Talk and Rock Radio Podcast

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...

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.

Celebrating their 50th Anniversary, The Manhattan Transfer continues to set the standard as one of the world’s greatest and most innovative vocal bands. Winners of eleven Grammy Awards, with millions of records sold worldwide, this amazing quartet is building upon the extraordinary legacy created by founder Tim Hauser who organized the four-part harmony group along with Janis Siegel (alto), Alan Paul (tenor), and Laurel Masse (soprano) on October 1, 1972. Cheryl Bentyne (soprano) replaced Masse in 1979, and Trist Curless (bass) replaced Tim Hauser following his passing on October 16, 2014.

In 2009, Rick Kern and Rod Crosby produced the very first Border Legends of El Paso Concert at the Lancers Club East. There were 8 groups performing with approximately 250 in attendance. The show was a complete success and they were encouraged to continue doing another one the following year. The second concert took place at the Isaron Hall on the west side of El Paso. The third year had the show returning to the Lancers East with approximately 300 in attendance. That year the complete complex was used including the oitside courtyard. In 2012, the show went to a much larger venue - the El Maida Shrine Auditorium. This became the final and most useful venue for the annual show. There was a green room, private bar area and a much larger stage and performance hall accomodating 1,000 people. The final year of the Border Legends Of El Paso Concert resulted in the largest attendance with attendees coming in to El Paso from over 25 states. The event was best described as being El Paso's Best High School reunion ever - it brought all of the schools together in one place. Hearing the local bands once again that we grew up with was the best take away from the annual concerts. In 2016, Rod and Rick decided to put the show to rest. In the early part of 2022, Rick and Rod was discussing the possibility of resurrecting the annual show. Unfortunately, the plan was met with the unexpected loss of Rod on April 4, 2022. Rod Crosby and the Border Legends of El Paso Concert series will never be forgotten.

Michael James Peterson (born August 7, 1959) is an American country music artist. He made his debut on the country music scene in 1997 with his second self-titled album (following his 1986 release featuring contemporary Christian songs), which produced five Top 40 hits on Billboards Hot Country Singles & Tracks, including the Number One hit "From Here to Eternity". Peterson's second album, 1999's Being Human, produced two more chart singles, and a third album, 2004's Modern Man, was issued only in Europe. Peterson also made a cameo appearance on an episode of Walker, Texas Ranger.

Richie Gajate Garcia, a Puerto Rican born in New York City, was raised on the island of Puerto Rico from the age of seven. Richie grew up with musical influences of his percussionist step father Doel Garcia and family friends like Tito Puente, Monchito Munoz and Armando Peraza. Richie started his formal education at Springfield College and then went on to the Conservatory of Music in Chicago where he received his bachelor’s degree in music education. Since then, Richie has taught at the Musician’s Institute in Hollywood and the Los Angeles Music Academy known as LAMA in Pasadena, California. He is one of the top clinicians worldwide and has become an ambassador to the world teaching and demonstrating the art of drums and percussion with over 700 clinics to his credit. Richie has performed, recorded and toured the world as a drummer/percussionist for several major artists including Phil Collins, Sting, Diana Ross, Hiroshima, John Denver, Tito Puente and the Boston Pops. His experiences transcend musical genres from classical to pop, jazz, salsa, country and hip hop. Richie has authored instructional books which include play along cds. He pioneered instructional drum/percussion videos long before dvds existed and currently has instructional dvds on the market. Countless musicians have credit Richie with their musical successes including his son, Roland Gajate Garcia who was nominated percussionist of the year by the readers of Modern Drummer Magazine. Richie himself has held that title and many more distinctions in the music community including performances on grammy winning and nominated projects. He has been an advocate for music in public schools and spoke on an educational panel for Bill Clinton during his presidency. Richie has invented the gajate bracket distributed by Latin Percussion Inc. which has impacted the genre of multi percussion and taken indepence to a new level. Richie’s nickname is “el pulpo” which means “the octopus”. Richie lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife of 30 years Mary. His two adult sons are thriving in the music industry playing regularly on tv and touring with legends. Richie is a trendsetter who continues to passionately perform while he educate and mentors worldwide.

