Tasty Brew Music

It 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 in the fact over 80% of her team consists of woman-identifying musicians and industry members.  She has showcased at prestigious music events such as Folk Alliance, Folk Music Ontario. Americanafest, Canadian Music Week and more.   Her fourth record, “Golden” is set to be released this Fall.

Next up in the Folk Alliance 2024 Takeover… Arizona’s Remi Goode is a trained classical guitarist and choral singer turned alternative folk/pop singer-songwriter. When she first decided to put her voice and guitar together and write original music, she quickly developed a style that highlights her careful classical sensibilities, pure vocal quality, and the distinctive sound of a nylon-string guitar. With an affinity for small arrangements and modest production, Remi’s highest priority is lyricism. She writes with blunt honesty and introspection, searching for the root of the dynamics within a relationship or a deeper understanding of her own self-conception. Although Remi’s analysis of herself and others is often unforgiving, her songs always contain a qualifying aspect of emotional ambiguity—an expression of both grief and acceptance at having to navigate a world that isn’t black or white. 

Enjoy  these conversations and performances in Episode 1 of the Folk Alliance 2024 Take Over of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast.

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.  Influenced by the strong female singer-songwriters she listened to growing up, including Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Jewel, she followed their lead and added her own tinges of twang, angst, and blues.

I am a fan of her versatility and fluidity between genres and it is always a pleasure just to have a regular conversation with her on any number of given topics.  Erin has played out in public somewhat sparingly since the pandemic but as you’ll hear on this recent visit to the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, Erin recently released some new music after nearly a 5-year hiatus of publishing any new work and is ramping up her in person footprint to promote the new music that is coming.  It was an honor to air the radio broadcast debut of her new song “Lesser of Two Evils.”

Enjoy my conversation with Erin Eades! 

I 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 although its true Travis Kelce played college ball at the University of Cincinnati, he is in fact from Cleveland. 

 I love how Ben blends folk and roots blues. I understand how he grew up in the rust belt of Northeast Ohio along the great Lake Erie with roots running  deep alongside hard working Ohio blue collars. His tenacity, love of family, and respect for a long day can be heard in his music.  He now travels the country full time sharing and collecting stories and songs. 

Enjoy this episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast and be sure and check out Ben’s work and schedule at https://www.bengagemusic.com/

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 Heard at fifteen, there has not been a moment when she wasn’t living and breathing melody.  I was gratified to learn in this conversation that Emma Jo loves is committed to living and creating here in America’s Heartland. 

I knew when I first heard her newest record, “Girl Bandit” I wanted to have her on the radio for a more robust conversation than what I could grab in between or after a set at a local gig.  Ultimately, Girl Bandit is a record that was destined to be written. It serves as not only as documentation of one woman’s search for strength in dark times and her eventual triumph, but as an emotional support record for life changes.   Emma Jo says “I’ve dealt with loss and trauma and pain, just like everyone. Girl Bandit is a record about how I discovered I was living the wrong life, grappled with that, and made the decision to change it – and it’s a call to action to take the first step out of darkness.”

I have the privilege of hosting shows on community radio that permits me to play the songs and talk to whomever I want. I take into consideration what may be of interest and entertaining to my listening audience.  I am grateful for the opportunity to memorialize these experiences for the Tasty Brew Music podcast. 

Enjoy this conversation and in studio live performance from the Heartland’s own Emma Jo.  

In 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 and cooperating actively at the international level.  To date, Kansas City is the ONLY US City with the UNESCO Creative Cities designation. Martina performing as Medicentuna and Daniela Conejero visited with me at the KKFI studios for a lively conversation  and enchanting on air performance.  Enjoy this unique and captivating episode of the Tasty Brew Music Podcast!

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 her musical start was in a loud rock and roll band playing cover songs in bars with sticky floors; she eventually broke away to perform her own songs, finding a home in the Americana scene.   Her work sparked the interest of “Nashville’s Americana Queen, and former Tasty Brew Music Podcast guest, Mary Bragg, who began collaborating with and producing Alicia’s album, “Four Walls.”  Enjoy this on air conversation with and musical performance by Alicia Stockman.

