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 517: Money Chicha

Hello friends! I hope you're all surviving the end of summer heat and floods. It's crazy out there, right?
I got to see Alice Cooper on Sunday night! I was amazing. I want to thank my friend, AJ Vallejo for inviting me. I had a blast seeing AJ's band, BANG before the Alice show. It was a great night all around. Alice's show is an onslaught of costume changes, snakes, giant frankenstein monsters and heavy metal. Plus, he's super old and still rocking like a champ. it was inspiring.
My Guest for episode 517 is Greg Gonzalez, the bass player from Money Chicha, Brownout and the Grammy winning, Grupo Fantasma! Money Chicha has a fantastic new album out, Echo En Mexico. I've been a fan of Money Chicha for a few years now and I've gotten to see them a few times during their residency at The Continental Club Gallery here in Austin and i'm a big fan. Greg and i have a conversation about balancing, touring and making music with three high-profile bands, growing up in Laredo, teaching composition, making Echo En Mexico, the history of Chicha music, playing with Prince and much, much more. i hope you enjoy getting to know Greg. I sure did. Let's get down!
Ciao! jg

Episode 508: El Tule

hello friends! i'm sure that most of you are suffering "decision 2016" fatigue. i feel like the intensity of this election has been kept at a fever pitch since last summer. that's a little much for me. having said that, i've been watching it. i've been watching it on c-span and starting to watch around 5 or 6 when the band is playing a lot. the band leader is the great, g.e. smith from hall & oates, bob dylan's band, saturday night live in the 90's and much, much more. it's interesting and sad watching him work, but at least he's working. it seems like a long, hard gig. i wonder how much it pays...
my guest for episode is john dell from the latin band, el tule! with their mixture of cumbia, salsa, merengue and reggae, el tule has become a festival favorite gracing the stages of the austin city limits festival, pachanga, sxsw and many more. they'll be playing the viva big bend festival next friday, july 29th. if you live in austin, you can see them next wednesday, july 27th from 5-8 at the wine down at 3ten austin city limits live and the event is free. john and i have a great conversation about growing up in mexico, exploring latin music, the evolution of the band, making their newest album, cuatro and much more. i hipe you enjoy getting to know about john and el tule as much as i did. let's get down!
ciao! -jg

Episode 457: KP and the Boom Boom

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well. things are good here. i got to play the new antone's here in austin last night. i really like that place. it looks and sounds beautiful. great sound on stage, great location and great people. i'm very happy antone's is back. i missed it. if you're in houston tonight, friday, jan. 22nd, skyrocket will be at the continental club. we go on at 10. it's a great time.my guests for episode 457 are kate and nick from austin euro/soul/pop kp and the boom boom! if you live in austin, you can see them tomorrow, saturday, january 23rd at geraldine's in the new van zant hotel. they have two e.p.'s out now and are putting the finishing touches on their debut full-length in a few months. you can find them online at kpbbmusic.com. nick and kate came by a couple of weeks ago and we had a great conversation about living in the u.k., india and guatamala, having an indian singing guru, euro/soul, having natural charisma, opening for snoop dogg, the writing and recording process and much, much more! i had a great time getting to know kate and nick. i'm sure you will too. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 453: Lou Rebecca / Rock Journalist, Kristy Loye

hello friends! i hope you're all doing well and getting ready for the weekend. i have a big show for you guys today. first up, i have a skype conversation with houston press writer, kristy loye! kristy wrote an article for the houston press.com called, "rock and roll is dead, and even axl and slash can't save it". that really hit a nerve with people both with it and against it. go read it for yourself here . i reached out to kristy because i thought she touched on some important issues facing all musicians, how to make a living in an age where support for musicians (and artists in general) is becoming more scarce by the day. great conversation!!!on a completely different note, i also talk to french-pop artist, lou rebecca. lou is playing a show tonight, fri. 1/8 at the vulcan gas company in austin, tx. she moved here 6 months ago from paris, where she grew up the daughter of a pop singer mother and record producing father. she has an ep ready for release but has to figure out her deal with her french publishing company, sony. lou and her husband, daniel, a great photographer and director, came by last week and we had a great conversation. i hope you enjoy getting to know her as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! jg

