WMM Playlist from March 12, 2025

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Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

WMM presents: The Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society + SEYKO + Tribute To Danny Cox

  1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
    from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
    [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]
  1. Julien Baker & Calvin Lauber –“Get Me Away From Here, I’m Dying (feat. SOAK, Quinn Christopherson)”
    from: TRAИƧA / Red Hot / November 22, 2024
    [One of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the storied activist and music production non-profit Red Hot, TRAИƧA is a spiritual journey across eight chapters and 46 songs with over 100 artists contributing. The album spotlights the gifts of many of the most daring, imaginative trans and non-binary artists working today. // Dust Reid, who led production on Red Hot’s 2014 tribute to Arthur Russell, and Massima Bell, an artist and activist based in Los Angeles, began tracing the contours of what would become TRAИƧA together in 2021. The two producers originally met at a video shoot in upstate New York, and immediately bonded over their shared love of Beverly Glenn-Copeland’s music, as well as a common devotional connection to nature. // The passing of SOPHIE, the pathbreaking electronic producer who died in January 2021, galvanized the producers and focused their work. “We started talking about all the gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world, and wanted to create a Red Hot project that centered and celebrated those gifts,” says Reid. “We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate. We felt this is something everybody should do. Whether you identify as trans or non-binary or otherwise, if you took the time to explore your gender, get in touch with the feeling side of yourself, maybe we would have a future oriented around values of community, collaboration, care, and healing.” // Bell and Reid began conceiving of the album as a spiritual journey in eight chapters, a mirror of the original eight-stripe rainbow pride flag. The narrative begins at the earliest awareness of consciousness; moves through awakening, trauma, and grief; and arrives at liberation and continual reinvention. “One thing trans people do all the time is turn grief into possibility,” says Bell. “Living under the ongoing Western binary system, trans people reveal maps of possibility for everyone. It’s something that we can all learn from – expanding the possibility of human life.” Each chapter begins with a “chapter track,” kicking off a collection of songs that speak to that chapter’s theme. // As the producers began inviting musicians to contribute to TRAИƧA, the political climate in the United States and across the world started to foment an acute reactionary streak. Legislation denying trans people the hard-won right to medically transition proliferated across the country. Book bans rained down on libraries, stamping shut crucial apertures into trans and queer lives. The necessity of TRAИƧA’s presence in the world started to crystallize. // “The stakes have never been higher,” notes Bell. “We’re seeing a rise in anti-trans hate and vitriol that is particularly being spewed in the United States. I am a trans person from Iowa, one of the states that signed into law a bill that prohibits access to gender-affirming care. It is clearly, materially, a terrifying time.” // TRAИƧA FEATURED ARTISTS:Adrianne Lenker * Ahya Simone * Alan Sparhawk (Low) * Allison Russell * Am Taylor * Anajah * Ana Roxanne * André 3000 * Anjimile * Arthur Baker * Asher White * AV María * Babehoven * Bartees Strange * Belina Rose * Benét * Beverly Glenn-Copeland * Bill Callahan * Blake Mills * Bloomsday * Calvin Lauber * Caroline Rose * Cassandra Croft * Cassandra Jenkins * Christian Lee Hutson * claire rousay * Clairo * CLARITY * Cole Pulice * Dave Longstreth * Devendra Banhart * Eileen Myles * Eli Winter * Elizabeth Glenn-Copeland * Ezra Furman * Faye Webster * Fleet Foxes * Frankie Cosmos * Gary Gunn * Gia Margaret * Green-House * Grouper * Hand Habits * Heart Shaped * Helado Negro * Hunter Schafer * Jamal Shakeri * Jay Dee Daugherty * Jayne County * Jeff Tweedy * Jlin * Joy Guidry * Julianna Barwick * Julie Byrne * Julien Baker * Kara Jackson * Kathi Wilcox * KB Brookins * Kelela * Laraaji * Laura Jane Grace * Lauren Auder * Lee Ranaldo * Lightning Bug * Lomelda * Lucy Liyou * Lynn Avery * Lyra Pramuk * L’Rain * Mary Lattimore * MIZU * Moor Mother * More Eaze * Moses Sumney * Nico Georis * Niecy Blues * Nina Keith * Nsámbu Za Suékama * NYC Trans Oral History Project * Pepper MaShay * Perfume Genius * Pharoah Sanders * Quinn Christopherson * Rachika Nayar * Sade Adu * Sam Smith * Sharon Van Etten * SKY * SOAK * Soft Rōnin * Sparkle Division * Taryn Blake Miller * Teddy Geiger * Time Wharp * Wendy & Lisa of the Revolution * Yaeji * Yaya Bey // Julien Rose Baker was born September 29, 1995. She is an American indie rock singer and guitarist. Her music is noted for its moody quality and confessional lyrical style, as well as frank explorations of topics including Christianity, addiction, mental illness, and human nature. She has received six Grammy Award nominations and three wins as a member of Boygenius. // Born and raised in suburban Memphis, Tennessee, Baker released her debut album Sprained Ankle (2015) while she was a student at Middle Tennessee State University. The album received critical acclaim and appeared on several 2015 year-end lists. Baker subsequently signed to Matador Records and released her second studio album Turn Out the Lights in 2017, to further critical success. Her third album, Little Oblivions (2021), embraced a more full-band sound and became Baker’s first top 40 album on the Billboard 200 chart. // In addition to her solo work, Baker is a member of the indie supergroup Boygenius, alongside Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus. The group’s debut eponymous EP was released in October 2018. Boygenius announced their reunion in January 2023, and their debut studio album The Record was released in March. Their newest release, titled The Rest, was released in October 2023. Baker is also in a country duo with Torres, debuting together in 2024.]

10:07

On Friday, March 7, 2025 we lost a living legend in Kansas City.

Danny Cox recorded albums for Casablanca Records, ABC Dunhill and MGM. Many of these albums were recorded here in Kansas City through Good Karma Productions run by Vanguard Coffee House owner Stan Plesser who managed Cox’s career along with Brewer & Shipley, and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.

Danny Cox was born in July 18, 1943 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Bessy and Daniel Cox. He was the seventh of eight children. In 1963 a 20 year old Danny visited Kansas City while on a tour and was denied entry to the Muehlebach Hotel, because he was Black and Kansas City was segregated, this was one year before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned racial discrimination in public places. Back in 1963 Danny was accepted across the river at a Holiday Inn in Kansas City, Kansas. Danny has said “”Oh my god, just how different it was just a couple of miles away,” Cox said in an interview with KCUR 89.3, “The difference was so apparent.” Danny would eventually make his home in Kansas City, Kansas.

Danny moved to Kansas City in 1967, where he continued his over 6 decade long career. Danny Cox was a singer, songwriter, actor, playwright, jingles writer and father of 10 children, and grandfather. He wrote the jingle “The Grass Pad’s High on Grass.” He performed and acted on multiple stages in Kansas City, The Vanguard, The Cowtown Ballroom, The Kansas City Repertory Theatre, Theatre for Young America. He sold out Carnegie Hall four times, toured the world. When Danny performed live he elevated the stage and electrified the room with his spirit and voice.

