Welcome to our third season. A delightful way to begin a rainy winter morning is a chat with Marcella Simien. Marcella is a singer, songwriter, musician, and visual artist who is killing it here in Memphis and soon….the world! We talk about her artistic journey from Lafayette, LA to Memphis, TN, Creole culture, the hustle, and fearlessness and “facing the abyss.” Enjoy.

To wrap up season 2, we have Gary Hardy over for lunch. Hardy is a Memphis musician, producer, and story teller who says it like it is. Thanks to Gary we have Sun Studio again, having reopened it in 1987. We get into his story from the beginning, though maybe not in that order. We have been informed that there will likely be a part 2 so stay tuned.

In episode 7 we speak to Brian Craig, station manager at WEVL, Memphis’s own volunteer radio. WEVL is a completely listener supported gem of terrestrial radio station that has been on the air since 1976. We get into history of the station, what it take to run it, and the programming that makes it so special. It is the only radio to which I consistently listen and getting to visit was exciting. Enjoy the conversation and support your local public station.

Yes. We said beer…and spirits. This episode took a while to assemble, but let me assure you there were no complaints. A compilation of conversations, we went to one distillery, two breweries, speaking to five creators of lovely libations. Big thanks to Old Dominick’s, Meddlesome, High Cotton, Memphis Made, and Wiseacre for making this episode happen. Cheers!

In Episode 5 we catch up with Dr. Jack Cooper. A busy man, Cooper is director of jazz studies at the University of Memphis, currently he also serves as the Composer and Arranger in Residence for the Berlin Jazz Orchestra, and performs with various ensembles. We delve into the nitty gritty of working in music both in and out of the world of academia. We do geek out and get into the weeds at times and details are plentiful, but lots of great information to be had.

In this episode we sit down with the creators of Stoned Ninja at the lovely 409 South Main building in Memphis. Gabriel DeRanzo (writer) and Greg Cravens (artist) have come together to bring life to “a new strain of hero.” We get an education in the world of comic creation and what it takes to make an idea into a reality.

Say hello to Holly Whitfield! Holly is the writer, curator, blogger, of www.ilovememphisblog.com, which is the “go to” source of info on what to do in Memphis. If you are planning a trip to Memphis or live here already this is the blog to follow.

Lately, the first place I take visiting friends and family is Crosstown Concourse. It never disappoints. The vendors, the gallery, the (slowly becoming iconic) red staircase, the building’s enormity, etc, eventually lead to them saying “Wow…but…what is this place?” Well in this episode we only get into the question of “What is Crosstown Arts” while scratching the surface of the rest. We chat with Caitlin Hassinger, Eso Tolson, Jenny Davis, and Joy Marseille for a better understanding of the initiative known as Crosstown Arts. Enjoy!

In this episode we sit down with Joyce Cobb. Cobb is Memphis royalty. She is an incredible vocalist and entertainer and an absolute delight to be around. Cobb’s journey in through the world of music is a great example of what it means to hustle, work, and diversify. In addition to her massive repertoire, she is a songwriter, was the last recording artist at Stax Records, and currently teaches voice at Rhodes College here in Memphis. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

Memphis Machine gets classy and takes a goes to the Opera, Opera Memphis. We speak with Michael Sakir (conductor) and Ned Canty (director). These gentlemen are titans of opera and a joy to talk to. We have a very enlightening discussion about opera and its relevancy in Memphis. Enjoy.