Originally from the mountain state of West Virginia, Eades began making music at the age of 12, when out of boredom her father handed her a 1950's Gibson that had been stored away, waiting for someone to play.   It wasn't long before she began writing songs, recording her first album at age 17 as part of the duo Special Guest.  After a more than decade-long hiatus from music, Eades began playing music again after moving to Kansas City and began her solo career in 2015.   Her music is genuine, and shares bits of her story, drawing from experiences that many fi ..read more

I am so honored when a friend and artist such as songwriter Kelly Hunt recommends a fellow musician to me for consideration.  In the case of songwriter and fellow Buckeye Ben Gage, she could not have been more spot on with her recommendation.    As you will  hear in this conversation and performance on a recent Tasty Brew Music Radio Show, Ben sounded totally at ease and seemingly is a rather comfortable space in his lyrical life.  A couple of corrections to note in my on air comments. The Folk Alliance International Conference for 2025 will be in Montreal not Tor ..read more

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 the spotlight at age four during a local talent show, to learning guitar on an Esteban purchased from an infomercial, to releasing a full-length acoustic album titled Waiting to Be Heard  ..read more

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 strategic factor for sustainable urban development. Almost 300 cities around the world which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cult ..read more

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 any interest in an interview prior to an upcoming Sarah Lee Trio gig in the Kansas City area, I jumped at the chance.  I personally find it a challenge to prepare for a conversation with ..read more

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 Kansas City to play Knuckleheads...would I be interested in talking to him for my radio show?  Of course I would... I immediately began to obsess about how to honor the singular talent of Tomm ..read more

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 school teacher in the throes of finishing up her 20th year as a middle school choral director, it took a couple of months for us to find a date that worked with both of our schedules.  ..read more

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 populations in this country is remarkable.  Like many young men of the Boomer generation, Jimmie’s first guitar hero was Eric Clapton.  Early on, he played in bands that nev ..read more

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 Henry offering a spot with the understanding it was a Pledge Drive Show and I would be asking him to assist in pitching for donations.  He was all in.   He began writing songs ..read more

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 the work they've done previously as a veterinary cardiologist and a computer programmer, respectively. The two met at an open mic in College Station, Texas, in 2009 and soon moved to Houston togeth ..read more