He was such a power house of a human. He was so many things. He always stood for justice and equality and being a good human. His beautiful family is a testament to his character and love. When you find his music it will move you. Look for his earlier work, it stands the test of time and was always crossing over multiple genres.

I was able to introduce Danny Cox a few years ago at the Crossroads Music Festival where along with a band of KC veteran musicians his children and grandchildren were performing with him. I had worked with his grandchildren at Quindaro Elementary with the KCK Organic Teaching Gardens. I was able to witness the love of this family, and the harmony they created. Danny Cox’s work and art and love will live on forever.

10:10

  1. Danny Cox – “It’s You”
    from: Danny Cox / Dunhill Records / August 15, 1971
    [In 2021 Danny Cox digitally released YOUNG AND HOT (LIVE AT COWTOWN BALLROOM) EP on July 27, 2021. Danny Cox was born in 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a folk singer and songwriter best known for his 1974 LP album Feel So Good. Danny Cox moved to Kansas City, Kansas in 1967. As a youth, he sang in a church choir together with Rudolph Iseley, and in the 1960s he started his professional career performing on a Hootennany Folk Tour. Cox has recorded albums for ABC Dunhill, Casablanca, MGM and others. He also partnered a company called Good Karma Productions, run by the KC based Vanguard Coffee House owner Stan Plesser, who managed the acts of Brewer & Shipley, and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.]
  1. Danny Cox – “Electric Blanket Mama”
    from: Danny Cox / Dunhill Records / August 15, 1971
  1. Danny Cox – “We Can Build It on a Mountain”
    from: Feel So Good / Casablanca Records / 1974
    [Recorded at Bell Sound Studios, New York, January-March, 1974. In 2021 Danny Cox digitally released YOUNG AND HOT (LIVE AT COWTOWN BALLROOM) EP on July 27, 2021. Danny Cox was born in 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is a folk singer and songwriter best known for his 1974 LP album Feel So Good. Danny Cox moved to Kansas City, Kansas in 1967. As a youth, he sang in a church choir together with Rudolph Iseley, and in the 1960s he started his professional career performing on a Hootennany Folk Tour. Cox has recorded albums for ABC Dunhill, Casablanca, MGM and others. He also partnered a company called Good Karma Productions, run by the KC based Vanguard Coffee House owner Stan Plesser, who managed the acts of Brewer & Shipley, and The Ozark Mountain Daredevils.]

Danny Cox Discography:
Live at 7 Cities (1963)
Sunny (1968)
Birth Announcement (1969)
Live at the Family Dog (1970)
Danny Cox (ABC Dunhill Records) (1971)
Feel So Good (Casablanca Records) (1974)
Troost Avenue Blues (3-track EP) (2006)
Bring Our Loved Ones Back (one track) (2007)
Sack of Trout (Single) (2015)
Vandalism in Eb Minor (Coin Heaven) (Single) (2015)
Kansas City – Where I Belong (Recorded at Pilgrim Chapel) (2012)
Time Is What I Need (Single) (2020)
Young and Hot (Live at Cowtown Ballroom) (5-track EP) (July 27, 2021)
Big John Buck O’Neil (Single) (December 7, 2021)

10:20

  1. Galactic and Irma Thomas – “Where I Belong”
    from: Audience With The Queen / Tchoup-Zilla Records / Expected April 11, 2025
    [New Orleans’ one and only Galactic has joined forces with the legendary Soul Queen of New Orleans, GRAMMY® Award-winning singer Irma Thomas, for an all-new collaborative album. Audience With The Queen that arrives Friday, April 11 on Galactic’s own Tchuop-Zilla Records. // Audience With The Queen marks a landmark departure from Galactic’s 10 previous studio LPs, most of which revolved around the band’s core instrumentalists – Ben Ellman (saxophones, harmonica), Robert Mercurio (bass), Stanton Moore (drums), Jeff Raines (guitar) and Rich Vogel (keyboards) – accompanied by a mix of different vocalists. Here, the 84-year-old Thomas retains the spotlight across eight brand new songs written specifically for her famously warm, blues-drenched voice. Audience With The Queen is heralded by the new single, “Where I Belong.”// Known as the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” Irma Thomas is a pillar of American R&B and blues history, known for her soulful voice and distinctive southern twang. She immediately made a splash with her 1959 Billboard-charting debut single, “Don’t Mess With My Man,” which she followed with a string of unforgettable hits recorded with producer Allen Toussaint including “It’s Raining” and 1964’s top 20 pop hit, “Wish Someone Would Care,” a slow-burning, self-penned soul ballad based upon her life as a 17-year-old mother of three children. Recorded the same year, Thomas’ “Time Is On My Side” inspired The Rolling Stones to record an almost note-for-note rendition that proved their first top 10 single in the US. Though Thomas’ influence was firmly entrenched in New Orleans and around the globe for over five decades, she received her first-ever GRAMMY® Award in 2007 honoring her 18th studio album, the moving post-Katrina reflection After the Rain. Among her many other honors and accolades include two Blues Music Awards for “Soul Blues Female Artist,” the Americana Honors & Awards’ 2018 “Lifetime Achievement Award For Performance, and induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. // Galactic has proven an equally essential cornerstone of New Orleans’ dynamic music landscape over their own past three decades. The always adventurous group has evolved continuously since first together in the 1990s as a late-night funk outfit steeped in the unique sounds of their beloved city, thanks in part to their penchant for collaborating with a wildly diverse array of guest artists. While those experiences have afforded a steady stream of musical perspectives and ideas, other elements of their work – like their role as stewards of the historic New Orleans music venue Tipitina’s – have only served to deepen Galactic’s inextricable relationship with their city and its music community, providing an even richer foundation for their ongoing explorations of new creative terrain.]
  1. Abraham Alexander, Adrian Quesada–”Like a Bird (Sing Sing Original Soundtrack)”
    from: “Like a Bird (Sing Sing Original Soundtrack)” – Single / A24 Music / August 23, 2024
    [Nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, “Like a Bird” bursts with heart. The track is a collaboration between Grammy winning artist Adrian Quesada (Black Pumas) and Abraham Alexander, a multi-talented star on the rise who has recently opened for Leon Bridges, The Lumineers, and Mavis Staples. Honeyed vocals glide over a soulful instrumentation that’s packed with energy. Punctuated with heavenly backing vocals and a killer guitar outro, the track is exhilarating. “Like a Bird” shines in A24’s highly acclaimed Oscar-nominated film Sing Sing, which starred Colman Domingo. // Abraham Alexander’s debut album SEA/SONS was releaased April 14, 2023. and was in the Top 20 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023. Born in Greece to parents of Nigerian descent, Alexander moved to Texas with his family at age 11 to escape the racial tensions they faced in his birthplace. Shortly after moving to the states, his birth mother was killed in a car accident with a drunk driver, leading Alexander to be adopted later in his teens. He found solace in sports as a soccer prodigy and later, following a torn ACL that ended his playing career, in music once a friend handed Alexander a guitar and he unexpectedly found songs pouring out of him. // The 11 tracks on SEA/SONS touch on themes of loss, redemption, longing, anguish and joy. And while his lyrics speak to pain, trauma and life-changing loss, he instills his music with a joyful passion and irrepressible spirit, ultimately giving way to songs that radiate undeniable hope.]

