Talk and Rock Radio Podcast

The Transatlantic Guitar Trio comprises fingerstyle guitar champion Richard Smith from the United Kingdom, German gypsy jazz virtuoso Joscho Stephan, and the brilliant multi-instrumentalist American musician Rory Hoffman. These remarkable musicians joined forces in 2019 and have entranced audiences across the country with their unique blend of jazz ballads, gypsy swing standards, and groovy original compositions. This mini-concert is being produced by Rick Kern and his podcast 'Talk and Rock Radio'.

Richie Furay is an American music luminary, an inductee into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He is celebrated for pioneering Country-Rock as a founding member of the legendary and quintessential groups Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and the Souther-Hillman-Furay band.

In this episode of Talk and Rock Radio, host Rick Kern discusses the illustrious career of Richie along with some of the landmark events that happened along the way.

Quoted by Mary McCoy:

At the age of 3, I knew I wanted to sing. When neighbors came to visit my mom and dad, I would get my little rocking chair and put it in the middle of the room and yodel throughout their visit. When I was 6 and 7 years old, mom and dad belonged to the Odd Fellows and Rebeccah Lodge and I would sing for them. Age age 11, I won my first talent contest. At 12, KMCO came on the air in 1951 and I started with it on a talent show. That day I was asked to record a 15-minute program in which I played my guitar and sang, after which, I followed up with my own record show. In 1955, I appeared on the Louisiana Hayride sharing the stage with Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, The Browns and others. My dreams were to sing, have my own DJ show and make records. In 1960, I did make my first record “Deep Elem Blues” and followed with others on the Jin label. I signed a contract in 1967 with Gabe Tucker and recorded many singles and duets with Jimmy Copeland. My dreams were finally fulfilled with the recording of my new gospel CD, “Through the Storm”. God has blessed me and made my dreams come true.

Steve Davis, history professor, is one of the founding faculty members at Lone Star College-Kingwood, having started in the fall of 1984.  He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Houston. He also worked on his doctoral degree in American history from the same institution.  Aside from the standard survey courses in U.S. and Texas history, Davis teaches specialized courses in the Beatles and the British Invasion and the History of Rock and Roll.  He has won teaching excellence awards both at the University of Houston and at LSC-Kingwood.

Davis is the main author of the instructor's manual to accompany the 8th edition of America: A Narrative History by Tindall and Shi, which is one of the most adopted college history textbooks in the country. His current project is the co-authorship of a documents reader in U.S. history to be published in 2013 by W.W. Norton.

In his limited spare time, Davis is an avid distance runner who has completed eight marathons and who makes appearances a couple of times per year as rhythm guitarist in a local garage band.

In this episode of TalkandRockRadio, Rick Kern and Steve Davis discuss the evolution of the Beatles, the impact and influences they had on the ’60’s music scene and the artists that influenced them.

James Messina (born December 5, 1947) is an American musician, songwriter, singer, guitarist, recording engineer, and record producer. He was a member of the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield, a founding member of the pioneering country rock band Poco, and half of the soft rock duo Loggins and Messina with Kenny Loggins.

Steve Postell is a singer/songwriter/guitarist/composer and producer.

Trained at The Mannes College Of Music in New York City, Steve Postell has had a successful, prolific career which spans his days playing with Pure Prairie League, performing on Broadway in shows such as “Evita” and “The Man Of LaMancha,” co-writing the score for the off-Broadway rock musical "Fallen Angel" (starring Living Colour vocalist Corey Glover), touring with Lea Salonga (Miss Saigon, Princess Lea in "Aladdin") as her musical director, and fronting the popular New York City bands, “Chain o' Fools” and “Little Blue”. Steve has written scores for film and television including ESPN’s Sportsweek featuring Greg Gumble, and producer Lawrence Kasdan’s "Jumpin' At The Boneyard," a 20th century Fox production starring Tim Roth and Samuel Jackson. Steve wrote and produced Jingles for Right Sound Music in New York City for clients including Pontiac, AT&T, Dupont and many others. He has performed live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show with Katie Couric, The Regis and Kelly and The Regis and Kathie Lee shows.

