Making Sound with Jann Klose

EPISODE 141: The Blackbyrds were at the cutting edge of jazz fusion, R&B and funk in the 1970s, pushing the boundaries of Black popular music forward in one of the most musically fertile decades of the past century. Established by legendary jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd in 1973, the band's success includes several highly touted albums, film scores (1975's "Cornbread," "Earl and Me"), as well as supporting such iconic artists as B.B. King. Herbie Hancock, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Roberta Flack and more. The Blackbyrds’ self-titled debut album put the group on the map with "Do It, Fluid," a funky laid-back party anthem.  The group followed that initial success with a string of albums over the next five years, including FLYING START (1974), which yielded their biggest hit, the Grammy-nominated "Walking in Rhythm," and CITY LIFE (1975), which contained the hit "Happy Music" and the iconic "Rock Creek Park," which remains one of the most sampled jazz-funk tracks to this day, as well as such hits as “Supernatural Feeling,” Grammy-nominated “Unfinished Business,” “Time is Movin’,” “Dreaming About You” and “Flyin’ High,” among many others. Under the leadership of original drummer and vocalist, Keith Killgo, the band continues to record, tour and perform globally.  The Blackbyrds current lineup includes original founding members Keith Killgo (drums and vocals) and Joe Hall (bass), Paul Spires (vocals), Dominique Toney (vocals), daughter of original band keyboardist Kevin Toney, Roberto Villeda (keyboards), Charles Wright (guitar), Thad Wilson (trumpet), Marshall Keys (saxophone) and Sean Anthony (percussion). blackbyrdsmusic.com

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EPISODE 140: Christine Ohlman is the long-time vocalist with the Saturday Night Live Band on NBC whose towering hair earned her the nickname “The Beehive Queen.” She is one of the queens of American Rock n’ Soul, deeply embedded in the scenes in Muscle Shoals, Alabama and New Orleans Louisiana as well as—of course—NYC.  She leads Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez, with whom she has released six CDs. (The latest, “The Deep End,” appeared on several year-end national Top Ten lists).  She has recently collaborated with Dion on his chart-topping CD of duets, “Girl Friends” as well as appearing on recent tributes to Wilson Pickett and Matt “Guitar” Murphy.  She is a musicologist of note, and her radio show/Apple Podcast “Soul Hive” is now in its second year. christineohlman.net

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EPISODE 139: Blair Mowat is a BAFTA-nominated, award-winning composer with over 200 projects and nearly two decades of experience across film, television, and theatre. Credits include Class (a spin-off from Doctor Who), McDonald & Dodds, Hammer Horror’s Doctor Jekyll, Russell T Davies’s Nolly (TV BAFTA-nominated score and Camille Award winner), The Guest, After the Flood, and The Age of Disclosure, an explosive and record breaking documentary that, since release, has entered the global news conversation. blairmowat.co.uk

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EPISODE 138: Matthew Feder is a Los Angeles–based film and television composer known for co-composing the scores for the Netflix docuseries Arnold and the immersive film Asteroid (which premiered at the 2025 Venice Film Festival), both alongside longtime collaborator Christophe Beck. He has contributed additional music to a wide range of films and series including Agatha All Along, Road House, The Instigators, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Nimona, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, Hawkeye, Lego Ninjago, and Wolf Hound. His work spans genres from drama and action to comedy and documentaries, and he is passionate about exploring new sounds across projects, crafting scores with distinct sonic and melodic identities while collaborating closely with directors and filmmakers to tell meaningful stories with nuance and depth. https://matthewfeder.com

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EPISODE 137: Embracing a broad range of musical styles, British singer-songwriter Tasmin Archer's soulfully silky voice has graced a strong catalogue of songs with an eclectic mix of themes since the 1990s. Archer first came to public attention in 1992 with the UK chart topper and worldwide hit 'Sleeping Satellite' taken from the platinum debut album 'Great Expectations'. Three further singles from the album were top 30 hits in the UK. She received a Brit award in 1993 and was nominated in two further categories the same year. Archer also won an RSH Gold award in Germany and was nominated in the best alternative artist category for an MTV award in the US. 'Shipbuilding', an EP of four Elvis Costello covers, was released in early 1994 and was followed in 1996 by the more introspective, critically acclaimed album 'Bloom'. 'On', the third Tasmin Archer studio album was released independently on Quiverdisc in 2006. A new album 'A Cauldron of Random Notes' is scheduled for release in September 2025. tasminarcher.com