10:28 – Underwriting

  1. They’re Theirs – “Midland Empire”
    from: “Midland Empire” – Single / Chase The Horseman / February 18, 2025
    [As a live band They’re Theirs consists of Chase Horseman on vocals and guitars, Sky Cowdry on bass and Ian Dobyns on drums. // “Midland Empire” was produced by They’re Theirs, engineered by Ian Dobyns, mixed by Ian Dobyns Chase Horseman and Sky Cowdry. Mastered by Justin Perkins/Mystery Room Mastering. Recorded at Element Recording. // Chase The Horseman released the single “Silver Liner” on October 25, 2024. Drums and additional engineering by Ian Dobyns, Additional vocals by Heidi Gluck. Mastered by Anthony Puglisi. Written, produced, performed and mixed by Chase Horseman at Element Recording. // Chase Horseman has composed music for over 40 films and as musician and producer collaborated with Clairaudients, Teri Quinn, Heidi Lynne Gluck, KD Kuro, The Roseline, Nan Turner and more. Chase The Horseman film composer, band leader, multi-instrumentalist, audio engineer, & producer. // On April 2, 2024 Chase released the 22 track Original Sound Track for Headcount, a feature film from the Burghart Brothers, produced by Continuance Pictures, Method Media, and Shout Factory. Chase created the music for two feature-length episodes of the Blum House Films and Hulu original series, “Into the Dark.” // In February 2020 Chase released “Poor Song,” a cover of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs track by Karen O. Chase played Sequential Circuits Prophet 600, Dave Smith MiniMopho, Korg Minilogue Xd, Moog Grandmother, Roland Alpha Juno 2, Mellotron, Guitar, Drums, Vocals all performed by Chase Horseman. Recorded at Element Recording Studios and Winky World. Mixed by Chase Horseman. Mastered by Joel Nanos. // On May 1, 2020. // Chase released, a quarantine cover of “Midnight, The Stars and You” written by Harry M. Woods, Jimmy Campbell & Reg Connelly Stanley. The most famous version was recorded in 1934 by Ray Noble & his Orchestra with an uncredited Al Bowley on vocals. This was used in the ballroom scene and closing of Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror film The Shining based on the novel by Stephen King. All of the profits of the Chase Horseman single were be donated directly to service industry workers in Kansas City and Midwest Music Foundation on a 50/50 basis. // Chase The Horseman released Disinformation Blues EP on July 12, 2019. One of WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. Chase released the single “U Martyr U” June 19, 2018, and the single “Modern Ruins” on Oct 4, 2018. // More info at: http://www.chasethehorseman.bandcamp.com.]
  1. Perfume Genius – “It’s A Mirror”
    from: Glory / Matador / March 28, 2025
    [Glory was produced by Blake Mills and marks the 7th studio album in his immaculate body of work. It’s a Mirror,” is the first single and its companion music video is directed by Cody Critchloe. The two artists first collaborated on the music video for Perfume Genius’ groundbreaking “Queen,” and Critchloe has also directed videos for artists such as Robyn, Kyle Minoque, Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, Yves Tumor and more. // Perfume Genius, the stage name for Seattle-based solo artist Mike Hadreas who was born in Des Moines, Iowa, moving to the suburbs of Seattle, Washington at the age of 7. Hadreas studied painting in school and took piano lessons as a child. His mother was a special education teacher, and is now an assistant principal at a middle school. His parents divorced when he was a teenager. Growing up, Hadreas was the only openly gay student at his school, and he received death threats which were not addressed by the administration. He dropped out of high school during his senior year. Two years after dropping out, he was attacked by several young men in his neighborhood. He moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn and worked as a doorman for a club in the East Village. In 2005, Hadreas returned home to Seattle and began recording music. In 2008, Hadreas set up a MySpace page under the name Perfume Genius, and thus began his music career. Hadreas’s music explores topics including sexuality, his personal struggle with Crohn’s disease, domestic abuse, and the dangers faced by gay men in contemporary society. In an interview with Jia Tolentino, Mike Hadreas described the album as influenced by his work with choreographer Kate Wallich on a 2019 dance piece titled “The Sun Still Burns Here”. Hadreas composed numerous songs for the performance, with two singles, “Eye in the Wall” and “Pop Song” resulting, though neither was included on Set My Heart on Fire Immediately. Of the experience, Hadreas explained that the themes of embodiment in his prior music were complicated as dance felt “rebellious against [his] body.” He explained that dancing “blew up this separation between [his] work and the world,” resulting in changes to his songwriting, with songs now telling stories grounded in real-life settings and about real people. He cited Townes Van Zandt, Enya, and Cocteau Twins as influences on the new album]
  1. Til Willis & Erratic Cowboy – “Lost”
    from: “Lost” – Single / Til Willis / February 27, 2025
    [3rd single from the upcoming album, Glass Cactus. Written by Til Willis Til Willis on vocals & guitar; Bradley McKellip on guitar & backup vocals; Eric Binkley on bass; and Austin Sinkler on drums. Steve Faceman on backup vocals. // Til Willis, born in the heat of 1980, has been making music for a long time. Currently, when not performing solo, he makes noise with Erratic Cowboy. The style of music is lyric driven rock, that draws influence from many sources. Some have described it as Tin-Roof-Rain-Water-Bop. In his years of touring the country, Til has had the pleasure to perform with such notable talents as Pete Seeger.]

[Til Willis plays Gaslight Gardens 317 North 2nd Street, Lawrence, KS on Sat., March 22 at 7:00pm.]

  1. Angie Fights Crime – “Weight of The World”
    from: Savior of The World / Angie Fights Crime / March 1, 2025
    [Angie Fights Crime is the brainchild of Brent Kinder, a musician, poet, songwriter of unlimited passion and a desire to create music and share it with the world. Angie Fights Crime often features collaborations with musicians from around the world. Savior of The World features Daniel Jordan on vocals, and Keith Howell on drums. Artwork by Tyson Schroeder, and J. Irvine. Mixing and mastering by Robert Rebeck. Brent Kinder is also in the band sMallWaves where he plays bass. With 48 albums, and 452 tracks, Angie Fights Crime is the musical project of one guy who couldn’t stop writing songs. Part I 1995-2015 (The Alphabet Series) Part II 2016 – ? (The Greyscale Series). More information at: https://alonetone.com/angiefightscrime.%5D
  1. She Said – “Wish You Well”
    from: What! / She Said / May 10, 2025
    [Jennie Ferguson on vocals & guitar, Scott Mize on guitar, Doug Hitchcock on drums, Matt Kesler, on bass. Matt Kesler & Scott Mize used to be in a band called Sylvan Grove. Jennie Ferguson & Scott Mize used to play in Shotgun Solution. This was after the time of Jennie’s all-girl psych/pop band PMS. Doug Hitchcock has played with Matt Kesler in the Midtown Jazz Quartet. Doug has played with Freedie Johston, and the band Near Death Experience. Matt Kesler also plays in the famous bands The Pedajets and The Doo Dads.]

