A cheery mandolin virtuoso and the co-writer of "The Real Slim Shady" may seem like an untenable team, especially on a playing field once managed by Garrison Keillor. But never underestimate the musical capability — and curiosity — of Chris Thile and Mike Elizondo.
When Thile kicks off the new season of Minnesota Public Radio's "Live From Here" this weekend, it'll be with Dr. Dre protégé Elizondo as musical director, the role long held by Richard Dworsky, a pianist more likely to break into ragtime than rap.
"I'm beyond excited about the team we have this year," Thile said in a statement last month after dismissing several key players from Keillor's reign, including sound-effects wizard Fred Newman, voice actor Tim Russell and Dworsky, who remains friendly with Thile and has voiced support for his former boss' changes. "The new mix of talent further energizes our celebration of hearable beauty and hilarity."
But don't expect "Live" to suddenly transform into a Death Row Records after-party. Yes, Elizondo has worked with legendary hip-hop artists like Jay Z, Snoop Dogg and 50 Cent (they collaborated on the megahit "In da Club"). But he's also worked with Carrie Underwood, Pink, Ry Cooder and Alanis Morissette.
He often can be found sitting in at Largo, the acoustic-friendly Los Angeles club where Thile's old bandmate (and "Prairie Home Companion" favorite) Sara Watkins is also a regular. It was at Largo where Thile and Elizondo first met a decade ago, jamming behind Fiona Apple as she performed "Fast as You Can."
"I never put boundaries on musical genres I'm allowed to be in," said Elizondo, speaking by phone this week from the L.A. home he shares with his wife and four kids. "I'm always open to any kind of experience, as long as there are musicians involved that will challenge me. If someone thinks I could bring something to the table, I'm there."
Elizondo had played bass on a couple of episodes after Thile took over the show from Keillor in 2016, but the request in July to officially join the family took him by surprise.
"I probably took a good seven to 10 days to really think about it and talk it over with my wife," he said. "On a creative level, I was extremely honored, but on a personal level, I had to figure out how to orchestrate my life. It's a lot more traveling than I'm used to. I finally realized that the energy I'm going to gain doing these shows will help fuel my enthusiasm for all the other projects I'm working on."
