Music Makers and Soul Shakers with Steve Dawson

Larry Klein has had his mitts on so many amazing records over the past 40 years, but is still a relatively quiet, behind-the-scenes kind of musician. He is a four time grammy winner as a producer, and has made records for artists like Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, Holly Cole, Madeleine Peyroux and Tracy Chapman. I think the first time I ever saw his name was on a cassette I had of Shawn Colvin called “Fat City”, and then I kept seeing his name pop up on cool records over and over again. Larry started out as a bass player in California, and landed a gig pretty early on with jazz legend Freddie Hubbard. He toured with Freddie for years, and then slipped successfully into the session world. As a bass player he played on so many classic albums like “So” by Peter Gabriel, “Building the Perfect Beast” by Don Henley, Robbie Robertson, Tracy Chapman’s debut album and many more. He eventually landed a session with Joni Mitchell, which led to him playing on and producing a string of her records, starting with “Wild Things Run Fast” in 1982, right up through “Travelogue” in 2002. They were married and divorced in that window of time as well.

His production work is always deep and sonically interesting. He has a real jazz mentality towards making pop records, which I love. There’s alot of live performance based takes, mixed with rich sounds and experimentation. Gaining the trust of Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter is no small feat, but Larry did that and produced records for those jazz legends! In recent years, Larry made a great record with Herbie Hancock of Joni Mitchell tunes called “River: The Joni Letters”, and during Covid, he made a record in a similar vein called “Here It Is”, a Tribute to Leonard Cohen. It’s basically an insane house band backing up artists like Iggy Pop, Norah Jones, Peter Gabriel, Mavis Staples and lots more doing Leonard Cohen tunes. I should also mention that we just ran out of time on this one, hence the abrupt ending. Larry had a limited window and I lost track of time, so we just kind of had to cap it mid-stream, but we got into tons of cool stuff anyway! I don’t think Larry is on the road at all any more, so you can’t catch him live with anyone currently, but you can get info on him and news on his latest projects over at larrykleinmusic.net  — Please enjoy my conversation with Larry Klein!

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

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Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

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John Paul White is an amzing performer, singer, songwriter and studio nerd who lives in Florence, Alabama and is known by many for all his amazing work with his Grammy-winning band The Civil Wars. John Paul has also worked as a professional songwriter, and runs a studio and a label called Single Lock Records. This all goes down in Florence, which is part of the 3 cities known as The Shoals, or as us music nerds know it as, Muscle Shoals. This small, almost rural area unbelievably housed 2 amazing studios where some of the greatest soul music of all time was recorded - Fame, and Muscle Shoals Sound. Those 2 studios are still standing today and really are amazing places to visit! John Paul continues that tradition by carving out his own scene in the very same area today. He grew up in a small town in Tennessee, very close to Florence, and during his college days, started playing gigs in bands and on his own. He eventually discovered that he loved songwriting, especially as a vehicle to sing and perform. That led to him recording an album with his band, and eventually a solo album called "The Long Goodbye". But it was at a songwriting workshop that he was paired up with the already successful Joy Williams - they hit it off and immediately started working on music that became The Civil Wars. Their debut album, "Barton Hollow", came out in 2011 and was a huge success, winning a Grammy the following year.

They worked mostly with producer Charlie Peacock, but also with others like T-Bone Burnett and Rick Rubin, which we get into today as well. The Civil Wars came to a crashing halt in 2013, and John Paul has since re-started his solo career, the label and now the studio. His albums "Beulah", and the most recent "The Hurting Kind" are both stellar records to check out. They’re very different and sonically really deep and interesting. It was great to speak with John Paul about all of these projects, his creative process and what he’s up to these days. You can follow him for any shows, and news on albums he’s making or producing for others at johnpaulwhite.com - Enjoy my conversation with John Paul White!

You can join our Patreon here to get all episodes ad-free, as well as access to all early episodes

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Alison Brown is a Grammy Winning banjo player, composer and producer who has made a bunch of great albums under her own name but also as a sideperson and collaborator with artists like Alison Krauss, Michelle Shocked, and Stuart Duncan. She started playing as a youngster, first on dobro and then switched over to banjo. She spent her early years cutting her teeth at bluegrass events and venues around California, before veering away from music in the 80’s to get her MBA from UCLA! Alison was working full-time in finance when she realized that she just didn’t want to be doing that and dove back head-first into music. She joined Union Station with Alison Krauss in the late 80’s and has never looked back. That band won a grammy in 1990, and then she joined Michelle Shocked’s band and became her bandleader for a few years. Alison started her own quartet and has been recording albums with them since the early 90’s. Her label, Compass Records, has grown to be one of the leading labels for roots music in the world, and her and and her husband Gary West run the whole thing out of the office and studio on music row. The studio itself is an incredible piece of history, known at one time as “Hillbilly Central” it’s where some of the iconic records were made for Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Alison’s latest record “On Banjo” is a great example of her killer playing but also her composing and arranging skills. It features guests like Steve Martin, Sierra Hull, Sharon Isbin and the Kronos quartet and explores styles like Brazillian choro and bossa nova as well as bluegrass and old time.

You can keep up with what she’s up to, and get all her tour dates at alisonbrown.com

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

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Julian Lage is truly a guitarist like no other. He’s insanely creative, prolific, has unbelievable technical facility, but also plays with incredible taste, tone and restraint. He grew up around the bay area of California and was a child prodigy who started getting noticed when he was just a little tyke. There’s even a movie about him from that time called “Jules At Eight” (when he was eight!), and he played at the Grammys when he was 12, which is where Gary Burton, the incredible vibraphone player heard him, and asked him to join his band. Julian played with Burton for the better part of a decade, but also spent time playing and collaborating with John Zorn, Nels Cline, Dave Douglas, Charles Lloyd, as well as David Grisman and Chris Eldridge from over in the bluegrass world. He’s been releasing solo albums since 2009, and over the last year released a full-length album that is absolutley spectacular called “View With A Room”, and then some songs that were essentially out-takes from that album but took on a life of their own came out more recently, and that’s a beautiful new EP called “The Layers”. He has this incredible trio now that I think is one of the great American ensembles - Jorge Roeder is an incredible bassist and Dave King is the drummer, who some will know from the Bad Plus. Julian is an incredible talent, and very thoughtful human and musician and we had a great conversation about all these aspects of his career, nerded out on guitars, and got deep into music!

Keep up with what Julian is up to over at: julianlage.com

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

You can join our Patreon here to get all episodes ad-free, as well as access to all early episodes

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

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Afie Jurvanen, better known as Bahamas, joins me on the show today. Afie has made 6 records as Bahamas, and the newest one, “Bootcut”, just came out a few weeks ago. It’s a great record with inventive melodies, killer guitar playing and singing, and I guess will be sort of pinned as his “country” record, although I don’t think it’s that. But he did make it in Nashville, and used a bunch of seasoned session players for the recordings, including Vince Gill, Dave Roe and Russ Pahl on steel (who’s been on this show), so it has some country flavor. But Afie’s vision is to incorporate elements of country music into what he does without changing his own approach or sound that much, and it works really well. Afie has always made interesting choices when making records - almost as if he’s challenging himself and working out of his comfort zone. We talk a bit about his “Earthtones” album, which features Pino Paladino on bass and James Gadson on drums, and how touring as a duo for years influenced his guitar selection. We get into Nacho Guitars, fuzz tones and how Feist helped him developed a quieter, more intimate way of singing. Afie also spent some time as a side-guy and did a bunch of sessions around his old hometown of Toronto through the early 2000’s before landing a touring gig with Feist. But after that he set out on his own and that’s where the Bahamas adventure begins with “Pink Strat” in 2009 and continues through to the new album. You can keep up to date with his touring at bahamasmusic.net

Please enjoy my conversation with Bahamas!

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

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Duane Betts joins me on the show today. Duane is the son of the innovative guitarist and songwriter from the Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts, and while he’s certainly a chip off the ol’ block, Duane has his own thing going on and has finally just released his debut solo album “Wild & Precious Life”. It’s an inspired and engaging record - sort of a modern take on southern rock that’s unique and definitely has some of the Betts family sound but it’s also a great display of a killer band in fine form. Before he was writing and singing his own songs, Duane was a guitar slinger for hire and spent some time in the band Dawes, played with Phil Lesh and Friends, Dickey’s band Great Southern, and has had other bands like Backbone69 as well as a band with a few of the other Allman Bros offspring, including Berry Oakley Jr and Devon Allman - called The Allman Betts Band. After those various projects ran their course, it left Duane the time to focus on writing his own music, and after a casual conversation with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi, he was offered their studio to record these new songs in. I saw Duane recently at the Grand Ol’ Opry and he and his band did a killer mini-set there. They’re going to be out playing all over the place in the coming months, so make sure you go and see them live and pick up the new album. We had a great conversation about all of this stuff and got deep into the process of recording his new album, guitar tones, his history with his own band and the legacy of the Allman Brothers. You can get info on all of Duane’s projects and his tour dates at duanebetts.com - Please enjoy my conversation with Duane Betts!

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Steel guitarist and dobro player Al Perkins is on the show today. Al is a true legend of the steel guitar, having played on hundreds of albums, including classics by Manassas, Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, The Rolling Stones, as well as plenty of modern country hits through recent years. Al grew up playing steel guitar as a little tyke in country bands on radio and TV around his home state of Texas, and eventually moved out to California in the 60’s, where he encountered a young Kenny Rogers who brought him in on sessions for rock and country albums. Al was in a band at the time called Shiloh, and between his live work and sessions, his reputation led to him replacing Sneaky Pete in the Flying Burrito Brothers. His playing can be heard on classic albums of the time like GP, Grievous Angel and Exile on Main Street. Al stayed incredibly busy through the 80’s and 90’s as a session player, and then cropped up on my radar again as Emmylou Harris’ dobro player on the incredible Nash Ramblers “At The Ryman” album.

It was great to speak with Al about lots of these sessions, as well as hearing about some of the technical innovations he made to the steel guitar, customizing his own instrument as the need arose.

You can get info on Al at alperkinsmusic.com - Please enjoy my conversation with Al Perkins!