[She Said will appear LIVE on WMM here on 90.1 FM KKFI on Wed., April 30, 2025. ]

[She Said play a Record Release Party at recordBar, 1520 Grand Boulevard, KCMO, Saturday, May 10, at 6:00 pm, doors at 5:30 pm.]

  1. Kat King – “I Might Like It”
    from: I Might Like It – Single / Manor Records / February 28, 2025
    [Kat King, on lead vocals, Derek Melies on guitar, John Kaul McCain on bass, Daniel Cole on drums, & Kara LePage on keyboards. Produced by Isaac Flynn of Hembree. Kat King released the EP Domestic Bliss on April 5, 2024. Domestic Bliss was in the Top 25 of WMM’s 129 Best Recordings of 2024. // On October 6, 2023 Kat King released the single. “Bight-Eyed.” // On June 16, 2024 Kat King released the single “Baby Talk.” // On Jan. 13, 2023 Kat King released “Gone South” Produced by Joel Martin. Centering on themes of self-care, steadfast friendship, and revitalizing optimism. On September 20, 2022 Kat King released the single “With Nothing In My Way.” This followed their single “New Sun” released July 29, 2022. “New Sun” was a follow up to the June 9, 2021, SAY WHAT YOU MEAN 5-track EP, recorded with her band. Co-produced & mixed / mastered by Joel Martin. Lawrence KS based singer songwriter Kat King released her last single “Song of Spain” in 2019 and her single “2017” in, 2018. She released her 5-song EP “Falling Up” on Dec. 1, 2017. // Kat King’s career started as far back as 2nd grade in small town Kansas. As a solo singer-songwriter act, she produced one 13-song album and three EP’s. Now based in Kansas City, Kat King graduated into a 5-piece indie-pop rock group who are gearing up for the release of their second EP together. Their infectious energy has landed them on some of KC’s biggest stages.]
  1. Yuno – “Blest”
    from: Blest / Sub Pop Records / May 16, 2025
    [Debut album from Yuno. All songs on Blest were written & performed by Yuno, co-produced by Yuno and Frank Corr, who also contributed keyboards, drums, & guitar throughout the record, with additional production and instrumentation by Patrick Wimberly (“True,” “Massive”) at The CRC in Brooklyn, and Nick Sanborn at Betty’s in Durham, NC (“True”). Blest was mixed by Steve Vealey and mastered by Joe La Porta. // Yuno was born in New York to Jamaican parents from the U.K., and grew up in the coastal Southern city of Jacksonville, Florida. Raised on a sonic diet of reggae and hip-hop records — his father’s copy of 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Tryin’ was on regular rotation in the family car throughout the 2000s — Yuno’s musical tastes began to diverge after his grandfather gifted him a skateboard that he found in a garbage can. Eventually, and unexpectedly, Yuno’s new hobby would dovetail with a future career in music. // “The first time I ever got on a skateboard, I broke my foot,” he recalls. It was while he was on the mend that he fully immersed himself in video games like Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, famous gateways for many young punks of the millennial generation. As he studied skate videos to build on his athletic technique, he also cultivated a sixth sense as a composer and overall curator of vibes. “I’m always visualizing things when I’m making music and that helps me complete the full picture,” says Yuno. “To this day I’m like, ‘What does it need to make it fit in a skate video?'” // Having taught himself the bass and guitar at home, his early material began as impressions of harder bands like HIM, Rancid, and AFI; later, he would embrace anti-folk heroes like the Moldy Peaches and Daniel Johnston. With the advent of the social media predecessor Myspace, Yuno began discovering more eclectic local Jacksonville acts, like indie-pop darlings Black Kids — who offered a more diverse look and eclectic sound for the Bold City, which had then been defined by white radio rockers like Limp Bizkit, Yellowcard, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. “Seeing Black Kids’ success showed me more of what I could do,” says Yuno. // In time, Yuno taught himself to produce on his laptop, and filled his childhood bedroom with instruments to cultivate a more full-bodied sound, in which he married crunching pop-punk riffs with glimmers of synth strings Yuno uploaded his ballads of teenage longing to Soundcloud, where they began to catch fire within the indie blogosphere — and by 2014, caught the attention of Shabazz Palaces emcee and Sub Pop A&R representative Ishmael Butler. At that time, Yuno had never performed a live show, and could count the number of concerts he’d been to on one hand. // “He DMed me for new music, but I didn’t have anything to bring him,” recalls Yuno. “A year or so later, he came back and asked, ”Do you mind if I share your music with Sub Pop?’ Apparently, they liked it, and I flew out to Seattle to meet everybody.” // That visit resulted in a record deal with Sub Pop and eventually, his 2018 debut EP, Moodie. The record’s evocative, yearning hooks and cinematic ambience made a suitable soundtrack for film and TV. His surfy pop track “Sunlight,” a summer sketch he revitalized from 2012, was featured in an episode of the Netflix series Atypical; and the gossamer melancholy of “Fall in Love” made for a haunting needle drop in comedian Ramy Youssef’s HBO special, Feelings. // By this time, Yuno had moved back to his birthplace of New York City and settled in Bushwick — just before the Covid-19 pandemic had threatened to stall his music career, along with the world. Sequestered at home once more, like the monastic days of his youth, Yuno began piecing together his foundation for Blest. “For the first time in my life, I was social, going to shows, and meeting new people,” says Yuno. “Then I had to kind of go back and revert to just being in my bedroom all day. It was strange, but I was used to it!” // As the pandemic eased, Yuno welcomed collaborators like Nick Sanborn of Sylvan Esso and Patrick Wimberly of Chairlift, the latter who lends his sparkle to the fuzz-rock saunter of Blest track, “Massive” — “The bane of staying young is gettin’ older,” sings Yuno, speaking to the all-too precious resource that is time. Co-producer Frank Corr, the NYC artist who performs as Morning Silk, introduced an array of vintage synthesizers to the musician. //Yuno’s superpower lies in the way he mines a multitude of genres for their pop potential and surfaces with a tapestry that feels novel and fresh. Take, for instance, “Blest,” the immediate, blissful, and bright title track, which is inspired by Rich Harrison-breakbeats and Neptunes-esque jangle. Or the breezy single, “True,” which he began writing at producer Sanborn’s Betty’s in Durham, NC, Yuno moderates a lover’s quarrel with slick, trap percussions. Amid the breakbeated dream-rock of “Gimme Ocean,” he introduces his guitar solo with a searing emo scream, run through an EarthQuaker Devices pedal. Don’t let his sanguine aura or his sherbet pink wardrobe fool you; he can shred as hard as he wants to when he wants to.

