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