Our guest for Episode 43 is Grammy-nominated guitarist Scott Sharrard.   Scott is a returning guest for the Podcast, having previously joined us for Episode 10.  

I always enjoy talking music with Scott, he is one of the most knowledgeable people around when it comes to American music history as you will hear throughout our conversation.  During this episode you will hear Scott talk about:

• The evolution of the recording industry
• Some of the albums that changed Scott’s life musically
• The roots of American music
• Having the opportunity to open for Sting
• Scott’s take on music education and preserving roots music as an art form
• Working with legends Taj Mahal and Bernard Purdie on a song (Everything a Good Man Needs) on the Saving Grace album

You can learn more about Scott by checking out his website www.scottsharrard.com or follow him on Instagram @scott.sharrard.  And if you haven’t already listened to his album Saving Grace, please give it a listen.

As always remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Our guest for Episode 42 of The Music Chat Podcast is Angela Petrilli.  For anyone who is not already familiar with Angela, she is a highly knowledgeable and skilled guitarist.  As some of you may know, Angela recently experienced the loss of her friend and bandmate Jenny, who passed away earlier this year after a courageous battle with cancer.  So we had a lot to cover in this conversation.

During this episode you will hear Angela talk about:

• Working with a writing/composing partner to create music
• Tailoring instrumental parts to the nature of a song
• Being an authentic musician, and the importance of staying true to your vision
• Advice for aspiring musicians, including approaches to social media
• Being grateful to make music for a living
• Dealing with grief and moving past loss

If you would like to learn more about Angela, Jenny, or Roses and Cigarettes, you can check out the band’s website at www.rosesandcigarettes.com or follow Angela on IG which is @angelapetrillimusic.  

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Our guest for Episode 41 is David Teegarden. David is the very first drummer we have had on the podcast!  If you are not familiar with David’s name, you will probably recognize some of the artists he has worked with over the years, including J.J. Cale, Bob Seger, and Eric Clapton.  

David has some incredible stories he shares during our conversation, including:

• How J.J. Cale’s original pressing of the classic song After Midnight was mistakenly packaged as a “B side” and went largely unnoticed for years
• David’s relationship with Bob Seger and the back-story on the Hollywood Nights drum track
• Living with Leon Russell in Los Angeles before David was even old enough to play nightclubs in California
• Some of the origins of the Tulsa music scene
• And one of my favorite anecdotes - what it feels like to play to 20,000+ people live

David was a kind and gracious guest.  Just a note - there is some echo/sound imperfections during this episode, as David and I were connected by a standard phone call for this interview.    

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Let’s get this episode started…

Our guest for Episode 40 is slide guitar master Rick Vito.  Rick has had an incredible journey as a musician, from seeing Jimi Hendrix live before he became an international phenomenon, to playing with John Mayall and Albert Collins in the 1970s, to joining the bands of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger, and Fleetwood Mac over the following years. 

Along the way he has been responsible for some iconic guitar work: the slide guitar in Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock” and the riff in Jackson Browne’s “Somebody’s Baby” are both Rick’s creations. Rick has also released 10 studio albums as a solo artist.     

It was enormously gratifying to get to speak with Rick about his accomplishments as a musician, and to find out he was a down-to-earth, humble guy who appreciates the opportunities he has had to make music a career.

If you would like to learn more about Rick, please check out his website at www.rickvito.com, follow him on Facebook, or check out his Instagram profile which is @rick.vito.  And be sure to take a look at the photo gallery on Rick’s website, he has some awesome pictures there that have been accumulated through his career. 

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

We have another special guest for Episode 39 - author and former editor of Guitar Player magazine Jas Obrecht.   I first came upon Jas’ writing while I was researching TMC Episode 32’s tribute to Duane Allman. Jas had conducted some excellent interviews with Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, and John Hammond among others for a special issue of Guitar Player dedicated to Duane on the 10th anniversary of Duane’s passing.  

So I reached out to Jas, and he graciously agreed to speak with me for an episode of the podcast.   Jas has an incredible knowledge of the history of American guitar, and particularly the blues. He has also had the opportunity to interview, in his estimation, 700-800 guitarists/musicians during his career.  So if you have a guitar hero, chances are Jas has interviewed them or knows their work.  