Steven Lee Cropper, sometimes known as "The Colonel", is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, which backed artists such as Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas and Johnnie Taylor. He also acted as the producer of many of these records. He was later a member of the Blues Brothers band. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him 36th on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, while he has won two Grammy Awards from his seven nominations. Terry Manning is an American photographer, composer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, audio engineer, and visual artist. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he has worked with Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top, the Tragically Hip, Zeno, Jay Boy Adams, Booker T. & the MG's, Shakira, Isaac Hayes, Otis Redding, Rhino Bucket, Johnny Winter, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Big Star, Johnny Taylor, Jason and the Scorchers, the Staple Singers, Molly Hatchet, George Thorogood, Al Green, Widespread Panic, Shania Twain, Joe Cocker, Joe Walsh, and Lenny Kravitz, among others.

John Madara was born on May 28, 1936 and grew up in Philadelphia, at a time when the city was teeming with groups and artists such as The Spaniels, The Clovers, Harvey and The Moonglows, Billy Ward and The Dominos and the great Jackie Wilson. Rock and roll was starting to take root and John Madara was destined to make rock and roll history. In 1957, John launched his solo career, with his first record, "Be My Girl," reaching the National charts. That same year, John co-wrote with Dave White a song called "Do The Bop." On the advice of Dick Clark, whose local show, American Bandstand, had just gone National, the title and lyrics were changed to "At The Hop." Danny and The Juniors recorded it, and by Christmas of 1957 it had reached the top of the pop and R&B charts worldwide. "At The Hop" remained #1 for an astounding 7 weeks, the first record ever to reach that success, and it has remained a rock and roll classic to this day. Barry) and “You Don’t Own Me” (Lesley Gore). He also produced for Danny and The Juniors, “Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay." In the Mid ‘60s, John, Dave and local D.J. Ray Gilmore formed a group called “The Spokesmen” and released “The Dawn of Correction," an answer song to the enormous hit “Eve of Destruction” by Barry McGuire. At the same time, John was producing for other artists when he discovered a young man, Leon Huff, who later teamed up with Kenny Gamble and became one of the most prolific songwriting teams in the history of rock and roll, defining an entire category of Black popular music known as "The Sound of Philadelphia." He also discovered one of the most prolific duos of all time, Daryl Hall and John Oates. With them he produced two albums. In 1965, John and Dave started their own publishing company, discovering and signing new songwriters. The company was very successful, and in 1984, it was sold to Michael Jackson. In 1967, John, Dave and Local D.J. Ray Gilmore wrote the song, "Sadie The Cleaning Lady," which became a huge hit in Australia with singer, Johnny Farnham. John moved to L.A. in the ‘70s, where he found success writing and producing for movies and television. He produced the soundtrack for the James Caan/Marsha Mason movie, “Cinderella Liberty," and also produced the title song for the Cliff Robertson movie “Ace Eli and Roger of the Sky.” In the mid ‘70s, he was music supervisor for the hugely successful “Sid and Marty Kroft Comedy Hour." This was in conjunction with an ABC Comedy Hour and network special which launched the new ABC season. During that time, John wrote and produced the music for the show, and was hands on with the mixing and editing. In the late ‘70s, he also wrote the theme song for ABC Sports, which ran for two years. Las Vegas was also becoming a happening place for singers and performers. So it would seem appropriate that John would spend two years of his life working with one of the most successful performers of all time, Wayne Newton. He produced two of Wayne’s albums and also produced and wrote songs for a Christmas television special for Wayne on CBS. In the mid ‘80s, John teamed up with one of the great film animators of all time, Ralph Bakshi. Ralph, known for the controversial film “Fritz The Cat," and also the highly regarded films “American Pop” and “Lord Of The Rings," needed songs for his upcoming animated film “Hey Good Lookin." John collaborated with the extremely talented writer/singer Ric Sandler, and they wrote and arranged all 18 songs in the film, which John produced. Ric also performed all of the songs. Time Magazine and Playboy raved about the film and later called it a cult classic. Through the years, John has produced albums and singles for companies such as CBS, Warner Bros., Polydor, Atlantic, Paramount, 20th Century, MGM and ABC Records. Madara & White songs have reached millions of people through radio, films and television. Worldwide sales of their songs and productions have reached over 2 hundred million records. Their...

