Brittany Howard, acclaimed solo artist and lead singer of band Alabama Shakes, joins us today on Track Star* to listen to a few classic Funk, Rock, and Doo-Wop songs and discuss their personal and historical importance.

Travis Barker, best known for his work as drummer in the band Blink-182, joins us today on Track Star* to listen to some iconic rap, rock, punk, and hardcore, and break down some of his earliest and most important influences, explaining how the music they made, from Led Zeppelin to the Muppets, changed his life. 

Revealing his favorite punk and metal bands, as well as the drummers that inspired him to work hard and play harder, Travis shows us that making great music is an exercise of equal parts joy and dedication.

Telling a complicated life story between drum breaks and hard rock classics, Travis takes the time today to share with us a new perspective on his life and the moments behind the music that defined it.

This Episode's Track List: 

Paul Revere - Beastie Boys

Beat on the Brat - Ramones

Aint Talkin Bout Love - Van Halen

Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin

Super Rad! - The Aquabats!

My War - Black Flag

I’m the One - Descendents

Raining Blood - Slayer

Love for Sale - The Buddy Rich Big Band

On today’s episode of the Track Star Podcast, we’re celebrating the centennial of Oscar Peterson with two guests who have helped preserve and carry forward his extraordinary legacy.

Jack is joined by Kelly Peterson, Oscar’s wife and the head of his estate and legendary bassist Christian McBride, who reflects on Peterson’s unmatched artistry and influence on generations of jazz musicians.

Together, they revisit some of Oscar Peterson’s most iconic tracks -- including "Tenderly,", "Hymn to Freedom," and "Love Ballade" -- while sharing personal stories and exploring the brilliance that made him one of the greatest pianists and composers of all time. This episode is a celebration of Oscar Peterson’s life, music, and lasting legacy.

This Episode's Track List:

Oscar Peterson - Tenderly 

Oscar Peterson Trio - Falling In Love With Love

Oscar Peterson Trio - Night Train

Oscar Peterson Trio - C Jam Blues

Oscar Peterson Trio - Hymn To Freedom  

Oscar Peterson Trio - Wheatland

Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson - Mean To Me

Oscar Peterson - Love Ballade

Questlove, the multi-dimensional musician, filmmaker, and artist, joins us today on Track Star* to show us his deep and profound appreciation for music, and to teach us about the role music has played throughout his life. 

Originally gaining notoriety as drummer and co-frontman of the Roots, Questlove became a core member of the Soulquarian collective. Today, Questlove gives us a peek into the group's creative process, as well as a lesson on the history of the collective and the members who made it iconic.

As we walk through different musical moments and movements, Questlove takes the time to share with us his love for music and the people who make it. 

This Episode's Track List: 

The Light - Common

Don’t Leave Me This Way (ft. Teddy Pendergrass) - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

I Won’t Last a Day Without You - Carpenters

For the Love of Money - The O’Jays

Bang the Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren

Long Lonely Nights - Lee Andrews & The Hearts

Loan Me a Dime - Boz Scaggs

In today’s episode of Track Star* Warren Haynes, best known for his work as a member of the Allman Brothers Band, joins us to listen to some iconic, genre-defining Blues and Rock songs, and to discuss the influence they had on the development of Rock.

Haynes takes the time today to give us an important lesson on the history of the guitar and how it defined Blues and Rock and Roll music. Diving into the music that influenced him as a child to pick up the guitar and learn to play, Jack and Warren take us on a walk through Rock and Blues history, giving us advice on how to listen to and make music along the way. 

In discussing his own music alongside the music that came before him, Haynes offers a unique and important perspective on the narrative of Rock history.

This Episode's Track List: 

Fire - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton

Sweet Little Angel - B.B. King

Going Down - Freddie King

Born Under a Bad Sign - Albert King

Brokedown Palace - Grateful Dead

Midnight in Harlem - Tedeschi Trucks Band

Cortez the Killer - Neil Young & Crazy Horse

Statesboro Blues - Blind Willie McTell

If This Is Just a Game - David Allan Coe

Mississippi Queen - Mountain

Lenny Kaye is an icon of the punk rock scene. As a member of the Patti Smith Group, as well as in his work as a solo artist and rock critic, Kaye joins us today on Track Star* to listen to a few songs and break down some important Punk history.

