Guest: Joel Selvin
From 1972 – 2009, Selvin was the very influential rock music columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. He is also the author of more than a dozen of the best books on rock music and culture. His works have covered artists like Sly Stone, The Grateful Dead, Ricky Nelson, and Sammy Hagar and events like the Summer of Love, the birth of the Peppermint Twist, and The Rolling Stones’ ill-fated concert at Altamont. In this interview, Selvin will discuss his latest, Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon, a bio of one of the most recorded and influential drummers in rock history who spent his final three decades in jail for the murder of his mother.

"Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. From time to time, the host and authors will be joined by notable musicians, writers, and artists who are die-hard fans of the subject matter covered. Expect lively conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it. "Reading Is Funktamental" can be heard the second Wednesday of every month from 10 – 11 AM on Wave Farm: WGXC 90.7 FM and online at wavefarm.org.

Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing on music, books and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com, where he is the book reviewer.