Shows
Tasty Brew MusicDeanna Ray - Americana with an Operatic Twist
Deanna Ray Eberhart Von Fange – what a regal sounding
moniker! Deanna Ray, her “roots” music name, barely in her mid-20’s, presents as a fully mature artist. I was introduced to Deanna a couple of years ago by my colleague, and accomplished songwriter in her own right, Julie Bennett Hume. Deanna was still in college pursuing a double masters in vocal performance and Choral Church Music at the University of Kansas.
In addition to her own studies, Deanna has been teaching
music to students ages 8-14 including voice, guitar, ukelele and basic piano. I have witnessed the power of he...2025-01-2944 min
Tasty Brew MusicGullywasher (of Kansas City) - Rust Belt Revelations Part 1#americanamusic #rootsmusic #tastybrewmusic
Memories can be tricky…especially when you attain a certain
vintage. While preparing this episode, I was hard pressed to remember the first time I met guitarist singer songwriter Chris Hudson and heard his indie Americana folk project…Gullywasher. Chris says we met on my show around 2018
when I was still holding down the Tuesday morning 6 am to 8 am slot. In the intervening years, I’ve lost count of the times I’ve enjoyed whatever iteration Gullywasher is in and was most pleased to finally capture Chris and bandmate
Sam Wright on banjo and vocals f...2025-01-2228 min
Tasty Brew MusicJennifer Roe - Folk Alliance International Executive DirectorThere is the classic movie or theater story line where the
understudy of a lead role, or the staff employee at a company, gets the opportunity to assume the helm and shine. This episode’s guest, Jennifer Roe, is a living/breathing example of that life changing opportunity.
Over the years, Roe fulfilled many supporting roles at Folk
Alliance International, an international arts non profit and NEA designated national arts service organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. She even served as Interim Director twice and when circumstances placed FAI in need, the governing body wisely, in my opin...2025-01-1327 min
Tasty Brew MusicCrow and Gazelle - Deconstructing SeparatenessAs has happened quite often in the past 10 years or so, my
curation of private showcase rooms at the Folk Alliance International Conference has yielded connections that provide continuing collaborations and opportunities for engagement. Case in point… Chrislyn Lawrence and Mike “Mac” McClure also now known as the musical duo “Crow and Gazelle.”
Booking the duo at the 2002 Conference and subsequently for other listening room series in the Heartland has brought another welcome addition to my so called “Americana/Roots Music” family.
Mike McClure made his name as one of the founders of the
Oklahoma Red Dirt Music Sc...2025-01-0928 min
Tasty Brew MusicCory Jackson - Classic Country with a Modern FlairAlthough it has been decades, I DO remember how challenging and isolating it can be to move away during your 20’s from your hometown to accompany and support a spouse that is pursuing a promising job opportunity. Arkansas Native and Singer/Songwriter Cory Jackson did just that to support his spouse. I was only too happy to help introduce him to the Heartland’s music scene when a mutual acquaintance asked me to do so. Since that request in 2023, it has been my privilege to welcome Cory to the KKFI airwaves and to showcase him as a Heartland Song Network...2024-11-2544 min
Tasty Brew MusicKate McDonnell - Flying High on a Lyrical "Trapeze"Kate McDonnell has captivated audiences all over
the world with her award-winning songwriting, her unusual upside down and backwards guitar style, and her crystalline voice. Kate was in the Heartland for a couple of shows in 2024 including Howard Dolginoff’s Labyrinth House Concert Series. She was kind enough to come onto my radio
show during a Pledge Drive to help me raise money for community radio.
Kate comes from generations of musicians on both sides: her
maternal grandfather (trumpet) and great grandfather (trombone and viola) performed with the National and Baltimore Symphonies. Kate's father sang in operettas in his...2024-11-1728 min
Tasty Brew MusicKiely Connell - Becoming Her Own Best Company
I am honored to be on Radio Promotor Angela Backstrom’s contact list for new music being released by the amazing cadre of Americana/Roots Artists she represents. Angela reached out to me to arrange a phone interview to highlight Kiely Connell’s appearance at Kansas City’s recordBar venue in support of her amazing sophomore record “My Own Company.” I went down the rabbit hole, as I so often do in preparation for this conversation. I was entranced by Kiely’s voice, her
affinity for some of my personal favorites like Courtney Marie Andres and Patsy Cline, and her to...2024-11-1126 min
Tasty Brew MusicSavanna Chestnut - Flower in a DitchSavanna, daughter of the Heartland’s Flint Hills, returns to
share with me new music making its radio debut on my turn as host of MidCoast Live! On KKFI…a weekly live performance radio show that welcomes all genres of
music and spoken word performance. On this episode you will hear these new bona fide country music selections:
L-O-V-E
Same Beer, Different Day
Honky Tonk Heartbreaker
Trailer No.3
In our latest conversation, we re-visit how I first discovered Savanna’s songcraft. It is alive with visual imagery indigenous to the Heart...2024-10-1454 min
Tasty Brew MusicZachary Scott Kline - Football to Punk to Songwriter
Zachary Scott Kline came into my consciousness thanks to an email from Nashville songwriter, Henry Conlon, a former guest on my Tasty Brew Music Radio Show and
Podcast. Zachary’s power trio that included Ray Akers on bass and Sam Hatfield on drums was coming to the
Heartland including playing a show in Lawrence. It was a great honor to host what I believe to be Zachary’s debut radio interview and performance.
Zachary found his way to Americana via competitive football and the San Francisco punk scene. Apparently there is an inside joke that when they...2024-10-0244 min
TRUE LOVE#23 Lady Diana
Prinzessin Diana. Müssen wir überhaupt mehr sagen? Es ist die Folge, die wir seit Beginn dieses Podcasts auf unserer Wunschliste haben. Endlich ist es soweit! Wir sprechen über Diana, die Prinzessin der Herzen. Lady Diana bleibt unvergessen durch ihren Charme und ihre Liebenswürdigkeit. Außerdem ist sie als Stilikone in die Geschichte eingegangen.
Denn auch nach all der Zeit lebt ihr Vermächtnis weiter – tief verwurzelt in den Herzen der Menschen. Diana Spencer bleibt unvergessen durch ihren Charme und ihre Liebenswürdigkeit. Außerdem ist sie als Stilikone in die Geschichte eingegangen.
Alles begann wie...2024-08-232h 31
Tasty Brew MusicJesse Thomas Harris - Restart, Reboot, RefreshI love hosting songwriters on the radio and when it is an artist I have a personal kinship and history with…even better. I was introduced to Jesse Harris and the Gypsy Sparrows shortly after I started my broadcast career in 2010. The Sparrows were a hard driving, good time honky tonk/outlaw country/red dirt band for ten years. Jesse took a break when his son Jack was born and has been helping to support a growing family and successful landscaping business for the last 7or 8 years.
As you will hear in this conversation during a recent appe...2024-08-1556 min
Tasty Brew MusicHeather Pierson - Rootsy Jazz from the White Mountains
Like so many musical discoveries in my Tasty Brew orbit,
Heather Pierson came to my attention from Mike Paget, Director behind the Green Guitar Folk House Music Series in Lenexa, Kansas. He discovered Heather’s talent at her
official showcase during a past Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City and brought her back to the Heartland as she was touring through the area. You’ll hear us mention another Heartland music series I’ve heard stellar reviews about hosted at The Bixler 108 in Unionville, Missouri. It is so important that stops like the Bixler become available to those...2024-08-1235 min
Tasty Brew MusicGracie Caggiano - Living a Lyrical Life with a DisabilityI met Gracie Caggiano when she participated in one of the
very first monthly Songwriters’ Sanctuary events presented by the Heartland Song Network at PH Coffee in Kansas City. I was impressed not only with her songwriting and vocal ability, but her steadfastness in dealing with the physical barriers presented to an artist
living with muscular dystrophy confined to a wheelchair. When I learned she had not yet been on the radio, I knew I had to make that happen and welcomed her to the airwaves in early June 2024.