Beginning with a discussion of the songs and movements that influenced Kaye himself as a child, the conversation soon shifts to a broader discussion of what defined the punk scene and mindset, and how that developed over time. 

Kaye joins us today for an invaluable, first-person perspective on the New York punk movement of the late 70s, interrupted only occasionally by singing and dancing. 

This Episode's Track List: 

Gloria - The Cadillacs 

Never Let You Go - The Five Discs

Johnny Too Bad - The Slickers

Know Your Rights - The Clash

The Golden Road (To Unlimited Devotion) - Grateful Dead

Sonic Reducer - Dead Boys

White Wedding - Billy Idol

Today on Track Star* we are joined by legendary singer, songwriter, and producer Swamp Dogg to cover some of the songs that defined his career and discuss the complicated and somewhat blurred relationship between country and R&B. 

Swamp Dogg takes some time today to break down a few classic country and R&B songs, giving us an insider perspective on the hit-making process and a unique view of the people behind the iconic songs.

Between the songs and the stories, Swamp Dogg gives an important analysis of Country and R&B and the similarities and differences between the two. 

This Episode's Track List: 

Cry to Me - Solomon Burke

She’s All I Got - Johnny Paycheck

She’s All I Got - Freddie North

In the Midnight Hour - Wilson Pickett

Please Don’t Bury Me - John Prine

Quarter to Three - Gary U.S. Bonds

You Ain’t Woman Enough - Loretta Lynn

Knock on Wood - Eddie Floyd

He’s Sure the Boy I Love - The Crystals

Acid Tongue - Jenny Lewis 

Searching For Heaven - Swamp Dogg

Today on the Track Star Podcast, we are joined by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS to talk about rock and roll songwriting, the New York City music scene, and what it really takes to make a song, or a band, truly great. 

With a collection of songs spanning American and English rock, punk, Motown, and more, Paul and Gene share their thoughts on how different artists and movements engage with the craft of songwriting and balance the art of the song with the energy of performance and the demand of the public. 

Gene and Paul join us today for a crash-course on rock and roll songwriting, emphasizing, as they have throughout their careers, that the most important thing is the song. 

This Episode’s Tracklist: 

00:00 - Intro

00:12 - I Want To Hold Your Hand - The Beatles

03:54 - Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

05:20 - Then She Kissed Me - KISS

09:35 - I Can’t Explain - The Who

13:52 - Personality Crisis - New York Dolls

18:37 - Rock & Roll - The Velvet Underground

23:35 - Cum On Feel The Noize - Slade

24:58 - Ballroom Blitz - Sweet

26:16 - Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex

29:18 - The Tracks Of My Tears - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

30:44 - New York Groove - Ace Frehley

New episodes of The Track Star Podcast drop every week. Let us know what artist, theme, or unexpected guest you want us to explore next.

This week on the Track Star Podcast, Jack is joined by Maryland Governor and Music-Obsessed Wes Moore. In this episode, he sits down with Jack to unpack the songs that have shaped his life, from the music that soundtracked his childhood and helped form his identity to those that continue to inspire his work today.

Today we are joined by Hrishikesh Hirway, musician and host of the hit podcast Song Exploder, to listen to and discuss some of the songs that have influenced and defined his work, both in his music and his show.

In this episode, Jack chooses a few songs to play for us, and Hrishikesh explains the personal and professional significance they have had on his life and career. Hrishikesh talks about his love for exploring and investigating the stories and influences behind songs, as well as what made him start his podcast, and how it reconnected him to music.

Hrishikesh takes the time today to teach us what it means to dive into a song and share with us how curiosity and passion can change the way we see the world.

This Episode's Track List:

The District Sleeps Alone Tonight - The Postal Service

Our House - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Jeremy - Pearl Jam

Ivy - Frank Ocean

Stranger - Ken Pomeroy

Seventeen - Sharon Van Etten

Red Moon - Big Thief

Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen