Episode 614: Michael Ramos

Hello friends! My guest for episode 614 is keyboard player, producer, songwriter and studio owner, Michael Ramos! Michael has most recently been touring with country artist, Pat Green but he's about to hit the road playing with Shawn Colvin on her tour celebrating 20 years of her album, "A Few Small Repairs". He's also been in his studio, Brown Recluse Studio, producing artists like Jackie Venson and Gina Chavez. Michael has been playing keyboards and on the road since he was a kid and has toured with artists like John Mellencamp, BoDeans, The Rembrants, Charlie Sexton and countless others. He's also produced albums for artists like, Gina Chavez, Nakia, Patty Griffin and many others. His band, Charanga Cakewalk had a great run as well. I've known Michael since I was 15 and have always looked up to him as a musician and great person and we have a fantastic conversation about his illustrious career. I hope you enjoy it. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 602: Laura Scarborough Returns!

Hola amigos y amigas! Hope you all had a great weekend. I had a weekend jam-packed with travel, gigs and a vodka-soaked, Sunday Funday with my pal, Daisy O'Connor. It was a lot of fun, but terribly exhausting. SKYROCKET! is back at it this week with a private show on Thursday and we'll be back at Fitzgerald's in Houston on Friday, June 23rd and Cedar Street Courtyard in Austin on saturday, June 24th. Come out and party with us!
The amazingly talented Laura Scarborough returns to the show for episode 602. She's just released her first album in 15 years, the gorgeous, Reflection. The album is available on all mediums including vinyl. She's also released a book "Refelction: The Book" that accompanies the album. You can find all of this stuff at laurascarborough.com.  We have a great conversation about what Laura's been up to for the last 15 years since her last solo album, working with Golden Dawn Arkestra, making Reflection, living a creative life, hula-hooping and much, much more! I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 600: Live at The Townsend w/ Nakia, Jane Ellen Bryant, Jaimee Harris & A.J. Vallejo

Hello friends! Here is episode 600, recorded in front of a live audience last Monday, June 5th at The Townsend here in Austin, TX. I want to thank everyone who came out and celebrated with us, The Townsend for having us, Carles Zanetti for recording the show and running sound, you for listening and my wonderful guests, Nakia, Jane Ellen Bryant, Jaimee Harris and A.J. Vallejo! We have an insane conversation about new albums, upcoming tours and reunions, Jaimee's much anticipated album, Nakia and Jane's adventures in reality television, what happened when A.J. misspelled Queen in a Google search and much, much more! This is a fun, loose and slightly offensive show. I hope you enjoy it. I sure did. Thank you so much for listening to this show. It's been a true blessing in my life to connect with my music community and to bring this show to you guys. Thank you. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 599: Music From The Podcast

Hello friends! Welcome to episode 599 where I get to play D.J. and play some songs that I got turned on to by guests over the last hundred episodes. I also made a Spotify playlist with even more songs from the show. Check it out here, Spotify playlist Anyway, I hope you enjoy this Episode as much as I enjoyed making it. Here's the track listing...
1. Ty Richards - "Spaceman"
2. Sphynx - "Weekend"
3. Jane Ellen Bryant - "All In My Head"
4. The Midnight Stroll - "Heartbreak Bugaloo"
5. Echocentrics feat. Natalia Clavier - "Muerto En Vida"
6. Fastball - "I Will Never Let You Down"
7. The Mastersons - "Fight"
8. Magna Carda - "Angela Basset"
9. Daisy O'Connor - "Lightchasers"
10. Kady Rain - "Can't Save Us"
11. Walker Lukens - "Lifted"
12. Emily Bell - "Can't Talk Back"
13. Bonnie Whitmore - "Fuck With Sad Girls"
14. Leopold And His Fiction - "Cowboy"
15. Fragile Rock - I Am Sad ( And So Am I)
16. Ian Moore - "Strange Days"
17. Happy Meals - "Altered Images"
Let's get down!!!

Episode 585: Fastball

Hello friends! i hope his episode finds you all living the American dream. I'm good. I've spent the week doing podcasts, rehearsing with my drummer Joe Humel, rehearsing with SKYROCKET! and working with The Austin Music Foundation. You might wonder if I ever fuck anything up because some days, I do at least three of those things. The answer is yes. This week I deleted a podcast right after I recorded it with a band called, Girling. I was doing a lot of different things that day and I just got confused and turned off my machine without saving it. They're coming back next week and we're gonna redo it. I think I need a vacation. 
My guests for episode 585 are Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga from the pop band, Fastball! They're releasing theirsixth album, Step Into The Light on Friday, May 19th and they're going on tour all summer of the U.S. with Everclear and Vertical Horizon. You can find out if they're coming to a town near you by going to fastballtheband.com Tony and Miles and I have a great conversation about how they met and formed Fastball, getting signed by Hollywood Records, Keeping the original band together for six albums and for over 20 years, their friendship, disterous self-managing times, getting the Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabelo's interpelation of the Fastball song "Out Of My Head" called, "Bad Things" and much, much more! I genuinely love these guys and their band. You will too after this show. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 583: Redd Volkaert