During the early '70s, Warren and his brother Bill formed The Ham Brothers Band and included Ira Wilkes on bass, Red Young on piano and organ and Dahrell Norris on drums. The group recorded for Texas producer Huey P. Meaux. Despite critical acclaim for the work, the album never made it in the marketplace. It was soon taken out of print. In 1978 The Ham Brothers band had replaced Wilkes and Young with Bob Parr and Ken Rarrick, both from the acclaimed jazz education program at the University of North Texas. Later that same year, David Gates, of Bread fame, hired the Ham Brothers to tour as part of Bread. The act was then billed as David Gates and Bread. A year later pop diva Cher secured the services of the same band. When Cher recorded the project album Black Rose, Warren joined the band for the recording and the subsequent supporting tour. In his early years, Ham was a vocalist and played the reeds for the Fort Worth, Texas based Bloodrock (1972–74). Ham appeared on the last two Bloodrock albums: Passage and Whirlwind Tongues. Warren Ham has also toured with Kansas in the John Elefante era (in 1982, played additional keyboards, flute, alto and soprano saxophones, harmonica and backing vocals), Toto (1986-1988, and since 2017), and Donna Summer (1983). He toured with Olivia Newton-John in 2006 as an instrumentalist and vocalist performing John Travolta's part with Newton-John on her No. 1 Grease hit, "You're The One That I Want", as well as backing vocals. When Kerry Livgren left Kansas to form his own Christian rock band AD, Ham went with him as the new band's lead singer. Ham appeared on the first, second and fourth of AD's four albums: 1) Timeline 2) Art of the State and 3) Prime Mover. Ham was a featured vocalist and instrumentalist for the Maranatha! Promise Band - the worship band for the Promise Keepers men's movement put together by Maranatha! Music from Promise Keepers' incarnation in 1993 to 1996. He appeared on their 1993 album, Face to Face with the song "This Is What I Believe", and on their 1996 album, Break Down the Walls, on the song "Send Me" along with Steven Jackson and Leonard Tucker. He was also a part of the live touring version of the Promise Band for the 1995 Promise Keepers conference season where he played harmonica, saxophone, trumpet, flute, and other wind instruments along with backup vocals. This was documented in the VHS video and CD "Live Worship With The Maranatha! Promise Band" where he most famously played an intro to "Man Of The Spirit, Man Of The Word". Since the demise of AD, he has released solo recordings in the contemporary Christian music genre "Come on Children" and is the author of Beginning Blues/Rock Harmonica (ISBN 0-8256-1154-7). From 1996 to 2000, Ham toured as part of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Warren Ham also appeared as an integral member of Donna Summer's live band on her 2008 tour (having first appeared as part of her 1983 touring group) supporting her 2008 release Crayons. Warren Ham toured with Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022. In the mid-eighties and from 2017 on, he tours with Toto.