11:00 – Station ID

  1. Krista Kopper, Seth Davis, Evan Verploegh, Benjamin Baker, Aaron Osborne
    from: EMAS @ MiniBar May 5. 2024 / EMAS / May 5. 2024
    [Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society was founded in 2021 and is a free improvisation / contemporary music and arts collective & ensemble based in Kansas City. The mission of the group is to help grow and facilitate an improvised/experimental arts scene in Kansas City through performances, a record label, and multidisciplinary collaborations.]
    [EMAS is presenting a concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that highlights local & touring improvising & experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, Sept. 7, and Nov. 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. Info at http://www.emaskansascity.com]

11:04 – Interview with Seth Davis, Evan Verploegh, Shanté Clair and Benjamin Baker

Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society was founded in 2021 and is a free improvisation / contemporary music and arts collective & ensemble based in Kansas City. The mission of the group is to help grow and facilitate an improvised/experimental arts scene in Kansas City through performances, a record label, and multidisciplinary collaborations. EMAS is presenting a new concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that will highlight local and touring improvising and experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, September 7, and November 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. More info at http://www.emaskansascity.com

Members of Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society join us. Seth Davis (founder), Evan Verploegh (co-founder), Shanté Clair, Benjamin Baker thanks for being with us on WMM.

Seth Andrew Davis is a performer, composer, improviser, technologist, scholar and educator from the Kansas City area. Davis graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance in Kansas City, Mo. in 2019 with a BM in Music Composition. Davis has studied with Jim Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, Chen Yi, Mara Gibson and Michael Miller. In 2023, Davis graduated with an MA in Music with an emphasis in Music Technology from the University of Central Missouri where he studied with Jeff Kaiser. // Davis is involved in the improvised music/free improvisation, experimental, and electronic music scenes in Kansas City. Davis’ music runs the gamut of compositions for orchestral and chamber ensembles, performances with free-jazz/free improvised music ensembles and large groups, solo performance, collaborations with dancers and video artists, and the design and collaboration of autonomous and interactive artificial life agents and 3D environments.

Seth Davis has performed and has had his music performed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malaysia, Mexico and Indonesia. Davis has had his work performed at various conferences and festivals including the New York City Electro-Acoustic Music Festival, KC Performing Media Festival, Kansas City Contemporary Music Festival, NASA Regional IV Conference, Electronic Music Midwest, Exchange of Midwest Collegiate Composers, the International Navy Saxophone Symposium, National Flute Association Convention, Making Moves Dance Festival, MoxSonic, Experiments in Electronic Sound at CalArts, Omaha NoiseFest, New Interfaces For Musical Expression (NIME), SPLICE Festival, & the International Computer Music Conference (ICMC).

Davis has had pieces performed by the Mnemosyne Quartet, Project C4, Dionysus, Second Nature Ensemble, Chi Him Chik, Sputter Box, Apply Triangle, loadbang, EMAS, No Treble Low String Trio, UCM New Technologies Ensemble, newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, & the Symbiotique Nonet and has either performed, recorded and/or collaborated with Alexander Adams, Ishmael Ali, Ben Baker, Ben Baker Billington, T.J. Borden, Lucas Brode, Claire De Brunner, Bob Bucko Jr, Lisa Cameron, Kevin Cheli, Craig Chin, Dan Clucas, Brennan Connors, Brandon Cooper, Alex Cunningham, Tim Daisy, Alvaro Domene, Michael Eaton, Douglas R. Ewart, Sandy Ewen, Kelley Gant, Vinny Golia, Enrique Haneine, Lathan Hardy, Jakob Heinemann, Zachary Hickerson, Zoots Houston, Kyle Hutchins, Molly Jones, Max Johnson, Jeff Kaiser, Reid Karris, Krista Kopper, Max Kutner, Tom Law, Scott R. Looney, Thollem McDonas, Adam Minkoff, Federico Musso, Spencer Perkins, Kyle Quass, Alberto Racanati, Aoki Satoru, Adam Shead, Patrick Shiroishi, Damon Smith, Mike Stover, Scott Dean Taylor, Evan Verploegh, Eli Wallace, Weasel Walter, Alex Williams, Drew Williams, David James Witter, & Will Yager. Davis has performed with groups such as newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, Mnemosyne Quartet, Project C4, & the UMKC IMP Ensemble. Davis’s music has been featured and released on labels such as EMAS Records, Lurker Bias, Neuma Records, Mother Brain Records, Personal Archives, Ramble Records, and Relay Recordings.

Davis’ composition & performance style has been described as “brutalist maximalism” , a “workmanlike Renaissance Soundman” (KC Studio Magazine). Davis’ playing has been described as “moving from bubbling liquid mercury and emotive string speculation to surgical-edged metallics and everything in between” (Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis) and has been called a “master of pedals/effects” (Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery). Davis’ music has been described as “confrontational” (Bill Brownlee, There Stands The Glass), “engaging…thoughtfully composed” (Aaron Grant, DiaKCritcal), “fascinating and foreboding, eerie music that challenges and rewards with repeated listens’ ‘ (Bryan Voell, Listen Local) & “futuristic bubbling soundscapes that teem with sonic life” (Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis). Davis was featured as an “Artist to Watch” by KC Studio in 2023 and along with Evan Verploegh as 2022’s “Plastic Sax” blog’s “People Of The Year.”

As an artist, Davis works closely with performers and collaborators to create pieces, installations, and works that are unique to that partnership. Davis is an avid collaborator, having worked with choreographers, video artists, animators, playwrights etc. Davis’s artistic influences run the gamut from popular music, free-jazz, hip-hop, electronic music, film, literature, visual art, contemporary culture and from this Davis wishes to blur the lines between genres, composer and performer, and various artistic mediums. Davis is also a co-founder of Second Nature, a free jazz/new music/math-rock ensemble, was the guitarist in the new music ensemble Project C4 (2018-2020), and is a founding member of EMAS: Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society. Davis is also an active concert organizer in the Kansas City music scene as the Vice President of KcEMA (KC Electronic Music Alliance) and as Production Coordinator of newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. In 2020, Davis co-founded Mother Brain Records with saxophonist & composer Michael Eaton. Mother Brain Records is a Midwest based label focused on releasing the works of artists in the experimental & improvised music scenes. From 2019-2022, Davis was an artist resident with Charlotte Street Foundation. In 2021, Davis co-founded EMAS with Evan Verploegh. EMAS is an improvised music & arts collective based in Kansas City that is dedicated to advancing creative work in Kansas City. Davis currently is an adjunct instructor at the University of Central Missouri teaching Applied Music Technology and the KC Art Institute teaching music technology courses.

Evan Verploegh (he/him) is a drummer based in Kansas City, Missouri, after relocating from Wisconsin in late 2019. He serves as co-founder of the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society. EMAS is a collective group dedicated to advancing improvised and experimental artistic work in Kansas City. In 2022, he was awarded a studio residency at Charlotte Street Foundation. Committed to improvisation as an artform, Evan draws from influences of free jazz, contemporary classical, and experimental rock. Evan also serves as an active organizer of live music and arts events.

