Album Impact

Derek Frank is a bass player who has toured and recorded with artists such as Shania Twain, Gwen Stefani, Shakira, Brian Auger, Air Supply, and many more. He has been a staple of the Los Angeles music scene for decades now and has one of the best reputations of any musician in the city. He's the consummate professional who shows up to gigs with detailed charts, immaculate gear, but simultaneously plays with a raw energy that is rare amongst hired gun session and touring players. 

In this episode we discuss where/when we met, and how a last minute gig in which Derek subbed on bass, led to his recommendation for an upcoming Shania Twain audition. Unsurprisingly he nailed the audition and has now been a member of her band since 2015. We also discuss Derek's time spent at University of Miami and how it helped shape the musician that he is today and subsequently led to his interest in vastly different styles than he had been interested in before attending. Of course, we get into the nitty gritty of what makes these two albums so incredible and why he chose 2 live albums over studio recordings. Luckily for us, both of his choices came along with a video recording as well, so, for those of you who want to see these shows in action, Derek and I both highly recommend checking those out as well. 

Thank you and please enjoy this weeks episode of, Album Impact With Joshua Ray Gooch

Whynot Jansveld is a bass player/composer/mastering engineer who has recorded and/or toured with artists such as Richard Marx, Linda Perry, Butch Walker, Gavin DeGraw, The Weepies, Wayne Krantz and many more. Not only is Whynot an incredible musician, he's also an excellent person who has a lot to say about music and what makes it great. Hailing from the Netherlands he is my first international guest, and I think this difference in perspective brought a lot of very interesting conversation out of both of us.

In this episode we discuss one of the most popular records of the 80's, Tears For Fears "Songs From The Big Chair," which I must admit I hadn't heard with exception of the huge radio hits that it contains. The music here was so meticulously crafted that it left both Whynot and myself with endless topics of discussion, ranging from the songwriting to production techniques to session musicians.

The second record that Whynot chose is a much lesser known work by a American band from Georgia, Mother's Finest. They are the perfect example of a band whose dynamite live performances earned them the finest opening band slots in the world, touring with legends like The Who, AC/DC, Black Sabbath and Aerosmith. Although they had some American radio success, their straddling of rock and funk left them in a genre of their own, making it quite difficult to get radio play. But in Europe, they garnered a cult like following from Europeans hungry for both rock and funk music, and Whynot is the perfect example of this. We talk about how this record influenced him and when it became a part of his life, as well as the various genre bending influences of Mother's Finest. This live album, According to Whynot and many of their fans, is the band at the pinnacle of their powers.

Check it out, like and subscribe! We'll see you back here next week with another episode of, Album Impact!

Instagram:

@joshuaraygooch
@whynotjansveld

Brian Green is a guitarist, producer, and music director who has toured/recorded with artists such as John Legend, Michael Buble, Rufus Wainwright, and Andrea Bocelli. He is also regularly featured as a producer and guitar player for the online collectives: Pomplamoose and Scary Pockets. Brian also studied jazz guitar at USC, and while still in college he was picked up by Michael Buble. Brian subsequently toured and recorded with him for several years, working with industry staples such as famed producer, David Foster, and drum legend, Vinnie Colaiuta. In addition, Brian is also an incredible solo artist, his most recent release “Impressions For Headphones” is one of my favorite instrumental records in recent memory, mixing his knowledge of jazz harmony with ambient Brian Eno-esque textures and Bill Frisell tinged loops.

In this episode we discuss Milton Nascimento & Lô Borges revolutionary Brazilian recording, Clube De Esquina. This was an album I had never heard before and I’m incredibly grateful to Brian for introducing me to it. We dive deep into what particularly sets this album apart from the many other great Milton Nascimento records that have been released over the past 5 decades, which there are many. We also chat about the specific qualities of Brazilian music that were combined with American pop influences to create the iconic amalgam that is “Clube De Esquina.” 

With his second album choice, we delve into Brian’s jazz roots with a historic set of recordings by Bird himself, "Charlie Parker With Strings.” Brian and I talk about how this is an excellent record along with Miles Davis’ “Kind Of Blue” and Wes Montgomery’s “Boss Guitar” is great to start off any non-jazzer who wants to dip their toes into the jazz world; As well as the shifting of public opinion in regards to this album since its release. 

Thanks again for checking out, Album Impact w/ Joshua Ray Gooch

Jon Sosin is a guitarist and all around session musician boss, who, in addition to his excellent guitar playing, is often called to add keyboards, bass, or whatever else the producer needs to get the job done. He has toured and/or recorded with artists such as Meghan Trainor, Lukas Graham, Andy Grammer, Rachel Platten, and Alessia Cara. Jon is also first call session musician for James Iha (Smashing Pumpkins, Marilyn Manson), Jon Levine (Drake,http://instagram.com/joshuaraygooch Selena Gomez, Nelly Furtado) and John Spiker (Tenacious D). 

In this episode we discuss the the creative process of Nigel Godrich, who happens to have produced both Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” AND Beck’s Sea Change; The role of gear and whether or not we believe it to be an important aspect of musical creation; How complex emotional states were captured so perfectly on both of these records and why they connected so deeply with us; Dynamics and how important they are in keeping a listeners attention over the course of an EP; and much more!

Jon and I have been friends for almost a decade now and I consider him to be one of my closest friends and one of the most all around talented musicians I know. This discussion was an absolute blast and I think that comes across in the podcast. Thanks again for checking out Album Impact!

Instagram:

@joshuaraygooch

@jonsosin

Mike G is a singer/songwriter and dummer who has toured/recorded with artists like Sia, Dawes, Larry Goldings, Belle Brigade, and Theo Katzman. 
In this episode we discuss Mike G’s wide range of influences across numerous genres and countless instruments.
He explains his love for the Beach Boy’s later work and why he thinks it deserves more respect and adulation than it’s long been given. 
We also talk about Miles Davis' vast catalog and which era of his recording career especially affected the way that we hear music. 
Mike also walks us through the many jazz drummers that influenced his rhythmic sense and what specifically he has incorporated into his own playing. 
Mike is the perfect example of someone who sees music as a whole rather than simply through a particular instrument. Check out the episode to get a deeper view inside his mind! 

Cory Churko is a music director/guitarist/violinist/vocalist who has toured with the likes of Shania Twain, Kelly Clarkson, Slash, and Reba McEntire over the last 25 years.  Additionally, Cory spent several years working as an engineer/mixer with the likes of Mutt Lange (Def Leppard, AC/DC, Shania Twain) and Mike Shipley (Aerosmith, Green Day, Tom Petty).

In this episode, we discuss Cory's early days touring with his family band and how his fathers massive record collection had an influence on his vast array of musical influences. Cory also tells the completely insane story of how Yngwie Malmsteen's "Rising Force" indirectly brought him out of an early retirement from the music industry, and subsequent hiring by Mutt Lange into Shania Twain's band, initially as a violinist.

We also discuss our working relationship within Shania Twain's band and also our production collaborations, which most recently resulted in our production/performance of the title track for "Bill and Ted: Face The Music."

Instagram:
@joshuaraygooch
@corychurko
@toquerocks

Album Links:
Queen- A Night At The Opera:
https://open.spotify.com/album/3KCJzwKOdBxDu6TKaFPqM9?si=Mg1idH-hRxiolI1rBPGskw

Yngwie Malmsteen- Rising Force:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVRD3A4XvDQ