Artist Connection Podcast

Today's guest is Rachael Sage! She is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, dancer, visual artist, songwriter, and producer. Rachael is no stranger to life on the road, performing over a 100 dates per year. Her latest tour begins in Austin on 3/16/16 at SXSW. Keep up to date with all of the tour stops atwww.rachaelsage.com. We had a nice conversation about her life, music, and experiences. She has been releasing albums since 1996 and I am a huge fan of her work. Three of my favorite songs are featured with this episode, and I'm looking forward to the new album. Rachael has also studied at the School of American Ballet in her teens, and her music has been featured on the show "Dance Moms". I feel like I barely scratched the surface of her incredible career and hope to have her on again very soon so we can continue the story. Please reach out to Rachael and let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

Today's episode features the long awaited return of J Smith to The Artist Connection Podcast! J first appeared back in July of 2012 forEp 091. Since that time, he has been through some life changing experiences and has grown as a man and an artist. The good news is he is back with a brand new single and a new outlook on his future. J's music has always been positive but he went through some things that put his attitude to the test. He came out on the other side and is ready to impress us all over again. J's new track "MONEY" is featured here along with a new interview. Learn more about J Smith at Twitter,Facebook, Instagram, andYouTube. If you reach out to J, please let him know that you heard him here first. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

Today's guest is Jax! Many of you know her from Season 14 of American Idol. She had so many cool musical moments that led to her strong finish. Her diverse song selections made her one of my all time favorites in the history of that show. It was great to speak with her about her influences and her brand new single "La La Land" which is featured here along with two tracks from the "American Idol Season 14-Best of Jax" album. Learn more about her atwww.jaxofficialx.comand watch for her on Facebook and Twitter. If you reach out, please let her know that you heard her right here on ACP. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists

NYC based singer/songwriter Brian Mackey joined me on the show for a fantastic conversation about his life and music. His various influences come through in his songs, and his writing style is very autobiographical. You can tell that he has lived every note. He is a classically trained pianist and was inspired by Bob Dylan & Jim Croce as much as Mozart & Beethoven. Brian brings it all together and has an amazing story to tell. His latest record is called "Broken Heartstrings." Two songs from that album are featured here, as well as one from his "Honest Love" EP. Be sure to check out the other songs that he has available. Learn more atwww.brianmackeymusic.com. If you reach out to Brian, please let him know that you heard him here first. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

Today's guest is Michael Wechsler! He is the Writer/Director/Producer of "Altered Minds" which is out now on VOD. It is a psychological thriller about a tormented son who makes a desperate bid to save his sanity by unearthing family secrets before his father dies. It stars Judd Hirsch, Ryan O'Nan, Jaime Ray Newman, C.S. Lee, Joseph Lyle Taylor, and Caroline Lagerfelt. We talked about how this amazing cast came together and the locations that were used during filming. I love movies like this. Each actor brought so much to their character, and it keeps you guessing right up the final scene. This episode also features the song "Happy" from the soundtrack. The song was written by Patrick Kelly and Erin Sax. Learn more atwww.altered-minds.comand watch it today! If you reach out to Michael, please let him know that you heard him here first. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

My guest today is singer Dani Rey! We talked about her debut album "Yo!" as well as her life and inspirations. She is a proud Cuban that was raised between Washington DC and Miami. Dani recently moved to Los Angeles to focus on her music and acting career. At 17 years old, she is already a high school graduate and currently attends Penn State University World Campus. Three songs from "Yo!" are featured with this episode, including the title track. For that one, Dani teamed up with Grammy Award winning Latin artist Miguelito. After you listen, please pick up your own copy at Amazon or iTunes. Learn more atwww.danireyofficial.com. If you reach out to Dani, please let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

Welcome to my annual Christmas episode! 2015 was an amazing year for me both personally andprofessionally. I want to thank all of my guests that joined me, and thank you for listening! Special thanks to my family along with Hiyori, Matt Syverson, Tim Binder, Tommy Kenny, and Cindy & Jen at LadyLake for their endless support. I had some old friends stop by for this episode and it was great to catch up with them. I also have a few instant holiday classics to share with you. They are listed below in order of appearance. If you like what you hear, please reach out to the artists through the included links. I am working on making 2016 even better, so stay tuned!Sit back and enjoy!

Eryn Shewell - "Santa Baby" (http://www.erynshewell.com/)
Lez Zeppelin - "Stairway to Frosty" (http://www.lezzeppelin.com/)
Cliff Hillis - "Christmas Songs Tonight" (http://www.cliffhillis.com/)
Shattervox - "Home for Christmas" (http://www.shattervox.com/)

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artiststhemselves to play their music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

Today's guest needs no introduction. LAW has been on this show so many times, and each appearance is as unique as he is! No scripts, no edits, and no agendas. We just talk about whatever is on our minds and happening right now. This episode covers topics like LAW's inspiration for his dance moves and style, James Brown, and the Amy Winehouse doc. Learn more about him athttps://www.facebook.com/The-Official-Fan-Page-Of-LAW-Planet-12-Productions--189013589954/andhttps://twitter.com/planet12law. Please reach out to LAW and let him know how much you enjoy his appearances on my show. He will be back in 2016 with some brand new music to share!

Today's guest is UK musician Russell Sinclair! I recently called over to Plymouth to speak with him about his brand new debut album "Bought & Sold." It is a fantastic collection of songs, two of which are featured with this episode. Russell draws his inspiration from many styles of music. I first saw him online and checked out his website. I bought all of his music within minutes! He is the kind of artist that can instantly inspire you. I am also featuring songs from his Plymouth Tapes EPs so that you can discover his work at the same pace that I did. After you listen, I highly encourage you to buy the rest and support this talented singer/songwriter. He is also known for his energetic live performances. Search for him on YouTube and see what you're missing! Learn more athttp://russellsinclair.co.uk/andhttp://russellsinclair.bandcamp.com/. If you reach out to Russell, please let him know that you heard him here first. Enjoy!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. We have special permission by the artists themselves to playtheir music on the show for promotional purposes for the artists.

My guest today is Judy Chaikin! She is the Writer/Producer/Director of "The Girls in the Band." It is out now on DVD and VOD. I LOVED this movie. It was so exciting to have been given the opportunity to speak with Judy about it and feature her story of how the project came together. It is a documentary that details the journey of female jazz musicians from the 1930's through today. I am a huge fan of music, and thought I knew most of the highlights of 20th century musical history. I was wrong. This was an entire branch of the musical family tree that I was not aware of. The ladies featured here had to endure a career full of racism, sexism, andsegregation...all while being world class musicians and entertainers. Their story may have been completely forgotten if not for the efforts of Judy and other likeminded film makers. We learn more about the past through interviews with the musicians, and a something about ourselves when we see the effect that prejudices and certain laws can have on people. To call it "compelling" isn't enough. It held me from start to finish and left me with the desire to learn more. One of the bands that Judy featured was "The International Sweethearts ofRhythm."I tracked down a few of their recordings and have included them with this episode. Learn more and buy your own copy of the movie atwww.thegirlsintheband.com, and learn more about Judy atwww.onestepproductions.com. When you reach out to Judy, please let her know that you heard her here first. Enjoy!

If you are looking for an easy way to support this show that won't cost you anything extra, please click through thisLINKwhenever you shop at Amazon. It goes a long way in keeping the lights on around here. Thank you in advance!

We do not own any copyrights to the songs played on this episode. The music featured with this episode is part of the public domain.