I’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 challenge to prepare for a conversation with the descendant of a legacy artist like John Prine or Woody Guthrie; you want to be respectful of the legacy but not dwell on it to the exclusion or minimization of the talent of the artist you are speaking with… but I’m happy to say that most times it is a wonderful experience and Sarah Lee, in this instance, could not have been more gracious and forthcoming.

Sarah Lee has been touring with her father Arlo Guthrie right up until he retired a couple of years ago.  She has had folks like Pete Seeger and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott as grandparent figures in her life spending a good many of her Thanksgiving holidays playing Carnegie Hall as part of the annual folk gathering started by the Weavers decades ago.

Though her lineage is undeniable, many are drawn to the clarity and soul behind Sarah Lee’s voice.  As her website bio says, you’ll be drawn to the gentle urgency of her interpretation of songs that flows from the continuity of her family, her vital artistic life and the river of songs that have guided her to where she stands how.  Enjoy this conversation with Sarah Lee Guthrie.

I 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’s artistry without focusing on or making constant references to his father who occupies heroic and iconic status that transcends my Boomer generation’s songwriting community.  The more I began to prepare for the conversation and let it be known it was going to happen, a good number of people who know or who have interacted with Tommy, reached out to allay my fears.  As you will hear, Tommy’s head is on straight, his aim true and his talent is singular and unique to him.  Enjoy my conversation with young Master Prine.  

Rick 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 led to Rick’s appearance on the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show.

As you’ll hear, Rick literally will scale any logistical or economic wall to witness his favorite musical icons. He saw the Grateful Dead over 400 times.  He went $150,000 in credit card debt nearly 40 years ago to travel the world to see the likes of Genesis, The Dead and Gong.  He hasn’t let up…most recently travelling to London for a Jeff Beck tribute and to our Great Northwest to see Joni Mitchell with Brandi Carlile.

 Enjoy this out of body conversation with music lover extraordinaire...Rick Dodderidge.

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 director, it took a couple of months for us to find a date that worked with both of our schedules.  The following conversation is our initial meeting. 

As you’ll hear, Beth has been writing songs and singing most of her life with the support of her amazing family.  She has taken a huge leap of faith with her new project, the Notorious Chorus, a group vocal and harmony singing workshop for those who like to sing whether a beginner or seasoned professional.  And for the record, I did sign up for the inaugural group and at the recording of this episode we’re nearly through our 4-week session.  I have never sung in public, except maybe the National Anthem and Happy Birthday, so this was a big leap for me.  I’m having a blast and Beth is a total pro!

Enjoy my conversation and musical performance by Brandon Day on upright bass with Little Miss Dynamite, Beth Watts Nelson!

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 Clapton.  Early on, he played in bands that never quite took off “due to lack of professionalism and substance abuse.”  Eventually, he steadied the ship and with the recent release of his 13th album, “Far Enough,” the Reverend has assembled a stellar crew of players, technicians and vocal accompaniment that are respected and revered industry wide.  You HAVE to hear the stories behind the songs and the names of those involved in the production of the book and recordings of Far Enough… it reads like a who’s who in American popular music.  It may be of interest to other creatives to hear how the Reverend has conducted his own research and formulated a strategy to tackle the business of music as well.

Did he go Far Enough?  Time will tell.  Enjoy this conversation with my friend, the Reverend Jimmie Bratcher. 

Being 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 began writing songs in high school playing coffee houses and the occasional open mic. As time went on, he began to grow a small but loyal fanbase in the northeast and eventually cut an album of original songs at Dirt Floor Records. Since releasing his first album, Henry has moved to Nashville where he has been writing and performing nearly every night of the week, embedding himself into the songwriter scene.

Conlon has had a variety of cuts with artists such as Zachary Scott Kline and Madeline Finn. His song “Reckless Love” released by John Hollier in 2022, placed on the Americana Radio charts. 

In May of 2022 he had the opportunity to open for Whitey Morgan and Jesse Daniel at the Bandit Town festival in Manor Texas and for Old Crow Medicine Show and Billy Joel as a part of the Greenwich Town Party, an annual festival in Greenwich Connecticut.