Taj Farrant was just hanging out at home in the backyard around the fire when a live version of “Comfortably Numb” started playing. He declared he wanted to learn to play that guitar solo. He’d only just gotten his first guitar for his birthday, but he set about mastering the solo. And he did. He was 7 years old. His father, Brandin Farrant, wanted to share it with his family, so he put a YouTube video of it up on Facebook. The image of a 7-year-old, with a smile that revealed a gap where he’d lost a baby tooth, wielding a guitar like a pint-size David Gilmour was irresistible. It went viral. What followed was an appearance on “Ellen” and a gig with Michael Jackson’s guitarist and fellow Australian Orianthi. Through her, he met Carlos Santana, who as her mentor. And as he’d done for a teenaged Orianthi, the guitar legend invited Taj on stage to perform with him. Taj Farrant on stage with Rob Thomas in 2019. (Photo provided) Now 13, Taj, and his family, split their time between Australia and the United States. On Saturday, March 11, Taj will perform at Howard’s Club H. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show at 7 p.m. Admission is $35. Click for tickets. This North American swing, the Nothing But the Blues tour, will move on from Ohio through Missouri and into the heartland of the blues with shows in Arkansas ending up at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) convention in California. Taj will be performing with the Missouri blues band Nathan Bryce and Loaded Dice. Brandin Farrant said early on in Australia they tried to put together bands of other musical prodigies, but they couldn’t find youngsters who could keep pace with Taj. On this tour, Taj will be joined for a half-dozen songs by his 12-year-old sister Jazel on drums. “She can keep up with him because they live together and play together all the time,” their father said, so she’s in synch with his virtuosity. Taj Farrant plays chess with his 12-year-old sister Jazel . She’ll play drums on several numbers during the show at Howard’s. Taj’s musical journey started on his father’s shoulders. They were at an AC/DC concert, and Taj was perched on his father, so he got a good look at frontman Angus Young emerging from the ground. That right there made an impression on him, Taj said. Then Young started playing guitar. “It must be pretty hard to play like that and I just wanted to try to learn,” Taj said. “I want to do this for the rest of my life.” For his next birthday his parents and grandparents pitched in to get him a good quality Ibanez Prestige. He now has upgraded his instrument, but that guitar still goes on tour with him. He has all the stars he plays sign it. Other artists including Santana have also contributed to his growing guitar collection. The proceeds from this tour will go to buying a Gibson Custom 355 – the same model as B.B. King’s “Lucille.” At first , Taj took a few lessons, but his father then assumed the role of instructor. Brandin Farrant is a drummer, but he started learning guitar so he could teach his son. What he learned in the afternoon, he’d pass on to his son when he got home from school. Now Taj picks up tips from some of the greats. His father has made videos of his playing all along as part of Taj’s instruction. This way he could listen back and analyze what he needed to improve on. Those videos though became the conduit for sharing Taj’s talents with the world. While COVID put a crimp into live performances, Taj said it was good for him. He holed up at home in Australia and practiced and started to hone his singing chops. He continued to post a weekly video. He’s now working on the demos for his first album at their family’s home studio. He’s back on the road. After this American swing, there’s a European tour planned. Brandin Farrant said they hope to get buy their own tour bus soon for traveling around the United States. His parents are both highly regarded tattoo artists who can schedule their work...

Robby Robinson is originally from Litchfield, Illinois. He studied piano from age 7, saxophone from age 8, and started playing in rock bands at age 14. He majored in music at Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. From high school through college, Robinson played in a variety of bands in the Southern Illinois-St. Louis area, after college he toured the US with Phil Driscoll and "Patch & Didi" (with his brother Rex Robinson, Lynn Hamman, and Didi Carr). The Robinson brothers moved to Los Angeles in 1976. From 1976 to 1978 Robinson played, arranged, and produced with a broad range of musicians such as Liza Minnelli,Tom Jones, Alphonse Mouzon, Buddy Greco, and Les DeMerle. In 1978, at the recommendation of long-time friend Richie Gajate Garcia, Robinson joined Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, he has been the group's music director, conductor and keyboardist for over 45 years.

Hi everybody, this is Rick Kern - producer & host of TalkandRockRadio. When I think of great guitar pickers - many names come to mind: Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed, Glen Campbell, Tommy Tedesco, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Tommy Emanuelle. There are so many! The gentleman you are about to see, at age 11 was asked by Chet Atkins to come up on stage and play with him at Her Majesty’s Theater in London. Forty one years later he’s carved his place as one of the very best in the industry. Welcome, live from the Star City Studios in El Paso, Texas! Our dear friend - Richard Smith!