Benjamin Baker is a composer and performer currently based out of Kansas City. Benjamin’s music comes from a place at the intersection of spontaneous improvisation and traditional storytelling structure with works written for a variety of concert ensembles and popular music groups, drawing influence from a multitude of traditions, genres, and styles. As a performer, Benjamin appears on multiple freelance recording works including projects with the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society of Kansas City, the band Friendly Thieves, and he is the co-founder of the recording and performance collective II-WANDS. Notable awards Benjamin has recently received include the 2022 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award for his piece PRIMORDIAL (2019) for alto saxophone and live electronics, as well as attending the Visby International Centre for Composers in 2024 as a composer-in-residence. Benjamin received his B.M. in Composition from Ohio University in 2020 and his M.M. in Composition from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2023. More info at: http://www.benjamintbaker.com

Shanté Clair (she/her) is a singer/songwriter and experimental musician who builds prismatic soundscapes through looping and layering effects.

Originally from Chicago and now based in KC, Shanté started her music career on acoustic guitar. After a long stint with experimental band Shiny Jets, she’s now a core member of the Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society (EMAS).


Since playing with EMAS, she has expanded to playing glockenspiel, semi-modular synthesizers, peacock harp (Taishōgoto), and a variety of unconventional objects. Influenced by Stevie Wonder to Captain Beefheart, Shanté works in sonic contrasts, oscillating between shimmering atmospheric tones and stark, punctuated distortion.
By day, Shanté works as a visual designer and enjoys making mixed media art including painting and digital collage.


EMAS is presenting a new concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that will highlight local and touring improvising and experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, September 7, and November 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. More info at http://www.emaskansascity.com

11:13

  1. Krista Kopper, Evan Verploegh, Aaron Osborne, Seth Davis – “2”
    rom: EMAS @ Farewell Nov. 11, 2024 / EMAS / Nov. 11, 2024
    [Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society was founded in 2021 and is a free improvisation / contemporary music and arts collective & ensemble based in Kansas City. The mission of the group is to help grow and facilitate an improvised/experimental arts scene in KC through performances, a record label, and multidisciplinary collaborations.]
    [EMAS is presenting a concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that highlights local & touring improvising & experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, Sept. 7, and Nov. 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. More at http://www.emaskansascity.com]

11:16 – More Interview with Seth Davis, Evan Verploegh, Shanté Clair and Benjamin Baker

Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society was founded in 2021 and is a free improvisation / contemporary music and arts collective & ensemble based in Kansas City. The mission of the group is to help grow and facilitate an improvised/experimental arts scene in Kansas City through performances, a record label, and multidisciplinary collaborations. EMAS is presenting a new concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that will highlight local and touring improvising and experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, September 7, and November 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. More info at http://www.emaskansascity.com

Members of Extemporaneous Music & Arts Society join us. Seth Davis (founder), Evan Verploegh (co-founder), Shanté Clair, Benjamin Baker thanks for being with us on WMM.

Krista Kopper is a fanatic of modern and contemporary music. She has traveled the country playing musicals as well as commissioning, performing, and recording works for the double bass written by some of the most influential modern composers. An avid improviser, she enjoys exploring the infinite variety of sounds that a double bass can produce. To that end, she is an active member of the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society, an improvised arts collective in Kansas City.

She has a masters degree in double bass performance from The Hartt School where she studied with Robert Black. Some of her career highlights include performing Gubaidulina’s “Concerto for Bassoon and Low Strings” with Ensemble Mise-En at the New York University Library, performing Ustvolskaya’s Composition No. 2 “Dies Irae” with Robert Black and friends at the Jewish Museum in NYC, doing a run of “A Chorus Line” and “Spamalot” at the Palace Theatre in Manchester, NH, teaching at a music summer camp in Cazadero, CA, doing a run of “9 to 5” at Creede Repertory Theatre in Creede, CO, and performing with newEar Contemporary Music Ensemble in KCMO.

Krista was also the creator and host of The Backstage Creative, a podcast that focused on the people who work behind the scenes of theater. Two years ago she started a concert series called The Only Series which highlights 20th century composers. She recently released a solo improvised album called “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn” which is based off of women who have been murdered while running. She is currently working on a book about Robert Black while she freelances in the KCarea. In her spare time she also trains for ultramarathons.

Aaron Osborne is a multi-instrumentalist from KC. He uses electric upright bass; bowed gongs; electronics & auxiliary percussion to create multi-layered, improvised compositions.

Brooke Knoll is a harpist, radio professional, and digital marketer based in Kansas City, Missouri and currently residing in Dublin, Ireland. Brooke is a graduate of the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, receiving a B.S.B. with majors in Entrepreneurship, Public Non-Profit Management, and Harp. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Cultural Policy and Arts Management from University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. She has studied harp with Kathy Kienzle, Phala Tracy, and Nikki Lemire.

A student of classical harp as well as the Suzuki method, Brooke has experience performing in orchestral and solo settings. A lifelong learner, she seeks to find ways in which the harp can break convention and elicit new emotions from listeners while also employing traditional sonorities. She has previously played with the Roseville String Ensemble and Topeka Symphony. She currently performs as part of the Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society as an improviser and collaborator of contemporary music and teaches lessons to students of all ages.


Brooke got her start in public radio at the University of Minnesota’s radio station, Radio K, where she hosted “Rock Me, Amadeus,” a show dedicated to making classical music accessible and approachable. From there, she joined YourClassical MPR as a digital producer and board operator before finding her way to Kansas City as digital audience specialist and on-air host at 91.9 Classical KC, where she worked until 2024.

As an arts administrator, Brooke has previously worked with the Minnesota Fringe Festival, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Cuban American Youth Orchestra, and Minnesota Orchestra.

Seth Davis (founder), Evan Verploegh (co-founder), Shanté Clair, Benjamin Baker thanks for being with us on WMM.

EMAS is presenting a new concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that will highlight local and touring improvising and experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, September 7, and November 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. More info at http://www.emaskansascity.com

11:25

  1. Shanté Clair, Aaron Osborne – “3”
    from: EMAS @ Fifth Floor December 21, 2024 / EMAS / December 21, 2024
    [Extemporaneous Music and Arts Society was founded in 2021 and is a free improvisation / contemporary music and arts collective & ensemble based in Kansas City. The mission of the group is to help grow and facilitate an improvised/experimental arts scene in KC through performances, a record label, and multidisciplinary collaborations.]

[EMAS is presenting a concert series at MiniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO that highlights local & touring improvising & experimental music artists. The series continues with additional concerts on May 4, July 6, Sept. 7, and Nov. 2. This series serves as an opportunity to support artists who have committed to underground art and bold exploration in their craft. More at http://www.emaskansascity.com]

11:28 – Underwriting

  1. SEYKO – “Anybody High”
    from: “Anybody High” – Single / Groove King Records – Fat Beats / December 1, 2023
    [Produced by Colby Bales of the band Black Light Animals and also a bandmate of SEYKO’s in The Freedom Affair. // Seyko released the single “What I Want” on June 23, 2023. //From http://www.seykomusic.com: Seyko has always found music to be a reflection of her innermost thoughts and feelings, a way of self-expression but even deeper than that. Music was always a life-giving, constant companion from the happiest moments to the darkest days. Music continues to be Seyko’s way of communicating with the world around her. // Seyko developed her musical talent during her formative years through church and school choirs, friendships that evolved into singing groups, and professional training through voice lessons and songwriting. Opportunities presented themselves, but Seyko also created opportunities for herself as she chased her dream to create and perform her own music. // The Freedom Affair and SUNU, two Kansas City bands Seyko performs and writes with, have solidified her place in the music scene and provide a solid foundation for beginning her solo career. Seyko’s singing and songwriting career has spanned twenty years, and it shows! Her creative growth has led to her being a well-respected artist in Kansas City, allowing her to participate in recording projects for fellow musicians and even singing background vocals for Michael Bublé at a live concert in 2022.]

