Don Breithaupt is back with a brand new Monkey House album titled “Remember The Audio” - an 11 track project that was conceived during the pandemic and arguably their finest collection of songs in the Monkey House canon. The core of the band remains steady, with Breithaupt on lead vocals and keyboards, Mark Kelso on drums, Pat Kilbride on bass, and Justin Abedin on guitar. The album also contains guest appearances, including trumpeters Randy Brecker, Guido Basso and Michael Leonhart, guitarist Drew Zingg, and singers Lucy Woodward and David Blamires. "Remember The Audio" is set to release on July 15 on Alma Records and we’re pleased to have Don back for a fourth time and to talk about this fantastic new record. Inside MusiCast is please to welcome Don Breithaupt.
Jim Keltner’s career in music has been nothing short of iconic. For those who go deep into discographies and liner notes, you know that the name Keltner is associated with a litany of some of the biggest names in the world of music, including George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Eric Clapton, Steely Dan, Seals & Crofts, Randy Newman, The Bee Gees, The Traveling Wilburys, Brian Wilson and so many more. From his early beginnings with Gary Lewis and the Playboys, to the Concert for Bangladesh, to Steely Dan’s “Josie” and so much more, we’re here to talk to a musician who’s seen it all and played it all. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Jim Keltner.
It’s been nine years since we last spoke to Marilyn Scott, so we’re pleased to have her back today to talk about her brand new album, “The Landscape”, which was recently released on Blue Canoe Records - her first album release since 2016’s “Standard Blue”. The seven-track project focuses on putting yourself in front of nature, embracing our surroundings, and letting go. Marilyn enlists an incredible group of musicians, including Jimmy Haslip, Russell Ferrante, Gary Novak, Vinnie Colaiuta, Alex Acuna, Mike Landau, Steve Khan, and many others. It’s a beautiful album, both lyrically and musically, and was created and produced during the pandemic. Here to talk to us about this new album is none-other than Marilyn Scott.
Steve Dorff never wanted the spotlight. As a young musician and budding songwriter, he had his sights set on writing great songs for the most prominent voices in popular music - and he did just that. Early on, his songs landed in the hands and voices of several country and Western artists, which seemed like an unusual pairing considering that Steve grew-up in New York City. In fact, the first top ten song he wrote was for the legendary Roy Rogers with a tune called “Hoppy Gene and Me.” From there, a chance meeting with actor Clint Eastwood not only brought him additional songwriting hits, but it was also his foray into scoring for films and eventually television. Throughout his career, Steve has written over 20 top ten hits for pop and country artists, including Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Blake Shelton, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Ray Charles, Anne Murray, Whitney Houston, George Strait, Dolly Parton, Judy Collins, Cher, Dusty Springfield, Ringo Starr, and Garth Brooks. Here to talk to us about his incredible, musical journey is Steve Dorff.
After a short break, Inside MusiCast is back with this brand new episode featuring Canadian singer/songwriter, Chris Smith. Chris’ career in music started to take off in the ‘80s when he left Humber College to join a band called The Graduates, an original R&B, pop band made up of other Humber non-grads that played the clubs on the Ontario circuit. From there, he became a member of Regatta, a late '80s AOR band who garnered success, but broke-up after a few years. Chris then turned his attention to his solo career, where he has released four albums since 1995 and is currently working on new material for a forthcoming release. His music is a blend of jazz, blues, rock, and soul and has a sound that is timeless. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Chris Smith.
From his early days as a recording engineer and producer, to his involvement with legendary acts such as Buffalo Springfield, Poco, and Kenny Loggins - not to mention his collection of solo work - Jim Messina has carved a stellar reputation for himself in the music industry as an artist who can do it all. And he hasn’t stopped. He’s back on the road for an extensive solo tour this Spring and will reunite with Kenny Loggins this summer in Los Angeles for a handful of shows. Today, we’ll take a trip through his storied career, relive some of moments that catapulted him into the music business, and find out where he’s headed next. Inside MusiCast is pleased to welcome Jim Messina.
On this episode of Inside MusiCast, we welcome a legendary, Grammy-winning jazz artist who has been creating music since the early ‘60s when he recorded an album produced by Quincy Jones. Bob James has recorded 60 albums in 60 years, which includes his involvement as a founding member of the band Fourplay and is widely known for composing “Angela”, the theme song for the hit TV show Taxi. While jazz is his forté, his genre-bending sound has often been sampled by major hip-hop artists. It’s no surprise, as his music has grooves and hooks that appeal to all. We’re so glad to welcome Bob James to Inside MusiCast.
On this episode of Inside MusiCast, we welcome a three time Grammy-nominated jazz artist who’s recorded 40 albums throughout his career, David Benoit. David has enjoyed a solid presence in the jazz scene ever since his debut album on Blue Moon records in 1977. During his career, he’s worked with Russ Freeman of the Rippingtons and has also arranged and performed for artists such as Michael Franks, Kenny Loggins, David Pack, Dave Koz, Patti Austin, Brian Bromberg, and David Sanborn among others. Today we’ll chat with David about his amazing career, along with his new solo album, A Midnight Rendezvous, that was released on February 18 on Shanachie Records. He’s got some great contributors and has even recorded with his new band – The Midnight Rendezvous Big Band. Inside MusiCast welcomes David Benoit.
The past few years have presented some life altering challenges for Simon Phillips. In late 2017, fires that ravaged Southern California destroyed his home and his recording studio. Two years later, the COVID-19 pandemic took Simon off the road from a busy touring schedule leaving him with questions about the immediate future. Yet, Simon’s resiliency persevered. The pandemic afforded him new opportunities, along with plenty of time to explore his own creativity. He forged ahead with a new plan for recording his projects, including the newly released Protocol V album that features bandmates Ernest Tibbs and Otmaro Ruiz, along with two new additions: Jacob Scesney on sax and Alex Sill on guitars. The Protocol band has emerged as a quintet and sounds better than ever. Here to chat with us about this incredible new album is Simon Phillips.
Steve Vai is arguably one of the finest rock guitarists on the planet. His inventive approach to the instrument has afforded him some incredible opportunities over the past 40 years and today we’ll explore some of them, including the importance of meeting and working with Frank Zappa. We’ll also discuss his upcoming album release titled "Inviolate", which is set to drop this Friday, January 28. This is Vai's tenth solo album and quite possibly his most musically diverse collection of compositions. Yet, when you lay your ears on this record you'll hear Vai's classic signature from start to finish, especially when you experience the track "Teeth Of The Hydra", which was recorded with a very unique guitar that he named 'Hydra' that was built through a collaboration with designers at Hoshino. We’ll discuss this and so much more on this episode of Inside MusiCast.