As you will learn in our conversation, In the...2024-07-2254 min
Tasty Brew MusicGiulia Millanta - Smart, Pensive and Cool in Four LanguagesWhat does a Florence, Italy transplant in Austin, Texas have in common with a community radio dj in Kansas City? Turns out a connection to the first man on the Moon, Neil Armstrong. Listen to this episode of the Tasty Brew
Music Podcast to learn the details.
A creative and prolific artist, Giulia has released a number of solo albums, touring nationally throughout the USA and
internationally. An accomplished guitarist, Giulia also plays ukulele and sings in four languages. She has been called smart, pensive and cool credited with psychedelic grooveability whilst “baring her clairvoyant soul” to “deliver...2024-05-2228 min
Tasty Brew MusicLiz and Nilko/Tipps and Obermiller - Folk Alliance 2024 Takeover Episode 3The final installment of the 2024 Folk Alliance
International Conference Takeover of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show spotlights two musical and life partner duos… Liz and Nilko of New York City and Tipps and
Obermiller of Fort Worth, Texas.
First up Liz and Nilko, a New York City based “Latin Americana” duo combining and celebrating the music of their backgrounds… Appalachia and the Andes Mountains. LIZ CHIDESTER is a critically acclaimed and award winning Americana singer/songwriter, actor, teaching artist, and ukulelist. Since his 2009 Carnegie Hall solo debut, multi-faceted touring artist Nilko Andreas has been performing for audiences on three contin...2024-05-1948 min
Tasty Brew MusicBackyard Betties and Colin Cutler - Folk Alliance 2024 Takeover Episode 2Collaboration and networking are instrumental in whatever success I enjoyed in my former corporate work life and now in my post career volunteer world. Nancy LaBerge of Calgary’s “Backyard Betties” was introduced to me via email by Linda Wilson, a former radio colleague….giving me the heads up Nancy and her group would be coming to Kansas City for the 2024 Folk Alliance International Conference. Might there be any broadcast or performance opportunities for the Backyard Betties on the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show? Of course.
I soon came to know that Nancy, through her affiliation with the Calgary Songsmiths...2024-05-1948 min
Tasty Brew MusicFolk Alliance 2024 Takeover Episode 1 - Genevieve Racette and Remi GoodeIt always lovely to welcome Montreal’s Genevieve Racette back to the KKFI studios whenever she can make it to Kansas City; this visit was facilitated by Genevieve’s attendance at the 2024 Folk Alliance International Conference. Please excuse some background construction noise that may be discernible while she and I are having our conversation…Both the street in front of the station and our building itself is under some serious reconstruction to accommodate a street car line extension and new tenants.
As a woman in the music industry, Genevieve prioritizes surrounding herself with like-minded women-identifying individuals, taking pride i...2024-04-2550 min
Tasty Brew MusicErin Eades - Twang, Angst and Blues!Originally from the mountain state of West Virginia, Eades began making music at the age of 12, when out of boredom her father handed her a 1950's Gibson that had been stored away, waiting for someone to play. It wasn't long before she began writing songs, recording her first album at age 17 as part of the duo Special Guest. After a more than decade-long hiatus from music, Eades began playing music again after moving to Kansas City and began her solo career in 2015. Her music is genuine, and shares bits of her story, drawing from experiences that many find relatable. Influenc...2024-03-2020 min
Krawalle & Liebe#43 (Bonus): Buchtipps zum Feministischen Kampftag (7/7) – »Nie nie nie« von Linn StrømsborgSpecial zum Frauenkampftag 2024: Folge 7 von 7
Zum Finale des Buch-Specials stellt Diana einen Roman vor, der sie letztes Jahr umgehauen hat: »Nie nie nie« von Linn Strømsborg. Die Protagonistin ist 35 Jahre alt und hat sich schon lange für ein Leben ohne Kinder entschieden. Doch diese eigentlich sehr persönliche Entscheidung hat nicht nur immense Auswirkungen auf ihr eigenes Leben, sondern auch auf die Beziehung zu ihrer eigenen Mutter, ihrem Partner und ihrer besten Freundin. Denn sie alle haben ihre Schwierigkeiten damit, diese Haltung zu akzeptieren. Diana ist jedenfalls hyped – aber hat sie auch Sabrina überzeugt? Und euch?
Feedback und Suppor...2024-03-1011 min
Tasty Brew MusicBen Gage - You Could Use His CompanyI am so honored when a friend and artist such as songwriter Kelly Hunt recommends a fellow musician to me for consideration. In the case of songwriter and fellow Buckeye Ben Gage, she could not have been more spot on with her recommendation. As you will hear in this conversation and performance on a recent Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, Ben sounded totally at ease and seemingly is a rather comfortable space in his lyrical life. A couple of corrections to note in my on air comments. The Folk Alliance International Conference for 2025 will be in
Montreal not Toronto and al...2024-03-0946 min
Tasty Brew MusicEmma Jo - The Heartland's "Girl Bandit"I met Emma Jo via other songwriting friends in Kansas City and it has been interesting, even instructive, to witness her evolution as a young woman who follows a lyrical life. Raised in Kansas City by a mother who loved country music and a father who breathed rock & roll, Emma Jo has spent the better part of her life latching onto a deep-rooted passion for music and performing. From stealing the spotlight at age four during a local talent show,
to learning guitar on an Esteban purchased from an infomercial, to releasing a full-length acoustic album titled Waiting to Be...2024-02-1751 minTasty Brew MusicChilean Folk and Gypsy Jazz with Medicentuna and Daniela ConejeroIn the Fall of 2023, a contingent of folk and jazz artists from Frutilla, Chile (fru-tee-ya Chill-ay) came to Kansas City as part of a cultural exchange facilitated by The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and their Creative Cities Network. The Network was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. Almost 300 cities around the world which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of
their development plans at the local level an...2024-02-0234 min
Tasty Brew MusicAlicia Stockman - Utah based Folk meets Americana!Alicia Stockman was in Kansas City to play an intimate house concert for the Labyrinth Listening Room Series curated and hosted by fellow music lover Howard Dolginoff. I happened to be hosting Siren Song on 90.1 FM KKFI that same day and Howard brought Alicia to the studios so we could have a chat and share some tunes with our listeners who were not able to make it to the show.
Alicia is a Utah-based folk meets Americana Singer Songwriter whose songs are written like intimate moments that draw listeners into a relatable emotional journey. You’ll hear that...2023-12-0337 minTasty Brew MusicSarah Lee Guthrie - A Legacy Lyrical LifeI’ve been fortunate to see Sarah Lee Guthrie perform on
multiple occasions with her family at the annual Woody Guthrie Festival aka Woody fest in Woody’s hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma. The very first song I remember learning to sing outside of church hymns was Woody’s This Land is Your Land in grade school choir back in the late 1950’s. When contacted recently by Sarah Lee’s management to gauge any interest in an interview prior to an upcoming Sarah Lee Trio gig in the Kansas City area, I jumped at the chance.
