A&R type guy for Sony/The Orchard, the largest distributor of independent labels in the world. When I talked with Dan I said, “Dan, I’m 68 years old.” he said, “Tedi, nobody gives a sh*#%! You sound great!” So, now I’m not retired anymore. I’m putting in 12-14 days to get this album out and give it the best chance it can have. It’s already a success as far as I’m concerned. I never get tired of it and I hope the public will feel the same.
This might be hard to answer, but what is the best concert you’ve ever been to?
I lived in a loft that overlooked Madison Square Garden, 251 W30th St, NYC in the famous Music Building. I saw many great shows at The Garden but my favorite was Stevie Wonder.
He made that huge, filled to capacity auditorium feel like an intimate performance in my living room. It was magical.
Where can folks at home learn more about Tedi Brunetti?
People can find me and my latest adventures at my website, on Facebook and on Instagram. I love keeping up with my social media friends!
What’s next for Tedi Brunetti?
I’m excited about releasing The Queen of Pittsburgh. More videos are in the works and I’m gathering musicians for a gigging band. Hopefully over the next year I can start playing live as venues and festivals get passed COVID. I love working in the studio so I’m considering producing other acts and I will continue to cook for my family on the holidays.
Thank you for spending time with me. This was fun! In all of the interviews I do, I always give the artist the last word. Go.
Thank you for this opportunity. I had fun as well. If you like real musicians playing blues based, classic rock and jazz influenced music or just want to chuckle, then I’m your girl!
Connect with Tedi Brunetti:
Website: https://tedibrunetti.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QueenofPgh
Instagram: https://instagram.com/tedibrunettiofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TediBrunetti
