"Northern Exposure" to the Netherlands with Harmonicist/Keyboardist/Singer Tollak Ollestad Singer, songwriter, keyboardist and harmonica player Tollak Ollestad was born in Alaska and grew up in Seattle, Washington. Over the years he has used his diverse talents in musical settings ranging from television, film and album appearances, to live concert performances. He has performed live, and or toured, with such acts as Don Henley, Michael McDonald, Jewel, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster and Seal... and has been featured on albums by artists such as Natalie Cole, Al Jarreau, Earth Wind and Fire, Dave Grusin, Brenda Russell, Richard Page and Gino Vanelli. Tollak also played the harmonica on the theme for the classic 90's TV show "Northern Exposure".

After 20 years in Los Angeles Tollak now lives in Europe where he is active as a performer, writer, studio musician and music educator-speaker. He was a featured TED speaker and has released three albums of original music: Walk the Earth, Across the Rubicon and Reckless Jones.

Original Release Date: May 4, 2021

Remastered: 2026

A Far From Bass-ic Life with Bassist/Producer/Educator Andrew Ford

Andrew Ford is a bass player, producer, composer, arranger, music director and educator who has performed across the globe with many of the greatest artist in the world. These include Al Jarreau, Whitney Houston, James Ingram, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Patrice Rushen, Larry Carlton, David Crosby, Kirk Whalum, Dianne Reeves, Robben Ford, Barry Manilow, Graham Nash, Michael McDonald, David Pack, George Duke, Ronnie Laws, Boney James, Norman Brown, Peter White and more.

Original Recording Date: April 27, 2021

Remastered: 2026

Making IT as a "MusicMan" with Studio/IT Tech Ruben Garcia

Born and raised in the streets of Watts, Los Angeles, Ruben Garcia has built a career defined by resilience, creativity, and a passion for technology and music. As the founder and driving force behind MusicMan Engineering, Ruben has become a trusted technology and technical services professional within the entertainment industry, working with renowned industry professionals and organizations including Terry Wollman, Westlake Pro, Cherokee Studios, and many others.

Beyond MusicMan Engineering, Ruben brings his expertise to some of the most influential institutions in music. He serves The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum as IT and Exhibits Technician, combining his technical knowledge with his deep connection to the music industry.

From the streets of Watts to the heart of the technology, recording and entertainment industry, Ruben's journey is a testament to overcoming the odds, creating opportunities, and turning a passion for technology and music into a lifelong career.

Originally Recorded In: April 20, 2021

Remastered: 2026

Rising to "New STANDARDS" with Drummer/Producer/Artistic Director Terri Lyne Carrington

Terri Lyne Carrington is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and many others. She toured with each of Hancock's musical configurations (from electric to acoustic) between 1997 and 2007. In 2007 she was appointed professor at her alma mater, Berklee College of Music, where she received an honorary doctorate in 2003. She has won three Grammy Awards, including a 2013 award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, which established her as the first female musician to win a Grammy in this category.

Carrington serves as founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and The Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. She also serves on the board of trustees for The Recording Academy, board of directors for International Society for Jazz Arrangers and Composers and the advisory board for The History Makers and New Music USA.

Original Release Date: 04/13/21

Remastered: 2026

Making the Most of "THIS DAY" with Actress/Singer Connie Jackson

Connie Jackson is a singer and actress who was born and raised on Chicago's South Side and now calls Los Angeles home.The youngest of four children, Connie knew from an early age that she wanted to be a performer. In 1986, she packed her car and drove across the country to pursue that dream. Although acting has always been her primary focus, singing gave her first major break. Within months of arriving in Los Angeles, legendary choreographer Michael Peters hired her for the Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Michael Bennett's Dreamgirls, which opened at the Ambassador Theatre in 1987.