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Guitarist and composer Molly Miller joins me on the show today. I first saw Molly playing a show at Nelson Drum Shop here in Nashville with her trio - Jay Bellerose on drums and Jen Condos on bass. It was a spectacular show. Molly has a really unique style that’s rhythmic and aggressive but also extremely melodic. Kinda jazz. Kinda not. The trio is a regular thing for her, and they create music that owes as much to Booker T and the MG’s as it does to a more traditional jazz approach. Molly also has taken a unique path to her career in music - it’s a combo of playing live, recoding her own albums, touring and recording as guitarist for Jason Mraz, and then teaching at University. In fact, she has a doctorate degree in music and she was the Chair of the Guitar Department at LA College of Music, and is currently a professor of Studio Guitar at USC in LA. So between all those things, she’s got a really interesting career on the go. To hear her at her finest, check out one of the Molly Miller trio albums, which feature amazingly creative guitar playing but also spectacular arrangements and ensemble playing. The latest album is called “St. George”, and there’s also a new one in the works. We had a great conversation about all of those things, as well as her instruments and gear, and how she approaches solo guitar playing. Enjoy!

You can keep up with all of Molly’s projects and tour dates at

mollymillermusic.com

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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On the show this week is William Bell, an incredible vocalist and legendary soul songwriter from Memphis. William was the first male artist signed to Stax Records in the early 60’s and it’s an honor to have him join me today to talk about his experiences. He grew up singing in church but quickly moved to the vibrant nightclub scene on Beale Street in Memphis where he worked with his vocal group The Del Rios at many of the venues there. He was first signed to Stax Records in the early 60’s, primarily as a songwriter, but also as an artist. Other Stax artists at the time included Otis Redding, Carla Thomas, Booker T and the MG’s, Sam and Dave, and The Staple Singers. William wrote one of the label’s first hits with “You Don’t Miss Your Water” in 1961, and had several other releases and hits but his tenure at Stax was truncated in the mid-60’s when he enlisted in the army. When he returned to Memphis and the Stax world, he wrote more classic soul tunes like “Everybody Loves A Winner” and ”Any Other Way”, as well as the blues mega-hit “Born Under A Bad Sign”, which he tailored directly for Albert King (including whispering the lyrics in his ear as King sang the song for his record). That song has also been covered by Cream, Jimi Hendrix and Etta James, among many others.

Bell’s successes continued through the 70’s and 80’s writing and recording more hit soul tunes, and having songs covered by artists like Eric Clapton, Lou Rawls, Rod Stewart, and Billy Idol.

In 2017 William collaborated with the incredible producer and guitarist John Leventhal to make his album “This Is Where I Live” which brought him in front of a new audience and won him a Grammy award. That killer album was followed by 2023’s “One Day Closer To Home”. We’ll be hearing lots more from William Bell in the years to come, so make sure you check his dates at williambellmusic.com and go so him live!

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Singer and songwriter William Prince joins me on the show this week.

William came by the studio here in East Nashville to talk with me on the eve of his Grand Ol’ Opry debut, which was quite thrilling for a guy from northern Manitoba. William hails from the Peguis First Nation, which is a couple of hours outside of Winnipeg, which is where he now lives. He’s just released a killer new record called “Stand In The Joy” and it was great to get a chance to talk about that, how he wrote the songs for it, and recorded it, as well as his musical history, his upbringing, and how he was exposed to the country and rock music that really resonated with him. He’s made a few records now here in Nashville and Savanah with Dave Cobb, and they really do sound amazing. Great playing, great vibe, and what a voice! He is a Juno Award winner, and has a bunch of other accolades and awards for his various records. 2020’s “Reliever” is a great one, and right after it came out he also released a gospel record, “Gospel First Nation”. William is going to be out touring alot this year and next, so check out all of his dates and music at williamprincemusic.com

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Songwriter and banjo player Kaia Kater joins me on the show this week.

I’ve seen Kaia’s artistry grow over the years as she’s been involved in festivals and events like Folk Alliance that I’ve been a part of and seen her perform quite a few times. Kaia started showing up on the scene 10 or 15 years ago and has put out some incredible music in the last 7 or 8 years. She’s a really interesting banjo player, well versed in traditional string band and old time music which she studied in depth at Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia, but also takes the instrument in her own direction using the trad stuff as a launching pad. On her Dad’s side, Kaia has a strong Grenadian connection, which is where he’s from. She did some hefty research into his life and the music from that island, and that all comes out in an incredible way on her album from 2018 called “Grenades”. Go have a listen to that as well as the one before called “Nine Pin”. She has a brand new record that is stellar, but it’s not out yet and she’s not exactly sure when it’ll be out, so we talk about it a bit too, as well as her writing process, and how she approaches recording her own music. Kaia will be touring alot this year and next and I highly encourage you to go see her. You can keep track of all of her activities at www.kaiakater.com

Be sure to listen to the Accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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On the show this week we have the incredible songwriter Peter Case, who I’ve been listening to for a long time. He’s been making records for decades and has some really cool stories under his belt. He’s also a bit of a guitar nerd, so it’s fun to get into that with him as well. Peter’s latest album is called “Doctor Moan” and it’s available now at all the places.

Originally from Buffalo, Peter moved to the Bay Area as a youngster and that’s where he started getting into the punk rock scene with a band he started called The Nerves. After The Nerves disbanded, he moved to LA, and that’s where he started to flourish as a performer and songwriter. He formed the Plimsouls next which were more of a straight up rock & roll band, signed to Geffen and made some killer records. “A Million Miles Away” was a hit for them and they started touring all over the country. After the Plimsouls, Case started his solo career, and worked with some amazing producers and musicians, some of whom he continues to work with to this day. His debut was nominated for a Grammy and led to a string of other cool records like “The Man With the Blue Post-Modern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar”, “Six Pack of Love”, “Let Us Now Praise Sleepy John” and “Full Service No Waiting”. His brand new album “Doctor Moan” features mostly songs written and performed on piano, which is a departure for him in some ways, as he is known as a guitar player/singer, but he has in fact always been a keyboard player as well.

You can keep track of all of his music and his tour dates at petercase.com

Be sure to listen to the accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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We kick off Season 7 this week with the very remarkable singer and songwriter Aaron Lee Tasjan. Aaron has released a string of compelling and original solo albums over the past decade. They are all unique and interesting, but the last 3 or 4 are real gems, both in the writing and the incredible production and delivery with Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! being the latest release. Aaron has had an interesting path to where he’s at now, starting out playing in bands and jazz band at high school, and toying with a career as a jazz guitarist. As he realized his real passion was for songwriting, he left his jazz studies behind and moved to New York. He joined or started various bands there like The Madison Square Gardeners (great band name), and Semi-Precious Weapons. He also had stints as a side-person to artists like Marc Cohn and even The New York Dolls! Eventually, Aaron relocated to Nashvile and started his solo career in earnest - he’s managed to stay true to his own unique sound but has also evolved in really interesting ways with each new project. He’s collaborated with folks like Sean Lennon, Jack White, Tim Easton and Lilly Hiatt and is currently in the middle of completing his next album, and we get into that process as well.

You can keep track of all of his work plus his upcoming tour dates at: aaronleetasjan.com

Be sure to listen to the accompanying Songs Playlist which contains some of the artist’s work, plus many of the songs we discuss on the show:

Playlist on Spotify / Playlist on Apple Music

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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A bit of info on what's to come in Season 7 - All-new full episodes starting next week!

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider supporting the show with a donation or Patreon subscription

The show’s website can be found at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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We lost the great David Lindley yesterday. In remembrance of the great Mr. Dave, I have gone back to my conversation with him in 2019. Because I’ve had to pull the music samples from my show, the episodes were shorter, so I glued the 2 parts together into this one episode. I hope you’ll spend a couple hours with us and then go crank some Twango Bango!

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Season 6 comes to an end this week with my guest - the incomparable Jerry Douglas, who has re-invented the concept of the Dobro over the last 50 years, while also working as a bandleader and acclaimed producer. There are select few musicians on the planet who have undeniably redefined their instrument and the way it is approached in modern music, but Jerry is definitely one of them. He has had an incredibly prolific career, starting in the mid 70’s with stints in The Country Gentlemen, the groundbreaking JD Crowe and the New South, Boone Creek and with the incredible Buck White. Soon after establishing himself in the bluegrass world with those groups, he started playing on records as a session musician and became not only the most recorded Dobro player in history, but pretty darn high up there with anyone on any instrument. The number of records he’s played on is somewhere seemingly about 1600. He’s been nominated for 32 grammies, won 14 of them, and is a 10-time IBMA winner of dobro player of the year. His production credits are amazing too, and that really came to the fore with Allison Krauss and Union Station, not to mention his recent work with John Hiatt and Molly Tuttle. Jerry is very active with his own incredible band, and continues to produce and tour seemingly non-stop. He’s been involved in alot of technical Dobro innovations as well, which are really interesting. We’re going to get into all of that and more here today, and meanwhile you can keep up with his latest projects and touring at jerrydouglas.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Producer and engineer Bob Rock is on the show this week. Bob is originally from Winnipeg, but he cut his teeth in the late 70’s and early 80’s Vancouver punk rock scene while working at Little Mountain Studios. While Bob was working on original music and starting to achieve success with his band The Payolas, he continued his day job at the studio, which started to snowball into a string of successful engineering and mixing gigs, mostly with Bruce Fairbairn. These included albums for Prism, Loverboy and Honeymoon Suite. The success of those Canadian albums led to the same team getting asked to make records for Aerosmith and Bon Jovi, after which Bob struck out on his own to produce albums for Motley Crue, The Cult and of course, Metallica. In more recent years, Bob has worked on records for The Tragically Hip, Michael Buble, Jann Arden, Ron Sexsmith and many more. But at the end of the day, Bob is just a huge music nerd, loves guitars and amps, and is obsessive about tones and the path to find them. We got into all of it and had a great conversation. Enjoy!

