Sitting With Gianluca

Sitting with Gianluca is New Orleans funky piano player and bandleader Jon Cleary who carries the funky gumbo-ya-ya piano stylings that the Crescent City is known for. Gianluca and Jon celebrate what would have been funkmeister and musical chameleon Johnny “Guitar” Watson’s 86th birthday with some cuts and conversation about what made Watson such a singular talent.

In honor of Justin Townes Earle, who passed away a week ago I am airing one of the conversations I had with him. I was one of the first people to ever interview Justin after his first CD and the second to interview when he came out of rehab. He lived down my street and we drunk at the same bar (before he went to rehab!). Justin was a really lovely lad - genuine, friendly and straight talking. Here is our candid conversation about recovery and songwriting when he stopped by my apartment after getting out of rehab. 

Have you ever wondered how bands make it and keep their edge? Well it’s because publicists and record pluggers like 30 year veteran Dylan white who’s worked with everybody from Oasis and Joe strummer to U2 and Elton John. Behind every artists is a team of people that make the trains run on time with military precision. Dylan sits with Gianluca and gives him sneak peak behind the scenes of working with legends we’ve all heard on the radio. Expect great music including up-and-comers and a sneak peak at an un-released Joe Strummer from Joe Strummer demo

Sitting with Gianluca is Italian singer-songwriter Andrea Tarquini from his apartment in Milan. Andrea speaks good English and will run down how an American artist his hometown of Rome changed Italian songwriting and also play a couple of songs. You’ll even get to hear Gianluca say things in a thick Italian accent with those amazing rolling "R"s!

In this episode, journeyman JP Steinberg - lifelong DJ, diehard raver, NYC promoter and event producer with an up-and-coming EDM journalism dedicated to the true school underground - will takes Gianluca deep into the heart of hip hop and electronica and turns him on to the genres through its history.

Sitting with Gianluca this evening is Sam Hariss bass player for New York City loveable rogues The Sweet Things. If you like The New York Dolls, Faces and seventies era Stones you will love them!

Sitting with Gianluca is transgender singer songwriter Mya Byrne who will also be singing a couple of songs.

Sitting with Gianluca is queer country pioneer Karen Pittelman of Karen and the Sorrows band leader and organizer of the annual Gay City Opry.