Enjoy the conversation and in studio performance with Henry Conlon.

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 acoustic guitar/lead vocals and him on clawhammer banjo/harmony vocals, they threw all caution to the wind and hit the road in an RV.   Ordinary Elephant’s songwriting has won numerous awards and they regularly shine in showcases at Folk Alliance International conferences, music festivals, house concerts and workshops. 

Crystal and Pete recently made their way to Kansas City for what of course was a stellar and very moving performance at the Green Guitar Folk House Series in Lenexa, Kansas.  I was able to grab a few moments with them on the radio as they were enroute to our fair city.  Enjoy my conversation with the extra extraordinary…. Crystal and Pete Damore... Ordinary Elephant!

Billy 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 Show to share some details about opening up the concert season at Kansas City’s Lemonade Park and what is shaping up to be a very busy summer festival season for the Whiskey Mash  Band.  Enjoy my conversation with musical interludes from Billy Brady, front man for the Whiskey Mash Band.

The 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 through the entries of his submission.  He was correct…it appeared he was a good fit but still… the interactions we had to set up this appearance were timely and complete. 

Eli’s back story, as you will hear, is rather unique.  His professional career started as an educator in places like Arizona on an Indian reservation and a corporate trainer in exotic places like the little known country of Andorra in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France… his ability to transfer those organizational and professional level skill sets is serving him well as he leads a lyrical life on the road as a troubadour.  Enjoy my first in what I hope to be an ongoing set of conversations with Eli Lev.

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, people everywhere find common ground in Mick’s music.

My personal introduction to Mick Byrd may be the most unique and unusual yet.  A lifelong friend of nearly 50 years and I were talking one day and she surprised me by telling me her 93 year-old mother confessed she had been married to a man before she was married to my friend’s father.  His name was Curtis Byrd.   My friend later met Mick Byrd totally by happenstance on the streets of Jefferson City, Missouri as he was setting up for a music gig at a place called Gumbo Bottoms.  She asked are you related to Curtis Byrd?  Why yes, he said…he was my father.   Oh my…she replied.  Your dad was once married to my mother.  Now there’s a song in there somewhere. 

My friend suggested at some point Mick get in contact with me.  She thought my music connections in the Heartland may be of assistance to him. He did reach out to me and in March 2023 I had Mick on the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show.  Enjoy my conversation with the pride of Vienna, Missouri, Mick Byrd.

Howard 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 for the station. I apologize in advance… you’ll definitely hear I was suffering from a pretty nasty sinus infection.
​
Marigold draws heavily from Mahan’s life-experience, literary, and theatric inspirations…the album has a unique and diverse feel fitting nicely into the Tasty Brew family of sounds…enjoy this conversation with Howard Mahan and Friends!

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.

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. During this conversation, he casually drops new information to me that at the age of 17 he played pedal steel, dobro and guitar on Jerry Jeff Walker’s rendition of Guy Clark’s L.A. Freeway for Walker’s first release on MCA Records. He has helped anchor the Buddy Miller House Band during an Americanafest Awards Show at the Ryman Auditorium. I had the privilege of attending those Awards Show for a good number of years and the house band was always on fire!

Not long after arriving in Austin, he formed the band Partners In Crime, which included Buddy and Julie Miller, sometimes referred to as Mr. and Mrs. Americana Music….releasing one album on their own label, Criminal Records.

In the years since, Patterson produced some of Hal Ketchum’s earliest demos, served in Al Kooper’s back-up band, and performed before 10,000 festival-goers as Chuck Berry’s pianist. He accompanied Nancy Griffith on Austin City Limits, legendary Austin singer Lou Ann Barton in music clubs around the country, and Buddy Miller on his Your Love And Other Lies CD, and more recently, on the Buddy & Jim CD. He has a continuing collaboration with Stephanie Urbina Jones as her accompanist, musical director and producer, including work with her Honky Tonk Mariachi project, appearing on the Grand Ole Opry multiple times.

In addition to years of supporting other talented artists in every format imaginable, Barrett has maintained a career as a recording artist in his own right.

