Tasty Brew Music

I met Emma Jo via other songwriting friends in Kansas City and it has been interesting, even instructive, to witness her evolution as a young woman who follows a lyrical life. Raised in Kansas City by a mother who loved country music and a father who breathed rock & roll, Emma Jo has spent the better part of her life latching onto a deep-rooted passion for music and performing. From stealing t...

In the Fall of 2023, a contingent of folk and jazz artists from Frutilla, Chile (fru-tee-ya Chill-ay) came to Kansas City as part of a cultural exchange facilitated by The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and their Creative Cities Network.  The Network was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a str...

Alicia Stockman was in Kansas City to play an intimate house concert for the Labyrinth Listening Room Series curated and hosted by fellow music lover Howard Dolginoff.  I happened to be hosting Siren Song on 90.1 FM KKFI that same day and Howard brought Alicia to the studios so we could have a chat and share some tunes with our listeners who were not able to make it to the show. Alicia is a Utah-b...

I’ve been fortunate to see Sarah Lee Guthrie perform on multiple occasions with her family at the annual Woody Guthrie Festival aka Woody fest in Woody’s hometown of Okemah, Oklahoma.  The very first song I remember learning to sing outside of church hymns was Woody’s This Land is Your Land in grade school choir back in the late 1950’s.  When contacted recently by Sarah Lee’s management to gauge a...

I seem to be experiencing “full circle” type moments fast and furious these days. Case in point... a brief encounter at Americanafest years ago with radio promoter Angela Backstrom has yielded a now years’ long association that not only brings me amazing music every week but affords me opportunities to talk to folks like Tommy Prine.  Angela sent an email casually mentioning Tommy was coming to Ka...

Rick Dodderidge is one of THE most dedicated music enthusiasts I’ve ever encountered in 70+ years on this planet. I kept running into Rick and his lovely friend Vicki at various events around Kansas City.  He co-hosts a monthly spot on Mike Lytle’s Real Deal on KKFI where he shares his favorite music and accompanying stories such as you will hear in THIS conversation.  Rick, Vicki and I ended up o...

I love listening to my DJ Brother Scott Stanton’s River Trade Radio Show on KKFI on Sunday Mornings.  Not too long ago I heard an amazing voice on his show that stopped me in my tracks.  It was Beth Watts Nelson also now known as Little Miss Dynamite from right here in the Heartland.  I knew I had to get to know her and have her on my radio show. I reached out to Beth right away; as a middle schoo...

As I’ve stated before, one of the perks of hosting a radio show, is the ability to help a musical friend launch a new project into the ether.  I met the Reverend Jimmie Bratcher and his amazing wife Sherrie years ago at Knuckleheads Saloon in Kansas City.   I’ve been privileged to witness the hard work and devotion he pours into his music and his ministry. His work with the prison and the unhoused...

Being in the music ecosystem provides loads of opportunity for serendipity.  Making a connection with newcomer songwriter Henry Conlon is a case in point.  A fellow KKFI colleague had been contacted by Conlon’s team looking for on air opportunities in support of an opening slot Henry had at a recent Sundown Concert Series featuring Kansas City’s own Casi Joy and Danielle Nicole.  I reached out to...

International Folk Music Awards 2017 Artist of the Year Ordinary Elephant captivates audiences with their emotionally powerful and vulnerable songs, letting the listener know that they are not alone in this world. The collaboration of husband and wife Pete and Crystal Damore, their connection, and their influences such as Gillian Welch and Guy Clark all meet on stage. Crystal and Pete set aside th...

Billy Brady was given his nickname “Bluegrass” by his close family and friends.  He is a first generation musician born to a blue collar family that works construction.  He began playing guitar at 16 and his bluegrass roots started in the Ozarks one summer when he was working at a fish hatchery.  He played in a reggae band for a minute.  Travelling to festivals across the county, he settled on blu...

The email from Eli Lev came into my inbox like dozens of new music submissions do on any given day.  This one stood out a bit because the subject line referenced my radio show by name instead of something generic like “new music from singer/songwriter Eli Lev.”  The body of the email indicated that Eli had done some homework and was of the opinion his music would be a good fit for the show. It did...