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
www.stevedawson.ca

Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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John Leventhal is a multiple Grammy Award-winning producer, guitarist and songwriter who has been steering the ship on many albums and musical projects over the last 40 years. John first came onto most people’s radar when he produced Shawn Colvin’s successful debut album “Steady On”. They collaborated again in 1996 on “A Few Small Repairs” which was a smash hit. Coming up in the New York live music scene, John also worked with Jim Lauderdale in those years and produced Jim’s debut as well. A late bloomer to music and the electric guitar, John has developed a subtle yet complex and unmistakeable sound that has kept him working as a live musician and producer for artists like William Bell, Marc Cohn, Sara Jarosz, and Rodney Crowell. Leventhal has also produced a slew of successful and acclaimed albums with his wife of many years, Rosanne Cash. As a songwriter, he’s penned songs for Tedeschi Trucks, Vince Gill, George Strait, Patty Loveless, and many more. John has (finally!) made his debut solo album which he is threatening to release sometime this year, called “Rumble Strip”. I’ve heard it, can vouch for its awesomeness, and we talk about it on the show, although you won’t be able to hear it for some months yet! John is a bit elusive - he doesn’t have a website, but watch for the new album, and he’ll be out on tour with Rosanne Cash - you can find info on their dates at www.rosannecash.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Guitarist and songwriter David Grissom is on the show this week! Anyone who knows anything about the guitar knows Grissom is a monster player, and has been a key element of albums for Joe Ely and John Mellencamp, and then with the band Storyville. But what I wasn’t really aware of was his extensive list of session work he did here in Nashville during the early 2000’s. For a good 10 years or so, Nashville session work was kind of his main thing. He played on huge records for artists like Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, Lee ann Womack, Montgomery Gentry, Billy Ray Cyrus and Brooks and Dunn. But he also maintained his work on the rootsier side of things, writing for, touring with or playing on records for Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Eliza Gilkyson, Chris Isaak, Rita Coolidge and lots more.

So all this to say we had alot to talk about. I wanted to dig into that session scene in the early 2000’s and see what was going on at that point. We had a great talk about all the aspects of his career, making some of the classic records he was involved in, how he got into music in the first placxe and his current band and regular gigs around Austin, TX. We also get a little nerdy and talk about his signature Paul Reed Smith guitars closer to the end.

You can get all the info on David, his recordings, live albums, and weekly gig at: www.davidgrissom.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

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Nicki Bluhm joins me on the show this week. I first heard her recent record “Avondale Drive” about 6 months ago and was blown away. She jas an incredible voice and writes really interesting tunes that draw from blues, soul, country and pop music. Nicki has made some killer records aside from Avondale Drive, and also had a really cool band called The Gramblers, which she fronted with her ex-husband and Mother Hips member Tim Bluhm that have a couple releases as well. Nicki is originally from the Bay Area and while she lives in Nashville now, she stays rooted in that scene with regular appearances with Phil Lesh and Friends as well as Little Feat, with whom she has been on tour recently as a featured guest and backup singer. She’s also out touring with her band, and as a duo with her new partner Jesse Wilson, who she made Avondale Drive with during the pandemic. Keep posted with Nicki and all of her upcoming shows and new releases at www.nickibluhm.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

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Just a quick episode to give you the scoop on how/when the rest of Season 6 will unfold (soon!), and a peek behind the curtain on how some of these episodes come together. And also a call out to see who you’d like to hear on the show on Season 7 - chime in! (use the comments section on this episode, or send me an email or DM.

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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On the show this week is the prolific film and TV composer, Patric Caird. I’ve known Pat for a long time, and I’ve worked with him a few times over the years on various scoring projects. He’s had an extremely busy career both as a composer, and earlier on as a music editor for TV shows. His credits include shows like The Dead Zone, The Collector, The Imperfects, The Order, and Outer Limits, not to mention lots of projects for the Hallmark Channel. I got to know him starting about 22 or 23 years ago, and at the time he was scoring an animated series for Comedy Central called “Ed, Edd and Eddy”. That show was insane, both the show itself, but so was the music Pat was writing and recording every week. He moved to LA shortly after that and has been working steadily - composing for film and TV, ever since. Pat is an amazing musician, mostly a sax player, and he came up through the Canadian live music scene as a jazz player and then became a touring musician with The Powder Blues. I thought it would be cool to hear about how the film composing side of things works and I’m sure you’ll enjoy hearing about it too! You can find info on Patric and all of his projects at www.patriccaird.com

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Bryan Sutton, one of my absolute favorite bluegrass guitar players is on the show this week. I first heard of Bryan years ago when I was on a serious bluegrass binge (It occasionally continues to this day!). Around that time, Ricky Skaggs made a return to bluegrass and released his “Bluegrass Rules!” album. His band was called Kentucky Thunder and it was mostly youngsters with just unbelievable chops and feel. The guitar player in that band was Bryan Sutton, and I’ve been following his career ever since. He continued to crop up on credits for albums that I’d hear and I got a chance to see him at various festivals over the years. He always blew me away with his tone, feel and the way he was taking flatpicking in some exciting new directions. Bryan has now clearly become the top acoustic player in the Nashville session scene and gets most of the calls to fill that role in this town on all the big records made here. I wanted to talk to him about how he approaches sessions, the specialty of just being an acoustic player in the studio, and how his path led to being where he is now - the top call in Nashville, as well as being out on the road with Bela Fleck for his My Bluegrass Heart project. Bryan’s credits include records for Carrie Underwood, Eric Church, Lyle Lovett, Dierks Bentley, Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton - you get the picture. But at the heart oif it, he’s a monster flatpicker who has been the IBMA guitarist of the year 9 times. He teaches through an online course as well, and he put out a really cool solo album called “The More I Learn” a few years back. You can get info on all this stuff and check out his tour dates at bryansutton.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Mick Flannery is on the show this week. Mick is an amazing songwriter, well known and loved in his native Ireland, but has also made alot of in-roads in recent years into the US and Canada. This conversation came about very organically, after we met at the Edmonton folk festival this past summer, and it was a real pleasure getting to speak with Mick about his music and writing and recording process. He was touring behind his latest album called “In The Game” which is a collaboration with another singer-songwriter form Ireland, Susan O’Neill. It’s really intense, beautiful, layered music, and they really brought it to life with their performance. Mick is a multi-platinum selling artist, with 8 releases out to his name, and I suppose is most well known in Ireland, but that is changing. His debut album “Evening Train” has been turned into a musical that debuted in 2019, with more performances on the horizon. He performs around Ireland, the UK, Europe, and Canada and the US fairly regularly, so please check out the latest news and tour dates at: mickflannery.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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This week on this show I have Stanton Moore, one of the great drummers to emerge from the New Orleans music scene in the 90’s and early 2000’s with his band Galactic, and he has become an absolute force of nature - performing, touring, recording, teaching, making cool stuff for drums, and being an ambassador for New Orleans music worldwide.

Stanton has been one of the most respected drummers in contemporary music for a long time now, since he emerged as afounding member of Galactic, who I was lucky enough to see way back in the early 2000’s as they started to tour all over the place. They took funk, jazz, traditional New Orleans music and put a modern spin on it with killer grooves and amazing sounding records. Aside from Galactic, Stanton has another killer band called Garage a Trois with Skerik and Charlie Hunter - they’ve been an ongoing thing now for many years as well. He’s always heavily involved in the New orleans Jazz and Heritage fest, and plays around the city regularly. When we spoke for this episode, he was heading out with Les Claypool’s Bastard Jazz. A busy fellow, indeed!

Stanton is also heavily into drum and cymbal design, which we talk about a bit, and is a master educator as well, which you’ll definitely get a sense of in our talk.

So to keep all this strauight, here’s some links. For all things Stanton Moore, go to stantonmoore.com

for his teaching world, check out stantonmooredrumacademmy.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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My guest this week is a killer guitar player and songwriter, known for his work with his band Cry of Love, and being a sideman to the Black Crowes, Dixie Chicks, Sheryl Crow and many others - Audley Freed.

Audley is a master of groove and tone, and his undeniably cool approach to playing rock n roll guitar has landed him some amazing gigs over the last 3 decades. He started out in North Carolina playing in cover bands, and eventually got an original project going that got signed, and had some pretty serious success for a young band - Cry Of Love. Their album “Brother” is still regarded as a benchmark for great rock guitar playing. Eventually, Audley focussed his time and efforts on becoming a sideman, and he’s been steadily working ever since. He’s had long-standing stints with many great bands, including The Black Crowes, Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, The Dixie Chicks, Chris Robinson, played on tons of great records, and has had a remarkable career for such a humble person. He doesn’t have a website, or much presence on socials, but you can see him these days wherever Sheryl Crow is playing, and I highly recommend catching her and her band if you can.

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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This week on the show is the great mandolin player, singer and songwriter Sierra Hull. Sierra is a monster player, and while she’s still really young, she’s been making records of her own for over 15 years now. The latest one, called “25 Trips” came out right around the pandemic, so her touring was curtailed for a while, but she’s back at it now in full force, playing with her band and also with Cory Wong and  Bela Fleck, being a major part of Bela’s “My Bluegrass Heart” album and shows earlier this year. I was really interested in talking to her about that because I can’t imagine how crazy that must be to be sitting in a room full of your heros that you grew up listening to and learning from and suddenly they’re your peers and you’re right in the mix with all of them. In the bluegrass world, that project doesn’t get any heavier - Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Sam Bush, Chris Thile, Noam Pikelny, Stuart Duncan, Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle - they’re all involved, and it’s a great album. Sierra has made some great solo albums with Allison Krauss and Bela Fleck producing, and on the latest one, “25 Trips”, she’s co-producing with a killer engineer named Shani Gandhi. It’s definitely rooted in bluegrass, but steps out into some more experimental territory as well with some innovative sounds and production ideas. The crew on this album includes Justin Moses, Viktor Krauss, Bryan Sutton, Paul Franklin, Jano Rix and lots more. So we got to talk about how she approaches making music, and all about how she prepares as a side-person for some of the heavy gigs she’s involved in these days.