Around 2015, I was introduced to Beth Bombara through a mutual musical friend, Sky Smeed. Although based in Missouri, Beth has spent much of her adulthood on the road, carving out her own award-winning mix of vintage folk and electric roots-rock. She’s been a solo artist, a bandleader, and an occasional side musician for other artists. Her songs live in the same world as greats like Petty and Dylan; Gillian and Joni, and grow up like trees drawing nourishment from their roots music. But she never, ever sounds like the "typical" artist who claims these influences; Bombara to zig where someone else might zag, making harder or gentler turns, brushing up against jazz or taking rock toward its fulfillment.” - The Columbia Tribune

It’s been my pleasure to include Beth for the last three years now as part of the Heartland Song Network Private Showcase line up.

Enjoy these conversations and performances with Patterson Barrett and Beth Bombara in Hour 3 of the Folk Alliance Takeover of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show.

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.

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, becoming a dedicated student of both instruments. A self-led musician, Miki now shares her stories through her voice, joined by playing either guitar, drums, piano, bass, or ukulele.

“Miki P’s voice is kind enough to squeeze your trembling hand, and strong enough to teach you to stand on your own.”

Emma Ottinger – Manor Records

Cameron Keeling has been saturated in bluegrass music for the last decade or more…. On the road playing clubs, festivals and honky tonks. He hosted weekly bluegrass jams for 4 years at the Westport Saloon in Kansas City while holding down a spot for five years in the touring powergrass trio of Grassfed. Cameron is writing new songs and performs “Haystack” and “Hey Hey Hey” here for us live in the studio with his Runaway Train line up… Zack Bozeman on upright bass and Corey Clark on mandolin.

Enjoy Part 2 of the 2023 Folk Alliance Takeover of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show.

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 for the past, and reconciles both with meditation in the present. The album, recorded at Cash Cabin and produced by John Carter Cash, features acclaimed session players Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Dennis Crouch and Fred Eltringham, and the vocal talents of Carlene Carter, Elizabeth Cook and Sarah Peasall McGuffey.

On his last release, Better Hurry Up, Caudle found himself feeling like time was moving too fast. By early 2020, with a new home base in Nashville, a few years of sobriety under his belt and the release of his best album yet imminent, Caudle was prepared for the next phase of his career. But a few days before Better Hurry Up came out, a devastating tornado ripped through Nashville; a week later, just before he was set to depart for a lengthy tour, the world went into lockdown.  The couple moved back to the mountains of North Carolina for the duration of the pandemic, where he spent most of his time in the woods– hiking, observing, thinking and writing. Caleb took some time to call into the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show from the road on his way to Kansas City for a show. Enjoy my on air conversation with the very talented songcrafter….Caleb Caudle.

Serendipity 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 decades. Since the 2002 break-up of his Detroit-based band "The Ottomans", Jeremy has performed primarily as a solo act, marrying folk-rock and jazz stylings to showcase his intimate stories of life, love, and self-discovery.

Facknitz carved out a living performing at bars, coffeeshops, and corporate events while teaching lessons on the side. Life turned on a dime when on July 17th, 2017 Jeremy was diagnosed with viral meningitis. "I came face to face with my mortality, and I realized it was time for a change. I quit performing at bars and spent the next year making the leap to house concerts, touring, and performing solely for listening audiences."  

Jeremy was named a top 24 finalist from over 800 entries in the 2020 and 2022 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competitions at Kerrville Folk Festival. His songs "Ballet of an Unhatched Chick" and "Michigan (Something In The Water)" were awarded semi-finalist distinction at songoftheyear.com, also in 2020 and 2022.

As you’ll hear in this conversation, while occasionally performing with his 6 piece band in Colorado, Jeremy continues to tour solo - performing at house concerts and listening rooms in the United States, Canada and Europe. He's currently promoting his 5th album of original material "From Those Sweet Ashes" and has begun recording a follow-up album set for release in 2023. Enjoy this brief interlude with Songwriter Jeremy Facknitz.

