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

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

More New & MidCoastal Releases + Sondra Freeman & Midwest Music Foundation + Alisön Hawkins & Fritz Hutchison + Alicia Ellingsworth

Mark spins more New & MidCoastal Releases from: Monta, Radkey, True Lions, Jass and The Boys, Pamper The Madman, Kris Bruders, Danza, Jacob E.chord, Fritz Hutchison, Gemini Parks with J. Arr. & Backwood Sweetie, Lonnie Fisher, Gascan, Booker T. Jones with Sharon Jones, Kara Jackson, Abraham Alexander with Mavis Staples, Molchat Doma, and Erma Franklin.

At 10:30 Sondra Freeman shares news about MENTAL HEALTH IS HEALTH, Midwest Music Foundation’s Annual Spring Donation Drive, raising funds to assist local musicians & industry professionals with affordable, essential health care services. The drive culminates at The Ship, 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO in the West Bottoms, April 22, with The Dinner Show, at 6:00 PM, music from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, hosted by Havilah & Kris Bruders, and featuring: The Bruders Family Band, Copper Threading, Havilah Bruders, Bruders & Smeltzer, and Cadillac Flambe. Followed by The Evening Show, at 9:30 PM with: Radkey, Pamper the Madman, Gascan, and DJ Thundercutz. The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater KC will provide info & resources. Research College of Nursing will offer free health screenings. MMF’s initial goal of $20,000 will provide mental health grants to 10 musicians. Donate/Info at: http://www.midwestmusicfoundation.org

At 11:00 Mark welcomes Alisön Hawkins & Fritz Hutchison who join us to talk about their new True Lions / Fritz Hutchison Split Cassette being released by Manor Records on April 26, 2023. The release offers five songs from True Lions with lyrics adapted from works of poetry by Andrew Squitiro, Eileen Myles, Patricia Lockwood, T.S. Leonard, and Delia Rainey. True Lions are currently configured with Alisön Hawkins on vocals, guitar, synth, strings, melodies & structures; Fritz Hutchison on guitars, percussion, vocals & synth; Eli Kosko on drums & percussion; Carly Atwood on bass; with Teri Quinn on clarinet, Cam Seip on trumpet, and Daniel Cox on flute. The Split Cassette also contains 5 new songs written by Fritz Hutchison on vocals & instruments with Marco Pascolini on pedal steel, Alisön Hawkins on fiddle, and Trevor Turla on trombone. The True Lions / Fritz Hutchison Split Cassette Release Show is Wednesday, April 26, at 7:00 PM with Jass & The Boys at The Ship 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO WEST BOTTOMS. More info at http://www.manorrecords.com

At 11:30 Alicia Ellingsworth, Executive Director and Co-Founder of The KC Farm School at Gibbs Road joins us to talk about EARTH DAY! Alicia is a Robert Wood Johnson Fellow, serves on the Growing Growers Organizing Committee, Johnson County Community College Sustainable Ag Advisory Board, and was the 2019 recipient of the John Kaiahua Mentorship Award. KC Farm School at Gibbs Road empowers individuals of all ages, abilities, and ancestries through on-farm, hands-on experiences connecting them to opportunity and their community. KC Farm School is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. More info at: http://www.kcfarmschool.org

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

Show #990

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

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Guest Producer Patrick Sprehe

Today, we welcome back to the show, Patrick Sprehe as our special “Guest Producer.” Patrick Sprehe was an educator for 25 years, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Education from The University of Kansas, and his Masters in Secondary School Administration from the University of Central Missouri. He served with the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan after the fall of the Soviet Union, and then moved on to teaching English as a Second Language at a community college in Raleigh, NC, working primarily with refugees and immigrant families. After a couple of years teaching at an International Baccalaureate magnet middle school in Raleigh, he moved to Oakland, CA, and taught at an international language school in Berkeley, and then on to Tokyo, Japan, to teach English as a Foreign Language. He spent his last 13 years teaching middle school English at Academie Lafayette, a French language immersion school in Kansas City.

As he approached 50, a conversation with longtime best friend and high school classmate James Andrews led to the decision to make a difference in the Kansas City music community and industry. Founded in 2017, Center Cut Records’ mission is to illuminate the amazing collection of musical talent in Kansas City and solidify its place in the national discussion about sonic art.

Center Cut released Calvin Arsenia’s album “Cantaloupe” in the fall of 2018 to national acclaim, as well as the experimental EP “Honeydew” the following spring. Later in 2019, Center Cut released Calvin’s follow-up, “LA Sessions” which was recorded with legendary session players and showed another side of the multi-talented Arsenia. In March of 2020, right at the start of the pandemic, Center Cut released Fritz Hutchison’s solo debut “Wide Wild Acres.” Despite the pandemic, they soldiered on and nationally released The Black Creatures’ “Wild Echoes,” earning album of the year recognition from Nick Spacek at The Pitch. 2022 saw the next The Black Creatures’ release “By Thy Hand,” this time being voted Best Local Album by readers of The Pitch as well as 2nd place for Best Local Band.

Patrick and Center Cut have provided numerous services to artists including funding and assistance with recording, mixing, and mastering, physical production of vinyl, CDs, and other merchandise, music video production, public relations and marketing campaigns, press releases, management, bookings, tour support, and anything artists need to be successful and grow their audience. 2023 finds their focus on releasing or reissuing some lost gems from Kansas City artists as part of the label’s Buried Treasure series. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

Patrick Sprehe, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

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]

2.Jorge Ben – “Ponta De Lanca Africano (Umbabarauma)”
from: Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical / Luaka Bop / October 1, 1989
[Brazil Classics, Beleza Tropical is the first in a series compiled by Talking Heads singer David Byrne that preceded the big wave of interest in Tropicalia during the late ’90s by almost a decade. Performers include such influential Brazilian figures as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Jorge Ben, with several songs from each. The selected recordings span the 1970s and ’80s, also including tracks from Milton Nascimento, Nazare Pereira, and more. The liner notes feature the original lyrics as well as their English translations.]

3. Caetano Veloso – “O Leãozinho”
   from: Brazil Classics 1: Beleza Tropical / Luaka Bop / October 1, 1989  
   [“O Leãozinho” means Little Lion. Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso was born August 7, 1942. He is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo, which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s, at the beginning of the Brazilian military dictatorship that took power in 1964. He has remained a constant creative influence and best-selling performing artist and composer ever since. Veloso has won nine Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammy Awards. On November 14, 2012, Veloso was honored as the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. Veloso was one of seven children born into the family of José Telles Veloso (commonly known as Seu Zeca), a government official, and Claudionor Viana Telles Veloso (known as Dona Canô). He was born in the city of Santo Amaro da Purificação, in Bahia, a state in the eastern area of Brazil, but moved to Salvador, the state capital, as a college student in the mid-1960s. Soon after that, Veloso won a music contest and was signed to his first label. He became one of the founders of Tropicalismo with a group of several other musicians and artists—including his sister Maria Bethânia—in the same period. However, the Brazilian military dictatorship viewed Veloso’s music and political action as threatening, and he was arrested, along with fellow musician Gilberto Gil, in 1969. The two eventually were exiled from Brazil and went to London where they lived for two years. In 1972, Veloso moved back to his home country and once again began recording and performing. He later became popular outside Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s.]

4. Moreno Veloso – “Sertão”
   from: Music Typewriter / Luaka Bop / 2001 
   [Moreno Veloso was born November 22, 1972. He is a Brazilian musician and singer. His parents are Brazilian singer Caetano Veloso and his first wife Andréa Gadelha (Dedé) Veloso. Brazilian singer Gal Costa is Moreno Veloso’s godmother. // Veloso studied physics at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. He turned later to music and singing. In 2000, he recorded his first album, Máquina de Escrever Música (English: Music Typewriter), but his songwriting debut came in 1982 with “Um Canto de Afoxé para o Bloco Do Ile”, a reference to African mythology.// In 1998, Veloso collaborated with Sadjo Djolo Koiate on the track “Coral” for the AIDS benefit compilation album Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon produced by the Red Hot Organization. // Again in 2011, he contributed to the song “Águas de Março” that featured ATOM™ Toshiyuki Yasuda and Fernanda Takai for the Red Hot Organization’s charitable album Red Hot+Rio 2. The album is a follow-up to the 1996, Red Hot + Rio. Proceeds from the sales were donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. // One of Moreno Veloso’s music groups is called Moreno + 2, including Moreno Veloso, Alexandre Kassin and Domênico Lancelotti. // When you’re the son of Caetano Veloso, one of Brazil’s most beloved singer/songwriters and men of letters, you have to face a lot of expectations when you release your debut record. But Moreno Veloso is no clone; while he’s inherited the wry iconoclasm of his father, he stamps himself all over this record, letting his personal musical idiosyncrasies flourish, like the theremin and sound processing that buzz like flies over his cover of the Brazilian classic “Das Partes.” While the majority of the songs come from Veloso’s pen, like fellow new generation artist (and musical scion) Bebel Gilberto he’s not afraid to pay homage to the inspirational samba and bossa nova that’s an integral part of his country’s musical heritage, even venturing as far as North America for a take on “I’m Wishing” from the movie Snow White, which pitches English and Portuguese vocals against each other in a luminously simple performance. His own material can range from the rhythmic and funky “Arrivederci” to the understated, relaxed “Nenhuma,” where he reaches into a falsetto range of a voice that’s admittedly limited. The experimental tendencies are just enough to give an interesting quirk factor, without overwhelming his natural melodicism. While this album won’t start another Tropicaliá movement, the way his father’s mix of Brazilian and rock did in the late ’60s, it establishes him as one of the brighter new lights in the MPB (Brazilian popular music) scene.]

5. Eliane Elias – “Samba De Uma Nota So”
   from: Eliane Elias Sings Jobim / Blue Note Records / July 28, 1998
   [“Samba De Uma Nota So” translates to “One Note Dancing.” Eliane Elias Sings Jobim is the thirteenth studio album by Brazilian jazz artist Eliane Elias. This is her second album solely dedicated to the works of Antônio Carlos Jobim after Eliane Elias Plays Jobim released in 1990. Eliane Elias is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger. Elias was born in São Paulo, Brazil on March 19, 1960. She started studying piano when she was seven, and at age twelve she was transcribing solos from jazz musicians. She began teaching piano when she was fifteen, and began performing at seventeen with Brazilian singer-songwriter Toquinho and touring with the poet Vinicius de Moraes. // In 1981 she moved to New York City, where she attended The Juilliard School of Music. A year later she became part of the group Steps Ahead. In 1993 Elias signed with EMI Classics to record classical pieces, which were released on On the Classical Side. // In 2001, Calle 54, a documentary film by Spanish director Fernando Trueba, included Elias performing “Samba Triste.” In 2002 she recorded The Lost Days with Denyce Graves, for whom she wrote a composition entitled “HaabiaTupi.” In 2002, Elias signed with RCA/Bluebird, which issued Kissed by Nature. Dreamer was released in 2004 and received the Gold Disc Award, as well as being voted Best Vocal Album in Japan. It reached No. 3 on the pop charts in France and No. 4 on the Billboard magazine charts in the U.S. Around the City was released by RCA Victor in August 2006. In 2007, Elias released Something for You, which won Best Vocal Album of the Year and the Gold Disc Award in Japan. Something for You reached No. 1 on the U.S. jazz charts, No. 8 on Billboard, and No. 2 on the French jazz charts. In 2008, she recorded Bossa Nova Stories to celebrate the 50th anniversary of bossa nova. // In 2009, EMI Japan released Eliane Elias Plays Live. Light My Fire, released in 2011, features four compositions written or co-written by Elias and includes covers of songs by the Doors, Stevie Wonder, and Paul Desmond. In September 2011, her song “What About the Heart (Bate Bate)” was nominated for a Latin Grammy in the category of Best Brazilian Song. In 2012 she collaborated with bassist Marc Johnson on the album Swept Away, the Editor’s and Critic’s choice in 2012 Downbeat and Jazztimes magazines, respectively. Her 2013 release, I Thought About You, reached No. 1 on the U.S. and French Amazon.com websites; No. 2 on iTunes U.S., France and Brazil; and No. 4 on Billboard. // Made in Brazil, was followed by Dance of Time, which debuted at No. 1 on two Billboard: jazz and world music. Both Made in Brazil and Dance of Time debuted at No. 1 on iTunes in seven countries and won Grammy awards for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year. // Her 2019 album Love Stories reached the #1 position as Best Seller Amazon.com Latin Jazz, #1 Best Seller Amazon.com Brazilian Jazz and #2 Best Seller Amazon.com Orchestral. // Her 2021 album Mirror, Mirror, which she recorded with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdès, won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album.] 

6. Marisa Monte – “Dança Da Solidão”
   from: Verde Anil Amarelo Cor De Rosa & Carvão / EMI-Odeon, Blue Note / 1994
   [Verde, anil, amarelo, cor de rosa e carvão (distributed in the United States as Rose and Charcoal) is Brazilian singer Marisa Monte’s third album, released in 1994. Contributors include well-known artists such as Gilberto Gil, Paulinho da Viola, Naná Vasconcelos, Carlinhos Brown, Arnaldo Antunes and the group Época de Ouro. The album includes the hits “Maria de verdade,” “Na estrada,” and “De mais ninguém.” // It was listed by Rolling Stone Brazil as one of the 100 best Brazilian albums in history. // Marisa de Azevedo Monte (Brazilian Portuguese was born July 1. 1967. She is a Brazilian singer, composer, instrumentalist, and producer of Brazilian popular music and samba. As of 2011, she had sold 10 million albums worldwide and has won numerous national and international awards, including four Latin Grammys, seven Brazilian MTV Video Music Awards, nine Multishow de Música Brasileira awards, 5 APCAs, and six Prêmio TIM de Música. Marisa is considered by Rolling Stone Brasil to be the second greatest singer, behind only Elis Regina. She also has two albums (MM and Verde, Anil, Amarelo, Cor-de-Rosa e Carvão) on the list of the 100 best albums of Brazilian music. // Monte was born in Rio de Janeiro, daughter of the engineer Carlos Saboia Monte and Sylvia Marques de Azevedo Monte. On her father’s side, she is descended from the Saboias, one of the oldest Italian families in Brazil. She studied singing, piano, and drums as a child, and began studying opera singing at 14. // After failing to break through into 1980s Brazilian pop rock she went into semi-exile in Italy, where she met the famous producer Nelson Motta. Thereafter she became a hybrid of MPB diva and pop rock performer. While most of her music is in the style of modern MPB, she has also recorded traditional samba and folk tunes, largely in collaboration with such musicians and songwriters as Carlinhos Brown, Arnaldo Antunes, and Nando Reis and producer Arto Lindsay. She has also collaborated with the New York pop music vanguard, including Laurie Anderson, David Byrne, Marc Ribot, Bernie Worrell and Philip Glass. ]

7. Bebel Gilberto – “August Day Song (King Britt Remix)”
   from: Tanto Tempo Remixes / Ziriguiboom – Crammed Discs / April 25, 2000
   [Tanto Tempo (lit. “So Much Time”) is an album by Brazilian bossa nova singer Bebel Gilberto. Tanto Tempo was produced by Serbian producer Suba and co-produced by Béco Dranoff for the Ziriguiboom imprint of Crammed Discs. Suba died from smoke inhalation while saving the newly recorded album from a studio fire. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. // Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is an American-born Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque. // Gilberto was born in New York City to Brazilian parents, bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, who were briefly living in the city at the time of her birth. She often traveled with her father when he recorded albums in different countries; she lived in Mexico at age three and moved to Rio de Janeiro at age five. Gilberto’s parents separated when she was seven, and she spent her time between Rio de Janeiro with her mother and New York with her father. Gilberto has been performing since her youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. // Gilberto recalls that her childhood was “music nonstop”; when reflecting on her father’s influence, Gilberto states, “He taught me to be a perfectionist. But my mother taught me how to lose it. And you can hear it in my music today, I think.” She grew acquainted with popular artists such as Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, and Stan Getz, who often visited her father’s home to collaborate. She began singing with her mother at a young age and participated in professional musicals such as Saltimbancos and Pirlimpimpim. At the age of seven, she made her recording debut on her mother’s first solo album, Miúcha & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1977). Two years later, she performed at Carnegie Hall with her mother and Stan Getz. // Gilberto was a great friend of Cazuza and composed several songs with him in addition to “Eu preciso dizer que te amo”, including “Amigos de Bar”, “Mais Feliz”, and “Mulher sem Razão”. // Gilberto next participated in the project Red Hot + Rio, joining major music stars such as Everything but the Girl, Maxwell, George Michael, and others for the benefit CD recording. She also collaborated on Towa Tei’s CD Future Listening!, singing on the hits “Technova” and “Batucada,” and also participated in Peeping Tom with Mike Patton (lead singer of Faith No More), singing “Caipirinha”. // Tanto Tempo, an electronic bossa nova album released in 2000, was popular at clubs around the world and positioned Gilberto as one of the best-selling Brazilian artists in the U.S. since the 1960s. With her second album, Bebel Gilberto (2004), she refined her sound to create an acoustic lounge style that showcased her strengths as a Brazilian composer. // With Momento (2007), her third album in seven years, she wanted to do a fusion of both. Mixing the taste of Rio’s Orquestra Imperial with the melting pot of New York’s Brazilian Girls, and following the direction of the English producer Guy Sigsworth (Madonna’s partner in “What It Feels Like for a Girl”), Momento reaffirmed the international character of Gilberto’s music. In 2007, she was a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists’ careers. // Gilberto recorded her fourth studio album, All in One, in New York, Jamaica, and the Brazilian state of Bahia. It was released worldwide on September 29, 2009, on the American jazz label Verve, and was released in Brazil by Universal Music. It is the least electronic-infused of her albums, and brings to the forefront more of Gilberto’s personality and love for organic styles. All in One had a team of accomplished producers including Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen), John King (Dust Brothers, Beck), Daniel Jobim, Carlinhos Brown, Didi Gutman (Brazilian Girls) and Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Björk, Jack Johnson). Gilberto also provided the voice of the bird Eva in the animated film Rio (2011), an experience she called “amazing”. // Since the launch of Tanto Tempo in 2000, she has sold over 2.5 million records and has been featured on seven film soundtracks including Next Stop Wonderland, The Bubble, Closer and most recently 2010s Eat Pray Love and 2011’s Rio; and seven TV series including Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and Nip/Tuck. // In 2011, she contributed a track entitled “Acabou Chorare” to the Red Hot Organization’s most recent charitable album, Red Hot+Rio 2. The album is a follow-up to the 1996 Red Hot+Rio. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. In 2015, her song “Tudo” was nominated for the 16th Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Brazilian Song category.]

10:32 – Underwriting

8. Everything But The Girl – “Corcovado”
   from: Red Hot + Rio / Antilles – Verve / October 15, 1996
   [“Corcovado” (known in English as “Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars”) is a bossa nova song and jazz standard written by Antônio Carlos Jobim in 1960. English lyrics were later written by Gene Lees. The Portuguese title refers to the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro. // Tony Bennett recorded the first popular English cover of “Quiet Nights” with new lyrics by Buddy Kaye in 1963. Numerous English cover recordings then followed sometimes credited to Lees and/or Kaye and Lees, including the Andy Williams recording of the song with English lyrics, reaching #92 in the Billboard Hot 100 and #18 in the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in 1965. Also receiving air-play, contemporaneously with Andy Williams’ recording of “Quiet Nights,” was Kitty Kallen’s version. Her album, titled “Quiet Nights,” was released by 20th Century-Fox Records in 1964. // Everything But The Girl have recently released their new track “Caution To The Wind” and its accompanying lyric video. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album Fuse out April 21, 2023. // Red Hot + Rio is a compilation album produced by Béco Dranoff and Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the bossa nova sound, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. This release has proven to be one of the Red Hot series’ more successful projects, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars for AIDS charities around the world. // Brazilian recording artists including Jobim, Astrud Gilberto and Gilberto Gil are among the contributors to the project. Along with them, many contemporary pop music performers are featured on this release, including Incognito, David Byrne, Sting and PM Dawn. // Its success made it the 2nd most celebrated entry in the Red Hot Series. The album was sent out to music and lifestyle retail locations (3–5,000 copies) across the country that gave it widespread exposure, including shops such as Urban Outfitters and The Gap as well as upscale shops like Wilkes-Bashford and Louis Boston. Its release coincided with a renewed interest in tourism to Brazil and the Tropicalia music revival of the early 1960s. // In part, the success of the initial album has prompted a second Red Hot + Rio project, a live concert event slated for December 2008 in New York City’s Brooklyn Academy of Music. Contrasting with the 1996 album, Red Hot + Rio 2: The Next Generation of Samba Soul will contain works from Brazil’s samba music heritage. The concert will benefit AIDS-related projects coordinated through the Brazil Foundation, founded in New York in 2000 to promote social development throughout communities in Brazil. // Everything But The Girl broke through on the UK indie scene in 1982 with a stark jazz-folk cover of Cole Porter’s “Night and Day.” They then released a string of UK gold albums throughout the 80s, experimenting with jazz, guitar pop, orchestral wall-of-sound and drum-machine soul. After Watt’s near-death experience from a rare auto-immune condition in 1992, the pair returned unbowed with the million-selling ardent folktronica of Amplified Heart in 1994. It includes their biggest hit, “Missing,” after New York DJ-producer Todd Terry’s remix unexpectedly made the leap from heavy club play to global radio success (Number 2 US Hot 100; Number 3 UK Top 40). The sparkling Walking Wounded – emotional songs brimming with ideas from the mid 90s electronic scene – followed in 1996 (Number 4 UK Album Chart). Spawning four UK Top 40 hits, the record became the band’s first platinum selling album. After their final show at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2000, the pair chose to quit Everything But The Girl on a high. // Everything but the Girl is an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, producer and singer Ben Watt. The group’s early works have been categorized as sophisti-pop with jazz influences before undergoing an electronic turn following the worldwide success of the 1994 hit single “Missing”. // The duo have accomplished four top ten and twelve top 40 singles in the UK and have received eight gold and two platinum album BPI certifications in the UK as well as one gold album RIAA certification in the US. Their cover of “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” reached number three on the UK Singles Chart in 1988, a feat which would later be matched by “Missing”, which charted high in several countries and reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1995 and spent over seven months on the UK Singles Chart thanks to an extremely popular remix by Todd Terry which later led to a Brit Award nomination for Best British Single. // Their ninth album Walking Wounded (1996) set a new career best by entering the UK albums chart at number four; it spawned the top ten singles “Walking Wounded” and “Wrong”. The band went inactive in 2000, with Thorn declaring that she would no longer perform live. Thorn and Watt, who did not publicise their romantic relationship with each other while active, married in 2009, both released solo albums and said it was unlikely that Everything But the Girl would be active again. // However, in November 2022, Thorn announced that a new album had been recorded for release in spring 2023. Fuse, the band’s first new material in 24 years, will be released on 21 April 2023. // When Thorn and Watt met, they were both attending the University of Hull and both had contracted with the independent record company Cherry Red Records, as solo artists. Thorn was also a member of the trio Marine Girls. The pair each had solo album releases through Cherry Red: Thorn’s 1982 LP was A Distant Shore, an eight-track mini-album. Watt’s 1983 debut LP – the follow-up to his 1982 5-track EP Summer Into Winter featuring Robert Wyatt – was entitled North Marine Drive. // 1985 view of Turners, with the slogan Everything but the Girl. They formed a duo and adopted the name “Everything but the Girl” from the slogan used by the Hull shop Turner’s Furniture on Beverley Road.]

9. Кино – “Верь мне”
   from: Это не любовь / Moroz Records / 1985
   [Eto ne lyubov… (Russian: Это не любовь…, lit. ’This is not love…’) is the fourth studio album by Soviet rock band Kino. It was released in 1985. // Kino (Russian: Кино, lit. ’cinema, film’, IPA: [kʲɪˈno]) was a Soviet rock band formed in Leningrad in 1982, considered to be one of, if not the, greatest rock band in the history of Russian music. The band was co-founded and headed by Viktor Tsoi, who wrote the music and lyrics for almost all of the band’s songs. Over the course of eight years, Kino released over 90 songs spanning over seven studio albums, as well as releasing a few compilations and live albums. The band’s music was also widely circulated in the form of bootleg recordings through the underground magnitizdat distribution scene. Viktor Tsoi died in a car accident in 1990. Shortly after his passing, the band broke up after releasing their final album, consisting of songs that Tsoi and the group were working on in the months before his death. // In 2019, the band announced a reunion with concerts planned in the fall of 2020 for the first time in 30 years, however they were later postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.]

10. Кино – “Уходи”
    from: Это не любовь / Moroz Records / 1985
    [Kino was formed in 1981 by the members of two earlier groups from Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), Palata No. 6 and Piligrimy. They initially called themselves Garin i giperboloidy (Russian: Гарин и гиперболоиды, lit. ’Garin and the Hyperboloids’) after Aleksei Tolstoi’s novel The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin. The group consisted of Viktor Tsoi, guitarist Aleksei Rybin, and drummer Oleg Valinsky [ru]. They began rehearsing, but Valinsky was drafted and had to leave the band. In the spring of 1982, they began to perform at the Leningrad Rock Club and met with influential underground musician Boris Grebenshchikov. It was around this time that they changed the band’s name to Kino. The name was chosen because it was considered short and “synthetic,” and the band members took pride in that it had only two syllables and was easy to pronounce by speakers all over the world. Tsoi and Rybin later said that they had the idea for the name after seeing a bright cinema sign.]

11. Bravo (Браво) – “Zapolarniy Tvist”
    from: Moskovskiy Bit (Moscow Beat) / Московский бит / 1994
    [Bravo was founded in 1983 in Moscow, Russia by guitarist Evgeny Havtan. Drawing heavy inspiration from 1950s western music, Bravo was a part of the Soviet rock & roll revival of the 1980s, along with Secret. Their first album was made in 1983.// Despite the fact that at that time rock and roll and beat music (except for The Beatles) were less popular among Soviet citizens than classic rock, the band was one of the most popular underground acts in Russia in the 1980s, until the departure of original lead singer Zhanna Aguzarova in 1988. Since then Bravo has achieved success with several different singers, Valeriy Syutkin (1990-1994) and Robert Lenz (since 1996). // In 2011, after a ten-year break from studio recordings, Bravo released an album Fashion receiving positive reviews from critics and good attention from younger audiences. The band recorded the album using vintage instruments from the 50s & 60s. The album was produced by Ghian Wright. The album cover includes a photography of Audrey Hepburn from the US-American romantic comedy Roman Holiday.]

12. Bravo – “Wonderful Country”
    from: Live In Moscow / Bravo / 1994

11:00 – Station ID

13. Машина Времени (Mashina Vremeni) – “Разговор в поезде”
    from: Лучшие песни 1979-1985 (Greatest Hits) / Sintez Records / May 27, 1993
    [Разговор в поезде translates to “Conversations on a Train.” // Mashina Vremeni (Russian: Машина времени, lit. ’Time Machine’) is a Russian rock band founded in 1969. Mashina Vremeni was a pioneer of Soviet rock music and remains one of the oldest still-active rock bands in Russia. The band’s music incorporates elements of classic rock, blues, and bard’s song. Mashina Vremeni’s best known members are Andrei Makarevich (founder, principal singer-songwriter, public face of the band), Alexander Kutikov (bass player and producer/sound engineer), and Evgeny Margulis (guitarist/songwriter). // Andrei Makarevich’s musical career can be traced to a school band called The Kids, which was made up of two male guitarists and two female vocalists. The group sang mostly English-language folk songs and performed primarily at talent shows put on in Moscow schools. According to Makarevich, the momentous event in his musical career came when the Soviet group VIA Atlanty (Russian: ВИА «Атланты») visited his school and allowed him to play a couple of songs on their equipment during a break in the performance. On the heels of this experience, Makarevich joined with other musically talented students from his school and another school to form Mashiny Vremeni (Russian: Машины времени, lit. ’Time Machines’ – in plural form imitating The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, etc.). The most significant founding members included Sergey Kawagoe and Andrey Makarevich. The band’s repertoire consisted of eleven songs in English, now lost.// Mashina Vremeni started playing during the last years of the Brezhnev era, but could not get official bookings as a professional band. In 1979 Makarevich signed the band up with Rosconcert, becoming legitimate in the State music system.]

14. Квартал – “Там на Таити (In Tahiti)”
    from: Резиновые джунгли (Rubber Jungle) / 1994

15. Shonen Knife – “Till The End Of The Day”
    from: The Birds And The B-Sides / Virgin Records / 1996
    [Shonen Knife is a Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka in 1981. Influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, the Beach Boys, and early punk rock bands such as the Ramones, the band crafts stripped-down songs with simple yet unconventional lyrics sung both in Japanese and English. // The band has been credited with making “the international pop underground more international” by “opening it up to bands from Japan”. They have also performed as a Ramones tribute band under the name the Osaka Ramones. Guitarist/singer Naoko Yamano is the only member to have remained with the band for its entire history; her sister Atsuko Yamano was a founding member and, after a long hiatus, returned to the band in 2016. They have released 22 studio albums; their most recent album Our Best Place was released in February 2023. // In the words of the Boston Globe, “something oddly spellbinding occurs when deceivingly silly lyrics are sandwiched between a buoyant guitar and a rapid-fire, pop-punk drum kit. Which perhaps explains why the Japanese female alternative rock/pop punk trio Shonen Knife is still singing songs about cookies, sushi, jelly beans, and, of course, banana chips.” // Shonen Knife was formed in December 1981 in Osaka, Japan, by Naoko Yamano on guitar and vocals; her college friend Michie Nakatani on bass, keyboards, and vocals; and Naoko’s then 17-year-old sister Atsuko Yamano on drums. Naoko and Michie had both worked at office jobs; Atsuko had received training as a fashion designer and has created many of the band’s stage outfits. The band was named after an old brand of pen knife that had been marketed to Japanese boys. Female rock bands were rare in Japan at the time. While cultivating a punk rock sound, the band emphasized positivity using catchy, upbeat melodies and simple, carefree lyrics that often dealt with sweets, animals, and consumer culture. As explained by Nakatani in an interview, “We’ve always enjoyed writing songs about everyday things. Besides, there are already enough bands out there singing about pollution, war and poverty. While we all care very much about those things, we also feel that music should be fun.” // They played their first gig in Osaka in March 1982, and self-released the cassette-only album Minna Tanoshiku later that year. Their first full-length album Burning Farm was released in 1983, followed by Yama-no Attchan in 1984. While the band’s early albums were only officially released in Japan, imported copies attracted a cult following among alternative rock fans in the United States. In 1985, Burning Farm attracted the attention of K Records in Olympia, Washington, which re-released the album in America. // In 1986 the band released multiple international versions of the album Pretty Little Baka Guy, with the American version issued by Sub Pop, their song “One Day of the Factory” appeared on an international compilation released by that label. In 1987, Shonen Knife was invited to open for Sonic Youth in Osaka, and played internationally for the first time at a concert in Los Angeles with organizational support from Sonic Youth and Redd Kross. The band’s cult following among musicians was illustrated by the 1991 tribute album Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them, with cover songs by 23 punk and alternative rock acts.]

16. Guitar Wolf – “カワサキZII 750 ROCK’N’ROLL”
    from: 狼惑星 PLANET of THE WOLVES / Matador Records / October 21, 1997
    [Planet of the Wolves is the fifth studio album by Japanese rock band Guitar Wolf. It was released in Japan on September 21, 1997/. It features covers of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, Link Wray’s “Rumble”, Milan the Leather Boy’s “Motor Cycle Leather Boy”, and Teengenerate’s “Let’s Get Hurt.” // Guitar Wolf (Japanese: ギ タ ー ウ ル フ) is a Japanese garage rock power trio founded in Tokyo in 1987. They coined the phrase “jet rock ‘n’ roll”, which they use to describe their musical style. The band is signed to Sony Music Japan’s Ki/oon Records division. // Guitar Wolf has released thirteen studio albums internationally as well as a live album, numerous singles, and a retrospective compilation called Golden Black. The band members have also been featured in two B-grade science fiction horror films: Wild Zero and Sore Losers. A collection of Guitar Wolf’s most popular videos and live performances have been compiled into a limited-edition DVD titled Red Idol. // Guitarist Seiji was born in Nagasaki Prefecture but moved to nearby Shimane Prefecture while he was still young. Upon graduating high school, he moved to Tokyo, where he became lead vocalist for the band Far East Punch. With a strong desire to play guitar, Seiji dedicated himself to the instrument after coming across a copy of the single “Rumble” by Link Wray & His Ray Men at Tower Records in Shibuya. He has stated that the 1958 instrumental “saved his music life”. // Seiji met bassist Billy (Hideaki Sekiguchi) while the two were working in Harajuku. Realizing they shared similar musical tastes, they decided to form a rock band together. After convincing Seiji’s coworker Narita to accompany them on drums, Guitar Wolf formed in Harajuku in 1987. Each member adopted a Ramones-style surname reflecting the instrument he played: Seiji became Guitar Wolf, Billy became Bass Wolf, and Narita became Drum Wolf, though Narita would depart the group shortly thereafter. For a brief period, Seiji’s younger brother Masaharu filled in on drums before current drummer Tōru was found. // In time, the band would come to develop its own unique strain of punk rock music, fusing multiple genres together into what the band described as Jet Rock ‘n’ Roll. Although Guitar Wolf has cited Joan Jett as an important musical and stylistic influence, contrary to some reports, the term Jet Rock is not derived from Joan Jett’s name. The term’s origin is, rather, attributed to the sound of a jet plane. In an interview conducted in St. Louis on 5 April 2012, Seiji clarified: “I love jet plane. I love noisy music, too. So…there were records…many records…every record have no big sounds. So…easy to listen. I hate that! So! I add jet sounds. Bwaaaahng! Explosion!” In the same interview, when asked who created the term Jet Rock, Seiji replied, “Me. Yeah, yeah. So we are #1 Japanese Jet Rock Band”. // By 1994, the band had released three albums and a single. Their first album, Wolf Rock!, was recorded in Seiji’s basement and released in the US on vinyl by Goner Records. Their second album, Kung Fu Ramone, was released through Bag of Hammers; their third, titled Run Wolf Run, contains a number of re-recorded tracks from Kung Fu Ramone. 1994 also saw the release of their first single, “Somethin’ Else b/w Red Rockabilly”, again through Bag of Hammers. // Guitar Wolf at Burger Boogaloo, Mosswood Park, Oakland, 2017. The period between 1994 and 2000 is when Guitar Wolf released much of their best-known material. In 1996, a performance at a New York City record store secured the band a contract with Matador Records, who issued their fourth album, Missile Me!, that same year. Guitar Wolf would continue releasing albums with Matador until 1999’s Jet Generation, an album that the company claimed was the loudest ever put to wax, and which included a warning that playing it could potentially damage the listener’s audio equipment. // On 24 April 2019, it was announced that Guitar Wolf’s latest album, Love & Jett, would be released on Jack White’s Third Man Records on 10 May 2019. A US tour with Nashville Pussy was organized to promote the album.]

17. The 5, 6, 7, 8’s – “Woo Hoo”
    from: Bomb The Twist / Sympathy For The Record Industry / January 11, 1996
    “Woo Hoo” was featured in the 2003 film Kill Bill Volume 1, directed by Quentin Tarantino. // The 5.6.7.8’s are a Japanese rock band from Tokyo. They first started performing as a quartet in Tokyo, and recruited guest performers during their Australian tour. They became a trio in 1992, before touring Australia. // The 5.6.7.8’s formed when Sachiko and Yoshiko “Ronnie” Fujiyama, two sisters from Tokyo who both shared a passion for rock and roll, founded the band in 1986 with two other members. Originally, the line-up consisted of Yoshiko on vocals and guitar, Rico on second guitar, Yoshie on bass guitar and Sachiko on drums. After several line-up changes (including the bassist Yoshiko “Yama” Yamaguchi, who was the bassist featured in the Kill Bill movie), the band eventually became a trio after Rico’s and Yoshie’s departures. Yoshiko and Sachiko are still the main components in the band, and now Akiko Omo has rejoined the band as the bass guitarist (She originally joined the 5.6.7.8’s in the early 1990s). // Even though the group mostly sing their songs in Japanese, they do many covers of American rock and roll records from the 1950s to the 1980s. However, their official website and most of their fansites and fanclubs are in Japanese, as they have their biggest following in their home country. // Yoshiko, who plays a Teisco guitar and sports a “Teenage Queen Delinquent” tattoo on her upper right arm, was initially the lead vocalist, but as the band performed more rock and roll songs originally performed by female groups, every member had equal parts in vocals and many songs are performed singing simultaneously. // The 5.6.7.8’s became known in the West after their appearance in Kill Bill Vol. 1, in which they performed “I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield”, “I’m Blue” (a cover of The Ikettes’ song) and “Woo Hoo” in a Tokyo club, “The House Of Blue Leaves”. On the Special Bonus Features of the Kill Bill Volume 1 DVD, one of the specials featured a live performance which shows the 5.6.7.8’s singing “I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield” and “I’m Blue” during filming of the movie. The 5.6.7.8’s song “The Barracuda” is featured in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift soundtrack. // According to Quentin Tarantino, he discovered the music of the 5.6.7.8’s after hearing it in an urban clothing store in Tokyo, hours before going to the airport. // They also became renowned for the use of their cover of The Rock-A-Teens song, “Woo Hoo”, in advertisements for Carling lager and Vonage VoIP service in the mid-2000s. The song reached No. 28 on the UK Singles Chart in 2004. The follow-up song was “I’m Blue”; it peaked at No. 71 on the same chart two months later. //. The 5.6.7.8’s have also toured many countries including China, Australia, the United States, and their native Japan. // The 5.6.7.8’s music draws from multiple genres of American music, including rock and roll, surf, rockabilly, doo-wop, punk rock and psychobilly. According to Yoshiko “Ronnie” Fujiyama, the band wanted to “deconstruct rock ‘n’ roll into punk music by using distortion and noise and screaming.” The band’s influences include Chuck Berry and Sex Pistols. The 5.6.7.8’s sound has been classified as garage rock, rock and roll, garage punk, punk rock, rockabilly, roots rock, surf punk and surf rock.]

18. Pizzicato Five – “The Earth Goes Round”
    from: Happy End of The World / Matador / June 21, 1997
    [Happy End of the World (ハッピー・エンド・オブ・ザ・ワールド) is the tenth studio album by Japanese pop band Pizzicato Five. The album was released on June 21, 1997, by Readymade Records. In the United States, it was released by Matador Records on September 9, 1997, and peaked at number 32 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart. A companion remix album, Happy End of You, was released in 1998.[6] Happy End of the World was reissued by Readymade on March 31, 2006. // On Happy End of the World, Pizzicato Five incorporated influences from contemporary styles of electronic music, including breakbeat, downtempo and drum and bass, into their trademark Shibuya-kei sound. Tokyo Weekender writer Ed Cunningham found that the album saw the band expanding on the “beat-driven experimentation” that had been hinted at on previous albums such as Sweet Pizzicato Five (1992) and Bossa Nova 2001 (1993). He describes it as having “both the density and adventurousness of a plunderphonics record (despite much of it being performed live) and the chilled, featherweight listenability of lounge and easy-listening pop.”]

