Inside MusiCast

Born in Scotland and raised in Canada, Lawrence Gowan carved a path to a very successful solo career, having released six albums and selling millions of records and collecting two Juno awards over a 13 year span.  However, in 1997 his musical path took a turn when he had a chance to open for Styx in Montreal.  Tommy Shaw took notice of Gowan’s talent and charismatic stage performance and invited him to join the band two years later.  Fast forward 21 years, Gowan has become an integral part of this legendary band and on June 18 they’ll release their 17th studio album, “Crash Of The Crown.”  Here to talk to us about this new album project is Styx lead vocalist, Lawrence Gowan. 

We first spoke to Coen Molenaar back in 2015 when his band Tristan  released “2nd Phase”, and again in 2019 when they released “The Spice of Five”. This past year, Tristan faced a challenge in finding a new lead vocalist, after Evelyn Kallansee exited the band.  Enter Jaycilee Teterissa, a vibrant and talented vocalist whose style fits Tristan’s vibe perfectly and this past April they released their new album titled “What Could Possibly Go Wrong?”.  Along with Jaycilee, Coen and the other band members are heading in the right direction with this wonderful new album. Inside MusiCast is glad to welcome Coen Molenaar and Jaycilee Teterissa.

In 2005, Laurence Elder released his debut album “Surrounded” that incorporated a unique blend of jazz, pop, and a touch of blues.  Nearly 16 years later, he returns with his forthcoming album titled “Walk Another Mile”, which will be released on May 19.  This new album features many of the same musicians from his debut album, including Carlomagno Araya and the late Dan Warner.  Laurence also involved two special guests: guitarist Mike Stern and trumpet legend Randy Brecker.  The old adage “Good things come to those who wait” holds true, because while fans of Laurence Elder have waited a long time to hear new music from him, there’s no doubt they’ll be extremely pleased with these new compositions. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Laurence Elder.

On this episode of Inside MusiCast, we welcome a second-generation guitar player who just happens to be a multi-Grammy-winning songwriter and producer.  Nashville-based Gordon Kennedy is literally following in his father’s footsteps, and the similarities of their accomplishments are astounding. He co-wrote "Change The World" for Eric Clapton, which won "Song of the Year” at the 1997 Grammy Awards. He has written and produced for artists such as Peter Frampton, Alison Krauss, Bonnie Raitt, Garth Brooks, Ricky Skaggs, Don Henley, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and many more. His guitar playing is second to none -  just ask Peter Frampton.  We’re glad to welcome an ever present icon in the Nashville scene, Gordon Kennedy. 

Martin Page had a tough career choice to make. As a semi-pro football player, he could choose soccer and try his luck at the professional level, or as a talented musician with a budding career, he could choose the musical path. Of course, he chose music and he gave it his all. It was a great decision, as a song he wrote and produced with his Q-Feel partner Brian Fairweather called “Dancing In Heaven” became an underground hit on KROQ radio in Los Angeles . This success prompted his move from London to Los Angeles, which opened the door to connections with many of his musical heroes, including Bernie Taupin, Maurice White and so many others. While Martin’s passion for soccer has never waned, music is still his first love and the career choice we’re all glad he chose to follow. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Martin Page.

You seldom catch Marcus Miller without his signature fedora hat. He wears them at every gig and on every stage. But, the symbolism is telling, as his long career has also allowed him to wear many musical hats – not only as a premier, first-call bassist, but also as a producer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, film and jazz composer, and even as a bass clarinet player. Throughout his illustrious career, Miller has played and shared the stage with greats such as Miles Davis, David Sanborn, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Bob James, Joe Sample, Grover Washington, Donald Fagen and many others who are at the top of the music chain. We’re glad to finally welcome Marcus Miller to Inside MusiCast.

For the past 15 years, we’ve been fortunate to have Steve Lukather as a recurring guest on Inside MusiCast.  And today, he’s back to talk to us about his brand new solo album dropping this Friday, February 26 titled “I Found The Sun Again”.

We’re also pleased to welcome Joseph Williams, who’s joining us for the first time, to discuss his new solo project, “Denizen Tenant”, which also drops this Friday - with both records being released on the Mascot Records label.

Not only do Luke and Joe contribute to each other’s new solo records, but they’ve enlisted some incredible musicians - including a heavy dose of Toto founding member, David Paich.  And speaking of Toto, we’ll also include some conversation about the newly resurrected version of the band and their “Dogz Of Oz” tour that’s slated to begin later this year.

Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Joseph Williams and Steve Lukather.

With over 20 albums under his belt, saxophonist Richard Elliot has delivered jazz music that has landed on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz charts over the past four decades. Early on, he played with Tower of Power and even the Yellowjackets, but it’s been five years since he’s released any fresh, personal work. With his new album, "Authentic Life" on Shanachie Records, we find Richard collaborating with some old friends and past Inside MusiCast guests, including Jeff Lorber, Philippe Saisse, and Rick Braun. And they’ve delivered a body of work that will impress you. We're glad to welcome Richard Elliot to Inside MusiCast.

The heart of Russell Ferrante’s career has been spent as keyboardist for the legendary jazz group, Yellowjackets.  In fact, he’s the only member who’s been in the group since its inception in 1980.  Outside of his Yellowjackets tenure, Ferrante has also recorded and toured with an incredible array of artists, including Lee Ritenour, Joni Mitchell, Larry Carlton, Robben Ford, George Michael, Take 6, Michael Franks, Dave Grusin, and many more.  However, throughout his lengthy and successful career, Ferrante had yet to release an album containing his own material - until now - as he’s teamed-up with bassist Michael Valerio and drummer Steve Schaeffer to create the Russell Ferrante Trio and the new album “Inflexion”, which is available now on Blue Canoe Records.  The 11 track album contains a mix of originals, covers, and a couple of new arrangements of Yellowjackets tunes.  Here to chat with us today about this beautiful new album is Russell Ferrante.  

2020 was a difficult year for everyone, but for Christopher Cross it was life changing. Chris caught the COVID-19 virus early and it progressed into an even more challenging scenario when he was diagnosed with Guillain Barré Syndrome. He spent a good portion of the year regaining the strength and ability to get back on his feet. However, this didn’t stop him from moving forward with finishing a beautiful package of his life’s work - a brand new box set titled “The Complete Works”, which he’s proud to offer to his biggest fans. Here to kick off 2021 and discuss the events that unfolded over the course of this past year, including his brand new box set, is none other than Christopher Cross.