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 personal favorite, Danielle Ate the Sandwich is the stage name of pop-folk songwriter, Danielle Anderson. Getting her start in Fort Collins, CO, now based in Kansas City, MO, Danielle has been touring nationally since 2009, after cultivating an online following from her homemade videos on YouTube. Danielle Ate the Sandwich has released seven albums of original music and toured internationally.

These two powerhouses recently met via the Heartland Song Network and as you’ll hear in this conversation, have joined forces and voices to collaborate on a new project of unknown destination and duration….we’ll just have to see. One of the wonderful byproducts so far is their collaboration with Erin McGrane and Eboni Fondren lending their voices on Joy’s song, “Hear our Voices” released on the heels of the statewide vote to preserve reproductive rights in Kansas. Enjoy this mid-day morning conversation with Joy Zimmerman and Danielle Anderson!

Nationally 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 Radio. When she returned to Kansas City in late summer of 2022, I was only too happy to renew the acquaintance as I hosted my monthly episode of the Siren Song radio show.

It was enlightening to discover both the differences and similarities of pursuing a lyrical life and surviving a global pandemic in Canada vis a vis the United States and to become familiar with an artist’s educational background, collaborative and mentor experiences. Enjoy my conversation with the lovely Genevieve Racette.

Photo Credit:  Creator: ANNIE DIOTTE  Copyright: 5146059015

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 still trying to figure out if life is sweet or sour.

His backing band, The Daily Special,  includes wife Margaret McCurren, a multi-instrumentalist that is as comfortable with drumsticks as she is with a fiddle bow and with a voice that warmly compliments Forrest’s sound. As noted on their website...Margaret is the cold, refreshing, light beer to Forrest’s shot of whiskey. Like a piece of modern art at a county fair, they are complimentary opposites. Rounding out the line up is fellow Mid-Missourian Ryan Tannehill aka RT on a very tasty sounding Telecaster.

They call it Small Town Soul – Rural Rock n Roll. Catch them when you can as I’m pretty sure the release of the debut effort, Oh Me Oh My, is going to be their entry to a long and lyrical road…around the world. Oh and be sure to tell them your favorite joke...it may make it in to the banter of a show near you.

Enjoy this conversation with this cosmic troubadour from the heart of the heartland – Forrest McCurren.

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 and home studio recorded songs. I liked them….alot. I was enchanted by her back story and felt compelled to get her on the radio right away…as it turns out, it was her first radio interview. As always, I treat these interviews as conversations…seeking to get to know as much of the person as I can in the very short period allowed. I look forward to following Cole’s progress and believe she has the talent and drive to succeed! Enjoy this introduction to Debbie Cole also known as Colebrood!

I 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 Celtic music forms. I’ve been to the massive Irish Fest and the Irish Center here in Kansas City… my local pub Conroy’s even has live traditional Irish music from time to time. These touchpoints do not begin to honor what awaited me when I went down the Martin Hayes’ rabbit hole …diving into the stories, catalogues and career of Martin and some of his colleagues past and present. I am so very glad I did not scroll past the initial request and instead took the opportunity to spend some one on one time with a musician that, in his sphere of influence, should come to be compared to the likes of Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix. Enjoy my conversation with the virtuoso player and stellar human being, Ireland’s Martin Hayes.

I 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 been described as "fine portraits of American life without the sappiness or self-consciousness often attributed to the singer/songwriter genre.”

Sam Bush has championed him with recording many of his songs including "Same Ol' River" and "King Of The World". Jeff co-wrote the title track to Sam's Grammy nominated album "Circles Around Me". His songs appear on recordings by Alison Krauss, Waylon Jennings, Jerry Douglas, Dierks Bently, John Oates, Blackhawk, Jo-el Sonnier and the soundtracks of "The Thing Called Love" The acclaimed PBS documentary "The Appalachians" and Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize Winner "Steel City". WUMB Boston listeners voted Black one of the top 100 Folk artists of the last 25 years.

His intimate live shows provide a master class in songcraft appreciation, tempo and audience interaction. After a two year pandemic induced hiatus, I was finally able to welcome Jeff back into the KKFI studios for a sit down conversation and private mini concert in support of some recent Midwest gigs. We talked about music education, or the lack thereof, the pandemic, of course, collaboration, mentorship and the value (or not) of songwriting workshops.

