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, April 15, 2026

Kasey Rausch + Marcus Rattler + Hailes

1. “It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Motion Picture Soundtrack to All That Jazz / Universal / Dec. 20, 1979
   [WMM’s theme]

. Kelela – “idea 1″
from: “idea 1” – Single / Warp Records / April 7, 2026
[“‘idea 1’ is about what it feels like to exist in this climate — the weight of being expected to witness, absorb, and speak truth at a time when the world feels like it’s unraveling. That’s a particular kind of burden Black women know intimately. This song doesn’t offer answers, it just refuses to look away. Co-writing it with my best friend Janiva Ellis, hearing Oscar’s production give it shape, and then watching 91 Rules bring that tension to life visually feels like the beginning of a much larger conversation I’m ready to have.” – Kelela // Kelela Mizanekristos (pronounced kələla mizanəkrɨstos0, born June 4, 1983. She is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023. // A second-generation Ethiopian American and an only child, Mizanekristos was born in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1983. Growing up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she learned to play the violin in fourth grade and sang in her school’s choir. In 2001, she graduated from Magruder High School. After transferring from Montgomery College to the American University, Mizanekristos began singing jazz standards at cafés. In 2008, she joined an indie band called Dizzy Spells and sang progressive metal after meeting Tosin Abasi, whom she later dated. In 2010, she moved to Los Angeles, where she currently lives, in addition to London.]

3. Suki Waterhouse – “Back In Love”
   from: “Back In Love”- Single / Confidence River – Island / March 27, 2026
   [From: udiscovermusic.co, written by Lane Harper (published March 27, 2026) Suki Waterhouse Reveals New Song, ‘Back in Love’ It’s her first release on her new label Island Records, and the first taste of her forthcoming third-album. // Suki Waterhouse is back with a new song. “Back In Love,” which she co-wrote with longtime collaborators Natalie Findlay and Jules Apollinaire, is her first release on her new label, Island Records. She signed with the imprint roughly six months ago, after releasing her first two albums on Sub Pop. // “The phrase ‘Back in Love’ reflects many ideas,” Waterhouse shared in a press statement. “For me, it’s about coming back to your sense of self after having an identity shift.” // The track, which furthers Waterhouse’s characteristic blend of psych rock and ’70s drama, explores falling in love with yourself. It’s paired with an appropriately center-stage-minded video directed by Kaz Firpo, which follows Waterhouse as she finds her spotlight at a nightclub (and wins the adoration of the crowd in the process). // “Back In Love” is also Waterhouse’s first preview of a forthcoming record. Although she has yet to officially announce the unnamed project, which will be her third LP, she plans to debut songs from it live at this summer’s Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago. She’s also book to play the festival Hinterland this August in Iowa. The shows will mark Waterhouse’s return to the stage after a break, which itself followed a period of heavy touring for the English singer-songwriter. This included her own headlining Sparklemuffin Tour, which ran from September through December 2024, and high-profile opening slots for the likes of Taylor Swift and Laufey. // Waterhouse released her most recent LP, Memoir of a Sparklemuffin, in September 2024 on Sub Pop. The album debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart and No. 39 in the UK. It followed her 2022 debut I Can’t Let Go, which featured her breakout single “Good Looking” — originally released in 2017, it went viral on TikTok five years later, and today sits RIAA-certified platinum with nearly a billion streams across platforms. Earlier this year, Waterhouse released the standalone single “Dream Woman,” her first output since Sparklemuffin.]