19. Pizzicato Five – “Trailer Music”
    from: Happy End of The World / Matador / June 21, 1997
    [Pizzicato Five (formerly typeset as Pizzicato V and sometimes abbreviated to P5) was a Japanese pop band formed in Tokyo in 1979 by multi-instrumentalists Yasuharu Konishi and Keitarō Takanami. After some personnel changes in the late 1980s, the band gained international fame as a duo consisting of Konishi and vocalist Maki Nomiya. With their music blending together 1960s pop, jazz and synth-pop, the group were a prominent component in the Shibuya-kei movement of the 1990s. // Pizzicato Five was a hugely prolific group during its existence, usually releasing at least a studio album each year in addition to various EPs and remix albums. Their music has appeared in numerous movies, television episodes, and video games. // Pizzicato V began in 1979 when university students Yasuharu Konishi and Keitarō Takanami first met at a local music society conference. Ryō Kamomiya, Mamiko Sasaki, and Shigeo Miyata were soon recruited after a few years. Miyata left the group almost immediately but the four remaining members kept the name Pizzicato V. The band released its first single on Haruomi Hosono’s Non-Standard label (Teichiku Records), a 12-inch release titled “The Audrey Hepburn Complex” which was produced by Hosono, in 1985. They followed this with the single “Action”. // In 1986, Pizzicato V signed with CBS/Sony (now Sony Music Entertainment Japan). In 1987, the band released their first all-new album, Couples. It was a commercial failure, and the record company began pressuring the band to find a new lead singer. Kamomiya and Sasaki decided to quit. Takao Tajima, Original Love’s frontman, joined the band soon as the new vocalist. He decided to work at these two bands. With Tajima, the band released its second album, Bellissima! in 1988. // The next two albums, 1989’s On Her Majesty’s Request and 1990’s Soft Landing on the Moon, were also commercial failures. // In 1990, Maki Nomiya, who had previously released one solo album, joined as the third lead vocalist. Takao Tajima left to concentrate on his own band Original Love. In 1991, Pizzicato Five signed with Nippon Columbia/Seven Gods (later Triad Records). // Following three EPs showcasing Nomiya’s vocals, Pizzicato Five released This Year’s Girl. Inspired by the advent of sampling (De La Soul’s 3 Feet High and Rising is said to have been a major influence), the group put together a sound which would help start the burgeoning Shibuya-kei scene. The album would spawn two of their best-known songs: “Twiggy Twiggy” and “Baby Love Child”. // 1992 saw a change in direction as the clubby Sweet Pizzicato Five was released. // The band began to get increasing exposure via the theme songs it recorded for television dramas (a common practice for pop bands in Japan), achieving widespread fame with the 1993 single “Sweet Soul Revue”, which was featured in a major spring advertising campaign for Kao Corporation (Kanebo Cosmetics). In December, the single “The Night Is Still Young” (東京は夜の七時, tōkyō wa yoru no shichiji) (literally, 7 p.m. in Tokyo) became another smash hit after it was used as the opening theme of the children’s television programme UgoUgo Rūga Ni-gō. // The band’s American debut came in 1994 with the release of the EP Five by Five on Matador Records. This was quickly followed by a full-length album, Made in USA, a compilation of tracks from their last three Japanese albums which sold 200,000 copies worldwide. // Shortly before the release of the next album Overdose in the same year, Keitarō Takanami quit the band, leaving Konishi and Nomiya as the only remaining members. In February 1995, the two set off on a successful 14-stop tour of Europe and America. Another compilation, The Sound of Music by Pizzicato Five, was released in October 1995, again featuring various tracks from the Maki-era albums. // After the 1996 release of the album Romantique 96 and several singles, including the hit “Baby Portable Rock”, in 1997 the band formed its own label, Readymade Records, and released the commercially successful album Happy End of the World – the only Pizzicato Five album to be released unchanged in both Japan and the rest of the world. // In 1998, the band released The International Playboy & Playgirl Record in Japan. It would be released a year later worldwide with a slightly different track listing and the shortened title (which was also its Japanese title) of Playboy & Playgirl. // 1999 came and Pizzicato Five released the JBL Maxisonic series of EPs, followed by the album Pizzicato Five. It included songs from each of the three EPs in very different forms: “Darlin’ of Discothèque” is shorter and instrumental, “A Perfect World” is a lounge-style rearrangement sung by guest vocalist Mieko Hirota and the new song “20th Century Girl” is based on the B-side “Room Service”, originally written by Masumi Arichika of TV Jesus. // In 2000, Matador Records released Pizzicato Five under the somewhat less confusing name of The Fifth Release from Matador. The CD version of this left out the first song “Love Again” but added three extra tracks (one from each of the JBL Maxisonic EPs), while the LP version shared the same title but deviated still further from the original track listing. It would also be Pizzicato Five’s last American release. // 2001 saw the Japanese release of the album Çà et là du Japon and the announcement that the band was to break up, followed by a series of live events featuring guest performances by old members and two further Big Hits and Jet Lags albums – Pizzicato Five R.I.P. (1998–2001) and Singles (1993–2001).]

20. PUFFY – “渚にまつわるエトセトラ (Etc Etc.)”
    from: THE VERY BEST OF PUFFY ～amiyumi JET FEVER～ / Epic / 2000
    [Puffy (パフィー, Pafī, stylized as PUFFY) is a Japanese pop rock duo formed in Tokyo in 1995, consisting of singers Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura. In the United States, they adopted the name Puffy AmiYumi to avoid legal naming conflicts with Sean Combs, who also performed under the name Puffy. They sing in Japanese and English. // Onuki and Yoshimura were scouted by Sony-affiliated talent agencies and put together in the mid-1990s. Most of their work was produced or co-written by Tamio Okuda and Andy Sturmer, formerly of the bands Unicorn and Jellyfish, respectively. // The pair’s first release “Asia no Junshin” (1996) sold a million records. They gained mainstream success in Japan during 1998, following the release of their album Jet CD and continued with several more full-length releases (totaling 15 million sales in Japan).// In 2004, an animated series featuring cartoon versions of Onuki and Yoshimura, Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, premiered on the US Cartoon Network. Although their characters were voiced by actresses, the singers portrayed themselves for short live-action segments taped in Japan. // When she was in high school, Ami sang for a band called “Hanoi Sex”. In her sophomore year, the band auditioned during the Sony SD Audition and passed, becoming employees of Sony Music Entertainment. Years went by with little action by either the band or the record label, as Ami took vocal lessons and attended a professional school to learn how to become a better performer. Eventually the band dissolved, leaving only Ami under Sony’s employment. She was encouraged to stay, despite lacking a band and a clear musical direction. // Separately, Yumi had learned of the Chotto Sokomade talent search underway by Sony Music Artists when she was “around 18”. She also auditioned and passed. She moved on her own from Osaka to Tokyo, where she eventually met Ami by chance in the Sony Music offices and then at a concert after-party, when the two hit it off. Both felt alone within the large Sony organization and neither were confident in their abilities as solo artists, so even though Ami had already recorded a solo CD under the guidance of former Unicorn front-man Tamio Okuda (it would later become half of solosolo), they requested Sony pair them as a duo. // Producer and American pop musician Andy Sturmer christened them “Puffy”, and is considered by Ami and Yumi as “the godfather of Puffy”. Ami had previously met Tamio Okuda at a Sparks Gogo concert, and he had produced her then-unreleased solo CD. He was eventually signed on to produce Puffy’s first album AmiYumi. Their debut single, “Asia no Junshin”, launched Puffy-mania. Asked if they were surprised by the attention after its success, Yumi told an interviewer “… everything that was put together for that song all came together and made it happen, but we didn’t expect it. It was luck.” // As “Puffy-mania” exploded, they became multimedia stars, including hosting their own weekly TV show Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Puffy with guests such as Lenny Kravitz, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, and rock band Garbage. // Puffy made their first US appearance as part of Music Japan’s “An Evening with Japan’s All-Stars” showcase at the 2000 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas. After their performance at SXSW, attorneys for Sean “Puffy” Combs sent the band a cease and desist letter asking them to change their name. After changing their name in the US to Puffy AmiYumi, they told Entertainment Weekly: Yumi: It doesn’t bother us at all. We respect the fact that Puff Daddy is Puffy in the U.S. Ami: The bottom line is that we don’t know what puffy means. We were given our name by somebody else six years ago, and we really don’t have a clue. // After Pa-Pa-Pa-Pa-Puffy ended production in 2002, Puffy focused on performing in the United States. Several of their previous Japanese albums were released for the US market and they recorded theme songs for the animated series Teen Titans and SD Gundam Force. They have also done a cover version with Cyndi Lauper of her hit “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”. They were also interviewed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! by Jimmy Kimmel and performed their songs “Hi Hi” and “Akai Buranko” (Red Swing) on the show. They came back to the US in 2006 for their Splurge Tour, and also toured with Tally Hall for Super-Ultimate Awesome Exploration America 2006 In January 2017, they announced for the US tour titled Puffy AmiYumi US TOUR 2017: NOT LAZY in April 2017. In the same month, the band made an appearance at Anime Boston for autograph signings. After their appearance at Boston Anime Convention they undertook a three city USA Tour which they called their ‘Not Lazy Tour’ of the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas, Texas.]

11:28 – Underwriting

21. PUFFY – “日曜日の娘 (Sunday Girl)”
    from: THE VERY BEST OF PUFFY ～amiyumi JET FEVER～ / Epic / 2000

22. Yellow Magic Orchestra – “Behind The Mask”
    from: YMO Go Home / Alfa Music / September 22. 1999
    [Japanese electronic music band formed in Tokyo in 1978 by Haruomi Hosono (bass, keyboards, vocals), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums, lead vocals, occasional keyboards) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards, vocals). The group is considered influential and innovative in the field of popular electronic music. They were pioneers in their use of synthesizers, samplers, sequencers, drum machines, computers, and digital recording technology, and effectively anticipated the “electropop boom” of the 1980s. They are credited with playing a key role in the development of several electronic genres, including synthpop, J-pop, electro, and techno, while exploring subversive sociopolitical themes throughout their career. // The 3 members were veterans of the music industry before coming together as YMO, and were inspired by eclectic sources, including the electronic music of Isao Tomita and Kraftwerk, Japanese traditional music, arcade games, funk music, and the disco productions of Giorgio Moroder. They released the surprise global hit “Computer Game” in 1978, reaching the UK Top 20 and selling 400,000 copies in the U.S. For their early recordings and performances, the band was often accompanied by programmer Hideki Matsutake. The group released several albums before pausing their activity in 1984. They briefly reunited several times in subsequent decades before Takahashi and Sakamoto’s deaths in 2023. // Prior to the group’s formation, Sakamoto had been experimenting with electronic music equipment at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, which he entered in 1970, including synthesizers such as the Buchla, Moog, and ARP. The group leader Haruomi Hosono had been using an Ace Tone rhythm machine since early in his career in the early 1970s. Following the break-up of his band Happy End in 1972, Hosono became involved in the recording of several early electronic rock records, including Yōsui Inoue’s folk pop rock album Kōri no Sekai (1973) and Osamu Kitajima’s progressive psychedelic rock album Benzaiten (1974), both of which utilized synthesizers, electric guitars, electric bass, and in the latter, electronic drums, and rhythm machines. Also around the same time, the band’s future “fourth member” Hideki Matsutake was the assistant for the internationally successful electronic musician Isao Tomita. Much of the methods and techniques developed by both Tomita and Matsutake during the early 1970s would later be employed by Yellow Magic Orchestra. // Sakamoto first worked with Hosono as a member of his live band in 1976, while Yukihiro Takahashi recruited Sakamoto to produce his debut solo recording in 1977 following the split of the Sadistic Mika Band. Hosono invited both to work on his exotica-flavoured album Paraiso, which included electronic songs produced using various electronic equipment. The band was named “Harry Hosono and the Yellow Magic Band” as a satire of Japan’s obsession with black magic at the time, and in late 1977 they began recording Paraiso, which was released in 1978. The three worked together again for the 1978 album Pacific, which included an early version of the song “Cosmic Surfin”. Hosono and Sakamoto also worked together alongside Hideki Matsutake in early 1978 for Hosono’s experimental “electro-exotica” fusion album Cochin Moon, which fused electronic music with Indian music, including an early “synth raga” song “Hum Ghar Sajan”. The same year, Sakamoto released his own solo album, The Thousand Knives of Ryuichi Sakamoto, experimenting with a similar fusion between electronic music and traditional Japanese music in early 1978. Hosono also contributed to one of Sakamoto’s songs, “Thousand Knives”, in the album. Thousand Knives was also notable for its early use of the microprocessor-based Roland MC-8 Microcomposer music sequencer, with Matsutake as its music programmer for the album. // While Sakamoto was working on Thousand Knives, Hosono began formulating the idea of an instrumental disco band which could have the potential to reach success in non-Japanese-language territories, and invited Tasuo Hayashi of Tin Pan Alley and Hiroshi Sato of Uncle Buck as participants, but they declined. Hosono, Sakamoto and Takahashi eventually collaborated again to form the Yellow Magic Orchestra and they began recording their self-titled album at a Shibaura studio in July 1978. // YMOs 1978 self-titled album Yellow Magic Orchestra was successful and the studio project grew into a fully fledged touring band and career for its three members. The album featured the use of computer technology (along with synthesizers) which, according to Billboard, allowed the group to create a new sound that was not possible until then. Following the release of the album Yellow Magic Orchestra, a live date at the Roppongi Pit Inn was seen by executives of A&M Records of the USA who were in the process of setting up a partnership deal with Alfa Records. This led to the YMO being offered an international deal, at which point (early 1979) the three members decided the group would be given priority over their solo careers. The most popular international hit from the album was “Firecracker”, which would be released as a single as “Computer Game”, which became a success in the United States and Europe.]

23. Kim Jung Mi – “난 정말 몰라요(I Really Don’t Know)”
    from: 이건 너무 하잖아요 (This Is Too Much) / Kim Jung Mi / 2000
    [Kim Jung Mi is a South Korean psychedelic rock singer. // Born on April 23, 1953, in Seoul, as the second daughter of Kim Sun Sung, an entrepreneur who owned a transportation company. In 1971, when she was in her last year of high school, Kim joined Shin Jung-hyeon’s band to record film soundtracks for The Women in the Waiting Room and Wolves and Cats. She continued her singing career as a vocalist for Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns, and recorded Now. However, after six years of musical success, Kim was forced to leave the scene in 1977 due to repetitive censorship criticizing her “vulgar voice”.During the 1975 Marijuana Incident, Kim was arrested and all the music albums she produced were believed to have been discarded.]

24. 신중현과 엽전들 (Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns) – “생각해 (Think)”
    from: 신중현과 엽전들 1집 / Jigu Records / November 1, 1974
    [Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns (신중현과 엽전들) was a South Korean rock band formed by Shin Jung-hyeon (lead guitarist, lead vocal), Lee Nam-yi (), and Kim Ho-sik (). ” Yup Jun” is an ad hoc romanisation of yeopjeon (“leaf coin”), a kind of old brass coin with a square hole.. The band’s album Shin Jung Hyun & Yup Juns Vol. 1, released in 1974, sold more than one million copies.]

25. 작은 거인 (Little Big Man) – “행복 (Happiness)”
    from: 별리/어쩌면 좋아 (Separation/What Do I Do) / 1987

26. Kim Jung Mi – “Blow Spring Breeze”
    from: Now / Kim Jung Mi / 1973

27. Morelenbaum² / Sakamoto – “Vivo Sonhando – Dreamer”
    from: Casa / Warner Music Japan / 2001 [Casa is a 2001 studio album by the trio Morelenbaum²/Sakamoto, consisting of cellist Jaques Morelenbaum, vocalist Paula Morelenbaum, and pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto. It is a tribute to Brazilian musician and composer Antônio Carlos Jobim, with most of the songs recorded in his house in Rio de Janeiro, using his grand piano. Casa featured the first recording ever of Jobim’s composition entitled “Tema para Ana.” The album was released in the United States by Sony Classical. // Ryuichi Sakamoto (Japanese: 坂本 龍一[a], Hepburn: Sakamoto Ryūichi, January 17, 1952 – March 28, 2023) was a Japanese composer, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres. // Sakamoto began his career while at university in the 1970s as a session musician, producer, and arranger. His first major success came in 1978 as co-founder of YMO. He concurrently pursued a solo career, releasing the experimental electronic fusion album Thousand Knives in 1978. Two years later, he released the album B-2 Unit. It included the track “Riot in Lagos”, which was significant in the development of electro and hip hop music. He went on to produce more solo records, and collaborate with many international artists, David Sylvian, Carsten Nicolai, Youssou N’Dour, and Fennesz among them. Sakamoto composed music for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and his composition “Energy Flow” (1999) was the first instrumental number-one single in Japan’s Oricon charts history. // As a film score composer, Sakamoto won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and two Golden Globe Awards. Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) marked his debut as both an actor and a film-score composer; its main theme was adapted into the single “Forbidden Colours” which became an inter after which he continued earning accolades composing for films such as The Sheltering Sky (1990), Little Buddha (1993), and The Revenant (2015). On occasion, Sakamoto also worked as a composer and a scenario writer on anime and video games. He was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the Ministry of Culture of France in 2009 for his contributions to music.]

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

Big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful listeners and friends who generously and thoughtfully donated to support KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio during our Wednesday MidDay Medley broadcast today! Through the airwaves, and through social media, a total of 55 people donated a total of $3149.00 to allow us to continue our mission. THANK YOU to my incredible co-hosts: Betse Ellis & Marion Merritt, and special guest J Kelly Dougherty, and very special guest Hermon Mehari for sharing your brilliance with our listeners. Thank you to Scott Bunte, Lincoln Dreher and Darryl Oliver for taking our donations over the phones.

Next week on Wednesday MidDay Medley on April 19 Sondra Freeman joins us to share all of the details about Midwest Music Foundation’s Annual Spring Donation Drive Dinner Show 7:00 to 9:00 PM hosted by Kris & Havilah Bruders AND LateShow with Radkey, DJ Thundercuts, Pamper The Manman and Gascan at 10:00 Saturday, April 22 at The Ship 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO WEST BOTTOMS AND we’ll also talk with Alison Hawkins & Fritz Hutchison about the new True Lions / Fritz Hutchison Split Cassette Release Show on Wednesday, April 26 at 7:00 PM with Jass & The Boys at The Ship 1221 Union Avenue, KCMO WEST BOTTOMS. AND Alicia Ellingsworth, Executive Director and Co-Founder of The KC Farm School at Gibbs Road joins us to talk about gardening and EARTH DAY!

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 #989

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

Wednesday, April 12, 2023

Guest Producer Patrick Sprehe

Mark welcomes Patrick Sprehe, of Center Cut Records, who joins us as “Guest Producer.” Patrick earned his Bachelor’s degree in Education from The University of Kansas, and his Masters in Secondary School Administration from the University of Central Missouri. He served with the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan after the fall of the Soviet Union, and taught English as a Second Language at a community college in Raleigh, NC. Patrick taught for several years at an International Baccalaureate magnet middle school in Raleigh, before he moved to Oakland, CA. to teach at an international language school in Berkeley, California. From there he moved to Tokyo, Japan, to teach English as a Foreign Language. Patrick worked for 13 years teaching English at Academie Lafayette in KC. Patrick & James Andrews founded Center Cut Records in 2017, and released Calvin Arsenia’s album “Cantaloupe” in the fall of 2018, the EP “Honeydew” in 2019, and Calvin’s follow-up, “LA Sessions” recorded with legendary session players. In 2020, Center Cut released Fritz Hutchison’s solo debut “Wide Wild Acres” and remastered & re-released nationally, The Black Creatures’ “Wild Echoes,” earning “Album of the Year” recognition from The Pitch. In 2022 Center Cut released The Black Creatures’ “By Thy Hand,” voted “Best Local Album” by The Pitch. In 2023 center Cut is focused on reissuing some lost gems from KC artists, as part of the label’s Buried Treasure series. More info at: http://www.centercutrecords.com

Patrick will spin tracks from: Jorge Ben, Caetano Veloso, Moreno Veloso, Eliane Elias, Marisa Monte, Bebel Gilberto, Everything But The Girl, Shonen Knife, Guitar Wolf, The 5.6.7.8’s, Pizzicato Five, PUFFY, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kim Jung Mi2, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Little Big Man, Busker Busker, One Plus One, Quarter/Back, This Is Not Love, Moscow Beat, and more.

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

Show #989

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

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming on Patti Smith’s EASTER + Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith + Jess Shoman of Tenci

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]

2. Monta – “Perimeter Dancer”
   from: Crystal Momentum EP / The Record Machine / March 24, 2023
   [The band released the single “Looking Back” on February 27, 2023, and “Everybody’s Baby” on January 27, 2023. Monta’s latest, the Crystal Momentum EP, hones the Kansas City band’s mastery of electrified dreamworld post-punk, presenting four spacious songs to accompany out-of-body explorations. Monta’s core players — Mikal Shapiro on vocals, Krysztof Nemeth and Lucas Behrens on guitars, Dedric Moore on electronics, Matthew Heinrich on drums, and Teri Quinn with additional vocals — accompany their visions with a groovy flow that rings with subtle tensions, introspective instrumentation, and chorus-fed uplifts. // Found within are “Everybody’s Baby,” an otherworldly adoration of unnamed strangers set to transfixing melodies and a snake-like groove; the buoyant “Looking Back,” which shines a danceable, sonic brightness through a haze of ecstatic reminiscence; the inspired “Perimeter Dancer,” an ode to those who fight for the cause, accompanied by a punky disco beat and a chorus that launches the song upward to a mirror-ball-lit sky. And then there’s “Luna Lost In Your Gaze,” a righteous desert sleepwalk of a tune that recalls the spaghetti western tones of Monta’s past while remaining on the current trajectory. // With the Crystal Momentum EP, Monta grabs the moment, further defining the distinctive mix of synth-pop and dark psychedelia that’s become the band’s trademark. Take a leap and fall into their world. // Monta means “to climb higher.” Through lineup changes and scenes ebbing and flowing, this band continues that climb. Founded by brothers Dedric and Delaney Moore, Monta (originally Monta At Odds) has grown into its own community with a rotating cast of musicians and characters. More Information at: kosmiccity.com / therecordmachine.co]

3. Altin Gün – “Canim Oy”
   from: Ask / ATO Records / March 31, 2023
   [GRAMMY-nominated Turkish psych-folk innovators Altın Gün release their new album, Aşk. The album has already been met with significant international praise ahead of its release. MOJO was one of the first to weigh in with a four-star review in their new issue. Exclaim! said that Aşk “captures a band more comfortable roasting in the sweaty, late-night heat of their notoriously fiery concerts, and is imbued with that invigorating immediacy,” while PopMatters praised the band for the way their music “plays up the psychedelic aspects of the Anatolian scene with ecstatic relish.” // Rooted in antiquity yet blazing with contemporary relevance and vitality, Aşk includes such recently released tracks as the pulse-pounding “Rakıya Su Katamam” and the deeply atmospheric “Güzelligin On Para Etmez,” both of which are available now at all DSPs and streaming services. // An exuberant return to the 70s Anatolian folk-rock sound that characterized Altın Gün’s landmark first two albums, Aşk sees Altın Gün veering away from the electronic, synth-drenched sound of their critically acclaimed 2021 albums, Âlem and Yol, to capture all the infectious power and urgency of the Amsterdam-based band’s famously propulsive live performances. Recorded using vintage equipment and techniques, the album’s ten groundbreaking tracks all represent visionary new readings of traditional Turkish folk tunes, revealing how these ancient songs remain eternally resonant and ripe for reinterpretation.// Altin Gün released their album Gece on April 26, 2021. // Amsterdam based band with a Turkish-psychedelic sound. With Ben Rider on guitar; Daniel Smienk on drums; Erdinç Ecevit on synthsizers, saz, & vocals; Gino Groenveld on percussion; Jasper Verhulst on electric bass; and Merve Daşdemir on vocals & keysboards. Altın Gün release their 2018 debut album, “On” in 2018.]

4. Kye Colors – “IN THE DARKNESS (clean)”
   from: Colorman: Red [EP] / Wasteland Records / March 16, 2023
   [Kye Colors released his single “Phil Collins” on March 25, 2022. // Kye Colors, born J’Kye Slatton, is a 21 year-old rapper and producer from the South side of Kansas City, Missouri. Kye began writing music as early as age 5, usually done in crayons. “I’d describe my music as very colorful and vibrant from the beats to the lyrics” Colors says. “I’d describe my music as very colorful and vibrant from the beats to the lyrics” // The name Kye Colors derives from multiple meanings. The first coming from the idea that hues enact certain moods, “you can feel orange, you can feel yellow, you can feel brown; it’s like an emotion” says Kye. The second is best described through his lyrics on the track Broken Place, “I’m KC for real, check the initials.” // His gift of rap was nurtured and harbored from Elementary School to High School. As a teenager, Kye’s talent was quickly taken notice by his peers. While in school, his seniors made sure that he would get his high school diploma before he could fully pursue his music career. After sporadic trials with rap he went by the name Kye Colors by age 14. The same year he began producing. // In 2015 he released his first mixtape entitled “00“. The project garnered attention from hip hop fans all over the Kansas City Metropolitan. In 2017, he joined the rap collective “CaviArt” alongside artists Gee Watts, A’Sean, Ray Muney, and others. // Soon after and at only 17 years old, he would release his 1st full length project “Milk Is Nasty”. It was nationally acclaimed by Lyrical Lemonade, publicized in local Newspapers such as The Kansas City Star and The Pitch KC, and also gained notable local airplay. The project also led to him performing alongside Denzel Curry, Famous Dex, Wiz Khalifa, Lil TJay and many more. // “Milk Is Nasty”. It was nationally acclaimed by Lyrical Lemonade, publicized in local Newspapers such as The Kansas City Star and The Pitch KC, and also gained notable local airplay. // In 2019, Kye released some of his most popular single releases to date including “Sweet Thang,” “Doggy,” “Talk About It” and more. These independent releases would land him on platforms such as Baller Alert, a modeling gig with Lee Jeans, and national airplay on Shade45. // In 2020, at the age of 20 he founded his label “Wasteland Records” partnering with manager Jesse Brown and Jaron Baston. He went on his first independent tour and released his 2nd LP With Love By Faith. It peaked at 166 on the Top 200 Rap/Hip Hop albums on iTunes. // Come 2021, Kye delivered three glossy singles “Nike Boy Freetstyle”, “Grateful”, “1-800” and an impressive five-track EP “WOW” in which helped him rank in the top 10K “R&B, Funk & Soul” artists in the world. // Kye kicked off 2022 with a flamboyant and captivating new single “TAKE UR PLACE”. A track thats surely setting the mood for whats to come. // From having a vibrant young passion for his penmanship to flourishing on the energy of his supporters, Kye looks to establish his mark in the industry as a rapper, and creative with a purpose. The artist intends to create moving and powerful connections through his newly-constructed label, releasing quality music, and collectively refining the abilities of his sound. More info at: http://www.kyecolors.com]

5. Yves Tumor – “Echolalia”
   from: Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) / Warp Records / March 17, 2023
   [Praise A Lord Who Chews But Which Does Not Consume; (Or Simply, Hot Between Worlds) is produced by Noah Goldstein (Frank Ocean, Rosalía, Drake, Rihanna, Bon Iver), and mixed by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails), lending the album with a sonic signature that acts as a distillation and amplification of Yves’ previous work. The album’s boundlessly visceral aesthetic is bolstered by invaluable contributions from long-time collaborators Chris Greatti (Yungblud, WILLOW), Yves Rothman (Girlpool, Amaarae) and Rhys Hastings, melding restraint and chaos in a soulful clarity. // Yves Tumor released their 4th album HEAVEN TO A TORTURED MIND on April 2, 2020. Yves Tumor aka Sean Bowie is best known by the recording alias Yves Tumor, is an American producer of experimental electronic music, born in Miami, Florida and currently based in Turin, Italy. Raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Tumor started making music at age 17 as an outlet away from “dull, conservative surroundings.” They taught themself to play drums, bass, guitar, and keyboards. Describing their experience growing up in Tennessee as unpleasant, they moved at age 20 to San Diego, and after college to Los Angeles, where they met Mykki Blanco in 2012, with whom they later toured for two and a half years throughout Europe and Asia.In the early 2010s, Tumor recorded as Teams, and made music which AllMusic described as “post-chillwave”. They debuted their Yves Tumor project in 2015 with an EP for Berlin’s experimental club label Janus, and another one for Blanco’s label, Dogfood MG. That same year, they self-released their first album, When Man Fails You (which would later be re-released by Apothecary Compositions on April 29, 2016). In September 2016, Tumor signed with PAN Records and released its label debut, Serpent Music. They had worked on the album for three years after moving to Leipzig, Germany. The album was recorded between Miami, Leipzig, Los Angeles and Berlin. In Pitchfork’s review of the album, critic Andy Beta compared Tumor’s musical style to James Ferraro and Dean Blunt, and noted their use of “unsettling percussive loops and field recordings to create a mood as if lost in a strange urban landscape”. In September 2017, Tumor released a compilation album titled Experiencing the Deposit of Faith for free. Later that week, it was revealed through a tour announcement that Tumor had signed to Warp Records. Following the announcement, they embarked on a tour with a new audiovisual show. In September 2018, Tumor released their Warp debut, Safe in the Hands of Love, with no prior announcement. It was preceded by the singles “Noid” on July 24, “Licking an Orchid” featuring James K on August 29, and “Lifetime” on September 3. The album received universal acclaim from music critics. Pitchfork’s Jayson Greene stated in their review that the album “dwarfs everything the artist has released by several orders of magnitude. The leap is so audacious it’s disorienting.” Tumor’s fourth album, Heaven to a Tortured Mind, was released on April 3, 2020, preceded on March 3 by the single “Kerosene” featuring Diana Gordon. Alexis Petridis, reviewing the album for The Guardian, awarded it Album of the Week, describing it as “extraordinary: experimental, capable of any genre, with an internal logic powering its shifts in mood. Tumor has cited Throbbing Gristle as a major influence, saying: “There’s something about their music, like the hypnotic trance vibes, that really influenced me.]

6. Kevin Morby – “Like A Flower”
   from: Music From Montana Story / Dead Oceans / January 25, 2023
   [Music and Lyrics by Kevin Morby, except “One Paper Kid” written by Walter Martin Cowart. Produced and Arranged by Rob Barbato (2021, Squeak E Clean Studios NYC and Austin) Publishing: Kevin Morby (ASCAP, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd), Rob Barbato (BMI, New England Rose Music), Walter Martin Cowart (ASCAP, BMG BUMBLEBEE OBO DRUNK MONKEY MUSIC) // Kevin Morby releases Music From Montana Story, a soundtrack for the 2021 film Montana Story, via Dead Oceans. Additionally, he shares a new video for the soundtrack’s featured track “Like A Flower.” // Written, produced and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel (What Maisie Knew, The Deep End), Montana Story is distributed by Bleecker Street / Stage 6 Fillms and available to stream on Showtime and major SVOD platforms. The film is a neo-Western that tells the story of two estranged siblings (Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague) who return home to the family ranch they once knew and loved, confronting deep and bitter secrets in the process. It’s a human-scaled story set against a mythic American backdrop – Montana’s Big Sky Country, sprawling with vast outdoor spaces and lonesome homes. Morby’s Music From Montana Story articulates both that sprawl and lonesomeness with the precision and delicate mastery of an artist who has always written straight from the heart, often about the very Western people and places that shaped his sound. // Before a note is played, there’s a delicate musicality to Montana Story – the crackle of gravel and strained local radio; tense familial silence; the pacing of footsteps in the morning cold. Morby’s score gives spirit and melody to that musicality: piano bars move like cautious footsteps while guitars hover over sleepless nights back in your childhood bedroom; radio songs flicker on with their timeless magic, creeping from the dial to the part of you that sings along in your truck and never, ever seems to forget the words. Music From Montana Story is as restrained and evocative as the story it lives inside, understated in its power but undeniable in its beauty. In “Like A Flower,” Morby’s voice unfurls over blooming instrumentation. The accompanying video was directed by filmmakers Scott McGehee and David Siegel intertwines clips from their filmwith footage shot in Kansas City, where Morby is based. // “It has long been a dream of mine to one day score a film and with Montana Story I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect film to do so,” says Morby. “Against wide open landscapes the film is patiently and masterfully captured and it was my job, alongside my collaborator Rob Barbato, to write a score with as much beauty and depth as the film itself. I’m so proud of how everything turned out and am forever grateful to directors Scott Mcgeehee and David Siegel for bringing me on.” // Kevin Morby’s seventh album as a solo artist. THIS IS A PHOTOGRAPH was released by Dead Oceans on May 13, 2022. It was in the Top 10 of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2022. // From http://www.rollingstone.com: “In January 2020, songwriter Kevin Morby witnessed his father collapse from a medical event while visiting his childhood home in Kansas. In a state of shock, the singer spent the evening looking at old family photos and fixated on an image of his father as a young man, looking, as Morby states, ‘full of confidence.’ The experience forced Morby to confront both the idea of mortality and the passage of time — and, after an extended sojourn in Tennessee, these reflections came together in the form of his upcoming album, This Is a Photograph. To mark the announcement, the singer released the record’s eponymous single, accompanied by a music video directed by Chantal Anderson. Produced by frequent Morby collaborator Sam Cohen, This Is a Photograph was primarily written in Memphis’ historic Peabody Hotel, where the singer-songwriter holed up in search of inspiration and self-realization amongst the city’s dark past.” Morby will also embark on a 65 City tour of Europe and North America through the majority of 2022, which starts May 20 in Madrid, Spain and wraps Nov. 12 in Vancouver, BC. On October 16, 2020 Kevin Morby released SUNDOWNER, ranked #20 on WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2020 and was the 6th release from Kevin Robert Morby born April 2, 1988. SUNDOWNER was the follow up to his 2019 release OH MY GOD. Kevin Morby released CITY MUSIC in 2017. Kevin learned to play guitar when he was 10. In his teens he formed the band Creepy Aliens. 17-year-old Morby dropped out of Blue Valley Northwest High School, got his GED, and moved from his native Kansas City to Brooklyn in the mid-2000s, supporting himself by working bike delivery and café jobs. He later joined the noise-folk group Woods on bass. While living in Brooklyn, he became close friends and roommates with Cassie Ramone of the punk trio Vivian Girls, and the two formed a side project together called The Babies, who released albums in 2011 and 2012. He began a solo career in 2013 releasing his debut album HARLEM RIVER. His 2nd album STILL LIFE was released in 2014. His album SINGING SAW was in WMM’s The 116 Best Recordings of 2016. His album CITY MUSIC was in WMM’s The 118 Best Recordings of 2018.]

[Kevin Morby plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, BLVD. KCMO, on Friday, Night, April 7, at 8:00 PM with special guest Erin Rae. This Show is SOLD OUT!!!]

7. Faith Maddox – “frances”
   from: “frances” – Single / French Exit Records / March 11 2023
   [Performed and mixed by Faith Maddox. Mastered by Deegan Poores. Faith Maddox released the single “Bloody Maple” on February 18, 2022 on French Exit Records. Faith Maddox released the 9-song album SUBTLE HAUNTINGS on February 25, 2022, Faith Maddox on vocals/guitar/bass and Jared Crowley on drums. The album was recorded by Faith Maddox, it was mixed & mastered by Joel Martin. Faith Maddox is a 21-year-old artist currently living in Lawrence, Kansas. A self-taught guitarist and writer, Maddox’s work explores themes of gender, mortality, and nature, often weaving literary references between fingerpicked melodies. Her music is not easily boxed in, taking influence from math rock, jazz, folk, and slowcore. She is an avid fan of Fleabag, Joan Didion, and anything green. Faith Maddox released the 9-song album SUBTLE HAUNTINGS on February 25, 2022, Faith Maddox on vocals/guitar/bass and Jared Crowley on drums. The album was recorded by Faith Maddox, it was mixed & mastered by Joel Martin. Info: http://www.faithmaddox.bandcamp.com]

10:25 – Underwriting

8. Tenci – “Two Cups”
   from: A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing / Keeled Scales / November 4, 2022
   [All songs written by Jess Shoman. Recorded by Abby Black. Mixed by Melina Duterte. Mastered by Piper Payne. Guitar, Vocals, Xylophone by Jess Shoman. Sax, Flute, Guitar, Clarinets, Backing Vocals, Track 1 + 10 Keys by Curtis Oren. Drums, Track 4 Keys, Backing Vocals by Joseph Farago. Bass, Backing Vocals, Violin by Isabel Reidy. Auxiliary Percussion by Abby Black. // Album notes/Bio written by Delia Rainey: A well is a stone-encircled place of depth, keeping an abundance of water for survival. “Well” is also a phrase for pause, for transition in language. Our tears can well up and bubble over. To define ourselves as “well” is the most basic term of goodness. // What’s on the other side of the well? Inside the tunnel of change, or this life, we can either feel intimidated by the darkness of uncertainty, or excited by the possibility of nourishment. Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Jess Shoman wonders, “what the hell,” why don’t we go for the excess of love we deserve? Tenci’s album A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing becomes a gathering and collection of well-like vessels – cups, puddles, fists – to hold tight to this love and newfound joy. // A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing is Tenci’s second album, coming after their 2020 debut My Heart Is An Open Field, which introduced Jess Shoman’s music explorations to the world. Shoman admits that their first album dealt with letting go of painful life experiences, resulting in emptiness. In this recent collection of wiser years and distance from that former grief, Tenci carries an opposite feeling, a celebration of self-rejuvenation. A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing shows Shoman steering their inventive music further and wilder, spilling over with 12 fable-like songs. In a combination of milk, coins, glass, water, and light, each song forms a spell to “fill my heart back up,” Shoman says, “by reframing complex feelings by turning my head sideways and seeing them in a different way.” / From the close-knit Chicago scene, Shoman is joined by Curtis Oren on saxophone and guitar, Izzy Reidy on bass (Izzy True), and Joseph Farago on drums (Joey Nebulous). The years following My Heart is an Open Field saw the band playing shows together all over the country before regrouping in Chicago to record A Swollen River with engineer Abby Black. While the themes of Tenci shuffle around a serious pool of thought, trying to understand life’s calamities, their live sets often feature an ample amount of goofy light-heartedness. Their playful interplay of loose drums and bass, huffing sax, and vocal waterfalls leave us warmer than before. The songs on A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing weave together like twigs to create that fire, a burning message to keep going. // The album begins with “Shapeshifter,” which Shoman says is about “piecing yourself together, shape-shifting into someone new,” and finding power in this new form. Setting the tone for the rest of the record, the brief song appears like a glimmering poem in darkness, unveiling an undeniable newness to their sound. “I’m a diamond ring / in a thick lagoon / Butterfly with clay-sewn wings,” sings Shoman. Like the transformation Shoman sings of, the track grows and morphs with stacked guitars and the harmonies of bandmates’ voices. //Tenci’s sonic evolution is further reinforced by the upbeat immediacy of “Vanishing Coin.” Shoman’s soft and trilling vocals fuel the song’s imagery as a friendship vanishes and another well appears, as a wish from a coin tossed into that well never comes to fruition. “Two Cups” continues this interplay between folk and rock genres, as a tough and sweet guitar solo converses, “I won’t wait,” fizzling towards freedom. Unlike a public fountain, a personal cup can be filled on your own terms towards abundance. // Tenci’s songs on A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing often appear simplistic at first, then split off to unruly places of boiling self recognition. On “Sour Cherries,” the band starts simple and slow, introducing the brutal fruit of love and the theme of wanting excess: “don’t you think you’ve had enough?” As Tenci gets deeper and huskier, they dip into one of the album’s most exciting and unexpected sections. // Shoman explains the idea behind “The Ball Spins” as “watching the ball spin – as in the world – but also as mundane as a ball on the ground. The world burns with so much sadness and destruction and I am witnessing it in a very desensitized way.” Living during an ongoing pandemic, dangerous nationalism, and climate change, to name a few, can feel so painful, it’s numbing. Tenci attempts to create art out of that metaphorical car on fire outside. Instead of disassociating, Shoman hopes to find commonality in communal care. // Just as the band name Tenci comes from Shoman’s grandmother Hortencia, the legacy of family is woven into the album. “Swallow Me Whole, Blue” comes from Shoman’s mother’s memory of her childhood dog, Blue, who was poisoned by the neighborhood kids: “They threw a poison bone / it cast a spell on you.” Perhaps Shoman’s longing to protect and know Blue is the same longing to protect their family’s memories. The album closes with “Memories”: in a bare folk song, their guitar, and their memories, echoed by the audio of an old family video. The voices of parents, grandparents, and children filter in and out, fuzzy against the assertion of a “crystal clear picture.” “Memories” captures the feeling of “knowing that at the end of your life, you will have your memories to fill your heart,” Shoman says. // Tenci has traveled through a spout that leads to a restorative lake, finding a new place of compositional and lyrical complexity on A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. All of this fullness bursts forth from words and ideas jotted in Shoman’s journal. The notebook’s cover is made from a repurposed children’s book titled “Great Big Elephant.” Shoman’s own writing often feels like a nursery rhyme, a naming of animals and clowns under your bed, a recipe for understanding life, and hopefully, each other.]

[Tenci plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, KCMO, Sat, April 8, at 10:00 PM w/ Perfect Lovers.]

10:32 – Interview with Jess Shoman

Jess Shoman is the lead singer and songwriter for the Chicago band Tenci, who just last November 4, 2022 released their critically acclaimed album, A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. Tenci plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, KCMO, on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 10:00 PM with Perfect Lovers. More information at: http://www.therecordbar.com

Jess Shoman, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing follows Tenci’s 2020 (debut) My Heart Is An Open Field, which introduced Jess Shoman’s music explorations to the world. Shoman admits that their first album dealt with letting go of painful life experiences, resulting in emptiness. In this recent collection of wiser years and distance from that former grief, Tenci carries an opposite feeling, a celebration of self-rejuvenation. A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing shows Shoman steering their inventive music further and wilder, spilling over with 12 fable-like songs. In a combination of milk, coins, glass, water, and light, each song forms a spell to “fill my heart back up,” Shoman says, “by reframing complex feelings by turning my head sideways and seeing them in a different way.”

