Count It Off!

Native New Yorker Eddie Kilgallon - best known as EddieK - traces his journey from working in a New York restaurant to founding member of the 90s hit Nashville group Ricochet to writing a career #1 song for King George and his current job as tour manager and bandleader for Eddie Montgomery.

We'll get to hear some fun music and learn how just "showing up:" can pay huge dividends.

Roger Bartlett's story is an awesome saga of opportunity colliding with talent and drive. From New York to the Gulf Coast, we explore his journey, do a little name dropping and listen to his songs that were recorded by Buffett and on his own records. Recommended!

Rich Eckhart is an example of the deep well of Nashville guitar talent and his quarter-century with the late great Toby Keith bears that out. We'll hear some of his music and explore the road with him. Don't miss it!

Phoenix smooth jazz producer Mike Browning (aka Michael B) shares his journey from teaching keyboard lessons to a top-tier producer and artist. He's got so many cool 'happenstances' in his story and he's a mellow guy to boot.

We'll hear some of his music and name check Paul McCartney among others. Be sure to listen!

We’re thrilled to welcome multi-instrumentalist Forrest O’Connor to the Count It Off podcast! Check out his history!

Nashville-born mandolinist, guitarist, and songwriter Forrest O’Connor earned national recognition as one of the lead vocalists and instrumentalists in the O’Connor Band, a group he co-founded with his wife, Kate, and his father, seven-time CMA Award-winning violinist Mark O’Connor. Forrest wrote several songs, including the title track, for the O’Connor Band’s first album Coming Home, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums Chart and won a Grammy Award in 2017. He also arranged and contributed a track to the John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project Vol. 1 tribute album, which was nominated for a Grammy in 2021.

Both independently and as part of the O’Connor Band, Forrest has performed or recorded with Paul Simon, Zac Brown, Steve Martin, Kenny Loggins, Clint Black, Emmylou Harris, Suzy Bogguss, Judah & The Lion, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, and many others. He has played numerous times at The Grand Ole Opry and The Ryman as well as Fenway Park, the 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards Ceremony, and many prominent festivals and venues around the country. He appeared in the last season of ABC’s hit show Nashville and was one of the lead instrumentalists in Marcus Hummon’s folk opera Favorite Son (premiered by the Nashville Opera in 2022) and musical No Man’s Land (Belmont University, 2024).

Prior to the O’Connor Band, Forrest toured nationally as a duo with Kate and frequently performed as a sideman at The Station Inn in Nashville. In 2014, he won the Tennessee State Mandolin Championship. He is a graduate of Harvard University.

Welcome to Count It Off! 

Our guest this week is Tab Laven, a fabulous guitarist, songwriter and recording artist from Nashville, TN. He’s spent the past 25 years touring the world (literally) with the legendary Art Garfunkel, founding member of Simon & Garfunkel. From sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall to every major TV and live award show, Tab has been Art’s right-hand man.

Tab shares his stories with the Hall Of Fame legend and his journey from his youth playing with Mary McGregor, Michael Johnson and even jamming on banjo with John Hartford. It’s a delightful collection of history and along the way, you’ll hear some tracks from his most recent release, Cranberry Red Balloon.

This is one not to be missed. 

Kim's an awesome singer - as you'll hear - and we're stoked to have her on Count It Off!

She'll share her stories and music as we talk all things Nashville, touring with the likes of Brooks & Dunn, Kathy Mattea, Christopher Cross and singing in the background vocals group on the Grand Ole Opry stage.

She's an awesome artist in her own right and has a warmth and humor we know you'll love. So glad to introduce her to all of you! Please share this show with your musical friends and we're confident they'll love her too.

I'm so glad to know this amazing musician, writer, entertainer and guitarist. His passion for the music shines through every note he sings and plays. That voice! I sometimes call his sound "Los Lonely Boys meet Vince Gill."

From his roots in Phoenix AZ to his Nashville years working with Ronnie McDowell and Kenny Chesney, to his SoCal years, we'll hear about his rich history and check in on the live gig situation on the coast. He plays at least 32 gigs a month and never loses that smile and sincerity.

I know you're going to want to hear his music and vibe.

I was Glen Campbell's bandleader and guitarist for 15 years and with his birthday approaching, I thought it would be meaningful to assemble family and friends to pay tribute to him.

We gathered three Campbell kids with Glen's bandleader before me, Carl Jackson on April 22, what would have been his 89th birthday.

Great stories from growing up Hollywood famous and living on the road, plus Carl's long history and years writing and producing songs with Glen.

If you're a deep Glen fan, you'll want to hear this!