I personally find it a cha...2023-10-1027 minTasty Brew MusicTommy Prine - Searching for his Own Safe HarborI seem to be experiencing “full circle” type moments fast and furious these days. Case in point... a brief encounter at Americanafest years ago with radio promoter Angela Backstrom has yielded a now years’ long association that not only brings me
amazing music every week but affords me opportunities to talk to folks like Tommy Prine. Angela sent an email casually mentioning Tommy was coming to Kansas City to play Knuckleheads...would I be interested in talking to him for my radio show? Of course I would... I immediately began to obsess about how to honor the singular talent of Tommy...2023-08-2823 minTasty Brew MusicRick Dodderidge - Bangin' the Concert Gong for 50 YearsRick Dodderidge is one of THE most dedicated music
enthusiasts I’ve ever encountered in 70+ years on this planet.
I kept running into Rick and his lovely friend Vicki at various events around Kansas City. He co-hosts a monthly spot on Mike Lytle’s Real Deal on KKFI where he shares his favorite music and accompanying stories such as you will hear in THIS conversation. Rick, Vicki and I ended up on the same Ensemble Iberica patron’s trip to Ireland in the Spring of 2023. We shared some profound musical and cultural experiences there. A conversation in Ireland le...2023-08-2824 min
Tasty Brew MusicBeth Watts Nelson - Little Miss Dynamite!I love listening to my DJ Brother Scott Stanton’s River Trade Radio Show on KKFI on Sunday Mornings. Not too long ago I heard an amazing voice on his show that stopped me in my tracks. It was Beth Watts Nelson also now known as Little Miss Dynamite from right here in the Heartland. I knew I had to get to know her and have her
on my radio show.
I reached out to Beth right away; as a middle school teacher in the throes of finishing up her 20th year as a middle school choral direc...2023-07-1228 min
Tasty Brew MusicThe Rev. Jimmie Bratcher - How Far is Far Enough?
As I’ve stated before, one of the perks of hosting a radio show, is the ability to help a musical friend launch a new project into the ether. I met the Reverend Jimmie Bratcher and his amazing wife Sherrie years ago at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City. I’ve been privileged to witness the hard work and devotion he pours into his music and his ministry. His work with the prison and the unhoused populations in this country is
remarkable.
Like many young men of the Boomer generation, Jimmie’s first guitar hero was Eric C...2023-07-0338 min
Tasty Brew MusicHenry Conlon - Leading a Lyrical LifeBeing in the music ecosystem provides loads of opportunity for serendipity. Making a connection with newcomer songwriter Henry Conlon is a case in point. A fellow KKFI colleague had been contacted by Conlon’s team looking for on air opportunities in support of an opening slot Henry had at a recent Sundown Concert Series featuring Kansas City’s own Casi Joy and Danielle Nicole. I reached out to Henry offering a spot with the understanding it was a Pledge Drive Show and I would be asking him to assist in pitching for donations. He was all in.
He...2023-07-0232 min
Tasty Brew MusicOrdinary Elephant - Captivating and Award Winning Songwriting!International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year Ordinary Elephant captivates audiences with their emotionally powerful and vulnerable songs, letting the listener know that they are not alone in this world. The collaboration of husband and wife Pete and Crystal Damore, their connection, and their influences such as Gillian Welch and Guy Clark all meet on stage.
Crystal and Pete set aside the work they've done previously as a veterinary cardiologist and a computer programmer, respectively. The two met at an open mic in College Station, Texas, in 2009 and soon moved to Houston together. With her on a...2023-06-0727 min
Tasty Brew MusicBilly "Bluegrass" Brady of the Whiskey Mash BandBilly Brady was given his nickname “Bluegrass” by his close family and friends. He is a first generation musician born to a blue collar family that works construction. He began playing guitar at 16 and his bluegrass roots started in the Ozarks one summer when he was working at a fish hatchery. He played in a reggae band for a minute. Travelling to festivals across the county, he settled on bluegrass as his musical voice. Kansas City has become fertile ground for
bluegrass and other roots genres of music.
Billy recently joined me on the Tasty Brew Music Radio Sho...2023-05-3026 min
Tasty Brew MusicEli Lev - Chasing the Daylight from Arizona to AndorraThe email from Eli Lev came into my inbox like dozens of new music submissions do on any given day. This one stood out a bit because the subject line referenced my radio show by name instead of something generic like “new music from singer/songwriter Eli Lev.” The body of the email indicated that Eli had done some homework and was of the opinion his music would be a good fit for the show. It did not appear to be a completely “cut and paste” email. I was impressed enough by the professionalism and personalization of the post to click thr...2023-05-0640 min
Tasty Brew MusicMick Byrd - Roots Music from the Missouri Ozarks!
The Missouri Ozarks is both home and backdrop to Missouri Arts Council Touring Performer, Mick Byrd. A member of the MO Blues Society and Tennessee Songwriters Association International, Mick has performed at the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville for over 20 years. An award from Billboard Magazine kicked off his music career in 1994. Mick brings fans an amazing array of original Roots Rock, Country & his signature “Ozark Blues.” Mick performs solo or with some of his very talented musician friends as a duo or band, creating “The Backroad Band.” Whether in his travels across Missouri, the United States or Ireland...2023-04-2345 min
Tasty Brew MusicKirstie Lynn - Opera meets Fool/Roots Music in the HeartlandIt is always a thrill and privilege to host an artist’s first radio appearance or debut a new song to a listening audience; I had that opportunity recently when classically trained opera singer turned roots music artist Kirstie Lynn appeared with me on an episode of Siren Song on KKFI.
Originally from the Fingerlakes region of Upstate, NY, Kirstie Lynn brings elements of all the places she has called home into her songwriting. From the lilacs of Rochester, the bridges of London, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia, and the sweeping prairies of the Midwest, you can...2023-04-1237 min
Tasty Brew MusicHoward Mahan - Guitar Man from the HeartlandHoward Mahan is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter originally from Fredonia, Kansas and now based out of Lawrence, Kansas. Howard started playing guitar in a family band at age 9. After finishing college where he studied guitar, business, and law, Howard has played shows and recorded music across the US with several different groups, including the primary configuration "Howard Mahan & Friends"
In anticipation of the release of Mahan’s second full length album “Marigold”, Howard recently stopped by the Tasty Brew Music Show on KKFI to get acquainted with my listeners and to help “Pitch” during a recent fund drive fo...2023-03-2734 min
Tasty Brew MusicFolk Alliance International Takeover Part 4 - Pipo Romero!On February 3, 2023, I presented a four-hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference.
Last, but certainly not least for the show, was internationally reknown guitarist Pipo Romero. Although flamenco is not necessarily a genre of music heard on my radio show, when Pipo applied to play the Heartland Song Network Private Showcase Room and I had no room for him, I KNEW I had to get him on the radio so I could share...2023-03-2020 min
Tasty Brew MusicFolk Alliance International Takeover Part 3 - Patterson Barrett and Beth BombaraOn February 3, 2023, I presented a four-hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference.
Next up is Patterson Barrett from Austin, Texas and Beth Bombara from St. Louis.
Patterson first came to my attention about 8 years ago at the Folk Alliance Conference as the side man for Songwriter Stephanie Urbina Jones. As you’ll hear, we’ve stayed in touch over the years and I learn something new about Patterson with each visit. Duri...2023-03-131h 00
Tasty Brew MusicFolk Alliance Takeover Part 2 - Miki P and Cameron Keeling and the Runaway TrainOn February 3, 2023, I presented a four hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference.