4. Brooke Tuley and the Moon Travelers – “Build a Ship”
   from: Chase Me / Brooke Tuley Music / May 7, 2024
   [We’ve been a fan of the musical work of Brook Tuley from the incredible recordings shw had created with husband Mke Tuley and with Anna St. Louis for The Bloodbirds. We also loved the solo released of Anna St; Louis and other collaborators with the Tuley family. // Mike Tuley was o our show way back when the Grisly hand released their debut vinyl EP, SAFE HOUSE back in 2010. Many of the musicians on that album play on this new Brooke Tuley release. // Brooke wrote to me saying, “Chase Me had a quiet release in 2024 and, at the time, it felt a bit too personal to share more broadly. Since then, I’ve had some distance from it and feel ready to open it up and talk about it further. The project is very much a reflection of my process. It’s not a traditional album or release, but it’s honest, and that feels worth sharing. Alongside it, I’ve been working on a show at The Temple, and the release also includes an art and poetry book with a listening card. That format came together as a way to present the work in a more tangible, exploratory way.” // Recorded and produced by Mike Tuley in the Tuley home studio, in Kansas City. Brooke Tuley on vocals, guitar, songwriting; Mike Tuley on guitar, keys, percussion, engineering; Jimmy Fitzner on guitar; John Nichols on bass, Jon Kraft on drums; Mike Stover on pedal steel; Betse Ellis on fiddle; Rich Wheeler on saxophone. Cameos by Anna St. Louis, Kevin Morby, and Suzannah Johannes. Mixed and mastered by John Golden. Cover design by Anna St Louis and photography by Christopher Good. // Chase Me is a record about momentum—about holding on as life rolls by. Recorded in Brooke Tuley’s basement studio with longtime collaborators and friends, the album blends indie warmth and Americana textures with a quiet sense of clarity and resolve. // Built around guitar, voice, and restraint, the songs trace love and loss, motherhood and memory, and the pull between staying and letting go. Chase Me turns grief into melody and melody into light—work shaped by experience rather than urgency. // Alongside the album, Brooke created Chase Me: A Visual Collection of Art, Poetry, & Movement, a companion book developed with Kansas City artists that expands each song’s emotional landscape. // From basement demos to First Midnight and Chase Me, Brooke Tuley & The Moon Travelers craft folk-rooted songs shaped by Kansas City’s DIY spirit, tracing love, loss, and renewal. Info at: brooketuleymusic.com]

[Brooke Tuley will join us LIVE on WMM on June 10, 2026]

5. Kadesh Flow – “Anyway”
   from: “Anyway” – Single / Kadesh Flow / March 27, 2026
   [Written & Recorded: Kadesh Flow; Produced: Kadesh Flow, Vincent Orsolini, Zach Arias, Joe Donley; Mixed & Mastered: Kenny Batson; Graphic and Lyric Video: Rixhi // Kadesh Flow released the single, “Thesis Statement” on January 31, 2025. // Kadesh writes: “I started writing this during my flight to Belfast on November 5, 2024. Just reflecting on how 2024 was my redo of 2019, and how pivotal 2019 was for me. I hit rock bottom and rose to great success from it. Lost everything in 2020, mostly due to COVID shut downs, and spent 3 years rebuilding from 2021-2024. Aside from the personal reflection, this song is a recognition that there could be hard times coming, but there’s hope as long as we’re alive, so we have to keep fighting to win. Community is immensely important, especially now.” // Kadesh Flow is Ryan Davis is a rapper with an MBA. He is an emcee, producer, & trombonist. At age 11, he began rapping and playing trombone within two weeks of one another. His music has been featured on network television in multiple countries and territories across Southeast Asia. Kadesh performs as a solo hip hop artist. He also plays with The Phantastics, Marcus Lewis Big Band, Deshica Rage (w/ Jessica Paige). Info at: http://www.kadeshflow.com]

