Shows
Strong SongsThe Jazz Pianist's Perspective, with Peter MartinKirk sits down with jazz piano legend Peter Martin to talk about Peter's musical background, his momentous early encounters with Wynton Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland, the jazz scene of the 1990s, how the Suzuki method works, and why jazz students today should be less shy about talking to their heroes. Check out Peter's online jazz education program Open Studio, as well as You'll Hear It, the music podcast he co-hosts with Adam Maness. DISCUSSED/REFERENCED:“Variations Sur ‘Le Carnaval de Venise” feat. Wynton Marsalis and the Eastman Wind Ensemble from Carnival, 1987“Path Adjacent” Peter Martin w/ Gr...
2025-11-281h 26
Strong SongsTalkin' Tower of Power, with Adam Maness and Peter Martin [You'll Hear It]Back in May, Kirk joined pianists Adam Maness and Peter Martin of the You'll Hear It podcast to talk about what makes Tower of Power great. It was a very fun conversation, so he asked if he could run their episode in the Strong Songs feed. And here we are!Listen to You'll Hear It anywhere you find podcasts, and find both Adam and Peter (and many others) teaching jazz lessons at OpenStudio.com.ORIGINAL SHOW NOTESMay 19, 2025We hand the mic to Kirk Hamilton from the Strong Songs podcast to help u...
2025-08-221h 12
You'll Hear ItWhat Genre Is Tower Of Power??We hand the mic to Kirk Hamilton from the Strong Songs podcast to help us break down the groovy 1973 self-titled release: Tower of Power. We unpack what makes this Oakland funk outfit a generational institution – from David Garibaldi’s precision drum fills and Rocco Prestia’s machine-gun bass lines to what may be the tightest horn section of all time. We dig into standout tracks like “What Is Hip?” and “Soul Vaccination,” spotlight Lenny Pickett’s wild ascent from TOP to SNL, and detail some funny production quirks (like why the drums are panned hard left). It’s a full-course tour t...
2025-05-191h 09
Strong Songs"Black Hole Sun" by SoundgardenTurns out some songs stand on their own, however memorable-slash-horrifying their music video might have been.Written by: Chris CornellProduced by: Michael BeinhornAlbum: Superunknown (1994)Listen/Buy via SongwhipALSO DISCUSSED:"Spoonman" and "The Day I Tried to Live" by Chris Cornell and Soundgarden from Superunknown, 1994Kim Thayil interview at SongfactsNorah Jones' cover of "Black Hole Sun," Live in 2021"In My Life" by Lennon/McCartney from Rubber Soul, 1965The 2021 Strong Songs interview with session guitarist Andrew Synowiec"Tom Sawyer" by Rush from Moving Pictures, 1981----LINKS-----
2024-03-0856 min
Strong Songs"In Your Eyes" by Peter GabrielStrong Songs Season Six kicks off with a widely requested classic: Peter Gabriel's 1986 yearner "In Your Eyes." Because why hire one rhythm section when you can hire two for twice the price?Written by: Peter GabrielProduced by: Daniel LanoisAlbum: So (1986)Listen/Buy via SongwhipALSO DISCUSSED:Rick Beato's Interview with So producer Daniel Lanois"DIY" by Peter Gabriel from Peter Gabriel 2: Scratch, 1978"Sledgehammer," "Don't Give Up," and "Big Time" by Gabriel from So, 1986Kwame Ansah-Brew demonstrates the Talking Drum----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS!
2024-02-2353 min
Strong SongsStrong Solos, Vol. 2: Electric Guitar-alooThe electric guitar is a beautiful, maddening instrument, and man does it sound good in the right hands. On this episode, Kirk takes a deep dive into solos by guitar legends Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, and Larry Carlton.FEATURED/DISCUSSED:"Seven Come Eleven" by Charlie Christian and Benny Goodman, recorded by the Benny Goodman Sextet in 1939"Fried Pies" by Wes Montgomery from Boss Guitar, 1963"Hey Joe" by Billy Roberts recorded by the Jimi Hendrix Experience on Are You Experienced?, 1967Larry Carlton's solo on "Kid Charlemagne" by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker (AKA Steely Dan...