Sierra is constantly out on tour and you can keep up with what she’s doing and where to see her at: sierrahull.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

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My guest today is a killer steel guitarist who has been working out of Austin, TX for years - Rose Sinclair. We had this conversation over zoom a few months ago and I’m thrilled to be bringing it to you today. Rose put out an album recently called “Wave” that I sort of stumbled across and listened to it over and over again for weeks. There was just something that really spoke to me in her tone and phrasing and the way she approached playing the tunes on the album, which are mostly swing and jazz standards. She refers to her current music as cocktail swing, which I can get with. She plays a double neck steel with no pedals, no effects, not even a volume pedal and she has just really forged a cool style of her own and a modern voice on the instrument.

Rose started out as a multi-instrumentalist, playing bass, guitar, banjo and even accordion in bands around Massachussets, where she’s from. She eventually got into the steel, as you’ll hear in our conversation, and that led to her moving to Austin to immersive herself in western swing music. Another really fascinating element to Rose’s career is that she dug deep into the roots of the style and tracked down some of the original generation of steel players and studied with them. Players like Maurice Anderson, PeeWee Whitewing and Herb Steiner, so we got to talk about her experiences with some of those players, too.

Rose is actively making records, and also has a weekly gig at Sam’s Town Point in Austin. So please check out her beautiful record Wave, and you can find out about her new projects and any touring at rosesinclairmusic.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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The great Hawaiian slack-key guitarist, George Kahumoku Jr. is on the show this week! George has been playing around the Hawaiian islands for decades, but came to prominence in the 80’s and 90’s when Dancing Cat records started putting out records by the foremost traditional slack-key players. George was one of the main ones, but we were alo introduced to his brother Moses, Sonny Chillngworth, Keola Beamer, Ledward Ka’apana, Barney Isacs, Cyril Pahanui, and quite a few more.

George is one of the greats of the fingerstyle slack-key genre - he grooves, he has an amazing voice, he plays almost exclusively on a 12-string and he has his own F-tuning that suits the style so well. The first part of this interview includes some really interesting Hawaiian history that was mostly news to me, so I hope you enjoy that! George is very active still and plays a weekly show on Maui called Masters of Hawaiian Music. He is also a multiple Grammy award winner, not to mention a celebrated farmer. His latest album is called Rennaisance Man, and he’s also going on tour this fall around the western states. You can get all of that info at kahumoku.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Hey everyone, welcome back! My guest today is an incredible drummer who lives and works here in Nashville, Fred Eltringham. Fred one of my favourite drummers around town and has held down the drum chair in Sheryl Crow’s band for the last 10 years or so. I’ve had a chance to see them in action a few times and they are really special. Fred keeps pretty busy here in Nashville when he’s not out with Sheryl Crow - he’s played on records or on stage with folks like Billy Gibbons, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker, Kenney Chesney, Rodney Crowell, Kacey Musgraves - the dude has stacked up some serious credits! I love to talk to folks like this on the show - maybe slightly under the radar players who are super talented and just learn about their paths to get where they are now. Fred is pretty invisible on socila media, but he has a website where he posts a few things and his dates with Sheryl Crow are up there if you’re ever able to go see him. That’s at www.fredeltringhamdrummer.com

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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This week on the show is an incredible singer, songwriter and musician - Amy Helm. Amy has a sublime feel for music, and a really interesting story too. She grew up in New York, partly in the city and I think at various times with her dad in Woodstock - her dad, of course, being legendary Band drummer and singer, Levon Helm. She was around Levon’s barn an awful lot and has seen that place go from its humble beginnings to a mecca for roots music, hosting some of the greatest live shows of the early 2000’s onwards, known as the Midnight Ramble. Amy started a killer band in the early 2000’s called Ollabelle, and they did alot of touring and recording, and made some great records too. When Levon got really sick with cancer in the early 2000’s, Amy worked with him as he regained his speaking and eventually singing voice and she ended up producing the incredible Dirt Farmer album with Larry Campbell. Amy has put out 3 records under her own name, the most recent one we got to talk about quite a bit, and it’s called “What The Flood Leaves Behind”. It’s a masterful album, and she just keeps getting better. We talked about her recording and writing process and just had a great ol’ conversation. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

Info on Amy’s records, merch and tour dates can be found at www.amyhelm.com

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Today I’m bringing you a conversation with one of the most recorded pedals steel players in modern times - Russ Pahl. Russ has played on all the great T-Bone Burnett records of the past bunch of years, and has also recorded for the likes of Sturgill Simpson, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Norah Jones, Blake Shelton, Orville Peck, Marcus King, Ceelo Green, Yola, Jim Lauderdale, Buddy Miller, and the list goes on. From his early days cutting his teeth in country bands around Minneapolis, to moving to Nashville in the 80’s, he has managed to hone his craft and develop a unique sound. He scored a cool gig with Dickey Betts in the late 80’s, and then Buddy Miller started calling him for his productions, and Vince Gill had him in his live band for about 5 years. It seems that after about 2000, the floodgates just opened and when someone wanted a steel player that didn’t play the same licks as everyone else and had a creative approach, Russ was the one to call. We had a great conversation and get into all that stuff, and more. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Welcome back, music nerds! My guest this week is Tristen, an incredible songwriter and performer from right here in Nashville. She released one of my favorite albums during the pandemic called “Aquatic Flowers” and I was excited to get a chance to meet with her to talk about the making of that album, as well as how she approaches songwriting, lyrics, and how melodies flow so easily for her. She has a unique style that seems so effortless, but the way she can craft a melody and instrumental parts is downright remarkable. I also wanted to discuss the pitfalls of being an indie artist in Nashville, and how she juggles her songwriting and performing career with her other business, which is a groovy vintage clothing store here in East Nashville called Anaconda Vintage. We had a great conversation and I think you’ll enjoy hearing about her life and career. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

Info on Tristen’s records, merch and tour dates can be found at www.tristen.com

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Welcome back, music nerds! My guest this week is the phenomenal guitarist, producer and sideman, Duke Robillard. Duke is a fountain of knowldege about blues, swing, jump and R&B and has been touring and recording in those fields since the early 70’s. His early successes with his band Roomful of Blues gained him noteriety as a guitarist who had processed all of the classic styles and players of those genres but had his own remarkable voice. Duke has gone on to make a boatload of solo albums, and tours with his band all over the world. Duke has also produced lots of records for other artists and played as a sideman to many as well, including a stint in Bob Dylan’s band, and was a part of the sessions for the classic Time Out Of Mind album. We get into all of it here today, as well as some of his greatest influences and early experiences learning to play. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

Info on Duke’s records, merch and tour dates can be found at www.dukerobillard.com

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at: www.izotope.com

Thanks for your support, and your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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Welcome back to Season 6! This week I’m joined by the amazing songwriter, singer, and guitarist Aoife O’Donovan. We get into all kinds of things about her spectacular new record “Age of Apathy” - how she approached songwriting and layering guitar parts, working with producer Joe Henry and remotely with musicians during the pandemic. We also talked about her history recording with Tucker Martine, and her other group I’m With Her. Whether performing solo, part of a collaboration with the likes of Chris Thile, Jerry Douglas, or I’m With Her, to her earlier band Crooked Still, Aoife has always pushed the boundaries of melody and song framework, and her voice is always spectacular. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Listen to the accompanying playlist for this episode here, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show.

Info on Aoife’s records, merch and tour dates can be found at www.aoifeodonovan.com

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at www.izotope.com

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
www.stevedawson.ca

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It’s our first show of Season 6 and we're thrilled to bring you this interview with the incredibly unique singer/songwriter, guitarist and all-around hilarious fellow, Steve Poltz. Steve just put out a new record called “Stardust and Satellites” that I love, and we got into that a bit before going on massive tangents about everything under the sun - Chet Atkins, words of wisdom from Roger Miller, getting into sticky situations with Sean Penn, touring til you drop, songwriting, how to overcome stage fright, and everything in between. Then we played a Christmas song together. And it was all a total riot. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

The accompanying playlist for this episode, which features the artist’s own music, plus many of the songs that were discussed during the show can be found at:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/76uyIoB89Z84nc3PzzsdsQ?si=113ad27170414fcc

Info on Steve Poltz’s records, merch and tour dates can be found at:
https://poltz.com

This episode is brought to you by Izotope - check out their amazing recording software at https://www.izotope.com/en/lp/soulpod.html

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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You can support the show with monthly contributions through our Patreon site at: https://www.patreon.com/MakersAndShakers

Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
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It’s our last show of the season and we’re thrilled to bring you this conversation with Rob Baker! Rob is a guitarist and songwriter from one of the most iconic Canadian bands of all time, The Tragically Hip. Growing up in Kingston, Ontario, the Hip became friends in high school, became a band, and aside from a sax player leaving in ‘86, never had a lineup change. They went on to release 15 albums over 33 years, most of which went multi-platinum, as they sold out the biggest stadiums across the country. All this while staying true to their Canadian identities and their musical path. When Gord Downie was diagnosed with brain cancer, they undertook their final tour in 2016, and the last show was broadcast from Kingston to a massive televised audience. Since then, Rob has taken some time to get back into creative mode, but has found inspiration again and just last year released a new album with Craig Northey as Stripper’s Union. It was great to speak with Rob about some of his many adventures in music. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Info on Rob’s projects and the Tragically Hip can be found at:
https://thehip.com

And your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at:
https://www.stevedawson.ca

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Vancouver guitarist, songwriter, composer and all around hilarious fellow Craig Northey joins me on the show this week. I’ve known Craig for quite a while, but it was great to delve into some of his early experiences with his band “Odds”, coming up in the 90’s indie rock scene, and how the success of that band has led him into writing music for other artists, producing, writing soundtracks for successful shows and movies, and being a side-guy to other artists. As Craig says, his career plan was just to say “yes” to everything that came along, and all these years later, Craig is a much-loved and respected member of the Canadian music scene and finds work in all those facets of it. Enjoy, share and please subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

Craig’s band “Odds” can be found at:: https://www.oddsmusic.com

And your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at: https://www.stevedawson.ca

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Legendary recording engineer and record producer Bill Schnee joins me on the show this week. Bill lives here in Nashville now, but spent the bulk of his career in LA. He has amazing tales of getting going in the studio scene there and learning the ropes. He seems to have had a knack for hooking up with some great mentors and studio people, and before long, Bill was working for the likes of Barbara Streisand and Three Dog Night. Those early hits led to an incredible run of classic records with Ringo Starr, Marvin Gaye, The Pointer Sisters, Mark Knopfler, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan and so many more. Bill also did some really captivating live to disc recording with Thelma Houston, and mixed records for Miles Davis. Bill’s incredible stories are the subject of his new book “Chairman at the Board”. It was an honor to have Bill join me on the podcast. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show.