Steve was the composer for the documentary “Dying to Know,” about Timothy Leary and Ram Dass, narrated by Robert Redford. Steve contributed guitar to David Crosby’s album, Sky Trails, and has co-written a song for his last released record, “For Free”. Steve’s new CD, “Walking Through These Blues”, was recently released on VIVID SOUND. This CD features a host of guests, including David Crosby, Iain Matthews, Tony Furtado, Bekka Bramlett, Jeff Pevar, Greg Leisz and many others. In addition to David Crosby, Steve has worked with John Oates, Jennifer Warnes, Kenny Loggins, Eric Andersen, Iain Matthews, Pure Prairie League, Dan Navarro and many others. He recently contributed engineering and mixing duties to the James Taylor/Carole King live concert film, “The Troubadour Reunion Tour”. 

Steve performed on and co-produced a CD for renowned producer/guitarist and songwriter Danny (Kootch) Kortchmar. The CD features a star studded cast including guest appearances by James Taylor, Jackson Browne, David Crosby, and Michael McDonald. This CD led to the formation of a new band, The Immediate Family, which in addition to Steve includes legendary session men Danny Kortchmar, Leland Sklar, Waddy Wachtel & Russ Kunkel. The band has released numerous videos, a live record, 3 EP’s and a full length LP of new material on Quarto Valley Records. Their first single, Cruel Twist, reached top 10 on the blues charts. The Immediate Family is featured in an award winning documentary released by Magnolia Films, and directed by “Wrecking Crew” director Denny Tedesco. The Immediate Family recently released “Skin In The Game”, a new full length album of original material. 

In the past year Steve has performed on stage in benefits for The Lobero Theater, ONE805 Foundation, and Light Up The Blues Charity with many artists including Shawn Colvin, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Joe Walsh, John Fogerty, Alan Parsons, and Maroon 5. Steve was in rehearsal to go on tour with David Crosby before David’s unexpected passing, and will cherish the time spent putting the show together.

The latest offering from Stephanie Urbina Jones & The Honky Tonk Mariachi, Manuel’s Destiny, goes far beyond the limits of the typical album: it’s a saga, a joyride, an impassioned reclamation of her cultural heritage, and—above all—a riveting tribute to the power of a dream to travel over 100 years and three generations. From her great-grandfather crossing the border, to an artist living and telling a transcendent story, and ultimately living Manuel’s Destiny.

Over the course of 11 wildly dazzling songs, the Texas-bred, Nashville/Mexico-based singer/songwriter sets her storytelling to a one-of-a-kind sound she’s created and calls “Honky Tonk Mariachi”—a gorgeously orchestrated fusion of her Mexican roots and San Antonio, TX Hill Country upbringing, centered in the stunning vocal prowess she’s shown in touring across the globe, sharing the stage with legends like Willie Nelson, and making history as the first artist ever to perform with mariachi at the Grand Ole Opry. The result is the most revelatory work yet from a truly visionary artist, one that leaves the listener newly emboldened to fearlessly follow their hearts and live a dreamer’s tale.

For Urbina Jones, the making of such an ambitious and all-encompassing album took decades of soul-searching and careful excavation of her family’s history. Originally from San Antonio, she spent much of her early childhood at backyard barbecues at the home of her paternal grandmother, where she first heard the traditional Mexican music, she now describes as “a transmission of pure joy and love.” When her parents divorced, Jones moved to a small town in Texas, and as a young girl, frequented local honky-tonks, two-stepping to songs by all the country greats and listening to poets like Jerry Jeff Walker, Guy Clark, and Townes Van Zant carve out songs by the potbelly stove in Luckenbach, TX. (“Margie the bartender was my babysitter. I got to put the sawdust on the floors,” she recalls). But despite her many happy memories, that period of Urbina Jones’ life also carried a heavy burden of pain. “After I was pulled away from my father, I was told to hide the fact that I was Mexican, which haunted me for a very long time,” she says. At age 18, however, Urbina Jones made her first trip to Mexico (accompanied by her father) and immediately felt a profound sense of revelation. “I fell madly in love with my culture—the people, the music, the food,” she says. “I finally realized, ‘This is who I am.’ From this moment on, the direction of my life changed. I became passionate about telling a new story celebrating my roots. My pain turned into my passion and purpose.”

As she unraveled her family’s history, Urbina Jones learned of her great-grandfather, Manuel Anaya Urbina: a Mapimí, Hidalgo, Mexico native who went to the Vatican to study for the priesthood in the late 1800s. After two years in Rome, he rejected his childhood religion. “He returned to Mexico and crossed into El Paso in 1907— left his country, left his family, left his faith, left everything to embark on a new life for his own personal freedom,” she says. “He ended up becoming the first Mexican Baptist minister in San Antonio and spread the gospel all over the Southwest. Once I discovered his story, I became passionate about the idea of this dreamer crossing the border to follow his heart. I feel as if his dream has lived on through me, and now I want to share it as a source of inspiration for anyone seeking their own divine truth.”

