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Season 9 comes to a close and I wanted to wrap it up with a short episode and what’s to come, and take care of our incredible end-of-season giveaways. This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guitarist Andy Reiss joins me on the show today, the last full episode of Season 9! When I first moved to Nashville, I started going to see the Time Jumpers. They are an incredible band that plays western swing and classic country every Monday at 3rd & Lindsley. For quite a few years there, the band included Vince Gill, Paul Franklin, Ranger Doug, 3 incredible fiddle players, Dawn Sears on vocals, and Andy Reiss was always there, just calmly tackling every song, no matter how fast and crazy or slow and soulful. Usually playing elegant jazz/blues/bop licks on a Les Paul, or sometimes a 335. And while it was mind-bending to see everyone doing what they do, Andy was always a high point of any show for me. He’s still doing that gig, as he has for over 20 years now. Andy started out in San Francisco, and made his way to Nashville around 1980, where he got to watch and work with a number of the original Nashville A-Team. Folks like Pete Drake, Harold Bradley, Bob Moore, Ray Edenton, and Pig Robbins. People that I know of as legends - Andy was around them from day 1 after moving here. He spent a good deal of time on the road with artists like Reba McIntyre and Slim Whitman, and has played on hundreds of records for artists like Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Leon Russell. He is truly one of the great guitar players in town, and has a deep knowledge of music, guitars and history. I also get to enjoy him up close and personal, since he now plays in my band The Volcano Brothers as well! Be sure to go and see Andy any time you’re in Nashville. Enjoy my conversation with Andy Reiss. This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the passing of blues legend John Hammond, we’re revisiting this conversation with him from the first season of Music Makers and Soul Shakers, with the addition of a later conversation in which John recounts meeting Bo Diddley. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British pedal steel guitar legend BJ Cole joins me on the show today. BJ is a masterful steel player - very inventive and textural but with incredible chops and skills as well. He’s amassed an incredible body of solo work over the years, but has also been the top call steel session player in the UK for decades. He had a very solitary musical start, but got into country bands in England and eventually started gigging and playing sessions. Things changed for BJ when he got called to play steel on Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” in 1971. He laid down some very tasty and memorable steel parts on that hit, and the phone started ringing big time. BJ has played on records and toured with an incredible array of artists like Joan Armatrading, Marc Bolan, KD Lang, Beck, Bjork, Sting, John Cale, Brian Eno and many more. He’s also always written and recorded his own music and collaborations, which have been all over the place musically and are a great way to delve into his musical brain. There’s a new collab with cellist Emily Burridge - cello and steel duets that’s really cool, and his solo albums like Transparent Music, The New Hovering Dog, Trouble in Paradise - all great albums well worth checking out. We get into all it, plus some seriously nerdy pedal steel talk. You can keep up to date on BJ’s latest projects and tours at bjcole.co.uk Enjoy my conversation with BJ Cole! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Brent Maher - have a listen to Part 1 from last week first and then dig in! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brent Maher joins me on the show today to talk about his incredible career as a producer, engineer and songwriter. This is Part 1 of our conversation, and part 2 will come out a week from today. Brent is one of the few 1st generation of Nashville recording studio icons still active and working in town. Some of his extensive credits including recording “Proud Mary” for Ike & Tina Turner, “Dance to the Music” by Sly & The Family Stone and “Age of Aquarius” by the 5th dimension, not to mention producing every Judds record. His career began at Fred Foster Sound, which was the studio built by Sam Phillips. He learned and worked for years as an assistant to Bill Porter, one of the greatest engineers of all time. From the early 60’s, they were working on albums for Roy Orbison, The Everly Brothers, Chet Atkins and many more. Brent followed Porter to Las Vegas, where they set up shop and that’s where Brent started his producing and songwriting career, with the first song he ever wrote being recorded by Ike & Tina. Brent eventually moved back to Nashville, where he found the Judds, produced all of their huge records and redefined country music in the 80’s. He was instrumental in bringing the recording scene to Berry Hill, where he helped design and build Creative Workshop and what eventually became Blackbird Studios. Brent continues to work at his studio in Berry Hill today with artists like Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Taj Mahal, as well as his latest project “Night of the Orphan Train” - which is a musical novel. We get into all of these facets of his stunning career in this 2-part episode. Enjoy my conversation with Brent Maher! