>> CATHY: "WOMEN WHO COOK" WENT ON TO PLAY AT VENUES AROUND THE TWIN CITIES, INCLUDING THE GUTHRIE AND THE ORDWAY.

THEY ALSO WENT ON AN HISTORIC SOVIET PEACE TOUR IN 1988.

WHY ALL THIS HISTORY?

YOU ASK?

THE LEGENDARY BAND HASN'T DONE A SHOW SINCE 2002.

AND THEY ARE COMING TOGETHER FOR A MOTHER'S DAY REUNION THIS SUNDAY AT THE DAKOTA.

MARIAN MOORE WAS THE PRODUCER OF "NIGHT TIMES VARIETY."

WELCOME BACK TO TWIN CITIES PBS.

>> THANK YOU.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE.

IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

>> Cathy: OH, MY GOSH, MARIAN, I GOT TO SAY, I'M FAN-GIRLING OUT.

I THOUGHT "NIGHT TIMES VARIETY" WAS A FANTASTIC SHOW, YOU DON'T SEE SHOWS LIKE THAT ANYMORE.

>> AND WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW LUCKY WE WERE.

83 SHOWS OVER THREE YEARS AND MY JOB AS A 20-SOMETHING WAS TO GO OUT AND HEAR MUSIC ALL THE TIME AND FIND, YOU KNOW, FIND THE MUSICIANS THAT WERE WORTHY OF THE SHOW.

>> Eric: HOW DID YOU PUT THIS THICK TOGETHER?

>> Cathy: THE SPARK?

>> THE SPARK OF "WOMEN WHO COOK"?

>> Eric: YES.

>> WELL, WE -- YOU KNOW ABOUT DOING A SHOW EVERY WEEK, RIGHT?

SO -- AND WE HAVE THESE GREAT MUSICIANS IN MINNEAPOLIS AND ST.

PAUL.

BUT WE WANTED TO DO THEM IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF FORMATIONS.

SO KATHY RILEY WHO WAS THE PRODUCER AND I WAS THE ASSOCIATE RODUCER, WE CHOSE PEOPLE THAT WE RESPECTED, AND SO ONE OF MY PEOPLE WAS PRUDENCE JOHNSON, AND WE WENT TO PUMPERNICK'S FOR LUNCH ON THE WEST BANK AND HAD THESE DIFFERENT IDEAS INCLUDING TO BRING TOGETHER ALL WOMEN AND WHAT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT WAS IT WASN'T JUST WOMEN SINGERS, BUT THE WHOLE BACKUP BAND, INSTRUMENTALISTS, ET CETERA.

>> Cathy: OH, REALLY, OKAY?

>> BUT THAT IS STILL TRUE.

>> Cathy: ASSOCIATE PRODUCERS, BY THE WAY DO ALL THE WORK.

YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT?

WHAT DID THE HIGHER UPS THINK ABOUT THIS?

>> WE DIDN'T EVEN REALLY HAVE TO ASK THEM.

>> Cathy: OH, GOSH, OKAY.

THE INGREDIENTS SEEMED TO WORK QUITE WELL FOR "WOMEN WHO COOK."

>> YEAH, YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE VARIETY, WE REALLY WANTED TO DO REAL VARIETY.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE GINGER COMMODORE WHO IS COMING OUT OF JEVETTA STEELE AND YOU HAVE PRUDENCE WHO'S A JAZZ SINGER AND IN THAT FIRST SHOW, MARY DUCHENE WHO'S A FIDDLE PLAYER AND THAT WAS I THINK THE DIVERSITY OF THE MUSICAL STYLES.

>> Eric: DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SET LIST LOOKS LIKE FOR MOTHER'S DAY?

>> OH, YEAH, THAT ONE YOU JUST HEARD, "HAVING A PARTY" IS GOING TO OPEN THE SHOW.

AND WE'RE DOING REALLY SONGS FROM THE SOVIET PEACE TOUR PRIMARILY.

AND, WELL, ACTUALLY SONGS FROM THE VERY FIRST SHOW TOO.

>> Eric: IT SEEMS LIKE GREAT CHEMISTRY.

THROUGH THE TV, IT UJUST LOOKS LIKE IT.