The follow-up to 2018’s Tularosa (a powerhouse album stacked with mariachi-infused covers of country classics like “Ring of Fire” and “Jolene”), Manuel’s Destiny finds Urbina Jones moving forward with her mission of introducing audiences everywhere to the unbridled passion and heart of Mexico. “As a little girl growing up listening to mariachi, the joyful sound of their voices singing together always felt like an instrument in itself, and I knew from the start that I wanted that to be woven into every song on this album,” she says. Produced by Urbina Jones and Preston Sullivan, and recorded live at Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas—not far from where her great-grandfather crossed into El Paso—Manuel’s Destiny achieves its lush and fiery sound thanks to contributions from over a dozen musicians, including guitarrón player Mike Hernandez (also the album’s mariachi session leader), Urbina Jones’ bandleader/longtime guitarist Patterson Barrett, and a lineup of esteemed mariachi players from all over Texas, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Mexico. With its resplendent selection of heart-on-sleeve ballads, hip-swinging Texican Americana anthems, and pedal steel-laced country- rock songs, Manuel’s Destiny ultimately radiates an electrifying energy, adding even greater impact to the countless pieces of wisdom woven into her lyrics.

In many ways a document of Urbina Jones’ own whirlwind adventures in fulfilling her life’s purpose, Manuel’s Destiny opens on “Gypsy Dreams”—a fierce yet euphoric refusal to tame her free-spirited nature. “It took me a long time to honor who I was born to be — an artist, a dreamer and author of my own life. I’m gratefully reclaiming and sharing my joy with the world,” says Urbina Jones.

Ever since she was a little girl, she’s always been this way. You can be part of her world, but you can never make her change. (“Gypsy Dreams”)

On the album’s cinematic title track, meanwhile, Urbina Jones opens by recounting her great-grandfather’s pilgrimage to the States in search of his truth and divinity, then looks back on her own leap of faith in leaving home to follow her heart and one day live the spellbinding epic, which is “Manuel’s Destiny:”

I got in my car with my Spanish guitar bound for Tennessee, As I drove through my fear, I felt his spirit near guiding me, I was strong, I was able, I waited on tables, said yes sir, no m’am, cause I knew I’d get the chance for my dreams to dance and do what I was born to do.

Wendy Moten, a multi-talented Memphis-born singer, and another dreamer whose voice and career path are like no other, joins in for a triumphant update of Glen Campbell’s iconic “Rhinestone Cowboy” (with a blessing from songwriter Larry Weiss on the cover’s gender flip). Built on a near-symphonic arrangement of soaring violins, exultant trumpets, vihuela, and heavenly harp, “Rhinestone Cowgirl” emerges as a powerful account of overcoming the odds on the way to unfettered glory. “Both Wendy and I have been relentless in becoming who we were destined to be,” says Urbina Jones. “The fact that a Latina and a Black woman are stepping into this moment and singing this classic song together is incredibly meaningful to me—we’re representing all dreamers of all ages, from all backgrounds, and hopefully encouraging them to bravely answer the calling of their own hearts.”

On songs like “Falling Fearlessly,” Manuel’s Destiny slips into a “Blue Bayou” romantic mood and spotlights the subtler nuances of Urbina Jones’ beguiling voice. Co-written with Peggy Lynn (daughter of Loretta Lynn), the lilting and luminous track finds music legend Vince Gill pairing up with Urbina Jones to capture the rarefied magic of surrendering to love. “We wrote the song on the beach under a full moon in Mexico,” Urbina Jones remembers. “It’s my homage to Linda Ronstadt, who’s one of the few Latinas I had to look up to in country rock music.” And on “The Queen of the Angels (La Reyna De Los Angeles)/Cielito Lindo” Urbina Jones delivers a cumbia country, dance-ready, infectious serenade to another influential woman in her life: her paternal grandmother, who guided her toward a daring new direction with her music. “When my abuelita was dying, she called me to her side and told me I was going to be a messenger who shared the beauty of our culture with the world by making what she called ‘country music with chili peppers,’” says Urbina Jones. “At the time, I didn’t believe I could do it, but after she died, I went to San Miguel de Allende and began recovering that connection to my roots. It was the revolucíon en mi corazón.”

