Unlocking the Keys…with Linc Bradham

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A man who needs no introduction, but still absolutely deserves one, Gerry McAvoy is one of the most grooving, pocket, and chops-having bass players of all time. For over 20 years, from 1970 until 1991, Gerry played with who is my favorite guitarist of all time, Rory Gallagher. For those who are listening and don't know, Rory Gallagher is a national hero in Ireland. He was a blues, rock, folk, and psychedelic guitarist and songwriter who is still heralded in Ireland with countless statues, exhibits, and museums erected in his honor. Go into most any bar in Dublin or County Cork, Rory's hometown, and you'll hear tribute bands paying homage to his legacy to this day. There need be little more said than the words of none other than rock and guitar icon Jimi Hendrix when it comes to Rory Gallagher. When asked, "What's it like to be the greatest guitarist in the world?" Jimi replied in 1970, "I don't know, go ask Rory Gallagher." Sadly, Rory passed very early in life, at the age of 47, in 1995, due to complications resulting between medication prescribed for flying phobia and pain in conjunction with alcohol consumption. I still remember watching concert performances of the Rory Gallagher band on VHS with my father when I was 8 or 9 years old all the way up until 2009, when I joined the Army at age 18. A member of the band who always stood out to me with incredible presence, mastery of his instrument, and fun was the bass player, Gerry McAvoy. After joining the Army, it was mostly on Youtube where I would find footage of Gerry playing with Rory, but his career was actually continuing at that time with a group called Nine Below Zero. Today, Gerry plays with Band of Friends, a tribute to Rory Gallagher, along with Brendan O'Neill, drummer for the Rory Gallagher band from 1981 until 1991, along with Paul Rose, guitar, and Stephan Graf, guitar and vocals. Sadly, Rory never reached commercial success in America, one of the many topics Gerry and I discussed in our time together for this final episode of the first season of Unlocking the Keys. Regardless, Gerry is keeping his own and Rory's legacy alive day after day. Gerry is an absolute force to reckon with in his own right, as a bass player, an arranger, and as an absolute groover.

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One of the most exciting, inspirational, and special songwriters of today is Rett Madison. I first encountered Rett as the opening act for the last live show I saw before the pandemic - Theo Katzman, of Vulfpeck fame, in addition to having his own very compelling solo career - at Washington D.C.'s Hamilton Theatre. Rett performed as we've all witnessed many opening acts perform, with only her voice and a guitar. But the sound that came forward as she performed completely overshadowed the fact that the only accompaniment was her guitar playing. She commanded a presence that drew the audience in from first listen, and stood strong as its own performance aside from being an opening act. Rett's voice is one of the most unique and most powerful to ever grace a stage, and after the show I was blessed to meet Rett and have some talks about music and life. Thankfully, we've kept in touch since then and so when I was planning for the first season of Unlocking the Keys, I knew I wanted to ask Rett to be a guest. I am so grateful that she was excited to appear as well. In our time together for the show, Rett and I discussed her life, her musical influences, her adventuring to L.A. from West Virginia, and even discussed how Rett actually started as a pianist at a very young age before ever picking up a guitar!

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Whether you know him from the live circuit with The Main Squeeze, or from his many collaborations, or even from his own budding and blossoming solo musical career, Ben Silverstein, known more commonly as "Smiley," is one of the most exciting, innovative, and inspiring keyboardists in the world today. From humble beginnings as a jazz musician in high school, to later going to business school, to finding musical success with both his band, The Main Squeeze, in addition to pushing the boundaries of genre with his solo music project called Smile High, Ben "Smiley" Silverstein is a musician who always stays busy, always stays engaged, and always stays positive. We got to know each other virtually through the pandemic with weekly keyboard and music production lessons, and now have stayed connected as friends. In our time together for Unlocking the Keys, Smiley and I had a lovely chat about his history with music, his ever-growing list of projects and collaborations, and discussed exactly how he came upon the name "Smiley." ...I can comfortably say that it's not what you might initially expect!

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When people think YouTube and guitar, a name near the top of the list is that of Michael Palmisano. When I decided to dedicate a lot of my own free time during the pandemic to a daily practice of improving my skills on guitar, one of the first musical education channels I found on YouTube was Michael's. And while he's best known for his "Guitar Teacher REACTS" videos and his Guitargate guitar course, Michael has also been called to sit in with bands like Umphrey's McGee. He's also performed at clinics such as GuitCon with other legendary guitarists such as Phil X, guitarist for Bon Jovi, or Mike Bradley, who has performed with Blondie. Through all of his success with his Guitargate guitar course, and his YouTube channel, which has reached over 300,000 subscribers and counting, Michael remains one of the most approachable, enthusiastic, and eager to help musicians I have ever known. In our time together for Unlocking the Keys, Michael and I talked not just about guitar, but music as a whole, and he had some really insightful things to say about keyboards in addition to giving the whole story of how he found himself onstage after the ebb of the pandemic with one of the most successful touring groups in the jam band scene - Umphrey's McGee.

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A dear friend, a stellar musician, and one of the most humble and uplifting individuals I have ever known, Alex Wasily is someone I am blessed to have been connected with for over 20 years. We first met in our second grade teacher, Ms. Israel's class, in our hometown of Savannah, GA, and became fast friends. Alex and I continued to go to school together throughout middle school and high school, staying friends through the way. After high school, Alex went to school in Chicago at DuPaul University to study trombone and music, and I joined the Army after some time in college. Five years ago, we came back into each other's lives, some time after he'd joined one of the most grooving bands around, Dumpstaphunk, and I went to see their show at Gypsy Sally's. I was so blown away by the performance that I went to another show of theirs the very next night at Baltimore's 8x10. But that's just the kind of show Dumpstaphunk provides anyone who attends...they always leave you wanting more. With Dumpstaphunk, Alex has shared the stage with the likes of Yes, Carlos Santana, Tower of Power, and even the Dave Matthews Band, in addition to opening for none other than The Rolling Stones. He has also played with groups like The Main Squeeze, performed DJ sets as part of his Very Good Party and Very good DJ Sets series, given master classes in music performance to schools all over the country, and most of all, is a genuine and kind human being. In our time together for Unlocking the Keys, Alex shared some beautiful nuggets of musical wisdom, gave insights, and was just an all around wonderful hang as always.

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In his own words, Steve Watkins, also known by his stage name, "Swatkins," is a "ginger-bearded smiley keyboard guy," whose music "generally sounds like a good time." You may have heard him perform with acts like Allen Stone, Scary Pockets, Vulfpeck, Moorea Masa, Turkuaz, or even Bernie Worrell. Or you may know him for his solo work under both his own name, and with his group, The Positive Agenda. No matter how you've heard him, this man's positivity shines through his music, and it's a joy to speak with him. For this first episode of Unlocking the Keys, I had the opportunity to sit with Steve for quite some time, have some fun, share some stories, and, of course, hear all about his signature talk box. Hope you enjoy!