Ashy to Ashley

It all started with a feeling. Long-time music engineer Kenny Riley and musician/entrepreneur Drew Newman met by chance while Drew was in the Albuquerque area and immediately knew that they would one day work together. At the time, Drew was playing with an LA-based band and Kenny was working as an engineer on various local … Continue reading The Rio Grande Sound with Drew Newman & Kenny Riley →

Anyone that has ever started a business will tell you that it’s an emotional roller coaster. Invariably, you will ask yourself if you have what it takes to run a successful business and will question whether or not your product or service is viable. In this episode, Charles invited Adam Mutschler and Dr. Frank to … Continue reading The Founder’s Mind with Adam Mutschler and Dr. Frank →

Working in the private sector, Amanda Aragon knew that New Mexico as a state performed poorly when it came to educational outcomes for its children. She was working for a Farmington-based oil and gas company at the time doing corporate philanthropy work that touched on education, but she had a drive and a passion to … Continue reading EdTalk with Amanda Aragon →

After moving from Chicago to Albuquerque at age 5, A.J. Bramlett quickly developed a love for basketball. That love for the game would eventually lead him to a state championship with La Cueva High School and a national championship with the Arizona Wildcats. In this episode, A.J. talks about being mentored by legendary coach Lute … Continue reading March Madness with A.J. Bramlett →

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Sometimes businesses happen by necessity. Sometimes they happen by chance. In the case of Ayanna Freeman, it was a combination of both.

Ryan Montaño recalls learning a valuable lesson from reading legendary producer David Foster’s memoir. The lesson? Compromise breeds mediocrity. It was a lesson that guided his songwriting and production in the early days of his solo career. Admittedly, Ryan says this dictum no longer fully applies and that it actually made him averse to collaboration early on. It also made him second guess himself often when thinking about musical approach, stylings, and overall production of his music.

Now, with two Billboard charting singles, a growing fan base, and a musical “squad” that includes Paul Palmer III, Artha Meadors, Steve Figueroa, and others, Ryan is seizing the moment. His genre-spanning sound can be heard on the country influenced single Never Really Said and the John Mayer inspired Honey Girl. He is a staple on contemporary jazz stations across the country and is headlining jazz clubs and jazz festivals throughout the U.S.

Ryan also relishes the role of bandleader, composer, and horn section lead for the likes of Lorenzo Antonio, Sparx, and various New Mexico music artists. 

Learn more about what Ryan Montaño is up to at https://www.ryanmontano.com/. Also check him out on Facebook and Twitter!

Sitting in her grade school classroom, Shammara Henderson recalls her teacher playing the O.J. Simpson trial on the old school, box TV that was the best technology at the time. As most young people do, Shammara would dream. Her dream was to be a professional ballet dancer. But, watching legendary defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran in action would change her life trajectory forever.

Henderson practices law at Freedman Boyd Hollander Goldberg Urias & Ward, P.A. and is on the short list of candidates being considered by Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham for Judge of the New Mexico Court of Appeals.

Charles and Dr. Frank also give a heartfelt tribute to fallen Lakers star Kobe Bryant, his 13 year-old daughter Gianna, and all the victims of the southern California helicopter crash that rocked the world.

At age 9, Marc Qui?ones was introduced by a family friend to salsa legend Tito Puente. Along with long-time collaborator Bobby Allende, Marc was seen as somewhat of a child prodigy in New York salsa circles. Qui?ones comes from an impressive lineage of musicians, including father Tony, late uncle Rafael, and younger brother Camilo. The musical roots run deep. Qui?ones and Allende would go on to play several high-profile dates with Puente, including Carnegie Hall before they were even old enough to drive. You might ask, where does one go from there, when you have had the proverbial “mic drop” opportunity of a lifetime to play with a music icon.

While playing with contemporary jazz group Spyro Gyra, Qui?ones would have a chance meeting that would change his career trajectory for decades to come. It turns out that Butch Trucks, the legendary drummer of the Allman Brothers Band was a big Spyro Gyra fan. While attending a Spyro Gyra show, Trucks was intrigued by Qui?ones’ playing and went backstage to meet him. The two immediately hit it off. Later that year, Marc was invited to record on a new Allman Brothers record. He would go on to tour and record with the band until 2014 and would also support Gregg Allman‘s solo work until his death in 2017. 

Currently, Marc Qui?ones plays with his own salsa group 8 y Mas with his production partner Bobby Allende. Later this year, you can catch him touring with Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame group The Doobie Brothers and see him featured in work with arranger, producer Tony Succar. 

What are the possibilities when community-based organizations have the space to be creative and innovative with funding? In this episode of Portraits in Color, you will hear about an interesting collaboration between city government, philanthropy, and nonprofits that create economic opportunities for boys and young men of color (BYMOC).

Pr?spero represents a unique approach to grant making. Instead of releasing a highly-prescriptive request for proposals (RFP), the Albuquerque Community Foundation, in collaboration with the City of Albuquerque and the Obama Foundation, decided that they wanted to create a fund that allowed nonprofits and social enterprises to freely test innovative ideas without restrictions. Five organizations received a share of $100,000 in prize money as part of a community-wide “pitch competition”, along with additional capacity-building support.

Joining the show to discuss the impact of Pr?spero are Joanna Colangelo from the Albuquerque Community Foundation, Charles Ashley III from Cultivating Coders, and Maria Gallegos and Jacob Olaguir from Working Classroom. ?