Michael Gaither - Songs And Stories

Since this is my 30th "Songs and Stories" podcast, I thought I'd flip things around and have *me* interviewed for a change. This episode is a replay of a recent appearance on KVMR radio in Nevada City, CA. I was a guest on Wesley Robert's "Rockin' and Stompin'" show and played solo versions of "Broke", "Spotted Mule", "Jack of All Trades" from my "Spotted Mule and Other Tales" CD. Listen to this podcast for info on how to enter this month's drawing.

From the award-winning City Folk to his solo work, Santa Cruz songwriter Keith Greeninger continues to grow his appreciative audience and spread his enthusiasm to "get music into your life". In part one, Keith talks about how he gravited towards music in a family where no one else played and about his collaborative efforts with other musicians such as Dayan Kai. Want to win an authographed copy of Keith's latest CD, "Glorious Peasant"? Listen to this show for details.

In part two of ths interview Keith plays two personal favorites of mine, "Ruby and Rosie" and "Arsenal of Doves" and explains the stories behind those songs. Want to win an authographed copy of Keith's latest CD, "Glorious Peasant"? Listen to this show for details.

Another "kitchen table" interview, this time with singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Dayan Kai, along with bass player Steve Uccello. Dayan and Steve talk about how they met and started playing together in high school, their musical influences, and how they ended up becoming frequent collaborators with Keith Greeninger, another local Santa Cruz singer/songwriter. Want to win an authographed copy of Keith Greeninger's latest CD, "Glorious Peasant"? Listen to this show for details.

In this second half of my chat with Dayan Kai and Steve Uccello, we talk about the pros and cons of being an independent artist in the age of web sites and Myspace. You'll also hear a little more of Dayan's new gospel CD, "Treat a Sranger Right". Want to win an authographed copy of Keith Greeninger's latest CD, "Glorious Peasant"? Listen to this show for details.

On Saturday 2/23, I'll be at The Acoustic Barn in Newcastle, CA opening for Rick Di Dia and Aireene Espiritu. Rick and Aireene play a mix of original folk, blues, bluegrass, and "swampy jams", backed up Rick on lap-steel guitar and Airene on ukelele. Not the least bit coincidentally, Rick and Aireene are the guests on this episode of "Songs and Stories". Want to win a DVD and autographed CD from Rick and Aireene? Listen to this show or go to www.michaelgaither.com for details...

In this first of a two-part interview, Lacy J. Dalton describes her move from Santa Cruz to Nashville, her Nashville successes, and what she did when she felt "homesick for the west".

In the second half of this interview, Lacy J. Dalton talks about the efforts of the Let 'em Run foundation to save Nevada's wild horses and tells a little of the story behind the song "She Could Run".

Harmony is a big part of The Wailin' Jennies, but it doesn't stop there. The (mostly) Canadian folk trio is made up of three equally talented songwriters and multi-instrumentalists: Ruth Moody (guitar, banjo, accordion, bodhran) and Nicky Mehta (guitar, harmonica, ukulele, percussion) are the founding members of the group. The newest "Jennie", U.S.-born Heather Masse, joined them last year for the tour of "Firecracker", their latest release. I chatted with them by the hiss and pale light of a lantern at Camp Mather during last Fall's Strawberry Music Festival in Yosemite...

Second-generation Texas songwriter Colin Gilmore Colin discusses booking your own shows, the differences between playing solo and with a band, and why he hopes to play the west coast on a regular basis...

Last Fall, we got to play a few benefits for some notable local charities and events. It was great being able to bring music to a cause, and it also gave us the opportunity to play for new people. In this show, you'll hear a KSCO radio interview with me and Peter Goodman of the band Cooper Street the morning before our show at Don Quixote's Music Hall. (Our bands did a co-bill to help Felton Library Friends). Paul Machlis talks about the effort to fund a new library. And you'll also hear live versions of both of my car songs: A solo version of "Highway 17" from the KSCO interview, as well as a band version of "Good God Man How Big a Car Do You Need"...

She quit the University of Texas (while attending on a scholarship), formed the band Little Sister (which evolved into Sister Seven), and has been writing, playing, and touring ever since. This second of three "Songs and Stories" episodes with Texas songwriters features a conversation with Dallas native Patrice Pike...

The next two episodes of "Songs and Stories" will be interviews with two very different Texas songwriters. In a couple of weeks, we'll be talking with Patrice Pike. In this edition, we chat with Darden Smith...

I run a songwriter's open mic night on the first Thursday of every month at the Wooden Nickel Bar and Grille in Watsonville CA. I haven't done a show about it since way back in Songs and Stories #4, so I thought I'd put together a few recent highlights...

Canadian songwriter Tia McGraff is originally from Port Dover, Ontario. She spent a number of years in Nashville, but these days, when she's not on the road, she's back home in Canada with husband (and fellow songwriter) Tommy Parham. I caught up with both of them during a busy weekend at the end of a busy summer...

Fingerstyle guitarist and songwriter Stevie Coyle has a background that puts my own song "Jack of All Trades" to shame. He's toured with The Royal Lichtenstein Circus and has hosted killer whale shows. He's been a member of The Frontmen and The Foremen. Steve is also a proud survivor of the Great Standup Comedy Scare of the 1980s.

This time out, I'll pick apart "Still Walkin'", the opening track on "Spotted Mule and Other Tales". I'll explain how this came about and describe how structurally, it's a bit different than my usual verse, chorus, verse, repeat chorus, etc...songs. I'll talk you on an audio tour of a "walk" up to Half Dome...

Singer/songwriter Paul Thorn was raised the son of a Pentecostal preacher, spent years working in a chair factory, and was even a professional boxer - at one point he was ranked the 29th best middleweight in the world. Let's just say he has a lot of backstory to draw from as a writer...

This week, I had the rare opportunity of talking with violinst-composer Mark O'Connor. A classically-trained musician, he's been at the front of contemporary acoustic music for many years...

Here the last of of my podcasts from material collected at last May's Strawberry Music Festival. This one's an experiment, a little audio tour of the late-night playing that goes on in several camps close to ours.