From the close-knit Chicago scene, Shoman is joined by Curtis Oren on saxophone and guitar, Izzy Reidy on bass (Izzy True), and Joseph Farago on drums (Joey Nebulous). The years following My Heart is an Open Field saw the band playing shows together all over the country before regrouping in Chicago to record A Swollen River with engineer Abby Black. While the themes of Tenci shuffle around a serious pool of thought, trying to understand life’s calamities, their live sets often feature an ample amount of goofy light-heartedness. Their playful interplay of loose drums and bass, huffing sax, and vocal waterfalls leave us warmer than before. The songs on A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing weave together like twigs to create that fire, a burning message to keep going.

The band name Tenci comes from Jess Shoman’s grandmother Hortencia, the legacy of family is woven into the album. “Swallow Me Whole, Blue” comes from Shoman’s mother’s memory of her childhood dog, Blue, who was poisoned by the neighborhood kids: “They threw a poison bone / it cast a spell on you.” Perhaps Shoman’s longing to protect and know Blue is the same longing to protect their family’s memories. The album closes with “Memories”: in a bare folk song, their guitar, and their memories, echoed by the audio of an old family video. The voices of parents, grandparents, and children filter in and out, fuzzy against the assertion of a “crystal clear picture.” “Memories” captures the feeling of “knowing that at the end of your life, you will have your memories to fill your heart,” Shoman says.

A well is a stone-encircled place of depth, keeping an abundance of water for survival. “Well” is also a phrase for pause, for transition in language. Our tears can well up and bubble over. To define ourselves as “well” is the most basic term of goodness.

What’s on the other side of the well? Inside the tunnel of change, or this life, we can either feel intimidated by the darkness of uncertainty, or excited by the possibility of nourishment. Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Jess Shoman wonders, “what the hell,” why don’t we go for the excess of love we deserve? Tenci’s album A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing becomes a gathering and collection of well-like vessels – cups, puddles, fists – to hold tight to this love and newfound joy.

The album begins with “Shapeshifter,” which Shoman says is about “piecing yourself together, shape-shifting into someone new,” and finding power in this new form. Setting the tone for the rest of the record, the brief song appears like a glimmering poem in darkness, unveiling an undeniable newness to their sound. “I’m a diamond ring / in a thick lagoon / Butterfly with clay-sewn wings,” sings Shoman. Like the transformation Shoman sings of, the track grows and morphs with stacked guitars and the harmonies of bandmates’ voices.

Tenci’s sonic evolution is further reinforced by the upbeat immediacy of “Vanishing Coin.” Shoman’s soft and trilling vocals fuel the song’s imagery as a friendship vanishes and another well appears, as a wish from a coin tossed into that well never comes to fruition. “Two Cups” continues this interplay between folk and rock genres, as a tough and sweet guitar solo converses, “I won’t wait,” fizzling towards freedom. Unlike a public fountain, a personal cup can be filled on your own terms towards abundance.

Tenci’s songs on A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing often appear simplistic at first, then split off to unruly places of boiling self recognition. On “Sour Cherries,” the band starts simple and slow, introducing the brutal fruit of love and the theme of wanting excess: “don’t you think you’ve had enough?” As Tenci gets deeper and huskier, they dip into one of the album’s most exciting and unexpected sections.

Shoman explains the idea behind “The Ball Spins” as “watching the ball spin – as in the world – but also as mundane as a ball on the ground. The world burns with so much sadness and destruction and I am witnessing it in a very desensitized way.” Living during an ongoing pandemic, dangerous nationalism, and climate change, to name a few, can feel so painful, it’s numbing. Tenci attempts to create art out of that metaphorical car on fire outside. Instead of disassociating, Shoman hopes to find commonality in communal care.

Jess Shoman, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Tenci just last November 4, 2022 released their critically acclaimed album, A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. Tenci plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, KCMO, on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 10:00 PM with Perfect Lovers. More information at: http://www.therecordbar.co

10:32

9. Tenci – “Vanishing Coin”
   from: A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing / Keeled Scales / November 4, 2022
   [ All songs written by Jess Shoman. Recorded by Abby Black. Mixed by Melina Duterte. Mastered by Piper Payne. Guitar, Vocals, Xylophone by Jess Shoman. Sax, Flute, Guitar, Clarinets, Backing Vocals, Track 1 + 10 Keys by Curtis Oren. Drums, Track 4 Keys, Backing Vocals by Joseph Farago. Bass, Backing Vocals, Violin by Isabel Reidy. Auxiliary Percussion by Abby Black. // Album notes/Bio written by Delia Rainey: A well is a stone-encircled place of depth, keeping an abundance of water for survival. “Well” is also a phrase for pause, for transition in language. Our tears can well up and bubble over. To define ourselves as “well” is the most basic term of goodness. // What’s on the other side of the well? Inside the tunnel of change, or this life, we can either feel intimidated by the darkness of uncertainty, or excited by the possibility of nourishment. Songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist Jess Shoman wonders, “what the hell,” why don’t we go for the excess of love we deserve? Tenci’s album A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing becomes a gathering and collection of well-like vessels – cups, puddles, fists – to hold tight to this love and newfound joy. // A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing is Tenci’s second album, coming after their 2020 debut My Heart Is An Open Field, which introduced Jess Shoman’s music explorations to the world. Shoman admits that their first album dealt with letting go of painful life experiences, resulting in emptiness. In this recent collection of wiser years and distance from that former grief, Tenci carries an opposite feeling, a celebration of self-rejuvenation. A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing shows Shoman steering their inventive music further and wilder, spilling over with 12 fable-like songs. In a combination of milk, coins, glass, water, and light, each song forms a spell to “fill my heart back up,” Shoman says, “by reframing complex feelings by turning my head sideways and seeing them in a different way.” / From the close-knit Chicago scene, Shoman is joined by Curtis Oren on saxophone and guitar, Izzy Reidy on bass (Izzy True), and Joseph Farago on drums (Joey Nebulous). The years following My Heart is an Open Field saw the band playing shows together all over the country before regrouping in Chicago to record A Swollen River with engineer Abby Black.

[Tenci plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, KCMO, Sat, April 8, at 10:00 PM w/ Perfect Lovers.]

10. Betse Ellis – “All Good Cars Go To Heaven”
    from: Selected Ambient Tag: Requiem for a Town Car / Clarke Wyatt / December 24, 2022
    [KC based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, performer, Clarke Wyatt wrote: (in December 2022), “some street racers destroyed Cody Wyoming & Kimmie Queen’s beloved Lincoln Continental right after they had spent a bunch of money to get it back on the road. It will never roll again.” Clarke says “I recently started a game of ambient music tag, so I thought to myself, hey self, what if people contributed tracks & we compiled a record that Cody can sell to raise funds for a car? Well, that’s what we did. A bunch of incredible and fascinating KC musicians have sent me their audio experiments for the cause. It’s that simple: buy the record, support a great couple that had some really bad luck right at the worst time, and enjoy some really great space music. More tracks coming soon…” Contributing artists include: Betse Ellis, Mike Stover, Adam Stafford, Nate Hofer, Clarke Wyatt, Shawn Edward Hansen, Krysztov Nemeth, Jason Beers, Scott Hobart, Tilden Snow, Wade Allen Williamson, Gentleman Echo and Rod Peal. More info at: codywyoming.bandcamp.com] [Betse Ellis. Originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Betse received her Bachelors of Arts in Music and a Bachelors of Arts in English, from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She has been playing the Violin for over 40 years, with over 20 years playing fiddle and also working as a teacher of music. Betse was a founding member of the acclaimed internationally known band, The Wilders. Betse has released two solo records, and records and performs with her husband, multi-instrumentalist Clarke Wyatt, as Betse & Clarke. In 2020 they released their latest 8-song release, WINTER, which was in the Top Ten of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2020. Betse also plays with the Starhaven Rounders.]

11. The Philistines – “Further”
    from: Further – Single / The Philistines / (March 15, 2019) (Unreleased)
    [New music from The Philistines, that will be part of the upcoming album Dysnomia. Produced and engineered by paul Malinowski at Massive Sound Studios. The Philistines are a Kansas City based rock band with a psychedelic bent, made up of: Kimmie Queen on lead vocals; Cody Wyoming on lead guitar & vocals; Rod Peal on guitar; Josh Mobley on keyboard, Steve Gardels on drums, and Barry Kidd on bass.]

[SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. To purchase tickets go to http://www.therecordbar.com]

12. Patti Smith Group – “Privilege (Set Me Free)”
    from: Easter / Arista / June 15, 1978
    [Easter is the third studio album by the Patti Smith Group. It was released in March 1978 by Arista Records. Produced by Jimmy Iovine, the album is regarded as the group’s commercial breakthrough, owing to the success of the rock single “Because the Night” (co-written by Bruce Springsteen and Smith), which reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number five on the UK Singles Chart. // The first album released since Smith had suffered a neck injury while touring for Radio Ethiopia, Easter has been called the most commercially accessible of the Patti Smith Group’s catalogue. Unlike its two predecessors, Easter incorporated a diversity of musical styles, including straightforward rock (“Because the Night”), classic rock and roll (“25th Floor/High on Rebellion”, “Rock N Roll Nigger”), folk (“Ghost Dance”) and spoken word (“Babelogue”). Easter is the only 1970s album of Smith’s that does not feature Richard Sohl as part of the Patti Smith Group; in one interview at the time, Smith stated that Sohl was sick and this prevented him from participating in recording the album. Bruce Brody is credited as the keyboard player, though Sohl makes a guest appearance contributing keyboards to “Space Monkey”, along with Blue Öyster Cult keyboardist Allen Lanier. The cover photograph is by Lynn Goldsmith and the liner notes photography by Cindy Black and Robert Mapplethorpe. // In addition to the religious allusion of its title, the album is replete with biblical and specifically Christian imagery. “Privilege (Set Me Free)” is taken from the British fame- and authoritarianism-satirizing film Privilege; its lyrics are adapted from Psalm 23. The LP insert reproduces a First Communion portrait of Frederic and Arthur Rimbaud, and Smith’s notes for the song “Easter” invoke Catholic imagery of baptism, communion and the blood of Christ. A solitary hand-drawn cross is placed below the group member credits on the sleeve insert, and the last sentence of the liner notes is a quote from Second Epistle to Timothy 4:7 — “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course …” // Beyond Christian themes, the song “Ghost Dance” references the Ghost Dance Native American religious revival of the late 19th century. // Easter was highly acclaimed upon its release. Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh called it “transcendent and fulfilled”, while Sandy Robertson proclaimed that “the rock ‘n’ roll resurrection is upon us” in his review of the album for Sounds. In Creem, Nick Tosches deemed Easter to be Smith’s best work, “truer and surer and less uneven than her previous albums”. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice felt that the music “is as basic as ever in its instrumentation and rhythmic thrust, but grander, more martial”, and that “most of these songs are rousing in the way they’re meant to be.” Lester Bangs, however, began his review of the album in Phonograph Record, “Dear Patti, start the revolution without me”, and contended that while Horses had changed his life, Easter “is just a very good album”. Easter placed at number 14 in The Village Voice’s Pazz & Jop critics’ poll of the best albums of 1978, while NME ranked it the 46th best album of the year.] [Patricia Lee Smith was born December 30, 1946. She is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses. // Called the “punk poet laureate”, Smith fused rock and poetry in her work. Her most widely known song, “Because the Night”, co-written with Bruce Springsteen, reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1978 and number five on the UK Singles Chart. In 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In 2007, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. // In November 2010, Smith won the National Book Award for her memoir Just Kids. The book fulfilled a promise she made to her former long-time partner Robert Mapplethorpe. She is ranked 47th on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, which was published in 2010 and was also a recipient of the 2011 Polar Music Prize. // Smith was born on December 30, 1946, at Grant Hospital in Chicago to Beverly Smith, a jazz singer turned waitress, and Grant Smith, a Honeywell machinist. The family was of part Irish ancestry and Patti was the eldest of four children, with siblings Linda, Kimberly, and Todd. When Smith was four, the family moved from Chicago to the Germantown section of Philadelphia, then to Pitman, New Jersey, and finally settled in the Woodbury Gardens section of Deptford Township, New Jersey. // At this early age, Smith was exposed to her first records, including Shrimp Boats by Harry Belafonte, Patience and Prudence’s The Money Tree, and Another Side of Bob Dylan, which her mother gave her. Smith graduated from Deptford Township High School in 1964 and, following graduation, began work in a factory. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter, on April 26, 1967, and placed her for adoption. She later entered Glassboro State College in Glassboro, New Jersey. // In 1967, Smith left Glassboro State College and moved to Manhattan in New York City, where she met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe while working at a bookstore with friend and poet Janet Hamill. She and Mapplethorpe had an intense romantic relationship, which was tumultuous as the pair struggled with poverty and Mapplethorpe’s sexuality. Smith considers Mapplethorpe to be one of the most influential and important people in her life, and referred to him as “the artist of my life” in her book Just Kids. // Mapplethorpe’s photographs of Smith became the covers for Smith’s albums, and they remained lifelong friends until Mapplethorpe’s death in 1989. Smith’s book and album The Coral Sea is an homage to Mapplethorpe and Just Kids tells the story of their relationship. She also wrote essays for several of Mapplethorpe’s books, including one, at Mapplethorpe’s request, for his posthumous Flowers. // Smith went to Paris with her sister in 1969, where she started busking and doing performance art. When Smith returned to Manhattan, she lived in the Hotel Chelsea with Mapplethorpe; they frequented Max’s Kansas City. Smith provided the spoken word soundtrack for Sandy Daley’s art film Robert Having His Nipple Pierced, starring Mapplethorpe. The same year, Smith appeared with Wayne County in Jackie Curtis’s play Femme Fatale. She also starred in Anthony Ingrassia’s play Island. As a member of the St. Mark’s Poetry Project, she spent the early 1970s painting, writing, and performing. On February 10, 1971, accompanied by Lenny Kaye on electric guitar, she gave her first public poetry performance opening for Gerard Malanga. // Later in 1969, Smith performed one night in Cowboy Mouth, a play she co-wrote with Sam Shepard. The published play’s notes call for “a man who looks like a coyote and a woman who looks like a crow”. She wrote several poems about Shepard and her relationship with him, including “for sam shepard” and “Sam Shepard: 9 Random Years (7 + 2)”, that were published in Angel City, Curse of the Starving Class & Other Plays (1976). // Smith was briefly considered for the lead singer position in Blue Öyster Cult. She contributed lyrics to several of the band’s songs, including “Debbie Denise”, which was inspired by her poem “In Remembrance of Debbie Denise”, “Baby Ice Dog”, “Career of Evil”, “Fire of Unknown Origin”, “The Revenge of Vera Gemini”, on which she performs duet vocals, and “Shooting Shark”. She was romantically involved at the time with the band’s keyboardist, Allen Lanier. During these years, Smith was also a rock music journalist, writing periodically for Rolling Stone and Creem. // In 1973, Smith teamed up again with musician and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later added Richard Sohl on piano. The trio developed into a full band with the addition of Ivan Kral on guitar and bass and Jay Dee Daugherty on drums. Kral was a refugee from Czechoslovakia who had moved to the U.S. in 1966 with his parents, who were diplomats. After the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, he decided not to return. // Financed by Sam Wagstaff, the band recorded their first single, “Hey Joe/Piss Factory” in 1974. The A-side was a version of the rock standard with the addition of a spoken word piece about fugitive heiress Patty Hearst. The B-side describes the helpless alienation Smith felt while working on a factory assembly line and the salvation she dreams of achieving by escaping to New York. In a 1996 interview on artistic influences during her younger years, Smith said, “I had devoted so much of my girlish daydreams to Rimbaud. Rimbaud was like my boyfriend.” // Later that same year, she performed “I Wake Up Screaming”, a poem, on The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It’s Out of Control album, an album by The Doors’ Ray Manzarek. // In March 1975, Smith’s group, the Patti Smith Group, began a two-month weekend set of shows at CBGB in New York City with the band Television. The Patti Smith Group was spotted by Clive Davis, who signed them to Arista Records. Later in 1975, they recorded their first album, Horses, produced by John Cale amid some tension. The album fused punk rock and spoken poetry and begins with a cover of Van Morrison’s “Gloria”, and Smith’s opening words: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine”, an excerpt from “Oath”, one of Smith’s early poems. The austere cover photograph by Mapplethorpe has become one of rock’s classic images. As punk rock grew in popularity, the Patti Smith Group toured the U.S. and Europe. The rawer sound of the group’s second album, Radio Ethiopia, reflected this. Considerably less accessible than Horses, Radio Ethiopia initially received poor reviews. However, several of its songs have stood the test of time, and Smith still performs them live. She has said that Radio Ethiopia was influenced by the band MC5. // On January 23, 1977, while touring in support of Radio Ethiopia, Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida, and fell 15 feet into a concrete orchestra pit, breaking several neck vertebrae. The injury required a period of rest and an intensive round of physical therapy, during which time she was able to reassess, re-energize, and reorganize her life. // The Patti Smith Group produced two further albums before the end of the 1970s. Easter (1978) was their most commercially successful record, including the band’s top single “Because the Night”, which was co-written with Bruce Springsteen. Wave (1979) was less successful, although the songs “Frederick” and “Dancing Barefoot” both received commercial airplay. // Before the release of Wave, Smith separated from her long-time partner Allen Lanier and met Fred “Sonic” Smith, the former guitar player for Detroit rock band MC5 and Sonic’s Rendezvous Band. Like Smith, Lanier adored poetry. Wave’s “Dancing Barefoot”, which was inspired by Jeanne Hébuterne and her tragic love for Amedeo Modigliani, and “Frederick” were both dedicated to him. The running joke at the time was that she married Fred only because she would not have to change her name. They had a son, Jackson (b. 1982), who went on to marry Meg White, drummer for The White Stripes, in 2009, and a daughter, Jesse Paris (b. 1987), who is a musician and composer. // Through most of the 1980s, Smith was in semi-retirement from music, living with her family north of Detroit in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. In June 1988, she released the album Dream of Life, which included the song “People Have the Power”. Fred Smith died of a heart attack on November 4, 1994. Shortly afterward, Patti faced the unexpected death of her brother Todd. // When her son Jackson turned 14, Smith decided to move back to New York City. After the impact of these deaths, her friends Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Allen Ginsberg, who she has known since her early years in New York, urged her to go return to live music and touring. She toured briefly with Bob Dylan in December 1995, which is chronicled in a book of photographs by Stipe. // In 1996, Smith worked with her long-time colleagues to record Gone Again, featuring “About a Boy”, a tribute to Kurt Cobain, the former lead singer of Nirvana who committed suicide in 1994. That same year, she collaborated with Stipe on “E-Bow the Letter”, a song on R.E.M.’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which she performed live with the band. After the release of Gone Again, Smith recorded two further albums, Peace and Noise in 1997, which included the single “1959” about the invasion of Tibet, and Gung Ho in 2000, which included songs about Ho Chi Minh and Smith’s late father. Smith was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for two of the “1959” and “Glitter in Their Eyes”. // A box set of Smith’s work up to that time, The Patti Smith Masters, was released in 1996. In 2002, Smith released Land (1975–2002), a two-CD compilation that includes a cover of Prince’s “When Doves Cry”. Smith’s solo art exhibition Strange Messenger was hosted at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh on September 28, 2002. // On April 27, 2004, Smith released Trampin’, which included several songs about motherhood, partly in tribute to Smith’s mother, who died two years earlier. It was her first album on Columbia Records, which later became a sister label to her Arista Records, her previous label. Smith curated the Meltdown festival in London on June 25, 2005, in which she performed Horses live in its entirety for the first time. This live performance was released later in 2004 as Horses/Horses. // In July 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In addition to Smith’s influence on rock music, the Minister noted Smith’s appreciation of Arthur Rimbaud. In August 2005, Smith gave a literary lecture about the poems of Rimbaud and William Blake. On October 15, 2006, Patti Smith performed a 3½-hour tour de force show to close out at CBGB, which had been an influential New York City live music venue for much of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. At the CBGB show, Smith took the stage at 9:30 p.m. (EDT) and closed the night (and the venue) at a few minutes after 1:00 am, performing her song “Elegie”, and finally reading a list of punk rock musicians and advocates who had died in the previous years. // Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12, 2007. She dedicated her award to the memory of her late husband, Fred, and performed a cover of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter”. As the closing number of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Smith’s “People Have the Power” was used for the big celebrity jam that traditionally ends the program. Smith’s cover of “Gimme Shelter” appeared on her tenth album, Twelve, an all-covers album released in April 2007 by Columbia Records. // From November 2006 to January 2007, an exhibition called ‘Sur les Traces’ at Trolley Gallery, London, featured polaroid prints taken by Smith and donated to Trolley to raise awareness and funds for the publication of Double Blind: Lebanon Conflict 2006, a book with photographs by Paolo Pellegrin, a member of Magnum Photos. She also participated in the DVD commentary for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters. From March 28 to June 22, 2008, the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris hosted a major exhibition of the visual artwork of Land 250, drawn from pieces created by Smith between 1967 and 2007. At the 2008 Rowan Commencement ceremony, Smith received an honorary doctorate degree for her contributions to popular culture. // Smith was the subject of a 2008 documentary film by Steven Sebring, Patti Smith: Dream of Life. A live album by Smith and Kevin Shields, The Coral Sea, was released in July 2008. On September 10, 2009, after a week of smaller events and exhibitions in Florence, Smith played an open-air concert at Piazza Santa Croce, commemorating her performance in the same city 30 years earlier. She contributed the introduction to Jessica Lange’s book 50 Photographs, published in 2009. // Smith’s book, Just Kids, a memoir of her time in Manhattan in the 1970s and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe, was published in 2010; it won the National Book Award for Nonfiction later that year. In 2018, a new edition of Just Kids, including additional photographs and illustrations, was published. Smith also headlined a benefit concert headed by bandmate Tony Shanahan, for Court Tavern in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Smith’s set included “Gloria”, “Because the Night”, and “People Have the Power”. // In 2010, Smith had a brief cameo in Jean-Luc Godard’s Film Socialisme, which was first screened at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. // In 2012, Smith was awarded an honorary doctorate in fine arts from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Following the conferral of her degree, Smith delivered the commencement address and played two songs along with long-time band member Lenny Kaye. In her commencement address, Smith said that when she moved to New York City in 1967, she would never have been accepted into Pratt but most of her friends (including Mapplethorpe) were students at Pratt and she spent countless hours on the Pratt campus. She added that it was through her friends and Pratt professors that she learned many of her own artistic skills. // In 2011, Smith was one of several Polar Music Prize winners. She made her television acting debut at age 64 on the TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent, appearing in an episode titled “Icarus”. In 2011, Smith was working on a crime novel set in London. “I’ve been working on a detective story that starts at the St Giles in the Fields church in London for the last two years”, she told NME, adding that she “loved detective stories” and was a fan of British fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and U.S. crime author Mickey Spillane in her youth. // Following the death of her husband in 1994, Smith began devoting time to what she terms “pure photography”, a method of capturing still objects without using a flash. In 2011, Smith announced the first museum exhibition of her photography in the U.S., Camera Solo. She named the project after a sign she saw in the abode of Pope Celestine V, which translates as “a room of one’s own”, and which Smith felt best described her solitary method of photography. The exhibition featured artifacts that were everyday items or places of significance to artists Smith admires, including Rimbaud, Charles Baudelaire, John Keats, and William Blake. In February 2012, she was a guest at the Sanremo Music Festival. // Smith recorded a cover of Buddy Holly’s “Words of Love” for the CD Rave on Buddy Holly, a tribute album tied to Holly’s 75th birthday, which was released June 28, 2011. She also recorded the song “Capitol Letter” for the official soundtrack of the second film of the Hunger Games’ series The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. // Smith’s 11th studio album, Banga, was released in June 2012. American Songwriter wrote that, “These songs aren’t as loud or frantic as those of her late 70s heyday, but they resonate just as boldly as she moans, chants, speaks and spits out lyrics with the grace and determination of Mohammad Ali in his prime. It’s not an easy listen—the vast majority of her music never has been—but if you’re a fan and/or prepared for the challenge, this is as potent, heady and uncompromising as she has ever gotten, and with Smith’s storied history as a musical maverick, that’s saying plenty.” Metacritic awarded the album a score of 81, indicating “universal acclaim”. // Also in 2012, Smith recorded a cover of Io come persona by Italian singer-songwriter Giorgio Gaber. // In 2015, Smith wrote “Aqua Teen Dream” to commemorate the series finale of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The vocal track was recorded in a hotel overlooking Lerici’s Bay of Poets. On September 26, 2015, Smith performed at the American Museum of Tort Law convocation ceremony. On December 6, 2015, she made an appearance at the Paris show of U2’s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE TOUR 2015 and performed “Bad” and “People Have the Power” with U2. // In 2016, Smith performed “People Have the Power” at Riverside Church in Manhattan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Democracy Now, where she was joined by Michael Stipe. On December 10, 2016, Smith attended the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony in Stockholm on behalf of Bob Dylan, winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, who could not be present due to prior commitments. After the official presentation speech for the literary prize by Horace Engdahl, the perpetual secretary of the Swedish Academy, Smith sang the Dylan song “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall”.[68] She sang “I saw the babe that was just bleedin’”, the wrong words to the second verse, and was momentarily unable to continue. After a brief apology, saying that she was nervous, she resumed the song and earned jubilant applause at its end. // In 2017, Smith appeared as herself in Song to Song directed by Terrence Malick, opposite Rooney Mara and Ryan Gosling. She later made an appearance at the Detroit show of U2’s The Joshua Tree 2017 tour and performed “Mothers of the Disappeared” with the band. // In 2018, Smith’s concert-documentary film Horses: Patti Smith and her Band, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. In addition, Smith narrated Darren Aronofsky’s VR experience Spheres: Songs of Spacetime along with Millie Bobby Brown and Jessica Chastain. // In January 2019, Smith’s photographs were displayed at the Diego Rivera gallery in the San Francisco Art Institute and she performed at The Fillmore in San Francisco. // In 2019, Smith performed her anthem “People Have the Power” with Stewart Copeland and Choir! Choir! Choir! at Onassis Festival 2019: Democracy Is Coming. Later that year she released her latest book, Year of the Monkey. “A captivating, redemptive chronicle of a year in which Smith looked intently into the abyss”, stated Kirkus Reviews. // Smith was set to be awarded receive the International Humanities Prize from Washington University in St. Louis in November 2020; however, the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Columbia University. // In 2023, Smith was nominated for induction to the Songwriters Hall of Fame. // One of the earlier references to Smith as an influence is by Todd Rundgren in his 1972 album Something/Anything?. In the liner notes, he writes that “Song of the Viking” was “written in the feverish grip of the dreaded ‘d’oyle carte,’ a chronic disease dating back to my youth. Dedicated to Miss Patti Lee Smith.” Seven years later Rundgren produced the final Patti Smith Group album, “Wave.” // Smith has been an inspiration for Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Listening to her album Horses made a huge impact on him. In 2008, Stipe said, “I decided then that I was going to start a band.” // In 1998, Stipe published a collection of photos, titled Two Times Intro: On the Road with Patti Smith. Stipe sings backing vocals on Smith’s songs “Last Call” and “Glitter in Their Eyes”. Smith sang background vocals on R.E.M.’s songs “E-Bow the Letter” and “Blue”. // The Australian alternative rock band The Go-Betweens dedicated a track, “When She Sang About Angels” on the 2000 album The Friends of Rachel Worth, to Smith. // In 2004, Shirley Manson of Garbage spoke of Smith’s influence on her in Rolling Stone’s issue “The Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time”, in which Smith was ranked 47th. The Smiths members Morrissey and Johnny Marr share an appreciation for Smith’s Horses, and revealed that their song “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” is a reworking of one of the album’s tracks, “Kimberly”. In 2004, Sonic Youth released an album called Hidros 3 (to Patti Smith). U2 also cites Patti Smith as an influence. // In 2005, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall released “Suddenly I See”, a single, as a tribute of sorts to Smith. Canadian actor Elliot Page frequently mentions Smith as one of his idols and has done various photo shoots replicating famous Smith photos, and Irish actress Maria Doyle Kennedy often refers to Smith as a major influence. In 1978 and 1979, Gilda Radner portrayed a character called Candy Slice on Saturday Night Live based on Smith. // Alternative rock singer-songwriter Courtney Love of Hole heavily credited Smith as a major influence on her; Love received Smith’s album Horses in juvenile hall as a teenager, and “realized that you could do something that was completely subversive that didn’t involve violence [or] felonies. I stopped making trouble,” said Love. “I stopped.” Hole’s classic track “Violet” features the lyrics “And the sky was all violet / I want it again, but violent, more violent”, alluding to lyrics from Smith’s “Kimberly”. Love later stated that she considered Smith’s song “Rock n Roll Nigger” the greatest rock song of all time. // American pop singer Madonna has named Smith as one of her biggest influences. Anglo-Celtic rock band The Waterboys’ debut single, “A Girl Called Johnny”, was written as a tribute to Smith. In 2018, the English band Florence and the Machine dedicated the High as Hope album song “Patricia” to Smith. The lyrics reference Smith as Florence Welch’s “North Star”. Canadian country musician Orville Peck cited Smith as having had a big impact on him, stating that Smith’s album Horses introduced him to a new and different way to make music. Poetic singer songwriter Joustene Lorenz also cites Patti Smith as a ‘powerful influence’ on her life and music. // In 1993, Smith contributed “Memorial Tribute (Live)” to the AIDS-benefit album No Alternative. // Smith supported the Green Party and backed Ralph Nader in the 2000 United States presidential election. She led the crowd singing “Over the Rainbow” and “People Have the Power” at the campaign’s rallies, and also performed at several of Nader’s subsequent “Democracy Rising” events. Smith was a speaker and singer at the first protests against the Iraq War as U.S. President George W. Bush spoke to the United Nations General Assembly. Smith supported Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 election. Bruce Springsteen continued performing her “People Have the Power” at Vote for Change campaign events. In the winter of 2004–2005, Smith toured again with Nader in a series of rallies against the Iraq War and called for the impeachment of Bush. // Smith premiered two new protest songs in London in September 2006. Louise Jury, writing in The Independent, characterized them as “an emotional indictment of American and Israeli foreign policy”. The song “Qana” was about the Israeli airstrike on the Lebanese village of Qana. “Without Chains” is about Murat Kurnaz, a Turkish citizen who was born and raised in Germany, held at Guantanamo Bay detainment camp for four years. Jury’s article quotes Smith as saying: I wrote both these songs directly in response to events that I felt outraged about. These are injustices against children and the young men and women who are being incarcerated. I’m an American, I pay taxes in my name and they are giving millions and millions of dollars to a country such as Israel and cluster bombs and defense technology and those bombs were dropped on common citizens in Qana. It’s terrible. It’s a human rights violation. // In an interview, Smith stated that Kurnaz’s family had contacted her and that she wrote a short preface for the book that he was writing, which was released in March 2008. // In March 2003, ten days after Rachel Corrie’s death, Smith appeared in Austin, Texas and performed an anti-war concert. She subsequently wrote “Peaceable Kingdom”, a song which was inspired by and is dedicated to Corrie. In 2009, in her Meltdown concert in Festival Hall, she paid homage to the Iranians taking part in post-election protests by saying “Where is My Vote?” in a version of the song “People Have the Power”. // In 2015, Smith appeared with Nader, spoke and performed the songs “Wing” and “People Have the Power” during the American Museum of Tort Law convocation ceremony in Winsted, Connecticut.[109] In 2016, Smith spoke, read poetry, and performed several songs along with her daughter Jesse at Nader’s Breaking Through Power conference at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. // A long-time supporter of Tibet House US, Smith performs annually at their benefit at Carnegie Hall. // In 2020, Smith contributed signed first-edition copies of her books to the Passages bookshop in Portland, Oregon after the store’s valuable first-edition and other books by various authors were stolen in a burglary. Smith regards climate change as the predominant issue of our time, and performed at the opening of COP26 in 2021. // On February 24, 2022, Smith performed at The Capitol Theatre (Port Chester, New York) for the first time, saying, “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t affected by what is happening in the world” referencing the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier that day. “Peace as we know it is over in Europe”, she said. “This is what I heard in my sleep and goes through my head all day all night long like a tragic hit song. A raw translation of the Ukrainian anthem that the people are singing through defiant tears”, she wrote on Instagram on March 6, 2022. // Smith was raised a Jehovah’s Witness and had a strong religious upbringing and a Biblical education. She left organized religion as a teenager, however, because she felt it was too confining. In response to this experience, she wrote the line, “Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”, in her cover version of “Gloria” by Them. She has described having an avid interest in Tibetan Buddhism around the age of 11 or 12, saying “I fell in love with Tibet because their essential mission was to keep a continual stream of prayer,” but that as an adult she sees clear parallels between different forms of religion and has concluded that religious dogmas are “… man-made laws that you can either decide to abide by or not.” // In 2014, she was invited by Pope Francis to play at Vatican Christmas concert. She commented: “It’s a Christmas concert for the people, and it’s being televised. I like Pope Francis and I’m happy to sing for him. Anyone who would confine me to a line from 20 years ago is a fool! I had a strong religious upbringing, and the first word on my first LP is Jesus. I did a lot of thinking. I’m not against Jesus, but I was 20 and I wanted to make my own mistakes and I didn’t want anyone dying for me. I stand behind that 20-year-old girl, but I have evolved. I’ll sing to my enemy! I don’t like being pinned down and I’ll do what the fuck I want, especially at my age…oh, I hope there’s no small children here!” She performed at the Vatican again in 2021, telling Democracy Now! that she studied Francis of Assisi when Pope Benedict XVI was still the pope. Smith called Francis of Assisi “truly the environmentalist saint” and said that despite not being a Catholic, she had hoped for a pope named Francis. // According to biographer Nick Johnstone, Smith has often been “revered” as a “feminist icon.”including by The Guardian journalist Simon Hattenstone in a 2013 profile on the musician. // In 2014, Smith offered her opinion on the sexualization of women in music. “Pop music has always been about the mainstream and what appeals to the public. I don’t feel it’s my place to judge.” Smith historically and presently declines to embrace feminism, saying, “I have a son and a daughter, people always talk to me about feminism and women’s rights, but I have a son too—I believe in human rights.” // In 2015, writer Anwen Crawford observed that Smith’s “attitude to genius seems pre-feminist, if not anti-feminist; there is no democratizing, deconstructing impulse in her work. True artists, for Smith, are remote, solitary figures of excellence, wholly dedicated to their art.”]

11:00 – Station ID

13. She Speaks In Tongues – “gloria, GUITAR”
    from: gloria GUITAR / SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES / May 6, 2014
    [Kate McCandles on vocals, guitar; Eric Schmidt pm guitar; Daniel Majid on bass guitar; Adrian Vigliano on drums; Nigel Harsch on samples. All songs performed by She Speaks in Tongues. All songs arranged by Kate McCandless. Described by Sasha Geffen as “Best Feminist Rock n’ Roll Exorcism” SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is ARTIST/VOCALIST Kate McCandless. Armed with voice and looping pedal and a fierce, shamanic energy, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES lures with nostalgia – simultaneously embracing and questioning its comfort and authority with a dark, feminist bent. “Due to the music sampling in my work, I am currently only accepting DONATIONS for my music at this time. Please donate to VENMO or PAYPAL after listening or downloading to enable me to continue making my work and covering costs.” – The artist // “Blue” recorded at Emaciated Raiden (aka Dick Cheney’s Bunker), Chicago, Ill., 2013. Engineered and mixed by Steve Marek. Songs 2–6 recorded at CarterCo Recording, Chicago, Ill., 2013. Engineered and mixed by Jonah Kort. Additional mixing and effects engineering by Curtis Ruptash at The Wayback Machine, Chicago, Ill. Mastered by Jonathan Schenke. Cover photo by Reginald Lawrence.]

[SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. For more info you can go to: http://www.therecordbar.com]

11:06 – Interview with Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming

Described by Sasha Geffen of The Chicago Reader as “Best Feminist Rock n’ Roll Exorcism” SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is ARTIST/VOCALIST Kate McCandless. Armed with voice and looping pedal and a fierce, shamanic energy, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES lures with nostalgia – simultaneously embracing and questioning its comfort and authority with a dark, feminist bent. Kate McCandless samples music as hungrily as Girl Talk, but she doesn’t use a computer. With her band Speaks in Tongues, the singer repurposes well-worn rock and blues classics into new narratives…unravels threads from the music she loves to knot together her own bizarro-world reimaginings, a process she describes…as ‘a necessary feminist act…a reclaim of agency.”

Cody Wyoming is a multi-instrumentalist musician, singer, composer, band leader, actor, director, record producer and performer who has been a part of Kansas City’s Music and Entertainment community since the mid 1990s. He has performed in, and directed several local theater productions, but is mostly known for having played in well over two dozen bands over the last three decades, including: The Philistines, the Pedaljets, The Guillotine Choir, WYCO, The Afterparty and The Cody Wyoming Deal. The Philistines are returning after a lengthy hiatus this year with their long awaited sophomore album Dysnomia. Which they hope to release this fall. The Cody Wyoming Deal, is an outfit known for playing classic albums in their entirety. This time The Deal has teamed up with Kate McCandless of She Speaks in Tongues to perform Patti Smith’s Easter.”

Kate McCandless and Cody Wyoming who join us to share details about SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. For more info you can visit http://www.therecordbar.com Proceeds will benefit the Kansas City Indian Center – Our Honor/Stop the Chop.

Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming Thank you for being with us on WMM

SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES started in Chicago and has transitioned to Kansas City.

Many of us first became aware of She Speaks in Tongues last year when you played the Outer Reaches Festival.

Kate McCandless and Cody Wyoming meet through the efforts of Steve Tulipana of recordBar.

About SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES//// HEALING ARTS

Kate McCandless (SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES) is as an artist, writer, energy healer, and tarot reader in the Kansas City area, after studying and practicing in Chicago IL. Her Shamanic approach takes the work beyond the basic hand positions or interpreter role, and flows seamlessly with her artistic practice and expression. Kate was attuned and initiated into the Reiki practice at levels 1-Master through Sara Gaines of Red Bird Reiki’s 1 Year Shamanic Reiki Apprenticeship (Chicago/Galena IL.) There she studied and explored Shamanism in the open tradition/practice of the Andean Peruvian shamans/Q’ero. Kate’s path to Tarot came naturally and intuitively and she is mostly self taught, though counted among her teachers is Lindsay Mack. Kate has completed Mack’s renowned and in depth course, Tarot for the Wild Soul and continues to study and practice on her own. Kate believes tarot and energy work is for every person and can be used as an excellent tool for self reflection, healing, and self care for any one who is curious, interested, and/or called. She serves as a compassionate facilitator and holder of space. She believes the journey is yours and she is here to support that without dogma nor judgement. Kate believes that tarot and energy work is intended to be inclusive, compassionate, healing, unpretentious and easeful, while rooted in the here and now. By reflecting on “what’s here now” we can curiously and kindly bring our awareness to reach for a more whole and healing present, and therefore, future. Other practitioners/artists she considers teachers and inspirations are Chani Nicholas, Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, Tatianna Morales, Renee Sills (Embodied Astrology,) Michelle Tea, Julia Cameron, and Rachael Gonzalez (FAMILIAR) just to name a few.

SHAMANIC ENERGY WORK + TAROT //// SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES

“KATE IS INCREDIBLE! I don’t have the words to fully relay what happened but Kate created the most healing safe cocoon of reiki energy magic I have ever experienced. I was able to feel and release challenging emotions and I feel we accomplished deep healing work for myself and ancestors… my experience was so epic. Thank you Kate for doing this kind of work in the world.” – Amy W., Energy Healing Client, Kansas City, MO

11:18

14. Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming – “We Three” (LIVE)
    (from Patti Smith Group – Easter on Arista originally released June 15, 1978)

11:22

We’re talking with Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming.

Kate McCandless and Cody Wyoming join us to share details about SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. For more info you can visit http://www.therecordbar.com Proceeds will benefit the Kansas City Indian Center – Our Honor/Stop the Chop.

For Easter The Cody Wyoming Deal will include: Matt Richey on drums, Julia Reynolds on keyboards, Brian Robinson on bass, and Benjamin Hart on guitar.

SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES – DOMESTIKA was released by SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES, on May 8, 2020 with: 1. ALL THAT SHE SAID WAS TRUE 2. MOTHER//PAIN 3. MAKE IT RIGHT 4. MOTH MESSAGES 5. MY NAME 6. INVISIBLE LABOR 7. OXYGEN 8. LIGHT BEARER SUGGESTED DONATION: $12 via VENMO @shespeaks OR PAYPAL kate.mccandless@gmail.com ONLY* *Due to the music sampling in my work, I am currently only accepting DONATIONS via my VENMO @shespeaks.