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eddie Angel joins me on the show today. Eddie is a guitarist, producer, and one of the founding members of the legendary instrumental surf-rock band Los Straitjackets. Eddie grew up in upstate New York, steeped in classic rock ’n’ roll, surf music, and vintage guitar tones, and he’s spent decades helping keep that spirit alive while pushing it into new territory. Eddie was a well respected guitarist in the DC rockabilly scene, playing with Tex Rubinowitz and the Bad Boys, and moved to Nashville to work with the Planet Rockers in the 80’s. Sometime in there, he formed a new band that became Los Straitjackets, and put out their first record in 1995. They also donned some luchador masks and have basically never taken them off since. They’ve gone on to record 14 studio albums, and 8 live albums. Their newest album is called “Somos” and is up there with their best work as a band. What started as an instrumental surf outfit quickly became something much bigger, blending rockabilly, garage, country, and cinematic guitar music into a sound that’s unmistakably their own. Another interesting facet to Eddie’s career is as a collaborator, most notably working with Nick Lowe. The partnership between Lowe and Los Straitjackets has also gone on for years and is something they both continue to explore when the opportunities arise. Collaborations with Deke Dickerson and Eddy Clearwater are also notable projects that are a great example of interesting things coming along when you remain open to ideas. In this conversation, we talk about Eddie’s early influences, the origins and evolution of Los Straitjackets, and what he’s learned from a lifetime of playing, producing, and collaborating at the highest level. You can get all the latest info and tour dates for Eddie and Los Straitjackets at: losstraitjackets.com Enjoy my conversation with Eddie Angel! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pat Bergeson joins me on the show this week. Pat is one of those musicians who makes you stop and rethink what’s actually possible on a guitar. And on a harmonica. Pat Bergeson is a true master of touch, tone, and taste, and one of the most deeply musical players you’ll ever hear. Pat’s guitar playing is rooted in the blues, jazz, and country traditions, but it’s always personal, always expressive, and always unmistakably his own. He’s been here in Nashville for a number of decades now, and has amassed an impressive list of credits, playing on records for artists like Dolly Parton, John Paul White, Suzy Bogguss, Blake Shelton, Alison Krauss and Lyle Lovett. But Pat has never been one to devote himself to session work, so he’s led a much more rounded life, with tons of live playing and touring, including his current touring gig in Peter Frampton’s band. When I first saw him, it was with the band Les Brers, which was Butch Trucks’ band playing mostly Allman Brothers music, and seeing Pat teamed up with the band’s other guitarist Jack Pearson, was a one-two punch of two of my absolute favorite guitarists in music city! One of the most meaningful chapters in Pat’s career was his close association with the legendary Chet Atkins. Chet didn’t just admire Pat’s playing - he brought him to Nashville. Pat recorded and performed with Chet, and you can really hear that shared philosophy: musical elegance, deep respect for melody, and an understanding that less can truly be more. Pat played with Chet for years, both on records but also as part of his band that used to have a weekly gig here in Nashville at a little Italian joint downtown. And then there’s the harmonica. Pat isn’t just a great guitarist — he’s one of the finest diatonic harmonica players you’ll ever hear. So whether you know him from his work with Chet Atkins, his collaborations with Peter Frampton, his session work, his solo recordings, or his unforgettable harmonica playing, you’re in for a great conversation today. Enjoy my conversation with Pat Bergeson! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Part 2 of my conversation with Dave Jacques - have a listen to Part 1 from last week first and then dig in! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bassist Dave Jacques is on the show today. Dave was John Prine’s bass player for nearly thirty years. That’s not just a gig - that’s a musical marriage! That’s knowing when to play, when not to play, when to push a lyric forward, and when to just lay the hell out of the way and let the song do its thing. This will be a 2-part conversation and Part 2 will come out one week from today. If you know John Prine’s music, you know that the bass is doing a lot of quiet heavy lifting. Those songs don’t survive flashiness. They survive feel, restraint, and humor, and Dave understood that instinctively. He helped build the foundation under some of the most beloved songs in the American songbook, and he did it without ever getting in the way. What’s remarkable is that Dave brought that same sensibility everywhere else he went. Whether it was Emmylou Harris, Buddy Miller, Townes Van Zandt, or countless other sessions and tours, he always sounded like himself — but somehow also exactly right for the artist. In this conversation, we talk a lot about his years with John Prine — what he learned from standing next to and playing with night after night, one of the greatest songwriters ever, not to mention endless hours in a car with him. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and playing with Dave on quite a few sessions here in Nashville, and he was also crazy enough to join my band The Volcano Brothers, so if you find yourslef in Nahsville, come see us! You can also find Dave playing with a host of great musicians around town, my favorite being Kenny Vaughan’s Imperial Blues Hour. You can get the latest on Dave and his projects over at davejacquesonbass.com Enjoy my conversation with Dave Jacques! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ruthie Foster joins me on the show this week. I first met Ruthie about 20 years ago, when we were both playing at a Canadian folk festival. We had a few workshops together and really hit it off. She’s one of the most incredible singers I’ve ever heard - so powerful and soulful, but also totally open to jamming and opening things up in a cool way. We re-connected this summer at the Vancouver Folk Festival and had a blast playing together again after all those years. Ruthie is a Grammy Award- winning recording artist (among many other awards!) who has an incredible new album out on Sun Records that she made here in Nashville with Tyler Bryant called “Mileage” - be sure to check it out! Ruthie came up singing in the church, performing all over Texas, and then had a stint in New York when she got signed to Atlantic Records. That didn’t really pan out and Ruthie stepped back from music for a while, joined the Navy, which led to joining the Navy band, which sort of got her back into performing music. After her time in the Navy, Ruthie re-committed to music and started releasing her first solo albums, of which she now has 11 or 12 out since about 1997. They’re all excellent, and Ruthie has always stayed true to her roots of blues, soul, gospel, folk and rock & roll. I got a chance to spend a bit of time with her here in Nashville during the Americanafest this year, and it was so great to hear her tell her story about her ineteresting path in the music world. You can get all Ruthie’s current info and her busy tour schedule over at www.ruthiefoster.com Please enjoy my conversation with Ruthie Foster! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drummer Gary Craig joins me on this show this week. Gary is an incredible musician who has gained the reputation as one of Canada’s finest studio and live drummers working today. He’s been at it for a long time and has maintained a number of long-term associations with artists like Bruce Cockburn, Anne Murray, Blackie & The Rodeo Kings and Jann Arden. Gary’s attention to detail, combined with a unique sense of groove makes him one of the more creative forces in modern roots drumming. Coming up in Toronto in the 70’s and 80's, Gary learned from some of the city’s great jazz drummers, but shifted his focus to roots, blues and rock bands that appealed to his taste more than jazz did. Landing the gig with Anne Murray, which he got at a young age, Gary stayed with her until she retired about 25 years later. His ability to hold on to gigs and manage juggling several of them at once is no small feat, but when you hear him play, you understand why artists will do what they need to to keep him on board. Gary’s also a great hang too, which I can attest to first-hand, and while that might not be the most important thing in keeping a gig, it’s probably the second most important! Gary and I get into his history, influences, his work with many of the artists that he is known for, and what he’s up to these days both on the road and around Toronto as a live player and studio musician. Enjoy my conversation with Gary Craig! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Singer, songwriter, bandleader and founder of the legendary BR549, Chuck Mead, joins me on the show this week. There’s some people that just have music in their veins and they can do things with it and within it that other people can’t - perfectly naturally with seemingly no effort. Well, Chuck is one of those guys. He just knows music. He understands country music and rock & roll in a deep way. He can sing it, feel and play it better than almost anyone. Chuck is known as the leader of the band BR549, which was a huge band in the alt-country scene in the 90’s before “Americana” existed. That band, almost single-handedly, turned Broadway in Nashville into a hopping live music scene, where there really was nothing much going on before they arrived. He’s also a fantastic solo performer and bandleader in his own right, as well as having a big part in the Broadway musical “The Million Dollar Quartet”. Chuck was born in Missouri, but grew up in Kansas, where he started playing music in all kinds of country and rock bands, but also played in a family band, touring on weekends all through high school and cutting his teeth that way. His band, The Homestead Grays, had some notoriety around Kansas, but when that band broke up, he moved to Nashville in the early 90’s. Broadway at that time was just a sleazy street with a couple bars, some cool guitar shops, and not much else. But that all changed once Chuck and his band (which became BR549) started playing basically 6 nights a week at Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Their notoriety led to them being put on the cover of Billboard magazine, which essentially started a label bidding war for the band and led to a deal with Arista records. The band made about 7 albums before splitting up. Since then, Chuck has made 4 solo albums, and played on the Grand Ol Opry a whopping 137 times. He’s been nominated for 3 Grammys and is still very active around Nashville. You can get all the latest onfo and find out when he’s playing at chuckmead.com This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. He’s also a hilarious fellow and a great story teller as you’ll hear, so now please enjoy my conversation with Chuck Mead! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steel guitarist and country music historian Pete Finney joins me on the show this week. I got to know Pete’s playing when I’d go and see Chris’ Scruggs' band The Stone Fox Five out in the parking lot of the East Nashville Legion during Covid. They’d put on a well-distanced weekly show that was my only live music for a couple of years! I loved Pete’s soulful playing and got to learn more about his interesting history, mostly on the pedal steel guitar, playing for all kinds of country legends - artists like Reba McIntyre, The Judds, Vince Gill, The Chicks, The Monkees and lots more. Pete has a unique style, and while he has clearly absorbed the classic country sounds, he doesn’t sound like anyone else. Pete’s path from the DC area playing almost every night in country bars, to Austin to play with Doug Sahm, to his move to Nashville in the 80’s is an interesting one, and Pete has carved out an incredible career in that time. Lately, Pete has also taken on the role of historian, and had a big hand in producing the Country Music Hall Of Fame’s “Dylan, Cash and The Nashville Cats” exhibit, which was one of the best collections of 60’s and 70’s country music stories, exhibits and paraphernalia ever put on display. Pete is a well loved Nashville icon and plays around town with many different artists. He has no website or social media, so you’ll have to just keep your ear to the ground about where to see himj play if you’re in Nashville, but don’t miss your chance if you get it! Enjoy my conversation with Pete Finney. This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Drummer, composer and bandleader Nate Smith joins me on the show this week. While many people have come to know of Nate’s work through his recent collaborations with Vulfpeck, Brittany Howard, and as a member of the Fearless Flyers, Nate has been playing, touring and honing his craft for decades. His early experience with legendary jazz vocalist Betty Carter led to him being a full-time member of Dave Holland’s group for many years, and carved out a reputation as one of New York’s great up and coming jazz drummers. Nate’s wide range of skills and musical tastes led him to start his own group, Kinfolk, which has recorded 2 spectacular albums. A somewhat random invite led him to become a member of The Fearless Flyers, which exploded on youtube, and has paved the way for Nate’s own set of solo and collaborative videos that are highly original, exciting, and musical. His collaborations with musicians like Charlie Hunter, Cory Wong, Victor Wooten, Carrtoons, and Lionel Loueke are well documented on both album and youtube videos. Nate’s latest project is under his own name, entitled “Live-Action” and is an incredible collection of compositions, improvisations and collaborations with many of his musical partners. Nate will be touring quite a bit over the next while with his band, so be sure to catch them when you can! You can get all the latest info on Nate and all his projects, records and amazing set of videos at natesmithdrums.com Enjoy my conversation with Nate Smith! This season is brought to you by our main sponsors Larivée Guitars, Audeze, Izotope, FabFilter, and Chase Bliss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.