Coming out of Berklee College of Music, RIPE has been called many things - from neo-soul to funk/pop to jam band - but whatever genre they fall into, their infectious licks, lyrical grooves and high energy performances made us immediate fans. We sat with 3/7ths of the band out in Allston, MA a week or so after seeing them blow away the crowd at The Paradise. Singer Robbie Wulfsohn and guitarists Tory Geismar and Jon Becker joined us for a conversation about their roots, vision, and the love they...
Mar 14, 2018•40 min•Ep. 83
Waitress The Musical, written by Jessie Nelson with original music and lyrics by six time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles, is currently on a US tour and while the Boston show has completed its run the tour will continue throughout the US over the next year or so. We had a chance to sit at beautiful Boston Opera House and talk with conductor/pianist Jenny Cartney and cellist/guitarist Nick Anton to discuss the both the challenges and excitement of rising above the orchestra pit to perform on the st...
Mar 07, 2018•41 min•Ep. 82
We recently published an episode with singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier and talked about her inspiring work with the organization Songwriting with Soldiers. We wanted to create a separate episode with the conversation we had afterwards with a US Marine, veteran Bill Auger, who shared the story of his first songwriting experience on the retreat with professional songwriter Darden Smith, and how the experience and the songs changed his life for the better. Bill is joined by Songwriting with Soldiers...
Mar 06, 2018•16 min
Mary Gauthier didn't pick up a guitar until later in life, and although finding success as a Boston restaurateur, certain events forced a change. Ten albums later she continues to tell stories of her past, her own healing, and the search for honesty and truth. Mary has lived through some challenging experiences and now she shares the songwriting pen and paper with US Veterans to tell their own stories through the Songwriting With:Soldiers program. We talked with Mary prior to her acoustic show a...
Feb 28, 2018•38 min•Ep. 81
Dr. Jay Keyser is known to many as MIT Professor Emeritus of Linguistics. He’s written several books and countless essays and poems throughout his prolific career centering in his love for language. Jay is a jazz trombonist in the highly regarded Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, which happens to be one of the oldest continuous jazz ensembles in the country. Whether you know Jay as a writer, poet, musician, philosopher or teacher, it’s clear when you talk with him there is a thirst for knowledge and true...
Feb 24, 2018•37 min•Ep. 80
Massachusetts native Mark Erelli is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer and has been in the Boston music scene as a professional for almost 20 years. He just released Mixtape – a compilation of covers from musicians who inspire him. We had a great conversation covering his high school bands, the link between science and music, his move from entomology to full time musician, his thoughts on collaboration in the writing process and also the importance of reading instructions o...
Feb 14, 2018•46 min•Ep. 79
Chuck and Ron know all their listeners have frequently pondered the following question: What do their Mom’s think of Above The Basement? They decided to get to the bottom of it! After a lovely brunch at Woods Hill Table they sat with professional mothers Gloria Clough and Judy Hirschberg. They pestered them with questions and let them tell embarrassing stories about them - all the while fishing for compliments that only a mother could give. Song List: Song 1: Maggie (Ron Hirschberg - 1995) Song ...
Feb 07, 2018•38 min•Ep. 78
We met with David Wax and Suz Slezak - appropriately enough in a guesthouse where they were staying with their own family of four. They are on a 10 city tour as a duo - humming along the way with new creations of melodies and lyrics while at the same time teaching their kids a thing or two about language, culture and the road. Their music will both soothe and surprise you, treating the ears with harmonies and often unexpected but pleasant repetitive lines and hooks - – it is an anthropological j...
Jan 31, 2018•46 min•Ep. 77
The final installment of our Boston Children's Chorus episodes! We sat with BCC Founder Hubie Jones and a few board members, sponsors and supporters, including Joel and Sue Sherman, Meg Clough and Bob Rivers just before the Boston Children's Chorus Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration at Symphony Hall Boston. We also had the unique opportunity to talk once again not only to current BCC singers, but a few alumni as well! We got their thoughts on the event, the importance of such a wonderful program...
Jan 25, 2018•34 min•Ep. 76
We talked with Matthew Stubbs as he was just about to take the floor with his band Matthew Stubbs and The Antiguas for his 2017 Boston Music Award winning residency DownBeat Mondays at The Sinclair. The B-Movies showing on the TVs along with the psychedelic light show and animation coloring the band create a surreal environment – made all the more amazing by the fantastic instrumental mix of what has been called Acid Blues. While he has two great solo albums under his belt - he just released his...