Next up is Miki P and Cameron Keeling and The Runaway Train.
Miki is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who shares her passion through music and performing.
She decided when she was 11 years old that making music absolutely was it for her. She picked up her first guitar in 6th grade, and shortly after took up drum set...2023-02-2744 min
Tasty Brew MusicFolk Alliance Take Over of the Tasty Brew - Part 1 - Chris Hudson and Nick VultureOn February 3, 2023, I presented a four hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference.
First up were Chris Hudson of Kansas City’s Gullywasher and Australia’s Nick Vulture.
Hudson is a Guitarist, visual artist, Singer Songwriter for Kansas City- based Gullywasher, the Bard Owls and other projects, and Teacher at Kansas City Young Audiences.
Vulture has moved into territory that couldn’t be any further removed from his roots in the...2023-02-2033 min
Tasty Brew MusicCaleb Caudle - Better Hurry Up!The music of Caleb Caudle was originally recommended to me some years ago by music loving friends that know whereof they speak. Following their suggestions usually yields solid gold. Caleb was recently in Kansas City in 2022 on tour in support of Hayes Carll and then solo to promote his latest critically acclaimed album, Forsythia. He was also finally able to personally promote his album, Better Hurry Up, that was way laid by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Forsythia is a portrait of Caleb at his most solitary and reflective. Thematically, it meets anticipation for the unknown future with nostalgia...2023-01-1726 min
Tasty Brew MusicCarrie Welling - No Stranger to ChangeNo stranger to change or the exploration that comes with it, Carrie Welling has been navigating life’s twists, turns, demons, and discoveries from a young age. A self-described ‘military brat’, Welling’s struggle to feel rooted in any one place carved a unharmonious path of heartbreak, doubt, and insecurity that defined her 20s and early 30s. Her bold, sultry voice, reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s grit, Natalie Maines’ twang, and Stevie Nicks’ heart, is upstaged only by the genuine love and connection this natural performer has with her fans both on and off stage. But embracing confidence has not always bee...2022-12-0126 min
Tasty Brew MusicJeremy Facknitz - Rising Above the Din of Drunken ConversationSerendipity brought Jeremy Facknitz into my musical life. Late this past summer, he posted on a local Kansas City Musicians Facebook Page looking for a fill in gig on just a few days’ notice to help support a solo run of gigs in the Midwest. I checked him out, was happy to help him land a last-minute slot in a songwriters’ circle at a local venue and welcomed Jeremy into the radio station for a conversation during my weekly Tasty Brew Music Radio Show.
Jeremy has entertained audiences with his lovingly crafted music and high-energy performances for deca...2022-10-3132 min
Tasty Brew MusicSavraya - Watch Out! She's Just Getting Started!Savraya is a singer-songwriter referred to me by a mutual songwriting friend from Louisiana, Tommy Ike Hailey. She’s just starting her lyrical life and it’s always an honor and privilege to be the first radio or podcast experience for a young artist like this.
Living in places like Nashville, Ft. Worth and the Mississippi Gulf Coast near New Orleans gives her a unique perspective on Southern American music with roots, blues, jazz, country, hip hop, pop, and even Cajun in the mix.
Gifted with her first guitar at 16, she started writing songs and play...2022-10-2435 min
Tasty Brew MusicDanielle Anderson and Joy Zimmerman - Songcrafters from A to Z!Joy Zimmerman, in regular rotation on KKFI’s Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, is a folk and acoustic roots singer/songwriter who cultivates joy with a clear, rich voice. She believes in the power of music and community. At home on guitar and violin, Joy’s most recent album, The Canvas Before Us, debuted at #8 on the FAI Folk Chart.
I concur with this assessment…."Joy Zimmerman combines consummate instrumental skill with moving lyrics...and she does it with wonderful creativity, beauty, and her clear, ringing, passionate voice." ~Mark Helpsmeet, Northern Spirit Radio
Also a person...2022-10-1632 min
Tasty Brew MusicGenevieve Racette - Jolie chanteuse québécoiseNationally renowned, Québécois folk-pop musician, Geneviève Racette, has captivated listeners with her gentle, yet compelling voice and has garnered impressive industry support for her folk-pop tracks ever since her first EP in 2014. Through her lyricism and ethereal vocals (which you will hear throughout this session), Geneviève has emerged as a rising star in both French and English-speaking Canadian music scenes.
I was lucky enough to meet Genevieve early in 2022 and had her on the expanded 4 hour version of the Folk Alliance International Take Over of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show on KKFI Radi...2022-09-1242 min
Tasty Brew MusicForrest McCurren - Troubadour from the Heart of the Heartland!Quite often my involvement in the Roots Music Community affords me the opportunity to witness the launch of an artist that has the promise of a bona fide lyrical life. Forrest McCurren has that kind of potential with songs that can give you the spiritual and emotional reboot you may have difficulty achieving on your own.
Stylistically you’ll hear a tip of the hat to the greats he mentions in this conversation… Prine, Dylan, Clark, Van Zandt… Forrest sings of stories from waitresses, heartbroken high school football standouts, tattooed trailer park lovers…written for good people that are...2022-08-2425 min
Tasty Brew MusicWade Bowen - Somewhere Between the Secret and the TruthThe music of Wade Bowen has been spinning in my playlists since I went on the radio in 2010. My niece Shae was attending Texas State University in San Marcos at the time and Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Jason Bowland and others were working hard to become the “go to” purveyors of that very distinctive sound that some came to label as Outlaw or Red Dirt Country.
Today Wade is a familiar and awarded name in music, performing along the active touring highways of Texas and the Southwest and selling out top venues like the legendary Gruene Hall in N...2022-08-1223 minTasty Brew MusicAll Folked Up with Pi Jacobs and Tim EastonPi Jacobs draws inspiration from her unconventional upbringing in the Land of Weed and Wine aka Northern California. Blending roots-rock swagger and storytelling soul, her music has drawn comparisons to Tom Waits, Dolly Parton and Lucinda Williams. She has been heard on NPR, Austin Music TV, Americana Highways and regularly on radio stations across the nation including 90.1 FM KKFI Kansas City Community Radio.
Tim Easton is repeat offender on the Tasty Brew Music Podcast having first appeared during a live recorded interview from the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma in 2019. Tim Easton was born on...2022-07-1645 min
Tasty Brew MusicDebbie Cole Launches "Colebrood" - Her Roots are Showing!Debbie Cole is a classically trained violinist with over 35 years of experience as a musician. She plays “by ear”, is proficient in and is a fan of multiple genres of music. In 2014, she started playing the acoustic guitar; it proved to be a pivotal point in her musical growth. Playing the guitar led to the discovery of her actual voice and empowered the composition of original music. Debbie, now branding herself as “ColeBrood” sent me an email in my capacity as a DJ/Programmer on KKFI’s Tasty Brew Music and Siren Song Radio Shows…sharing with me three newly penned...2022-06-2429 min
Tasty Brew MusicMartin Hayes - the "Miles Davis" of the Irish FiddleI receive dozens of new music submissions and requests for radio interview every week. I do my best to respond to or sample them all. It doesn’t take long to get way behind in the exercise. One such request for a phone interview came to me on behalf of the renown fiddler in the Irish tradition, Martin Hayes. I had not heard of Martin (shame on me) and my direct contact with Irish traditional music was rather limited even though I had a basic understanding that most of so-called Americana and Folk Music was rooted in Irish and Cel...2022-04-2526 min
Tasty Brew MusicJenna Rae - The Tasty Brew Goes Country Lo-Fi!Some years ago, I went to Knuckleheads’ Gospel Lounge in Kansas City to see a song swap with all female songwriters. I was very familiar with the line up but for a young woman named Jenna Rae. When that song swap was over, I remembered thinking this young lady’s voice is uniquely suited to country music but the ease with which she told stories and engaged the audience with a wonderful sense of humor would be the envy of any performer of any genre of music. In the intervening years, as you’ll hear in this conversation conducted live o...2022-04-1934 min
Tasty Brew MusicJeff Black - Songcrafter of Fine Portraits of American LifeI have been a fan of Jeff Black’s songwriting for many years. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri and grew up in Liberty, Missouri. In the 1980’s Black began performing at Blayney's, a blues club here in Kansas City where he also worked as a bouncer. Jeff began touring and eventually relocated to Nashville where he re-connected with Kansas City friend, Iris Dement lending some backing vocals on DeMent's 1992 debut album, Infamous Angel).
