In December I interviewed Chuck Brodsky about his song, On Christmas I Got Nothing, which introduced me to Chuck's wry sense of humor mixed with cultural insight, Today we'll get a full chance to explore the range of his songs, complete with tinges of Bob Dylan's tones, mixed with heart-tendering stories, irony, and inspirational vision. And let's not neglect the imprint of the stories of baseball, present on every album of the 13 albums Chuck has produced. Chuck is a storyteller and sharer from Ashville, North Carolina.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Jewish
All featured music is written & performed by Chuck Brodsky:
Guest-host Peterson Toscano of Citizen's Climate Radio is sitting in today, and he brings with him a wealth of connections to world-healing work. In this episode, host Peterson guides us through exploring the role forests play in addressing the causes and impacts of climate change, both in urban and rural settings. Six guests provide personal narratives, expert insights, and actionable strategies that will inform and inspire climate advocates. This episode also delves into Pennsylvania’s rich forest history, from its old-growth forests to modern-day conservation efforts, highlighting its original inhabitants' legacy of sustainable stewardship.
Though Tim Case's musical career began more than 15 years ago, it went quiescent for much of the intervening years. It has now come fully back to life. Tim says his policy for writing a song is to feel the ones that make him cry, to know they are the songs to be shared. From his time with Ghost Town Council to his current collaborations with Jake Soha of Rock Creek Song Dogs and as part of the Chippewa Valley Songwriters Circle, Tim digs deep to speak heart-to-heart and provide musical therapy for those seeking wholeness. Tim Case joins us from the Chippewa Valley of Wisconsin.
David Lamotte returns today for Song of the Soul. If you've listened to our previous visits with David, you'll know why we were eager to welcome him back. Through his music that is so clearly rooted, both in place, in meaning, and in Spirit, David enchants. Today's selections are all from his latest album, Still, where the fruits of the altered life of the past 4 years since the start of the pandemic are abundant. This is David's 13th album, he's put out 3 books, founded the Jewish-Muslim-Christian trio known as Abraham Jam and much more. David Lamotte comes to us from Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Down-home music is what you should expect from Jake Soha of the duo Rock Creek Song Dogs. Jake makes some banjo-spicy music with his wife, Dani Jo Soha, and they self-describe their music as “a little folk, a little rock, a little gritty with a hint of bluegrass”. You'll also find him on stage with Tim Case and Ramblin' Lou Carver. Jake Soha brews his eclectic melange in Mondovi, Wisconsin.
All featured music is written & performed by Rock Creek Song Dogs, Jake & Dani Soha, unless otherwise noted:
The Corrosion - from The Corrosion
As It Seems - from The Corrosion
Sound Advice - from The Corrosion
Dr. Nicole Avena didn't start out to specialize in her concern for how added sugar is affecting our well-being, but was led there by the data. Nicole is assistant professor of neuroscience at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City and she's also a visiting professor in health psychology at Princeton University. The latest of her 5 books is SUGARLESS: A 7-Step Plan to Uncover Hidden Sugars, Curb Your Cravings, and Conquer Your Addiction, drawing on a mix of her training and research in both psychology and neuroscience to address one of the most consequential life-style issues in America.
We interviewed Tom Paxton & John McCutcheon back before Christmas about their jointly written and performed album called Together. We're talking about an overabundance of music creation skills by two folk musicians who have released over 100 albums between them. If you don't know their songs then it's finally time to come out of your sheltered existence and to let the sun shine. You're going to laugh and cry and find a home in their voices, instruments, and songs.
Ben Cook-Feltz is an Iowan boy who got lost and wondered north to the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Ben has found a stable and fertile place to grow and make music in the Twin Cities, enough so that he does that at the same time he's parenting a 4-year old. Particularly insightful is the description that Iowa Public Radio had for Ben when they described him as “Paul Simon singing songs about broken hearts and pants” - wow, does that capture both Ben's artistry and his amazing and quirky creativity. His spouse is the amazing Ellen Stanley, AKA Mother Banjo.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Unitarian-Universalist, Centers for Spiritual Living