Enjoy this musical conversation and performance with the lyrical and very talented Jeff Black.

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-instrumentalist and award winning songwriter in his own right, Thomm Jutz.  Good Luck, Take Care is described as a raw, visceral departure from the work he’s done before. Ten dynamic songs that take hold from the first measure, knock you off balance, and won’t let go without a fight.

Adam contacted me in early 2022 to see if I might be of assistance in getting Terry a Kansas City gig because the postponement of Folk Alliance International’s Music Conference here until May 2022 was going to leave a big whole in his touring schedule to promote “Good Luck, Take Care.” Terry was able to find a Kansas City gig and I was only too happy to have him on the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show the day before he was to appear in our town. Enjoy this on air conversation where we extoll the virtues of leading a lyrical life from Boston to Austin, collaborating with some of the best producers and songwriters in Americana/Roots Music and the importance of investing in your craft through co-writes and workshops.

This 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 project. I am always humbled when an artist honors me with being the first to play their original music on the radio.

I was not kidding when I said at the beginning of this conversation that Leah’s voice reminds of Leanne Rimes and Patsy Cline. It’s that good in my ears. Her personality (charming) and energy level (high) is what we dream of in a radio interview. The woman has a PHD in music composition for crying out loud. We may be 40 years apart chronologically but I believe Leah’s soul to be an old one and I look forward to following her lyrical life.

Enjoy this introduction to Dr. Leah Sproul.

I’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 one of the hardest working, independent, do it yourself roots musicians I know. She has a lovely, mature voice and writes songs that are relatable and thoroughly engaging…reflecting the road she has traveled from Kansas to California to Wyoming to the red dirt roots of her current home in Stillwater, Oklahoma. In these intervening years she has shared the stage and has learned from a myriad of local and touring artists.

In the Fall of 2020 she produced a short cover EP "Dancing Alone" with Kyle Reid and released it in November 2020. Production is now complete on her first full-length album “Geography," recorded at Naptime Studio in Norman, Oklahoma, with Kyle Reid at the helm. She recently joined me on the radio on Geography’s release day. Enjoy my conversation with Rigby Summer.

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 for this podcast and we just couldn’t make it happen. The stars aligned and we were finally able to get Carter back to Kansas City for an intimate show at Mike Kelly’s Westsider as part of the Bloody Mary Morning Listening Room Series presented by the Heartland Song Network. This episode is a portion of the conversation we had on air via my Tasty Brew Music Radio Show on 90.1 FM KKFI just before she hit the road for Kansas City.

Carter has released five studio albums and is working on her latest record with Oklahoma producer Kyle Reid. Her 2016 release Wilder Side received international attention and was No. 3 on that year’s Euro Americana year end chart. She is the founder and director of The Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls OKC, a nonprofit volunteer run organization that empowers girls through music education. She is a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomie Nation.

I love everything about Carter Sampson. Her clear and present voice, wordcrafting, guitar skills, artistic visual aesthetic, and work ethic. She is as equally adept at fronting a full band on the main stage of a music festival as she is keeping a small room of dedicated listeners completely captivated for hours. She was meant to lead a lyrical and musical life and that is what she has done, is doing and will do moving forward. Enjoy my long awaited one on one with Carter Sampson….to be continued somewhere down the road… most likely in Oklahoma.

I 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 of writing and singing country music by relocating to Nashville to attend college and plant her lyrical flag.

Like thousands of others, Jess’ cross-country travels were brought to a stop in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic halted her touring career. At the time, she was riding a wave of critical acclaim for Such a Long Way, a debut album inspired by grief, gratitude, the loss of her father, and the love of creating music. No Depression hailed the record’s “insightful, open-hearted songs” and “smooth blend of traditional country and folk sounds,” while American Songwriter praised the “mournful effervescence” of songs like “The Ballad of Two Lovers.” The iconic radio station WSM, home to the Grand Ole Opry, made Jess their “Artist of the Week,” and her music even made its way onto national television, where she performed “Easy” during an episode of NBC’s Songland. Those childhood dreams of making her mark in the same town as her musical heroes had finally started to come true, only to be postponed by a disease that sent the entire world indoors.

