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 367: Gina Chavez & Mother Falcon

hello friends! i hope you all had a wonderful passover/easter weekend. i did. i got to spend some quality time with my grand mother and aunts on sunday morning for breakfast and a general hang. i love hanging out with them. i haven't done an "easter thing" for a long time. in fact, i can't remember when. in my culture you get gifts on easter. isn't that weird? i always thought it was weird. not that i wasn't thankful or grateful, i just always thought it was weird. anyway, episode of "drinking/cooking with johnny & aj" is up! this time we have a guest, emmy robbin and we make her mom's famous king ranch casserole! check it out here the link.my guests for episode 367 are 2014/2015 austin chronicle music poll's "musician of the year", gina chavez and mother falcon's nick gregg! gina has a video release party and big show this saturday, april 11th at the stateside theater in austin, tx with special guests, mother falcon, elizabeth mcqueen. riders against the storm are hosting the show. the show benefits the non-profit, ninas arribas college fund. so, we have a great conversation about what it takes to put a show on in a theater, gina's sweep of the awards, how mother falcon makes it work with such a big group and much, much more. i hope you enjoy our conversation. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 362: The Accidentals

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. i am in the midst of sxsw 2015... i actually went out again yesterday after my interviews. go tot see kendall beard, the cringe, dead love club, partied at the rachel ray house and said hi to cops and the bass player from green day. the podcasts are going well. i've gotten to talk to bands/musicians from all over the world! it's been a real treat. i'm glad i'm doing them here in the apt. the conversations are longer, better and free from distractions. if you're here at sxsw, i want to invite you to an event tomorrow, the merch cat indie showcase at the lucky lounge, sat 3/21/15 at 12:30 pm! there will be bands, d.j.'s and the event will be hosted by ME! here's a link, check it out! https://www.facebook.com/events/770427789699691/my guests for episode 362 are traverse city, michigan's very own, the accidentals! the accidentals are a young three piece that i met here during sxsw 2015. i heard their music a couple of months ago and invited them to do the show during sxsw. well, they came by, they're young (late teens) but total seasoned pros. they've played over 500 shows over the last three years, toured the states, written songs, got picked up by marshall crenshaw's production company, finally put school on hold to tour full time and much, much more. these are some super talented/hardworking musicians. they're also some of the funnest dorks you'll ever meet. i hope you enjoy getting to know the accidentals as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 334: Wayne Sutton

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well! happy first day of hanukkah! christmas is next week and i haven't even started shopping yet... i'm going to try to do it in two days... is that even possible?  stay tuned and find out. my friend, bill carter has a kickstarter campaign for a new album, play on, with just four days left to fund. bill was on the show a couple of years ago and is due for another visit. anyway, he's one of my favorite songwriters and i would like to see his project get funded. go to bill carter kickstarter donate some cash and get help an amazing artist. my guest for episode 334 is phenomenal guitar player, singer, songwriter and all-around great guy, wayne sutton! you might know wayne sutton best from his band, sister 7 or as they were known in the early days, little sister. their band was pivotal in creating what was known as the "black cat scene" with other bands like joe rockhead, ian moore, soulhat and others. i go to know wayne when that whole scene moved down sixth street to steamboat and became part of the "steamboat scene" which was a bigger club a couple of blocks down sixth st. anyway, wayne has gone on to play with many, many bands and most recently has started a guitar/cello duo with steve bernal that plays at the one-2-one bar on tuesdays. i had a great time talking to wayne. he's a real sweet and entertaining dude. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 255: Brian Standefer

hello my friends! this episode comes to you from the depths of SXSW 2014. things have been very crazy. i've been running around meeting people for interviews, seeing shows,  i went to awards and had such a great time, i was on a panel called, "the death of podcasting has been exaggerated" and today i'm doing 3 interviews then heading out to houston with my man, kyle crusham to play with SKYROCKET! at the continental club then right back after the gig and more interviews tomorrow. this sxsw has been really busy for me. it's been really fun too. i've enjoyed meeting so many musicians. i set up interviews with artists i really like so that's been a good thing, but it's been really busy. i've gotten some good interviews with really good bands, so be looking for those starting next week.my guest for episode 255 is musician/composer/producer, brian standefer! when i first met brian in 90's he was playing cello for alejandro escovedo's band. since then he started a composing and production group called, screen door music with rob djursoe and bukka allen, composed music for commercials tv and film, started producing albums for other artists, had kids and continued to play cello with many different artists. i've always gotten along with brian. he's a great hang and we have a fantastic conversation. plus, i get to tell his heroic story about when he saved patty griffin's dog and i get to apologize for maybe ruining his wedding. check it out! have a great day.ciao! -jg

Episode 241: Steve Bernal

Hello my friends. if you normally listen to this show the day it comes out, i'm sorry it's late. i was coming home from a gig in dallas (i talk about the gig in the intro) with some friends on thursday evening when we hit a full-on texas winter snow and ice storm. it took us 7 hours to get 100 miles so we stopped in temple, texas and got the last two hotel rooms and waited out the storm. it was pretty hairy before we got the rooms. parts of the highway were just a sheet of ice. cars were sliding into each other. it was chaos in a winter wonderland. anyway, my friend darin was at the wheel and we made it home safe and sound yesterday afternoon. thanks darin. i was gonna put this out when i got home but i fell asleep and when i woke up in the evening i just ate some dinner and went back to sleep. i guess i needed it. my guest for episode 241 is bass player/cellist and my dear old friend, steve bernal! steve has an extremely interesting story about his journey into rock and roll as a bass player then learning a new instrument in the middle of his career. the cello. he actually went to school for it, joined an orchestra, toured with bands and has made a few albums. his latest is called, portals. it's an album of just bass, cello and drums. steve plays the bass and cello and the drums are played by the legendary barry "frosty" smith. steve and i talk about his colorful musical history, learning world beat and reggae on the road, playing with joe rockhead and a young bob schneider, being a sideman bass player, the billy white trio, learning cello as an adult, his new album, portals and much, much more. i hope you enjoy our conversation as much as i did. ciao! -jg