Bill’s website and social links are at: https://www.billschnee.com

Bill’s book can be ordered directly from his website.

Our website is: https://www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

And your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at: https://www.stevedawson.ca

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This is part 2 of my conversation with guitarist and producer Colin Cripps. If you haven't listened to Part 1, go and do that first! Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show.Colin’s website and social links are at: http://www.colincripps.com.Colin is regularly on tour with Blue Rodeo these days. Their website is: https://www.bluerodeo.comOur website is: https://www.makersandshakerspodcast.comAnd your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at: https://www.stevedawson.ca Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Colin Cripps joins me on the show this month. Colin is a phenomenal guitarist who doesn’t really appear under his own name very often. He prefers to play the sideguy role and has graced albums for years as musician and producer for Blue Rodeo, Kathleen Edwards and many more. Colin hails from the mysterious town of Hamilton, Ontario that has produced way more musical legends than a city of that size should have. We get into some deep Hamilton history, some stories about the scene with the Lanois brothers, and Colin’s work with his band Crash Vegas that was around the scene during that time, all the way through his career to his more recent work and how he approaches collaborating in the studio and finding cool guitar sounds. Colin is also a certifiable gear maniac and has a pretty extensive collection of guitars and amps that we get into as well. With so much to yak about, this episode got split into 2 parts and will continue one week from today. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show.Colin’s website and social links are at: http://www.colincripps.comColin is regularly on tour with Blue Rodeo these days. Their website is: https://www.bluerodeo.comOur website is: https://www.makersandshakerspodcast.comAnd your fearless host, Steve Dawson can be found at: https://www.stevedawson.ca Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Rose Cousins joins me on the show this month to talk about her stellar recent album “Bravado”, her writing and recording process and the nurturing music scenes she came up in - both in her hometown of Halifax, and her adopted hometown of Boston and the scene at Club Passim. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Viktor Krauss joins me on the show this week. Viktor has been in Nashville for many years, but originally hails from Illinois. Viktor is one of the most recognizable players of the upright bass around and has developed a signature sound that is both massive and somehow understated at the same time. I first came to be aware of Viktor through an incredible string of albums with Bill Frisell, starting with the “Nashville” album, but have come to know his extensive body of work which includes stints with his sister Allison Krauss, and a long-standing gig in Lyle Lovett’s band. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Will Kimbrough joins me on the show this week. Will considers himself a songwriter first and foremost, but he’s a killer guitar player as well who has earned his keep as sideman both live and in the studio for many years. He has played with and/or produced albums for Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Todd Snider, Steve Poltz, Kim Richey, and has even written songs for Jimmy Buffett and Little Feat. He put out a killer solo acoustic record in 2020 called Spring Break, and we get into the process of making that record, his guitars, how he approaches producing and playing on sessions, how he landed gigs with Rodney Crowell and Emmylou, and lots more. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show.

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Ariel Posen joins me on the show this month to talk about his new album Headway, as well as his relatively young career growing up and cutting his teeth in the clubs of Winnipeg. From there, Ariel went on to tour the world with the Bros Landreth before setting out on his own as a solo performer and songwriter. Ariel is an incredible guitarist and we get into his technique and style, his recording and writing process, as well as some of his favorite music. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Matt Ross-Spang joins me on the show this month from Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis, where he has set up shop as an engineer and producer over the last number of years. Matt cut his teeth as the house engineer at the historic Sun Studios before moving into Sam’s old digs and working on records for artists like John Prine, Margo Price, Jason Isbell, The Allman Betts Band, and Al Green. Matt was also tapped to mix a series of newly released recordings by Elvis Presley. His roots in Memphis music run deep, and he is a master of unique and vintage-inspired recording techniques and sounds, while embracing all of the advantages of modern technology in his recordings. We talked about many of his projects, his influences and early experiences in studios, as well as some of his upcoming adventures in his brand new studio that is about to open in Memphis. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe to the show. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Robert Finley’s new album “Sharecropper’s Son” is a powerhouse soul album that draws on Delta Blues, R&B and greasy funk. Working again in the studio with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, the singer, who’s debut came out at the age of 62, delves into his story growing up as a young sharecropper in Louisianna. Robert’s path included stints in the army, leading gospel groups, becoming a carpenter, losing his sight to glaucoma, and a late start to a successful recording career. Robert and I talked about all of this as well as the process of creating his new album in Nashville. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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I’ve known Allison Russell for over 20 years now through first crossing paths in the Vancouver music scene. She is a remarkable person in every way - an incredibly gifted singer, empathetic human, and is extremely kind and generous. She is a pleasure to work with, and I should know as I spent the better part of the last 3 years out on tour with her in Birds of Chicago. Allison has just released her debut solo album “Outside Child” which is a personal and stunning work of art that she co-wrote most of the material for with her husband JT. The album is a true journey through a troubled past that she lays out in song in a very unique and engaging way. From her early life in Montreal, to her begginings in the music scene in Vancouver, her bands Po’ Girl and Birds of Chicago, we get into it all. Enjoy, share the episode, and don’t forget to leave us a review, and subscribe. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Part 2 of my conversation with Bill Payne of Little Feat. Be sure to listen to Episode 1 from last week if you haven’t already! Enjoy… Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Little Feat founding member Bill Payne joins me on the show this month for a 2-part interview. Not only is Bill a core member of one of my all-time favorite bands, he has also had a stellar career as a session musician, playing on countless recordings for artists like Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Pink Floyd, Bob Seger, Stevie Nicks, The Doobie Brothers and many more. From his almost random first encounter with Lowell George that came from a record label’s phone referral, to crafting some of the most creative, funky, and intricate music of the 70’s with Little Feat, to playing organ, piano and other keyboards on so many classic sessions, Bill has always operated at the highest level. Not to mention, he’s a very generous fellow who was happy to share some of his exploits with me for the podcast. Enjoy, share the episode, and leave us a review. We’ll be back for Part 2 next week. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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New Orleans funk legend, bass player, bandleader and founding member of The Meters, George Porter Jr. joins me on the show this month. George has such a rich history that goes deep into the history of funk and rock music. From their humble beginnings as a cover band on Bourbon Street in the early 60’s, to being top call session players for Allen Toussaint and playing on albums for Dr. John, Paul McCartney, and The Neville Brothers, not to mention their own epic catalog, The Meters developed a style and sound that is solid, funky, and unique. George’s history with amazing drummers is also well known, so we got to talk about his partnership with Zigaboo Modeliste, lots of his classic albums and sessions, a bit of the history of New Orleans music, and what he has been up to during COVID, particularly his new album “Crying for Hope” with his band Runnin’ Pardners. Join us! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Part 2 of my conversation with Peter Rowan. Be sure to listen to Episode 1 from last week if you haven’t already! Enjoy… Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Bluegrass and roots music legend Peter Rowan joins me on the show this week to officially kick off Season 5. Peter has been involved in so many stellar projects over the decades, and is one of our last true and active links to the first generation of bluegrass, having spent a number of years touring and recording with Bill Monroe. After his stint in the Bluegrass Boys, Rowan went on to work with David Grisman in several incarnations, including the groundbreaking Old & In The Way with Jerry Garcia and Vassar Clements. Rowan has remained prolific over the years, recording and touring with Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, and many solo configurations that allow him to explore his other passions for rockabilly, reggae and blues. We get into lots of deep dives and this episode is Part 1 of 2. Part 2 will be released next week. Enjoy! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Welcome to Season 5, music nerds! I hope you’ve all been keeping well. This quick episode is just a bit of an update on the schedule and what’s been happening the last few months. The Season will officially kick off next week and will continue with new episodes on the first Wednesday of every month. Thanks for tuning in, don’t forget to subscribe to the show, and we’ll see you next week. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Well we made it to our 100th episode! Singer, songwriter and member of the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, John Oates joins me on the show this week. John is widely known for his work with Hall & Oates, topping the charts and selling over 40 million records - that ain’t too shabby. John’s been in Nashville now for quite a few years and has established himself on the local scene here, playing with the cream of the crop of studio players, and exploring some of his blues, country and soul roots with them, dubbing them the Good Road Band. His brand new album “Live In Nashville” features his soulful voice and the killer playing of his live band. John and I talked about the recent records he’s worked on with them, and delved into his early history in the Philly and New York soul scene, which goes back to his recording debut in 1966, and through some of his early Hall and Oates recording experiences with Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren, jamming with Doc Watson, and how he ended up with Mississippi John Hurt’s guitar. Enjoy my conversation with John Oates!I’m encouraging listeners to call in this season, and at this point I’m hoping to hear from people about their experiences, good and bad, with starting to play or experience live music again. Join in and leave a message at 615-375-6318 anytime! If you want to skip straight to the interview, it starts about 12 minutes in. Our new website is now up at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Guitarist Keith Scott joins me on the podcast this week. Keith is a fellow Vancouverite (although he lives in California now) and for almost 40 years, he has been the guitarist for Bryan Adams. He has played on countless hits, and some of the biggest selling records of all time. Its been quite a ride for him, and while his hooks and solos on Adams’ songs are incredibly crafted gems, it was a night that I saw him sit in with a local blues band in Vancouver, The Vaqueros, that blew my mind, and cemented him as one of the finest guitarists I had ever seen. But if you weren’t there that night (there was about 12 of us), you’ll just have to take my word for it. It was great to speak with Keith and hear abou this early days on the road, hooking up with Adams, and hearing about some of the sessions that he was involved in. I’m encouraging listeners to call in this season, and at this point I’m hoping to hear from people about their experiences, good and bad, with starting to play or experience live music again. Join in and leave a message at 615-375-6318 anytime! If you want to skip straight to the interview, it starts about 13 minutes in. Enjoy my conversation with Keith Scott!