Kate McCandless writes: DOMESTIKA began as an exploration of what I believed were feminist themes in Bjork’s music and a desire to highlight them. This was especially given her latest releases Vulnicura & Utopia, and subsequent interviews. “Domestika” was the original title intended for what became Bjork’s iconic Vespertine, until she met Matthew Barney … the partner who would later cheat on her and file for divorce. There was something I wanted to reclaim in that. This desire was highlighted by my more recent struggles with Motherhood, mental health, and the wounding of being homebound.

Kate McCandless writes: In the process I formed a chain of channeled messages … as if from my Mother ancestors, or Mother Earth herself. Messages of unheard stories, pain, healing, justice, and hope.

Kate McCandless writes: This album is my bloody valentine to Motherhood and all the wisdom She gave me. My hope is that this music serves as a kind of balm for my listeners, especially during these trying times.Vocals, looping pedal, arrangement/mashup, select lyrics: Kate McCandless. Electronic music (Light Bearer): Nigel Harsch. Engineering: Steve Marek. Mixing and Mastering: Steve Marek. Music & Lyric Inspiration: Bjork. Album Art: Kristina Carr, Tom Gonzales

Selected Ambient Tag: Requiem for a Town Car / Clarke Wyatt / December 24, 2022
[KC based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, performer, Clarke Wyatt wrote: (in December 2022), “some street racers destroyed Cody Wyoming & Kimmie Queen’s beloved Lincoln Continental right after they had spent a bunch of money to get it back on the road. It will never roll again.” Clarke says “I recently started a game of ambient music tag, so I thought to myself, hey self, what if people contributed tracks & we compiled a record that Cody can sell to raise funds for a car? Well, that’s what we did. A bunch of incredible and fascinating KC musicians have sent me their audio experiments for the cause. It’s that simple: buy the record, support a great couple that had some really bad luck right at the worst time, and enjoy some really great space music. More tracks coming soon…” Contributing artists include: Betse Ellis, Mike Stover, Adam Stafford, Nate Hofer, Clarke Wyatt, Shawn Edward Hansen, Krysztov Nemeth, Jason Beers, Scott Hobart, Tilden Snow, Wade Allen Williamson, Gentleman Echo and Rod Peal. More info at: codywyoming.bandcamp.com] [Betse Ellis. Originally from Fayetteville, Arkansas, Betse received her Bachelors of Arts in Music and a Bachelors of Arts in English, from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She has been playing the Violin for over 40 years, with over 20 years playing fiddle and also working as a teacher of music. Betse was a founding member of the acclaimed internationally known band, The Wilders. Betse has released two solo records, and records and performs with her husband, multi-instrumentalist Clarke Wyatt, as Betse & Clarke. In 2020 they released their latest 8-song release, WINTER, which was in the Top Ten of WMM’s 120 Best Recordings of 2020. Betse also plays with the Starhaven Rounders.]

The Philistines – “Further” – Single / The Philistines / (March 15, 2019) (Unreleased)
[New music from The Philistines, that will be part of the upcoming album Dysnomia. Produced and engineered by paul Malinowski at Massive Sound Studios. The Philistines are a Kansas City based rock band with a psychedelic bent, made up of: Kimmie Queen on lead vocals; Cody Wyoming on lead guitar & vocals; Rod Peal on guitar; Josh Mobley on keyboard, Steve Gardels on drums, and Barry Kidd on bass.]

Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming Thank you for being with us on WMM

SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. For more info you can visit http://www.therecordbar.com Proceeds will benefit the Kansas City Indian Center – Our Honor/Stop the Chop.

11:27

14. She Speaks In Tongues – “MRS. JOHNSON”
    from: gloria GUITAR / SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES / May 6, 2014
    [Kate McCandles on vocals, guitar; Eric Schmidt pm guitar; Daniel Majid on bass guitar; Adrian Vigliano on drums; Nigel Harsch on samples. All songs performed by She Speaks in Tongues. All songs arranged by Kate McCandless. Described by Sasha Geffen as “Best Feminist Rock n’ Roll Exorcism” SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is ARTIST/VOCALIST Kate McCandless. Armed with voice and looping pedal and a fierce, shamanic energy, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES lures with nostalgia – simultaneously embracing and questioning its comfort and authority with a dark, feminist bent. “Due to the music sampling in my work, I am currently only accepting DONATIONS for my music at this time. Please donate to VENMO or PAYPAL after listening or downloading to enable me to continue making my work and covering costs.” – The artist // “Blue” recorded at Emaciated Raiden (aka Dick Cheney’s Bunker), Chicago, Ill., 2013. Engineered and mixed by Steve Marek. Songs 2–6 recorded at CarterCo Recording, Chicago, Ill., 2013. Engineered and mixed by Jonah Kort. Additional mixing and effects engineering by Curtis Ruptash at The Wayback Machine, Chicago, Ill. Mastered by Jonathan Schenke. Cover photo by Reginald Lawrence.]

[SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. For more info you can go to: http://www.therecordbar.com]

11:30 – Underwriting

6. M Bird – “Head in The Ground”
   from: Mercy Flight / Independent / August 2016
   [MBird is Megan Birdsall on vocals 7 guitr, Michael Smith on guitat, Ben Leifer on bass & vocals, and Matt Leifer on drums. Written by Megan Birdsall and Michael Smith. Produced by Jack Sundrud. Mixed by Bill Halvorson and Jack Sundrud. Mastered by Jim Demain for Yes Master Studios in Nashville, TN. Recorded at West End Studios in Kansas City, MO. Engineerd by Justin Mantooth]

[MBird’s Artist Showcase Series, starting Monday, April 17, at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Kansas City Artist’s Coalition at 3200 Gillham KCMO. This is the inaugural MBird’s Artist Showcase at KCAC! The show will feature: Joey Bahamundi on classical guitar, a film from Jerry Mañan, Camry Ivory with her Coloratura, David Wayne Reed with a spoken word performance, and MBird (Michael Smith on guitar, Megan Birdsall on vocals, and Ben Leifer on bass)with a special musical performance.]

11:36 – Interview with Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith

Michael Andrew Smith is the Education Associate & Puppets in Progress Coordinator for What If Puppets, Inspiring play & cultivating connections through puppetry. Michael Andrew Smith is an actor, puppeteer, writer, teacher, producer, musician, songwriter. Michael Andrew Smith made his stage debut at The Coterie at the age of 14. He has been in multiple shows at The Unicorn Theatre, and multiple companies. Michael is the creator of Story Time with Mr. Michael on YouTube.

Megan Birdsall is a critically acclaimed vocalist, band leader, singer songwriter, actress, mom, wife. She grew up in a performing arts family. Her dad Jim Birdsall is a nationally known voice over artist and critically acclaimed actor of multiple shows at the Missouri Rep, The Unicorn, film and television. Megan has worked professionally as a vocalist for over a decade in Kansas City and beyond.

Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith are co-founders of the band MBird. They join us to share all of the details about MBird’s Artist Showcase Series, starting Monday, April 17, at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Kansas City Artist’s Coalition at 3200 Gillham KCMO. This is the inaugural MBird’s Artist Showcase at KCAC! The show will feature: Joey Bahamundi on classical guitar, a film from Jerry Mañan, Camry Ivory with her Coloratura, David Wayne Reed with a spoken word performance, and MBird (Michael Smith on guitar, Megan Birdsall on vocals, and Ben Leifer on bass)with a special musical performance. Tickets available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mbirds-artist-showcase-tickets-601746729667?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith Thank you for being with us on WMM

MBird’s Artist Showcase Series, starting Monday, April 17, at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Kansas City Artist’s Coalition at 3200 Gillham KCMO.

This is the inaugural MBird’s Artist Showcase at KCAC!

The show will feature:
Joey Bahamundi on classical guitar,
a film from Jerry Mañan,
Camry Ivory with her Coloratura,
David Wayne Reed with a spoken word performance,
and MBird – Michael Smith on guitar, Megan Birdsall on vocals, & Ben Leifer on bass

11:43

16. M Bird – “Drive”
    from: Mercy Flight / Independent / August 2016
    [MBird is Megan Birdsall on vocals 7 guitr, Michael Smith on guitat, Ben Leifer on bass & vocals, and Matt Leifer on drums. Written by Megan Birdsall and Michael Smith. Produced by Jack Sundrud. Mixed by Bill Halvorson and Jack Sundrud. Mastered by Jim Demain for Yes Master Studios in Nashville, TN. Recorded at West End Studios in Kansas City, MO. Engineerd by Justin Mantooth]

10:47

We are talking with Musicians Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith join us to share all of the details about MBird’s Artist Showcase Series, starting Monday, April 17, at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Kansas City Artist’s Coalition at 3200 Gillham KCMO.

Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith Thank you for being with us on WMM

Megan Birdsall and Ben Leifer daughter is now 5 years old.

Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith Thank you for being with us on WMM

MBird’s Artist Showcase Series, starting Monday, April 17, at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Kansas City Artist’s Coalition at 3200 Gillham KCMO. This is the inaugural MBird’s Artist Showcase at KCAC! The show will feature: Joey Bahamundi on classical guitar, a film from Jerry Mañan, Camry Ivory with her Coloratura, David Wayne Reed with a spoken word performance, and MBird (Michael Smith on guitar, Megan Birdsall on vocals, and Ben Leifer on bass)with a special musical performance. Tickets available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mbirds-artist-showcase-tickets-601746729667?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

11:53:00

17. M Bird – “Mercy Flight”
    from: Mercy Flight / Independent / August 2016
    [MBird is Megan Birdsall on vocals 7 guitr, Michael Smith on guitat, Ben Leifer on bass & vocals, and Matt Leifer on drums. Written by Megan Birdsall and Michael Smith. Produced by Jack Sundrud. Mixed by Bill Halvorson and Jack Sundrud. Mastered by Jim Demain for Yes Master Studios in Nashville, TN. Recorded at West End Studios in Kansas City, MO. Engineerd by Justin Mantooth]

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

Big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful listeners and friends who generously and thoughtfully donated to support KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio during our Wednesday MidDay Medley broadcast today! Through the airwaves, and through social media, a total of 55 people donated a total of $3149.00 to allow us to continue our mission. THANK YOU to my incredible co-hosts: Betse Ellis & Marion Merritt, and special guest J Kelly Dougherty, and very special guest Hermon Mehari for sharing your brilliance with our listeners. Thank you to Scott Bunte, Lincoln Dreher and Darryl Oliver for taking our donations over the phones.

Next week on Wednesday MidDay Medley on April 12 we welcome Patrick Sprehe of Center Cut Records joins for the entire show as our Guest Producer.

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 #988

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

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Kate McCandless & Cody Wyoming on Patti Smith’s EASTER + Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith + Jess Shoman of Tenci

Mark spins more New & MidCoastal Releases from: Monta, Kye Colors, Kevin Morby, Faith Maddox, Betse Ellis, The Philistines, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES, M Bird, Tenci, Altin Gün, Yves Tumor, and The Patti Smith Group.

At 10:30 we talk with Jess Shoman of the Chicago band Tenci, and play tracks from their critically acclaimed album, A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. Tenci plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, KCMO, on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 10:00 PM with Perfect Lovers. More information at: http://www.therecordbar.com

At 11:00 Mark welcomes Kate McCandless who records & performs as, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES and Cody Wyoming who join us to share details about SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER, Sunday, April 9, 2023, at 7:00 PM, at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, Julia Othmer, and Teri Quinn to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all. To purchase tickets go to http://www.therecordbar.com A portion of proceeds will benefit the Kansas City Indian Center – Our Honor/Stop the Chop.

At 11:30 musicians Megan Birdsall & Michael Andrew Smith join us to share all of the details about MBird’s Artist Showcase Series, starting Monday, April 17, at 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM, at Kansas City Artist’s Coalition at 3200 Gillham KCMO. This is the inaugural MBird’s Artist Showcase at KCAC! The show will feature: Joey Bahamundi on classical guitar, a film from Jerry Mañan, Camry Ivory with her Coloratura, David Wayne Reed with a spoken word performance, and MBird (Michael Smith on guitar, Megan Birdsall on vocals, and Ben Leifer on bass)with a special musical performance. Tickets available at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mbirds-artist-showcase-tickets-601746729667?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Show #988

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

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Guest Producer – April Fletcher + Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox of Owen Cox Dance Group

On this show April Fletcher joins us as our special “Guest Producer.” April Fletcher grew up in St. Louis, and moved to Kansas City to attend the UMKC Conservatory of Music. While in KC April hosted the radio show “Mix Well Before Serving” during KKFI‘s first year of broadcasting in 1988. April worked professionally in Kansas City at the Unicorn Theatre, Theatre League, The Paul Mesner Puppets, The Broadway Marionettes, Big Bang Buffet, and Cafe LuLu. She also worked for Pennylane Records. April moved to Los Angeles in 1995. April graduated from California Institute of the Arts in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Multi-Instrumental Studies. April has played in the band Cool Beat Borscht, in the cumbia band, La Sonora Tropicana, the band Epically Cracked, and has played bass for five years for the 80s band Klymaxx. In recent years, April has been exploring other creative spaces and is currently collaborating with an entertainment and technology company and has been working with a business brokerage as an advisor using her expertise in the arts and entertainment industries and online marketing. Her side projects include her Etsy store, a YouTube channel all while trying to find time to practice so she can start performing again upon her return to Los Angeles. You can learn more about her social media and work at: sociatap.com/aprilfletcher

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]

2. Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine – “Conga”
   from: Primitive Love / Epic / August 13, 1985
   [“Conga” is the 1st hit single released by the American band Miami Sound Machine, led by Gloria Estefan, on their 2nd English-language album, Primitive Love. The song was written by the band’s drummer & lead song-writer Enrique Garcia. The song first appeared on August 31, 1985, as part of the album. The single was released in Australia on Sept. 9, 1985. // “Conga” became a worldwide success and is recognized as the Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan’s signature song. The single reached the top 10 in various countries, including the United States and the Netherlands. // This album was a follow-up to the band’s previous releases in every sense: in the music, in the rhythms, and in Gloria Estefan’s vocals. Previous releases by Miami Sound Machine had failed to achieve much in the way of crossover success. However, with the release of Primitive Love in 1985, their distinctive sound was finally being heard by a wider audience, both in the United States and abroad. // This album was the band’s first appearance on the American albums chart, reaching #21 on the Billboard 200. The album ended the year on the 1986 Billboard Year End Charts at #10. // Three singles released from this album reached the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart: “Conga” peaked at #10; “Bad Boy” reached #8; “Words Get in the Way” was the highest-charting single from this album, at #5; and “Falling in Love (Uh-Oh)” climbed to #25. // Gloria Estefan (Spanish: [ˈɡloɾja esˈtefan]; born Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García; born 1 September 1957) is a Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. Estefan is a seven-time Grammy Award winner, a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, and has been named one of the Top 100 greatest artists of all time by both VH1 and Billboard. Estefan’s record sales exceed 75 million worldwide, making her the second best selling female latin artist in history and one of the best-selling female singers of all-time. // A contralto, Estefan started her career as lead singer of Miami Latin Boys, which was later renamed Miami Sound Machine. She and Miami Sound Machine earned worldwide success with their 1985 single “Conga”, which became Estefan’s signature song and led to Miami Sound Machine winning the 15th annual Tokyo Music Festival’s grand prix in 1986. In 1988, she & Miami Sound Machine achieved their first number-one hit with “Anything for You”. Estefan is credited with breaking down barriers and opening doors for Latin musicians, including Selena, Jon Secada, Shakira and Ricky Martin. // In March 1990, Estefan sustained a life-threatening cervical vertebrae fracture when her tour bus was involved in a serious accident near Scranton, Pennsylvania. She underwent an emergency surgical stabilization of her cervical spine and post-surgical rehabilitation that lasted almost a year, but made a full recovery. A year later, in March 1991, Estefan launched her comeback with a worldwide tour & album, Into the Light.// Estefan’s 1993 Spanish-language album Mi Tierra won the first of her three Grammy Awards for Best Tropical Latin Album. Mi Tierra immediately soared to the top of the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart upon its release. The album was also the first Diamond album in Spain. // Many of Estefan’s songs, including “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You”, “1-2-3”, “Don’t Wanna Lose You”, “Get On Your Feet”, “Here We Are”, “Coming Out of the Dark”, “Bad Boy”, “Oye!”, “Party Time” and a remake of “Turn the Beat Around,” became international chart-topping hits. // In addition to winning three Grammy Awards and being the 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Estefan has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame & Las Vegas Walk of Fame, and was a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2017 for her contributions to American cultural life. Estefan also won an MTV Video Music Award, was honored with the American Music Award for Lifetime Achievement, and has been named BMI Songwriter of the Year. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has received multiple Billboard awards. // Billboard has listed Estefan as the third Most Successful Latina and 23rd Greatest Latin Artist of all time in US, based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Hailed as the “Queen of Latin Pop” by the media, she has amassed 38 number one hits across Billboard charts, including 15 chart-topping songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Rolling Stone has ranked her 1985 hit “Conga” the 11th Greatest Latin Pop Songs of all time. Richard Blanco, the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Poet, told The Boston Globe in 2020 that Estefan is among the Latin singers who helped him gain ground “in the musical poetry of my culture and rejuvenate my spirits”]

3. Alabama Shakes – “Don’t Wanna Fight”
   from: Sound & Color / Alabama Shakes – ATO Records / April 21, 2015
   [Formed in Athens, Alabama in 2009. The band currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboard player Ben Tanner, and drummer Steve Johnson. The group rose to prominence from virtual obscurity in the early 2010s with their distinctive and soulful roots rock sound. The band began their career touring and performing at bars and clubs around the Southeast for two years while honing their sound and writing music. They recorded their debut album, Boys & Girls, themselves in Nashville while still unsigned. Online acclaim led ATO Records to sign the band, which released Boys & Girls in 2012 to acclaim. The album had a hit single, “Hold On,” and was nominated for three Grammy Awards. After a long touring cycle, the band recorded their sophomore record, Sound & Color, which was released in 2015 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. // Brittany Amber Howard was born October 2, 1988. She is an American musician, singer, and songwriter known for being the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and main songwriter of rock bands Alabama Shakes, Thunderbitch, and Bermuda Triangle. Her work with Alabama Shakes has garnered her nine Grammy Award nominations including Best New Artist and Album of the Year for Sound & Color. They eventually won four awards including Best Alternative Music Album. // In 2018, Alabama Shakes announced they were going on hiatus. During this time, Howard released her debut studio album as a solo artist, Jaime, in 2019. The work received critical acclaim and earned her seven Grammy nominations, winning Best Rock Song for “Stay High”. // Howard was born in Athens, Alabama, one of two daughters born to Christi (née Carter) and K. J. Howard. Her mother is white, of English and Irish ancestry, while her father is African American. The family’s home was in a junk yard, and once burned down due to a lightning strike. She learned to write poetry and play the piano from her older sister Jaime, who died from retinoblastoma in 1998; Howard got the same affliction but survived with partial blindness in one eye. Her parents separated soon after. She began playing the guitar at age 13, and was enamored with albums by Dionne Warwick and Elvis Presley, which she listened to repeatedly, and was inspired to write song lyrics. // Howard attended East Limestone High School, where she met future Alabama Shakes bassist Zac Cockrell. In high school, Howard began listening to 1970s rock music, such as Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd. “I’d be in the back of this Buick and be like ‘What’s this? This is really cool’ and my friends told me it was Pink Floyd and I was like ‘Whoa’, it blew my mind. I started getting into all the classic rock stuff, like Yes, Cream, all that stuff.” // After high school, Howard worked for the United States Postal Service until becoming a full-time musician as lead singer of Alabama Shakes. // Brittany Howard is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for the American rock band Alabama Shakes. The band formed under the name “The Shakes” when Howard and bassist Zac Cockrell began playing covers and original songs together with drummer Steve Johnson. Guitarist Heath Fogg later rounded out the lineup, and the band began playing shows at bars in Alabama and recording their debut album, Boys & Girls. They went on to sign a record deal with ATO Records and released Boys & Girls in 2012 which received critical acclaim and multiple Grammy Award nominations. // In April 2015, Alabama Shakes released their second album, Sound & Color. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and received favorable reviews from the music press. The band went on to perform on multiple late night shows, including Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Howard was featured in the musical medley alongside Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, Ben Folds, and more in the series premiere of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. At Lollapalooza in 2015, Howard was invited on stage to perform a duet of “Get Back” with Paul McCartney. Howard also performed at the ceremony for Eddie Murphy’s Mark Twain Prize. In 2015, Howard was named the recipient of Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse” Award. // Howard is also the lead singer of the rock band Thunderbitch, formed in Nashville in 2012 with members of Clear Plastic Masks and ATO Records labelmates Fly Golden Eagle. The band surprise-released a self-titled album in September 2015. Although the band rarely makes live appearances, they did play a rare set at ATO Records’ CMJ Music Marathon showcase in October 2015. // Brittany Howard is also a singer in the band Bermuda Triangle with Jesse Lafser and Becca Mancari, which was formed in Nashville in 2017. Their debut live performance was on July 12, 2017 at the Basement East in Nashville. The trio released their first single on September 6, 2017, titled “Rosey”, which was first released on Jesse Lafser’s 2015 album “Raised On The Plains”. Although originally believed to be a one time performance, the trio performed a five show tour through the Southern states of America in October 2017. This small tour included shows in Carrboro and Asheville, North Carolina; Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and Knoxville, Tennessee. // In June 2019, Brittany Howard announced a debut solo album, Jaime which was released on September 20, 2019, as well as a tour across North America and Europe. Jaime was received with universal acclaim, with Pitchfork noting “The exceptional solo debut from the Alabama Shakes singer-songwriter is a thrilling opus that pushes the boundaries of voice, sound, and soul to new extremes.” On July 16, 2019, Howard released the music video to the single Stay High, featuring actor Terry Crews lip-syncing to the track. On April 15, 2020, Howard released a cover of a Funkadelic’s 1971 song “You and Your Folks, Me and My Folks” and a new rendition of her song “Stay High”. Stay High was recommended as an appropriate musical remedy to get people through bad lockdown and quarantine feelings.]

4. Marc Rebillet – “Hold On”
   from: Loop Daddy III / Bored Certified / October 1, 2020 
   [Marc Rebillet was born December 10, 1988) is a French-American electronic musician and YouTuber from Dallas, Texas, currently based in New York City. Known for his improvised funk and hip-hop electronic music with free flowing, humorous lyrics. Rebillet distributes his work primarily through YouTube videos and Twitch live streams using a loop station, keyboard, vocals and percussion instruments to produce his songs in his apartment. He has released three studio albums (Marc Rebillet, Europe and Loop Daddy III) and two extended play records (Loop Daddy and Loop Daddy II). // Rebillet’s father was French and his mother is from South Carolina. His parents met in Paris. Rebillet started playing piano at age four; he studied classical music until age 15 while attending Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas. // In 2007, Rebillet first went viral after being interviewed on Fox 4 in Dallas while lining up to be the first to buy an iPhone during its initial release. A woman paid Rebillet $800 for his spot in the front of the line, attempting to buy many phones to resell. The plan backfired because the store’s policy only allowed one iPhone sale per customer. The video of the encounter received four million views. // Rebillet dropped out of Southern Methodist University after studying acting for a year. During the next decade, Rebillet worked as a server, an executive assistant, and in a corporate call center while producing music under the name “Leae”. Rebillet moved to New York City in 2011 and back to Dallas in 2014 to care for his father, who had Alzheimer’s disease. // In 2016, Rebillet claimed on Reddit to have discovered an alleged unreleased 1998 Sufjan Stevens album in a dumpster outside record label Asthmatic Kitty’s studios in Dumbo, Brooklyn in 2014. A representative from the label who responded to the post was unable to confirm the album’s authenticity, but requested that Rebillet not share it. A few hours later, Rebillet proceeded to upload the album and share it on 4chan. In an interview with Stereogum the next day, he expressed regret for disrespecting the label’s wishes, but stated he wanted to let the album be preserved online. When asked if the album was possibly a hoax, Rebillet responded, “I have neither the time nor the desire to prove its authenticity.” // Rebillet’s professional music career began in 2016, when he began publishing YouTube videos and live streams of himself improvising songs in his bedroom, apartment, and hotel rooms, often while dancing in his boxer briefs. These videos began to go viral through Reddit and Facebook, generating a fan base, and earning Rebillet tips. Many of Rebillet’s songs are inspired by live requests from his fans, who call him on a phone number that he posts on social media, or comment during the live stream. Rebillet’s sessions can last from one to five hours. The content of the streams varies widely, from romancedLJ. spbx to more frivolous topics, such as snacking. // During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rebillet’s tour of Australia and New Zealand was cancelled and subsequently rescheduled for early 2021. In place of the cancelled shows, he scheduled four free live stream shows on Twitch named for four cities on the cancelled tour. He called this collection of shows the “Quarantine Livestream Tour”, with the first show attracting over 1.57 million viewers and raising over $34,000 for coronavirus-related charity Explaining why he chose to begin streaming on Twitch, Rebillet told The Verge, “I’m just trying to survive, and Twitch has the highest earning potential for livestreams.” // Also related to the pandemic, Rebillet recorded a song, called “Essential Workers Anthem”, dedicated to essential workers, to thank them for their work. Discussing the song for the Boston Herald, Jed Gottlieb wrote that “the tune he built in a minute had more moxie and magic than anything on the recent lo-fi network TV concerts”. // On December 9 2020, in anticipation of hitting one million YouTube subscribers, Rebillet streamed live during and after hitting the milestone. He used the stream as an opportunity to donate to multiple charities. // Rebillet has performed streams with Erykah Badu, Reggie Watts, Emily King, DJ Premier, Brady Watt, Flying Lotus, Madison McFerrin, Harry Mack, and Wayne Brady. // In June 2021, Rebillet starred in a television commercial for German supermarket chain Edeka. The lighthearted commercial shows him creating music in the market by playing the produce and food products as musical instruments. // As of August 2021, Rebillet has 11.8 million online streams of his music, more than 2 million YouTube subscribers, and over 127 million YouTube views. // Rebillet was the host of a biweekly series “We’ve Got Company” that streamed on Twitch in early 2022, featuring Rebillet along with musical guests. Guests during the first season included Wyclef Jean, Tokimonsta, Alison Wonderland, Reggie Watts and Tenacious D.]

5. Lisa Fischer – “How Can I Ease The Pain (Live)”
   from: “How Can I Ease The Pain (Live)” / 1991
   [From her debut album So Intense, released on Elektra Records, April 30, 1991. “How Can I Ease the Pain” is a song co-written and performed by American singer Lisa Fischer, from So Intense. It was produced by Narada Michael Walden with associate producer Louis Biancaniello. The hit song spent two weeks at number-one on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song was sampled by rap group Three 6 Mafia for their hit “Late Nite Tip”. // In 1992, the single won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Female and it also won a 1992 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song also peaked at number eleven on the pop charts. This was Fischer’s biggest and most well-known hit. // Lisa Fischer (born December 1, 1958) is an American singer and songwriter. She found success with her 1991 debut album So Intense, which produced the Grammy Award–winning hit single “How Can I Ease the Pain”. She has been a back-up singer for a number of famous artists, including Sting, Luther Vandross, and Tina Turner, and she toured with The Rolling Stones from 1989 to 2015. // Fischer was born in the Fort Greene neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Fischer’s mother gave birth to her at age 16 and had a total of three children by the time she was 19. Fischer has fond memories of singing with her mother (a homemaker), her father (a warehouse worker and security officer), and her two younger brothers. She attended The High School of Music & Art in Manhattan. When Fischer was 14 her father left the family and when Fischer was 17, her mother died. // In an interview with Christian Wikane of PopMatters, Fischer stated she was influenced by Freda Payne, Marvin Gaye and Melba Moore, and others early in her childhood.[6] In the years before launching her solo mainstream career, she noted significant influence from the black LGBT community, particularly in developing a stage image with adventure, quality, and beauty. // In 1983, under the stage name “Xēna”, Fischer released the b-boy classic “On the Upside”. In 1984, a club track she recorded titled “Only Love (Shadows)” was briefly featured in the motion picture Beat Street [9] and was later released in 1995 as part of the Hot Productions’ The Best of Criminal Records compilation. However, Fischer began her music career supporting other artists providing backing vocals for artists including Melba Moore and Billy Ocean. She worked with many other famous singers, both as a session vocalist and sideman. She accompanied Luther Vandross whom she met through the mutual acquaintance shossof choreographer Bruce Wallace, who asked her to come to his agency for an audition. Fischer then traveled as a backup singer on his tours and sang on his albums until his death, in addition to other famous musicians, including Chaka Khan, Teddy Pendergrass, and Roberta Flack. // Fischer maintained her career as a session singer, and has accompanied The Rolling Stones on tour since 1989. She worked as a backup vocalist during the same period for Luther Vandross for the 22 years prior to his death alongside friend and collaborator Ava Cherry, juggling his concert tours and those of The Rolling Stones, with whom she grew an audience playing the foil to Mick Jagger onstage. During tours with the Rolling Stones, she shares lead vocals on several songs, including “Monkey Man, and “Gimme Shelter”, which showcase her vocal talents. // Fischer’s solo career peaked with the 1991 release of “How Can I Ease the Pain” from her album So Intense, reaching Number One on the R&B charts, and winning a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1992. The album spawned three Top 20 R&B hits, and peaked at #5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #100 on the Billboard 200 chart. Asked about the inspiration for her album, Fischer replied “I wasn’t deep in search of a record deal, it was just one of those things…”. In the movie 20 Feet From Stardom, Fischer’s Grammy award for her hit single collects dust on a shelf. Fischer said she “just doesn’t know what to do with it”. Although Fischer earned success with her first album, a follow-up solo studio album was not released because an attempt to create a second album failed due to “energy shifts”. // Fischer recorded on various projects including providing lead vocals on the power ballad “Colors of Love” featured on the soundtrack for the film Made in America.[18] Fischer says a contributing factor in her decision to discontinue her solo career following the release of her debut album was her fondness for backing vocalist rather than a solo artist. In a 2013 article, Fischer compared back-up singing to a “tuning fork”, and noted she rejected the idea of dissatisfaction and the theory of always aspiring for something more while creating music and supporting other artists. In 1992, Fischer traveled to Japan to perform in the Earth Voice Concert with Lee Ritenour, Phil Perry, Bobby Caldwell, Brenda Russell, James Ingram, Michael McDonald, Anita Baker, and others. During the concert, Fischer sang her 1991 hit “How Can I Ease The Pain”, and provided backing vocals for her fellow musicians. // In August 1996, Fischer made her theatre debut in the off-Broadway play Born to Sing! chronicling the life and career of the fictional gospel superstar, Doris Winter. The final installment of the Mama, I Want to Sing! trilogy featured Fischer in the starring role of Doris Winter, and followed the character as she assembled a company of fellow singers for a global World Peace and Harmony Tour. // Fischer continued to work on music, doing background vocals and writing songs for other artists, including Anane Vega. Fischer toured with Tina Turner on her Twenty Four Seven Tour. It was the worldwide top-grossing tour of 2000. Lisa was featured in an April 14, 2008 issue of Jet Magazine′s “Where Are They Now?” column. In 2009, Fischer completed touring with Tina Turner on her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, and is featured on Turner’s live DVD-CD titled Tina Live. In the performance of Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour, Fischer and Turner sang “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” together; after Turner left the stage, Fischer completed the song solo. // Fischer sang on Sting’s album If on a Winter’s Night… as a backing vocalist. In September 2009, Sting and his band with Fischer performed in Durham Cathedral. The rehearsals as well as the concert are available as a DVD. The behind-the-scenes documentary surrounding the event was produced jointly by the BBC, and was screened on December 29 that year. She appeared at the 2010 CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti. She toured with Botti through 2010, including appearing nightly as guest vocalist during the trumpeter’s annual holiday engagement at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York city. She remained a guest artist with Botti’s band in 2011, and continued to appear at their 2012 concerts. // In 2012, she joined the Rolling Stones for their 50 & Counting Tour in October 2012, and toured globally with the band until July 2013. The band announced a follow-up tour 14 On Fire scheduled to start in February, including dates in the Middle East, Asia, and Europe in summer 2014, and Australia in fall 2014. // In 2013, Fischer joined the rock band Nine Inch Nails as a backing vocalist for their Tension 2013 tour. // Fischer is one of the artists featured in the Oscar-winning documentary film 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was released on June 21, 2013. The documentary highlights back-up singers by archiving the oral histories of artists like Merry Clayton and Darlene Love and their experiences within the American music industry. The film earned the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Music Film, with the award presented to the featured artists as well as the production crew. // In 2014, Fischer re-united with many of the back-up singers in 20 Feet From Stardom including Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, and Judith Hill to sing the national anthem at the 100th Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. // In 2014, Fischer began her solo tour accompanied by her band Grand Baton, performing across the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. That same year, a press release announced Fischer would collaborate with performer Billy Childs on a studio project about Laura Nyro. 2015, returning to her solo career, Fischer sold out six consecutive shows at The Jazz Standard in New York City. // In 2015, she, along with her musical director, the composer, arranger, and pianist JC Maillard, collaborated with choreographer Alonzo King to create the music/dance ensemble piece entitled The Propelled Heart for the Alonzo King LINES Ballet. The Propelled Heart premiered at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on November 6, 2015. In September 2017, Fischer reprised her role in The Propelled Heart at the Kwai Tsing Theatre in Hong Kong. The program returned to the SF Bay Area’s Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in November 2017 in honor of the 35th Anniversary of LINES Ballet. // In addition to her collaboration with King, in 2016, Fischer provided vocal performances on three Grammy nominated projects including Louie Vega Starring…XXVIII with Louie Vega and The Elements of Life; Sing Me Home with Yo-Yo Ma, The Silkroad Ensemble, and Gregory Porter; as well as New York Rhapsody with Lang Lang and Jeffrey Wright. In February 2018, Fischer’s vocal performances were featured in the HBO Film presentation Notes From The Field written and produced by playwright Anna Deavere Smith. // Fischer and Grand Baton partnered with The Seattle Symphony for their program Just A Kiss Away in February 2018 in which rock music anthems such as The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” were re-created orchestrally. The orchestral arrangements were composed by Chris Walden.]

6. The Police – “Driven To Tears”
   from: Zenyatta Mondatta (Remastered) / A&M Records / October 3, 1980
   [Zenyatta Mondatta (stylised as Zenyattà Mondatta on the album cover artwork) is the third studio album by English rock band the Police, released on 3 October 1980 by A&M Records. It was co-produced by the band and Nigel Gray. // Zenyatta Mondatta reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number five on the US Billboard 200. It produced the hit singles “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da”. The album won the band two Grammy Awards: Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and Best Rock Instrumental Performance for “Behind My Camel”. // Zenyatta Mondatta was written during the Police’s second tour and recorded in four weeks (minus several days for concerts in Ireland and at the Milton Keynes festival in the United Kingdom). The band members have often expressed disappointment over the album, going so far as to re-record two songs during a brief, unsuccessful reunion in 1986. Drummer Stewart Copeland said about the time pressures: “We had bitten off more than we could chew. … we finished the album at 4 a.m. on the day we were starting our next world tour. We went to bed for a few hours and then traveled down to Belgium for the first gig. It was cutting it very fine.” // The band had wanted to record the album at Surrey Sound, the recording site of their first two albums, but could not record at any British studio for tax reasons. They were, however, able to retain Nigel Gray as their co-producer, bringing him with them to Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands. Feeling that he had played a significant part in the Police’s first two albums, Gray negotiated for a £25,000 fee, which brought the album’s total budget to £35,000 (more than twice the combined budgets of their first two albums, but still exceptionally cheap for a band who at that point had become established stars). // As mentioned by Copeland, the Police embarked on a tour of the world the day of the album’s completion, beginning in Belgium and finishing in Australia. // The album is the last of the Police’s early era, influenced by reggae and punk and featuring few musical elements on top of the core guitar, bass, and drums. // The record has two instrumentals, “The Other Way of Stopping” (named from a line in Bob Newhart’s “The Driving Instructor” routine) and “Behind My Camel”. “Behind My Camel” was guitarist Andy Summers’ first entirely self-penned composition. As bassist and vocalist Sting refused to play on it, Summers recorded the bass line himself, overdubbing the guitar parts. According to Sting, “I hated that song so much that, one day when I was in the studio, I found the tape lying on the table. So I took it around the back of the studio and actually buried it in the garden.”[6] Nigel Gray believed that the title was an in-joke by Summers: “He didn’t tell me this himself but I’m 98% sure the reason is this: what would you find behind a camel? A monumental pile of shit.” // “Bombs Away” was recorded on a tape that Nigel Gray had just used with Siouxsie and the Banshees. Copeland said that “when he first set up his home studio he got hold of a load of second hand tape which included some stuff by Siouxsie and the Banshees. ‘Bombs Away’ was written on a Siouxsie and the Banshees backing track. I changed the speed and did things to the EQ to change the drum pattern. So with the desk I can get my song playing, then press a switch and there’s Siouxsie singing away.” // Zenyatta Mondatta also saw the band’s lyrics turning towards political events, with Sting’s “Driven to Tears” commenting on poverty and Copeland’s “Bombs Away” referring to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. These themes became more prevalent on the Police’s next album, Ghost in the Machine. // The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For most of their history the line-up consisted of primary songwriter Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussion). The Police became globally popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Emerging in the British new wave scene, they played a style of rock influenced by punk, reggae, and jazz. // Their 1978 debut album, Outlandos d’Amour, reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart on the strength of the singles “Roxanne” and “Can’t Stand Losing You”. Their second album, Reggatta de Blanc (1979), became the first of four consecutive No. 1 studio albums in the UK and Australia; its first two singles, “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon”, became their first UK number ones. Their next two albums, Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) and Ghost in the Machine (1981), led to further critical and commercial success with two songs, “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, becoming UK number-one singles and Top 5 hits in other countries; the former album was their breakthrough into the US reaching number five on the US Billboard 200. // Their final studio album, Synchronicity (1983), was No. 1 in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy and the US, selling over 8 million copies in the US. Its lead single, “Every Breath You Take”, became their fifth UK number one, and only US number one. During this time, the band were considered one of the leaders of the Second British Invasion of the US; in 1983 Rolling Stone labelled them “the first British New Wave act to break through in America on a grand scale, and possibly the biggest band in the world.” The Police disbanded in 1986, but reunited in early 2007 for a one-off world tour that ended in August 2008. They were the world’s highest-earning musicians in 2008, due to their reunion tour, which was the highest-grossing tour of 2007. // The Police have sold over 75 million records, making them one of the best-selling bands of all time. The band won a number of music awards, including six Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards—winning Best British Group once, and an MTV Video Music Award. In 2003, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Four of their five studio albums appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The band were included among both Rolling Stone’s and VH1’s lists of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”]

10:28 – Underwriting

7. Brad Cox & Jeffrey Freling – “One Confession (feat. Annie Ellicott)”
   from: aRound & aRound / Owen Cox Dance Group / March 31, 2023

10:29 – Interview with Jen Owen & Brad Cox

Jennifer Owen is Artistic Director of Owen/Cox Dance Group, an ensemble she co-founded with composer Brad Cox in 2007. She has choreographed over fifty new works for Owen/Cox Dance Group. Prior to founding Owen/Cox Dance Group, Owen enjoyed a 13-year international ballet career. After training with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she went on to dance with the Russian State Ballet, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, BalletMet, and was a guest artist with the National Ballet of Turkmenistan.

Brad Cox is a composer in the uniquely American Ellington model, Brad is dedicated to forming long lasting relationships with musicians and writing music for those musicians. Brad is a founder and contributing composer to The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City, and conceived and organized the ensemble’s versions of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and The Battleship Potemkin. In addition to his work with Owen/Cox Dance Group, he has created compositions and arrangements for Sony Classical recording artist Nathan Granner, Grammy award-winning producer and engineer Russ Elevado, Paris-based songwriter Krystle Warren and internationally-recognized puppeteer Paul Mesner. Brad is a 2009 recipient of the Tanne Foundation Award, and 2010 recipient of the Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Artist Award.

Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox join us live in our 90.1 FM Studios to share all the details about Owen Cox Dance Group’s newest production, aRound & aRound, Friday, March 31 ansd Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 8:00 PM, and Sunday, April 2, 2023, at 2:00 PM at ​The City Stage Theatre, Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. More information at: http://www.owencoxdance.org

Jennifer Owen, and Brad Cox, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

We last talked with Jennifer Owen on September 28, just before the Owen Cox collaboration with The Black Creatures “What Came With Spring,” Oct. 7, 8 & 9, 2022.