Rick Kern and Tom Meros (music historian) talk about the Golden Era of Rock 'n Roll. Tom, an attorney and degreed historian, has been doing oral recollections from A list performers all over the U.S. and UK. since 2010. His passion for doing the many YouTube episodes (in person) not on zoom or other digital platforms, really impressed Rick. The two of them have decided to do some collaborating on some upcoming episodes that will include Tom's future podcast partner, John Medora, who penned the hit song 'At The Hop'. In this episode of TalkandRockRadio, Tom and Rick talk about the importance of keeping the music legacies of the great artists alive. Tom shares some of his personal stories that involve songstress, Petula Clark. They also discuss the impact of the music during a time of political turbulance - the Vietnam War, assasination of John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King. Music has played such an important part of bringing the world together during times of happiness and sadness. The main take-away of this episode is we have to keep the history and memories alive for future generations. It's too important and if it's lost......it might never be rediscovered.

During their brief lifespan, the Box Tops earned a reputation as one of the best blue-eyed soul groups of the '60s, even if their recorded legacy wasn't as large or consistent as, say, the Righteous Brothers or the Rascals. Today they're remembered not only for their smashes "The Letter" and "Cry Like a Baby," but as the launching pad for singer Alex Chilton, who went on to become one of rock's most revered cult figures thanks to his groundbreaking power pop unit Big Star. In his teenage years, Chilton was an amazingly gritty Memphis soul belter akin to an American version of the Spencer Davis Group's Stevie Winwood. The Box Tops' music also encompassed touches of pop and psychedelia, although the group's own lack of control over it eventually led to their split-up. The Box Tops began life as the Devilles, a white R&B group featuring guitarists Gary Talley and John Evans, bassist Bill Cunningham, and drummer Danny Smythe. After the band's local popularity blossomed, teenage singer Alex Chilton joined up, and the Devilles quickly caught the attention of songwriters/producers Chips Moman and Dan Penn, who were on the lookout for a Stevie Winwood-type white soul singer. Changing their name to the Box Tops to avoid confusion with a different group of the same name, they signed with Bell Records and began recording at Moman's Memphis-based American Studio. The first single the group cut, "The Letter," rocketed to the top of the charts in 1967, not only spending four weeks at number one but ending up as Billboard magazine's number one single of the year. (Chilton was all of 16 at the time.) With a hit on their hands, Penn began to exert more control over the group; in the wake of "The Letter," he frequently used session musicians on the Box Tops' recordings, sometimes replacing the whole band behind Chilton, sometimes just individual members. Frustrated, Evans and Smythe both left the band to return to school in early 1968, and were replaced by Rick Allen (ex-Gentrys) and Tom Boggs, respectively. The follow-up to "The Letter," "Neon Rainbow," didn't do nearly as well, but the Box Tops managed another massive hit in 1968 with the Dan Penn/Spooner Oldham tune "Cry Like a Baby," which went to number two on the pop charts. Although a couple of minor hits followed in "I Met Her in Church" and "Choo Choo Train," Chilton was rapidly growing dissatisfied with the inconsistency of the material the Box Tops were handed (which was clear on the three LPs the group had released through 1968). As a result, Chilton was chafing at Penn's extreme reluctance to allow him to record his own original compositions. By the time of the Box Tops' fourth and final LP, 1969's Dimensions (an attempt to make a more cohesive album), Penn had bowed out and moved on to other projects. Several Chilton songs appeared on Dimensions, including "I Must Be the Devil," and the group had one last minor hit with "Soul Deep." Cunningham subsequently departed, also to go back to school, and the Box Tops began to disintegrate. When their contract expired in February 1970, they officially disbanded, and Chilton moved to Greenwich Village for a while. Not finding the creative hospitality he'd hoped for, Chilton soon returned to Memphis and joined an Anglo-pop outfit run by his friend Chris Bell; they morphed into Big Star, one of the most revered and mercurial bands in power pop (or, for that matter, underground rock & roll) history.