6. Ivory Blue – “History”
   from: “History” – Single / IVORY BLUE / April 3, 2026
   [IVORY BLUE released the singles: “afterglow” on February 20, 2026; “Forevermore” on November 28, 2025; and “Echo” on September 5, 2025. // Kansas City based artist, IVORY BLUE has a tendency of breaking through barriers that keeps her from saying what needs to be said, regardless of style. Bringing us hard hitting rock inspired ear candy like “Starlit Love Child” and “Control”, the idea of genre is only a tool IVORY uses to express her ability to communicate through music. // IVORY BLUE released the singles “Mirrors” on August 1, 2025; “Heartbeat” on March 28, 2025; “Rhythm of the Radio” on January 31, 2025 // “Exiled” on November 29, 2024; “Olé!” on October 4, 2024, Breathing Underwater” on August 9, 2024, “Bad Dreams”on June 7, 2024, “Batter Up” on April 22, 2024, “Flashback” on March 15, 2024, “Howl” on Feb. 16, 2024. // IVORY BLUE released their 2nd full length album, STARLIT LOVE CHILD, on Nov. 17, 2023. The 10-track album was in the top five of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2023, and in the “Best of” lists at 90.9 The Bridge and stations around the world. // On Oct. 27, 2023 IVORY BLUE released the single “Ghost of Life.” This single followed IVORY’s previous releases,”In A World Like This” from Sept. 22, 2023, ”The Best of Life” from Aug. 4, 2023 and “Control” from May 26, 2023. IVORY released the single “All Outta Love” on Feb. 24, 2023. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on Oct. 28, 2022, “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. // IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on Feb. 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. For COMPOUND LOVE, IVORY BLUE served as songwriter, producer, vocalist and played all instruments with the exception of: Lester Estelle on drums, Klaartje Van Lue on piano, Craig Kew on bass, Lennon Bone on drums, and Marco Pascolini on pedal steel guitar. // IVORY BLUE released the single “Good Changes” on Oct 26, 2021. Ivory Blue released the singles: “Heavy,” “Bad Weather,” “It Must Have Been Me,” “Compound Love,” and “The Start” on December 14, 2021. // IVORY BLUE’s debut EP, Ready Get Set was released in June 2015. While the EP helped spread the word and give IVORY BLUE attention from regional radio and TV stations, a big break would come in 2017 when Ivory was among 1800 artists/bands that competed in neXt2Rock. Ivory won local & regional challenges and advanced to nationals in Los Angeles to win the top prize. // IVORY BLUE has played with The Band That Fell to Earth, Boulevardia, Crossroads Music Festival, Middle of the Map Fest, Westport Roots Festival, KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at KC Public Library, and Kauffman Stadium. // Ivory Blue was born in 1986 in Peoria Illinois, as Devin James Miclettet. Ivory’s birth mother put them up for adoption at the age of four. Ivory speaks about how it was difficult to find trust in people offering their home to someone denied it for so long, Ivory lived with eight different families, before running away at 15. // Ivory has talked with us about how in their life they have turned to music to express pain. Ivory spent most of their childhood looking for a family. In 2010 Klaartje Van Lue saw Ivory performing in a YouTube video and contacted them, flying Ivory to Kansas City, and adopting Ivory into the Van Lue family. In 2011, Ivory settled in the Kansas City, MO area. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”, and then later as Trans-Female. // As a multi-instrumentalist, Ivory began refining their performance style, using digital looping pedals to stack harmonies and guitar parts live on stage, giving their solo shows the feel of a full band. Info at: http://www.ivorybluemusic.com]

7. REVISER – “The Flames”
   from: DOLOROSO / REVISER / March 1, 2026
   [Reviser rescently released “THE FLAMES” is the first single from REVISER’s new album “DOLOROSO” released digitally on all streaming platforms own March 1, 2026. Released on Vinyl via Bandcamp on May 1, 2026. “THE FLAMES” is a post-punk / goth-rock anthem., presented as a clarion call in these dark times. The song is energetic, driving, and intense, with insistent bass and drum machines, guitars that weave around each other, buzzing keyboards, and lyrics sung intensely that question whether the listener will be joining this call to justice with them. The song calls to mind “In Shreds” by The Chameleons or “Dark Entries” by Bauhaus, and lets plenty of REVISER’s own smoldering snarl and fiery energy carry this torch forward. REVISER is: Dawn Don on backing vocals, Dedric Moore on standard guitar, and Krysztof Nemeth on lead vocals & baritone guitar. As part of the Kosmic City collective of regional post-punk, goth, darkwave acts, REVISER spent 2025 successfully cementing itself as a black beacon of dark musical energy. // 2026 sees REVISER release their new album “DOLOROSO”; 8 songs as a digital and vinyl release, showcasing what the band has become over it’s journey to now. Sometimes dark and brooding, sometimes romantic and longing, REVISER’s sound on collects the classic vibes of 80’s post-punk, goth-rock, and darkwave into something both familiar and foreign, a sound that is dark, deep, and danceable. Calling to mind legendary acts such as Sisters of Mercy, The Cure, The Chameleons, and Echo & the Bunnymen, REVISER sounds complimentary to such contemporaries as Actors, House of Harm, Drab Majesty, and Traitrs. Considering this moment in time, REVISER emphasizes standing strong with our communities to support inclusivity and equality and is absolutely against Fascism, Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, and Transphobia. // REVISER released their singles “DEAD EYES” on October 16, 2025, “CELESTINE” on February 28, 2025, “DARKSIDERS” on October 18, 2024, and “ASSASINS” and “BURN IT OUT” on March 15, 2024. These previously five singles, individually released, have all been remixed and remastered for their new album DOLOROSO, and include Dawn’s vocals on them, now. REVISER is a continuation of the musical collaboration from Static Phantoms, Religion of Heartbreak (with Mikal Shapiro) and Monta At Odds.] [REVISER opened for Lene Lovich at recordBar, on Nov. 5, 2025. Info: http://www.reviser.bandcamp.com / http://www.instagram.com / http://www.kosmiccity.com]

[Reviser plays a Kosmic City Goth Night at miniBar, 3810 Broadway Boulevard, KCMO, Monday, April 20 at 7:00pm with Feyleux, and Stranger Gallery.]