This new production features original music composed by Brad Cox and Jeff Freling (of Victor & Penny and Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices). This new work also features visual projections created by artist and NEA Fellow, Nate Fors.

Owen Cox Dance Group’s newest production, aRound & aRound, Friday, March 31 ansd Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 8:00 PM, and Sunday, April 2, 2023, at 2:00 PM at ​The City Stage Theatre, Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108.

Jennifer Owen has choreographed over fifty new works for Owen/Cox Dance Group, including two commissions by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and works commissioned by Island Moving Co. of Newport, RI, Kansas City Dance Festival, Kansas City Baroque Consortium, and Kansas City Chamber Orchestra. She has also created nine new works for Kansas City Ballet’s In the Wings choreographic workshop, and a winning entry for the 2006 Columbus Choreography Project. Owen is the recipient of a 2000 Princess Grace Honorarium. Prior to founding Owen/Cox Dance Group, Owen enjoyed a 13-year international ballet career. After training with Pacific Northwest Ballet School, San Francisco Ballet School, School of American Ballet, and the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, she went on to dance with the Russian State Ballet, Moscow Renaissance Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, BalletMet, and was a guest artist with the National Ballet of Turkmenistan. She has performed principal roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux and Donizetti Variations, and the central pas de deux in Todd Bolender’s Arena.

Jen Owen’s husband and partner is Brad Cox, who is also the founder of The People’s Liberation Big Band of Greater Kansas City–a musicians’ collective dedicated to the creation and performance of new large ensemble jazz. AND, Brad Cox Octet–an eight-piece ensemble made up of 2 saxophonists, 2 bass players, 2 drummers, and 2 keyboardists.

Owen/Cox Dance Group is a 501 (c) 3 not for profit corporation with a mission is to create new music and dance collaborations, to present high-quality contemporary dance performances with live music, and to engage as wide an audience as possible through affordable live performance, education and outreach programs

Over the last few years Owen/Cox Dance Group’s was working on a U.S. State Diplomacy Tour in Ukraine. COVID-19 local & international protocol, postponing this trip until later. Jen Owen how do you explain how your donace company has been involved in international history and now with the Russian invasion into the Ukrain things have dramatically changed.

Brad Cox and April Fletcher were apartment mates at 4407 Harrison back in 1989.

Jennifer Owen, and Brad Cox, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Owen Cox Dance Group” newest production, aRound & aRound, is]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]] March 31 through April 1, 2023, at 8:00 PM, and April 2, 2023, at 2:00 PM at ​The City Stage Theatre, Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. This new production features original music composed by Brad Cox and Jeff Freling (of Victor & Penny and Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices). This new work also features visual projections created by artist and NEA Fellow, Nate Fors. More information at: http://www.owencoxdance.org

10:41 -10:42

8. Snarky Puppy – “We Like It Here”
from: We Like It Here / Ropeadope / February 25, 2014
[We Like It Here is an album by American jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy that was released on February 25, 2014. The track “Lingus” includes a solo on the synthesizer performed by Cory Henry. // Snarky Puppy is sometimes referred to as a “collective.” The band’s current roster boasts about 19 members, and well over 40 musicians have performed with the group over the years and through the group’s 14 albums. Michael League explains that, in the early days of the original 10-piece band, if someone got an opportunity to earn more money than for the band’s gig, “…we’d get a substitute and if the substitute played well, then it felt like, ‘Well, they learned the music and played great, what a waste for them to learn all that for one gig…’ so we would kind of just keep them in the Rolodex, so to speak, and rotate them in and out. Then it became a thing where we started touring so much that guys couldn’t do all the dates, or didn’t want to, or whatever.” When people came in, the differences in their playing would influence all those on the date. “That would change the way that they played the music. And then even when that new person left, that memory of that new relationship with the music would remain. So really we just kept building on the personalities of the new people that would come in, brick by brick. …in general, the guys understand what the band is– a rotating cast… But I don’t really think of Snarky Puppy as a collective. It’s just a large band and sometimes people aren’t there. It doesn’t feel like a revolving door, it doesn’t feel anonymous at all. The guys who have played gigs with us the least have still played several hundred gigs. That’s more than most people play with their own bands. So it’s very much a tight, familial unit. Everyone feels very, very close and very essential, also.]

9. Snarky Puppy – “We Like It Here”
   from: We Like It Here / Ropeadope / February 25, 2014
   [We Like It Here is an album by American jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy that was released on February 25, 2014. The track “Lingus” includes a solo on the synthesizer performed by Cory Henry. // Snarky Puppy is sometimes referred to as a “collective.” The band’s current roster boasts about 19 members, and well over 40 musicians have performed with the group over the years and through the group’s 14 albums. Michael League explains that, in the early days of the original 10-piece band, if someone got an opportunity to earn more money than for the band’s gig, “…we’d get a substitute and if the substitute played well, then it felt like, ‘Well, they learned the music and played great, what a waste for them to learn all that for one gig…’ so we would kind of just keep them in the Rolodex, so to speak, and rotate them in and out. Then it became a thing where we started touring so much that guys couldn’t do all the dates, or didn’t want to, or whatever.” When people came in, the differences in their playing would influence all those on the date. “That would change the way that they played the music. And then even when that new person left, that memory of that new relationship with the music would remain. So really we just kept building on the personalities of the new people that would come in, brick by brick. …in general, the guys understand what the band is– a rotating cast… But I don’t really think of Snarky Puppy as a collective. It’s just a large band and sometimes people aren’t there. It doesn’t feel like a revolving door, it doesn’t feel anonymous at all. The guys who have played gigs with us the least have still played several hundred gigs. That’s more than most people play with their own bands. So it’s very much a tight, familial unit. Everyone feels very, very close and very essential, also.]

11:00 – Station ID

0. Fela Kuti – “Water Not Get Enemy (Edit)”
   from: Best of the Black President / Fela Anikulapo-Kuti Estate / 1January 1, 2009
   [Ths was a Single Compilation tracing the Nigerian firebrand’s evolution from Afrobeat prognitor in the 1960s to World Music icon ny the 1990s..// in 2002, Femi contributed a remake of his father’s classic song “Water No Get Enemy” to Red Hot & Riot, a compilation CD in tribute to Fela Kuti that was released by the Red Hot Organization and MCA. Femi’s track was created in collaboration with hip-hop and R&B artists D’Angelo, Macy Gray, The Soultronics, Nile Rodgers and Roy Hargrove, and all proceeds from the CD were donated to charities dedicated to raising AIDS awareness or fighting the disease. // Fela Aníkúlápó Kuti (born Olufela Olusegun Oludotun Ransome-Kuti; October 15, 1938 – August 2, 1997), also known as Abami Eda, was a Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, composer, political activist, and Pan-Africanist. He is regarded as the pioneer of Afrobeat, an African music genre that combines West African music with American funk and jazz. At the height of his popularity, he was referred to as one of Africa’s most “challenging and charismatic music performers”. AllMusic described him as a musical and sociopolitical voice of international significance. Kuti was the son of Nigerian women’s rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti. After early experiences abroad, he and his band Africa 70 (featuring drummer and musical director Tony Allen) shot to stardom in Nigeria during the 1970s, during which he was an outspoken critic and target of Nigeria’s military juntas. In 1970, he founded the Kalakuta Republic commune, which declared itself independent from military rule. The commune was destroyed in a 1978 raid. He was jailed by the government of Muhammadu Buhari in 1984, but released after 20 months. He continued to record and perform through the 1980s and 1990s. Since his death in 1997, reissues and compilations of his music have been overseen by his son, Femi Kuti.]

11. Sade – “Cherish The Day”
    from: Love Deluxe / Epic – Sony / October 26, 1992
    [Love Deluxe is the fourth studio album by English band Sade, released by Epic Records in the United Kingdom on October 26, 1992 and in the United States on November 3, 1992. // In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau felt that half of the album cannot qualify with Sade’s most memorable songs and particularly panned the lyric about a Somali woman who has a life that “hurts like brand-new shoes” on the song “Pearls”. Amy Linden of Entertainment Weekly stated that the album “surges with emotion, but the mostly lush ambient music on Love Deluxe is low on the oomph meter.] In a retrospective review, AllMusic’s Ron Wynn wrote that it “marked a return to the detached cool jazz backing and even icier vocals that made her debut album a sensation” with an “urbane sound.” // In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album 247th on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. In September 2022, Pitchfork ranked Love Deluxe as the 52nd best album of the 1990s. // Love Deluxe peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart, and was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on June 1, 1993. In the United States, the album peaked at number three on the Billboard 200, and as of May 2003, it had sold 3.4 million copies. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified it four-times platinum on 9 November 1994, denoting shipments in excess of four million copies. The album was also commercially successful elsewhere, reaching number one in France and the top 10 in Belgium, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. By April 1993, the album had sold three million copies worldwide, including 220,000 copies in Italy. // Following the release of Love Deluxe, the band had a seven-year hiatus, during which Sade Adu came under media scrutiny with rumours of depression and addiction and later gave birth to her first child. During this time, the other members of the band, Matthewman, Denman, and Hale, went on to other projects, including Sweetback, which released a self-titled album in 1996. Matthewman also played a major role in the development of Maxwell’s career, providing instrumentation and production work for the R&B singer’s first two albums. // Sade are an English band, formed in London in 1982 and named after their lead singer, Sade Adu. Three members, Paul Anthony Cooke, Stuart Mathewman, and Paul Spencer Denman, were originally from Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire. Its music features elements of soul, quiet storm, smooth jazz and sophisti-pop. All of the band’s albums, including compilations and a live album, have charted in the US Top Ten. // The band’s debut studio album, Diamond Life (1984), reached number two on the UK Album Chart, selling over 1.2 million copies and won the Brit Award for Best British Album in 1985.[7] The album was also a hit internationally, reaching number one in several countries and the top ten in the United States, where it has sold four million copies to date. // In late 1985, the band released its second studio effort Promise, which peaked at number one in both the United Kingdom and the US. It was certified double platinum in the UK and quadruple platinum in the US. In 1986, Sade won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Their fifth studio album, Lovers Rock (2000), won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album. Their sixth studio album, Soldier of Love (2010), peaked at number four in the UK and number one in the US. In 2011, the band won its fourth Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. // Sade’s US certified sales in 2012 stood at 23.5 million units according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and by 2014 sold more than 75 million records worldwide to date. The band were ranked at No. 50 on VH1’s list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”]

12. Hiatus Kaiyote – “Red Room”
    from: Mood Variant (The Remixes) / Brain Feeder / April 8, 2022
    [Hiatus Kaiyote is an Australian jazz/funk band formed in Melbourne in 2011, made up of singer/guitarist Nai Palm, bassist Paul Bender, keyboardist Simon Mavin, and drummer Perrin Moss. // In 2010, Nai Palm (born Naomi Saalfield) performed a solo show in Melbourne that was witnessed by Paul Bender. After the show, Bender approached Palm and suggested a collaboration. After working as a duo for a short time, they recruited Perrin Moss and Simon Mavin in 2011 and formed Hiatus Kaiyote. Mavin was then a member of The Bamboos but left that band to focus on Hiatus Kaiyote. // Hiatus Kaiyote played their first gig at the 2011 Bohemian Masquerade Ball among sword swallowers, fire twirlers, and gypsy death core bands. In February 2012, the band opened for Taylor McFerrin in Melbourne. McFerrin was so impressed with them that he introduced their music to influential broadcaster and record label owner DJ Gilles Peterson. // The band released their debut album Tawk Tomahawk independently in April 2012. It was noticed by numerous musicians including Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors, and the band later received public endorsements from Erykah Badu, Questlove, and Prince, who urged their social media followers to explore the band’s music. In early 2013, Gilles Peterson named them the Breakthrough Artists of the Year at his Worldwide Music Awards in London, and shortly thereafter they were introduced to Salaam Remi who had just started working as an A&R executive at Sony Music. Sony gave Remi the opportunity to start his own label, Flying Buddha, and his first signing was Hiatus Kaiyote. The band licensed Tawk Tomahawk to the label, adding an updated version of the song “Nakamarra” featuring Q-Tip. Following this release, the band toured internationally, and in 2014 were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance for “Nakamarra.” They were the first Australian act to be nominated for a Grammy in an R&B category. // Every song we make is a little world and contains a multitude of influences. Although some may refer to our songs as R&B in one moment, and electronica or proggy-tropicalia in another, we don’t think about sounds in terms of genres, but look at them more from a cinematic way. We’re always trying to get to that moment where people are overwhelmed in joy, in confusion, in sadness, or in the magnitude of emotion or disbelief – as well as sometimes feeling all of these simultaneously. We like to call this “wondercore”, and that’s what we’re always aiming for as a group. – Hiatus Kaiyote in Music Business Worldwide // In 2014, the band began working on their second album, Choose Your Weapon, which was released on May 1, 2015. The review aggregator Metacritic gave the album a normalized rating of 87 out of 100, based on 6 reviews, indicating “universal acclaim”. On 9 May 2015, Choose Your Weapon debuted at number 22 on the Australian albums chart. Nai Palm described the album as an “extension” of their debut, and stated that she and the band had no intention to make a one-genre body of work. Many of the songs on the album started with Saalfield’s original ideas and were later fleshed out by the band collectively. During the recording the band wanted to pay tribute to the mixtape format, so they incorporated interludes. // Choose Your Weapon became the band’s first release to chart in the US, reaching #127 on the Billboard 200, and #11 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The song “Breathing Underwater” from the album was nominated for a Best R&B Performance at the 58th Grammy Awards. // Starting in 2016, prominent rap and R&B artists began sampling Hiatus Kaiyote songs, starting with Anderson .Paak’s sample of “Molasses” in “Without You” on his album Malibu. The following year, Kendrick Lamar sampled “Atari” in “Duckworth” from his album Damn, and Drake sampled “Building a Ladder” on the song “Free Smoke” from his playlist More Life. In 2018, Beyonce and Jay-Z sampled “The World It Softly Lulls” in “713” from their album Everything Is Love. // In 2017, Nai Palm released her debut solo album Needle Paw. In June 2018, Palm was featured on Scorpion by Drake, who has spoken highly of both her and the band. She sang a cover of “More Than a Woman” by Aaliyah, which appears at the end of Drake’s song “Is There More?”. On October 18, 2018, Palm revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. While recuperating in the hospital following a mastectomy, Palm and Bender performed a cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “The Makings of You” which was released online Palm announced in 2019 that she was cancer-free. // During Palm’s recovery period, the other members of Hiatus Kaiyote formed several side projects. Perrin Moss, under the name Clever Austin, released the solo album Pareidolia in 2019. Simon Mavin formed a band called The Putbacks, and produced the album Control by Natalie Slade in 2020. Paul Bender formed an act called The Sweet Enoughs and released the album Marshmallow in 2020. Bender has also produced albums for Jaala, Vulture St. Tape Gang, and Laneous. Bender, Mavin, and Moss also released an all-instrumental album called Improvised Music 2015-17 in 2020, under the name Swooping (formerly Swooping Duck). // Hiatus Kaiyote reconvened in 2020 and signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music. They began work on a new album inspired by Palm’s health crisis and her loss of a beloved pet, as well as the social difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The song “Get Sun” was arranged and conducted by Brazilian musician Arthur Verocai. The album Mood Valiant was released on 25 June 2021, and reached the Top Ten on the Australian albums chart. The album was nominated for a Grammy in 2022 for Best Progressive R&B Album.]

13. Bebel Gilberto – “Aganjú”
    from: Bebel Gilberto / Crammed Discs / January 1, 2003
    [Isabel Buarque de Hollanda Gilberto de Oliveira (born May 12, 1966), known as Bebel Gilberto, is an American-born Brazilian popular singer often associated with bossa nova. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha. Her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque. // Gilberto was born in New York City to Brazilian parents, bossa nova pioneer João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, who were briefly living in the city at the time of her birth. She often traveled with her father when he recorded albums in different countries; she lived in Mexico at age three and moved to Rio de Janeiro at age five. Gilberto’s parents separated when she was seven, and she spent her time between Rio de Janeiro with her mother and New York with her father. Gilberto has been performing since her youth in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. // Gilberto recalls that her childhood was “music nonstop”; when reflecting on her father’s influence, Gilberto states, “He taught me to be a perfectionist. But my mother taught me how to lose it. And you can hear it in my music today, I think.” She grew acquainted with popular artists such as Caetano Veloso, David Byrne, and Stan Getz, who often visited her father’s home to collaborate. She began singing with her mother at a young age and participated in professional musicals such as Saltimbancos and Pirlimpimpim. At the age of seven, she made her recording debut on her mother’s first solo album, Miúcha & Antônio Carlos Jobim (1977). Two years later, she performed at Carnegie Hall with her mother and Stan Getz. // Gilberto was a great friend of Cazuza and composed several songs with him in addition to “Eu preciso dizer que te amo”, including “Amigos de Bar”, “Mais Feliz”, and “Mulher sem Razão”. // Gilberto next participated in the project Red Hot + Rio, joining major music stars such as Everything but the Girl, Maxwell, George Michael, and others for the benefit CD recording. She also collaborated on Towa Tei’s CD Future Listening!, singing on the hits “Technova” and “Batucada,” and also participated in Peeping Tom with Mike Patton (lead singer of Faith No More), singing “Caipirinha”. // Tanto Tempo, an electronic bossa nova album released in 2000, was popular at clubs around the world and positioned Gilberto as one of the best-selling Brazilian artists in the U.S. since the 1960s. With her second album, Bebel Gilberto (2004), she refined her sound to create an acoustic lounge style that showcased her strengths as a Brazilian composer. // With Momento (2007), her third album in seven years, she wanted to do a fusion of both. Mixing the taste of Rio’s Orquestra Imperial with the melting pot of New York’s Brazilian Girls, and following the direction of the English producer Guy Sigsworth (Madonna’s partner in “What It Feels Like for a Girl”), Momento reaffirmed the international character of Gilberto’s music. In 2007, she was a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists’ careers. // Gilberto recorded her fourth studio album, All in One, in New York, Jamaica, and the Brazilian state of Bahia. It was released worldwide on September 29, 2009, on the American jazz label Verve, and was released in Brazil by Universal Music. It is the least electronic-infused of her albums, and brings to the forefront more of Gilberto’s personality and love for organic styles. All in One had a team of accomplished producers including Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen), John King (Dust Brothers, Beck), Daniel Jobim, Carlinhos Brown, Didi Gutman (Brazilian Girls) and Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Björk, Jack Johnson). Gilberto also provided the voice of the bird Eva in the animated film Rio (2011), an experience she called “amazing”. // Since the launch of Tanto Tempo in 2000, she has sold over 2.5 million records and has been featured on seven film soundtracks including Next Stop Wonderland, The Bubble, Closer and most recently 2010s Eat Pray Love and 2011’s Rio; and seven TV series including Sex and the City, Six Feet Under, and Nip/Tuck. // In 2011, she contributed a track entitled “Acabou Chorare” to the Red Hot Organization’s most recent charitable album, Red Hot+Rio 2. The album is a follow-up to the 1996 Red Hot+Rio. Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues. In 2015, her song “Tudo” was nominated for the 16th Latin Grammy Awards in the Best Brazilian Song category.]

11:28 – Underwriting

14. The Funkees – “Akula Owu Onyeara”
    from: Dancing Time: The Best of Eastern Nigeria’s Afro Rock Exponents 1973 – 77 / Soundway Records / April 9, 2012
    [The Funkees were a Nigerian afro-rock group formed in the late 1960s. They moved to London in 1973 and quickly gained prominence in the expatriate West African and West Indian music scene, but fragmented four years later. They specialized in funky, upbeat, highly danceable afro-rock that often featured lyrics sung in Igbo, as well as English. Originating as an army band after the Nigerian Civil War, they contributed to the outpouring of upbeat music produced by young people in Nigeria in response to the darkness of the recently concluded civil conflict. In 2012, Soundway Records reissued a compilation of their recordings from the mid-1970s, leading to a resurgence of interest in the band. // Members included:Harry Mosco on guitar, vocals, gong; Chyke Madu on drums, vocals; Sonny Akpabio on congas; Jake N. Sollo on guitar, organ, piano, vocals; Danny Heibs on bass, vocals, percussion; Tony Mallett & Mohammed Ahidjo on vocals, percussion; Roli Paterson on bongos. // Discography: Point of No Return from 1974, Now I’m A Man from 1976, and Dancing Time: The Best of Eastern Nigeria’s Afro Rock Exponents 1973-77 (reissue compilation) from 2012.]

15. Kokoroko – “Colonial Mentality (Live)”
    from: Colonial Mentality (Live) / SoFar Sounds London / December 9, 2016
    [Recorded Live on December 9, 2016 for SoFar Sounds London. https://youtu.be/zUnKDK1iklo // Kokoroko is a London-based eight-piece musical group led by Sheila Maurice-Grey, playing a fusion of jazz and Afrobeat. In February 2019 they were named “ones to watch” by the Guardian, after their track “Abusey Junction” garnered 23 million views on YouTube. In February 2020 they won Best Group at the Urban Music Awards. In September 2020 they played BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. // They released their debut album COULD WE BE MORE, on Brownswood Records on August 2022.// Sofar Sounds is a global music community that connects artists and audiences through live music. We bring people together to create space where music matters in 400 cities around the world.]

16. Maraca – “Se Te Acabo la Rumba”
    from: Tremenda Rumba! / Ahi-Nama / April 23, 2022
    [Maraca is an afro-cuban jazz band from Cuba. The band is led by former Irakere flutist Orlando Valle “Maraca”. Orlando Valle, “Maraca”, was born in September, 1966 in Havana within a family of musicians. When he was ten years old he began studying the flute at the “Manuel Saumell” Conservatory. His professional career began in 1987 with the orchestra of Bobby Carcassés. Later on, he joined the group led by the pianist and composer Emiliano Salvador, whose experience constituted a remarkable influence for Maraca. In 1988, Maraca joined the Irakere Group as flute player, composer and arranger with whom he performed at the most important jazz clubs and festivals across the world for six years. // In 1994, he parted from Irakere to start his career as soloist. He produced, orchestrated and composed the themes contained in the record entitled Cocodrilo de agua salá by Yumuri and His Brothers. Likewise, he composed the music for the “Pasaporte” record by the renowned Cuban percussionists Tata Guines and Angá. He conceived and arranged three of the themes included in the Cubanismo album by Jesús Alemañy and worked with the American saxophone player Steve Colleman and trumpet player Roy Hargrove. His first album as soloist was “Fórmula I”. // In December 1995, he founded his own jazz group called “Maraca” y Otra Visión (the group”s name is a tribute to Emiliano Salvador, a true Cuban jazz legend) with which he participated at the most important jazz festivals held in Europe. Two years later, his group was the only Cuban group participating at the MIDEM in Cannes, France, representing the Cuban music. The first CD he recorded with his group, “Havana Calling”, became a resounding hit on the market as was acknowledged by the specialized critic since it was placed among the ten best records in 1997 according to the “Latin Beat” Magazine. That same year, “Jazzman” from France, described him as one of the most important musical creators in the island, thus consolidating his vanguard position within the Latin jazz. // In 1999, he received the Cubadisco Award for the best fusion album with his CD entitled “Sonando” including guest stars like Compay Segundo, Barbarito Torres, Pío Leyva, Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Rolo Martínez, Lino Borges and others. This record also received two Lucas Awards for the best video-clip of the year in Cuba. // The following years up to now have witnessed the meteoric development of “Maraca” and his group as musicians whose versatility has allowed them to travel from jazz to Cuban popular music, and vice versa, with a quality put to the proof. “Maraca” and his group have performed almost in every European country, in the United States, Canada and Martinique, among others, at the most outstanding jazz, salsa music and Caribbean music events. He has shared the stage with Celia Cruz, Oscar de León, “El Canario” and Cesaria Evora, just to mention a few. // His records entitled “Descarga total” and “Tremenda rumba” were placed in the American and European hit parades, since “Maraca” displays a new vision of the Latin music by merging tradition and modernity.]

17. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]
    We must give a huge THANK YOU to our special Guest Producer – April Fletcher for sharing so much incredible music with us today. Her side projects include her Etsy store, a YouTube channel all while trying to find time to practice so she can start performing again upon her return to Los Angeles. You can learn more about her social media and work at: sociatap.com/aprilfletcher

We must give a huge THANK YOU to our special Guest Producer – April Fletcher for sharing so much incredible music with us today. Her side projects include her Etsy store, a YouTube channel all while trying to find time to practice so she can start performing again upon her return to Los Angeles. You can learn more about her social media and work at: sociatap.com/aprilfletcher

Next week on Wednesday MidDay Medley on April 5, 2023, Kate McCandless (who records and performs as She Speaks in Tongues) and Cody Wyoming join us to talk about, SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES submits: Patti Smith’s EASTER on EASTER Sunday, April 9, 2023 at 7:00 PM at recordBar 1520 Grand Blvd, KCMO. SHE SPEAKS IN TONGUES is thrilled to partner with Kansas City forces: THE CODY WYOMING DEAL, JULIA OTHMER, and TERI QUINN to create a cathartic, sacred homage to Patti Smith and her work…with a surprising, shamanic edge where nothing is sacred… Sacred is all.

Also next week we welcome musicians Megan Birdsall and Michael Andrew Smith.

And we talk with Jess Shoman of the Chicago band Tenci, and play tracks from their critically acclaimed album, A Swollen River, A Well Overflowing. Tenci plays recordBar, 1520 Grand, KCMO, on Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 10:00 PM with Perfect Lovers

Big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful listeners and friends who generously and thoughtfully donated to support KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio during our Wednesday MidDay Medley broadcast today! Through the airwaves, and through social media, a total of 55 people donated a total of $3149.00 to allow us to continue our mission. THANK YOU to my incredible co-hosts: Betse Ellis & Marion Merritt, and special guest J Kelly Dougherty, and very special guest Hermon Mehari for sharing your brilliance with our listeners. Thank you to Scott Bunte, Lincoln Dreher and Darryl Oliver for taking our donations over the phones.

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 #987

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

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Guest Producer – April Fletcher + Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox of Owen Cox Dance Group

Mark welcomes April Fletcher, who joins us as “Guest Producer.” April grew up in St. Louis, and moved to Kansas City to attend the UMKC Conservatory of Music. While in KC April hosted the radio show “Mix Well Before Serving” during KKFI’s first year of broadcasting in 1988. April worked professionally in Kansas City at the Unicorn Theatre, Theatre League, The Paul Mesner Puppets, The Broadway Marionettes, Big Bang Buffet, and Cafe LuLu. April moved to Los Angeles in 1995. April graduated from California Institute of the Arts in 2003 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Multi-Instrumental Studies. April played in the band Cool Beat Borscht, and has played bass for five years for the 80s band Klymaxx. In recent years, April has been exploring other creative spaces and is currently collaborating with an entertainment and technology company and has been working with a business brokerage as an advisor using her expertise in the arts and entertainment industries and online marketing. Her side projects include her Etsy store, a YouTube channel all while trying to find time to practice so she can start performing again upon her return to Los Angeles. You can learn more about her social media and work at: sociatap.com/aprilfletcher

April will spin tracks from: Alabama Shakes, Marc Rebillet, Laura Mvula, Snarky Puppy, Fela Kuti, Hiatus Kaiyote, KOKOROKO, The Funkees, The Police, Whitney Houston, Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, Sade, Bebel Gilberto, and Maraca.

At 10:30 Mark & April will talk with Jennifer Owen & Brad Cox of Owen Cox Dance Group about their newest production, aRound & aRound, March 31 through April 1, 2023, at 8:00 PM, and April 2, 2023, at 2:00 PM at ​The City Stage Theatre, Union Station, 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO 64108. This new production features original music composed by Brad Cox and Jeff Freling (of Victor & Penny and Slim Hanson and the Poor Choices). This new work also features visual projections created by artist and NEA Fellow, Nate Fors. More information at: http://www.owencoxdance.org

Show #987

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

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Iris DeMent + KKFI Band Auction with Kelly Dougherty + Audrey Bramlett

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]

KKFI’s Band Auction is on March 25 & 26, 2023. Early bidding has started at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023 Bands will play LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios, and we will spin tracks and interview these artists, listeners will have 25 to 30 minutes to call 888-931-0901 to place a bid. The highest bidder will be able to schedule your own private concert. Bands include: Brody Buster, Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats, Starhaven Rounders, Kat King, Jass, Quite Frankly, The Royal Chief, Marcus Lewis, Kristin & Lucy Hamilton, Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, & Norm Dahlor, Timbers Trio, Calvin Arsenia, Mark Montgomery, IVORY BLUE, Just Angel, Amado Espinoza, and Hadiza.

Some of the bands from KKFI Band Auction on Saturday, March 25

2. Kat King – “Gone South (Radio Edit)”
   from: “Gone South” – Single / Manor Records / January 13, 2023
   [Produced by Joel Martin. Led by Kat, on vocals with. Derek Melies on guitar, John Kaul McCain on bass, Daniel Cole on drums, & Kara LePage on keys bring a refreshing dynamism both on and off the stage. 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 Juy 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 Kansas 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 December 1, 2017. Kat King has been creating music since the 2nd grade. She’s produced one 13-song album and three EP’s, the first one released at the age of 14. More info at: http://www.katbking.com]

[Kat King is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sat., March 25, at 11:15 AM on SirenSong. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can make a pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

3. Jass – “Grow”
   from: At the Close of a Decade / JASS / November 26, 2022
   [Jass is Jasmine “Jass” Couch. Jass released the single “Lifetime” on January 6, 2023. “Jass and The Boys released the single “Love U Like I Love U” on December 2, 2022. Jass released the EP, OFF KEY: TOO HIGH on September 23, 2022. Jass released the single “Higher Ground” on August 16, 2022. It was #1 on WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2022. Jass released her single, “Him” on February 23, 2022. Jass released At the Close of a Decade on November 26, 2022. It was part of WMM’s 121 Best Recordings of 2021. She wrote, “After years of writing and recording in voice memos .. I decided to grab my iPad and began recording something that I am very proud of. I named it, At the Close of A Decade, and released it in November 2019. With my iPhone/iPad, some apple headphones, I created this project. The amazing people around me told me it was worth it, even when I didn’t believe it myself. I convinced myself I would be the only one that liked my songs. If you decide to listen you’ll hear sound clips of shows and movies that made a difference in the way I saw the world, the way I saw myself, and the way I overcame my experiences. I remember asking my grandma and my son if I should release what I’ve been writing and they both said very simply to do it, so I’ve done it. I want to thank all of my wonderful friends who have been my soundboards during this process, all of the people that have asked me when it’s coming, the people that have kept me accountable, and believed that this time it was for real. My story is so very triumphant and beautiful because I have overcome experiences and shunned the fear I had to do what I love. It’s crazy how you can talk your way out of some amazing things and also how you can talk yourself into making some amazing things happen. If you partake, I hope you enjoy.” // Jass has opened for Thundercat sat GRINDERS, headlined a show at The Bottleneck in Lawrence with my boys! (Colby Bales and Brande Moser), and she opened up for The New Respects at The Uptown, and sang the Negro National Anthem at BLAQUE to School Night at the KC Monarchs game.More info at: http://www.jassrcouch.com]

[Jass’ song “GROW” was included a recent episode of the television drama Bel-Air on the Peacock Network, directed and created by filmmaker Morgan Cooper. ]

[Jass plays Songbird Session at Blip Roasters, 1301 Woodswether Rd., Kansas City West Bpttoms. on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 8:00 PM]

[Jass is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sat., March 25, at 12:15 PM on SirenSong. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can make a pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

4. Quite Frankly the Band – “Is This Still Even Fun?”
   from: “Is This Still Even Fun?”- Single / Quite Frankly the Band / October 22, 2021
   [Follow up to the bands earlier single, “Blue/Red” was released May 14, 2021. In the dawn of 2016, shy but precocious middle schooler, founding member and bassist Scout Matthew, decided she wanted to try her hand at turning her musical ambition into reality by creating a band that would take her and her friends well beyond their beginning musical education at School of Rock. She began planning rehearsals out of her garage and within a short time, she convinced her supportive family to renovate their home’s basement into a rehearsal space. Ever since, Quite Frankly the Band has been committed to perfecting its sound, writing their own original music and adding amazing covers. // This young band is no longer just a student band, holding its own opening for, The Greeting Committee, The Darbies, John Corabi, The Jacks and LA Guns! with several yers experience the band members have moved into high school and beyond, Jolson, Carolyn, Scout, Gavin & Eli have built an impressive resume. // The band gained attention by being the youngest winners of the Nelson Atkins Battle of The Bands 2018 and for being nominated as Pitch’s “Best in KC” two years in a row. They’ve played First Fridays in the Crossroads, Starlight Theater, The Rino, recordBar, Lemonade Park, Kauffman Stadium, Sprint Center with Big Slick and Nashville Country Music Hall of Fame. More info at: http://www.quitefranklytheband.com]

[Quite Frankly play The Westport Bowery, 817 Westport Road, KCMO, on March 24, 2023 at 8:00 PM with Jolson & Fear of Snakes, and Malek & the Vibez.]

[Quite Frankly is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sat., March 25, at 1:15 PM on The Tenth Voice. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

5. The Royal Chief – “What You Started (Radio Edit)”
   from: “What You Started (Radio Edit)” – Single / Sovereign Sound / March 8, 2022
   [Born in Kansas City, Missouri as Jamel Thompson to a single mother, The Chief is the youngest of six – two brother’s on his mother’s side and another brother and twin sisters from his father. Growing up, his mother fostered his mind; she encouraged The Royal Chief to read relentlessly and to experiment with his talents. This promoted a period where The Royal Chief began expressing himself by writing stories. Chief spent most of his early life in the urban areas of Kansas City. He and his mother moved to Dallas, Texas briefly before returning to Kansas City – to the suburbs – which provided an interesting contrast to his life before. // At the age of 13, after attending a concert in which Kanye West performed, Chief knew his path was in music and began rapping. Courtesy of his mother, he drew inspiration from R&B and Soul while getting his introduction to Hip Hop from his father and brothers. Hip Hop became a love and an outlet for him – a way to vent and document how he perceived the world. It was also an instrument for The Royal Chief to cope with the pain of losing his older brother and godmother who had a hand in raising him. // The Royal Chief moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2012. He spent his first year there, living out of his Honda Civic and obtained membership to a local gym to have access in order to take showers. He established a relationship with the manager at Tree Sound Studios through a mutual friend and was soon allowed to live in the studio’s building. He made the most of this opportunity by observing and learning many of the aspects of the music industry, audio/video recording, marketing, and most importantly building relationships and networking. Soon, he began to nurture a relationship with “Cyhi The Prynce” who took him under his wing allowing Chief to create and write for other G.O.O.D. Music artist. During this time, Chief was able to go on tour and learn just to write raps and incorporate rhythm and flow into his pieces to make them sound appealing. // In 2015, under his original moniker “J-Dub,” The Royal Chief began to meticulously focus on his own projects and released his first mixtape entitled Trial and Error. Later that same year, after a trip back to his hometown of KC, he made a conscious decision to change his stage name to something that reflected his passion for his two favorite hometown sports teams and one that represented his city. And in combining the names of those teams, he thus became “The Royal Chief”. Feeling the need to release some music to commemorate the name change, in September of 2016 he released his second project, an EP entitled Dawn – representing the beginning or “dawn of” something new. // In 2017, after seeing a Kareem “Biggs” Burke’s interview in which he said “if you don’t have your city you don’t have anybody,” Chief decided it was time for him to return home and build his name and his following up in his own city. That same year, after a house fire in which he lost everything but his life, he released his third project – an EP titled Homecoming. While building traction in the city, Chief worked diligently to network and perform live all around the Kansas City Metroplex and surrounding areas. In 2018, he released a three-track EP titled 3 Pack. Chief spent the next year working towards expanding existing relationships and building new ones. Chief’s objective was to spend time building a backing band for his live performances as well as collaborate with local artists and producers. And with this feat accomplished, in 2020, Chief released his fourth project titled Groundwork. Groundwork represents “laying the foundation” – it’s the cumulative efforts of networking, touring, and building a following. // More info at: http://www.theroyalchief.com/ %5D

[The Royal Chief is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sat., March 25, at 2:15 PM on This Way Out. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

Some of the bands from the KKFI Band Auction on Sunday, March 26

6. Timbers – “I Could Be The One”
   from : Timbers [EP] / Timbers / March 24, 2018
   [Timbers are a high energy Americana band anchored in a focus on songcraft, rowdy performances and a taste for the absurd! Their goal is to create music that tells a story and helps people feel something. Though they began as a bar band ready for a good time, 10 years later, the Timbers crew have grown into a solid opening and headlining act all across Kansas City and the midwest. Aaron Mitchum on vocals & guitars, Devon Teran on guitar & pedal steel, Riley Taylor on bass & BGV, Nathan Lewis on drums, cover art, Jilliann De Jong on vocals. All songs written by Timbers. Timbers was formed in 2013, their music is blend of rock & roll, country, soul. Timbers released their EP Wasting Time on May 2, 2020. Timbers released the single “Breakers”on January 18, 2023. Timbers were on WMM on Jan. 18, 2023 More info at: timbersmusic.com ]

[Timbers are part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sun., March 26, at 10:20 AM on River Trade Radio. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

7. Calvin Arsenia – “Experience”
   from: Catastrophe / Calvin Arsenia / February 14, 2017
   [Born in Orlando, Florida, Calvin’s creative journey really began when he moved to the KC suburb of Olathe, teaching himself the guitar, and eventually the harp. He learned his signature instrument at the age of 20 after he couldn’t find a harpist as determined as him to meld folk, rock, classical, rap and R&B into the irresistible fusion which has become his calling card in KC and beyond. His passion for stretching the boundaries of musical expression saw him transform a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland’s Fringe Festival early in his career into a life-changing music mission, with an Edinburgh church offering him a role as musical liaison between the church and the city that would change his life. Two years and 300 shows later, Calvin returned to KC reborn as a humanistic songwriter / performer whose impassioned and conceptual stage shows (regularly sold-out in Kansas City, currently catching fire on the West Coast with a diverse following across Europe), are collaborative, costumed-culture-bridging spectacles which In KC Magazine has hailed as ‘equal parts opera, symphony, musical theatre, rock show, all built around its creator: a charismatic 6-foot-6-inch harpist with a natural stage command and knack for gilding gold and painting lilies.’ Calvin released his EP, Moments, in 2014, and his EP Prose in 2015, and his Folk Alliance exclusive EP Catastrophe in 2016. On February 14, 2017 Calvin released his critically acclaimed full length debut, Catastrophe. Calvin Arsenia premiered these songs in a live show at recordBar in November 2016 in a stage show that involved a company of 50 people, dancers, stilt walkers, special lighting, back up singers, guest artists. Calvin’s 2018 national debut, Cantaloupe, September 15, 2018 on Center Cut Records, has been acclaimed for melding diverse textures into an alluring signature sound for the adventurous artist. On June 28, 2019 Calvin released Honeydew, an EP including a remix of three songs from Cantaloupe. On Dec. 13, 2019 Calvin released his full length Christmas album “all is calm.” Since 2014 we have been celebrating the music of Calvin Arsenia. He has played Folk Alliance International, Kansas City Fringe Fest, The Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, The Kauffman Center For The Performing Arts, The Middle of the Map Fest., The Folly Theatre. Calvin is a graduate of Artist INC. ]

[Charlotte Street Foundation announced that the recipients of the 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards are The Black Creatures and Calvin Arsenia Scott.]