Our new website is now up at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

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An excerpt from the "One Life" Podcast presented by Steve Dawson and featuring Jim Byrnes. The new series will be released October 12th on all Podcast platforms. Subscribe now! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Part 2 of my conversation with bassist David Piltch. If you haven't listened already, please go back and listen to Part 1 first. Enjoy!

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David Piltch, the bassist on many of my favourite records from the last 15 years joins me on the show this week. David grew up in Toronto in a musical family - his Dad was a session musician around the city and on CBC. David and his brother Rob grew up playing jazz around town, and David eventually left Canada for Los Angeles to find studio work. His body of recorded work is epic, starting in Canada with Mary Margaret O’Hara and KD Lang and includes recordings along the way with Joe Henry, Holly Cole, Solomon Burke, Salif Keita, Allen Toussaint, Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Elton John and many more. His path is an intriguing one, and many of his stories and experiences are so relatable to all musicians. In my experience of doing this podcast, no one has been so frank, honest, and able to paint a picture of the sense of dread you feel when you’re on a gig and know that you really don’t know how to play the music properly (C’mon we’ve all been there at least once!). His trial by fire attitude imbued him with a musical sense that has made him one of the most sought after bassists in music today. We sure blabbed alot, but it’s all so fun and fascinating that I’m just making a big ol’ 2-part episode out of this one. Enjoy Part 1 of my interview with David Piltch, and please subscribe to the podcast! Part 2 will come out next week.

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Guitarist, songwriter, producer and frontman for the mighty Big Sugar, Gordie Johnson joins me on the show this week. Gordie has been creating amazing sounding records since the early 90’s when Big Sugar exploded out of the Toronto blues and jazz scene. Almost 30 years later, Big Sugar has just released another great new album. Gordie relocated to Austin years ago, and has worked out of his studio there, making his own records, as well as working in the studio and on the road with other artists like The Black Crowes, Taj Mahal, Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes. Enjoy my interview with Gordie Johnson, and please subscribe to the podcast.

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Engineer and producer Tucker Martine joins me on the show this week. Tucker has been operating out of a couple of incarnations of his own studio, Flora Recording and Playback, for quite a few years now. He has recorded and/or produced acclaimed records for a diverse cast of characters like The Decemberists, Bill Frisell, My Morning Jacket, Wayne Horvitz, Neko Case, Laura Veirs and many more. Tucker has an amazing sense of depth and tone that comes through in his recordings, which is a reflection of how much he cares for the art of recording itself. I wanted to have Tucker on the show to talk about some of his experiences making those records, as well as building his studio and some of the joys and trials of that process. We had a great time digging deep, and I hope you enjoy it!

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Singer/Songwriter, guitarist and producer Joel Plaskett joins me on the show this week. Joel is one of Canada’s most respected performers and has been making great records since the 90’s. Starting out with his pals from high school, his band Thrush Hermit toured endlessly and achieved great success before splitting up and Joel launched his solo career with his new band, The Joel Plaskett Emergency. Joel has become an excellent producer and engineer in that time, working at his own studio in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Joel has a sprawling new album out called “44” - a quad album full of great songs, themes, adventurous production and incredible sonics. We go deep into the process of making it in our conversation.

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Nashville guitarist and producer Colin Linden joins me on the show this week. We talked all about his growing up and getting into music in Canada in the 70's and some of the great artists and records he's been involved with over the years, including his extensive work with Bruce Cockburn and The Band.

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Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz joins me on the show today. She just released her 5th album "World On The Ground" and I thought it would be a great time to speak with her about her recording, songwriting and playing experiences.

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I wasn't going to release anything today in light of what's going on around us, but then called up my touring compadre of the last few years, Allison Russell from Birds of Chicago to talk about what's going on out there - here's our conversation. We'll be back with a full episode next week.

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Sadler Vaden is a killer guitarist in Nashville and has been a member of Jason Isbell's 400 Unit for a number of years. We got to talk about his path to Nashville from South Carolina and how his career has unfolded, his influences, style and his instruments.

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Sue Foley is a killer blues guitarist and singer, originally from Ottawa, Canada, but has spent a good portion of her career in Austin, Texas. She has made a string of great blues records, the latest of which is "The Ice Queen".

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Guthrie Trapp is one of the cream of the crop of guitar pickers in Nashville these days. He can be seen with his own groups all over town, or frequently collaborating with John Oates, Jerry Douglas and many more.

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Dave Bidini of The Rheostatics joins me on the show this week to talk about his long and storied career in Canadian music.

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Chris Wood joins me on the show today. Chris is an incredible bass player, both on the upright and electric, writes and performs amazing music with his brother Oliver in The Wood Bros, plays a mean harp, and can even break out some inspired mid-set dance moves. I first got to know of Chris through his playing with the groundbreaking Medeski, Martin and Wood in the 90's and early 2000's - making amazing records and touring incessantly, and as that band ran its course, Chris switched gears and hooked up with his brother to create some of the grooviest, soulful roots music on record today. The Wood Bros spend a good deal of time on the road now, and we got to talk about all of that, his recording history and influences, as well as what he's doing with his spare time during the pandemic. Enjoy my interview with Chris Wood, and please subscribe to the podcast!

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My guest this week is the phenomenal guitarist Charlie Hunter. Through innovative use of 7 and 8-string guitars, Charlie has built a career on composing, performing and improvising while developing his mind-bending techniques of essentially playing guitar and bass at the same time on the same instrument. I've followed Charlie since his days in a Bay Area band called TJ Kirk, through his many solo, trio, quartet and collaborative projects. He was also involved in the early 90's hip hop and soul scenes, working with both Michael Franti and D'Angelo. Recently Charlie has hooked up with the spectacular singer, Lucy Woodward, and toured all over the world with their new group after releasing their latest record, "Music! Music! Music!". We got into all of it, and then some... Enjoy my conversation with Charlie Hunter, and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

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This week's guest is incredibly creative Telecaster-slinger, Jim Campilongo. I've been trying to get Jim on the show for a while now and it finally worked out. Jim is one of the finest modern players associated with the Telecaster and has worked for decades on playing and composing music around the New York and Bay Areas. While getting to be known as one of the finest musicians in a city full of great musicians, he chose to mostly stick close to home and hone his craft with weekly gigs in New York for almost 20 years! He has released a number of incredible albums with his trio, and lately also with the group Honeyfingers. Jim also had a band with Norah Jones for a while called The Little Willies. Campilongo is also a veteran teacher and has a wide range of amazing material on his site to delve into. Please check out jimcampilongo.com for more on that and what he's up to.

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My guest this week is a keyboard player and a major force in the LA music scene over the past 20 years, Patrick Warren. Patrick is a keyboard player technically, but really is a master of sonics as well. I’ve been seeing his name since the 90’s on amazing records and soundtracks coming out of LA in the scene there that I’ve been drawn to, which was everything Jon Brion was involved with, and then T-Bone Burnett’s and Joe Henry’s worlds. This included artists like Aimee Mann, Michael Penn, Fiona Apple, Tom Waits and soundtracks that beautifully marry music to film like Magnolia, Boogie Nights, and Hard 8. Patrick is the ultimate connoisseur and player of the Chamberlin, which is a totally unique tape-based keyboard, much like the British mellotron, but even more finicky and complex. Lately, Patrick has been involved in some amazing TV soundtracks - True Detective with T-Bone, and The Chi, for which he is the principal composer.

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Welcome to Season 4! My guest on the podcast this week is the incredible guitarist Robben Ford. I first got into Robben's music in the 90's when he was rockin' out with his trio The Blue Line. He made a string of cool records around that time, but as I dug a bit more into his past, it wasn't hard to find that he had already toured and recorded with Tom Scott, Joni Mitchell, George Harrison and Miles Davis. (This is the first Miles sideman we’ve had on the show too!) Robben continues to make great guitar records, and after his move to Nashville a couple of years back, has found new players to record and collaborate with. We got to talk about all of his current and past projects including his latest album "Purple House", lots of the great sessions and tours, his Dumble amps, and how he spent 2 months getting a guitar tone! It was a blast having him in the studio, and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

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An update on the podcast getting ramped up for Season 4!

Our new website is now up at www.makersandshakerspodcast.com

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My guest this month is the phenomenal guitarist, singer and songwriter Trey Hensley. Trey has been burning it up the last few years with dobro maestro Rob Ickes in their aptly-named duo Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley. Hensley grew up in East Tennessee and started singing in a gospel group when he was 6 years old. A few years later, his parents took him to a bluegrass festival where the lineup included back-to-back sets by bluegrass legends Charlie Waller and Jimmy Martin. Hensley decided then and there that he wanted to play guitar. By the time he was 11, he had given the life-changing first performance on the Grand Ole Opry playing guitar with Earl Scruggs and Marty Stuart. Trey had some incredible experiences with Johnny Cash and Tom T Hall making solo records as a youngster, but really came into his own when he teamed up with Ickes and they started making their duo records, which are essentially acoustic, but they veer into electric territory at times too, and I think there’s more electric fun on the horizon with these two. Their last record was nominated for a Grammy, and their brand new album “World Full of Blues” is a killer recording that features guest appearances by Vince Gill and Taj Mahal. But it’s Rob and Trey’s stellar playing that holds it all down, and shows they are one of the most adventurous musical duos out there. They tour constantly, so be sure to go check them out when they come to a venue near you. Trey was kind enough to drop by The Henhouse and hang for a good while to talk about all of his experiences and play some killer guitar for us as well! Enjoy my conversation with Trey Hensley, and don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, and join us on social media!

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Mastering engineer Kim Rosen joins me on the show this month. Kim is the owner and operator of Knack Mastering in New Jersey, and I've had the pleasure of working with her on a number of projects. She first came to my attention through the band I play in, Birds of Chicago, when we were mastering an acoustic record that I recorded. Kim had also recently done stellar work on a number of Joe Henry and Ryan Freeland productions that I had been immersed in. I thought it would be interesting to hear a bit about mastering, both conceptually, and technically, as well as how someone's career path led to this somewhat misunderstood, but incredibly important role in the recording process. We also talked about developing equipment under the name Whitestone Audio with her husband. Enjoy my conversation with Kim Rosen and please subscribe to the podcast!