Episode 432: Robert LaRoche

hello friends! i hope you're all easing into fall. getting out those sweaters and jackets and hats. i want to welcome all of the new listeners. i hope that the show is serving you well. informing and entertaining you. please feel free to "like" and leave comments on the episodes here on the podbean page. also, we encourage you to "like" our facebook page and you can follow the whereabouts of our former guests, see what shows are coming up, see pictures of me with the guests and much more. please go there and get involved with the show!my guest for episode 432 is guitarist/singer/songwriter releasing his debut solo album, patient man robert laroche! robert has a record release show THIS friday november 6th at strange brew lounge side in austin, tx! i've known robert for over a decade and i've always had a great time hanging out with him. you might know robert best from being the guitar player for patricia vonne for over 15 years.  maybe you know him from his north hampton, mass band, the sighs which were active from the early 80's through the 90's. anyway, robert has gone through some life changes and struck out on his own with his gorgeous solo album, patient man produced by my pal, darin murphy. i hope you enjoy getting to know robert. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 431: LOLO

hello friends! i hope you all had an enjoyable halloween weekend. if you live in austin, i hope that you made it through the floods on friday. i had a pretty harrowing 6 1/2 hour trip to houston on friday getting around closed highways etc. i hope all that were affected by the floods are okay. hey gang! tomorrow, tuesday 11/3 at the townsend here in austin, i'll be playing with my rock band, ladyband johnson along with the bluebonnets, eve & the exiles and more. we'll be celebrating dominique davalos' birthday. she plays bass in ladyband johnson and in the bluebonnets and i love her. the shindig starts at 7:30. come out and party on a tuesday!my guest for episode 431 is singer/songwriter/actor and force to be reckoned with, LOLO. you might know her as lauren pritchard star of the hit broadway show, "spring awakening".  she's written the songs for an off broadway play called "songbird". she's just released an e.p., comeback queen on DCD2 records and is currently on "the wilderness politics tour" with andrew mcmahon in the wilderness, new politics and the griswolds. i caught up with LOLO when the tour stopped in austin at emo's last night and we had a great conversation in the backstage courtyard. her e.p. comeback queen is absolutely amazing. and i suggest you go to her website, weaponforsaturday.com and see when she's coming to a town near you. i hope you enjoy getting to know LOLO as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg 

Episode 415: Live at The Townsend w/ Kathy Valentine, Emily Bell, Amy Edwards and Miles Zuniga

hello friends! welcome to episode 415: live at the townsend with our guests, kathy valentine, emily bell, amy edwards and miles zuniga! this episode was recorded in front of a live audience on wednesday, sept. 9th. i have great conversations with all of the artists and we have a great group conversation about where we think things are going in the music world. the show was recorded by our friends at werd media labs. i had a blast talking to these great artists. i'm sure you will too. let's get down! ciao! -jg

Episode 414: Joe King Carrasco / Clay Liford, Director of "Slash" Stops By

hello friends! i hope this episode finds you embracing the world as if it were your mother. things are good here. today we get a visit from director, clay liford who stops by to talk about his new movie, "slash". he's 95% done with the movie and has launched a kickstarter campaign to finish it. it's a coming of age comedy about a boy who writes "slasher fan fiction" a sub-genre of erotic fan fiction and stars michael ian black, missi pyle, hannah marks, michael johnston and more. clay and i have a great conversation about the sensitive nature of this story and how it's already caused some controversy in the "slasher" world. check out his kickstarter campaign and see what you can give. you have until friday sept. 25th so, get out there and get invovled!my guest for episode 414 is the man, the myth, the legend, the amazing joe king carrasco! joe stopped by a few weeks ago while he was in town promoting his new album, chiliando which he made with his new band, joe king carrasco y los side fx. chiliando is joe's most rocking album to date. he's been living in puerto vallarta for a while now and settled into his new mexican life. we sat down and had a fantastic conversation about, being a star of early mtv, having michael jackson sing back-up on a session, getting banned from saturday night live, his excitement over chiliando, questionable vans breaking down in the mountains while on tour, his dog rescue foundation vivaperros.org, owning his own club in puerto vallarta and much, much more! it was an hnor to have joe king come over and chat. i hope you enjoy it as much as i did. let's get down!ciao! -jg

Episode 381: Mark Proct

hello friends! i hope you all had a good memorial day weekend. there was crazy rain, flooding and general old-testament-style devastation here in austin. i want to tell you guys about some solo shows i have coming up this week. tonight, tuesday, may 26th i'll be playing at the volstead in austin. i'll be playing at 10 right after last friday's guest, the big fix and right before one of my favorite people, kayce laine from nyc. thursday, may 28th, i'll be playing at 502 bar in san antonio at 9pm opening for one of my best friends, joseph king from nyc. and friday, 5/29, SKYROCKET! will be rocking hanover's in pflugerville at 10 pm. my guest for episode 381 is music business veteran, mark proct! mark shares his journey through 40 years in this business working as a roadie, soundman, tour manager, manager and everything in between with the likes of willie nelson, asleep at the wheel, jerry jeff walker, the fabulous thunderbirds, stevie ray vaughan, the vaughan brothers, the arc angels, storyville, vallejo and more. that whole time, mark had a camera and was documenting his exciting trip with all of these legendary musicians and has just put out an amazing and gorgeous book, "home today gone tomorrow", which is a collection of candid photos and stories spanning a 40 year career in this crazy business. mark and i sat down last week and went through the book and his life for 2 whole hours and here it is. i hope you enjoy it. i sure did. let's get down!ciao! -jg