Episode 220: Nathan Felix

hello friends! i had a great trip to oklahoma city this weekend. played a fancy party for some fun folks including the governor of oklahoma, who danced to some SKYROCKET! with his lovely wife. good times! if you're in austin, this thursday 11/14, SKYROCKET! will be playing at the belmont. it's going to be a fun show. here's the ticket info, the belmont it'll be a party! so, my friend cory gave me a turntable, some records and some speakers today. then i went and got an amp/receiver. then i went and got some more records. now i'm sitting here listening to todd rundgren's "runt" on headphones while i type this. thank you cory. it's great, but i feel an addiction coming on.my guest for episode 22 is punk/indie rock/d.i.y./rock and roll dude turned classical composer, nathan felix. nathan just released his first symphony, the curse, the cross an the lion last week. it's really great! the thing is, nathan never composed, studied or even listened to classical music until a few years ago. i was surprised when he wrote me a few months ago and told me he was putting out a symphony. i was like, "what?! a symphony?". well, he did it. nathan came by last week on his press blitz and we talked about the whole process, ll the good fortune, all of the challenges of never being trained in classical music, bulgaria, recording the album and much, much more! p.s. i listened to the vinyl album he gave me tonight and it sounds great! i hope you enjoy this is inspirational story. i did.ciao! -jg

Episode 196: Lex Land

hello my fine, feathered friends! i hope you are al having the time of your life as you read this. things are going well here. i had a great music week last week and i'm preparing for another diverse/busy musical week. first off, thursday 8/15, i'll be playing a songwriter in the round with my friends, ryan holley and joseph king at 219 west at 7 pm. friday 8/16, i'll be pulling double-duty. i'll be playing solo at searsucker from 5-7 and the at 9:30 at cedar street courtyard with SKYROCKET!. sunday, 8/18 i'll be playing a solo set at the scoot inn along with joseph king and joanna barbera (both have been guests on the show). the show starts at 8:30!my guest for episode 196 is the extremely talented, lex land! i didn't know lex until my friend jake texted me from a show of hers and told me to look her up and have her on the show. i did. thanks jake. i really liked her music and thought i knew her story from her bio and other internet info, but felt like she opened up very honestly during our conversation and i learned a lot about her. we talked about everything, growing up in orange county, singing opera, moving to l.a., having a deal, making records, touring, the voice, depression, driving, getting it together, giving back through girl's rock camp and much, much more. it was great getting to know lex. enjoy!ciao! -jg

Episode 190: Ian Fry

hello friends! i hope life is treating you well. things are good here. i had a good weekend. i played a lot. this week is busy... i'll be playing with SKYROCKET! at the house of blues -dallas, tx on thursday 7/25, the house of blues -houston, tx on friday 7/26 and the belmont in austin, tx on saturday 7/27! come out and see the spectacle that is SKYROCKET!. also, we have a live podcast recording next week at antone's in austin, tx. my guests will be christy hayes and members of western youth and the love leighs. after i talk to these fine musicians, they'll play a show. so you'll get to know them, then hear their music! a whole experience! so, come out to the legendary antone's night club in austin, tx on wednesday, july 31st 2013. doors are at 7:00, live podcast recording at 7:30, bands at 9! click here for more info https://www.facebook.com/events/131683847041129/ let's get down!!!!
our guest for episode 190 is talented symphonic percussionist/drummer, ian fry. i didn't know ian before this interview, but he came to me through my old friend p. kellach waddle (composer/bass player for the austin symphony) who you might remember from episode 31 of this podcast. anyway, kel has composed some music for symphonic percussion for ian and they'll be performing it this sunday (7/28) at the blackerby violin shop recital hall in austin, tx. ian also plays drums in the amazing band, mrs. glass and many more. so, ian came by and i got to know him. it turns out he's an incredibly smart and interesting person. we talked about growing in southern california, getting into the drums, eastman college, spending every waking moment playing, moving to iowa and not playing, travel, learning the tabla, playing in front of 100, 000 people, moving to austin, mrs. glass, i test his knowledge of casio beats and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know ian fry as much as i did.
ciao! -jg

Episode 175: Les RAV

hello friends! i hope this episode finds you well. i'm doing well. i just got back from seeing my friend todd wolfson's monthly monkey nest show. it was really good. i had never seen some of the people play. the best part was my friend georgia getting up and singing. also, emily gimble and katie holmes were amazing! i also saw star trek 3d. it was good. i played the rest of the weekend. what did you do with your memorial day weekend?
hey austin friends! i'll be playing a solo acoustic show at the saxon pub THIS wednesday, may 29th at 9 pm. click here for info https://www.facebook.com/events/550503158326310/ if you're in austin, come on out! i'd love to see you.
my guest for episode 175 is lauren bruno from the band, les rav. i saw les rav like a year ago. i thought they were really good and best of all, really different, dramatic and epic. i got to talk to lauren that night and we really hit it off. anyway, now they're about to go into the studio to start recording an album. they've got and indie gogo going until june 12th. you can donate some money and help them realize their dream by going to http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-les-rav-spread-the-light-and-record-the-debut-album . anyway, lauren came by and we talked about her journey, her music, her time at berklee college of music, living with illness and staying strong. i hope you enjoy my conversation with lauren. i did.
ciao! - jg