11:34 – Interview with SEYKO

KC vocalist SEYKO developed her powerful vocal talent during her formative years through church and school choir. Seyko’s singing and songwriting career has spanned twenty years. Seyko performs and writes music for the bands The Freedom Affair and SUNU, two bands that have solidified her place in the music community. Her creative growth has led to her solo recordings collaborating with members of the bands Black Light Animals and The Freedom Affair. Seyko also participates in recording projects for fellow musicians and singing background vocals for The Band That Fell To Earth and with Michael Bublé at a live concert in 2022. The Freedom Affair have a new 10-track album produced and recorded with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) at the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis. The new album will be released on May 9, 2025.

Seyko plays the Black Light Animals, LAST CALL FOR LOVE SONGS – Album Release Show on March 29 at The Ship

SUNU play The Ship, 1228 Union Ave, KCMO on Saturday, April 6 at 6:00pm.

The Freedom Affair play The Madrid, 3810 Main Street, KCMO Friday, May 2, 2025.

Seyko, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

“Anybody High” was released though Groove King Records – Fat Beats, on Dec. 1, 2023 and was Produced by Colby Bales of the band Black Light Animals and also a bandmate of SEYKO’s in The Freedom Affair. // Seyko released the single “What I Want” on June 23, 2023. // From http://www.seykomusic.com: Seyko has always found music to be a reflection of her innermost thoughts and feelings, a way of self-expression but even deeper than that. Music was always a life-giving, constant companion from the happiest moments to the darkest days. Music continues to be Seyko’s way of communicating with the world around her. // Seyko developed her musical talent during her formative years through church and school choirs, friendships that evolved into singing groups, and professional training through voice lessons and songwriting. Opportunities presented themselves, but Seyko also created opportunities for herself as she chased her dream to create and perform her own music.

The Freedom Affair has a new 10-track album produced and recorded with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) at the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis. The new album will be released on May 9, 2025.

Shon Ruffin – Vocals
Paula Saunders – Vocals
Seyko Groves – Vocals
Cole Bales – Guitar
Branden Moser – Bass, Acoustic Guitar (Track 4)
Chris Hazelton – Hammond B3 Organ, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Piano, Bass (Track 4), Vocals
Dave Brick – Drums
Pete Carroll – Trumpet and Flugelhorn
Brett Jackson – Tenor Sax, Baritone Sax, Tambourine

Recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, TN
Recording Engineer: Boo Mitchell
Tape Operator: Wesley Graham
Produced by: Chris Hazelton, Dave Brick, and The Freedom Affair
Mixed by: Vince Chiarito
Mastered by: JJ Golden at Golden Mastering
Horn Arrangements by: Hazelton, Carroll, Jackson, and Bales
Design and Layout: Tracy Lenihan

From The Freedom Affair Bandcamp page:

The Freedom Affair has planted deep roots in soul music from their start, but after nearly a decade together, the group’s self-titled sophomore album focuses their sound squarely where Muscle Shoals meets Memphis Soul. It’s a masterstroke of impassioned message-music exploring ageless themes of inequity, love, and togetherness.

A fateful February 2023 encounter with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) at Royal Studios created a spark that sent the band back to Kansas City with new musical conviction. By November, the band had returned to record all-new Southern Soul-inspired songs in the legendary Memphis studio.

The ever-powerful female trio fronting the band–Paula Saunders, Seyko Groves, and Shon Ruffin–has been the hallmark of The Freedom Affair’s sound and identity, and their collective vocal prowess is on full display ranging from tough to tender, touching on heartache and hope. The experience at Royal studios convinced the band that there isn’t a better room to record horns. The “one take” horns of Pete Carroll on trumpet and Brett Jackson on saxophone prove their years together as a unit have paid off with their precision and lines written to meet the vibe perfectly. With rhythm section personnel remaining the same from their debut album Freedom is Love, a shift in instrumentation moves Chris Hazelton from bass to his primary instrument of the Hammond B3 organ along with various keyboards. Branden Moser swaps in the bass, which also happens to be his primary instrument, from his former rhythm guitar. Cole Bales continues to dig into timeless riffs on lead guitar, and Dave Brick maintains the backbone with the heavy boom-bap on drums. This album has cemented The Freedom Affair’s sound: enduring melodies with rich arrangements, backed by a gritty pulse.

Royal was the perfect site for this album, and the band took full advantage of the studio’s history by incorporating studio tools and relics throughout the process. With only four days to fully track the ten-song album, the band insisted on using the same Ampex 1” tape recorder that produced all the Hi Record hits from 1974 and prior to preserve authenticity. It was the first time the machine had been used for an album since 1974. The limitations and quirks of using vintage, analog gear made way for magic moments that shape the album’s charm. The record calls fresh attention to classic Southern Soul with all the coziness and warmth you’d expect from listening to Al Green or Ann Peebles, captured in the very same room. Mixed by Vince Chiarito (Hive Mind, Jalen Ngonda, Charles Bradley) and mastered by JJ Golden (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The James Hunter Six, Antibalas), this album is a truly an all-killer, no-filler lesson in soul music.

11:41

  1. The Freedom Affair – “Get My Share”
    from: The Freedom Affair / Sunflower Soul Records / May 9, 2025
    [Shon Ruffin on vocals, Paula Saunders on vocals, Seyko Groves on vocals, Cole Bales on guitar, Branden Moser on bass & Acoustic Guitar=, Chris Hazelton on Hammond B3 Organ, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, Piano, Bass (Track 4), Vocals; Dave Brick on drums; Pete Carroll on trumpet & flugelhorn; Brett Jackson on tenor sax, baritone sax, tambourine. Recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, TN. Recording Engineer: Boo Mitchell. Tape Operator: Wesley Graham. Produced by: Chris Hazelton, Dave Brick, and The Freedom Affair. Mixed by: Vince Chiarito. Mastered by: JJ Golden at Golden Mastering. Horn Arrangements by: Hazelton, Carroll, Jackson, and Bales. Design and Layout: Tracy Lenihan // The Freedom Affair has planted deep roots in soul music from their start, but after nearly a decade together, the group’s self-titled sophomore album focuses their sound squarely where Muscle Shoals meets Memphis Soul. It’s a masterstroke of impassioned message-music exploring ageless themes of inequity, love, and togetherness. // A fateful February 2023 encounter with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) at Royal Studios created a spark that sent the band back to Kansas City with new musical conviction. By November, the band had returned to record all-new Southern Soul-inspired songs in the legendary Memphis studio. // The ever-powerful female trio fronting the band–Paula Saunders, Seyko Groves, and Shon Ruffin–has been the hallmark of The Freedom Affair’s sound and identity, and their collective vocal prowess is on full display ranging from tough to tender, touching on heartache and hope. The experience at Royal studios convinced the band that there isn’t a better room to record horns. The “one take” horns of Pete Carroll on trumpet and Brett Jackson on saxophone prove their years together as a unit have paid off with their precision and lines written to meet the vibe perfectly. With rhythm section personnel remaining the same from their debut album Freedom is Love, a shift in instrumentation moves Chris Hazelton from bass to his primary instrument of the Hammond B3 organ along with various keyboards. Branden Moser swaps in the bass, which also happens to be his primary instrument, from his former rhythm guitar. Cole Bales continues to dig into timeless riffs on lead guitar, and Dave Brick maintains the backbone with the heavy boom-bap on drums. This album has cemented The Freedom Affair’s sound: enduring melodies with rich arrangements, backed by a gritty pulse. // Royal was the perfect site for this album, and the band took full advantage of the studio’s history by incorporating studio tools and relics throughout the process. With only four days to fully track the ten-song album, the band insisted on using the same Ampex 1” tape recorder that produced all the Hi Record hits from 1974 and prior to preserve authenticity. It was the first time the machine had been used for an album since 1974. The limitations and quirks of using vintage, analog gear made way for magic moments that shape the album’s charm. The record calls fresh attention to classic Southern Soul with all the coziness and warmth you’d expect from listening to Al Green or Ann Peebles, captured in the very same room. Mixed by Vince Chiarito (Hive Mind, Jalen Ngonda, Charles Bradley) and mastered by JJ Golden (Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, The James Hunter Six, Antibalas), this album is a truly an all-killer, no-filler lesson in soul music.]