Black's own first album, Birmingham Road, was recorded with the members of the band Wilco, minus lead singer, Jeff Tweedy. Those songs have...2022-03-1345 min
Tasty Brew MusicTerry Klein - From Boston to Austin and "Good Luck, Take Care!"I first became aware of Songwriter Terry Klein in 2018 when Radio Promoter Adam Dawson of Broken Jukebox Music sent me Terry’s sophomore effort, “Tex”. I saw that Walt Wilkins produced the album and that’s really all I needed to know to be intrigued enough to give it a full and complete listen.
He has garnered high praise from two of my musical heroes, Mary Gauthier and Rodney Crowell as well as press and radio outlets across the United States and Europe.
For his third album, Terry went to Nashville and worked with producer, multi-ins...2022-03-0128 min
Tasty Brew MusicRex Pryor - from Prison Warden to Flatlands TroubadourMy friend Rex Pryor grew up in a small northwestern Missouri town… you become aware of these roots very quickly when listening to his songs. We met through a mutual friend, the late Scott Ford, who tragically passed away New Year’s Eve 2021. Although now retired from a storied career in corrections and law enforcement, Rex remains busy writing and performing music and serving on the Board of Directors of the Heartland Song Network, a Kansas non-profit dedicated to empowering the art of the song through education, collaboration and mentorship.
Rex recently joined me on KKFI’s Tasty...2022-01-1037 min
Tasty Brew MusicLeah Sproul - Songcrafting with Humor and HonestyThis edition highlights one of my most favorite things to do….have an aspiring and supremely talented young songwriter live in the studio with me on my radio program…. a “get to know each other” chat which may or may not include the world broadcast premiere of originally penned songs.
Leah Sproul is most known for her work in the Heartland with a Western Swing outfit called Cowtown Country Club. Although her bandmate, Greg, accompanies her most expertly on guitar and harmony vocals on the broadcast, the songs you hear are her own as she launches this solo pro...2021-12-1928 min
Tasty Brew MusicFred Wickham - From Hadacol to a Caravan to a Town Without SoulI first met Fred Wickham at the old Coda venue here in Kansas City as the lead guitar player for Country Band The Naughty Pines. I subsequently learned of and became a fan of his band Hadacol and now the Fred Wickham Caravan.
Hadacol was around in the late 90s and early 2000s with Wickham, bassist Richard Burgess along with Wickham’s brother Greg. They recorded two critically acclaimed albums and toured extensively across the nation. The music critic writing for Salon Magazine once called the band’s brand of country “so tough they don’t have to prove...2021-11-1637 min
Tasty Brew MusicRigby Summer's Geography - Attachments to Space and PlaceI’m pretty certain I met Rigby Summer in 2017 in connection with the Monday@ Modella songwriter pop-up and the All Music Starts Local Initiative she started in Stillwater Oklahoma after a 5-year hiatus from the music scene. Our paths have crossed numerous times since then in Kansas City but also on the road in Oklahoma and even as far away as Montreal, Canada. While returning from the 2019 Folk Alliance Conference in Montreal and suffering from debilitating back pain, Rigby helped me navigate customs and connecting flights including pushing me around in an airline wheel chair.
Rigby is on...2021-10-2825 min
Tasty Brew MusicCarter Sampson - The Queen of Oklahoma!I was introduced to Oklahoma City based songwriter Carter Sampson some years ago after she played a gig at Kansas City’s Knucklehead Saloon. I was very impressed by her command of the stage and storytelling. We briefly crossed paths multiple times in Nashville during Americanafest, in Oklahoma during Woodyfest and in Kansas City for occasional gigs at the Westport Saloon and again at Knuckleheads. She had been booked to play several Kansas City gigs in early 2020 that got cancelled either because of bad weather or the Covid-19 pandemic. I tried multiple times to schedule conversations with her since 2018 fo...2021-10-1225 min
Tasty Brew MusicJess Jocoy - Atmospheric AmericanaI was introduced to Jess Jocoy’s music by Graham Jackson, a gentleman actively supporting Americana Music in the UK. I met Graham when he attended a Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City some years ago and introduced me to the UK’s Danni Nicholls, the subject of another episode of this podcast. Graham regularly listens to my radio show online in the UK. We have similar musical tastes and I trust his judgment for music recommendations.
Jess was raised two hours south of Seattle. As you’ll discover in this conversation, she is following her dream...2021-09-0741 min
Tasty Brew MusicSamantha Fish - A Career That Keeps on Moving "Faster"I met Samantha Fish when she was about 19 years old…just starting to play in public at local Kansas City venues and jams. We have stayed in touch and connected over the years and it has been alternately terrifying and gratifying to see her trajectory into the international music stratosphere. Not content to be labelled solely as a “blues” or “rock” artist, she is constantly evolving and experimenting with multiple genres… collaborating with some of the best the music industry has to offer. The Heartland music community is very proud to claim her as one of our own and she is poise...2021-07-2216 min
Tasty Brew MusicSara Morgan Take Two - It's Just "Another Nail"Singer/Songwriter Sara Morgan and I go back a ways now…I was the first dj to play her music on the radio circa 2014 or so. We did a Tasty Brew Music podcast episode back in 2019. She has released in the summer of 2021 a very personal project called “Another Nail.” In this conversation, you’ll hear how the process differed with this, her first “Nashville” effort with producer Eric Conn, from her previous self-released records
We take a dive into what the Heartland does well and what it does best to support roots musicians like Sara… she shares her opi...2021-06-2325 min
Tasty Brew MusicChad Elliott Revisited - Celebrating Album No. 25 - Singing River!Iowa troubadour and multi media artist Chad Elliott is back for his second Tasty Brew Music podcast episode. He is one of the most gifted people I’ve ever encountered during my many years of supporting the arts. His songs have been a mainstay of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show since it’s inception in 2010.
As a reminder… or by way of introduction… Chad has an academic background in the fine arts and is an accomplished painter, sculptor and illustrator. He is a prolific songwriter and accomplished guitar picker. As you’ll hear in this conversation, all of his...2021-06-0825 min
Tasty Brew MusicAlisa Jefferson - Herstory from the Heartland Rocks!Alisa Jefferson says she has always been very passionate about music and the songs she delivers as a singer/songwriter. She grew up in the Kansas City area with influences from '70s Motown to mostly '80s and '90s rock/pop. She played viola in orchestra before she received her first acoustic guitar at age 13 and she has NOT looked back since.