Jan 17, 2018•43 min•Ep. 75
We caught Vancil just before he departed for his 18 month journey as principle drummer on Hamilton: An American Musical. Hailing from Boston, Vancil is an award winning jazz drummer, producer and musical director. Vancil, or “Coop” talked with us at Charles Haynes’s studio about academic music, sharpening the tools and becoming a listener. We spoke about his beginnings as an eager 4th grader in the Metco program in Wellesley, MA and his road to becoming a sought after professional musician embar...
Jan 11, 2018•39 min•Ep. 74
British pianist, vocalist and performer Tom Odell writes and sings from the soul and gives an unforgettable live performance with his band that is both modern and classic at the same time. We were thrilled to sit at Strongroom Studios in East London where he was putting the final touches on his latest album. The surrounding color and lighting around the instruments made up for the fact that I kicked over his tea and Ronnie left 2 very expensive microphones in the back seat of the Uber we took to...
Jan 03, 2018•43 min•Ep. 73
We all have a voice but seldom can we come together to sing in harmony. The BCC makes this possible literally and figuratively from as early as age 7 and continuing throughout high-school. From over 100 zip codes in the greater Boston area, this group of 450 young singers meet each week to learn, rehearse and perform under the guidance of artistic director Anthony Trecek-King and executive producer Ben Hires. This is part two of our conversation as we invited some of the young singers to the con...
Dec 31, 2017•22 min•Ep. 72
We all have a voice but seldom can we come together to sing in harmony. The BCC makes this possible literally and figuratively from as early as age 7 and continuing throughout high-school. From over 100 zip codes in the greater Boston area, this group of 450 young singers meet each week to learn, rehearse and perform under the guidance of artistic director Anthony Trecek-King and executive producer Ben Hires. In our two part conversation, Anthony, Ben and several members of this outstanding and ...
Dec 30, 2017•39 min•Ep. 71
We sat with Lisa Rodio, Tim Steiner and Fraser Gordon at their rehearsal space in the north of London and discussed why they do what they do and what we can expect from them in the near future. When you mix musical melodies and rhythm with movement and communication, a dose of humor and shared emotion, the result can be nothing short of magic. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, based in London, has been able to make this possible through the work of professional classical musicians along with mus...
Dec 20, 2017•50 min•Ep. 70
We traveled across the pond to London speak with legendary bassist and awesome human Leland Sklar the morning after his performance on tour with Phil Collins. We sat in his hotel room to talk music, politics (yes...politics), tv theme songs, writing, dirt, gear....the list was endless. Special thanks to our very first guest, bassist Alison Keslow, for the introductions to this episode. This is part two of two. Song List: Song 1: Your Smiling Face - James Taylor Song 2: Don't Lose My Number - Phi...
Dec 15, 2017•40 min•Ep. 69
We traveled across the pond to London speak with legendary bassist and awesome human Leland Sklar the morning after his performance on tour with Phil Collins. We sat in his hotel room to talk music, politics (yes...politics), tv theme songs, writing, dirt, gear....the list was endless. Special thanks to our very first guest, bassist Alison Keslow, for the introductions to this episode. This is part one of two. Song List: Song 1: Stratus - Billy Cobham (off the album Spectrum) Song 2: The Rockfor...
Dec 12, 2017•40 min•Ep. 68
Boston born and raised rocker Carissa Johnson plays with energy and attitude and her quick hitting songs are a throwback to gritty punk rock and roll. Carissa is nominated for three Boston Music Awards, including Rock Artist, New Artist and Unsigned Artist of the Year. She was also the winner of the 2017 Boston Rock & Roll Rumble and has her own media label called Fuel Heart Productions. She is currently doing workshops on DIY touring with musician Vanessa Silberman of A Diamond Heart Produc...
Dec 05, 2017•50 min•Ep. 67
Vapors of Morphine is Boston's own Dana Colley (baritone saxophone), drummer Jerome Deupree and New Orleans transplant singer/guitarist Jeremy Lyons. Vapors continues the story of the great Boston 'Low Rock' band Morphine through their music while creating their own unique sound. Morphine disbanded after the sudden and tragic death of frontman, composer and bassist Mark Sandman in 1999. They shared their thoughts last week and talked the new Morphine LP, how they all came together to form Vapors...
Nov 22, 2017•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 66
Kyle Bent has been rapping in Randolph, Massachusetts since the third grade and began recording his own material soon after that. Over the years he has honed his freestyle talents and become an introspective lyricist with a positive message. The Jamaican born performer has seven albums under his belt including Dreams of God and Complex Simplicity just released in 2016. Song List: Song 1: Life's Good (from the album Complex Simplicity) Song 2: Conversations (Complex Simplicity) Song 3: Higher Pow...
