Music Makers and Soul Shakers with Steve Dawson

My guest this week is songwriter and guitar player David Bromberg. David is mostly known as a guitar player, but also plays a mean fiddle, pedal steel guitar and dobro. Bromberg began releasing albums of his own in the early 1970s, but at the same time was building a career as a prolific sideman, recording with everyone from Bob Dylan, Jerry Garcia and Jerry Jeff Walker to George Harrison and Ringo Starr. After a string of solo albums through the 70's, David decided to switch gears and got into violin repair and sales, starting his own shop in Delaware. David has recently hit the road again with a killer new band, and made his latest record last year, entitled "The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But The Blues". Enjoy my conversation with David Bromberg, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is legendary bass player Tommy Shannon. Best known as the bassist in Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Tommy was also an integral part of Johnny Winter's initial success, not to mention more recent projects including Arc Angels and Storyville. Growing up in west Texas, the future bass legend launched his music career in the usual fashion, playing guitar in local cover bands during his high school years. When Johnny Winter, described by Tommy as “an encyclopedia of the blues,” invited Shannon to join his band, he used his own vast record collection to immerse his new bassist in all things blues. While living in Houston, he read that Stevie Ray Vaughan, that “real awkward looking, scrawny 14-year-old kid” he remembered from years ago at The Fog, was playing at Rockefeller’s and decided to go check him out. The story of Tommy’s time with Stevie is well known: the musical highs of sold-out concerts all over the world, the multiple Grammys, the gold and platinum records. Tommy has been through the highest highs and lowest lows in his life and career and was kind enough to share his story with me. Enjoy my conversation with Tommy Shannon, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth! This is just a quick mid-season update to let you know that there's more coming... I just got too busy this summer to keep up. Also a bit of info on how you can help out with the show. Thanks for listening! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is the legendary keyboard player Reese Wynans. Wynans is probably best known as the keyboard player in Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, Double Trouble. From '85 until Stevie's death, they were like a freight train - touring worldwide and recording smash albums like "Soul To Soul", "Live Alive" and the final SRV album, "In Step". Hardcore Allman Brothers fans also know that Reese was a member of the Second Coming, which, from November 1968 to March 1969 also included guitarist Dickey Betts and bassist Berry Oakley. That band was the launching pad for initial jam sessions with Duane Allman, Betts, Oakley, Butch Trucks and Jaimoe that led to the formation of the Allman Brothers Band. Reese also had stints with Boz Skaggs, Joe Ely and Jerry Jeff Walker. Since moving to Nashville in 1992, Wynans has played keyboards for a number of country artists including Brooks & Dunn, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, and Hank Williams Jr. Wynans has also played for blues artists Buddy Guy, John Mayall, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Colin James, Ana Popovic, and has been a full-fledged member of Joe Bonamassa's band for a number of years. Enjoy my conversation with Reese Wynans, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is guitarist and songwriter Kenneth Pattengale. Pattengale makes up one half of the killer duo The Milk Carton Kids, which formed in 2011 when Pattengale teamed up with fellow songwriter Joey Ryan. The duo formed a fast chemistry which relies on tight and intricate harmony singing, and the slippery guitar playing of Pattengale. Together they have made 4 albums, and have had an incredible run over the last 5 years working with Joe Henry, T-Bone Burnett and Ryan Freeland, receivig a Grammy nomination, and touring all over the world. Previous to the Kids, Kenneth was a solo artist living in LA, making solo records under the radar and getting really good at Scrabble. I've been a fan of these guys since seeing them a few years ago at Folk Alliance and then at the Americana Conference in Nashville. Recently, my friends in Birds of Chicago, another killer band, did an EP at my studio and Kenneth was a guest. We had a good hang, played some music together and then he was nice enough to drop by and talk about his young but extremely successful career. Enjoy my conversation with Kenneth Pattengale, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is pedal steel legend Lloyd Green. Lloyd is most notable for his session work, having played on records with artists such as The Byrds, Johnny Cash, Alan Jackson, The Monkees, Paul McCartney, Charley Pride, Bob Dylan, Johnny Paycheck, and many others. Green landed in Nashville after college and soon found steady work as a road musician supporting artists like Ferlin Husky and Faron Young. He stayed with Young's band for 18 months and then left town to be with his new wife. During those months, he appeared on the George Jones track, "Too Much Water Runs Under the Bridge" and then for some reason had a hard time finding more work. At that point, Green basically quit playing and became a shoe salesman in Nashville. A few years and a couple of fortunate turns later, Lloyd became one of the top call steel guitarists in Nashville in the 60's and 70's, and definitely one of the most recorded of all time. His memorable, bluesy licks grace so many classic country recordings, not to mention kicking off the classic "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" album by the Byrds. Lloyd dropped by The Henhouse Studio here in Nashville to talk about his life and career and give us all a glimpse into what life was like as a session ace, playing on hundreds of records every year. Enjoy my conversation with Lloyd Green, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is the incomparable Nashville recording engineer, Bil Vorndick. I first started seeing Bil's name on albums as I was getting into bluegrass, and he seemed to be the engineer on everything coming out by Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas and the rest of the top players of the time. Bil's artistry as a producer and engineer has helped earn his clients over 45 Grammy nominations that encompass 9 that won (among them Alison Krauss’ very first Grammy). He has worked on many albums during his 40 years in music. These include projects for such other Grammy recipients as Ralph Stanley, Marty Robbins, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Mark O’Connor and jazz bassist Charlie Haden. His credits appear on No. 1 albums in 5 different musical genres. I've had the pleasure of working with Bil a number of times and his easy-going manner, incredible knack with acoustic instruments, and attention to detail make him one of the very best in the business. Enjoy my conversation with Bil Vorndick, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is the legendary rockabilly singer and bandleader, Ronnie Hawkins. I grew up knowing of Ronnie through his electrifying appearance in The Band's "The Last Waltz" movie, but as I learned more about the history, came to realize his importance as an artist in his own right, but also his abilities as a bandleader and talent scout. Like John Mayall did in the British blues scene, Ronnie could find the best players hidden away in remote corners, nurture them and bring them together like he did for one of the greatest bands ever, The Band (known originally as The Hawks)! In 1958 Ronnie released his first hit “Hey, Bo Diddley”. This was followed by "Marylou", which turned Hawkins into a teenage idol. Hawkins, an Arkansas native, started touring in Canada, and with an exploding rockabilly and Rock & Roll scene in Toronto and around more rural Ontario, Ronnie decided to stay. In 1959, Morris Levy signed him to Roulette Records for five years and tried to lure him back to the United States but Hawkins had fallen in love with Canada and didn't want to leave his new home. The membership of his band, The Hawks, kept changing as the talent flowed in and out, but the name stayed the same. Aside from The Band, there was another incarnation that became Janis Joplin's Full Tilt Boogie Band, and another Robbie Lane and the Disciples.  Other famous Hawk alumni include David Clayton Thomas of Blood Sweat and Tears, actor Beverly D'Angelo, musician Lawrence Gowan, and fellow Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Burton Cummings and David Foster. It was great to have a chance to hear these stories first-hand, have lots of laughs, and learn new things about a key piece of Rock and Roll history. Enjoy my conversation with Ronnie Hawkins, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes! Get ad-free episodes and access to all early episodes by subscribing to Patreon.