10:29 – Underwriting

8. The Country Duo – “Goodwill”
   from: Little Lagoon Sessions / Kasey Rausch / April 17, 2026
   [Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in Kansas City. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.]

[The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.]

10:34 – Interview with Kasey Rausch

Kasey Rausch is a 5th generation songwriter & musician who began performing at age 15. Two days after graduating from high school, she moved from Texas back to her hometown of Kansas City to live alongside her extended family while pursuing music. With pedal steel & guitar master Marco Pascolini, Kasey performs as The Country Duo. Kasey played locally with classic country honky tonk band The Naughty Pines for many years. She has shared the stage with Joe Ely, Dale Watson, Peter Rowan, Roland White, Kris Delmhorst, Jack Williams and many more.

Kasey Rausch shares music from, Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in KC. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl & digital tracks.

The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday, April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.

Kasey Rausch thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

This is the fifth time the duo has worked with Weber on various projects, including their 2017 EP Live at Sun Studio.

Little Lagoon Sessions is the first full-length album from The Country Duo. After releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini connected again with the former head engineer of Sun, Curry Weber, this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, where they lived and worked for a week in a house right on the banks of the Little Lagoon. Watching stingrays and jellyfish swim by on their breaks, and giant herons land out on the pier, 12 songs were recorded during the sessions. Ten of those songs, Rausch’s originals, make up this album filled with acoustic guitar, pedal steel, baritone electric guitar, and a touch of Dobro, with meandering harmonies throughout. Two singles, covers of a couple of their favorite songs to play, will be released as digital singles.

The album was produced by Kasey Rausch, Marco Pascolini and Curry Weber. Finishing touches were recorded in Kansas City by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab, where one special guest, Sweet Matt Brahl, offered some light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.

CDs and vinyl at this special release show will come with digital download codes of four bonus songs not on the album that will later be released as singles. Two were recorded during the Little Lagoon Sessions and two were recorded in 2017 in Franklin, Louisiana. All were engineered by Curry Weber.

LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW!
APRIL 17, 2026 at MOD GALLERY, KCMO
Please join The Country Duo (Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini) for the release of vinyl records and CDs of Little Lagoon Sessions, The Country Duo’s first full-length album!

6pm – Doors
7pm – Listening party and interviews hosted by River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton
8pm – The Country Duo plays the full album live, front to back, with a couple bonus songs and special guests, Richard Burgess and Sweet Matt Brahl

Mod Gallery – 1809 McGee St. in Kansas City, MO’s Crossroads Arts District
All ages with guardians for those under 21.

10:43

9. The Country Duo – “Simple Reflections”
   from: Little Lagoon Sessions / Kasey Rausch / April 17, 2026
   [Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in Kansas City. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.]

[The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.]

10:46 – More Interview with Kasey Rausch

Kasey Rausch is a 5th generation songwriter & musician who began performing at age 15. Two days after graduating from high school, she moved from Texas back to her hometown of Kansas City to live alongside her extended family while pursuing music. With pedal steel & guitar master Marco Pascolini, Kasey performs as The Country Duo. Kasey played locally with classic country honky tonk band The Naughty Pines for many years. She has shared the stage with Joe Ely, Dale Watson, Peter Rowan, Roland White, Kris Delmhorst, Jack Williams and many more.

Kasey Rausch shares music from, Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in KC. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl & digital tracks.