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EPISODE 136: Phil Manzanera is one of the UK’s best-known musicians and record producers, having shot to prominence in the early ‘70’s as the lead guitarist with Roxy Music. He is acknowledged as one of the world’s leading guitarists and is in much demand both as a performer and record producer. Now in his fifth decade as a professional musician, in addition to his work with Roxy Music, he has worked with many music luminaries, including Steve Winwood, David Gilmour, John Cale, Godley and Creme, Nico (Velvet Underground) and John Wetton (King Crimson, Asia). He has co-written material with many artists, including Brian Eno, Tim Finn, Robert Wyatt and David Gilmour. Manzanera co-wrote Pink Floyd’s single “One Slip,” from their 1988 MOMENTARY LAPSE OF REASON album. Manzanera has also produced seminal albums for Spanish-speaking artists Draco Rosa, Enrique Bunbury, Héoes del Silencio Aterciopelados, Paralamas and Fito Paez.  manzanera.com 

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EPISODE 135: A pioneer of the brash, no-holds-barred style that came to dominate morning shows on rock radio in the 1990s, Joey Reynolds began working as a deejay at small stations in 1960. In 1963 he returned to his hometown of Buffalo, New York, where he worked at WKBW, the powerhouse station whose signal reached two-thirds of North America. Mixing traditional Top 40 histrionics with rants and raves about anyone who had upset him—be it his boss or his listeners—he became a sensation and moved on to stations in Cleveland and Detroit. After jumping around to Hartford, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and New York City, he landed in Miami in the late 1980s, working on both radio and television and later hosting a nationally syndicated, all-night radio talk show. Joey Reynolds has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. thejoeyreynolds.com

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EPISODE 134: Dave Rosenberg began his career as an actor in New York, performing on stage and screen alongside renowned talents such as Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind), Olympia Dukakis (The Chekhov Cycle), and Austin Pendleton (The American Clock).Over the years, Dave has expanded his creative pursuits to include writing, directing, producing, stand-up comedy, teaching, and anti-bullying public speaking through his organization, HPHP.PRO. He wrote, produced, and starred in the award-winning feature film The Reunion (thereunionfilm.com) and the acclaimed web series isms (youtube.com/@isms81). Bridging the Gap marks Dave’s directorial debut in film. A passionate democrat and lifelong advocate for the underdog, Dave is driven by a desire to counteract the growing anger, fear, and division in the country. His mission is to foster unity and inspire collaborative solutions through storytelling and civic engagement. Susan Gorrell is the Executive Director of the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival (JDIFF), a role she has held since 2015. Under her leadership, the festival has grown into a globally recognized event, drawing over 7,500 attendees in 2024. A producer of multiple feature films—including Supercon (Sony Pictures)—Susan first joined JDIFF as a filmmaker in 2012 and will celebrate her 11th year as Executive Director in 2025.She is also President of Oakmill Entertainment and has over 20 years of experience in film, music, and live event production, including work with Heartbeat Distribution and the Unity Awards. bridgingthegapmovie.com

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EPISODE 133: Beth Lane is a multi-hyphenate artist based in Los Angeles and Ojai. She most recently produced, directed, and wrote the award-winning feature documentary UnBroken. A trained actor and coach, she has performed on both coasts—from dancing at the Metropolitan Opera House with the legendary Jessye Norman and Samuel Ramey, to starring in acclaimed LA theater productions like West Coast Ensemble’s Assassins and Francis Ford Coppola’s Distant Vision. Beth narrates over 40 voices in the audiobook, The Bride Price, and wowed the owners of New York City’s famous Iridium Jazz Club where she debuted and released her CD, Lies of Handsome Men. A graduate of the University of Michigan and UCLA’s MFA program, Beth coaches actors for film, TV, theater, musicals and voice-over as well as non-actors in public speaking. bethlane.com

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EPISODE 132: A soulful and distinctive singer, talented keyboardist and songwriter, T Bear (Richard T Bear) made his mark as a solo artist and collaborator with many iconic artists—Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Blues Brothers, Richie Havens, Cher, Paul Shaffer, to name a few. In 1978, T Bear signed with RCA Records and released Red, Hot & Blue that featured Les Dudek, Billy Squier, and the Brecker Brothers. He has shared the stage with Richie Havens, Odetta, The Doobie Brothers and Jeff Beck. Domestic responsibilities and a struggle to regain his sobriety, which he did in 1983, forced him to put his music career on hold. He became instrumental in developing the Musicians Picnic, serving on its board of directors, which led to the creation of Musicians Assistance Program, now part of MusiCares Foundation. T Bear credits his late wife for encouraging his comeback.After a self-imposed hiatus from the music industry that lasted nearly three decades, T Bear, aka Richard T Bear, keyboardist, vocalist, songwriter, returns with a new album, Fresh Bear Tracks, released on Quarto Valley Records. A blend of blues, soul and rock with a who’s who of special guests including Stephen Stills, Robby Krieger, Edgar Winter, Tom Scott, Walter Trout, Hutch Hutchinson, Laurence Juber, and more. Produced by Grammy Award winner Tony Braunagel, Fresh Bear Tracks was recorded at Robby Krieger’s studio in Los Angeles. instagram.com/richard_tbear

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