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My guest this week is singer, songwriter and fiddle player Sara Watkins. Watkins debuted in 1989 (at the ripe old age age of 8!!) as a founding member of the progressive bluegrass group Nickel Creek along with her brother Sean and mandolinist Chris Thile. With Nickel Creek, Watkins released five studio albums, won a Grammy and many other awards, and worked with some stellar producers like Allison Krauss and Eric Valentine. At the height of their success, the band decided to go their separate ways (for a while) and in the years of the bands' hiatus, she started recording solo albums, and has made incredible records with the likes of John Paul Jones, Blake Mills and Gabe Witcher. Her new album is called "Young In All The Wrong Ways". It was great to have a chance to sit down and talk about all this and more with her - Enjoy my conversation with Sara Watkins, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes!

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My guest this week is one of the great bluegrass and roots music bassists, Mike Bub. Mike had a long and celebrated stint with the Del McCoury band, the most awarded band in the history of the International Bluegrass Music Association, and Mike himself won the award for Bass Player of the Year himself 5 times! While with Del McCoury, the band recorded the seminal album 'The Mountain' with Steve Earle, taking their brand of bluegrass to a whole new audience. Mike is a staple around town here in Nashville, and performs every Monday night at the Station Inn with a killer band. Recent years have seen Mike recording and performing with the likes of Vince Gill, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, Tim O'Brien, Shawn Camp, Ashley Monroe, Chris Scruggs and countless others. We got into all of that, and got to discuss the impact of Roy Huskey Jr. on his bass playing, and a few great John Hartford stories to round it all off! Enjoy my conversation with Mike Bub, and please subscribe to the podcast for free on iTunes!

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