As Kasey Rausch turns 52 this year, she’s reflecting on her career and her upcoming album as half of The Country Duo with Marco Pascolini. The Little Lagoon Sessions album was recorded with former Sun Studio head engineer Curry Weber in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Kasey Rausch was one of the very first LIVE musical guests we had on WMM. If you look at our very first playlist from May 14, 2004 you’ll see a diverse mix, and equality between women and men, however there as hardly any “local” music. As I was learning how to do this radio show, it was the Kansas City and Lawrence are musicians who came on the show and taught me about the music community. Robert Moore’s Oxblood Records compilation First Blood became a road map. Midwest Music Foundation and Abigail Henderson shined the light. The Death of Anne Winter reminded us how close we actually are and how much we need each other. Social media and Facebook became the inter-office memo of the are music community. The birth of festivals: Crossroads Music Fest, Middle of the Map Fest, and Folk Alliance International Conference, the development of more studios and record labels, and the re-birth of record stores.

Kasey Rausch is co-creator River Trade Radio on 90.1FM on Sundays 9:00 to 11:00.

Rausch’s third album, Guitar in Hand was released on MudStomp Records in 2014, and debuted at #3 on the Roots Music Reporting charts and was voted one of the top three albums of the year by readers of The Pitch. She was named 2016 Best of the Northland Artist, 2013’s Female Performer of the Year by The Farmer’s Turnpike on KMXN 92.9 FM and is a four-time Pitch Music Award Nominee.

The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.

Kasey Rausch thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

10:56

10. The Country Duo – “A Color and A Hue”
    from: Little Lagoon Sessions / Kasey Rausch / April 17, 2026
    [Little Lagoon Sessions, the debut full-length album from The Country Duo. Kasey Rausch & Marco Pascolini created this duo and after releasing singles and an EP recorded at the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, with the head engineer, Curry Weber. The Duo reconnected with Curry this time in Gulf Shores, Alabama, in a house on the banks of the Little Lagoon where the album was produced by Curry with Kasey Rausch, and Marco Pascolini. Finishing touches were recorded by Duane Trower at Weights and Measures Sound Lab in Kansas City. Matt Brahl, offered light percussion. Chad Meise of Oddio Hut did separate mastering for the vinyl and digital tracks.]

[The Country Duo play a LITTLE LAGOON SESSIONS RELEASE SHOW. Friday April 17, 2026 at Mod Gallery, 1809 McGee St. KCMO. Doors open at 6:00pm. River Trade Radio’s Scott Stanton interviews The Duo, at 7:00pm. The Country Duo plays the full album live with special guests, Richard Burgess and Matt Brahl at 8:00pm.]

11:00 – Station ID

11. Legerdemain – “Highlander”
    from: Monsters ‘n’ Me / Legerdemain / April 16, 2026
    [Legerdemain is a steel pan led genre bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in Jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world! The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way. In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, come Spring. // Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances. In addition to performing, he is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds. He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest. ]

[Legerdemain plays a Monsters ‘n’ Me album release show at Warwick Theatre, 3927 Main St., KCMO with Kansas City Percussion Collective at 7:00pm, Legerdemain at 8:00pm, and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at 9:00pm.]

[Sonderluss Soul play a Benefit for Hope House at Knuckleheads, 1715 Rochester, KCMO, on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm.]

[Legerdemain play the Harp Barbeque Open Jam every Saturday at Sound Bite at Warehouse on Broadway, food from 11:00 to 4:00pm, Legerdemain play from 12:00 to 3:00pm]

11:06 – Interview with Marcus Rattler

Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances. In addition to performing, he is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds. He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest. In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, tomorrow, April 16, 2026.

Marcus Rattler, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances.

Steel Pan: The steelpan (also known as a pan or steel drum) is a musical instrument originating in Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. // In 1992, the steelpan was declared Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument by Prime Minister Patrick Manning. This helped turn the steelpan into a source of national pride and cultural identity, recognized both locally and internationally. // In 2023, the United Nations General Assembly declared August 11 as World Steelpan Day. The following year, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago officially recognized the steelpan as the country’s national instrument. //

The History of Steel Pan: The Steelpan is a musical instrument indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago whose early evolution dates back to the 1930s and 40s – one of the only acoustic instruments invented in the 20th century! // The steel pan (also known as steel drums, or ‘pan’) was created in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1930s. It was established in contexts of Carnival resistance, its history being traced back to the enslaved Africans who were brought to the Caribbean in the 1700s. // The steelpan was born out of rebellion and resilience. – After slaves in Trinidad and Tobago were emancipated in the 1830s, a revolt prompted authorities to ban the playing of percussion, string and woodwind instruments during carnival celebrations. But former slaves would not be silenced, and that led to them discovering the hidden musical instrument in discarded oil drums. “Really, a spirit of a people…went into this and came out, from African roots to now global acceptance,” Amrit Samaroo said.