Among Connie's career highlights are touring and recording with pop icon Phil Collins as a vocalist on both the Finally... The First Farewell Tour and Going Back tours. She also toured briefly with rock legend Joe Walsh. Connie has provided backing vocals at numerous special events for artists including Lenny Kravitz, Patti Austin, Faith Hill, Michael McDonald, k.d. lang, Timothy B. Schmit, Shelea, Seal, and many others. One of her bucket-list moments was singing with Barbra Streisand at the Grammy Awards and the MusiCares Person of the Year gala.

As an actress, Connie has appeared for more than nine seasons on NCIS as Elaine, Leroy Jethro Gibbs' favorite waitress. She also appears as Gloria on the Fox series Pivoting, available on Hulu. Her other television credits include How to Get Away with Murder, 9-1-1, and Killing It, along with numerous television commercials. She also voiced Grandma Lucy in the animated film Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You. Outside of entertainment, Connie is a passionate animal advocate. In her spare time, she photographs shelter animals to help them find rescue placements and loving homes. She encourages everyone to adopt, not shop.

Original Recording Date: April 6, 2021

Remastered: 2026

Talking Shop with Guitarist/Keyboardist/Producer Troy Dexter

Troy Dexter is a Los Angeles-based guitarist/keyboardist, producer, composer and arranger. A graduate of Dick Grove School of Music, he currently tours and records with Wilson Phillips, the Carl Verheyen Band (formerly of Supertramp), and the popular California band VENICE (featuring the Lennon brothers Kipp, Mark, Pat and Michael). He has also performed/recorded with Patty Austin, Stephen Bishop, Chaka Khan, Heatwave, The Chi Lites, The Manhattans, Howard Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Moby, Don Felder (Eagles), Rumer, Darlene Love, Freda Payne, The Macon Pops orchestra and others, and has played in the pit orchestra for "A Strange Loop" and others. From his recording studio "The Shop" in LA, Troy produces bands, and singer songwriters as well as remote recording session work. He was the lead music composer for ABCMouse.com for 12 years, and co-wrote tunes for Tower of Power and others.

Original Release Date: March 30, 2021

Remastered: 2026

Telling "American Guitar Stories" with Guitarist/Composer/Producer Jim "Kimo" West

When Jim "Kimo" West first came to Hawaiʻi in 1985, he bypassed Waikīkī entirely and headed straight to the small village of Hāna on Maui. He spent much of the following years there, and it was in Hāna that he first heard the music of Gabby Pahinui, the Sons of Hawaiʻi, Sonny Chillingworth, and Atta Isaacs. Already familiar with alternate guitar tunings, Kimo connected deeply with the sound of kī hōʻalu, or Hawaiian slack-key guitar. This warm, expressive fingerstyle tradition traces its roots to 1840s Hawaiʻi, when Mexican vaqueros brought guitars to the Big Island.

Today, Kimo is regarded as one of the world's leading slack-key guitarists. His music has surpassed 125 million streams and has also been featured on SiriusXM. He won a Grammy® in 2021 for his album More Guitar Stories and received a Grammy nomination in 2019 for Moku Maluhia—Peaceful Island. He is also currently nominated for his work as a producer and guitarist on Sounds of Kumbha.

His other honors include a 2008 Hawaii Music Award, six Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award nominations, and two LA Treasures Awards recognizing his efforts to preserve this important acoustic-guitar tradition. A veteran of Hawaiʻi's celebrated slack-key festivals, Kimo also performed at the Southern California Slack Key Festival every year from 2008 through 2025.

Over the course of his career, Kimo has shared the stage with nearly all of the world's leading slack-key musicians. He has twice appeared as a featured performer on the acclaimed International Guitar Night tour, as well as its European counterpart, Nacht der Gitarren. He is set to host the tour in 2027.

Kimo's extensive catalog includes original compositions alongside imaginative arrangements of slack-key classics. His Guitar Stories series reaches beyond Hawaiian music to explore West African guitar, Middle Eastern music, Americana, and other traditions. Slackers in Paradise features duets with slack-key and steel-guitar legend Ken Emerson, while his latest album, Of Wood and Spirit, blends Hawaiian slack key and Americana. Kimo's music can also be heard on the popular relaxation app Calm. In addition to recording and performing, he spent several years composing for film and television and maintains an advanced private studio in Los Angeles.