It was a pleasure speaking with Jas about music, his love and knowledge of the terrain is truly amazing.  Jas has also authored seven books focused on music and musicians to date, include the most recent Stone Free and Talking Guitar, which are both excellent reads.

If you would like to learn more about Jas’ work, please visit his website www.jasobrecht.com.  You can also look for any of his books, including: Stone Free: Jimi Hendrix in London; Talking Guitar: Conversations with Musicians Who Shaped Twentieth-Century American Music; Early Blues: The First Stars of Blues Guitar; Rollin’ & Tumblin’: The Postwar Blues Guitarists; My Son Jimi; Blues Guitar; and Blues Guitar: The Men Who Made the Music. 

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Our guest for Episode 38 is Mississippi-based, Grammy Award-winning songwriter Grady Champion.  I caught up with Grady on his way to the Silver City Blues Festival held annually in Silver City, New Mexico.  

Grady has a great backstory - he started his professional career as a rapper and hip-hop promoter in the Miami area before finding his calling as a blues artist.  He recently released his 11th album, Steppin’ In: A Tribute to ZZ Hill.   

Grady is a natural storyteller, and during this episode we discuss his songwriting process, some of the blues legends he has crossed paths with over the years, and his early years developing his love of music.

You can learn more about Grady and his music on his website www.gradychampion.com.  If you would like to follow Grady on Instagram, he can be found using the @gradychampionmusic profile. 

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Our guest for Episode 37 is Karyn Ann, a singer-songwriter from Portland who has shared the stage with a previous guest of the podcast, Jessica Malone from Episode 11.  Karyn Ann’s latest album, 2018’s Be Loud, is an eclectic blend of Americana, pop, and rhythm and blues compositions incorporating guitar, piano, strings, and horns to express her musical sensibilities.  

During our conversation Karyn Ann and I discuss her background, finding her calling in music, and don’t miss the ending of the podcast episode when we discuss our favorite places in Portland to find delicious meals.

My thanks and appreciation to Karyn Ann for sharing her story with the audience.  If you would like to learn more about her you can follow her on Instagram (@karynannsoul) to stay up to date on her musical adventures.

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Episode 36 of The Music Chat Podcast was one of the most entertaining and far-ranging conversations to date.  Our guest is Skrizzly Adams, a New Jersey-based musician whose music incorporates elements of Americana, hip hop, rock and roll, and pop among its many influences.   

My conversation with Skrizzly includes discussions of Kanye West’s musical brilliance, the impact The Allman Brothers had on Skrizzly, how Eddie Van Halen shaped the sound of the 1980’s, and many, many other topics.  We start off the interview discussing a formative experience in Skrizzly’s musical journey, which was his very first concert - and which just happened to be The Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theatre.

If you would like to learn more about Skrizzly, you can follow him on Instagram (@skrizzlyadams), or check out his website  www.skrizzlyadams.com.  And be sure to keep your ears and eyes open for his upcoming album release.

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

Our guest for Episode 35 of The Music Chat Podcast is Los Angeles-based hip hop artist Kalay. He is the Podcast’s first hip hop artist interview, and he was introduced to me by Sian McMullen (@conductorsian) from Episode 20.   

Kalay impressed me with his positive attitude, the way he approaches his craft, and his dedication to constantly be improving his skills.    If you are a musical artist, or simply seek to create your own career path, this episode has a lot of information and perspective that you may find motivating.  Very excited to share this interview with everyone.

If you would like to follow him on Instagram, you will find him under the @kalayofficial profile.  Also, check out his Youtube channel which is Kalay Official.

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.

For this episode, we are joined by Robert Jon Burrison, lead vocalist for the Southern California-based band Robert Jon and the Wreck. Robert Jon and his bandmates Warren Murrel, Steve Maggiora, Henry James, and Andrew Espantman just released a new album entitled Take Me Higher.   During this episode, Robert Jon and I discuss the new album, his advice to musicians working on building their career in the music business, and some of the cool events they are performing at in 2019.

This band is one of my favorite groups out making music and touring these days, so I hope you will check out some of their rock and soul catalog.  I hope you all enjoy the podcast interview with Robert Jon as well.

As always please remember to subscribe to the podcast, and also leave a rating and review on your preferred podcast platform if you like what you hear.