The album also features a song with the Bellamy Brothers. A mash-up of “Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” and “Let Your Love Flow,” these two hit songs reflect a coming of age during Urbina Jones’ early years. “I was lucky to grow up in Luckenbach and the honky tonks of Texas during the Outlaw movement. My favorite song to sing along to was “Let Your Love Flow,” comments Urbina Jones. “I had the honor of touring in Europe with the Bellamys and was thrilled they agreed to re-record their song with my Honky Tonk Mariachi,” she adds.

Since first dreaming up the culture-blending, genre-bending, sublimely exuberant sound that now imbues her music, Urbina Jones has established herself as a two-time Amazon bestselling author and teacher who leads spiritual pilgrimages all over the world. A former student of Don Miguel Ruiz (a teacher in the Toltec tradition and author of the seminal Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom), she made her debut as a lead author with Shaman Heart: Turning Pain into Passion and Purpose, a 2022 title in which she details her experience in undoing her childhood pain and pursuing her true calling as an artist. In May 2023, Urbina Jones released her second bestselling book, Shaman Heart – Sacred Rebel. As she reveals that transformation was not without its daunting moments. “There was a reason to quit at every step along the way,” says Urbina Jones. “But every breakdown turned out to be a breakthrough, and the road kept miraculously rising up and meeting me every step of the way.”

For the closing track to Manuel’s Destiny, Urbina Jones chose a solo self-penned song called “Until We Meet Again”— a soul-stirring number that’s equal parts full-hearted farewell, and loving acknowledgment of the way dreams endure from generation to generation. In a poignant symbol of that very phenomenon, Jones arrived at Sonic Ranch carrying the same Bible from 1876 that her great-grandfather had held upon crossing into the U.S. more than a century ago. “It’s amazing to me that over a hundred years later, Manuel’s great-granddaughter could come back to the same border with the same Bible, a seed of the dream he planted from so long ago,” she says. “It tells me that our dreams are by divine design. I hope that in sharing this album I’m able to bring a little joy, big magic, and some dancing to the world, as well as inspire someone to ask the big questions—to be brave, believe in themselves, and in their dreams. Within our hearts lies the map to our destiny.”

Johnny Madara was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1936. His family lived in public housing known as "projects" located in south Philadelphia. He was the only one of six children interested in music. He took vocal lessons and began his career as a musical artist. His first recording was released in 1957 and became a hit record single "Be My Girl"

Later in 1957 he wrote a song called "Do the Bop" with Dave White. The "Bop" was a popular dance on the TV show, American Bandstand. Dave White was a member of a local group 'The Juvenaires' and they recorded the song with Madara on lead vocal.Local DJ Artie Singer got a co-writers' credit for the song. He took the record to Dick Clark,the host of "America Bandstand". Clark suggested some changes. The lyrics and title were changed to "At the Hop", The Juvenaires became Danny and the Juniors. They recorded the song, this time with Danny Rapp on lead vocal.It became a US number 1 and international hit. He later co-wrote other hits including "1-2-3" for Len Barry, and "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore.

In 1965, he and White co-wrote and performed, as the Spokesmen, the song "Dawn of Correction", an answer song to Barry McGuire's hit "Eve of Destruction". The song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The pair also formed their own publishing company which was later sold to Michael Jackson. Madara also worked as a record producer, and discovered both Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble (Gamble and Huff), later a successful songwriter and producer attributed to pioneering the style of music known as Philly Soul, and the recording artist Hall and Oates.

Medora spent two years in Las Vegas working with one of the most successful performers of all time, Wayne Newton. He produced two of his albums and further produced and wrote songs for a Christmas television special for Wayne Newton on CBS. In the mid 1970s he moved to Los Angeles, and produced music for movies including Cinderella Liberty and Hey Good Lookin', as well as for television.

His songs have appeared on some of the biggest grossing soundtrack albums of all time, including American Graffiti and Woodstock ("At The Hop"), Grease ("Rock and Roll is Here to Stay"), Hairspray ("The Fly" and "You Don't Own Me"), Mr. Holland's Opus ("1-2-3"), and Dirty Dancing and The First Wives Club ("You Don't Own Me"). It was the 1996 hit film, The First Wives Club, that not only featured "You Don't Own Me", but it was used as the theme of the movie. On November 27, 2016, the song was announced to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Johnny Madara was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1936. His family lived in public housing known as "projects" located in south Philadelphia. He was the only one of six children interested in music. He took vocal lessons and began his career as a musical artist. His first recording was released in 1957 and became a hit record single "Be My Girl".