How are Steel Pans made: In the 1930s, it was realized that the convex dent at the bottom of metal drums could be tuned to distinct musical pitches and could therefore produce recognizable melodies, marking the creation of the first steel pans. // Steelpan manufacturers no longer have to wait for discarded drums to make the pan, which only officially became the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago in July 2024. // Technology is changing how the instrument is made, which is contributing to its revival. / At Panland, a company that’s been making the steelpan for over 30 years, workers say a steelpan can now be made in a 9-to-5 shift with the help of power tools, a powerful flame-thrower and mobile apps. // Previously, it could take more than a month to make a single steelpan. // The modern pan is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument made from 200-litre industrial drums. // Drum refers to the steel drum containers from which the pans are made; the steel drum is more correctly called a steel pan or pan as it falls into the idiophone family of instruments, and so is not a drum (which is a membranophone). Some steelpans are made to play in the Pythagorean musical cycle of fourths and fifths. // A pan is played using a pair of straight sticks tipped with rubber; the size and type of rubber tip varies according to the class of pan being played. Some musicians use four pansticks, holding two in each hand. This grew out of Trinidad and Tobago’s early 20th-century Carnival percussion groups known as tamboo bamboo.

The pan is the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago and appears on the country’s current coat of arms. // Steelpans developed in the early to mid 1900s, but with roots going back much earlier, including the talking drums of West African cultures which were used for ceremonies and communicating messages at a distance. // As a result of the transatlantic slave trade, African slaves were brought to the Americas, including Trinidad. In the 1780s, French colonists arrived in Trinidad and Tobago and brought street festival traditions. In 1785, plantation owners held the first Carnival in Trinidad. Many white plantation owners masqueraded as slaves and marched down the streets mocking African slave dress, singing, and dance customs, including banging on talking drums. Though they were mimicked, enslaved Africans were not allowed to join the festivities. In response, the Africans organized underground Carnivals of their own, taking place in cabins and backyards. Inspired by ancient traditions, Africans incorporated masks, feathers, beads, and drumming. // In 1789, Spanish governor of Trinidad José María Chacón issued a directive that all Africans (the majority of the population) would observe Roman Catholic religion and all Christian holy days. The purpose was to further erase West African culture and religious beliefs. However, the enslaved Africans were able to preserve their traditions by camouflaging them within Christian holidays.] For example, on Sundays, enslaved people would “put on their best clothes and go to drum dances held in different yards or on the land away from the plantation where they were allowed to grow their own crops…[They] would dance to the music and rhythms of the skin drums and gourd rattles.” // In 1834, slaves were emancipated in Trinidad and Tobago following the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, but segregation and indentured servitude continued. After emancipation, Africans annually celebrated Canboulay, a harvest festival involving calypso drumming. In 1881, the Canboulay riots occurred, which were a series of revolts during the festival. After this, stick-fighting and African percussion music were banned throughout the 1880s. They were replaced by bamboo sticks beaten together, which were themselves banned in turn. // The first instruments developed in the evolution of steelpan were tamboo bamboos, tunable sticks made of bamboo wood. These were hit onto the ground and with other sticks in order to produce sound. Tamboo bamboo bands included percussion of a (gin) bottle and spoon. By the mid-1930s, bits of metal percussion were being used in the tamboo bamboo bands, the first probably being either the automobile brake hub “iron” or the biscuit drum “boom”. The former replaced the gin bottle-and-spoon, and the latter the “bass” bamboo that was pounded on the ground.

In addition to performing, Marcus Rattler is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds.

He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest.

Legerdemain bio: Legerdemain is a steel pan led genre bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in Jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world! The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also
approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way.

In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with their
fusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’
Me, come Spring.

Marcus Rattler, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley.