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And now it’s time for Part 2 with Malcolm Burn! If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to go back and listen to it first. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Happy new year and new decade, music nerds! Malcolm Burn, the wildly creative Canadian producer, engineer and musician joins me on the show this month in a 2-part episode. Malcolm grew up in Ontario and in the 80’s, after trying his hand as an artist in pop bands, turned to producing and engineering in the studio and hooked up with Daniel Lanois through his Hamilton, Ontario connection. Burn, Lanois, and a 3rd Ontarian, Mark Howard, worked as a team on a string of incredibly influential albums including Bob Dylan’s “Oh Mercy”, the Neville Brothers “Yellow Moon”, Lanois’ solo “Acadie”, and Emmylou Harris’ “Wrecking Ball”, an innovative and creative career-changing album for her. Burn went on to produce her next record on his own - “Red Dirt Girl”, as well as classics for Chris Whitley and many others. I’ve always wanted some first-hand info on what that scene was like, recording in non-conventional spaces, the idea of engineering as a team, and many of the unique recording techniques they were working with through their careers. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Malcolm Burn as much as I did having it, and please remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Part 2 will be out next Wednesday! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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This month's episode comes to you live from the Ellnora Guitar Festival at the Krannert Center in Champaign, Illinois and features the incredible Molly Tuttle. Molly and I were both performing at the festival recently and they asked me to do a live podcast, which I was thrilled to do, and had been trying to get Molly on the show for months anyway!Molly is at the forefront of young songwriters and pickers in Nashville, and I consider her to be one of the great new group of players that are writing and performing at an incredible level at a young age. Molly's songwriting is adventurous and wide-ranging, while her guitar playing is firmly rooted in the bluegrass tradition. The mix is compelling and exciting to hear, and is on display on her incredible new album "When You're Ready". She has been awarded the prestigious IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Award a couple of times already, as well as Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Association.Molly joined me on stage and we got to talk about her influences, her guitar style, and her recording process on her recent EP and the new album. We were confined a bit by time with the live aspect of the episode, but we crammed in what we could! Molly was also kind enough to bring her guitar along and show me some of the styles and influences we talk about, as well as performing a couple of tunes. Enjoy my conversation with Molly Tuttle, and be sure to subscribe and review us on Apple Podcasts! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Drummer, songwriter and producer Joachim Cooder joins me on the show this month. Joachim is the son of legendary slide guitarist Ry Cooder, and grew up around music in a way that few of us can comprehend. Living in an old firehall in Los Angeles, Joachim was exposed to music from the time he was born. With regular visits to the house/studio from Jim Keltner, Joachim understandably developed an interest in drumming, grew and developed a unique style and went on to play on many of his Dad’s great albums from the 90’s on. Albums like “My Name Is Buddy”, “Election Special”, “Buena Vista Social Club” and the spellbinding “Mambo Sinuendo” all feature Joachim’s incredible percussion and drumming. In more recent years, Joachim has developed a voice on the Array Mbira, a sort of complex, electrified kalimba. He released an album featuring his own original songs last year entitled “Fuchsia Machu Pichu” that bears a sonic resemblance to Ry’s album “Prodigal Son”, which displays the importance Joachim’s sounds are to his Dad’s contemporary music. I spoke to Joachim about growing up in the Cooder household, drumming with Keltner, songwriting, the Mbira, and some of the incredible sessions he’s been involved with. Enjoy my conversation with Joachim Cooder and please subscribe to the podcast! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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And now it’s time for Part 2 with David Lindley! If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to go back and listen to it first. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Multi-instrumentalist and hero to me, David Lindley, joins me on the podcast this month in another 2-part epic conversation! Lindley is one of the great electric lap steel and Weissenborn players on the planet, and over the last 25 years has also deeply explored African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish music and incorporated it into his own recordings and shows. His early career took him from the psychadelic world-music genre bending band Kaleidoscope over to the UK where he toured and recorded with the incredible Terry Reid (almost the singer for Led Zep). Lindley returned to the US in the seventies to make his indelible mark on rock and pop music with many hit albums with Jackson Browne, before becoming one of rock's most in demand session musicians, lending his skills to the recorded works of Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Linda Ronstadt, Crosby and Nash, Warren Zevon, and many others. After toying with success as a sideman, Lindley decided to instead devote himself to his own music and formed the now legendary El Rayo-X. Their records and shows were some of the most exciting music to come out of the States in the early 80’s. Lindley also collaborated with Ry Cooder on many of his classic soundtracks through the 80’s as well. Lindley then redefined himself as more of an acoustic player in the 90’s and performed solo and duo shows all over the world with Hani Nasser and Wally Ingram, releasing low budget recordings that had a huge impact on me, performing on the weissenborn, saz, oud and other instruments. It was a true thrill to spend some time with Mr. Dave, and I’m glad to present my conversation with him for you to enjoy. Join me next Wednesday for Part 2 of this episode! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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And now it’s time for Part 2 with Dennis Crouch! If you haven’t listened to Part 1 yet, be sure to go back and listen to it first. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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This month’s guest is the remarkable bassist and T-Bone Burnett co-conspirator, Dennis Crouch. Originally from Strawberry, Arkansas, Dennis has lived in Nashville for many years. In his early years he struggled to make a living and find enough gigs to support his young family. But it wasn’t long before a fortuitous phone call changed his trajectory and landed him gigs touring with the Down From The Mountain tour, recording with Ralph Stanley, T-Bone Burnett, Robert Plant and Allison Krauss, Gregg Allman, Elvis Costello, Loretta Lynn and so many more. It was incredible to learn about Dennis’ history, his influences on the bass, and his inspiring journey from struggling to find a gig in Nashville to playing some of the biggest shows in the world. Dennis was kind enough to bring along his bass and in the second part of this episode, he demonstrates some of his technique and those of some of his mentors including Ray Brown, Roy Huskey Jr, and Bob Moore. Enjoy my conversation with Dennis Crouch and watch for Part 2, one week from today! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this month is a Canadian-born, Austin-based guitar player of the highest calibre, Redd Volkaert. Redd grew up not far from where I did, just outside of Vancouver, Canada. He spent years cutting his teeth and learning to play in the seedy country cars of Canada, before packing up and heading south, embarking on adventures in music through California and Nashville, before landing an incredible (and well-deserved) gig as guitar player for Merle Haggard, for whom he played and recorded with for many years.Redd is now a regular fixture around Austin, Texas, playing regularly at The Continental Club, The Saxon Pub and other great venues with his own group, Haybale! and shows with the likes of Cindy Cashdollar and Bill Kirchen. I had a chance to catch up with Redd recently and talk about his fascinating history, influences, playing and recording with Merle, and much more. Enjoy my conversation with Redd Volkaert! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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It’s the first Wednesday of the month, and as always we bring you a shiny new episode! This month’s guest is the phenomenal singer and guitar player, Alvin Youngblood Hart. I’ve known of Alvin since his debut record “Big Mama’s Door” came out in 1996, but got to know, play and tour with him a number of times since playing at a Mississippi Sheiks tribute show with him back in 2010. To me Alvin is totally unique as an interpreter of acoustic and country blues, but is also a killer rock guitarist, an amazing singer, and also gets into Merle Haggard songs like no one else. He has vast knowledge of rock, folk and blues music from the 20’s through the 70’s and plays it all. Alvin has an interesting history with making records, and while not overly interested in recording these days, has made a number of great records throughout his career, and is a Grammy Award winner. Alvin spent some time in the US Coast Guard, where he developed a love of electronics that continues to this day – working on amps, guitars, pickups and other components. He also has a knack for finding cheap guitars and turning them into screaming rock machines. We got to catch up a bit and discuss his history on stage and in the studio, his love of old gear, pawnshopping with Bo Diddley, and lots more. Enjoy my conversation with Alvin Youngblood Hart! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this month is the stellar guitarist and blues interpreter, Rory Block.Block grew up in Manhattan, immersed in the culture of the folk and blues music that was so prevalent at the time. Her father, Allan Block, ran a sandal shop in Greenwich Village in the 1960s, and the influence of the Greenwich Village folk music scene, including luminaries such as Peter Rowan, Maria Muldaur, and John Sebastian, tempted Block to study classical guitar. At the age of 14, she met guitarist Stefan Grossman, who introduced her to the music of Mississippi Delta blues guitarists - Fred McDowell, John Hurt, and The Reverend Gary Davis were huge for her. Block began listening to old albums, transcribing them, and learning to play the songs. At age 15, she left home to seek out the remaining blues giants and hone her craft in the traditional manner of blues musicians and ended up in Berkeley, California, where she played in clubs and coffeehouses.After retiring temporarily to raise a family, Block returned to the music industry in the 1970s and ultimately signing with Rounder Records in 1981, who encouraged her to return to her love for the classical blues form. Since then she has carved out her own niche, releasing numerous critically acclaimed albums of original and traditional songs. Block has won five W. C. Handy Awards, two for "Traditional Blues Female Artist" (1997, 1998) and three for "Acoustic Blues Album of the Year" (1996, 1999, 2007).I first heard Rory play on some of those early Rounder albums and was struck by her voice and guitar playing, and while different in style, like John Hammond, her right hand was a force to be reckoned with - driving the music with confidence and soul. I had a chance to speak with Rory a while back about her history, and find out about her process for making records, her guitar style, as well as going through her recent catalog which includes tributes to the music of artists like Son House, Skip James, and the latest release "A Woman's Soul" which is a tribute to Bessie Smith - enjoy my conversation with Rory Block, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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In honor of the great Hal Blaine, this is a re-release of my 2016 interview with the legendary studio drummer and key member of the Wrecking Crew. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Cobb first heard Chris Stapleton’s classic country delivery through the tinny speaker of an iPhone and was so taken he swore he’d someday work with the Kentucky-born singer. Eight years later they celebrated an all-genre Album of the Year nomination for “Traveller” at the 58th annual Grammy Awards. He also heard something special in Jason Isbell, Anderson East, and Brandi Carlisle. His work with all those distinct, genre-bending voices has earned him widespread critical acclaim and an additional nomination for Producer of the Year. Cobb has made some of the most respected and critically acclaimed albums to come out of Music City in recent years. He made Sturgill Simpson a reluctant star with “Metamodern Sounds in Country Music”. And Jason Isbell No. 1 in three genres with rock, country and folk chart-topper “Something More Than Free”. This year his work on Brandi Carlisle's recent album cleaned up at the Grammies. I had the pleasure of speaking with Dave Cobb at the historic RCA Studio A in Nashville, which was built by Chet Atkins himself during the golden age of country music in Nashville. Dave has recently taken over the stewardship of that room and has created a string of incredible records while remaining humble and somewhat in awe of his surroundings. It was a pleasure to spend some time with him - enjoy my conversation with Dave Cobb, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Debashish Bhattacharya is an Indian classical musician, singer, composer and instrument pioneer. Debashish has redefined Indian classical music over the last 25 years by performing on slide guitar, and through introducing new techniques, sounds and instruments to the music. He has taught more than a thousand students, created a new genre (Hindustani Slide Guitar), and performed in more than two thousand concerts and workshops, with Grammy nominations and several world music awards. He invented his own slide-guitars, unique to his compositions, which he calls the "Trinity of Guitars". These hollow neck instruments are the 24-string chaturangui, the 14 string gandharvi and the anandi, a 4-string lap steel ukulele. I first met Debashish at the Winnipeg Folk Festival through our mutual friend Bob Brozman, and then had the chance to work with him in a collaboration at the Vancouver Folk Festival the next year. He is an incredibly accomplished musician, and also an excellent fellow and a sheer joy to hang out with! Enjoy my conversation with Debashish Bhattacharya. Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Please go and listen to part one of this episode first to get the full story! Kevin Breit is a humble Canadian treasure. And a hell of a unique guitar player. And a nice feller. I’ve known Kevin for about 20 years at this point, although I haven’t seen him much over the last 10, sadly. When I first got to know him, he was at the tail end of a run in Norah Jones’ live band, and had played on most of her recordings as well. He was bowing out of that gig to be able to spend some more time with his young family, but was already a seasoned vet in the studio, having played on records for folks like Rosanne Cash, k.d. Lang, Hugh Laurie, Cassandra Wilson, Holly Cole, Jane Siberry, Serena Ryder, Taj Mahal, Irma Thomas and countless others. As impressive as that list is, it was his quirkier solo records that I found most interesting. His guitar playing had a big influence on me, particularly his unusual voic eon slide guitar. His string of under-the-radar albums that he seemed to be churning out almost for his own amusement were some of the coolest music I knew of. From the slide guitar based “Empty” to the mandolin orchestra of “Maybelle” and the reckless abandon of “Folk Alarm”, not to mention the inventive “Supergenrous”, I loved all of it. Kevin is well known in his native Canada, but also well-respected internationally, as his session track record suggests. With multiple awards including a Maple Blues Award, Gemini Award, National Jazz Award, Canadian Folk Music Award and two Juno Awards for his recordings, as well as for his work on albums that have a collective 10 Grammy Awards, Breit’s unparalleled creativity is infinite. Breit’s latest release, the 11-track instrumental “Johnny Goldtooth and The Chevy Casanovas” features his interpretations of a mythical character in a twang world. Enjoy my conversation with Kevin Breit, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Kevin Breit is a humble Canadian treasure. And a hell of a unique guitar player. And a nice feller. I’ve known Kevin for about 20 years at this point, although I haven’t seen him much over the last 10, sadly. When I first got to know him, he was at the tail end of a run in Norah Jones’ live band, and had played on most of her recordings as well. He was bowing out of that gig to be able to spend some more time with his young family, but was already a seasoned vet in the studio, having played on records for folks like Rosanne Cash, k.d. Lang, Hugh Laurie, Cassandra Wilson, Holly Cole, Jane Siberry, Serena Ryder, Taj Mahal, Irma Thomas and countless others. As impressive as that list is, it was his quirkier solo records that I found most interesting. His guitar playing had a big influence on me, particularly his unusual voic eon slide guitar. His string of under-the-radar albums that he seemed to be churning out almost for his own amusement were some of the coolest music I knew of. From the slide guitar based “Empty” to the mandolin orchestra of “Maybelle” and the reckless abandon of “Folk Alarm”, not to mention the inventive “Supergenrous”, I loved all of it. Kevin is well known in his native Canada, but also well-respected internationally, as his session track record suggests. With multiple awards including a Maple Blues Award, Gemini Award, National Jazz Award, Canadian Folk Music Award and two Juno Awards for his recordings, as well as for his work on albums that have a collective 10 Grammy Awards, Breit’s unparalleled creativity is infinite. Breit’s latest release, the 11-track instrumental “Johnny Goldtooth and The Chevy Casanovas” features his interpretations of a mythical character in a twang world. Enjoy my conversation with Kevin Breit, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this month is Gabriel Roth, a/k/a “Bosco Mann”. He is a Grammy award winning engineer, the founder and chief producer/engineer of Daptone Records, and a prolific song-writer, having penned over 150 songs. Roth is highly regarded throughout the industry for his detailed and analog approach, a rare find in today’s computer-obsessed production world.Since the mid-90s, Roth has been honing his craft, first under his label Desco Records and then as co-founder of Daptone Records, producing, writing and arranging for the numerous artists on the label. His own band, the Dap-Kings, are the foundation of the Daptone House of Soul Stable, backing the label’s premier act Sharon Jones, and sought after by a growing list of artists.A superior bass player, Gabe is enlisted as a member of the Dap-Kings to perform on a wide range of sessions, but his talents as a producer, arranger, engineer and mixer immediately place him in an elite class. Early mainstream followers included Kanye West (who sampled Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings’ “Pick It Up, Lay It In the Cut” on Rhymefest’s “Brand New“) and Hank Shocklee (who hired the Dap-Kings to perform on the American Gangster Soundtrack). Mark Ronson quickly followed and what resulted was Amy Winehouse’s Grammy award winning, multi-platinum smash “Back To Black” (for which Roth received a Grammy as engineer).Gabe has expanded his operations to the West Coast, now operating Penrose Studios out of Riverside, CA (while still maintaining an active presence in New York at Daptone). Gabe has made good use of the new space in California, engineering sessions for Bob Rock-produced Michael Buble records and producing, engineering and arranging James Hunter’s latest album Minute By Minute. Enjoy my conversation with Gabriel Roth, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this month is the incredibly original singer, songwriter, author and activist, Billy Bragg. Bragg was the leading figure of the anti-folk movement of the '80s, and for most of the decade, he bashed out songs alone on his electric guitar, singing about politics and love. While his lyrics were bitingly intelligent and clever, they were also warm and humane, filled with detail and wit. Even though his lyrics were carefully considered, Bragg never neglected to write melodies for songs that were strong and memorable. With a strong DIY ethic and punk-rock attitude, Billy recorded an incredible body of work from the late 70's up through his recent collaborations with Joe Henry. Billy went from his obscure first recordings (which are awesome) through commercial success, working with artists like Paul Weller and Johnny Marr. Kirsty MacColl had a hit with "New England" and Billy's own solo recordings gained attention worldwide. Then in 1998, he teamed up with Wilco to record Mermaid Avenue, a collection of performances based on unreleased songs originally written by Woody Guthrie. That spawned 2 follow-up records that are all incredible documents of Americana. His latest records, "Tooth and Nail" and "Shine a Light: Field Recordings from the Great American Railroad" mark a new direction in his work and prove that he's as vital as ever. He has also recently released an incredible book that details the history of skiffle music in Britain entitled "Roots, Radicals and Rockers". Thanks go out to Joe Henry for introducing us, and please enjoy my conversation with Billy Bragg! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Please go and listen to part one of this episode first to get the full story! Chuck Leavell is one of the great piano and organ players of our time. A member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the jazz rock ensemble Sea Level. He has served as the principal touring keyboardist and de facto musical director of The Rolling Stones since 1982. As a session musician, Leavell has performed on almost every Rolling Stones studio album released during his tenure. He has also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Gov't Mule and John Mayer. I was lucky enough to speak with Chuck about his many musical adventures, recording the classic Allman's album "Brothers and Sisters", his epic solo on "Jessica", and being in the studio with Mick and Keith for albums like "Undercover", "Steel Wheels" and "Blue and Lonesome". We yakked for a while, so I had to split this into 2 episodes. Enjoy my conversation with Chuck Leavell, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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Chuck Leavell is one of the great piano and organ players of our time. A member of The Allman Brothers Band throughout their commercial zenith in the 1970s, he subsequently became a founding member of the jazz rock ensemble Sea Level. He has served as the principal touring keyboardist and de facto musical director of The Rolling Stones since 1982. As a session musician, Leavell has performed on almost every Rolling Stones studio album released during his tenure. He has also toured and recorded with Eric Clapton, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Gov't Mule and John Mayer. I was lucky enough to speak with Chuck about his many musical adventures, recording the classic Allman's album "Brothers and Sisters", his epic solo on "Jessica", and being in the studio with Mick and Keith for albums like "Undercover", "Steel Wheels" and "Blue and Lonesome". We yakked for a while, so I had to split this into 2 episodes. Part 2 will come next week. Enjoy my conversation with Chuck Leavell, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this month is guitarist, singer, and songwriter Jorma Kaukonen. Jorma grew up in Washington, D.C., where he first turned to the guitar. He lived in the San Francisco Bay Area in the early '60s, playing backup to Janis Joplin in local clubs. In 1965, he became a founding member of Jefferson Airplane which soared to fame in 1967, and his distinctive guitar-playing was crucial to its sound with signature solos and parts in classics like "White Rabbit" and "Somebody To Love". With bassist Jack Casady, Jorma formed a spinoff duo from the group in 1970 called Hot Tuna, and this became his primary musical vehicle after the Airplane broke up in 1973. Jorma's fingerstyle guitar playing was a big part of my musical education, and introduced me to the music of Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Blake and many more. His acoustic playing in the Airplane was a real eye opener for me too, with pieces like "Embryonic Journey". He has just released a great auto-biography called "Been So Long", but I thought it would be fun to hear some of his stories coming from his own mouth, so here we go! Enjoy my conversation with Jorma Kaukonen, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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In this brief episode, Steve gives you the rundown of what's going to be happening starting next week when the season begins for real! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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