Later in 1957 he wrote a song called "Do the Bop" with Dave White. The "Bop" was a popular dance on the TV show, American Bandstand. Dave White was a member of a local group 'The Juvenaires' and they recorded the song with Madara on lead vocal.Local DJ Artie Singer got a co-writers' credit for the song. He took the record to Dick Clark,the host of "America Bandstand". Clark suggested some changes. The lyrics and title were changed to "At the Hop", The Juvenaires became Danny and the Juniors. They recorded the song, this time with Danny Rapp on lead vocal.It became a US number 1 and international hit. He later co-wrote other hits including "1-2-3" for Len Barry, and "You Don't Own Me" for Lesley Gore.

In 1965, he and White co-wrote and performed, as the Spokesmen, the song "Dawn of Correction", an answer song to Barry McGuire's hit "Eve of Destruction". The song reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. The pair also formed their own publishing company which was later sold to Michael Jackson. Madara also worked as a record producer, and discovered both Leon Huff and Kenny Gamble (Gamble and Huff), later a successful songwriter and producer attributed to pioneering the style of music known as Philly Soul, and the recording artist Hall and Oates.

Medora spent two years in Las Vegas working with one of the most successful performers of all time, Wayne Newton. He produced two of his albums and further produced and wrote songs for a Christmas television special for Wayne Newton on CBS. In the mid 1970s he moved to Los Angeles, and produced music for movies including Cinderella Liberty and Hey Good Lookin', as well as for television.

His songs have appeared on some of the biggest grossing soundtrack albums of all time, including American Graffiti and Woodstock ("At The Hop"), Grease ("Rock and Roll is Here to Stay"), Hairspray ("The Fly" and "You Don't Own Me"), Mr. Holland's Opus ("1-2-3"), and Dirty Dancing and The First Wives Club ("You Don't Own Me"). It was the 1996 hit film, The First Wives Club, that not only featured "You Don't Own Me", but it was used as the theme of the movie. On November 27, 2016, the song was announced to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

The Mascot Theory has been kicking around Wisconsin weekend-warrior style for the past decade, but like many musicians, the great pandemic-induced entertainment halt of 2020 forced the band to reflect and refocus musical efforts. With the core foundation of singer/songwriter Erik Kjelland and the rhythm section of Nick Fry on bass guitar and Paul Metz on drums, The Mascot Theory used this time off to slightly shift their sound away from their acoustic-driven folk-rock music and into a more classic rock inspired Rock and Roll groove, especially thanks to the addition of lead guitarist Cory who brings a strong musical swagger and reverence to the guitar gods of the past. In April 2022, the band worked with famed producer Terry Manning (Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Shakira, Lenny Kravitz, Stax Record) at Sonic Ranch Studios near El Paso, TX and recorded 13 new songs as well as 2 updated versions of classic live show staple songs to record songs for the upcoming "Every Sign Of Life" album.

Along with a WAMI (Wisconsin Area Music Industry) win for Best Male Vocalist (Erik Kjelland) and a nomination for Best Americana/folk artist, The Mascot Theory has won over 20 MAMA (Madison Area Music Association) awards including back-to-back 2016 and 2017 Artist of the Year awards.  They have played major festivals throughout Wisconsin including Summerfest, Freak Fest, and Mile of Music Festival, and have shared the stage with BoDeans, America, Don McLean, The Jayhawks, Vance Joy, Frank Turner, Chase Rice, Kaleo, The Wild Feathers, Guster, Blitzen Trapper, Cory Chisel, Andy Frasco and the UN, Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts, American Aquarium, American Scarecrows, and Lillie Mae.

The new music travels into its classic rock influences; harmonies that bring to mind the Eagles or Poco, a bit of that Rolling Stones guitar swagger, a little ZZ Top blues rock, a dash of the Pink Floyd mood, but never straying far from the core of the Tom Petty/Beatle-esque importance of solid melody and lyrics. Songs like "When I Drift Away", "Lavender Blues" and "Fast Car Getaway" showcase the new album's infectious energy and beautiful harmonies within an eclectic landscape of well-crafted and memorable songs.