[Calvin Arsenia is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sun., March 26, at 11:10 AM on Foolkiller Folk. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

8. Ivory Blue – “Starlit Love Child”
   from: “Starlit Love Child” – Single / IVORY BLUE / October 28, 2022.
   [Follow up single to “Starlit Live Child’ released October 28, 2022. IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top Ten 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. Nick Poortman served in mixing, with Kurt Festge who also served in mixing & Mastering. 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. In 2017 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 Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The Kansas City 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. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”. // 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. In 2011, Ivory settled in Kansas City, MO and quickly began attracting an intense regional following for their strong vocals and incisive, deeply personal lyrics. // By 2013, IVORY BLUE was playing regularly in and around Kansas City and the first EP ‘Ready Get Set’ was released. in 2015. IVORY BLUE released the video of “Family Table” directed by Mikal Shapiro, on August 21, 2021 and the audio track was released on September 7, 2021. 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 released their debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. IVORY BLUE released the single “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child” on October 28, 2022. IVORY BLUE released the single “All Outta Love” on February 24, 2023. More info at: https://linktr.ee/ivorybluemusic%5D

[IVORY BLUE is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sun., March 26, at 12:20 PM on FoolKiller Folk. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

9. Just Angel – “Intent”
   from: Just Angel: Pt. 2 [EP] / Just Angel / December 25, 2021
   [Just Angel is a Kansas City based, Singer, musician, songwriter, dancer, and creative artist, Just Angel. Her powerful voice has been called, “Passionate … Soulful… and Inspiring.” Her music finds its home in Rock, Jazz, and Alternative, and she has found a way to incorporate those genres within her love with Soul and R&B. Just Angel has performed with My Brothers & Sisters. Just Angel and her band, The Wades can be found rocking stages with her original songs from her recordings and eclectic takes on popular music. She released her debut EP, JUST ANGEL, PART 1 on December 24, 2020. She released her follow up EP, JUST ANGEL, PART 2 on December 25, 2021. She also contributed vocals to the recent Sisterbot record. More info at: https://linktr.ee/JustAngel_TigerLilyStar. Just Angel and The Wades played SOLSOUL FEST 2022 presented by Arquesta Del SolSoul Friday September 30, doors open at 7:00 PM, at Lemonade Park, 1628 Wyoming St., KCMO, West Bottoms, featuring: The Phantastics, Regina Del Carmen, Jass, Ebony Tusks, Collidescope, Arquesta Del SolSoul and DJ SKEM]

[Just Angel is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sun., March 26, at 1:10 PM on World Sound. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

10:30 – Underwriting

10:32 – Interview with Kelly Dougherty

Kelly Dougherty is Director of Development & Communications at KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio. Kelly joined KKFI 90.1 FM in September of 2022. Most recently, she was the Marketing Manager at the Folly Theatre. Having navigated and successfully marketed the Folly and its shows during a major pandemic, Kelly brings a sense of community, inclusion and thoughtfulness to the Director of Development position at KKFI. Before joining the Folly, she was the Communications Manager for Folk Alliance International, where she worked with local, national, and international artists, arts agencies, and governments, as well as Irish radio and TV RTE, the BBC, WWOZ in New Orleans, and other radio and television organizations. Kelly’s work experience also includes the private sector, working in the advertising world with Bernstein-Rein, VML, and the Intouch Group. // Kelly also works with local nonprofits in Kansas City, including being a founding member of the Kansas City Irish Festival, where she remains steadfast on the entertainment team. She is also an emeritus board member of the Kansas City Irish Center and was instrumental in purchasing Drexel Hall. Kelly is also an advisory board member for the Heartland Song Network and continues volunteering for causes close to her civic-minded heart. // She has a Master’s in Liberal Arts from Baker University and a Bachelor’s in Science majoring in Economics from Emporia State.

Kelly Dougherty joins us to share details about KKFI’s Band Auction Saturday, March 25 & Sunday, March 26, where bands will play LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios, and we will spin tracks and interview these artists, and listeners will have 25 to 30 minutes to call 888 – 931 – 0901 to place a bid on these bands. The highest bidder will be able to schedule their own private concert. Bands include: Brody Buster, Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats, Starhaven Rounders, Kat King, Jass, Quite Frankly, The Royal Chief, Marcus Lewis, Kristin & Lucy Hamilton, Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, & Norm Dahlor, Timbers Trio, Calvin Arsenia, Mark Montgomery, IVORY BLUE, Just Angel, Amado Espinoza, and Hadiza. At 10:45 we chat with one of our current High School Intern, Audrey Bramlett. Early bidding is happening right now at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023

Kelly Dougherty thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Since joining KKFI 90.1 FM in September of 2022 how is it going as Director of Development & Communications at KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio?

The KKFI Band Auction is back!

Saturday March 25th
8:15 to 8:45 Brody Buster (Blues Kitchen)
9:15 to 9:45 Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats (Blues Kitchen)
10:15 to 10:45 Starhaven Rounders (Blues Kitchen)
11:15 to 11:45 Kat King (Siren Song)
12:15 to 12:45 Jazz (Siren Song)
1:15 to 1:45 Quite Frankly (Tenth Voice)
2:15 to 2:45 The Royal Chief (This Way Out & Wings)
3:15 to 3:45 Marcus Lewis (Every Woman)

Sunday, March 26th
9:10 to 9:35 Kristin & Lucy Hamilton (River Trade)
9:45 to 10:10 Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, & Norm Dahlor (River Trade)
10:20 to 10:45 Timbers Trio (River Trade)
11:10 to 11:35 Calvin Arsenia (Fool Killer)
11:45 to 12:10 Mark Montgomery (Fool Killer)
12:20 to 12:45 Ivory Blue (Fool Killer)
1:10 to 1:35 Just Angel (World Sound)
1:45 to 2:10 Amado Espinoza (World Sound)
2:20 to 2:45 Hadiza. (World Sound)

A few “band rules” for the winning bidders.
The bands will travel no more than 50 miles from KC.
Performance must take place within the year of winning the bid.
The performance is 2 hours with or without a break.
You are welcome to tip the artist at the time of the show
Must be a safe environment with plenty of room and access to electrical power.

If you have a summer party, birthday party or a bbq with friends, why not bring a band?

March 25, 2023

Brody Buster (8:15 to 8:45) (Blues Kitchen)

It gets lonely being a One Man Band. After placing in the 2017 International Blues Competition and whirlwind cross-country touring, legendary Blues harmonicist Brody Buster felt a burning desire for change. Feeling the One Man Band had run its course he went lookingfor more; building connections with local drummers. Merging all their musical influences together The Duo was born. / You haven’t heard The Blues quite like this. Brody Buster brings his take on familiar classics, B-sides and original tunes with a suprise around every corner. More info at: Www.brodybustermusic.com  

Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats (9:15 to 9:45) (Blues Kitchen)

KC bluesman Jason Vivone is a storyteller extraordinaire, telling tales that can make you laugh or cry, sing along or sit and think. Perhaps is is too simplistic though to call him a “bluesman” as he definitely pushes the blues envelope not just beyond the traditional boundaries, but beyond many traditional offshoots as well. His music backdrops are eclectic – he is unafraid to break away from any blues purist ideology and twist the music into his own signature version of it. ” – MW, Music Morsels More info at: http://www.reverbnation.com/jasonvivone http://www.facebook.com/jason.vivone

Starhaven Rounders (10:15 to 10:45) (Blues Kitchen)

Since their appearance in Kansas City in 2011, the Starhaven Rounders have swiftly built a reputation for high energy shows full of ‘sass and defiance’ (Tim Finn, KC Star). Conceived by drummer Wade Williamson (the descendant of a long line of country western musicians) the band pulls material for their songbook from other eras, performing fan favorites like ‘Pop a Top’ and ‘Six Days on the Road’, in addition to lesser known songs from iconic country legends like Willie Nelson, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and more. The six piece band (with dozens of years of combined experience on stage) is a classic country western lovers dream, featuring pedal steel and dueling male/female vocalists. Even people who don’t consider themselves fans of the genre will get caught up in the Rounders upbeat, full throttle performances. Starhaven Rounders play the music of the heartland, celebrating family tradition, great songwriting and legendary musicians. More info at: http://www.starhavenrounders.com

Kat King (11:15 to 11:45) (Siren Song)

KAT KING – I was sitting around chatting with a group of musicians in my city and one of them asked me what it was like to grow up with a mother who was also a performing musician. // We didn’t have a TV in our living room – just a piano and an open space to dance, stretch, and explore what our bodies could do. This often meant I was playing the piano and singing while my friends made up interpretive dances to my songs.  I owe so much of my musical growth to that piano. To my piano teacher Jane. To my friends. To my mother. // Now in my late-twenties I’ve self-produced and co-produced a combination of one 13-song album,  a number of singles, and three EP’s – the first one released at the age of 14. // I can’t wait for what the future holds. To see in which directions my music will continue to progress and who I get to meet and collaborate with along the way. I am forever grateful to those who continue to support me and I can only hope that my music gives you something, too. More info at: https://katbking.com/

Jass (12:15 to 12:45) (SirenSong)

My name is Jass and I am a vocalist, poet, instrumentalist, and creative from KCMO. I was introduced to music at a very young age, through church choir and school band. I have been writing, producing, and performing my own music since 2019, but have always written poems, short stories, & songs when I was a kid. Since I started sharing my original works, I’ve gotten the privilege to sing at many local venues, open up for several national recording artists, and many of the amazing artists here in KC. It has been a great joy to share my art and I am so excited for the opportunity to go further and represent my city. More info at: http://www.jassrcouch.com

Quite Frankly (1:15 to 1:45) (The Tenth Voice) 

Quite Frankly are the literal next generation of rock’n’roll” – Nick Spacek, music editor for The Pitch KC. // Quite Frankly began in 2017 when founding member Scout Matthews began to host a few other musicians in her garage to practice music for classes. Since then, the band has been evolving in both members and sound, finally landing on a group of talented and dedicated young adults who get s**t done. // After years of learning, growing, and performing, they’ve managed to gain the attention of local media and have been featured multiple times in The Pitch, as well as appearing on cable news channel Fox 4. Quite Frankly has played shows at festivals, major sporting events and even the Country Music Hall of Fame. // Their cover catalog draws in audiences of all ages while their growing number of original songs lean into an alternative rock sound. Quite Frankly is building their reputation and gaining an audience of fans along the way. // They’re currently booking 2023 dates and working on their debut album. More info at: https://www.quitefranklytheband.com/epk

3.24.23 Party! @the Bowery 8:00pm w/ Jolson & Fear of Snakes  w/ Malek & the Vibez 
4.7.23 First Fridays West Bottoms / times TBA 
5.20.23 Private Birthday Party 
6.10.23 Legends Outlets National Outlet Day / 12-2
6.17.23 Boulevardia / Times TBA 
6.18.23 Starlight Theater/ 6:15 w/ Matchbox Twenty 
6.23.23 Jeff Fest Lenexa 4:00pm 3 day music fest 
6.24.23 Mound City Jayhawk Fest / Times TBA 
7.23.23 Nelson Atkins Picnic on the Lawn / Times TBA 

Marcus Lewis (1:15 to 1:45) (The Tenth Voice)

Marcus Lewis holds a BM in jazz performance from Valdosta State University and MM in trombone performance from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Marcus currently lives in Kansas City, MO where he leads his own quintet and 18-piece big band. His latest project, “Brass and Boujee”, debuted on the iTunes Jazz Charts at #2 and the Billboard contemporary jazz charts at #15. Marcus has a passion for education and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Future Jazz, a nonprofit dedicated to jazz education. He is also the Adjunct Jazz Trombone Professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance. // Marcus has performed at venues that include the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the Klaipeda Jazz Festival in 2003, and the Jimmy Carter Summer Concert Series in 2008. As a sideman, he has also performed at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, the 2010 New Orleans Jazz Fest, the 2011 Glastonbury Festival, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Concert and the 2012 North Sea Jazz Festival, the Sydney Opera House, and for President Barack Obama at the White House in 2011 and 2012. Television shows include SNL, David Letterman, The Today Show, Jools Holland, Arsenio Hall, and American Idol. Marcus was awarded the 2008 Betty Carter Jazz Residency and the 2003 Outstanding Soloist award at the Wichita Jazz Festival, and won the Charlotte Street Generative Artist Award in 2018. // Some notable artists that Marcus has performed and/or recorded with are Aretha Franklin, Prince, Janelle Monáe, Bruno Mars, B.o.B, Jidenna, Musiqsoulchild, Avery Sunshine, The Barkays, Confunkshun, Quincy Jones, and Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players. Marcus is a B.A.C. artist/endorser, and plays their trombones exclusively. // Marcus stays busy touring, recordings, writing, arranging, teaching, and leading clinics and master classes worldwide. More info at: https://www.marcuslewis.net/

The Royal Chief (2:15 to 2:45) (This Way Out)

Born in Kansas City, Missouri as Jamel Thompson to a single mother, The Chief is the youngest of six – two brother’s on his mother’s side and another brother and twin sisters from his father. Growing up, his mother fostered his mind; she encouraged The Royal Chief to read relentlessly and to experiment with his talents. This promoted a period where The Royal Chief began expressing himself by writing stories. Chief spent most of his early life in the urban areas of Kansas City. He and his mother moved to Dallas, Texas briefly before returning to Kansas City – to the suburbs – which provided an interesting contrast to his life before. // At the age of 13, after attending a concert in which Kanye West performed, Chief knew his path was in music and began rapping. Courtesy of his mother, he drew inspiration from R&B and Soul while getting his introduction to Hip Hop from his father and brothers. Hip Hop became a love and an outlet for him – a way to vent and document how he perceived the world. It was also an instrument for The Royal Chief to cope with the pain of losing his older brother and godmother who had a hand in raising him. // The Royal Chief moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 2012. He spent his first year there living out of his Honda Civic and obtained membership to a local gym to have access in order to take showers. He established a relationship with the manager at Tree Sound Studios through a mutual friend and was soon allowed to live in the studio’s building. He made the most of this opportunity by observing and learning many of the aspects of the music industry, audio/video recording, marketing, and most importantly building relationships and networking. Soon, he began to nurture a relationship with “Cyhi The Prynce” who took him under his wing allowing Chief to create and write for other G.O.O.D. Music artist. During this time, Chief was able to go on tour and learn just to write raps and incorporate rhythm and flow into his pieces to make them sound appealing. // In 2015, under his original moniker “J-Dub,” The Royal Chief began to meticulously focus on his own projects and released his first mixtape entitled Trial and Error. Later that same year, after a trip back to his hometown of KC, he made a conscious decision to change his stage name to something that reflected his passion for his two favorite home-town sports teams and one that represented his city. And in combining the names of those teams, he thus became “The Royal Chief”. Feeling the need to release some music to commemorate the name change, in September of 2016 he released his second project, an EP entitled Dawn – representing the beginning or “dawn of” something new. // In 2017, after seeing a Kareem “Biggs” Burke’s interview in which he said “if you don’t have your city you don’t have anybody,” Chief decided it was time for him to return home and build his name and his following up in his own city. That same year, after a house fire in which he lost everything but his life, he released his third project – an EP titled Homecoming. While building traction in the city, Chief worked diligently to network and perform live all around the Kansas City Metroplex and surrounding areas. In 2018, he released a three-track EP titled 3 Pack. Chief spent the next year working towards expanding existing relationships and building new ones. Chief’s objective was to spend time building a backing band for his live performances as well as collaborate with local artists and producers. And with this feat accomplished, in 2020, Chief released his fourth project titled Groundwork. Groundwork represents “laying the foundation” – it’s the cumulative efforts of networking, touring, and building a following. More info at: http://www.theroyalchief.com

Sunday, March 26

Kristin & Lucy Hamilton (9:10 to 9:35) (River Trade)

Kristin Hamilton draws from sun-drenched childhood days on ‘Ol MacDonald’s Farm in Savannah, MO, where she immersed herself in the beauty of nature on the farm and her parent’s vast collection of 1970s Country, Rock, and Gospel records. Kristin Hamilton’s music is folk-country tinged with the sweet flavor of bluegrass influenced by her experiences with tragic loss, profound faith, passionate love, and the desire to always have a little fun. Kristin’s soul-stirring performances give rise to heartfelt connections with her audience. // Kristin Hamilton formerly of Under The Big Oak Tree performs as a solo artist, as a duo with her daughter Lucy Gray, and with her full honky-tonk band, The Heat. // Kristin just released her debut solo album, Touch Of Blue on May 1st, 2022!. More info at: https://kristinhamiltonmusic.com/

Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, & Norm Dahlor (9:45 to 10:10) (River Trade)

Bob Walkenhorst. Jeff Porter, and Norm Dahlor have been well-know musicians in the Kansas City and international music scenes for over 40 years. Bob and Jeff as members of the Rainmakers, Norm in the Elders. They began playing together as a trio 20 years ago, doing weekly gigs at the Record Bar and the Westsider for 15 years. They reunite for special occasions and charity fundraisers. More info at: http://www.bobwalkenhorst.com
http://www.eldersmusic.com http://www.facebook.com/isitwednesdayyet

Timbers Trio (10:20 to 10:45) (River Trade)

Timbers are a high energy Americana band anchored in a focus on songcraft, rowdy performances and a taste for the absurd! Their goal is to create music that tells a story and helps people feel something. Though they began as a bar band ready for a good time, 10 years later, the Timbers crew have grown into a solid opening and headlining act all across Kansas City and the midwest. Info at: http://www.timbersmusic.com

Calvin Arsenia (11:10 to 11:35) (Fool Killer)

Singer, harpist, and author Calvin Arsenia has built a reputation for turning the arts world on its head. Voted Kansas City’s Best Musician 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 (PitchKC), and featured on Billboard.com, NPR.org, NEWNOWNEXT, Pride.com, and GRAMMY.com, Arsenia’s angelic stylings on voice and harp create rare harmonies and arrangements that look past the boundaries of his traditional gospel and classical upbringing. Known for his elaborate and ceremonious sensory concert experiences that merge jazz and electronic influences, “Calvin has consistently deliver(s) genre-bending (and gender-bending) shows that tackle sexuality, religion, and race in a stunningly unorthodox manner – somewhere between sacred and sacrilege.” A healthy serving of indie rock, neo-soul, R&B, and a splash of art pop, this multi-instrumentalist singer songwriter is a shimmering force to be reckoned with. // “Jeff Buckley meets Nina Simone with this soul of Sam Cooke, and the sparkle of Bjork.” // The music is just one part of his prodigious performances, for Calvin believes the art is in crafting the perfect moment. His music is best served live, with sensational performances and high fashion from the visually striking performer who stands at 6’6”. // Alongside his best friend and co-host New York based comedian Justin Randall, Arsenia explores the ups and downs of being a queer person raised in the Evangelical Church in the 2020-2021 podcast We Were Christian Kids. // In 2021, Arsenia released a book of poems and stories called Every Good Boy Does Fine; Both a journey of individual healing and a call for action, these poems show that, with a little love and acceptance, anyone can flourish. // Aug 11, 2021 “He glides onto stage with a cheeky elegance and, from the tip of of rose-crowned head, through the pillar of his Rainbow Acoustic Electric harp, to the souls of his sometimes bare feet, Calvin tells stories.” AnotherSlice.life // Jan 25, 2020 “In this episode of Healing Masculine, Calvin and I play ourselves through a conversation on the freedom and confines of musicality, and how that relates to masculinity.” Healing Masculine // Jan 24, 2020 “It’s easy to get trapped in the mindset of thinking about the harp as a part of his sound, but there is so much more about the artist.” Crazeology /// Jan 23, 2020 “A recent Calvin Arsenia album is a milestone in his professional and personal growth.” NPR More info at: https://calvinarsenia.com/home

Mark Montgomery (11:45 to 12:10) (Fool Killer)

Mark Montgomery’s down-home Ozark-smooth baritone voice and big-city stories and have kept him on a trajectory through the United States, Mexico, and in his hometown of Kansas City. His blues songwriting and soul searing harmonica work will make you wonder how you can laugh and cry at the same time. With his most recent release “Difficult Man” on Love Honey Records, he continues to produce and tour with his honeybees. Mark is also a long-time passionate beekeeper. // In 2016 with an all-star studio lineup, Mark’s latest work – Difficult Man was released on Love Honey Records and is available to hear or download on bandcamp: mark montgomery music. // In January 2019, Mark returns to Memphis with more of his own music representing Kansas City as solo finalist in the IBC. He continues to tour, work bees, and play regular venues in the Kansas City area. More info at: http://www.markmontgomerymusic.com/

Ivory Blue (12:20 to 12:45) (Foolkiller Folk)

IVORY BLUE is an American multi genre singer/songwriter who lived a nomadic existence until settling in Kansas City, MO. At the age of 14 starting playing guitar and writing songs and by the age of 17 played in coffee shops and private events. 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 and by 2013 was playing regularly in and around Kansas City and released their first EP ‘Ready Get Set’ in 2015.  // In 2017, IVORY entered the national NeXt2Rock competition with over 1800 bands. The top 5 battled it off for the win at the legendary Viper Room, in Los Angeles CA where IVORY won over judges  Scott Borchetta (BMLG), John Varvatos (fashion designer), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols Guitarist and Host of “Jonesy’s Jukebox”), Desmond Child (Musician, producer) and Chris Lord-Alge (producer). IVORY BLUE became the grand prize winner and was awarded a one-year record deal with BMLG who re-released the song ‘Ready Get Set’ from the 2015 EP.   // After mastering the craft of writing, recording and self-producing all the tracks, IVORY BLUE is currently working with with Lester Estelle (Drummer for Kelly Clarkson), Craig Kew (Bass), Nick Poortman (Mixer) who worked alongside producers Justin Gray, Gil Norton, Big Tank, and Greg Haver, and Kurt Festge (Mastering) who worked with Citizen Kane & Violent Femmes, on finishing up a full-length Album ‘Compound Love’ to be released in January 2022 as well as the ‘Red Light’ EP later that year. // On August 18th, 2021, IVORY signed a publishing deal with Sound Ballistics Music & Publishing out of Atlanta GA. More info at: http://www.ivoryblue.com

Just Angel (1:10 to 1:35) (World Sound)

Just Angel is a Kansas City based, Singer, musician, songwriter, dancer, and creative artist, Just Angel. Her powerful voice has been called, “Passionate … Soulful… and Inspiring.” Her music finds its home in Rock, Jazz, and Alternative, and she has found a way to incorporate those genres within her love with Soul and R&B. Just Angel has performed with My Brothers & Sisters. Just Angel and her band, The Wades can be found rocking stages with her original songs from her recordings and eclectic takes on popular music. She released her debut EP, JUST ANGEL, PART 1 on December 24, 2020. She released her follow up EP, JUST ANGEL, PART 2 on December 25, 2021. She also contributed vocals to the recent Sisterbot record. Info at: https://www.itsjustangel.com/

Armado Espinoza (1:45 to 2:10) (World Sound)

Amado Espinoza is a unique performing artist, composer, and instrument maker from Cochabamba, Bolivia, that respects his folk traditions of the Andes Mountains while creating compositions that are sincere to his musical-wanderlust personality. // Amado most recently received the 2022 Spirit of Folk award from Folk Alliance International. He is a 2019 grant recipient of the Lighton International Artist Exchange Program, a 2017 Charlotte Street Foundation Generative Performing Arts Fellow. // Amado works as a solo performer and with his groups the Amado Espinoza Quartet, Colectivo Yanquitl, and Ayllu. He is a featured artist with Ensemble Iberica (Kansas City, MO), Oil rock band (Cochabamba, Bolivia) and guides musical meditations. // He composes for film, theatre, and dance. Notable projects include The Tempest (2021), with Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, El Amor que Mueve el Sol y Las Demas Estrellas (2020) for Kansas City Public Theatre, The Storytelling Project (2018) with UMKC’s MFA Theatre Acting and Directing Program, and We are the Landscape (2016), an independent theatrical offering to the Pachamama (Mother Earth) in Kansas City, Mo. // In October, 2019, Amado was invited by the Berklee School of Music in Boston, MA, to give a masterclass on Andean Music, with emphasis on pre-Colombian instruments. // He co-founded Resonation Music and Arts, LLC with theatre-artist Karen Lisondra to use educational programming to inspire curiosity and respect for world cultures through music, dance, and storytelling. // Amado is a graduate of Milan Conservatory in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

Hadiza. (2:20 to 2:45) (World Sound)

Hadiza also plays in the band Collidescope and Arquesta Del SoulSol // “Hadiza released her acclaimed album SHADOW WEIGHT on November 22, 2019. It was part of WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. Hadiza released her EP GONE on December 29, 2018 with Madi Monroe on bass & guitar, JL Bolinger on drums, Hadiza Sa-Aadu on keyboards & vocals. Recording & Engineering: JL Bolinger & Madi Mclaughlin. Mixing & Mastering: Madi Mclaughlin. Hadiza. is a Kansas City based singer-songwriter. Previously based in her hometown of Iowa City, she has spent the 2018 slowly but surely carving out her place in the Kansas City scene both as a solo performer (as Hadiza.) and as lead vocalist and songwriter of experimental electronic group Collidescope. Blessed to have had parents who are very much NOT students of music, but recognized the importance of music education, Hadiza spent her childhood and adolescence in part as a student of piano. Vocally, Hadiza takes her cues from American artists including Fiona Apple, Tracey Chapman, and Billie Holiday and African artists including Angelique Kidjo. Her sound/genre is best described as an eclectic blend of blues, soul, folk, jazz and classical. Her songwriting is a process of release and acceptance of life events navigating an often brutal bleak and harsh world and is a form of therapy. If you don’t relate to the content, you just don’t relate. Oh well. The most amazing experience however is when a stranger in the audience connects with a song in their own way and is courageous enough to share that with her. Aside from the therapeutic aspect of creating music, this is why she continues to write and perform. Collidescope released their new 7-track album, DEEP TAPE, on December 31, 2020. Collidescope is essentially a duo that includes: Hadiza. on vocals, beats, & synthesizers; and Madison Monroe on guitar, bass, beats, synthesizers, mixing and vocals. DEEP TAPE includes Victoria Falls Stillwater on addition sound production and vocals, and was mixed and mastered by J.Ashley Miller aka Jametatone. DEEP TAPE is a follow up the the band’s debut EP Systemic released December 16, 2017. More info at: http://www.hadizaisnothere.bandcamp.com or http://www.acollidescope.bandcamp.com

Kelly Dougherty, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

KKFI’s Band Auction is Saturday, March 25 & Sunday, March 26. Bands will play LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios, and we’ll spin tracks & interview these artists. Listeners will have 25 to 30 minutes to call 888-931-0901 to bid on these bands. The highest bidder will be able to schedule their own concert. Bands include: Brody Buster, Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats, Starhaven Rounders, Kat King, Jass, Quite Frankly, The Royal Chief, Marcus Lewis, Kristin & Lucy Hamilton, Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, & Norm Dahlor, Timbers Trio, Calvin Arsenia, Mark Montgomery, IVORY BLUE, Just Angel, Amado Espinoza, and Hadiza. Bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023

10:43

10. Hadiza. – “Reactions!”
    from: SHADOW WEIGHT / Hadiza. / November 22, 2019
    [Most recently Hadioza released the single Y2K on December 31, 2022 with music/lyrics: Hadiza. // Production: Bath Consolidated // Mixing/Mastering: HXXS // With the new single Hadiza released a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUV7wbN8obs Hadiza sent us this note: “Happy new year! I wanted to inform you of a new song I’ve just released as Hadiza….I’m quite proud of it! Hopefully you’ll enjoy the song and video (featuring choreography by me). I received notification that it’s now live on Spotify, but let me know if you’d like or need a .wav file if you wish to share over the airwaves.”” // “The song is a club song called Y2K and has actually been in the making more or less for about 2 years. My friend who wishes to be a ghostwriter (she doesn’t want people to identify her on the track), sent me the original beat, a house beat with a vocal sample of Chantal repeating “It’s the point of greatest intensity, pleasures of the highest sense”. // “Once she sent me the beat I immediately got to work adding some extra production and writing the words/melody and recording it into a full song. And as I was listening to it over and over, I began to move…which then turned into the full blown development of a routine to the song. “ // Lucky for me, I applied for and got the Charlotte Street studio residency as a performing artist with access to the dance and music rehearsal studios. That has allowed me more consistency with being able to rehearse and refine the choreography and I was also fortunate enough to be able to shoot the video inside the Black Box at Charlotte Street!” // “I worked with videographer, Lauren Schrader (just the two of us) to get the video footage. I then spent the month of December editing the footage into the above linked video. And last but not certainly not least, Gavin Neves of the noise duo HXXS mixed and mastered the track! “ // “It’s certainly not “mainstream” (have I ever sent you anything remotely “mainstream”? will I ever?) but it might make you want to move!” // Hadiza also plays in the band Collidescope and Arquesta Del SoulSol // “Hadiza released her acclaimed album SHADOW WEIGHT on November 22, 2019. It was part of WMM’s 119 Best Recordings of 2019. Hadiza released her EP GONE on December 29, 2018 with Madi Monroe on bass & guitar, JL Bolinger on drums, and Hadiza Sa-Aadu on keyboards & vocals. Recording & Engineering: JL Bolinger & Madi Mclaughlin. Mixing & Mastering: Madi Mclaughlin. Hadiza. is a sKansas City based singer-songwriter. Previously based in her hometown of Iowa City, she has spent the 2018 slowly but surely carving out her place in the Kansas City scene both as a solo performer (as Hadiza.) and as lead vocalist and songwriter of experimental electronic group Collidescope. Blessed to have had parents who are very much NOT students of music, but recognized the importance of music education, Hadiza spent her childhood and adolescence in part as a student of piano. Vocally, Hadiza takes her cues from American artists including Fiona Apple, Tracey Chapman, and Billie Holiday and African artists including Angelique Kidjo,. Her sound/genre is best described as an eclectic blend of blues, soul, folk, jazz and classical. Her songwriting is a process of release and acceptance of life events navigating an often brutal bleak and harsh world and is a form of therapy. If you don’t relate to the content, you just don’t relate. Oh well. The most amazing experience however is when a stranger in the audience connects with a song in their own way and is courageous enough to share that with her. Aside from the therapeutic aspect of creating music, this is why she continues to write and perform. Collidescope released their new 7-track album, DEEP TAPE, on December 31, 2020. Collidescope is essentially a duo that includes: Hadiza. on vocals, beats, & synthesizers; and Madison Monroe on guitar, bass, beats, synthesizers, mixing and vocals. DEEP TAPE includes Victoria Falls Stillwater on addition sound production and vocals, and was mixed and mastered by J.Ashley Miller aka Jametatone. DEEP TAPE is a follow up the the band’s debut EP Systemic released December 16, 2017. Hadiza also is part of the band Arquesta Del SolSoul. More info at: http://www.hadizaisnothere.bandcamp.com or http://www.acollidescope.bandcamp.com]

[Hadiza is part of KKFI’s Band Auction Sun., March 26, at 2:20 PM on World Sound. When you can call 888-931-0901 to bid LIVE. You can pre-bid at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023%5D

10:47 – Interview with Audrey Bramlett.

90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio has Interns, and one of our interns is Audrey Bramlett who is currently in her Senior year in High School. Show is also a jazz musician and writes and records her own compositions. She has been working at KKFI under the leadership of KKFI’s wonderful Volunteer Coordinator Darryl Oliver

Audrey Bramlett, thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

10:57

11. Pieta Brown – “Wondering How”
    from: Paradise Outlaw / Righteous Babe Records / March 3, 2014
    [Now available on Righteous Babe Records Pieta’s 2014 album ‘Paradise Outlaw.’ ‘Paradise Outlaw/ was recorded in four days at Bon Iver mastermind Justin Vernon’s April Base studio in Wisconsin with a supporting cast that includes Vernon, Amos Lee, Brown’s troubadour father, Greg Brown and various members of an experimental group of players she calls the Sawdust Collective. Paradise Outlaw boasts some of Pieta’s most emotionally resonant compositions, and some of her most expressive performances. // Produced by Pieta Brown. Co-Produced by Bo Ramsey. Recorded and Mixed by BJ Burton @ April Base; Wisconsin, USA // Additional Recording by John Svec @ EarthTone Audio; Iowa City, IA. Mastered by Richard Dodd, Nashville, TN. Pieta Brown: Vocals, Harmony Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, National Resonator Guitar, Banjo, Wurlitzer Electric Piano, Piano; Bo Ramsey: Electric Guitars; Michael Rossetto: Banjo, Electric Banjo, Electric Guitar; Jon Penner: Bass; JT Bates: Drums, Percussion; David Mansfield: Strings (+arrangements), Pedal Steel, Mandonlin; Amos Lee: Vocals (on Do You Know); Greg Brown: Acoustic Guitar (on Before Gas And TV); Lucie Thorne: Harmony Vocals; Justin Vernon: Harmony Vocals // Pieta Brown was born in 1973 in Iowa City, Iowa. Her early upbringing was in Iowa. There, Brown was exposed to traditional and rural folk music through her father, singer songwriter Greg Brown. Brown spent her childhood living in 17 different residences between Iowa and Alabama. While living with her mother in Alabama, Brown began writing poetry and composing instrumental songs on piano. As a musician and singer-songwriter she has released five albums and four EPs. Collaborator Bo Ramsey produced her 2002 debut record, Pieta Brown and co-produced her 2005 album In the Cool, which was named one of the year’s best by Amazon. Her next album Remember The Sun was released in 2007 and was cited as one of the year’s best in a The Wall Street Journal article. After the release of her next album, One and All, Brown joined Mark Knopfler’s North American tour, had a string of performance dates with John Prine, participated in a full orchestral show with Brandi Carlile, and embarked on her own performance tour in Australia. Brown’s 2009 EP, Shimmer was produced by Don Was after hearing her on his car radio in a live solo performance. In addition to Mark Knopfler, John Prine and Brandi Carlile, Brown has shared stages with JJ Cale, Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Ani DiFranco, Calexico, Neko Case, Mason Jennings, Shawn Mullins, Carrie Rodriguez and Jim Lauderdale. She has performed at festivals throughout North America including Bonnaroo, Mountain Jam, Edmonton Folk Music Festival and more. Her national radio credits include performances on eTown and Mountain Stage. Brown is married to guitarist and producer, Bo Ramsey.]

11:00 – Station ID

12. Iris DeMent – “Working On A World”
    from: Working On A World / FlariElla / February 24, 2023
    [Iris DeMent’s 7th full length album, WORKING ON A WORLD was stalled partway through by the pandemic, the record took six years to make with the help of three friends and co-producers: Richard Bennett, Pieta Brown, and Jim Rooney. It was Pieta Brown who gave the record its final push. “Pieta asked me what had come of the recordings I’d done with Jim and Richard in 2019 and 2020. I told her I’d pretty much given up on trying to make a record. She asked would I mind if she had a listen. So, I had everything we’d done sent over to her, and not long after that I got a text, bouncing with exclamation marks: ‘You have a record and it’s called Workin’ On A World!’” With Bennett back in the studio with them, Brown and DeMent recorded several more songs and put the final touches on the record in Nashville in April of 2022. // DeMent sets the stage for the album with the title track in which she moves from a sense of despair towards a place of promise. “Now I’m workin’ on a world I may never see ‘ Joinin’ forces with the warriors of love / Who came before and will follow you and me.” “Goin’ Down To Sing in Texas” is an ode not only to gun control, but also to the brave folks who speak out against tyranny and endure the consequences in an unjust world. // On October 6, 2020 iris DeMent released her single “Going Down To Sing In Texas.” Stereogum on October 13, 2020 wrote: Other than a handful of guest appearances, Americana legend Iris DeMent hasn’t released new music since her 2015 album The Trackless Woods, a collection of Anna Akhmatova poems set to original music. But DeMent is back today in a big way with “Going Down To Sing In Texas,” a lengthy rambler that’s a lot more serious than its casual, jazzy piano groove lets on. Over the course of nine minutes, DeMent addresses police brutality, George W. Bush (“What’s the deal with all these war criminals who get to walk around free?”), Islamophobia, progressive protesters (“I’m so proud of all of these young people for taking it to the streets”), gun control, Jeff Bezos (“Ain’t we all just a little bit tired of greedy people getting a free pass?”), the Chicks, the Squad, and Jesus Christ (“He spoke truth to power, he stood up for the poor/ The church today wouldn’t even let him through the door”) among other things.It’s a hell of a song, clear and direct yet artful in its conversational ease. Never forget that DeMent can go toe to toe with songwriting legends like her old duet partner John Prine. In his review for WHYY’s Fresh Air, Entertainment Weekly Music Editor – Ken Tucker wrote: “Iris DeMent possesses one of the great voices in contemporary popular music: powerfully, ringingly clear, capable of both heartbreaking fragility and blow-your-ears-back power. Had she been making country albums in the ’70s and ’80s and had more commercial ambition, she’d probably now be considered right up there with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Instead, she’s lived a contemporary life, a somewhat private life. As she recently told an interviewer, “There’s a lot that goes into life besides songwriting.” And she’s taken her time in composing songs that fit into no genre easily.”]

[Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads 2715 Rochester Street, KCMO on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with guest Ana Egge opening the show.]

11:04 – Interview with Iris DeMent

Iris DeMent represents that place in the road, where Country and Folk music merge, with honest stories of working class people, not afraid to tell the truth about the times they are living through. // Iris DeMent was born on, January 5, 1961, in rural Paragould, Arkansas. She was the youngest of 14 children. At the age of 3, her devoutly religious family moved to California, where she grew up singing gospel music. Within her own family there were many incredible vocalists, including her mother. During her teenage years, Iris was exposed to country, folk, & R&B. and the music of Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell. // In the mid 1980s Iris moved to the Midwest, and after a series of jobs as a waitress and typist, she wrote her first song at the age of 25. She moved to Kansas City and played Harling’s Upstairs and open-mic nights. Iris met producer Jim Rooney from Nashville, in 1988, who helped her land a record contract. Iris DeMent made her national recording debut in 1991, with her independently produced album, INFAMOUS ANGEL The record won critical acclaim and John Prine mentioned Iris in his list of favorite recordings of the year, published in Rolling Stone. Despite a complete lack of support from country radio, the word of mouth praise for Iris DeMent’s INFAMOUS ANGEL earned her a deal with Warner Bros Records, which reissued INFAMOUS ANGEL in 1992. INFAMOUS ANGEL just celebrated its 30th anniversary, and was recently named one of the “greatest country albums of all time” by Rolling Stone. Two albums followed, MY LIFE in 1994, and THE WAY I SHOULD in 1996, both nominated for Grammy Awards. From there, DeMent has released four albums on her own label, Flariella Records: LIFELINE in 2004, SING THE DELTA in 2012. THE TRACKLESS WOODS in 2015. Iris DeMent received the Americana Music Trailblazer Award in 2017. Iris has just released her 7th album, WORKIN’ ON A WORLD on February 24, 2023 which is receiving incredible reviews and even cracked the BillBoard Album charts. Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads tomorrow night, Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with Ana Egge. This show is SOLD OUT. Info at: http://www.Irisdement.com

Iris DeMent, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday Midday Medley

Iris DeMent’s 7th full length album, WORKING ON A WORLD was stalled partway through by the pandemic, the record took six years to make with the help of three friends and co-producers: Richard Bennett, Pieta Brown, and Jim Rooney.

It was Pieta Brown who gave the record its final push. “Pieta asked me what had come of the recordings I’d done with Jim and Richard in 2019 and 2020. I told her I’d pretty much given up on trying to make a record. She asked would I mind if she had a listen. So, I had everything we’d done sent over to her, and not long after that I got a text, bouncing with exclamation marks: ‘You have a record and it’s called Workin’ On A World!’”

With Bennett back in the studio with them, Brown and DeMent recorded several more songs and put the final touches on the record in Nashville in April of 2022.

DeMent sets the stage for the album with the title track in which she moves from a sense of despair towards a place of promise. “Now I’m workin’ on a world I may never see ‘ Joinin’ forces with the warriors of love / Who came before and will follow you and me.” “Goin’ Down To Sing in Texas” is an ode not only to gun control, but also to the brave folks who speak out against tyranny and endure the consequences in an unjust world.

Iris DeMent recently made a surprise appearance at The Folk Alliance International Conference during the International Folk Music Awards. At the very end of the Awards Show, a Lifetime Achievement Award was given to John Prine’s Independent Record label Oh Boy! Records accepted by his wife Fiona and son Jack. The Milk Carton Kids performed one of John Prine’s songs, and then out came Iris DeMent to sing “Mexican Home” with The Milk Carton Kids . After the song Iris said from the stage that she was happy to be back in her “Hometown.”

You met John Prine early in your career. Can you tell us how you met and became friends.

For Iris’ 1991/1992 debut album, INFAMOUS ANGEL, John Prine wrote the liner notes:

“One night after receiving a copy of “Let the Mystery Be,” I was listening to the tape while frying a dozen or so pork chops in a skillet. Well Iris DeMent starts singing about “Mama’s Opry,” and being the sentimental fellow I am, I got a lump in my throat and a tear fell from my eyes into the hot oil. Well the oil popped out and burnt my arm as if the pork chops were trying to say, “Shut up, or I’ll really give you something to cry about.” Of course, pork chops can’t talk. But Iris DeMent’s songs can. They talk about isolated memories of life, love and living. And Iris has a voice I like a whole lot, like one you’ve heard before— but not really. So listen to this music, this Iris DeMent. It’s good for you. And if pork chops could talk, they’d probably learn how to sing one of her songs. Then we’d all have something to cry about.” – John Prine

In 1999 John Prine released IN SPITE OF OURSELVES, on Oh Boy Records, which was unusual for him in that it contained only one original song (the title track); the rest were covers of classic country songs. All of the tracks are duets with well-known female country vocalists, including Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Dolores Keane, Trisha Yearwood, and Iris DeMent who collaborated with John on the title track and “We’re Not The Jet Set” (In 1968 country superstar George Jones witnessed a fight between Tammy Wynette and her husband Don Chapel. At Jones’s urging, Wynette and her daughters drove away with him. Wynette and Jones married Feb. 16, 1969, and Wynette’s 4th daughter, Georgette, was born in 1970. Jones and Wynette, were nicknamed the “President and First Lady” of country music, and they recorded a string of hit duets that seemed drawn directly from their volatile relationship, which resulted in their divorcing in 1975. Their classic recordings included “Two Story House,” “Golden Ring,” and the humorous “(We’re Not) The Jet Set.”)