[The Freedom Affair play The Madrid, 3810 Main Street, KCMO Friday, May 2, 2025.]

11:45 – More Interview with Seyko

We are talking with KC vocalist SEYKO who developed her powerful vocal talent during her formative years through church and school choir. Seyko’s singing and songwriting career has spanned twenty years. Seyko performs and writes music for the bands The Freedom Affair and SUNU, two bands that have solidified her place in the music community. Her creative growth has led to her solo recordings collaborating with members of the bands Black Light Animals and The Freedom Affair. Seyko also participates in recording projects for fellow musicians and singing background vocals for The Band That Fell To Earth and with Michael Bublé at a live concert in 2022. The Freedom Affair have a new 10-track album produced and recorded with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Boo Mitchell (Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars, Al Green) at the legendary Royal Studios in Memphis. The new album will be released on May 9, 2025.

Seyko plays the Black Light Animals, LAST CALL FOR LOVE SONGS – Album Release Show on March 29 at The Ship

SUNU play The Ship, 1228 Union Ave, KCMO on Saturday, April 6 at 6:00pm.

The Freedom Affair play The Madrid, 3810 Main Street, KCMO Friday, May 2, 2025.

Seyko, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Seyko also participates in recording projects for fellow musicians and singing background vocals for The Band That Fell To Earth and with Michael Bublé at a live concert in 2022

SEYKO who developed her powerful vocal talent during her formative years through church and school choir. Seyko’s singing and songwriting career has spanned twenty years. Seyko performs and writes music for the bands The Freedom Affair and SUNU, two bands that have solidified her place in the music community.

SUNU was formed in 2007 in Lawrence, Kansas this 8 member ensemble mixes Afrobeat, Jazz, Funk, New Orleans street beats and West African dance drumming to create a tasty brew of shake-your-booty music. With a trio of powerhouse horns, three percussionists and a driving rhythm section they create a potent stew of pure soul that has led them to share the stage with legendary groups like George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and both Femi and Seun Kuti.

PERSONEL:
Rev. Aaron Morris – Trumpet, Vocals
Dan Pem – Tenor Saxophone
Chris Leopold – Trombone
Michael Hamm – Guitar
Chris Shaw – Bass
Dylan Bassett – Percussion
Taylor Babb – Percussion
Alex Thiessen – Percussion

SUNU’s 2015 single “Food, Inc.” b/w “Liberation” was Recorded, mixed, & produced by Chris Hazelton and Mastered by Adam Boose at Cauliflower Audio

For mone information about SUNU you can visit: http://www.sunumusic.com

SEYKO thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

More info at: http://www.sunumusic.com and http://www.thefreedomaffair.bandcamp.com and http://www.seykomusic.com .

For WMM, and Seyko, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:53

  1. SEYKO – “What I Want”
    from: “What I Want” – Single / Groove King Records – Fat Beats / June 23, 2023
    [Produced by Colby Bales of the band Black Light Animals and also a bandmate of SEYKO’s in The Freedom Affair. // From http://www.seykomusic.com: Seyko has always found music to be a reflection of her innermost thoughts and feelings, a way of self-expression but even deeper than that. Music was always a life-giving, constant companion from the happiest moments to the darkest days. Music continues to be Seyko’s way of communicating with the world around her. // Seyko developed her musical talent during her formative years through church and school choirs, friendships that evolved into singing groups, and professional training through voice lessons and songwriting. Opportunities presented themselves, but Seyko also created opportunities for herself as she chased her dream to create and perform her own music. // The Freedom Affair and Sunu, two Kansas City bands Seyko performs and writes with, have solidified her place in the music scene and provide a solid foundation for beginning her solo career. Seyko’s singing and songwriting career has spanned twenty years, and it shows! Her creative growth has led to her being a well-respected artist in Kansas City, allowing her to participate in recording projects for fellow musicians and even singing background vocals for Michael Bublé at a live concert in 2022.]

[Seyko plays the Black Light Animals, LAST CALL FOR LOVE SONGS – Album Release Show on March 29 at The Ship]

[The Freedom Affair play The Madrid, 3810 Main Street, KCMO Friday, May 2, 2025.]

[SUNU play The Ship, 1228 Union Ave, KCMO on Saturday, April 6 at 6:00pm.]

  1. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

NEXT WEEK, on March 19 – Zach Phillips returns with new music from The Lone Stranger. Also we’ll chat with Cole Bales and Cody Calhoun of Black Light Animals about their new album, LAST CALL FOR LOVE SONGS and their Album Release Show March 29 at The Ship. And Noah Cassity and members of Big Fat Cow will be with us.

Big THANK YOU TO THE FABULOUS 44 PEOPLE WHO DONATED in support of Wednesday MidDay Medley for KKFI 90.1 FM’s during our On-Air Winter Fund Drive! With the help of my amazing co-hosts, we raised $2,693.00 toward our goal of $2,685.00. We achieved 100% of our goal for KKFI 90.1 FM. Thank you Betse Ellis, Rachio Head, and Mikal Shapiro and J Kelly Dougherty and all our fabulous donors and listeners!

THANK YOU to our incredible KKFI Staff; Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. Instead it is about a collective spirit of hundreds of hardworking people, unselfishly setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the gigantic goal of keeping our airwaves free, non-commercial, and open to all! Congratulations and thank you to all programmers & volunteers who went the extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

Wednesday MidDay Medley in on the web:
http://www.kkfi.org,
http://www.WednesdayMidDayMedley.org,
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM

On your local radio dial 90.1 FM or
STREAMING LIVE at: kkfi.org

Show #1086

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