Inside MusiCast

Jeff Lorber continues to climb to new levels as a musician and with his music.  With each new album project, his goal is to make improvements and create even better music than before.  The new Jeff Lorber Fusion project titled “Prototype” is the latest chapter in his musical saga and includes some familiar faces, as well a some new additions.  Once again, Jeff reunites with bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Gary Novak as the core of the Jeff Lorber Fusion.  Saxophonist Andy Snitzer makes his debut with the group and the album contains several incredible guest musicians, such as Nathan East, Chuck Loeb, Larry Koonse, Paul Jackson, Jr. and Dave Mann.  It’s been nearly four years since we last connected with Jeff, so we’re pleased to have him back to chat about the new record and to catch-up.  Inside MusiCast is please to once again welcome Jeff Lorber.

It’s been nearly seven years since we last connected with Bernie Chiaravalle, but it goes without saying that he’s been a busy musician.  His long standing relationship with Michael McDonald has kept him moving on the road and in the studio.  He played an integral role with Amy Holland’s latest album “Light On My Path” and he has released three additional solo projects since our chat with him back in 2010.  It’s only been a year since he released his last album “One Bright Moment” but on April 18, Bernie is set to release perhaps his most introspective and personal album to date, “Make Some Sense Of This” - an album project that he wrote, performed, engineered and produced from start to finish.  Here to talk to us more about this new album project is our good friend, Bernie Chiaravalle. 

The title of Raul Midón’s brand new album, “Bad Ass And Blind”, sums it up pretty nicely. True, Raul is blind and has been since birth, but when it comes to music he’s as badass as they come. The New York Times described him as “a one man band who turns a guitar into an orchestra and his voice into a chorus.” Since 1999, Raul has released eight solo albums that touch a variety of musical landscapes and features his blazing, percussive-style finger work on the guitar, as well as his soulful, silky vocals. His talents have also been featured on tours, sessions and album projects for artists such as Shakira, India Arie, Al Jarreau, Marcus Miller, Alejandro Sanz, Julio Iglesias, Stevie Wonder, Jason Mraz, and Herbie Hancock. His ninth studio album, “Bad Ass And Blind”, is set to be released on March 24 and will find Raul expanding into his jazz roots and featuring compositions that explore linear modal harmony, similar to the musical avenues taken by jazz legends Miles Davis and Wayne Shorter. To expand on his incredible journey in music and to chat further about his brand new album, Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Raul Midón.

For those of you who love music and had hopes of someday performing in front of thousands of screaming fans and touring the world, meet Keith Howland.  His path to the music business began with those very same dreams that eventually became his reality.  In the early 80’s when Keith attended James Madison University, he caught a Chicago concert on campus and it turned out to be one of the best performances he’s ever witnessed.  After the show, he remembers catching a glimpse of Chicago guitarist Chris Pinnick and thought to himself, “That’s the luckiest guy in the world.  I wish I could get a gig like that.”  His wish eventually came true, but not before paying his dues and working his way into the audition that eventually changed his entire career.  Here to tell us about this incredible journey to the band Chicago is Keith Howland. 

Having studied classical organ at a young age, Bill Meyers thought of himself as a music snob. While his friends were into Led Zeppelin and other rock artists, Bill was focusing on the works of Bach. Bill honed his skills at the University of DePaul where he discovered a love for jazz, blues and R&B and started making his own music. A demo he created landed in the hands of Gino Vannelli and the rest is history. Bill joined Gino’s touring band, which eventually led him on his path in the music industry performing, producing, arranging and writing music for the likes of Madonna, Earth Wind and Fire, George Dukes, Boz Scaggs, Lou Rawls, David Foster, Natalie Cole, Sheila E, and many others. Here to expand on his incredible career is Bill Meyers.

On this episode of Inside MusiCast, we take you to Rio de Janeiro to chat with a multifaceted musician whose music explores many avenues, including jazz, soul, MPB, rock, funk, and a deep love for the West Coast sound – Ed Motta. Since launching his solo career in 1990, Ed has released 13 albums containing these various music elements, but it was his 2013 release “AOR” that caught our attention here at Inside MusiCast. For lovers of that smooth, West Coast vibe, “AOR” became an instant classic. Earlier this year, Ed followed-up “AOR” with “Perpetual Gateways”, a record that again explores similar West Coast territory, but takes a journey into some well-crafted jazz and includes some heavy duty guest musicians, including Hubert Laws, Greg Phillinganes. Patrice Rushen, and Marvin ‘Smitty’ Smith. Needless to say, Ed Motta is a musician’s musician and we’re excited to have him here with us today. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Ed Motta.

Stephen Duros, also knows as Astro, is a guitarist, lighting technician for TOTO, and a talented cartoonist.  His approach to lighting for Toto is literally ‘analog’ by today’s standards, as his lightning method includes very little automation.  He relies on his astute sense of Toto’s music in order to trigger lighting effects for their shows. If you’ve ever seen Toto live, you’ll understand just how accurate and artistic his work can be.  But Stephen’s talents go beyond the lights.  He’s also a brilliant guitarist with a focus on classical and Flamenco.  In fact, Stephen performed with the amazing Ottmar Liebert for several years and was even credited on Liebert’s Grammy nominated album The Scent Of Light.  Here to discuss his many talents, including his cartooning, is Stephen ‘Astro’ Duros.

From his humble beginnings in Nebraska, to working his way into a band as a backing vocalist, to fronting the band that eventually became The Tubes, Fee Waybill was born to entertain. But being the front man in the band wasn’t just about singing the tunes. The Tubes live performances were an extravaganza of bondage, simulated sex, chainsaws, phallic props, smashing televisions, and often partially nude dancers and band members. Not only were The Tubes pioneers of incorporating theatrics and shock value into their live shows, but they were also a band of brilliant musicians. Their early albums were a fusion of rock and jazz that were comparable to Zappa and incorporated lyrics that satirized pop culture, politics, religion and even sexual taboos. They garnered a cult following, but didn’t have a major hit on their hands until they connected with producer David Foster in 1981. Together with Steve Lukather, the Tubes scored their first major hit “Talk To Ya’ Later” and two years later topped its success with the even more successful “She’s A Beauty.” But as mentioned before, Fee is a man of many talents and he’s here to tell us all about them. Inside MusiCast welcomes Fee Waybill.

On this episode of Inside MusiCast, we welcome Michelle Willis who hails from Toronto and is quickly gaining attention through her appearances opening and performing with Snarky Puppy, as well as her current tour in support of the legendary David Crosby.  Recently, Michelle released her debut solo album titled “See Us Through”, an album that was six years in the making and as mature a debut album as you could ask for.  The album features eight tracks of very personal lyrical accounts wrapped around gorgeous vocal harmonies, it’s beautifully engineered, and musically supported by some of the best players in Toronto.  Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Michelle Willis.

When he was only 13 years old, Joe Vana’s life was forever changed through a chance meeting with Survivor’s Jim Peterik. As Joe will tell you, Jim taught him everything he knew about music and the music business. But it wasn’t until he was 28 years old that he discovered his voice, but when he did he became Peterik’s in-house demo singer for many years. Joe and Jim eventually created a band called Project Voyager, which ultimately became Mecca. In 2002, Mecca released its debut, self-titled album that featured David Hungate on bass, Shannon Forrest on drums, Fergie Frederiksen and Joe on vocals, Mark Aquino on guitars and Jimmy Nichols on keyboards. Nine years later, Mecca released their follow-up titled “Undeniable” and on October 14 of this year, Mecca released the band’s third album “Mecca III.” Here to discuss the new album is Mecca’s Joe Vana.