On March 6, 1971, a group of some of the top musicians from the United States -– Ike and Tina Turner, Wilson Pickett, the Staple Singers, and more -– boarded a plane bound for Ghana to perform in a musical celebration that was dubbed the “Soul to Soul Festival.” Thousands of audience members filled Accra’s...

As we gather this week to witness the inauguration of our new president, we find our nation in a state of great political unrest.  While certain recent events of violence at the Capitol are no doubt unprecedented, it is certainly not the first time an inauguration in our country has been met with divide.   In 1973,...

Some candidates have their campaigns for presidency planned out before they can even vote.  For others, such as General Eisenhower, it took a little Broadway magic to coax him into the race.   On this episode of The Echo Chamber, we bring you a special election episode – filled with a closer look into some unknown,...

This is an expanded version of a story that originally aired on KALW in 2018 when Yoko Arimichi and her Powell Street Blues Band were celebrating their 40th anniversary at The Saloon in North Beach.  The band formed when Yoko was busking around Powell and Market Streets in the late 70s.   Yoko Arimichi and...

On this episode of The Echo Chamber, Shonen Knife – a story of cultural exchange through the cassette tape. But also a story of an era in history just before the stronghold of the looming internet drastically changed, among so many other things, the way we consume and discover music.  It was a time when...

On today’s episode, Maximum Rocknoll – the story behind the famed punk institution.   Beginning in 1977, a group of Bay Area music fans led by Tim Yohannan,  began a weekly radio show out of the studio at KPFA in Berkeley, California. The driving impulse behind the show was simple – an unabashed uncompromising world...

This bonus episode features my interview with two of Dave Brubeck’s sons, Dan and Chris Brubeck.  Excellent musicians in their own right, the two shared intimate memories of growing up with their father and his legendary contributions to modern jazz. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1369MM9B40 The Brubeck Brothers Chris Brubeck:  We’re sitting about 10 miles away from the house...