2023-11-171h 04Strong SongsA Little Extra ZeldaOn this bonus episode, originally recorded as a Patreon bonus in 2022, Kirk goes through a few great Legend of Zelda pieces that he didn't manage to get into on last year's Zelda-focused Strong Songs episode. If you want to hear next week's new episode on Tears of the Kingdom early, go become a patron now!FEATURED:"Tears of the Kingdom Theme" from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, comp. Manaka Kataoka, Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, Tsukasa Usui"Song of Storms," "Dark World/Lorule Theme," "Gerudo Valley," and "The Great Fairy's Fountain" by K...
2023-10-2724 minStrong SongsBelle & Sebastian's Very Good Chord ProgressionKirk takes a tour through the cycling, modulating chord sequence in Belle & Sebastian's buoyant 2017 song "The Girl Doesn't Get It."Variation 1: | C | Dm7 | Bb | Gm FVariation 2: | C | D | Bm | Esus EVariation 3: | A | Bm | A/C# | Esus EFEATURED/DISCUSSED:"The Girl Doesn't Get It" by Belle & Sebastian from How To Solve Our Human Problems, Vol. 1, 2017"I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton performed by Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard soundtrack, 1992----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Patreon | Paypal 🏠 HOMEPAGEstrongsongspodcast.com 👚...
2023-10-2021 min
Strong SongsCounterpoint, Chaka Kahn, & Peter GabrielKirk answers your questions on 60s pop counterpoint, Chaka Kahn syncopation, Taylor Swift's re-recording project, good practice habits, Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer," and more.FEATURED/DISCUSSED:"You've Got Your Troubles" by Roger Greenaway and Roger Cool, recorded by The FortunesContrapunctus 1 by J.S. Bach recorded by the Emerson String Quartet on Bach: The Art of Fugue, 2003T.I.B.W.F. by The Budos Band, from The Budos Band, 2005"Dying to Get To Europe" by Ketil Bjornstad from Seafarer's Song, 2004"The Place Where He Inserted the Blade" by Black Country, New Road from Ants From Up There, 2022"...
2023-09-0854 min
Strong Songs"Soul Vaccination" by Tower of PowerKirk climbs inside the machine-gun rhythms and unstoppable grooves of the legendary Oakland funk outfit Tower of Power.Written by: Doc Kupka and Emilio CastilloAlbum: Tower of Power (1973)Listen/Buy via SongwhipALSO DISCUSSED:"What is Hip?" "Squib Cakes" "Only So Much Oil in the Ground" "Don't Change Horses (In the Middle of a Stream)," "So Very Hard to Go," "Credit," all by Tower of Power"Saturday Night Live" theme by Howard Shore, feat. Lenny Pickett"Cold Sweat," "I Got the Feelin'," "Mother Popcorn," "Funky Drummer" by James Brown, 1967...
2023-08-2549 minStrong SongsAn Operatic Odyssey, with Luigi BocciaSpecial guest Luigi Boccia takes Kirk on a magical journey through the world of the opera tenor, from Caruso and Lauri Volpi to Di Stefano and Pavarotti.Featuring performances by Luciano Pavarotti, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Enrico Caruso, Franco Corelli, Giacomo Lauri Volpi, Jussi Björling, Sergei Lemeshev, and Jon Vickers.Find a Spotify playlist of Luigi's many Tenor examples here.----LINKS-----💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! Patreon | Paypal 🏠 HOMEPAGEstrongsongspodcast.com 👚 MERCHstrongsongspodcast.com/store 📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTERnewsletter.kirkhamilton.com📷 SOCIAL MEDIA Instagra...
2023-07-143h 38Strong Songs"Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate BushHappy holidays! Here's a Patreon minisode Kirk published last summer about Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill." See you in 2023!ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES, 6/24/2022:The whole world is talking about Kate Bush's masterful 1985 song "Running Up That Hill," so Kirk figured he might as well talk about it, too. On this bonus Patreon episode, he takes a crack at re-creating the song's iconic sound and digs into some of the digital recording technology that Bush used to make it sound so distinct.FEATURED/DISCUSSED:"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush from The K...
2022-12-3020 min