It was an honor and privilege to extend the first opportunity to be interviewed on the radio to Jess. We started the session by launching immediately into a live performance of “Constellations” from her 2021 release “Brighter Eyes.”  Enjoy.

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 poised for a long and storied career. She remains very humble and willing to help her local community radio station, 90.1 FM KKFI, as she did in this interview during a recent pledge drive. Locked and loaded and back out on the road, Samantha Fish is following her American Dream in support of her newest release "Faster" on Rounder Records.  

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 artistic skills were brought to bear in order to survive and thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chad celebrated the release in May 2021 of his 25thfull length album – “Singing River”…a dream project recorded with some of the original “Swampers” Spooner Oldham and David Hood at the iconic Fame Recording Studio in Muscle Shoals Alabama… the place where music legends Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin and many others laid down some of the most renowned songs in popular music.  He traveled to Muscle Shoals with famed Iowa musician and producer Bo Ramsey who lent his signature sound on guitar. The new Americana/roots/blues mix that arose in Singing River is exactly the sound Chad was hoping to create.

Chad believes, as I do, that it is possible to survive and thrive in the Heartland as a creative generative artist. He walks that walk and talks that talk every single day. Enjoy my conversation with my friend … Chad Elliott.

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 navigated the so-called Kansas City music business as the front woman in a rock and roll band for the last 20+ years and how the Covid-19 pandemic has given her the space and grace to make new inroads in her musical life.

She has written, is recording and plans to release a 10+ track LP this Summer of 2021. As of the air date of this radio show, she has released four singles from this new LP to most major music platforms.  You’ll hear one of those songs, “Million Ways” at the end of the conversation. To discover more of Alisa’s catalogue, check her out at alisajeffersonmusic dot com. Enjoy my conversation with the very talented Alisa Jefferson.

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 about 2015 through an introduction by the late Scott Ford who was very instrumental in making me aware of a number of artists in the so called Texas Songwriter and Oklahoma Red Dirt Music Scene. I finally caught a set from Ryan before the pandemic in the summer of 2019 when I was pleasantly surprised to find him on stage when we dropped into the music venue formerly known as Repeal 18th in North Kansas City.

Ryan reached out to me to help him get his newest single “Sold” on the radio here in Kansas City. In this conversation we had on a recent show, I was particularly encouraged by his supportive words of the Heartland music scene and willingness to NOT dismiss or write off the small towns and rural communities that deserve to experience live music. Lend your ears to a troubadour from the Heartland, Ryan Manuel.

This 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 drive concert series where she performed songs of change, protest and hope. She then asked listeners to vote on their favorite performances resulting in Seeds: Volume 1 (LIVE) - a listener-curated, democratically-elected collection released in late 2020. Seeds: Volume 2 (LIVE) released March 20, 2021 - on the spring solstice.

Her most recent studio album "SOUND" is a collaboration with UK-based producer/composer James T Lundie and features re-imagined vintage and bespoke equipment. “SOUND sounds so good” writes Elmore Magazine, it has “stunningly sophisticated and dramatic architecture” and is “spellbinding and visceral.” Acclaimed Kansas City music writer Tim Finn describes SOUND as a “self-made record with a big-label sound… rich in space and soaring dynamics and rife with layers and textures and melodies and grooves.” Kansas Public Radio host Bob McWilliams says these “songs are powerful.”

Tracks from Julia's critically acclaimed debut album, Oasis Motel, have been featured in shows like Witches of East End, Switched at Birth, The Lying Game, Army Wives, and DeGrassi: The Next Generation. She received songwriting awards from the Billboard World Song Contest and the International Songwriting Competition. Julia shared the stage with Sarah McLachlan, Emmylou Harris, Heart, Regina Spektor, The Alarm, Amanda Palmer, Lisa Loeb and John Waite among others.

Enjoy this conversation with Kansas City’s own force of nature, Julia Othmer!