>> YEAH, AND I WAS TALKING TO SOMEBODY ABOUT IT AND I WAS SAYING ALSO, I THINK IT WAS WHEN JON BREAM WHO WROTE A NICE SPHOAR ABOUT THE REUNION, NOBODY HAS TO CHECK ANYTHING ABOUT BEING A WOMAN AT THE DOOR.

SO WHATEVER THAT MEANS, WE CAN HAVE A LONG ONVERSATION ABOUT THAT, BUT I THINK THAT'S ALSO OBVIOUSLY A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE CHEMISTRY.

BUT ALSO, THINK OF THIS.

THESE ARE WOMEN, MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN GIGGING FOR VER 50 YEARS.

AND THEY'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER AND WORKED TOGETHER FOR 44-PLUS YEARS.

THAT IS A LOT OF SPECIAL SAUCE.

>> Cathy: OH, MY GOSH.

SAY, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO THAT FIRST GIG, I GUESS, THAT FIRST BROADCAST, OR EPISODE, DO YOU REMEMBER FEELING ANY APPREHENSION AT ALL WHEN YOU STARTED TO ROLL?

>> THAT'S -- >> Cathy: I KNOW IT'S BEEN A WHILE AGO, YES.

>> I THINK IT WAS REALLY EXCITEMENT.

I MEAN, OH, WILL HE HORN PLAYER DO -- I MEAN, WE ALWAYS HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, IS IT ALL GOING TO COME TOGETHER, BECAUSE THIS WAS ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC.

OFTEN WE WOULD HAVE BANDS ON THAT HAD BEEN JUST BROUGHT THEIR REGULAR REPERTOIRE.

AND SO THIS WAS ALL MUSIC MADE FOR THE SHOW.

AND THEN FOUR MONTHS LATER, AT THE GUTHRIE, SOLD OUT.

ET CETERA.

>> Eric: YOU'RE PAYING TRIBUTE TO JEANNE ARLAND PETERSON, THE MATRIARCH OF THE PETERSON FAMILY OF COURSE.

>> YES, OBVIOUSLY JEANNE IS NO LONGER WITH US.

AND PRUDENCE AND I WERE LISTENING TO OLD TAPES OF ALL THE "WOMEN WHO COOK" MUSIC AND CAME ACROSS THIS TAPE OF JEANNE AND KATHY JENSEN WHO WAS A SAX PLAYER, FAMOUSLY PLAYED WITH PRINCE AND NEXT POWER GENERATION AND JEE YE, WHO'S THIS EXTRAORDINARY PIANO PLAYER AND THEY DID A THELONIUS MONK TUNE AND SO WE'RE GOING TO PLAY THAT AUDIO OF KATHY, WHO'S NOT LIVING HERE ANYMORE.

>> Eric: FUTURE PROJECTS?

THIS AYS THE GROUND WORK FOR SOMETHING GOING FORWARD.

>> Cathy: I SAY DOCUMENTARY.

>> OH, OF THE WHOLE ERA.

YOU KNOW, WE DID DO THAT DOCUMENTARY OF THE SOAIVE DOCUMENTARY OF THE SOAI SOVIET PEACE TOUR.

AND SO THAT'S FUN TO WATCH AGAIN.

>> Eric: WHAT DO YOU GOT IN MIND?

>> I THINK WE HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE HOW SUNDAY GOES.

BUT, YEAH, MARY T. OVER AT CROONER'S IS ALREADY KNOCKING ON THE DOOR.

>> Eric: 4:00 P.M.

AND 7:00 P.B.M.SING ON MOTHER'S DAY.

I'M SURE A FEW TICKETS ARE LEFT?

>> MAYBE TWO OR THREE OR FOUR.

>> Eric: WELL, CONGRATULATIONS.

>> Cathy: HOW FUN TO HAVE YOU BACK IN STUDIO.

>> YEAH, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE HERE.

I WAS HERE DURING THE OLD, OLD BUILDING DAYS.

AND I JUST ALSO WANT TO HONOR TWIN CITIES PUBLIC TELEVISION DOING SHOWS LIKE THAT AND SHOWS LIKE THIS REALLY DOES A LOT FOR THE COMMUNITY.

>> Eric: AMEN.