Nov 19, 2017•44 min•Ep. 65
Indie electronic trio CONTACT with Matt Rhoades, Austin Bryant and John Mellino sat with us to talk about their dark, melodic orchestral pop with an '80s post-punk influence. CONTACT's sound blends infections hooks, hauntingly beautiful compositions, and stadium sized energy. They just released the first single Gravekeeper off their upcoming album and they are nominated for two 2017 Boston Music Awards, including Electronic Artist of the Year' and Pop Artist of the Year. Song List: Song 1: DYK S...
Nov 15, 2017•49 min•Ep. 64
We sat around a very tiny table in the art room of a local school with the Grammy nominated and chart topping band The Fray. The Fray’s debut album, How to Save a Life in 2005 was certified double platinum and they have had numerous other hits including Over My Head (Cable Car), You Found Me and enough other great songs to have them come out with a compilation album last year called Through the Years: The Best of the Fray. We talked with Isaac Slade, Joe King, Dave Welsh and Ben Wysocki just bef...
Nov 12, 2017•34 min•Ep. 63
Julie Rhodes began singing in front of audiences only a few years ago and has taken Boston by storm. Her debut album Bound To Meet The Devil has garnered rave reviews for her beautiful, soulful voice and she has wowed enough people with her live performances to get 5 Boston Music award nominations, including Live Artist of the Year, Unsigned Artist of the Year, Americana Artist of the Year, Female Vocalist of the Year and a shared nomination for Music Video of the Year with STL GLD, Dutch ReBell...
Nov 08, 2017•44 min•Ep. 62
Singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Kris Delmhorst sat with us at Club Passim and talked about recording her new album The Wild, her upcoming tour, her dreams of having a porch to play guitar on with her musician husband Jeffrey Foucault (who co-produced the new album with her) and whether or not to sing with your eyes open or closed. Yup - we talked about that. The wonderful Rose Polenzani co-hosted. Rose is a singer-songwriter as well and the host of the roving band of musicians Sub Rosa. S...
Nov 01, 2017•56 min•Ep. 61
Singer-songwriter and teacher at Berklee College of Music, Susan Cattaneo switched gears towards a life in music after finding a sign in the cracks of a sidewalk (there's a song in there somewhere). She then took the big leap to join the amazing music community of songwriters in Boston. A well respected songwriter with numerous awards for her music, her songs have been described as "New England Americana with a twang." She has just released her latest album The Hammer and the Heart. Jonathan Bea...
Oct 25, 2017•50 min•Ep. 60
Alyssa is the founder of Lysten Boston and has been booking, promoting and developing Boston bands and artists since 2014. This is the second year in a row she has been nominated for the Boston Music Awards Promoter of the Year. She also works for PledgeMusic - an online direct-to-fan music platform that helps connect musicians to their fanbase. She is the primary booker for The Plough and Stars in Cambridge and recently produced the Tremont Takeover event at The Wang Center and she currently ha...
Oct 18, 2017•43 min•Ep. 59
We made a trip up to Burlington, VT and ventured to the home of Ryan Miller, the Accidental Ambassador of the great state of VT. Maybe you ran into Ryan in an apple orchard in Vermont, or possibly downtown Burlington. Perhaps you’ve heard him on the radio as lead singer and guitarist in the acclaimed group Guster. Ryan has built a career in scoring for film and also hosts a PBS TV show aptly called Makin' Friends with Ryan Miller, where he travels the state of Vermont speaking with “high functio...
Oct 11, 2017•59 min•Ep. 58
While touring as a rock drummer for Vermont's own Waylon Speed, Justin had a crazy idea: to manufacture vinyl records. In three years he has produced thousands of unique records riding the vinyl wave in Burlington, VT. The Burlington Record Plant is a labor of love and without any initial experience in production, Justin has become an innovator in the vinyl world, building on a foundation of hard work and determination. Song One: What goes Up (Blowtorch) Song Two: Unwound (Blowtorch) Song Three:...
Oct 04, 2017•49 min•Ep. 57
In 2001, twenty-two year old Roberto Plano won first prize at the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Sixteen years later he emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts with his family to continue his pursuit of music academia at Boston University College of Fine Arts. Mr. Plano has traveled the world and has won countless awards for his poetic musicianship and performances. We sat with Roberto at Boston University to discuss food, family and his musical roots. Music: Musica Ricercata: No 7, Cant...
Sep 27, 2017•51 min•Ep. 62
Grammy nominated Folk and Americana singer-songwriter Alastair Moock became inspired by music at a young age when he first saw Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie in concert and has passed on that inspiration in his music and his educational programs in local schools. He is a solo artist that speaks a language we can all relate to, whether age 5 or 95, and he is a quintessential collaborator with fellow singer-songwriters in the studio and on the stage. We sat with Alastair to talk about his career tra...
Sep 20, 2017•51 min•Ep. 61