Alisa and I connected via phone on my radio show that recently moved to Fridays from 10 am to Noon on KKFI. We had a conversation that covered her musical background, how she has n...2021-06-0123 min
Gratitudespace RadioDiana Wu David the author of Future Proof: Reinventing Work in the Age of AccelerationPart 1 of 4 from Episode 1 of the "Virtual Book Tours Series."
Join authors Diana Wu David, Gail Boenning, Chris Palmore, and Peter B. Williams for this new series. Virtual Book Tours from the creators of Productive Accidents and Gratitude Series.
Watch this episode on our Youtube page at https://youtu.be/sSD3QIAgfP0
Connect with Diana Wu David the author of Future Proof: Reinventing Work in the Age of Acceleration at https://linktr.ee/dianawudavid
Connect with Gail Boenning the author of Wandering Words: A Walk from A to Z at https...2021-05-2510 min
Tasty Brew MusicRyan Manuel - "Sold" on this Heartland Troubadour!Ryan Manuel is a singer-songwriter based in Lawrence, Kansas. He got his start playing music in his hometown of Sedalia, Missouri after winning the 2011 MO State Fair Idol competition. He has been playing shows around the Midwest, writing and recording music ever since. Ryan has opened for Whiskey Myers, the Randy Rogers Band, William Clark Green, and many others. Since hitting the Kansas City music scene in 2012, he has released a solo album "Kansas" and his band Ryan Manuel and the Getaway released a full length, self-penned album, “On the Run."
Ryan first came to my attention in...2021-05-2319 min
Tasty Brew MusicDanielle Ate the Sandwich - Songwriter and Uke Player Extraordinaire!Danielle Ate the Sandwich is the stage name of pop-folk songwriter, Danielle Anderson. As you’ll hear in this conversation on my Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, Danielle got her start in Fort Collins, CO, and is now based in Kansas City, MO. Until the pandemic she had been touring nationally since 2009, after cultivating an online following from her homemade videos on Youtube. She has multiple albums of original music and has opened for the likes of Mumford and Sons, Jake Shimabukuro, and Suzanne Vega. She wrote the soundtrack to the Emmy nominated HBO documentary, “Packed in a Trunk: The...2021-05-1228 min
Mindful Momma | Dana Massat | Mental HealthMindful Souls Podcast with special guest with Diana Linn, Mental Health Advocate Diana & I are chatting about Mental Health Awareness Month (May), the amazing efforts that California is making for Mental Health; Each Mind Matters / Promise to Talk & Raising Healthy Teens / Strength in Numbers, PTSD from COVID-19, and tools to help with anxiety and depression. Dana Massat, Founder of Ascend Your Soul, a Shamanic Holistic Practitioner, Healer & Teacher for over 15 years and Psychotherapist is the Mindful Momma. Author of The Shaman's Daughter. We are talking about Mental Health, self-work, awareness, spirituality, kids, relationships, wounds, childhood, parenting, & life. www.ascendyoursoul.com ...2021-05-0520 min
Tasty Brew MusicMandy Rowden - Kickin' Butt With a Pen and GuitarI met Austin singer songwriter Mandy Rowden some years ago when she breezed through Kansas City to meet up with former tour mate Duncan Hill. I quickly became a fan of her music and work ethic. The icing on the cake was she and my dearly departed friend Tom Green were from the same bustling East Texas metropolis of Sulphur Springs. We have stayed in touch over the years and I was so happy to recently have a conversation with her via phone on my Radio Show. We talked about trying to launch a new album via Kickstarter during...2021-04-1826 min
Tasty Brew MusicJulia Othmer - She is Frickin' AwesomeThis episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast comes from a radio interview I had recently with Julia Othmer… a "captivating" piano-playing singer/songwriter known for her energetic live performances. She recently relocated back to Kansas City from Los Angeles and we had the opportunity to get updated on some of her current and future plans.
Passionate and engaging, Othmer creates intimate warmth with her audiences regardless of the size of the venue. Using music to connect to people and social issues inspires her. Her most recent project Songs of September, was a 30-day online voter registration dri...2021-04-1822 min
Tasty Brew MusicCourtney Patton - Sequestered Songwriters' Best Friend!My friend Courtney Patton is a storyteller.
She’s also a mother, a wife, a producer, a singer, a songwriter, a tour-van driver and a musician- as well as a world-traveler when she’s out on tour throughout the continental U.S., Canada and Europe. In a musical era in which clichés and bravado are the norm, Courtney is far more brave in peeling back highly personal and emotional open-book songs delivering them with sensitivity and sentiment
Following her previous solo albums, Triggering a Flood (2013) and So This Is Life (2015), and her acoustic collaborative proje...2021-04-1127 min
Tasty Brew MusicBarnaby Bright - A Shining Light in the "Bleak Midwinter"Every so often an artist or group circles in the periphery of my musical consciousness…recommended by peers or supporters…I may hear a snippet of their offerings or perhaps forget to check them out altogether. Such is the case with Barnaby Bright, an indie folk duo comprised of marital team Becky and Nathan Bliss, from Kansas City. As their online bio reveals, Nathan and Becky Bliss have made some cool Americana records, lived in Brooklyn and Nashville, toured coast to coast, run out of money, toured Europe, run out of money again, won high-falutin' prizes for songwriting in New...2020-12-3045 min
Tasty Brew MusicChris Hudson - Heartland Music Educator, Collaborator and MentorThis episode of the Tasty Brew Music podcast is a wide-ranging conversation with the very talented Chis Hudson recently tapped as the Heartland Song Network’s November 2020 Artist of the Month. Chris is a singer, songwriter and composer, with a passion for various forms of American folk music and finger style guitar. Involved with Heartland groups Gullywasher, The Bard Owls and The Multiverse. Chris has released full length CD recordings that include experimenting with new forms, instruments, electronic synth, music genres and experimental video soundscapes.
Chris received his Bachelor of Music in 1996 from the University of Missouri Con...2020-11-0549 min
Tasty Brew MusicMichael McClintock - Musical travels from Neosho, MO to Havana, Cuba!This episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast is a conversation between my better half and co-founder with me of the Heartland Song Network, Danny Powell and multi-instrumentalist Michael McClintock. Danny conducted this interview at our home in connection with Michael serving as the October 2020 Artist of the Month for the Heartland Song Network, a nonprofit whose mission is to elevate the art of the song through education, collaboration and mentorship.