“For me, it’s always been about being the bridesmaid, not the bride,” Rick Levy said in a recent interview at his St. Augustine Beach condo, his 16-year-old dog Windy at his feet. Levy has shared a stage with the likes of Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis and James Brown. He’s gigged at shrines to rock like The Bitter End in New York City and Philadelphia’s Electric Factory. And he got a surprise kiss from Priscilla Presley while being accepted into the Memphis Music Hall of Fame as part of the revived lineup of the Box Tops. The guitarist and vocalist has lived life on the fringes of one of music’s brightest eras: the 1960s. And though he never broke through to A-star level, Levy said he wouldn’t change a thing. His 50-year career as a musician, songwriter, manager and promoter has earned him longevity in the business. More than that, it’s earned him a decent living. Levy can tell a few good stories about his rock ‘n’ roll days — and does — in his new memoir, “High in the Mid-’60s: How to Have a Fabulous Life in Music Without Being Famous.” The book was recently put out by indie publisher, Crossroad Press.

Grainne Duffy is an Irish guitarist, singer and songwriter hailing from county Monaghan, Ireland. Her specific genres include Blues, Soul and Americana enriched with some delicate country and pop elements. Her professional career started in 2007. The same year she released her remarkable debut album Out Of The Dark, proof talent that was raising at an impressive rate. Described by The Sunday Times as ‘a blues singer of real integrity’, Grainne Duffy is a pioneer of her own style while also paying sincere homage to her roots, soul, blues and rock traditions. During 2011 she released her second album Test Of Time as a result of her collaboration with the producer Niko Bolas (Melissa Etheridge, Los Lobos). The release and the accompanying video to the title song further marked the development of Duffy’s reputation in the U.K followed by the rest of Europe, Canada and Australia Important highlight are her 3 concerts at Glastonbury festival, 4 concerts at Woodford Folk festival (Australia), Tremblant International Festival (Canada) and her appearances at Mahindra Blues Festival (India) where she shares the stage with likes as Billy Gibbons, Eric Gales, Shemekia Copeland and Supersonic Blues Machine. 2014 and 2015 sees Grainne as winner in Blues Matters Writers Poll in the categories “best vocalist” and “best solo artist” With a voice that is as passionate as it is raw and honest, accompanied by simple, melodic and phrased guitar lines, this is what you have in Grainne Duffy. 2017 sees her in USA recording with producer Justin Stanley (Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow). This results as release of third album “Where I Belong” to follow the success of the previous two. The title song “Where I Belong” leads Duffy to numbers of live sessions at BBC and live performance at BBC TV. The summer of 2018 sees Grainne to share the stage at Cornbury Festival, UK alongside with fine artists like Alanis Morissette and Mavis Staple. Duffy releases her 4th studio album “Voodoo Blues”during October 2020. It is warmly received internationally achieving # 7 in UK IBBA Top 40 , # 13 in USA RMR and # 8 in France Powerblues charts. The album led Duffy to be winner in Independent Blues Awards 2021 in the category “Best Modern Roots Artist”. This success is another proof for Grainne’s incredible songwriting and vocal capabilities. The moody blues quality of the vocals perfectly collaborates with the steady groove laid down by drums & bass and perfectly enriched by lead guitarist Paul Sherry. The album presents powerfully the very strong identity of Grainne Duffy. ‘She’s the real deal’ Classic Rock Magazine ‘Deliciously soulful voice & gutsy blues inflected guitar work.

The Transatlantic Guitar Trio - A Smorgasbord of Greatness The international “Transatlantic Guitar Trio” has recently become a unique, phonetic highlight. The fingerstyle guitar champion Richard Smith (UK), the gypsy jazz virtuoso Joscho Stephan (D) and the brilliant multi-instrumentalist Rory Hoffman (USA) have joined forces in 2019 and have already performed at numerous renowned concert series and at several well-known festivals in the USA. It is unique how they put together jazz ballads, gypsy swing standards, a pinch of pop music and groovy original compositions to create a new whole: the broad repertoire of the “Transatlantic Guitar Trio” and the newly arranged Songs by the great role models such as Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed make the CD of the 3-star guitarists an incomparable experience.