11:21

12. Legerdemain – “Blind Sense of Mind”
    from: Monsters ‘n’ Me / Legerdemain / April 16, 2026
    [Legerdemain is a steel pan led genre bending fusion group based out of Kansas City that holds deep roots in Jazz and performs in different sizes of ensembles. The group writes and arranges all of their music spanning a range of styles from all over the world! The mission of the group is to expose more and more people to Pan while also approaching the Pan in a new and innovative way. In 2026, Legerdemain represented KC in the International Blues Challenge with theirfusion jazz interpretation of the Blues and is releasing their debut album, Monsters ’n’ Me, come Spring. // Marcus Rattler is a classically trained percussionist and drumset player with a specialization in Steel Pan. More particularly, Steel Pan with electronic modification and drumset simultaneously. He performs with dozens of groups every year and regularly with his fusion band, Legerdemain, across the country and abroad. Performances range from Steel Pan to hand drumming to timpani to big band and many other drumset styles for both domestic and international performances. In addition to performing, he is an educator; giving lessons from home, in student’s homes, and out of KC Drum Shop. Marcus provides Masterclasses and clinics for musicians of all levels at schools and conventions. He is also the Percussion Director and principal chair of the KC local wind band, Pinnacle Winds. He is currently working to build a steel pan orchestra school in his hometown of KC to create access to the instrument and culture for the midwest.]

[Legerdemain plays a Monsters ‘n’ Me album release show at Warwick Theatre, 3927 Main St., KCMO with Kansas City Percussion Collective at 7:00pm, Legerdemain at 8:00pm, and Jonathan Scales Fourchestra at 9:00pm.]

[Sonderluss Soul play a Benefit for Hope House at Knuckleheads, 1715 Rochester, KCMO, on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00pm.]

[Legerdemain play the Harp Barbeque Open Jam every Saturday at Sound Bite at Warehouse on Broadway, food from 11:00 to 4:00pm, Legerdemain play from 12:00 to 3:00pm]

11:28 – Underwriting

13. HAILES – “Angels”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

11:33 – Interview with Hailes

Lindsey Hailes joins us to talk about her career in theatre, touring in the Tony Award Wining Broadway musical, Hadestown and her critically acclaimed EP, Five that was released on September 29, 2025. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and she turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. Hailes will play the 8th annual Manor Fest. More info at: http://www.hailes.komi.io/

Hailes, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Hailes talked with us about moving from Overland Park to Brooklyn, NYC

KKFI’s Executive Director Bess Wallerstein-Huff directed Hailes as Dorothy in “The Wiz” at Shawnee Mission Theatre in The Park in the Summer of 2015. Hailes was a senior in High School

Hailes performs her own original music. R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes lived in New York City for seven years. Hailes came back home to Kansas City in 2026 and performed a SOLD OUT homecoming show at The Blue Room on August 5, 2026. Hailes performed with a band made up of Kansas City based musicians. She told KJHK writer Cameron Castaldi, “I was feeling really emotional, which has never happened to me before a show,” “Since it was going to be so many people I knew, from so many different points of my life, I just wanted it to go well.” “Actually being on stage, I felt so good and instantly comfortable. It truly was just the energy of the room, it felt very open and accepting.”

After graduating from Blue Valley West High School Hailes briefly attending college, before spending two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz and then moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career.

COVID-19 brought live theatre and musical concerts to a standstill. Venues went dark. Hailes told us that she started focusing on my music because there was no more theatre.
“I was surrounded by some incredible musicians and we were just writing music every day, so that’s where the actual songwriting and music making began for me.” Following lockdown, she returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on the road for Hadestown, Hailes told us “ I always had my recording equipment. I would set up in my hotel rooms. That is where I created the songs.”

Hailes attended a writing camp in Austin, TX, where he EP FIVE came to be. Hailes shared the feeling of vulnerability in the process of writing her songs. Hailes EP FIVE was released in Sept, 2026. The EP will contained five songs that she wrote throughout this camp.

Hailes curated residency called Living Room at The Lowest Ferns, 1105 Hickory St., KCMO, West Bottoms, blending live music, special guest artists, and intimate, high-energy performance. At Session One. Thursday March 19, 2026, Hailes, welcoming a featured special guest Yana. Hailes: Artist, Songwriter, Broadway performer, and Kansas City native Hailes brings an unforgettable one-night-only performance to In The Lowest Ferns. Blending soul, R&B, jazz and cinematic storytelling, Hailes commands the stage with a full live band for an intimate, high energy experiencek.

Hailes is getting read to go to New York City this weekend to work on a new piece based on a Lanston Hughes piece. After a rehearsal process the show will have performances in Philadelphia.