Iris toured with John Prine for 30 years opening for him and joining him on stage for his “Country Duets” segment. I saw them live at The Midland in Kansas City, in Lincoln Nebraska, in Omaha, Nebraska, in Chicago, Il.

Infamous Angel included, “Let The Mystery Be” a song covered by David Bryne, 10,000 Maniacs, Greg Brown, and was theme song for the 2nd season of HBO’s The Leftovers.

Iris DeMent’s first three releases, all on Warner Brothers records, were critically acclaimed. She received two Grammy nominations during this time, in the “Folk Music” category. Meanwhile country radio completely overlooked her original songs, and her amazing voice, that has been compared to Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette.

Iris DeMent Discography

1992 Infamous Angel (Philo / Warner Bros.)

1994 My Life (Warner Bros.)

1996 The Way I Should (Warner Bros.)

2004 Lifeline (Flariella)

2012 Sing the Delta (Flariella)

2015 The Trackless Woods (Flariella)

2023 Workin’ on a World (Flariella)

Iris followed up her debut album INFAMOUS ANGEL with the autobiographical, MY LIFE, released in 1994. Iris followed with her third Warner Brother’s release, THE WAY I SHOULD, released in 1996, which contains some of Iris DeMent’s most political songs.

In the 2002 Iris DeMent did a benefit concert for The Friends of Community Radio at Unity Temple on The Plaza. I remember when Iris asked us if it was okay that she have a musician friend open the concert for her, we agreed because Iris was donating her talent to the cause of community radio. And then she told us that this musician friend was Greg Brown, who is known all over the country, but had never before played KC.

Later that year, on November 21, 2002 Greg married Iris DeMent in a private ceremony in the office of Rev. Sam Mann of Saint Mark Methodist Church in East KC.

Iris learned about Rev. Sam Mann from listing to his radio show on KKFI East of Troost.

Grammy Nominated Greg Brown is one of the most respected singer songwriters in music. He started professionally at the age of 18 organizing early folk concerts in NYC, Portland, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. In the 1980s, he worked & toured extensively as musical director for Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion radio program. He founded his own record label, named Red House Records after a home in which he lived in Iowa.

Greg Brown has released over 30 recordings and has allowed much of his music to be used to raise funds and awareness for environmental and social causes. His songs have been performed by Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Carlos Santana, Michael Johnson, Ani DiFranco, Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Iris DeMent and Joan Baez.

On November 11, 2011 Iris DeMent and Greg Brown did a special benefit concert at The Folly Theater to raise funds for Saint Mark Child Development Center. Saint Mark provides care for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old, as well as after school and summer programs for children 5-12 years old. All classrooms follow a year round curriculum based on ages and developmental needs of the children. The sold our show raised over $55,000.00 for the center.

At that Folly Theatre show Iris previewed many of the new songs that would on her upcoming 5th album, SING THE DELTA released in 2012, to glowing reviews from, The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, and was #1 on WMM’s 112 Best Recordings of 2012.

Iris DeMent released her 6th album, THE TRACKLESS WOODS in 2015 with even more national acclaim, and a #5 spot on WMM’s 115 Best Recordings of 2015. THE TRACKLESS WOODS sets 18 poems by acclaimed 20th century Russian poet Anna Akhmatova to life. Hailed as one of Russia’s finest poets, Akhmatova survived the Bolshevik Revolution, both World Wars and Stalin. When Iris randomly stumbled upon Akhmatova’s work in a book of poetry a friend sent as a gift, she was immediately taken by the sorrow and burden of the poems. Iris recorded the album with co-producer Richard Bennett in her living room over a five-day period. The project also fulfilled a long yearned for desire to connect with her adopted daughter’s culture and history. Iris and her husband Greg Brown has adopted their daughter from Siberia in 2005, when she was 6, and Iris says ”I’d never have made this record were it not for her.”

On September 3, 2020, Grammy nominated singer songwriter Iris DeMent released the single “How Long.” Then, in October of 2020 Iris DeMent sent me a new song she had just written and created a lyric video. I immediately wrote back to Iris and said, “This song is so beautiful and so needed right now. I cried several times listening to it.” She wrote back, “It’s a cry and dance at the same time song. Can’t say I’ve written one of those before. She ended her message with a smily face and the words, “Much love!”

From http://www.irisdement.com:

On her transcendent new record, WORKIN’ ON A WORLD, Iris DeMent faces the modern world — as it is right now — with its climate catastrophe, pandemic illness, and epidemic of violence and social injustice — and not only asks us how we can keep working towards a better world, but implores us to love each other, despite our very different ways of seeing. Her songs are her way of healing our broken inner and outer spaces.

With an inimitable voice as John Prine described, “like you’ve heard, but not really,” and unforgettable melodies rooted in hymns, gospel, and old country music, she’s simply one of the finest singer-songwriters in America as well as one of our fiercest advocates for human rights. Her debut record Infamous Angel, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, was recently named one of the “greatest country albums of all time” by Rolling Stone, and the two albums that followed, MY LIFE and THE WAY I SHOULD, were both nominated for GRAMMYs. From there, DeMent released three records on her own label, Flariella Records, the most recent of which, THE TRACKLESS WOODS (2015), was hailed as “a quietly powerful triumph” by The Guardian. DeMent’s songs have also been featured in film (True Grit) and television (The Leftovers) and recorded by numerous artists. Fittingly, she received the Americana Music Trailblazer Award in 2017.

Workin’ On A World, her seventh album, started with the worry that woke DeMent up after the 2016 elections: how can we survive this? “Every day some new trauma was being added to the old ones that kept repeating themselves, and like everybody else, I was just trying to bear up under it all,” she recalls. She returned to a truth she had known since childhood: music is medicine. “My mom always had a way of finding the song that would prove equal to whatever situation we were facing. Throughout my life, songs have been lending me a hand. Writing songs, singing songs, putting them on records, has been a way for me to extend that hand to others.”

With grace, courage, and soul, Iris shares 13 anthems — love songs, really — to and for our broken inner and outer worlds. DeMent sets the stage for the album with the title track in which she moves from a sense of despair towards a place of promise. “Now I’m workin’ on a world I may never see / Joinin’ forces with the warriors of love / Who came before and will follow you and me.”

She summons various social justice warriors, both past and present, to deliver messages of optimism. “How Long” references Martin Luther King, while “Warriors of Love” includes John Lewis and Rachel Corrie. “Goin’ Down To Sing in Texas” is an ode not only to gun control, but also to the brave folks who speak out against tyranny and endure the consequences in an unjust world. “I kept hearing a lot of talk about the arc of history that Dr. King so famously said bends towards justice,” she recalls. “I was having my doubts. But, then it dawned on me, he never said the arc would magically bend itself. Songs, over the course of history, have proven to be pretty good arc benders.”

Bending inward, DeMent reaches agilely under the slippery surface of politics. She grapples with loss on the deeply honest “I Won’t Ask You Why,” while encouraging compassion over hate in the awe-inspiring “Say A Good Word.” Album closer “Waycross, Georgia,” encompasses the end of the journey, thanking those along the way. As she approaches subjects of aging, loss, suicide, and service, an arc of compassion elevated to something far beyond words is transmitted. The delicate fierceness encompassed in the riveting power of her voice has somehow only grown over time.

Stalled partway through by the pandemic, the record took six years to make with the help of three friends and co-producers: Richard Bennett, Pieta Brown, and Jim Rooney. It was Pieta Brown who gave the record its final push. “Pieta asked me what had come of the recordings I’d done with Jim and Richard in 2019 and 2020. I told her I’d pretty much given up on trying to make a record. She asked would I mind if she had a listen. So, I had everything we’d done sent over to her, and not long after that I got a text, bouncing with exclamation marks: ‘You have a record and it’s called Workin’ On A World!’” With Bennett back in the studio with them, Brown and DeMent recorded several more songs and put the final touches on the record in Nashville in April of 2022.

The result is a hopeful album — shimmering with brilliant flashes of poignant humor and uplifting tenderness — that speaks the truth, “in the way that truth is always hopeful,” she explains. Reflecting on the lyrics of the song “The Sacred Now” (“see these walls/ let’s bring ‘em on down / it’s not a dream; it’s the sacred now”), DeMent is reminded of Jesus saying the Kingdom of God is within you and the Buddhist activist monk Thich Nhat Hanh saying the rose is in the compost; the compost is in the rose. On Workin’ On A World, Iris DeMent demonstrates that songs are the healing and the healing arises through song.

11:28

13. Iris DeMent – “Sacred Now”
    from: Working On A World / FlariElla / February 24, 2023
    [Co-written with Pieta Brown. Iris DeMent’s 7th full length album, WORKING ON A WORLD was stalled partway through by the pandemic, the record took six years to make with the help of three friends and co-producers: Richard Bennett, Pieta Brown, and Jim Rooney. It was Pieta Brown who gave the record its final push. “Pieta asked me what had come of the recordings I’d done with Jim and Richard in 2019 and 2020. I told her I’d pretty much given up on trying to make a record. She asked would I mind if she had a listen. So, I had everything we’d done sent over to her, and not long after that I got a text, bouncing with exclamation marks: ‘You have a record and it’s called Workin’ On A World!’” With Bennett back in the studio with them, Brown and DeMent recorded several more songs and put the final touches on the record in Nashville in April of 2022. // DeMent sets the stage for the album with the title track in which she moves from a sense of despair towards a place of promise. “Now I’m workin’ on a world I may never see ‘ Joinin’ forces with the warriors of love / Who came before and will follow you and me.” “Goin’ Down To Sing in Texas” is an ode not only to gun control, but also to the brave folks who speak out against tyranny and endure the consequences in an unjust world. // On October 6, 2020 iris DeMent released her single “Going Down To Sing In Texas.” Stereogum on October 13, 2020 wrote: Other than a handful of guest appearances, Americana legend Iris DeMent hasn’t released new music since her 2015 album The Trackless Woods, a collection of Anna Akhmatova poems set to original music. But DeMent is back today in a big way with “Going Down To Sing In Texas,” a lengthy rambler that’s a lot more serious than its casual, jazzy piano groove lets on. Over the course of nine minutes, DeMent addresses police brutality, George W. Bush (“What’s the deal with all these war criminals who get to walk around free?”), Islamophobia, progressive protesters (“I’m so proud of all of these young people for taking it to the streets”), gun control, Jeff Bezos (“Ain’t we all just a little bit tired of greedy people getting a free pass?”), the Chicks, the Squad, and Jesus Christ (“He spoke truth to power, he stood up for the poor/ The church today wouldn’t even let him through the door”) among other things.It’s a hell of a song, clear and direct yet artful in its conversational ease. Never forget that DeMent can go toe to toe with songwriting legends like her old duet partner John Prine. In his review for WHYY’s Fresh Air, Entertainment Weekly Music Editor – Ken Tucker wrote: “Iris DeMent possesses one of the great voices in contemporary popular music: powerfully, ringingly clear, capable of both heartbreaking fragility and blow-your-ears-back power. Had she been making country albums in the ’70s and ’80s and had more commercial ambition, she’d probably now be considered right up there with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Instead, she’s lived a contemporary life, a somewhat private life. As she recently told an interviewer, “There’s a lot that goes into life besides songwriting.” And she’s taken her time in composing songs that fit into no genre easily.”]

[Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads 2715 Rochester Street, KCMO on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with guest Ana Egge opening the show.]

11:32 – Underwriting

11:34 – More Interview with Iris DeMent

We are talking with Grammy Nominated and Americana Music Trailblazer Award winner Iris DeMent who had released seven critically acclaimed albums. Born in Paragould Arkansas, raised in California Iris moved to Kansas City in the late 1980s where shoe started her musical career and lived for nearly 2 decades and where she married her husband Greg Brown in the offices of Reverend Sam Mann at Saint Mark Methodist Church at 19th and Euclid. Iris has just released her 7th album, WORKIN’ ON A WORLD on February 24, 2023 which is receiving incredible reviews. Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads tomorrow night, Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with Ana Egge. This show is SOLD OUT. Info at: http://www.Irisdement.com

Iris DeMent, Thanks for being with us on Wednesday Midday Medley

In his review for WHYY’s Fresh Air, Entertainment Weekly Music Editor – Ken Tucker wrote: “Iris DeMent possesses one of the great voices in contemporary popular music: powerfully, ringingly clear, capable of both heartbreaking fragility and blow-your-ears-back power. Had she been making country albums in the ’70s and ’80s and had more commercial ambition, she’d probably now be considered right up there with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Instead, she’s lived a contemporary life, a somewhat private life. As she recently told an interviewer, “There’s a lot that goes into life besides songwriting.” And she’s taken her time in composing songs that fit into no genre easily.”

Although I first met you in 1992 at the Kinko’s at 39th at Main Street, the first time I interviewed you on the radio was on March 22, 2006 for a special Wednesday Midday Medley I co-produced with Anne Winter, Celebrating Recycled Sounds the famous record store at Westport Road and Main Street, that was closing that week. You were on the show with Anne Winter who started Recycled Sounds after moving to KC in 1986. Anne became a friend to you, going on the road with you in 2003. Talking you into doing a Big Bang Buffet show with us performance art kids down in The West Bottoms in 1999, opening for Michael Moore with The Wilders at The Uptown Theatre.

Iris had done multiple benefit shows for KKFI including that very important show in 2002 at Unity Temple on the Plaza with Greg Brown for Friends of Community Radio. And in in 2006 with Greg Brown opening for Amy Goodman at Community Christian Church.

Along with Greg Brown, and John Prine, Iris has collaborated with Emmylou Harris, Tom Russell, Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band, Delbert McClinton, Nanci Griffith, Jeff Black, Teddy Thompson, Ana Egge, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Randy Scruggs, Pieta Brown, and many others.

Iris DeMent’s music has been featured in the films: “True Grit,” “The Song Catcher” (Where Iris also appears as an actress in the film), “The Horse Whisperer,” “Little Buddha,” and others. Her work is also on the television shows: In the final episode of Northern Exposure (“Our Town”), HBS’s The Leftovers (“Let The Mystery Be.”)

The promotional photographs of Iris DeMent were all taken by Dasha Brown.

Iris lives in Iowa City, Iowa with Greg Brown and daughter Dasha Brown, now 24 years old. For a brief while Iris and Greg lived in both Kansas City.

Greg Brown released his great album: Evening Call through Red House records in 2006. The Washington Post writes, “The singer-songwriter from Iowa has a baritone as rough and chunky as Thanksgiving gravy with the turkey bits still in, and that’s just how his words drip out on his album, “The Evening Call.” on “Whippoorwill” he sing as sweetly as his lover down in KC. That’s his wife, Iris DeMent, and on “Joy Tears,” he tells her, “When you start your singing, honey, the heavens open up with grace.”

In the catalog of songs written by Iris DeMent it becomes obvious that for Iris, Songwriting is an art, a calling, a balm, a sacred act, and communal act of recognition of family, community, justice, recovery.

Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads tomorrow night, Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with Ana Egge. This show is SOLD OUT. Info at: http://www.Irisdement.com

Iris DeMent thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Iris has just released her 7th album, WORKIN’ ON A WORLD on February 24, 2023 which is receiving incredible reviews. Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads tomorrow night, Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with Ana Egge. This show is SOLD OUT. Info at: http://www.Irisdement.com

The great and prolific British playwright and writer and activist George Bernard Shaw wrote, “I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me. It is sort of a splendid torch which I have a hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it over to future generations.” That sentiment is captured beautifully in in R\Iris DeMent’s song “Nothin’ For The Dead{ from her incredible new album WORKIN’ ON A WORLD.

For WMM & Iris DeMent, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:54:00

14. Iris DeMent – “Nothin’ For The Dead”
    from: Working On A World / FlariElla / February 24, 2023
    [Iris DeMent’s 7th full length album, WORKING ON A WORLD was stalled partway through by the pandemic, the record took six years to make with the help of three friends and co-producers: Richard Bennett, Pieta Brown, and Jim Rooney. It was Pieta Brown who gave the record its final push. “Pieta asked me what had come of the recordings I’d done with Jim and Richard in 2019 and 2020. I told her I’d pretty much given up on trying to make a record. She asked would I mind if she had a listen. So, I had everything we’d done sent over to her, and not long after that I got a text, bouncing with exclamation marks: ‘You have a record and it’s called Workin’ On A World!’” With Bennett back in the studio with them, Brown and DeMent recorded several more songs and put the final touches on the record in Nashville in April of 2022. // DeMent sets the stage for the album with the title track in which she moves from a sense of despair towards a place of promise. “Now I’m workin’ on a world I may never see ‘ Joinin’ forces with the warriors of love / Who came before and will follow you and me.” “Goin’ Down To Sing in Texas” is an ode not only to gun control, but also to the brave folks who speak out against tyranny and endure the consequences in an unjust world. // On October 6, 2020 iris DeMent released her single “Going Down To Sing In Texas.” Stereogum on October 13, 2020 wrote: Other than a handful of guest appearances, Americana legend Iris DeMent hasn’t released new music since her 2015 album The Trackless Woods, a collection of Anna Akhmatova poems set to original music. But DeMent is back today in a big way with “Going Down To Sing In Texas,” a lengthy rambler that’s a lot more serious than its casual, jazzy piano groove lets on. Over the course of nine minutes, DeMent addresses police brutality, George W. Bush (“What’s the deal with all these war criminals who get to walk around free?”), Islamophobia, progressive protesters (“I’m so proud of all of these young people for taking it to the streets”), gun control, Jeff Bezos (“Ain’t we all just a little bit tired of greedy people getting a free pass?”), the Chicks, the Squad, and Jesus Christ (“He spoke truth to power, he stood up for the poor/ The church today wouldn’t even let him through the door”) among other things.It’s a hell of a song, clear and direct yet artful in its conversational ease. Never forget that DeMent can go toe to toe with songwriting legends like her old duet partner John Prine. In his review for WHYY’s Fresh Air, Entertainment Weekly Music Editor – Ken Tucker wrote: “Iris DeMent possesses one of the great voices in contemporary popular music: powerfully, ringingly clear, capable of both heartbreaking fragility and blow-your-ears-back power. Had she been making country albums in the ’70s and ’80s and had more commercial ambition, she’d probably now be considered right up there with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette. Instead, she’s lived a contemporary life, a somewhat private life. As she recently told an interviewer, “There’s a lot that goes into life besides songwriting.” And she’s taken her time in composing songs that fit into no genre easily.”]

[Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads 2715 Rochester Street, KCMO on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with guest Ana Egge opening the show.]

15. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]
    Big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful listeners and friends who generously and thoughtfully donated to support KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio during our Wednesday MidDay Medley broadcast today! Through the airwaves, and through social media, a total of 55 people donated a total of $3149.00 to allow us to continue our mission. THANK YOU to my incredible co-hosts: Betse Ellis & Marion Merritt, and special guest J Kelly Dougherty, and very special guest Hermon Mehari for sharing your brilliance with our listeners. Thank you to Scott Bunte, Lincoln Dreher and Darryl Oliver for taking our donations over the phones.

Next week on March 29, our dear friend April Fletcher will return to KKFI after 35 years. She hosted a radio show on 90.1 FM KKFI back in 1998 called Mix Well Before Serving, broadcast Thursday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 PM. We will also welcome April’s Apartment-mate from 1989, Brad Cox of Owen Cox Dance Group with Jen Owen of to share details of Owen/Cox Dance Group’s new premiere “aRound & aRound” March 31 – April 2 at the City Stage Theatre in Union Station, KCMO.

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 #986

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

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Iris DeMent LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios! + KKFI Band Auction with Kelly Dougherty + Audrey Bramlett

Mark Spins more New & MidCoastal Releases from: Iris DeMent, Pieta Brown, Kat King, Jass, Quite Frankly, The Royal Chief, Timbers, Calvin Arsenia, IVORY BLUE, Just Angel, and Hadiza.

At 10:30 KKFI’s Director of Development & Communications Kelly Dougherty gives us details about KKFI’s Band Auction March 25 & 26. Early bidding at: https://www.32auctions.com/kkifspring2023 On Saturday, March 25 & Sunday, March 26, bands will play LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios, and we will spin tracks and interview these artists, listeners will have 25 to 30 minutes to call 888 – 931 – 0901 to place a bid. The highest bidder will be able to schedule your own private concert. Bands include: Brody Buster, Jason Vivone and the Billy Bats, Starhaven Rounders, Kat King, Jass, Quite Frankly, The Royal Chief, Marcus Lewis, Kristin & Lucy Hamilton, Bob Walkenhorst, Jeff Porter, & Norm Dahlor, Timbers Trio, Calvin Arsenia, Mark Montgomery, IVORY BLUE, Just Angel, Amado Espinoza, and Hadiza. At 10:45 we chat with one of our current High School Intern, Audrey Bramlett.

At 11:00 We devote our entire second hour to our special guest, Iris DeMent who joins us LIVE in our 90.1 FM Studios! We will feature music from DeMent’s critically acclaimed 7th full length album, WORKING ON A WORLD released February 24, 2023. The record took six years to make with the help of three friends and co-producers: Richard Bennett, Pieta Brown, and Jim Rooney. Iris DeMent, was born January 5, 1961, in rural Paragould, Arkansas. She was the youngest of 14 children. At the age of 3, her devoutly religious family moved to California, where she grew up singing gospel music. During her teenage years, Iris was exposed to country, folk, & R&B. In the mid 1980s Iris moved to the midwest, and after a series of jobs as a waitress and typist she wrote her first song at the age of 25. She moved to Kansas City where she started her musical career playing Harling’s Upstairs and open-mic nights. Iris DeMent made her recording debut in 1991, with her album, INFAMOUS ANGEL which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, was recently named one of the “greatest country albums of all time” by Rolling Stone, and the two albums that followed, MY LIFE and THE WAY I SHOULD, were both nominated for Grammy Awards. From there, DeMent released three records on her own label, Flariella Records, the most recent of which, THE TRACKLESS WOODS (2015), was hailed as “a quietly powerful triumph” by The Guardian. DeMent’s songs have also been featured in film (True Grit) and television (The Leftovers) and recorded by numerous artists. Fittingly, she received the Americana Music Trailblazer Award in 2017. Iris DeMent plays Knuckleheads on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM with Ana Egge. This show is SOLD OUT. More info at: http://www.Irisdement.com

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

Show #986

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

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Mireya Ramos & Erika Cecilia of Ladies Rock! + Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores + Gayle Cade-Price

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]

2. Dragon Inn 3 – “I Can’t Stop”
   from: Trade Secrets / American Laundromat Records / April 18, 2023
   [The long-anticipated sophomore release from Dragon Inn 3. Features 10 brand new songs plus a fantastic cover of Yazoo’s “Only You.” // Dragon Inn 3 is: Grace Bentley on vocals; Philip Dickey on synths, drums, guitar, bass & vocals; Sharon Hamm on synths & vocals; David Hill on vocals & synths. Recorded from 2018 to 2022 at Davey’s house and Sharon’s house. Recorded, mixed, and produced by Philip Dickey. Additional recording and mixing help from Ross Brown, David Hill, and Chase Horseman. Mastered by Sean Glonek at SRG studios. Additional musicians: Bill Belzer percussion “I Can’t Stop”, John Cardwell guitar “Finally Going Down”, Ben Collins guitar “I Can’t Stop”, Tim Gillespie saxophone “I Can’t Stop” “Out Of Control” “Trade Secrets Theme”, Anita Kitungano vocals “See It Your Way”, John O’Hallaron guitar “Teleport”, Bora Wilondja vocals “See It Your Way” “Trade Secrets Theme”, Mauwa Wilondja vocals “Trade Secrets Theme”, Pelo Wilondja percussion “I Could Never”. Additional writers: Emma Bentley Ruzicka “Not Enough”, Bora Wilondja “See It Your Way”, JR Top “See It Your Way”, and Vincent Clark “Only You”. Cover photo: Dominik Podlipniak. Design: Dustin Williams. // Kansas City based band formed in 2012 with Grace Bentley, Sharon Bowie, Philip K. Dickey, E.P. Marcus. Dragon Inn 3’s debut LP DOUBLE LINE on August 17, 2018 through American Laundromat records. DOUBLE LINE was part of WMM’s 118 Best Recordings of 2018. The band spent six years whittling away on the songs. Combining sugary pop hooks, hypnotic beats, and huge MOOG synths, Dragon Inn 3’s playful take on 80s pop could double as the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie (if John Hughes directed Blade Runner). The cinematic origins of Dragon Inn 3 can be traced back to 2012, when Philip Dickey (leader of the indie-pop group, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin) wrote a theme song for the award-winning short film Ghoul School. “If you watch the trailer you can tell it’s the same premise and look as Stranger Things–we just accidentally made it three years before them,” Dickey says. “I had so much fun making the soundtrack with the director (E.P. Marcus) that we decided to start a band.” Dickey recruited his sister, Sharon Bowie, an occupational therapist, and his wife, children’s librarian Grace Bentley, to help with songwriting and vocal duties. The group self-released the Ghoul School Soundtrack EP in late 2012, receiving high praise from Consequence of Sound, Philadelphia’s WXPN, and The Riverfront Times, before climbing to #1 on Bandcamp’s cassette charts. Then it was back to the studio (i.e. the bedrooms, kitchens, garages, and hotel rooms that doubled as makeshift recording studios). In between full-time jobs, parenthood, graduate school classes, and cross country moves, the members of Dragon Inn 3 put Double Line to tape. “I’m a stay-at-home dad now, so I would work on song arrangements and rough mixes when our toddler was taking his naps,” explains Dickey. “Grace would come home from work and record all her parts after his bedtime. We recorded all the breathy vocals in the living room and all the yelly parts in the garage so we wouldn’t wake him up.” The result is a highly addictive album that creates “a soundtrack for the more introspective moments on and off the dance floor,” according to critic David Greenwald. With members spread out over the country (KC, LA, and Springfield, MO), the group signed to American Laundromat Records in early 2018. A demo of “Bad Boy” (co-written with Free Energy’s Paul Sprangers) landed in a commercial for Ryan Adams’ Beats 1 Radio show before the song was even completed. More Info at: http://www.dragoninn3.com]

10:07 – ULAH SESSIONS presented by You Found Music and James Carter

You Found Music was created by James “Sarge” Carter who writes: “For many years I have loved music and what it has done for me, and that is why I created You Found Music. Supporting independent artists, helping them grow a fan base, and assisting in meeting any needs they may have from booking venues and festivals, to promoting a record. I am beyond passionate about helping people, and it’s what I do best.”

“You Found Music is different from the ordinary record label, management, promotions, and all around support element for the artist and/or singer songwriter. There is no contract to the service that we provide, and artists are completely in control of their works, bookings, sales, the revenue they generate, and direction they choose to go. We don’t function as a traditional label, and our service is a flat monthly fee. You decide if it’s a fit or not once we start working together. The purpose here is to provide a resource for all artists big or small, whether just starting out or a veteran in the industry. Community and support for one another is crucial in today’s time, and especially in an ever changing and evolving industry. Putting the power in the hands of the artist, and tailoring our service to fit their needs. You may find You Found Music as a launch pad to what’s next, or maybe a place you call home. The analogy that I like to give is “You’re the boxer, I didn’t train you how to fight or create, that is your’s, but when you’re in the fight, and look back to your corner you see me standing there at the ready with a stool in my hand, water, ice, and everything you need to get back out there for the next round.”

James Carter aka Sarge is the owner/founder of You Found Music. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a Veteran of 12 years. He served as a Personnel Chief, Administrative Chief, Staff Non-Commission Office In Charge (SNCOIC) of a Recruiting Sub-Station, and a Liaison for wounded, ill, and injured Marines at San Antonio Military Medical Center. James Carter is a songwriter. He writes “I have always loved to write, and this has been a joy in my life.” He most recently recorded ‘What’s Left of Me’, a song that he co-wrote with Donnie Blanz and is a tribute to all those who’ve served. “

James Carter studied at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, and Park University in Kansas City, MO in areas of music business. He served as Director of Operations at Row Entertainment, Nashville, TN from 2014 to 2015, before relocating to Kansas City, MO. He as worked booking at Old Shawnee Pizza, Kansas City, MO venue under 300 capacity; booking ULAH Live Sessions, a boutique showcase capacity under 50; and has supported and assisted artists in their growth and exposure in all faucets of the music business. He has helped and supported single and album releases; pitched to publishers/labels; does booking for venues both locally and nationally touring artists; organized and developed showcases, conducts Artist/Band Management with Venue/Tour/Festival/Booking, and in a time of uncertainty hosted live streams to support artists from around the globe. James Carter works at building community and resource for artists and patrons alike.

This text above is from: http://www.youfoundmusic.com

3. Ivory Blue – “All Outta Love”
   from: “All Outta Love” – Single / IVORY BLUE / February 24, 2023
   [Follow up single to “Starlit Live Child’ released October 28, 2022. IVORY BLUE released their full length debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. COMPOUND LOVE was in the Top Ten 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. Nick Poortman served in mixing, with Kurt Festge who also served in mixing & Mastering. 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. In 2017 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 Crossroads Music Festival, The Middle of the Map Festival, The Westport Roots Festival, the KCPT Screening of “Real Boy” at The Kansas City 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. During the past 10 years Ivory came out as “Non-Binary Transgender”. // 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. In 2011, Ivory settled in Kansas City, MO and quickly began attracting an intense regional following for their strong vocals and incisive, deeply personal lyrics. // By 2013, IVORY BLUE was playing regularly in and around Kansas City and the first EP ‘Ready Get Set’ was released. in 2015. IVORY BLUE released the video of “Family Table” directed by Mikal Shapiro, on August 21, 2021 and the audio track was released on September 7, 2021. 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 released their debut album COMPOUND LOVE on February 25, 2022. IVORY BLUE released the single “Red Light” on July 29, 2022. IVORY BLUE released the single “Starlit Love Child on October 28, 2022. More info at: https://linktr.ee/ivorybluemusic%5D

[IVORY BLUE plays a ULAH Live Session, Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 7:30 PM ay ULAH, 4707 Rainbow Blvd, Westwood, KS. Presented by You Found Music]

4. Friendly Thieves – “You Better Run”
   from: “You Better Run” / Friendly Thieves / October 28, 2022
   [Debut single from five-piece alt-funk band, Friendly Thieves who are: Sam Wells on lead vocals, Jamae Breeze on lead guitar, Sam Millard on bass, John Goss on drums, and Ben Baker on saxophone. // From Michelle Bacon’s piece in http://www.bridge909.org: Friendly Thieves describes themselves as if “Alabama Shakes and Young The Giant had a Vulfpeck-inspired love child,” and well, that’s pretty spot on. Their single captures that intersection of vibrant indie-rock energy and exceptional musicianship, with an intriguing funk aroma. // The bands show at ULAH is their only KC show so far this year before the ban sets off on tour to Austin, Chicago, Denver, and Nashville. // Sam Wells released her debut EP, FOR THE DEFLATED on French Exit Records on December 31, 2020. Sam Wells is a Kansas City, based singer songwriter who has shared stages with Betsy Phillips, Kelly Hunt, Andrew Ryan, The Zack Pietrini Band, and The Phantastics. She was featured as a composer and performer in the Kansas City Repertory Theater production of “Ghost Light” performed on the lawn of The Nelson Atkin Museum of Art in October, 2020. Sam has also performed in Troostival (2020), Kansas City Porchfest (2019) and Jamdemic. In 2019, Wells released her debut single “Lesson Learned.” In early 2020 Wells released her second single “Sugar” producer and engineered by Riley Corbin at the Lawrence Kansas Public Library recording studio. It was only a decade ago, Sam Wells sat in her bedroom learning the Corrine Bailey Ray classic “Put Your Records On”. This was all it took to ignite a lifetime love affair with music. With her smooth and sultry voice and the warm tones of a baritone ukulele, she shares stories of love, loss and everything in between. Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Sam Wells has lived in Lawrence, but now calls KC home. Sam Wells also contributed to The Black Lives Matter Compilation from French Exit Records that featured tracks from 22 acts from the area, and was released on July 6, 2020. Sam contributed the song, “Dear Black People”. On WMM we featured tracks from: Blackstarkids, Daniel Gum, Crystal Rose, UpKeep, Bream, Heavy Surface, Palace Intrigue, Self Harmony, and Sam Wells. All proceeds donated to One Struggle KC’s Liberation Fund, a Black-led coalition of KC activists seeking to connect the struggles of oppressed communities, locally & globally. French Exit Records launched in 2018, and is an independent music label based out of Kansas City, Missouri founded by Brad Girard. French Exit Records has released albums for No Magic and Raymond, and has organized live events. The Black Lives Matter Compilation is available on French Exit Record’s Bandcamp page: http://www.frenchexitrecords.bandcamp.com. More information at: http://www.whoissamwells.com. Sam Wells was on WMM on May 13, 2020 and January 20, 2021.]

[Friendly Thieves play a ULAH Live Session, Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at 7:30 PM ay ULAH, 4707 Rainbow Blvd, Westwood, KS. Presented by You Found Music]

[Friendly Thieves play at Boulevardia Friday, June 16, 2023 at Crown Center.]

5. Ernest Melton – “Sonnet for Sanity”
   from: “Sonnet for Sanity” – Single / Ernest Melton / December 18, 2020
   [Ernest Melton released the single, “Chronicles of Conception” on April 21, 2020, and “Narrative for Natives” on March 9, 2020. Earnest Melton is also featured on the BodaciousThang single, “Say Hi” released Sept. 2, 2020 on Jucy Burrito Records. In 2019 Ernest Melton released the album “The Standard Imperfections.” In 2018 he released the album “The Time of the Slave Is Over.” Ernest Melton is a saxophonist, composer, and band leader currently residing in Kansas City, Missouri by way of Goldsboro, North Carolina. He relocated to his mother’s hometown of Kansas City, Missouri at the age of ten where he picked up his first saxophone at Longfellow Academy of the Arts. Bored with the classical curriculum of the music department, Ernest studied more contemporary genres of music and the guitar until the age of fourteen when he joined his first jazz program through the American Jazz Museum of Kansas City. Playing mostly tenor sax by the age of fourteen, Ernest joined Lincoln High School jazz band and many other musical programs around the Greater Kansas City area. Naturally excelling, Melton left school at the age of sixteen to study music on his own. With kind neighbors and a supportive mother, Ernest was free to practice the saxophone, study albums, and write compositions at any hour of the day. It was during this time he found his first major influences in jazz like Dexter Gordon, John Coltrane, Kenny Garrett, and Pharoah Sanders. Pharoah’s polyphony were like echoes of Melton’s father, a Primitive Baptist preacher, and became a large influence of his playing. An avid composer as well, Ernest studied with tutors in classical orchestration, big band arranging, and Afro-Cuban drumming. He cites Charles Mingus, Igor Stravinsky, and Wayne Shorter as his favorite all around composers and still tries to implement their techniques in his music today. After being accepted into Berklee College of Music he decided not to attend and began his career playing music in bands of every genre around the Greater Kansas City area. In 2018 Ernest release his first full length album entitle, “The Time Of The Slave Is Over”, which received raved reviews at home and abroad by media such as Plastic Sax, Quest TV, and JAZIZZ to name a few. Currently, Melton is working on his second full length album. While still in his early twenties, Ernest Melton has played all over the country and plans to continue to travel abroad.]

[Ernest Melton and his Quartet play The Ship, 1217 Union Avenue, KCMO West Bottoms, on Thursday, March 16, at 8:00 PM.]

6. Zion Isaiah – “Medicine”
   from: “Medicine’ – Single / Zion Isaiah / January 17, 2023
   [21 year old Zion Isaiah released the single “21” on October 28, 2022. Calla released the single “you and i (feat. Zion Isaiah & Hannah You) on June 15, 2022, on Memesquirt Records. Zion Isaiah released the single “So Harsh” on May 6, 2022. Zion Isaiah released the single “Oasis” on January 22, 2022. Zion Isaiah released the single “Tired of Missing You” on November 12, 2021. Zion Isaiah released the single, “Drive (feat. Painter Boy)” on August 13, 2021. Kansas City, Missouri based Zion Isaiah works at JHS Pedals, studies at Johnson County Community College, and Went to Kansas City Christian School. More info at: http://www.facebook.com/zeeon.boklender.%5D

7. Akkilles- “Happily”
   from: Happily – Single / David Bennett / April 21, 2023
   [Akkilles is the music project of David Bennett who makes music under the moniker Akkilles. He also helps other people make music. Engineered & Produced by David Bennett at Aorist Studios in KCMO. Main vocals, keys, acoustic & electric guitar by David Bennett. Additional electric guitar by Baird Williams. Recorded at: Aorist Studios in KC. Akkilles released three singles in 2019. “By Myself” – Single was released November 1, 2019. “Meet in the Middle” was released October 25, 2019. “Feelin’ My Self” was released February 1, 2019. Akkilles released the critically acclaimed debut record “Something You’d Say” on July 2, 2013.]

8. Jass – “Lifetime”
   from: “Liftetime” – Single / JASS / January 6, 2023
   [Jass is Jasmine “Jass” Couch. Jass and The Boys released the single “Love U Like I Love U” on December 2, 2022. Jass released the EP, OFF KEY: TOO HIGH on September 23, 2022. Jass released the single “Higher Ground” on August 16, 2022. It was #1 on WMM’s 50 Favorite Singles of 2022. Jass released her single, “Him” on February 23, 2022. Jass released At the Close of a Decade on November 26, 2022. It was part of WMM’s 121 Best Recordings of 2021. She wrote, “After years of writing and recording in voice memos .. I decided to grab my iPad and began recording something that I am very proud of. I named it, At the Close of A Decade, and released it in November 2019. With my iPhone/iPad, some apple headphones, I created this project. The amazing people around me told me it was worth it, even when I didn’t believe it myself. I convinced myself I would be the only one that liked my songs. If you decide to listen you’ll hear sound clips of shows and movies that made a difference in the way I saw the world, the way I saw myself, and the way I overcame my experiences. I remember asking my grandma and my son if I should release what I’ve been writing and they both said very simply to do it, so I’ve done it. I want to thank all of my wonderful friends who have been my soundboards during this process, all of the people that have asked me when it’s coming, the people that have kept me accountable, and believed that this time it was for real. My story is so very triumphant and beautiful because I have overcome experiences and shunned the fear I had to do what I love. It’s crazy how you can talk your way out of some amazing things and also how you can talk yourself into making some amazing things happen. If you partake, I hope you enjoy.” // Jass has opened for Thundercat sat GRINDERS, headlined a show at The Bottleneck in Lawrence with my boys! (Colby Bales and Brande Moser), and she opened up for The New Respects at The Uptown, and sang the Negro National Anthem at BLAQUE to School Night at the KC Monarchs game.More info at: http://www.jassrcouch.com]

[Jass’ song “GROW” was included inlets week’s episode of the television drama Bel-Air on the Peacock Network, directed and created by filmmaker Morgan Cooper. ]

[Jass plays Songbird Session at Blip Roasters, 1301 Woodswether Rd., Kansas City West Bpttoms. on Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 8:00 PM]

10:29 – Underwriting

10:31 – Interview with Gayle Price

Gayle Cade-Price was most powerfully influenced by her mother, the original Rock and Roll Mama, Priscilla Bowman. Born in Kansas City, KS, the youngest of 2, and her passion for music was established very early in life. Gayle Price is the founder of the Pure Sweetness Entertainment Band with over 30 years of experience between their members. Lead singer, Gayle Cade-Price brings a sultry, soulful elegance to each and every performance. Her powerful, velvety, smooth voice, are complimented by her distinguished and phenomenally talented band members: Allen Monroe on keyboards, Desmond Jordan on drums, Wendell Dancer on bass, Charlotte Lockhart on background vocals, and Gerrit Blewitt on background vocals.

Pure Sweetness Entertainment led by Gayle Cade-Price performs at Uptown Lounge, 3400 Main Street KCMO on Thursday, March 30, 2023, 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

Gayle Price thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Gayle Cade-Price writes that her biggest musical influence in her life was her mother, Priscilla Bowman.