Michael, from the bustling metropolis of Neosho, Missouri, graduated in 2006 from the University of Missouri Kansas City Music Conservatory with a Bachelor of Music in classical g...2020-09-2734 min
Tasty Brew MusicElexa Dawson - Music is Medicine during a PandemicWell it finally happened. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I conducted my first Tasty Brew Music Podcast conversation with a subject online via Zoom. This episode features Elexa Dawson, native of the Citizen Potawatomie Nation and amazing vocalist and songwriter. As you will hear in our conversation, Elexa was chosen as the Heartland Song Network’s Artist of the Month for August 2020 so you will hear references to that organization and a songwriting exercise they initiated called “Covid Collaborations.” I am a Co-Founder and Director of that non-profit with a mission to elevate the art of the song through educati...2020-07-3151 min
Tasty Brew MusicKelly Dougherty - Tales from Wyoming to WestwoodThere are beautiful, amazing and talented people in this world. Sometimes you have to travel to a music conference in Montreal to find out one of them, Kelly Dougherty, has lived a few houses down the street from you for years. Until recently, Kelly served as the Communications Director for Folk Alliance International…an organization whose mission is to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation, and promotion. She was poised to be instrumental in organizing and managing the annual Folk Alliance International Conference as it returned to it’s home base in Kansas City...2020-07-0244 min
I've Got A Song For ThatHoney, there are no girls in rock n' roll on the radio - Diana LinnToday we're joined by the incredibly talented DJ, Diana Linn. She has been supporting artists and breaking boundaries since the 60's through her love of great music. She hosts a show on KKFI in Kansas City called Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, hosts a podcast called Tasty Brew Music, is an active member of Folk Alliance International, the Americana Music Association and is a founding board member of the Heartland Song Network. Today she'll share what it was like to want to be a DJ as a women in the 60's, why the music industry needs a make-over and...2020-06-1638 min
Tasty Brew MusicIris Dement - from Paragould, Arkansas to The Opry!Being sheltered in place due to COVID 19 has presented a unique and unusual challenge to continue to conduct conversations with artists and industry insiders. One of the benefits of being isolated is taking time to do some housekeeping of computer audio and video files. I literally stumbled across what you will hear next…my very first on air radio interview in 2011… and it was a precious one… with Grammy nominated songwriter Iris Dement. Iris and her husband Greg Brown were coming to Kansas City to headline a fundraising concert in support of a local nonprofit’s child services program.
Iri...2020-06-1122 minTasty Brew MusicA Tale of Two Kell(e)ys - "Piano" Kelley Wade Hunt Meets "Banjo" Kelly HuntSheltering in place during the COVID -19 pandemic of 2020 made it necessary to utilize other resources to bring you content for this podcast. The following is the audio from a magical night in the studios of 90.1 FM KKFI when I brought together two completely different artists who just happen to share the name Kelley/Kelly Hunt. Before this evening on March 1, 2018, these women had never meant. I've known "Piano" Kelley Hunt for over 20 years. When I first met "Banjo" Kelly Hunt a few years ago, I just KNEW I had to get them together...whether they performed at the sam...2020-05-041h 42
Tasty Brew MusicMary Bragg - A Songwriter On the Right Track!Mary Bragg, a lovely woman from Georgia that crafts beautiful songs from her home base in Nashville, was another one of those serendipitous Folk Alliance finds discovered in the wee small hours of a Conference private showcase. When I caught a show she did in Kansas City as part of the “First Friday” events hosted at the Folk Alliance HQ last August, I knew I wanted to have a sit down with her for this Podcast. We had that opportunity in New Orleans on an afternoon when we were both running on empty but still managed to have an easy...2020-03-2144 min
Tasty Brew MusicRising Appalachia - Stepping Up, Being Out, Showing Up and Being Loud!!!!Folk Alliance 2019 in Montreal did not pan out exactly as I planned…I caught some wonderful music and some audio for this podcast but for the most part, I spent the entire week trying to navigate and operate with incredible back and hip pain…what I thought was sciatica turned out to be, among other things, a couple of stress fractures in my lower back. I will always be most grateful for two things from that trip...the kindness and assistance shown to me by my travelling Kansas City music family and the discovery of the musical tour de forc...2020-03-1334 min
Tasty Brew MusicBrad Paul - Industry Insider - from DJ to Record Exec to Radio PromoterAs a music business professional, Brad Paul has actively promoted a wide variety of music genres through his work as a radio promoter, radio host and producer, concert promoter, video producer and director. I first met Brad nearly 10 years ago at my first Americana Music Association conference in Nashville after I had just gotten on the air on KKFI with the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show. He has been at every AMA and Folk Alliance International conference I have attended since that time…advocating on behalf of his clients and very often serving on multiple radio-centric panels.
Br...2020-02-1934 min
Tasty Brew MusicThe Mastersons - It's Always About Serving the Song!I caught up with singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalists Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore at the 2020 Folk Alliance International Conference in New Orleans. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we were booted out of the Media Room I had reserved so that NPR’s Anne Powers could do an impromptu interview with Ani DiFranco. No worries, The Mastersons went with the flow and we conducted our conversation in my hotel room while they were perched on my bedside with my lavalier mic attached to my water bottle handle. They could not have been more gracious and accommodating. When they're not touring the wo...2020-02-1234 min
Tasty Brew MusicDarrin Vincent of Dailey & Vincent - from John Hartford to the Grand Ole OpryNot too long ago, Grammy award winner, member of the Grand Ole Opry and brother to Bluegrass Queen Rhonda Vincent, Darrin Vincent, of Dailey & Vincent, called into the KKFI studios for a conversation in advance of the duo’s appearance in Kansas City at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. As you will hear, Darrin is thoughtful, kind, a loving husband and father…generous in his praise of others with a very specific sense of humor. For example, when asked “How do you get to be a millionaire in the music business? His response: “Start with $2 million!” And his laugh…...2020-01-3123 min
Tasty Brew MusicMireya Ramos of Flor de Toloache - Grammy Anyone?It is not every day I meet a Grammy award winning artist. That honor came to me some years back when my friend Beau Bledsoe of Kansas City’s Ensemble Iberica introduced me to the music of and the goddess that is Mireya Ramos… founder of the all female mariachi band Flor de Toloache. As you will hear in this episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast, Mireya has found a “heartland home” in the middle of what a lot of folks still consider “fly over country.” I’ve been fortunate enough to catch her shows sitting in with Ensemble Iberia...2020-01-1537 min
Tasty Brew MusicBat-Or Kalo and Jared Gaiser - Guarding the Light from Israel to OklahomaMy introduction to Israeli guitarist, singer and songwriter, Bat-Or Kalo, or “B” as her friends call her, came some years back when she played a show at a very unlikely venue for her…a cocktail bar in the Waldo neighborhood in Kansas City. She came to play on my Tasty Brew Music radio show. We’ve stayed in touch over the years as she has come to play solo at the Folk Alliance International Conference in Kansas City and most recently a duo show in Carl Butler’s Gospel Lounge with bassist Jared Gaiser. As you will hear in our conver...2020-01-111h 09
Tasty Brew MusicSara Morgan - An Average Jane on her way to The OpryThis episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast features Songwriter Sara Morgan. We were introduced by a mutual friend about 6 years ago late one Friday night as I was leaving Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City. I was going to Host KKFI s Radio Show “Womansong” the next morning, and after a short introductory conversation, asked Sara to come in and play live in the studio (she had never been on the radio) totally relying on my gut instinct that she would be okay. The rest as they say is history…our little slice of shared history… As she had “Never Been...2019-12-1655 min
Tasty Brew MusicThe Rough & Tumble - Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler - Road Warriors!Welcome to lucky Episode No. 13 of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast. I discover new music through word of mouth, radio promoters, podcasts, other artists, friends and family. There are those that seek ME out, finding me through any number of channels…perhaps through my membership in Folk Alliance International, the Americana Music Association, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters or just going down that internet rabbit hole using certain music related hashtags or keywords . The Rough & Tumble, Mallory Graham and Scott Tyler, found ME, sent me their cds with lovely handwritten notes and beautiful self-created art work. And the mu...2019-11-2143 min
Tasty Brew MusicAmy Speace - Navigating the Chaos of a Lyrical LifeAmy Speace is a modern troubadour whose music is reminiscent of folk music’s 1970s glory days. She has spent the last 20 years on the road chasing her dreams from New York City to Nashville to around the world. She has built an international audience without the help of a major label performing an average of 150 shows a year including the Glastonbury Festival and NPR's Mountain Stage.