11:42

14. HAILES – “Time”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

11:44 – More Interview with Hailes

Lindsey Hailes joins us to talk about her career in theatre, touring in the Tony Award Wining Broadway musical, Hadestown and her critically acclaimed EP, Five that was released on September 29, 2025. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and she turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. Hailes will play the 8th annual Manor Fest. More info at: http://www.hailes.komi.io/.

Lindsey Hailes, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

“I’ve traveled to almost all every state in the United States, performed on massive stages in NYC, but at this point in my life & career, singing for my community, pouring back into a place that gave me a lot growing up, that’s the goal,” Hailes told KCUR’s Up to Date.

Her solo music career started during the pandemic. Theaters went dark, but Hailes still wanted to share her creative energy with the world. Her debut album, “Good Things Take Time,” came out in 2023. Performing under her last name only, Hailes crafts a cinematic sound that blends R&B, soul and jazz. “I want to be the soundtrack to people’s moments, that’s what music is for me,” she said.

Hailes is a singer, songwriter, curator, and visual artist born and raised in Kansas City and now based in NYC. Her sound blends soulful melodies, and raw emotional storytelling. Known for her rich vocals and honest lyricism, Hailes brings a captivating presence to every performance, with music that lives at the intersection of softness and strength.

Before stepping fully into her career as a solo artist, Hailes performed in musical productions that toured across the country and made her Broadway debut in the Tony Award–winning musical Hadestown. That theatrical foundation now fuels her live performances, where music, storytelling, and visual atmosphere come together to create immersive and emotionally resonant experiences.

In spring 2026, Hailes launches Living Room by Hailes, a monthly Kansas City residency that reimagines the concert experience through intimate, curated performances featuring guest artists from across the country. Alongside her growing music career, she continues expanding her work in theatre.

Lindsey Hailes, thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Hailes will play the 8th annual Manor Fest. More info at: http://www.hailes.komi.io/

15. HAILES – “Mulholland Drive”
    from: FIVE (EP) / Magic Mango Music / September 29, 2025
    [Debut EP from KC based R&B artist HAILES. After graduating from Blue Valley West High School and briefly attending college, Hailes spent two years in the U.S. tour of The Wizard of Oz before moving to New York in 2017 to continue her acting career. COVID-19 shut down theatre and HAILES turned her energies toward writing music. When Broadway came back to life, HAILES returned to theatre and joined the Hadestown Broadway Tour for three years. While on tour Hailes continued writing music. // The music on her debut EP FIVE came from her time attending a writing camp in Austin, Texas. // HAILES told Cameron Castaldi of KJHK “On the road, I always had my recording equipment, so in every hotel that we got to, I would set up my little studio and write sporadically throughout the week.” // After living in New York City for the last seven years, R&B artist, songwriter, and actress Hailes is back home in Kansas City. She had her first concert in Kansas City on August 5, 2025 at The Blue Room. / More info at:www.hailes.komi.io/.]

[Hailes plays Manor Fest 8]

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

NEXT WEEK on April 22 we talk with actor Scott Moreau the star of WALKIN’ THE LINE – a Tribute to Johnny Cash on stage at Quality Hill Playhouse, Thursday, April 23 through Sunday April 26, at 303 West 10th St. KCMO. At 11:00am Rev. Dwight Frizzell and Allan Winkler and other join us to talk about the 50th anniversary of BCR – Black Crack Review – Saturday, April 25 at The Ship 1221 Union Ave, KCMO, West Bottoms. AND, at 11:30am, Rosie O’Brien of the Sass-a-Brass Queer Marching Band returns to share details on their shows: May 9, at Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art; May 15, at Stockyards Brewing Company; May 30 for ManorFest 8, June 6 – Lawrence Pride, and June 28, The People’s Pride. More info at: http://www.sassabrassband.com

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to KKFI’a Winter Fund Drive during Wedneday MidDay Medley we had a total of 49 individuals doante $3924.00 ngoing way over our show goal!
Thank you to KKFI Staff: Executive Director – Bess Wallerstein Huff, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers, Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

You can find our playlists at: http://www.wednesdaymiddaymedley.org & http://www.kkfi.org
http://www.facebook.com/WednesdayMidDayMedleyon90.1FM
http://www.instagram.wednesday_midday_medley

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. It is a collective spirit of hundreds of people, setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the goal of keeping our airwaves, non-commercial, and open! Thank you to programmers who create content for over 85 locally produced radio shows & volunteers who made 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

Show #1143