Skip Heller
bandleader/arranger/producer
Leads exotica band Voodoo 5. Born 1965 and bred in/around Philadelphia. Started out in garage bands, then Jewish wedding bands, then jazz gigs, then literally whatever was offered -- biker bars, old people's homes, blood drives, LGBTQ country music nights, dance classes, oldies but goodies shows.
Moved to Los Angeles in '95. Worked with Stan Ridgway, NRBQ, Hal Willner, Lalo Guerrero, Yma Sumac, Joe Bataan, Bootsy Collins, Ray Campi, Big Jay McNeely, Jello Biafra, others.
Music for Disney, Dexters, Flintstones, Dexter's Lab. Recently did string arrangements for Thee Sinseers.
Devoted husband and cat person.
486
Oct. 3, 2026
S9E486 - The Congos 'Heart Of The Congos' with Skip Heller
Bandleader, composer and music historian Skip Heller (Voodoo 5, Los duenos del Klezmer, the Hollywood Film Noirchestra), brings us the OG 1977 roots reggae album 'Heart Of The Congos' by The Congos. Produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry at his Black Ark studio in Kingston, Jamaica (initially as a very limited release said to consist of only several hundred copies), it is now regarded as one of Perry's masterpiece productions of the Black Ark era. Songs discussed in this episode: Fisherman Dub - The C...
Guest: Skip Heller