One of Austin's greatest musicians, Barry "Frosty" Smith passed away on Wednesday. He was 71. His vast and impressive list of credits includes Funkadelic, Lee Michaels, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimmie Vaughan, Soulhat, Papa Mali, Delbert Mclinton and many, many more. I was lucky to get see him play so many times over the years and it was always an inspiring experience. The last time I saw him was around three years ago at the Continental Club Gallery where he was playing with Mike Flanigin.  That night, I saw the master at work and then got to exchange a few words after. Rest in peace Frosty. Thank you for the groove. We'll miss you.
My guest for episode 583 is the amazingly talented guitar legend, Redd Volkaert! You might know Redd from his work with Brad Paisley, George Jones, Tim Mcgraw, Dolly Parton, his years with Merle Haggard and many, many more. He's put out several albums and instructional videos. If you live in Austin, you can see him every Saturday at 3:30 pm at The Continental Club and every Sunday at 7:00 pm with his band, Haybale at The Continental Club as well. Redd and I have a great conversation about growing up in Canada, falling in love with the guitar, his years in California, playing with Merle Haggard, what inspires him and much, much more! I hope you enjoy getting to know Redd. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 573: gum B

Hello friends! Well, it's official, SXSW is underway. Not the music part yet, but the whole thing is up and running. If you don't live in Austin, you don't have to deal with even more insisne traffic, no parking anywhere, people walkng into the streets looking at their phone and cursing you if you almost run over them. It gets nuts. having said that, if you're here for SXSW or you live here and you know how to do it, it can be a pretty fun time. I'll be going to a lot of events this year even though I'll only have a one-day badge for Thursday. Looking forward to the podcasts I have lined up. Should be fun.
My guest for episode 573 is my dear old friend, bassist/cellist, Mark Williams a.k.a. gum B! You might know gum B from his work with Kevin and Dustin Welch, Dan Dyer, Alejandro Escovedo, Stick People and many more. We have a fantastic conversation about baseball, growing up in South Florida, living in an Ashram, Stick People, fretless bass, playing 6th St and much, much more! I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down! 
ciao! -jg

Episode 568: Ian Moore Returns Again!

Hello friends! I'm a little late putting this out because I went to see Sphynx last night and then went and sang karaoke. I was drunk and terrible which is a great combo right? Anyway, Sphynx was incredible. Their new e.p. is out and it's awesome. Other than that, I want to invite you to a storytelling/improv show I'm doing tomorrow at The New Movement Theater here in Austin. It's called The Megaphone Show. I'll be telling stories and then an improv group will act them out. Should be fun. If you're in town, come out and say hi. Here's a link The Megaphone Show
My dear friend, the amazing Ian Moore returns to the show for episode 568! His gorgeous new album, Strange Days comes out next Tuesday, February 21. Ian was in town rehearsing with his new band and they're hitting the road on the west coast starting March 2nd and ending up in Austin for SXSW. Ian and I have a great conversation about making Strange Days and his last e.p. The Noble Art, selling out vs. making a living, his new non-profit, SMASH bringing affordable health care to Seattle musicians, his songwriting workshops, family and much, much more! I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
ciao!- jg

Episode 557: Barbara Nesbitt

Hey gang! I hope you're all thawing out after the freezing winter weather that engufed most of the United States this weekend. I actually have my windows open today and it's really nice out. With all of the freezing weather this weekend, my gig on Friday got cancelled and i ended up staying home Friday and Saturday night. I'm glad we don't have long winters here because just after two days, I start to go nuts and get really depressed. So sad and confused that I gave in to a Red Lobster "Shrimp-fest" commercial... I talk aboutit in the intro. 
Singer/songwriter, Barbara Nesbitt is my guest for epsiode 557! Her fourth solo album, the gorgeous, Right As Rain comes out this Friday, January 13th and she's playing a release show at Strange Brew Loungeside here in Austin on Saturday, January 14th. Barbara and I have a great conversation about co-producing Right As Rain, playing in a jam band in her teens in Virginia, long singing engagments in China, The Whiskey Sisters and much, much more! To find out where and when she's playing go to barbaranesbitt.com I hope you enjoy getting to know Barbara. I sure did. Let's get down! 
 
ciao! -jg

Episode 546: Monte Warden

Hello friends! I hope you're all doing well. I am. I got to play at The "Eye Love Savannah" show that my friend Todd Wolfson put together on Monday at Monkey Nest. I was honored to be a part of the music, but even more, I was honored to be a part of my community. It's sad to have to get together because something unfortunate has happened to a memebr of our tribe, but it's amazing how quickly and how powerfully we come together as a community to lend support and raise money for our own. It was very moving to see and hug savannah for the first time since her accident and I'm very glad she's still in our lives. You can still donate to her gofundme page every bit makes a difference. 
Legendary singer/songwriter and frontman for Americana pioneers, The Wagoneers, Monte Warden! I played a show with Monte and his new band, Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few a few weeks ago and invited him to be on the show. I haven't seen him in the last 15 years or so and was pleasantly surprised to see how much music he's written for others including, Carrie Underwood and Goerge Strait and many more. We have a great conversation about how he discovered music, going from cease and desist orders with The Wagoneers to recording a new album and playing a residency, getting sober and why, the idea behiind the jazzy country of Monte Warden and the Dangerous Few, getting his song "Desperately" recorded by George Strait and much, much more. I hope you enjoy our conversation. I sure did. Let's get down!
 
Ciao! -JG