Discovered and mentored by Judy Collins during the early 2000s, Speace left her career as a classically-trained Shakespearean actress and kicked off a string of acclaimed albums. She was championed by...2019-10-3041 min
Tasty Brew MusicThe Wild Ponies (Doug and Telisha Williams) - A Dynamic Life and Musical DuoWelcome to Episode 11 of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast…a conversation I had during the 2018 Folk Alliance International Conference with Doug and Telisha Williams also known as The Wild Ponies. They grew up together in Southwest Virginia, an area steeped in a powerful and rugged musical tradition. Musically, they are somewhat of a pinball, bouncing between folk, rock and roll and country music interwoven with an old-time style that informs everything they do. As you will hear, I was first introduced to them by a fellow DJ at KKFI and continued the acquaintanceship over the years making sure to at...2019-10-1742 min
Tasty Brew MusicKelly Hunt - Even the Sparrow - Folk Reimagined or Reinvented?The daughter of an opera singer and a world travelling saxophone playing airline pilot, Kelly Hunt was raised in Memphis, TN, and grew up performing other people’s works through piano lessons, singing in choirs, and performing theater. During her teenage years, influenced by musical inspirations as diverse as Norah Jones, Rachmaninov, and John Denver, she began writing her own songs on the piano. Introduced to the banjo in college while studying French and visual arts, Kelly began developing her own improvised style of playing, combining old-time picking styles with the percussive origins of the instrument. After college, Hunt ra...2019-09-2753 min
Tasty Brew MusicChad Elliott - Iowa's Hardcore Troubadour and Renaissance ManThis episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast features one of my favorite human beings on the planet… Chad Elliott…Iowa based singer-songwriter, poet, author, illustrator, sculptor, ceramicist, podcaster, and yes I’m going to say it…Renaissance Man! I was introduced to his music early on with my radio show in 2010. I’ve seen Chad perform dozens of times in many different settings, including my own backyard for a house concert. He’s been a huge supporter of my show and community radio in general; one night he drove all night from Colorado to help me pitch during a Pledge Dri...2019-09-081h 00
Tasty Brew MusicRadney Foster - In it for the Long Haul - Conversation on a New Mexico MountaintopThis episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast is a conversation I had with Texas Songwriter and author Radney Foster…. Initially a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee, Foster made his recording debut as part of the Foster & Lloyd duo, recording three studio albums and with nine singles on the country charts. Foster began his solo career in 1992 and his album Del Rio, TX 1959 produced four consecutive Top 40 hits. Overall, Foster has had thirteen songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, including the Top Ten hits "Just Call Me Lonesome" (#10, 1992) and "Nobody Wins" (#2, 1993). His songs have been recorded by Gary Al...2019-08-2944 min
Tasty Brew MusicTim Easton - Hardcore Troubadour - Conversation from the 2019 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival
Tim Easton, American songwriter and fellow Buckeye, has learned the ways of the hardcore troubadour…making his way around Europe and America by busking in the streets and playing the clubs. Although Rolling Stone Magazine praised him as “having a novelist’s sense of humanity” I believe his education as a Poetry Major at Ohio State University is the not so secret ingredient to his lyrical life. When I saw he was on the roster for the 2019 edition of the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma, I knew I had to try and have a sit down conversati...2019-07-3144 min
Tasty Brew MusicDanni Nicholls - Now That's Award-Winning Americana...UK Style
One of my favorite features of the annual Folk Alliance International conference is the Folk DJ reception. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet Roots Music Artists and their representatives up close and personal. At that reception in 2018, I was approached by a British gentleman, Graham Jackson, asking if I would be willing to meet an Americana artist from the UK, Danni Nicholls. We made arrangements to have a sit down conversation with Danni in the KKFI suite the next day. It was a lovely introduction to her special brand of roots music… that to date has garne...2019-07-0928 min
Tasty Brew MusicDarrell Scott - Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist and Provider of Food for Your Soul
This episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast is a conversation my dear friend, Art White, and KKFI listener and supporter Joel Weir and I had with multi-instrumentalist and songmaster Darrell Scott. Darrell had just released the epic Couchville Sessions project and was playing his very first show EVER in Kansas City. I remembered it as a solid conversation but until I re-visited it for the first time since it occurred, I had not envisioned it as a podcast, but rather something I would somehow, some way play on my morning radio show. That didn’t happen. I am...2019-06-2135 min
Tasty Brew MusicRay Bonneville - from Quebec to Austin - "I Really Just Drive for A Living"
This episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast brings a conversation with Canadian born, Austin based Roots Musician Ray Bonneville. Ray had a former life as a Marine in Viet Nam, a bush pilot in the Canadian wilderness and the leader of a garage blues band. Ray’s music came to me at the suggestion of fellow KKFI DJ John “Junebug” Stuerke, host of the weekly Blues Kitchen Show. He said I should check out Ray’s “Bad Man’s Blood;” that it would be a good fit for The Tasty Brew. He was right! Some years later, I wrangl...2019-06-0738 min
Tasty Brew MusicJim Lauderdale - Master Collaborator - No Genre Left Unattended! The King of Americana Music!I am a latecomer to the world and talent of Jim Lauderdale...I "discovered" him in 2010 in Nashville at my first Americanafest (the annual conference of the Americana Music Association); he hosted the Annual Awards Ceremony at The Ryman Auditorium and I caught his official showcase with a full band at The Mercy Lounge. Shortly thereafter he was on a bill with Carrie Rodriguez at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City and I try to make every performance in my home town. I've become a true fan of his music and his amazing work ethic. He has released dozens of alb...2019-05-2449 min
Tasty Brew MusicJohn Oates - A Conversation Honoring American Roots Music
Episode 2 of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast is a conversation with American music icon, John Oates (Hall & Oates), recorded in Kansas City in February 2018 during the Folk Alliance International Conference. John was at the Conference to promote his latest musical release “Arkansas” and his written memoir “Change of Seasons.” There was a bit of background drama before the conversation started as there was a mix up with John’s staff as to what time the interview was to start. Long story short, when I arrived in the suite, John was already there talking to the sound engineer who astutely...2019-05-1022 min
Tasty Brew MusicIlona Pal - From Montreal to A Farm in IndianaWelcome to Episode #1 of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast! Host Diana Linn met and had a conversation with Singer/Songerwriter Ilona Pal in Montreal, Canada during the 2019 Folk Alliance International Conference. They quickly established a connection not only via Ilona's music, but through the spirit of Hollywood icon James Dean.
Ilona Pal has traveled the rails between Montreal and Ottawa many times over, but in November of 2017, that train ride, and a movie about friendship, love and loss inspired a song that gave her wings to fly.
The movie was the 2015 feature film “Life”: the story of...2019-04-2624 min
Soul Centred EntrepreneurLinn Purdon - Design your lifeMy guest today has experienced a long and sometimes painful journey to her own good health and emotional strength. I first met Linn Purdon in a Facebook group. Her energy and sense of joy just seemed to shine out of her comments and we arranged to meet for a virtual coffee. Her business name 'leave your hair in' gives you a great insight into her sense of humour but she also has a deep compassion for others especially children and animals. Linn has such energy and an infectious love of life that its hard to imagine that not too many...2016-10-2700 min