Original Recording Date: March 23, 2021

Remastered: 2026

Mayor Rick Rodriguez: The Road To The Mayor's Office

Rick Rodriguez served as the Mayor of Downey California in 2018. He is founder of RMI International, an international security firm that operates in 18 states and three countries. Rodriguez founded the company in 1996 after a lengthy career in private security.

Rick is a past president of the Downey Chamber of Commerce and current president of Gangs Out of Downey. His other volunteer work includes stints as chairman of Downey's Emergency Preparedness Committee, member of Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis, and member of Downey's Veterans Memorial Committee. He is also a chaplain with the LA County Sheriff's Department and founder of the Living Tree Foundation, which helps returning Combat Veterans and their families.

Rodriguez, the son of migrant farm workers from Texas, grew up in El Monte, California. He and his wife Lupe have seven children and nine grandchildren.

Original Release Date: February 10, 2021

Remastered: 2026

Verdine White & Shelly Clark White: Hit Songs, Philanthropy & Gratitude

Shelly was born Mashelle Clark in Brooklyn, New York. An original member and cofounder of The Honey Cone, Shelly has had a remarkable career. Beginning as a child star at the age of seven she headlined at the renowned Apollo Theatre and the Palace Theatre before making her Broadway debut with Pearl Bailey and Diahann Carroll in the celebrated hit musical "The House of Flowers."

Clark went on to dazzle audiences touring with Cab Calloway in his renowned Cotton Club Revue followed by her work with artists including Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, Little Richard, DJ Rogers and Richard Harris. She also toured nationally with The Ike & Tina Turner Revue as one of the historic Ikettes. With The Honey Cone, Shelly was part of creating an enduring legacy of Billboard No. 1 and Top 10 hits that garnered numerous gold records and esteemed industry awards.Shelly has been married to Verdine White, the iconic bass player and co-founder of Earth, Wind & Fire for 40 years.

Verdine White is best know as the visionary entertainer, producer, fashion trend setter and electrifying bass player of Earth Wind & Fire. Born and raised in Chicago, he easily might have followed his father's footsteps into the field of medicine. It turned out however that music chose Verdine instead. He saw a Double bass in his high school orchestra class and there began his formal training.

In Verdine's words… "The instrument was standing alone in the corner of the orchestra class....tall, mysterious and majestic, so different from all the others, it called me and the love affair began."

Verdine honed his skills in local jazz clubs throughout Chicago and neighboring cities which allowed him to perfect his unique electric bass style and technique. Already an accomplished bassist, Verdine joined his brother Maurice White in Los Angeles to form one of the most successful POP and R&B bands of all time: Earth Wind and Fire.

Original Release Date: January 26, 2021

Remastered: 2026

The Art of Music Directing and Enjoying The Journey with Ron Walters Jr

Ron Walters Jr. is a keyboardist, composer, arranger, producer, and conductor. This Chicago native began his musical journey at an early age singing and playing drums in church. Heavily influenced by the music of Walter Hawkins, Andrae Crouch, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, Ron fell in love with the piano and never looked back. He went on to study with Chicago jazz piano legend Eddie Baker and composer/arranger William Russo. Ron graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Composition and a minor in Conducting.

In 2004, Barry Manilow took Ron "under his wing" as his new music director. Ron moved to Los Angeles and has served as Barry's conductor/MD/keyboardist ever since. With Mr. Manilow, Ron has performed on stages and TV shows all over the world. His most memorable experiences so far have been conducting and performing for the Nobel Peace Prize concert in 2010, and conducting both the Los Angeles Philharmonic and BBC Concert Orchestra in 2019. His conducting and playing earned him an Emmy nomination for Best Music Direction for the PBS special: "Barry Manilow Sings Songs of The 70's".

Original Release Date: December 24, 2020

Remastered: 2026