J. Michael Kearsey (Upepo) Edition

Tonight on Night School, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Michael Kearsey of the band, Upepo. In 1970s Portland, this loose collective of post-Woodstock creatives came together, making an indelible mark in the city’s jazz-funk community. Incorporating stylistic influences from Brazil, the Middle East, and the wide world of Gamelan, Upepo was making “world” music before the genre gained traction in popular culture. An original member of the group, The Cars, Kearsey would achieve acclaim as a solo artist. A little known fact is that he wrote Sade’s “Smooth Operator.” There’s so much more to the story.