The Missouri Ozarks is both home and backdrop to Missouri Arts Council Touring Performer, Mick Byrd. A member of the MO Blues Society and Tennessee Songwriters Association International, Mick has performed at the legendary Bluebird Café in Nashville for over 20 years.  An award from Billboard Magazine kicked off his music career in 1994. Mick brings fans an amazing array of original Roots Rock, Co...

It is always a thrill and privilege to host an artist’s first radio appearance or debut a new song to a listening audience; I had that opportunity recently when classically trained opera singer turned roots music artist Kirstie Lynn appeared with me on an episode of Siren Song on KKFI.  Originally from the Fingerlakes region of Upstate, NY, Kirstie Lynn brings elements of all the places she has ca...

Howard Mahan is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter originally from Fredonia, Kansas and now based out of Lawrence, Kansas. Howard started playing guitar in a family band at age 9.  After finishing college where he studied guitar, business, and law, Howard has played shows and recorded music across the US with several different groups, including the primary configuration "Howard Mahan & F...

On February 3, 2023, I presented a four-hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference. Last, but certainly not least for the show, was internationally reknown guitarist Pipo Romero . Although flamenco is not necessarily a genre of music heard...

On February 3, 2023, I presented a four-hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference. Next up is Patterson Barrett from Austin, Texas and Beth Bombara from St. Louis. Patterson first came to my attention about 8 years ago at the Folk Alliance...

On February 3, 2023, I presented a four hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference. Next up is Miki P and Cameron Keeling and The Runaway Train. Miki is a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter who shares her passion through music and perf...

On February 3, 2023, I presented a four hour edition of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, interviewing an array of local, national and international touring artists that were in Kansas City for the annual Folk Alliance International Conference. First up were Chris Hudson of Kansas City’s Gullywasher and Australia’s Nick Vulture . Hudson is a Guitarist, visual artist, Singer Songwriter for Kansas Ci...

The music of Caleb Caudle was originally recommended to me some years ago by music loving friends that know whereof they speak. Following their suggestions usually yields solid gold. Caleb was recently in Kansas City in 2022 on tour in support of Hayes Carll and then solo to promote his latest critically acclaimed album, Forsythia. He was also finally able to personally promote his album, Better H...

No stranger to change or the exploration that comes with it, Carrie Welling has been navigating life’s twists, turns, demons, and discoveries from a young age. A self-described ‘military brat’, Welling’s struggle to feel rooted in any one place carved a unharmonious path of heartbreak, doubt, and insecurity that defined her 20s and early 30s. Her bold, sultry voice, reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s gr...

Serendipity brought Jeremy Facknitz into my musical life. Late this past summer, he posted on a local Kansas City Musicians Facebook Page looking for a fill in gig on just a few days’ notice to help support a solo run of gigs in the Midwest. I checked him out, was happy to help him land a last-minute slot in a songwriters’ circle at a local venue and welcomed Jeremy into the radio station for a co...

Savraya is a singer-songwriter referred to me by a mutual songwriting friend from Louisiana, Tommy Ike Hailey. She’s just starting her lyrical life and it’s always an honor and privilege to be the first radio or podcast experience for a young artist like this. Living in places like Nashville, Ft. Worth and the Mississippi Gulf Coast near New Orleans gives her a unique perspective on Southern Ameri...

Joy Zimmerman, in regular rotation on KKFI’s Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, is a folk and acoustic roots singer/songwriter who cultivates joy with a clear, rich voice. She believes in the power of music and community. At home on guitar and violin, Joy’s most recent album, The Canvas Before Us , debuted at #8 on the FAI Folk Chart. I concur with this assessment…."Joy Zimmerman combines consummate ins...

Nationally renowned, Québécois folk-pop musician, Geneviève Racette, has captivated listeners with her gentle, yet compelling voice and has garnered impressive industry support for her folk-pop tracks ever since her first EP in 2014. Through her lyricism and ethereal vocals (which you will hear throughout this session), Geneviève has emerged as a rising star in both French and English-speaking Can...