Michael Gaither - Songs And Stories

Multi-instrumentalists Chojo Jacques (The Waybacks, Houston Jones) and Billy Bright (Two High String Band) discuss their new release, "Texacali Blues". Listen to this episode for a chance to win a copy of the record.

Nashville songwriter Claudia Nygaard talks about talk about what house concerts have brought to independent music, the good old days of vinyl records, and that ongoing argument about the "death of the CD" in the wake of dropcards and iPods.

I've said this more times than I can honestly count, but I'm convinced that the real dividend in this music path is all the folks I keep meeting along the way. Case in point: This podcast is a song circle, a gathering of other players (some old friends, some new) recorded at the American River Music Festival back in September of this year.

Joziah Longo (from "Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams") discuss "The Great Unravel", their new record, and Joziah's "index card" method of songwriting.

In the first of this two-part interview, Americana singer/songwriter Corinne West talks about her vagabond upbringing, why she made the move from playing in bands to becoming a solo artist, and how your first CD (her 2004 debut "Bound for the Living") becomes your business card.

In the second half of this two-part interview, Corinne West talks about (and performs) "Handful of Gold" from her CD "Second Sight".

The new TV season always has a "Fall Preview", so why not do the same for the band and this podcast? This episode is a rundown of where we're playing in October (KSCO 1080 AM, Roudon-Smith Winery, Don Quixote's), as well as a quick look at the next few episodes I have lined up for the podcast (interviews with Corrine West and Joziah Longo). You'll also hear live versions of "Spotted Mule" and "Where'd the Time Go", from an appearance last June on KSCO's "Good Morning Monterey Bay" with Rosemary Chalmers.

Sherry Austin spent time in Hawaii doing covers in the "steak and winehouse" scene, but it wasn't until she moved back to her native California, settled in Santa Cruz, and discovered "the mighty KPIG" (and folks like Fred Eaglesmith and Robert Earl Keen) that she became the singer/songwriter folks around here are so fond of.

In another "Songs and Stories" look at local songwriters, Santa Cruz's Mary McCaslin talks about her folk and western influences, her fondness for alternate tunings (many of which are documented on her web site), and why she plays "Pinball Wizard" on a banjo.

In part two of my chat with Santa Cruz's Mary McCaslin, she plays (and tells the stories behind) the songs "Old Friends" and "Acres of Houses".

A question many artists often ask themselves is "When do I leave my day job?" (Not that I have *ever* thought that. No, never. Ever. Well...maybe that's a topic for a future podcast.) Anyway, in Songs and Stories #39, I talk with songwriter Vienna Teng. Vienna and I worked at the same company several years ago, and I still remember the day she left, record deal in hand, to give up the corporate life and go after music full time.

Bay area staple Chuck McCabe is one of those "songwriter's songwriter" type of folks. He's well known for writing funny songs that seem to come off easy ("I Miss My Mustache"), while his serious side packs an equal punch. (His song "Mimimum Wager" won the 2002 Woody Guthrie Songwriting Competition.) Chuck also has a great dog song - "Fred"- and you probably know that anyone who sings about dogs automatically gets high marks in my book.

Chuck McCabe plays the title track and "I'd Rather Be in Redding", from his new release "Creatures of Habit In World of Change". This episode of "Songs and Stores" concludes with the CD version of McCabe's "My Prayer for You", also from the new CD.

"There's a million ways to live a life" is how award-winning singer/songwriter Alisa Fineman describes that path she's taken that led her from environmental studies, to being a fire lookout in the Rockies, and to eventually becoming a songwriter. These days she collaborates with Kimball Hurd, who many know from his work with the Santa Cruz folk trio City Folk (which consisted of Kimball, Keith Greeninger, and Roger Feuer. In the first of this two-part interview, Alisa and Kimball discuss their musical similarities and differences and tell about the plans for their first CD together. Want to win a "Grateful Dread Radio" T-shirt? Listen to this podcast for details.

"There's a million ways to live a life" is how award-winning singer/songwriter Alisa Fineman describes that path she's taken that led her from environmental studies, to being a fire lookout in the Rockies, and to eventually becoming a songwriter. These days she collaborates with Kimball Hurd, who many know from his work with the Santa Cruz folk trio City Folk (which consisted of Kimball, Keith Greeninger, and Roger Feuer. In the first of this two-part interview, Alisa and Kimball discuss their musical similarities and differences and tell about the plans for their first CD together. Want to win a "Grateful Dread Radio" T-shirt? Listen to this podcast for details.

"Dark, Appalachian dance music". That's how I've always described The Crooked Jades, a bay area-based collective of musicians dedicated to keeping old-tyme string-band music alive and quite well. Want to win a "Grateful Dread Radio" T-shirt? Listen to this podcast for details.

Another kitchen-table talk, this time a two-part interview with Chris Kee and Travis Jones of the bay area Americana band Houston Jones. Want to win a copy of Houston Jones' latest release, "Calico Heart?" Listen to this interview for details. I'll randomly pull a name at the end of the month and notify the lucky winner.

In the second half of this interview with Chris Kee and Travis Jones, they play the title cut off Houston Jones' latest release, "Calico Heart" and "If Not For the Darkness", a song for their upcoming gospel record. Want to win a copy of Houston Jones' latest release, "Calico Heart?" Listen to this interview for details.

Highlights from the Spring Strawberry Breakfast Club 2008 featuring Michael Gaither and Friends and Jim Dyar and Friends. And if you want to hear more of this, head up to the Post Office Saloon and Grille on Friday 6/27. Jim and I are splitting the night there. More info is on my web site at www.michaelgaither.com.

"I don't want to paint with just one color". That's how Cillette Swann describes the Americana genre's ability to let artists mix Celtic, folk, and even country influences on the same album. Cilette, along with husband Roman Morykit, are better known as "Gypsy Soul", a duo who call southern Oregon their home, have been recording together since 1995. Listen to this podcast for info on how to enter this month's drawing.