Priscilla Bowman was born Priscilla Irene Mills, on May 30, 1928. She was a jazz and rhythm and blues singer, who had a No. 1 hit single on the Billboard magazine R&B chart in 1955 with the song “Hands Off”. She was the lead singer for the Jay McShann band.

The daughter of Ethel and Solomon Mills, she was born in Kansas City, Kansas, and has been called the city’s “original rock ‘n’ roll mama.” Her influences included singers Ruth Brown and Annie Laurie. She joined the Jay McShann band in the early 1950s. In 1955 the band signed with Vee-Jay Records, and Bowman recorded two sessions with them. One of the songs, “Hands Off” went to No. 1 on the R&B chart for three weeks in December 1955.

She recorded three sessions for Vee-Jay and its subsidiary label, Falcon, as a solo singer between 1957 and 1959 but could not repeat her success. However, in 1958 she was the first to record the song “A Rockin’ Good Way”, with uncredited vocal backing by The Spaniels. The song was written with Brook Benton and became a hit when Benton recorded it himself as a duo with Dinah Washington in 1960.

Bowman recorded again for Abner Records in 1959 and continued to record and make personal appearances, some with McShann, through the mid-1970s. She retired to family life. A compilation album of her recordings, An Original Rock & Roll Mama, was released in 1986. Bowman died in July 24, 1988 from lung cancer at the age of 60.

10:36

9. Jay McShann and His Orchestra – “Hands Off (feat. Patricia Bowman”
   from: A Taste of The Blues, Vol. 1 / Concord / January 1, 2093
   [James Columbus “Jay” McShann was born January 12, 1916 and died December 7, 2006. He was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and Ben Webster.// McShann was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and was nicknamed Hootie. During his youth he taught himself how to play the piano through observing his sister’s piano lessons and trying to practicing tunes he heard off the radio. He was also heavily influenced by late-night broadcasts of pianist Earl Hines from Chicago’s Grand Terrace Cafe: “When ‘Fatha’ (Hines) went off the air, I went to bed”. He began working as a professional musician in 1931 at the age of 15, performing around Tulsa, Oklahoma, and neighboring Arkansas. // McShann moved to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1936, and set up his own big band which variously featured Charlie Parker (1937–42), Al Hibbler, Ben Webster, Paul Quinichette, Bernard Anderson, Gene Ramey, Jimmy Coe, Gus Johnson (1938–43), Harold “Doc” West, Earl Coleman, Walter Brown, and Jimmy Witherspoon, among others. His first recordings were all with Charlie Parker, the first as the Jay McShann Orchestra on August 9, 1940. // The band played both swing and blues numbers, but played blues on most of its records; its most popular recording was “Confessin’ the Blues” with Walter Brown on vocals. The group disbanded when McShann was drafted into the Army in 1944. After his return two years later, he found that small groups were now taking the place of big-bands in the jazz scene. // McShann told the Associated Press in 2003: “You’d hear some cat play, and somebody would say, ‘This cat, he sounds like he’s from Kansas City.’ It was Kansas City Style. They knew it on the East Coast. They knew it on the West Coast. They knew it up North, and they knew it down South.” // After World War II McShann began to lead small groups featuring the blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon. Witherspoon began to record with McShann in 1945 and, fronting McShann’s band, he had a hit in 1949 with “Ain’t Nobody’s Business”. As well as writing much material, Witherspoon continued recording with McShann’s band, which also featured Ben Webster. McShann had a modern rhythm and blues hit with “Hands Off”, featuring a vocal by Priscilla Bowman, in 1955. // In the late 1960s, McShann often performed as a singer as well as a pianist, often with violinist Claude Williams. He continued recording and touring through the 1990s. Well into his 80s, McShann still performed occasionally, particularly in the Kansas City area and Toronto, Ontario, where he made his last recording, “Hootie Blues”, in February 2001, after a recording career of 61 years. In 1979, he appeared prominently in The Last of the Blue Devils, a documentary film about Kansas City jazz. // One of McShann’s favorite stories to tell was how band member and friend Charlie Parker got his nickname “Bird”. During their drive to a gig in Nebraska with a car full of musicians, the driver of the car accidentally hit a chicken. According to McShann, Parker requested the driver turn around so he could get the bird, and sat with it in the backseat of the car all the way to Lincoln. Once they arrived he asked the keeper of the home they were staying in to cook it up for him. McShann died on December 7, 2006, in Kansas City, Missouri at the age of 90.]

10:39 – More Interview with Gayle Price

We are talking with vocalist and band leader Gayle Cade-Price. And we just heard a recorded track from Gayle Price’s biggest influence, her mother, the original Rock and Roll Mama, Priscilla Bowman who joined the Jay McShann band in the early 1950s and In 1955 the band signed with Vee-Jay Records, and Bowman recorded two sessions with them. One of the songs, “Hands Off”, became a hit and stayed at No. 1 on the R&B chart for three weeks in December 1955.

Gayle Price is the founder of the Pure Sweetness Entertainment Band with over 30 years of experience between their members. Lead singer, Gayle Price brings a sultry, soulful elegance to each and every performance. Her powerful, velvety, smooth voice, are complimented by her distinguished and phenomenally talented band members.

Pure Sweetness Entertainment led by Gayle Price performs at Uptown Lounge, 3400 Main Street KCMO on Thursday, March 30, 2023, 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

Gayle Price thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Pure Sweetness Entertainment Band has over 30 years of experience between their members.

Members:
Gayle Price on lead vocals
Allen Monroe on keyboards
Desmond Jordan on drums
Wendell Dancer on bass
Charlotte Lockhart on background vocals,
Gerrit Blewitt on background vocals.

Pure Sweetness Entertainment are enthusiastic, hardworking and an absolute band.

With creativity and talent in their blood, The Pure Sweetness Entertainment Band is sure to make any performance, the performance of a lifetime! Appealing both to urban and adult contemporary listeners, their music brings a distinct sophistication. Their sound is often smooth and mellow, oftentimes gritty and energizing, but never lifeless.

Pure Sweetness Entertainment play R&B, Pop, Rock, Gospel or Country music

Gayle Price is currently writing some songs to get recorded later this year.

Gayle Cade-Price thank you for being with us on Wednesday MidDay Medley

Pure Sweetness Entertainment led by Gayle Cade-Price performs at Uptown Lounge, 3400 Main Street KCMO on Thursday, March 30, 2023, 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

More information at: https://puresweetnessent.wixsite.com/mysite

10:47

10. Amy Ray – “Tear It Down with Allison Russell”
    from: If It All Goes South / Daemon Records / September 16, 2022
    [Amy Ray ‘s tenth solo album, If It All Goes South, on her own label Daemon Records. Recorded live to tape at Nashville’s Sound Emporium and mainly produced by her frequent collaborator Brian Speiser, If It All Goes South owes much of its freewheeling vitality to the potent chemistry between Ray and her longtime bandmates, including guitarist Jeff Fielder (a Seattle-based musician known for his work with artists like Mark Lanegan and Duff McKagan), keyboardist Daniel Walker (Heart, Ann Wilson, John Fullbright), pedal-steel player Matt Smith (also a member of The Honeycutters), banjo player Alison Brown, fiddle player/guitarist Adrian Carter, bassist Kerry Brooks, and drummer Jim Brock. The follow-up to 2018’s Holler (a widely acclaimed release featuring Vince Gill and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon), the album also includes a dazzling lineup of guest musicians: Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, The Highwomen’s Natalie Hemby, Phil Cook, and I’m With Her, to name a few. // On April 24, 2020 The Indigo Girls released LOOK LONG, their 15th studio album. The Indigo Girls recorded the album with previous collaborator John Reynolds. Tour dates were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States but the duo performed a series of weekly live-streamed concerts online to raise money for charity as well as promote this release. These events were accompanied by a question and answer session and audience requests for performances. They also performed at a virtual festival of musicians raising money for the United Nations Foundation on Mother’s Day, 2020. Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo from Atlanta, Georgia, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. The two met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. They started performing with the name Indigo Girls as students at Emory University, performing weekly at The Dugout, a bar in Emory Village. They released a self-produced, full-length record album entitled Strange Fire in 1987, and contracted with a major record company in 1988. After releasing nine albums with major record labels from 1987 through 2007, they have now resumed self-producing albums with their own IG Recordings company. Outside of working on Indigo Girls–related projects, Ray has released solo albums and founded a non-profit organization that promotes independent musicians, while Saliers is an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry as well as a professional author; she also collaborates with her father, Don Saliers, in performing for special groups and causes. Saliers & Ray are both lesbians and active in political and environmental causes.]

[THE INDIGO GIRLS play with THE KANSAS CITY SYMPHONY, Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 8:00 PM at The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, 1601 Broadway Blvd, Kansas City, MO]

11. The Ants – “Cheap & Easy”
    from: Good Luck Crow / The Ants / September 17, 2022
    [The Ants 12th release and follow up to SUN CITY VICES released November 14, 2020. For this record the band brought I whol team of Guest Artists including: Mason Vickery, Betse Ellie, Johnny Hamil, Wayne Gottstine, Sue Phillips, David Regnier, David Randall, Chris DeVictor and Brad Nichols helped on this one. Prior to this the band released their 8th full length album GOLDEN SUBMARINE on Octoner 13, 2017. For GOLDEN SUBMARINE band member Chad Bryan said: “It is safe to say they have been under the radar for the past 17 years. We’ve long been a band other bands enjoy, but haven’t really gotten past that and into a larger audience. We’ve been releasing music independently for the past ten years and were on a small label out of Chicago called Sickroom Records prior to that. We’ve been relegated to local and regional work the past several years due to real life obligations. We did quite a bit of touring 2003-2010. The nucleus of the band is a four piece that has been together since 2006. Half of the band lives in Lawrence, the other half in Kansas City.” Band members include: David Randall, Sean McEniry, Brad Nichols, Chad Bryan. http://www.killtheants.com]

[The Ants play a vinyl record release show for Good Luck Crow on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 10:00 PM at The Ship, 1221 Union Ave., KCMO, West Bottoms.]

12. Emily King – “Medal”
    from: Special Occasion / ATO Records / May 5, 2023
    [New York native Emily King is set to release her latest studio album Special Occasion. The new body of work is King’s first album in 4 years, following her multi-Grammy-nominated ‘Scenery.’ Using music as a means of meditation, King works through the most overwhelming emotions with ineffable grace and resilience. Today King releases the project’s second single “Medal,” a joyfully upbeat song punctuated by driving-low end bass, rhythmic hand claps, and a soaring chorus. // “I’d had this melody in my head for a very long time,” Emily King explains. “It was a slow song until I got in the studio with my producer and we picked up the tempo. He started playing this funky bassline on the chorus and it was like instant joy! The lyric was ‘I wanna be the girl with the medal’ like, I want that shiny feeling you get when the person you have a crush on gives you their attention. These days though, I’ve been singing the song to myself which gives it a slightly different meaning. Like, ‘Hey you are the prize girl!’ ‘You are the medal and you already won yourself!’ Ha. Makes me feel good and then I get to dancing.” // ‘Special Occasion’ sees King bring ever-evolving levels of depth and nuance to her songwriting, rooting each revelation into a mesmerizing blend of soul, R&B, and forward-thinking pop. “It’s about trying to find some kind of light in the middle of your hardest times: those moments when you don’t really have anything to celebrate, you’re just alone and sitting in those feelings and trying to make sense of it all,” King explains. // Emily King (born July 10, 1985) is an American singer and songwriter. She started her career in 2004 and her first album East Side Story was released in August 2007. In December 2007, King was listed as a Grammy nominee for Best Contemporary R&B Album. In 2019 Emily King was nominated for Best R&B Song for the 62nd Grammy Awards and her album Scenery was nominated for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. In 2020 Emily King was nominated again, this time for t for her song “See Me”. // Born in New York City in 1985, King grew up in a small apartment on the Lower East Side. Her parents, Marion Cowings and Kim Kalesti, were a singing duo who performed and traveled regularly taking her and her older brother with them. At age 16, King left high school after earning her GED to pursue her music career. She began playing shows in restaurants and venues around New York City including CBGB and The Bitter End. // King signed her first record deal with J Records in 2004 and appeared on Nas’ 2004 album Street’s Disciple credited as simply “Emily”. Her first album East Side Story was released in August 2007. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album of the Year. After leaving the label in 2008, King continued her work independently with producer Jeremy Most. She self-recorded her follow-up EP Seven in her home, released in July 2011. Throughout this time, King toured domestically and internationally with many artists including Nas, John Legend, Floetry, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, and Maroon 5. // In 2012, King was awarded the Holly Prize (a tribute to the legacy of Buddy Holly) from The Songwriters Hall of Fame for recognition of the “all-in songwriter” whose work exhibits the qualities of Holly’s music: true, great and original. In the fall, King was invited by Emeli Sandé to open for her UK tour playing sold out shows in five cities including at The Royal Albert Hall in London. King collaborated with José James on his album No Beginning No End in 2013 and can be heard on the tracks “Heaven on the Ground” and the acoustic version of “Come to My Door”. In 2014, King performed as an opening act for Sara Bareilles’ Little Black Dress tour. //King’s second studio album, The Switch, was self-released by her own label, Making Music Records, on 26 June 2015. The Wall Street Journal remarked that the album is “a tasteful collection of eleven songs that showcase King’s distinctive voice”. // She signed with the independent label ATO Records in 2017 and with them released her third studio album, Scenery, on 1 February 2019. // In late 2019, King once again performed as an opening act for Sara Bareilles in her Amidst The Chaos Tour. // In 2019, King helped to compose “Being Human”, the ending theme song for the Cartoon Network animated series Steven Universe Future, which she sang. Her song “Can’t Hold Me” was also used in an episode of the series. // King released her fourth studio album, Sides, on January 17, 2020. The album features acoustic takes on her previous songs, and includes a guest appearance by Sara Bareilles on the track “Teach You.” In response to racial unrest in the summer of 2020, King released the song “See Me” in August. The song was nominated for Best R&B Performance in the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.]

13. The Critterz – “Stormtrooper Blues (Pew Pew)”
    from: “Stormtrooper Blues (Pew Pew)” – Single / The Critterz / May 5, 2023
    [The third single release from The Critterz comes out officially on April 1, 2023. The single was written by the band’s new member Don Dawn aka Breakadawn aka Dawn Yoder (who is also the lead singer of The Bad Ideas). She was introduced to the band by Pat Tomek. The Critterz are made up of Mist Blu, Rocky Raccoon, Alex ‘Ale Bear’ Boyd (who also plays with Interstate Run) and BreakaDawn on keyboards. Mist Blu describes themself as a “roughneck boygirl” and they do stump removal by day. Rocky Raccoon describes the band as: “reclusive and nocturnal.” Rocky Raccoon was formerly known for playing with pop punk band Helkat. The Critterz are punk-pop woodland creatures dedicated to fighting fascism and the occasional outdoor cat. They ask us not to worry because they don’t start fights. The Crittersz released their debut single, “La La Lu Lu Lu” on July 11, 2022. The Critters released their single, “It’s Gonna Be A Good Day” on October 13, 2022.]

[The Critters will play Thies Park’s “First Sundays” on April 2, 2023.]

11:00 – Station ID

14. Flor de Toloache – “Una Vida Y Otra Más”
    from: Motherflower / Fever Records – Enigma / 1984
    [Flor de Toloache is an all-female mariachi band based in NYC and founded by Mireya I. Ramos & Shae Fiol in 2008. // Flor de Toloache first began playing in the NYC subways where they were noticed by numerous media outlets including the New York Times. In 2014, they released their first album Mariachi Flor de Toloache and in 2016 they toured with The Arcs after having contributed to their album Yours, Dreamily. In 2017, they won a Latin Grammy for “Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album” for their second studio album Las Caras Lindas – a first-time win by women. “We wanted to do fusion because there was so much more that we can express musically, and we wanted to work with [producer] Rafa Sardina,” says Ramos. “We were really excited and also nervous. We didn’t know what to expect.” In 2019, they were nominated for a Grammy for “Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album” for their third studio album Indestructible, which was produced by Rafa Sardina and includes collaborations with notable artists including John Legend, Miguel, Camilo Lara, and Alex Cuba.]

[Mireya Ramos of Flor de Toloache plays Mireya Ramos Presents Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, Kansas City Missouri.]

11:03 – Interview with Mireya Ramos & Erika Cecilia Noguera of Ladies Rock!

Latin-Grammy-winning, multiple Latin Grammy nominated and Grammy-nominated vocalist, violinist, Guitarron player, composer, producer, arranger and founder of Flor de Toloache – NY’s only all-women mariachi. She embodies all of her musical influences whether classical, mariachi, salsa, merengue or hip-hop, always creating a unique and refreshing sound. Her versatility, natural improvisational skills and beautiful tone has made her one of the top Latin artists in New York City and has landed her features on legendary albums by Latin Grammy Winner percussionist Luisito Quintero, Bobbito & Stretch, Len Smythe, Chicano Batman, AdrianQuesada (Black Pumas) and many more.

As a big advocate of empowering the next generation and promoting the importance of representation, she has been an integral part of educational projects like México Beyond Mariachi, Lincoln Center, and Mariachi Academy NY. She continues to share her experience and knowledge through workshops, educational programs and performances. Apart from touring with her band, she is proudly involved in She is the Music, the Recording Academy as a serving governor of the NY Chapter, a SAG-Aftra member and promoting her debut solo album self titled “Mireya” which include collaborations with Flor de Toloache, Gaby Moreno, Haydée Milanés, Camilo Lara, Adrian Quesada, Velcro and the legendary Mike Garson.

Mireya Ramos Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Erika Noguera is an entrepreneur, community organizer, and occasional performer who is passionate about nurturing communal healing and creating safe, inclusive spaces through art, connection, and mutual aid. She runs the coffee company, Doña Fina Café, with her dad; importing coffee directly from the family farm in Guatemala and roasting it weekly in KC. She also provides strategic communications expertise in the local arts and music community through the local youth empowerment nonprofit Art As Mentorship, Celebrate Ameri’kana Festival, and other projects.

Erika Noguera, Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Mireya and Erika are here to share all of the details about Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, KCMO. A Celebration of Women’s History Month. Femmes and allies come together for an afternoon and evening of exploring the creative power in our voices. Beginning with a Vocal Workshop led by Mireya Ramos, founder of the Latin-Grammy winning, all-female mariachi group Flor de Toloache. After the workshop, there will be time to connect with Mireya and local artists and makers. Refreshments and snacks provided. At 7:00 PM, Mireya will host an incredible line-up of powerhouse musicians and vocalists including: The Burney Sisters, Casii Stephan, Ezgi Karakus, Calvin Arsenia, Trevor Turla, Michael McClintock, Marco Pascolini, and Slim Hanson. Local vendors include: Socorro “Coco” Rico with ceramics and print, and original paintings; Bernadette Negrete with paper, and paint; Aliena Martes with weaving and jewelry; Doña Fina Café with family farmed coffee.

Mireya Ramos Presents Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, Kansas City Missouri.

Vocal workshop. Vendor Fair. Concert. A celebration of women in music and the life force of all who identify with the impulse to create.

A celebration of women in music and the life force of all who identify with the impulse to create. Latin-Grammy-winning founder, leader, and vocal powerhouse Mireya Ramos, presents Ladies Rock! A Celebration of Women’s History Month.

Come together with femmes and allies for an afternoon and evening of exploring the creative power in our voices. Beginning with a Vocal Workshop led by Mireya Ramos of founder of the Latin-Grammy winning, all-female mariachi group Flor de Toloache.

About the Vocal Workshop: “I will be sharing with you breathing techniques, styling and some tricks that have helped me navigate my voice in different genres, allowed me to play around with many different colors, and led me to discover my own power through singing. We will join our voices with a few melodies you may all know and we will have fun playing around with different sounds that will help you discover new exciting things about your own voice.”

After the workshop, folks will have time to connect with Mireya and each other, and local artists and makers; all in the beautiful, light-filled Charlotte Street Foundation Hall. Refreshments and snacks provided.

Local artist & vendors include:
Socorro “Coco” Rico – ceramics and print, and original paintings
Bernadette Negrete – paper, and paint
Aliena Martes – weaving and jewelery
Doña Fina Café – direct-single origin- family farmed coffe

At 7:00 PM, Mireya will host an incredible line-up of powerhouse musicians and vocalists including: The Burney Sisters, Casii Stephan, Ezgi Karakus, Calvin Arsenia, Trevor Turla, Michael McClintock, Marco Pascolini, and Slim Hanson.

The Burney Sisters, comprised of sisters Olivia -17, Emma-15, and recently joined 12-year-old sister Bella, create music with a maturity and emotional intelligence that belies their age. Olivia and Emma write keen and knowing songs while arranging for multiple instruments and structuring unique and resonant harmonies. The result-personal and penetrating music that both connects with and captivates their listener. Their soul nurturing sibling harmonies and tunes are reminiscent of The Avett Brothers, First Aid Kit, Indigo Girls, The Staves, and Joseph. “The Burney Sisters… Have the talent and wisdom of artists three times their ages. They have already opened for Wynonna Judd, and played high profile music festivals.” – Bobby Jean Sawyer. — Wide Open Country

11:12

15. The Burney Sisters – “Can’t Look Past Your Door (Single)”
    from: Can’t Look Past Your Door (Single) / BBS Productions / May 6, 2022
    [From Columbia, Missouri, The Burney Sisters, comprised of sisters Olivia-16, Emma-13, and recently joined 11-year-old sister Bella , create music with a maturity and emotional intelligence that belies their age. Olivia and Emma write keen and knowing songs while arranging for multiple instruments and structuring unique and resonant harmonies. The result—personal and penetrating music that both connects with and captivates the listener. Their soul nurturing sibling harmonies and tunes are reminiscent of The Avett Brothers, First Aid Kit, Indigo Girls, The Staves, and The Wild Reeds. More info at: http://www.theburneysisters.com] [The Burney Sisters were 2022 Folk Alliance International Official Showcase Artists – Performing Thursday, May 19, at 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM in Roanoke Room, in Westin Crown Center Hotel.]

[The Burney Sisters plays Mireya Ramos Presents Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, Kansas City Missouri.]

11:15 – More Interview with Mireya Ramos & Erika Cecilia Noguera

We are talking with Latin-Grammy-winning, multiple Latin Grammy nominated and Grammy-nominated vocalist, violinist, Guitarron player, composer, producer, arranger and founder of Flor de Toloache – NY’s only all-women mariachi. Mireya Ramos

And our friend Erika Cecilia Noguera entrepreneur, community organizer, and occasional performer who is passionate about nurturing communal healing and creating safe, inclusive spaces through art, connection, and mutual aid. She runs the coffee company, Doña Fina Café, with her dad; importing coffee directly from the family farm in Guatemala and roasting it weekly in KC.

Mireya Ramos and Erika Noguera, Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Mireya and Erika are here to share all of the details about Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, KCMO. A Celebration of Women’s History Month.

Femmes and allies come together for an afternoon and evening of exploring the creative power in our voices. Beginning with a Vocal Workshop led by Mireya Ramos, founder of the Latin-Grammy winning, all-female mariachi group Flor de Toloache.

Mireya Ramos embodies all of her musical influences whether classical, mariachi, salsa, merengue or hip-hop, always creating a unique and refreshing sound. Her versatility, natural improvisational skills and beautiful tone has made her one of the top Latin artists in New York City and has landed her features on legendary albums by Latin Grammy Winner percussionist Luisito Quintero, Bobbito & Stretch, Len Smythe, Chicano Batman, AdrianQuesada (Black Pumas) and many more.

As a big advocate of empowering the next generation and promoting the importance of representation, she has been an integral part of educational projects like México Beyond Mariachi, Lincoln Center, and Mariachi Academy NY. She continues to share her experience and knowledge through workshops, educational programs and performances. Apart from touring with her band, she is proudly involved in She is the Music, the Recording Academy as a serving governor of the NY Chapter, a SAG-Aftra member and promoting her debut solo album self titled “Mireya” which include collaborations with Flor de Toloache, Gaby Moreno, Haydée Milanés, Camilo Lara, Adrian Quesada, Velcro and the legendary Mike Garson.

Come together with femmes and allies for an afternoon and evening of exploring the creative power in our voices.

Beginning with a Vocal Workshop led by Mireya Ramos of founder of the Latin-Grammy winning, all-female mariachi group Flor de Toloache.

After the workshop, we will have time to connect with Mireya and each other and local artists and makers; all in the beautiful, light-filled Charlotte Street Foundation Hall. Refreshments and snacks provided.

At 7:00 PM, Mireya will host an incredible line-up of powerhouse musicians and vocalists including: The Burney Sisters, Casii Stephan, Ezgi Karakus, Calvin Arsenia, Trevor Turla, Michael McClintock, Marco Pascolini, and Slim Hanson. Local vendors include: Socorro “Coco” Rico with ceramics and print, and original paintings; Bernadette Negrete with paper, and paint; Aliena Martes with weaving and jewelry; Doña Fina Café with family farmed coffee.

Event Sponsors:
FMK Music
Charlotte Street Foundation
Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City
Flyer Design: Megan Ammari

Casii Stephan is a MN born, indie-pop meets soul-rock artist now based in Tulsa, OK. Casii’s “gorgeously emotive voice inspires comparisons to alt-pop artists like Florence Welch and Fiona Apple with a writing style reminiscent of Carole King” (NPR). Her music combines her love for the storytelling elements of Disney ballads and the bold, brilliance of The White Stripes, as well as the soul-wrenching R&B melodies of H.E.R. Her songs have received awards and nominations from the Independent Music Awards, Hollywood Music and Media Awards, and USA Songwriting Competition. She has been featured in Billboard, Earmilk, and was named as one of NPR music’s Artists to watch in 2022. Casii Stephan and her band, “The Midnight Sun”have performed multiple official SXSW showcases, toured the Midwest, and recently performed in LA at the “We Found New Music showcase”. Casii’s live performance has received rave reviews from American Songwriter as a “knockout set of blues-funk and soul”. Casii just returned from the Folk Alliance International Music Conference where she was a jury-selected official showcase artist . Casii traveled to Muscle Shoals, AL early 2023 to record an EP with producer, Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul and the Broken Bones) and is set to release it later this year.

Mireya Ramos and Erika Noguera, Thank you for being with us on WMM.

Mireya Ramos Presents Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, Kansas City Missouri.

Vocal workshop. Vendor Fair. Concert. A celebration of women in music and the life force of all who identify with the impulse to create.

11:24

16. Casii Stephan – “Trust Fall”
    from: “Trust fall” – Single / Mills Record Company / May 31, 2013
    [Casii Stephan is a MN born, indie-pop meets soul-rock artist now based in Tulsa, OK. Casii’s “gorgeously emotive voice inspires comparisons to alt-pop artists like Florence Welch and Fiona Apple with a writing style reminiscent of Carole King” (NPR). Her music combines her love for the storytelling elements of Disney ballads and the bold, brilliance of The White Stripes, as well as the soul-wrenching R&B melodies of H.E.R. Her songs have received awards and nominations from the Independent Music Awards, Hollywood Music and Media Awards, and USA Songwriting Competition. She has been featured in Billboard, Earmilk, and was named as one of NPR music’s Artists to watch in 2022. Casii Stephan and her band, “The Midnight Sun”have performed multiple official SXSW showcases, toured the Midwest, and recently performed in LA at the “We Found New Music showcase”. Casii’s live performance has received rave reviews from American Songwriter as a “knockout set of blues-funk and soul”. Casii just returned from the Folk Alliance International Music Conference where she was a jury-selected official showcase artist . Casii traveled to Muscle Shoals, AL early 2023 to record an EP with producer, Ben Tanner (Alabama Shakes, St. Paul and the Broken Bones) and is set to release it later this year.]

[Casii Stephan plays Mireya Ramos Presents Ladies Rock! on Saturday, March 18, 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Charlotte Street, 3333 Wyoming, Kansas City Missouri.]

11:28 – Underwriting

17. Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores – “Numb (Radio Edit)”
    from: “Numb” – Single / Frog Party / January 20, 2023
    [“Numb”, the latest single from Lawrence musicians Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, combines heartbroken lyrics with elements of moody, dark trap production and murky indie guitars. As described by Center Cut Records: “‘Numb’ begins with some Pink Floyd vocals in an echo chamber, and some soundbites laid over a haunting piano for good measure. Paul’s Philly soul special voice is back again, but this time we’ve got some distorted vocals and instruments with Deegan lurking in the mix.” – Patrick Sprehe // Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores are preparing to roll out their collaborative album, Hello Paul Jesse, over the coming months under the collective of Lawrence artists Frog Party. The album chronicles Paul’s development as a person, in his relationships, and in his relationship with himself through an eclectic blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, electronic music, and soul.Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores– released “Your Sunshine (Feat. Hannah Davis)” on April 29, 2022]

[You can also watch the music video for “Numb”, directed by Brooke Hemrick, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RycI_sJqg9s]

11:33 – Interview with Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores

Paul Jesse is a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, Kansas, whose debut EP, Stuck This Way came out in 2021 and combines his smooth and passionate vocals with psychedelic R&B, hip-hop, and electronic bedroom-pop production.

Deegan Poores is also a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, whose debut album from last year, The “Vanishing” Album, combines indie rock, yacht rock, power pop, and synth pop to create a genre-bending sound with co-production from singer-songwriter-producer-filmmaker Remy Styrk from Kansas City.

After coming together last year to make the song “Your Sunshine”, which features Lawrence based singer-songwriter Hannah Davis, Paul asked Deegan to executive produce his debut album. Hello Paul Jesse, releasing over the upcoming months as three EPs by Lawrence arts collective Frog Party, takes the sound Paul established on Stuck This Way and expands it to include elements of Deegan’s sound as well as trip hop, hyperpop, and folk, among other genres, all cohering around Paul’s voice and hooks. The lyrics chronicle Paul’s growth and development as a person through heartache, self-reflection, and love, and each EP captures a different stage of that transition. Hello Paul Jesse, Part I is out now, and new single “Remedy” featuring Arkko is out Friday, March 17th.

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores for being with us on WMM.

Center Cut Records had this to say about lead single “Numb”:
“‘Numb’ begins with some Pink Floyd vocals in an echo chamber, and some soundbites laid over a haunting piano for good measure. Paul’s Philly soul special voice is back again, but this time we’ve got some distorted vocals and instruments with Deegan lurking in the mix.” – Patrick Sprehe

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores are preparing to roll out their collaborative album, Hello Paul Jesse, over the coming months under the collective of Lawrence artists Frog Party.

The album chronicles Paul’s development as a person, in his relationships, and in his relationship with himself through an eclectic blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, electronic music, and soul.

It’s being released in three parts, each part showcasing different stages of his development, and then as a full project to allow each section to be absorbed fully.

Part I captures Paul Jesse at his most anxious, sensitive, and depressed. Lyrically, the EP focuses on heartbreak, acceptance, and rejection, and the music reflects these dark themes. “Intro (Hello)” is a fever dream of spoken word samples and heavy synths that leads directly into the piano ballad “You Don’t Care”, a strong contender for radio play with its dramatic build. Fellow Frog Party artists Indiglow contribute a guest feature to “Not Perfect”, which finishes out the EP with spacey guitars from Deegan and moody synths and heavy trap drums courtesy of ProdbyRai

Last year Deegan Poores released The “Vanishing” Album on February 25, 2022. “Vanishing” was originally released as a single on June 19, 2020. Eventually the track became the title from Deegan’s THE “VANISHING” ALBUM. Written & produced by Deegan Poores. Deegan Poores is a singer, songwriter, and producer from Kansas City, Kansas. Production by: Deegan Poores and Remy Styrk. Engineering by: Remy Styrk. Mixing: Remy Styrk and Deegan Poores. Mastering: Val Cecil. Cover Art: Clayton Phillips. // To see the “Vanishing” video, directed & produced by Remy Styrk visit: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCie5UaItSkEugr7MJ6ubzvg // More info at: http://www.deeganpoores.bandcamp.com]

Last year Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores released the single “Your Sunshine (Feat. Hannah Davis)” on April 29, 2022. Paul Jesse is now a 22 year old singer songwriter based in Kansas City, MO. Paul Jesse & X-GD released the single “To The Sky” on February 25, 2022, and “Stuck This Way” on October 6, 2021. Paul Jesse released the single & video for the song, “Gone,” directed by @strife.studios. // “Your Sunshine” is a chill, trip-hop and classic R&B inspired song about feeling the warmth of one’s love even when they’re not in your presence. Over a bliss bed of murky drum samples, chunky bass, jangly guitars, and lush keyboards, Paul layers his vocals with featured vocalist and friend Hannah Davis to create huge harmonies. The anthemic chorus is an instant earworm. This song was the first collaboration between Paul and Deegan, and has led to a fruitful musical partnership. // Paul Jesse is a singer and songwriter from Lawrence, Kansas who combines his smooth and passionate vocals with production that combines elements of hip-hop, trap, pop, and psychedelic R&B. His self-produced debut EP, Stuck This Way, came out late last year and is a great document of his sound. // Info at: http://www.facebook.com/pauljessemusic

Frog Party is rolling out Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores’ collaborative album, Hello Paul Jesse, over the upcoming months as three EPs, with part I being released February 17th. The album chronicles Paul’s development as a person, in his relationships, and in his relationship with himself through Deegan’s eclectic blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, soul, and electronic music. Part I captured Paul at his most anxious, sensitive, and depressed, while “Remedy” alongside Part II convey a transition towards reflection, acceptance, and contentment.

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, singer-songwriter-producer duo from Lawrence, KS, are releasing a new single “Remedy (ft. arkko)” on Friday, March 17, 2023. “Remedy”, the latest single from Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, is an up-tempo hyperpop love song with lush synths, chipmunk vocals, pounding 808s, and thunderous bass. Paul both coos sweetly and belts out his admiration, while the guest verse from rapper-producer arkko takes the song for an anxious, frantic spin.

11:41

17. Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores – “Remedy (feat. Arkko) (Radio Edit)”
    from: “Remedy (feat. Arkko) (Radio Edit)” – Single / Frog Party / March 17, 2023
    [Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, singer-songwriter-producer duo from Lawrence, KS. RIYL: James Blake, Joji, Yung Lean // “Remedy”, the latest single from Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, is an up-tempo hyperpop love song with lush synths, chipmunk vocals, pounding 808s, and thunderous bass. Paul both coos sweetly and belts out his admiration, while the guest verse from rapper-producer arkko takes the song for an anxious, frantic spin. // Frog Party is rolling out Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores’ collaborative album, Hello Paul Jesse, over the upcoming months as three EPs, with Part I was released February 17, 2023. The album chronicles Paul’s development as a person, in his relationships, and in his relationship with himself through Deegan’s eclectic blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, soul, and electronic music. Part I captured Paul at his most anxious, sensitive, and depressed, while “Remedy” alongside Part II convey a transition towards reflection, acceptance, and contentment.]

11:44 – More Interview with Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores

We are talking with Paul Jesse, a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, Kansas, whose debut EP, Stuck This Way came out in 2021 and combines his smooth and passionate vocals with psychedelic R&B, hip-hop, and electronic bedroom-pop production.

Deegan Poores is also a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, whose debut album from last year, The “Vanishing” Album, combines indie rock, yacht rock, power pop, and synth pop to create a genre-bending sound with co-production from singer-songwriter-producer-filmmaker Remy Styrk from Kansas City.

After coming together last year to make the song “Your Sunshine”, which features Lawrence based singer-songwriter Hannah Davis, Paul asked Deegan to executive produce his debut album. Hello Paul Jesse, releasing over the upcoming months as three EPs by Lawrence arts collective Frog Party, takes the sound Paul established on Stuck This Way and expands it to include elements of Deegan’s sound as well as trip hop, hyperpop, and folk, among other genres, all cohering around Paul’s voice and hooks. The lyrics chronicle Paul’s growth and development as a person through heartache, self-reflection, and love, and each EP captures a different stage of that transition. Hello Paul Jesse, Part I is out now, and new single “Remedy” featuring Arkko is out Friday, March 17th.

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores for being with us on WMM.

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, singer-songwriter-producer duo from Lawrence, KS. “Remedy”, the latest single from Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores, is an up-tempo hyperpop love song with lush synths, chipmunk vocals, pounding 808s, and thunderous bass. Paul both coos sweetly and belts out his admiration, while the guest verse from rapper-producer arkko takes the song for an anxious, frantic spin. // Frog Party is rolling out Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores’ collaborative album, Hello Paul Jesse, over the upcoming months as three EPs, with Part I was released February 17, 2023. The album chronicles Paul’s development as a person, in his relationships, and in his relationship with himself through Deegan’s eclectic blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, soul, and electronic music. Part I captured Paul at his most anxious, sensitive, and depressed, while “Remedy” alongside Part II convey a transition towards reflection, acceptance, and contentment.

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores are preparing to roll out their collaborative album, Hello Paul Jesse, over the coming months under the collective of Lawrence artists Frog Party. The album chronicles Paul’s development as a person, in his relationships, and in his relationship with himself through an eclectic blend of pop, R&B, hip-hop, electronic music, and soul. It’s being released in three parts, each part showcasing different stages of his development, and then as a full project to allow each section to be absorbed fully.

Part I captures Paul Jesse at his most anxious, sensitive, and depressed. Lyrically, the EP focuses on heartbreak, acceptance, and rejection, and the music reflects these dark themes. “Intro (Hello)” is a fever dream of spoken word samples and heavy synths that leads directly into the piano ballad “You Don’t Care”, a strong contender for radio play with its dramatic build.

Fellow Frog Party artists Indiglow contribute a guest feature to “Not Perfect”, which finishes out the EP with spacey guitars from Deegan and moody synths and heavy trap drums courtesy of ProdbyRai

Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores for being with us on WMM.

Hello Paul Jesse, releasing over the upcoming months as three EPs by Lawrence arts collective Frog Party, takes the sound Paul established on Stuck This Way and expands it to include elements of Deegan’s sound as well as trip hop, hyperpop, and folk, among other genres, all cohering around Paul’s voice and hooks. The lyrics chronicle Paul’s growth and development as a person through heartache, self-reflection, and love, and each EP captures a different stage of that transition. Hello Paul Jesse, Part I is out now, and new single “Remedy” featuring Arkko is out Friday, March 17th.

For WMM & Deegan & Paul, I’m Mark Manning. Thanks for listening!

11:54

19. Paul Jesse & Deegan Poores –“Not Perfect (feat. Indiglow) (Radio Edit)”
    from: Hello Paul Jesse, Pt. 1 – [EP] / Frog Party / February 17, 2023
    [Paul Jesse is a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, Kansas, whose debut EP, Stuck This Way came out in 2021 and combines his smooth and passionate vocals with psychedelic R&B, hip-hop, and electronic bedroom-pop production. Deegan Poores is also a singer, songwriter, and producer based out of Lawrence, whose debut album from last year, The “Vanishing” Album, combines indie rock, yacht rock, power pop, and synth pop to create a genre-bending sound with co-production from singer-songwriter-producer-filmmaker Remy Styrk from Kansas City. After coming together last year to make the song “Your Sunshine”, which features Lawrence based singer-songwriter Hannah Davis, Paul asked Deegan to executive produce his debut album. Hello Paul Jesse, releasing over the upcoming months as three EPs by Lawrence arts collective Frog Party, takes the sound Paul established on Stuck This Way and expands it to include elements of Deegan’s sound as well as trip hop, hyperpop, and folk, among other genres, all cohering around Paul’s voice and hooks. The lyrics chronicle Paul’s growth and development as a person through heartache, self-reflection, and love, and each EP captures a different stage of that transition. Hello Paul Jesse, Part I is out now, and new single “Remedy” featuring Arkko is out Friday, March 17, 2023

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

Big THANK YOU to all of our wonderful listeners and friends who generously and thoughtfully donated to support KKFI 90.1 FM – Kansas City Community Radio during our Wednesday MidDay Medley broadcast today! Through the airwaves, and through social media, a total of 55 people donated a total of $3149.00 to allow us to continue our mission. THANK YOU to my incredible co-hosts: Betse Ellis & Marion Merritt, and special guest J Kelly Dougherty, and very special guest Hermon Mehari for sharing your brilliance with our listeners. Thank you to Scott Bunte, Lincoln Dreher and Darryl Oliver for taking our donations over the phones.

Next week on March 22, WMM plays more New & MidCoastal Releases PLUS we talk with KKFI Director of Development and Communications Kelly Dougherty joins us to share the details about KKFI’s upcoming Band Auction March 25 and 26. We also chat with one of our current High School Intern, Audrey Bramlett AND in our entire second hour we welcome very special guest, IRIS DEMENT who plays a sold out show at Knuckleheads the following night March 23, and whose new album is WORKIN’ ON A WORLD is getting glowing reviews every where and cracked the Billboard Top 40 Album Charts!

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 #985