Sadly, the Musical Mitten Podcast recently closed its podcast doors. It started up as a radio show at WOCR of the University of Olivet, hosts Maggie Brener of Bay City (now Detroit) and Breanne Wilder of Vicksburg ( now Charlotte) had put together a bevy of Michigan Musical discussion and guests that leveled up the playing field of current artists and musicians, along with classic Michigan music content. They began the show as a podcast in February of 2022 and as they say, From Mackinac To Motown, From Muskegon To Madonna, Maggie and Bree covered it all.

The Musical Mitten first touched base with Dr. J right soon after the MMHP989 began, in April of 2022. Access that here:

https://themusicalmitten.wixsite.com/themusicalmi/podcast/episode/79fd1b9c/the-man-the-museum-the-legends

When the MMHP, minus Dr. J hit the road for a Detroit trip to site see the venues of yesteryear field trip style, as well as tour Third Man Records back in December of 2023, Scott had been in contact about doing an episode on The Musical Mitten for his recent album Purpose. When making contact with Maggie, it was decided to turn it into a show where two of Michigan's deepest music podcasts interview each other; the process, the work, and some stuff on Scott's albums. We decided to meet in Fenton at the Library and record a shared Podcast. The podcast for The Musical Mitten which they released can be found here. Now you can compare edit notes...HA!

https://themusicalmitten.wixsite.com/themusicalmi/podcast/episode/7b1a1952/michigan-music-podcast-squared

The MMHP gives a tip of the cap to Maggie and Bree, as the Musical Mitten shows are still are available AND our time together--even though we were cut short--the listeners will enjoy the work, guest talks, and laughter as we discuss both of our shows, the impetus, and the future visions behind how we put shows together. We hope to cross paths with these wonderful hosts again someday. Dig into The Musical Mitten by way of the MMHP. Thank you Maggie and Bree!

Their perma home is: https://themusicalmitten.wixsite.com/themusicalmi

"In 2016 it was the biggest rock and roll story in some time," noted MMHP and Michigan Rock Legend Hall Of Fame CEO Gary 'Dr. J' Johnson, on the Fake Zombies story ran in Rolling Stone Magazine ripped straight out of M15 in Bay City and the historic chronicles of the late '60s.

Digging for gold, Podcaster/Bartender Daniel Ralston--in Los Angeles--uncovered The True Story Of The Fake Zombies, to be aired on the iHeart network in an eight-part podcast series beginning July 11, 2024, through the Talkhouse Podcast Network. This will run on all your favorite podcast outlets. You will learn of Bill Kehoe at Delta Promotions in Bay City, two fake-Zombie touring bands (one which included members of ZZ Top--drummer Frank Beard and late-bassist Dusty Hill), hear about the fleeting fake-Archies band, the members, the ideas, the major and minor showcases, the tours, the money, and ultimately, how it effected the real Zombies and led them to their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland--as well as subsequent reunion tours and albums. Ralston took over ten years to get the proper interviews, the rights, the footage, photos, chronicles, band members, folk lore and truth to set the record straight and dust the dirt off of one of the most bizarre rock and roll stories to ever happen over the past 60 years. Rolling Stone, Howard Stern Show, YouTube, Michigan Rock Legends Hall of Fame--numerous outlets--all have some backstory since 2016 if you do your own research. Ralston came to meet and interview Dr. J in Bay City, get a tour of the town, and in turn offered his story to the MMHP in the 989 last June, 2023.

We were told to leave this episode in the can....until now.

An episode on Bay City itself airs July 18.

PREVIEW Daniel Ralston's Trailer here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/vu5WzQTdG77xvqdV/?mibextid=jpBbYv

Mark Sanders has been there and done that. From the '60 to his current output, Sanders has never given up on songs, creation, and finding the right tones to formulate excellent songs. Some of his first big stage tastes were opening for Ramblin Jack Elliot and The Blues Magoos after winning Battle of the bands at Daniels Den in Saginaw while in The Next Exit Blues Band. That band was coming out of another he was in, The Rogues, where he shared the stage with other luminaries of the time, including The Bossmen, ? and The Mysterians, Shadows Of Night, and ultimately a unique gig with The Animals.

From the clubs and main stages, rock, folk, and country eras, Mark is now retired from live shows, but was last playing with his wife Suzanne on keyboards & vocals in the Mark Sanders Band. Mark has four albums, he's back into blues and getting world-wide play, most recently a feature in Australia. This is a very intriguing ride and features a new song of his, 'On A Night Like That.'

The Flint Music Scene was once his stomping grounds. Then came the rest of Michigan, from Saginaw to Detroit, to Canada and into the entire mid-west. Nothing could stop Lafayette Yarbrough as he briefly dominated AM Radio and was the talk of the town during his Lafayette and the LaSabres era. Weeks and sometimes months, playing up to seven nights around for a local stint, Yarbrough brought the rockabilly and pre-Elvis sound to many around the state. The man never stopped and continued into the past few decades, recording four albums with his wife Vada (a former musician sometimes backing Elvis, as well as produced by Chet Atkins). His skills and stories take us on the best trip to the land of Michigan Music History. Jump on board to his special tour bus now...

If you haven't had a chance to listen to our Season 1 Episode 8 with Mike, covering record stores, free jazz, his radio show Destination Out, or his long time ensemble, Northwoods Improvisers, please start there. Then head right back here. After all, that was the first episode of the MMHP that catapulted us around the world with our Michigan Music History outlook and exposure. Mike alone was the first podcast we had that skyrocketed the listener number and remains in the top few to this day. We feel this episode just may eclipse that.

The long time listeners to WCMU know his voice. A Professor at CMU in music, as well as world renown bassist in the Northwoods Imporvisers, Johnston is a jazz writer, free music enthusiast, and a collector of all things organic and jazzy, from rock to world music and back. In this podcast, he gives background on the Improvisers 2023 release Fanfares, as well as gets to fill the gaps between his time early as a DJ, music with Faruq Z. Bey, and where the mighty new version of Northwoods is heading with the amazing saxophone front of Donovan Boxy and Dominic Bierenga, with the dual bass addition of Jack O'Brien (along with Johnston), violin from record label head Mike Khoury (Entropy Stereo) and Johnston's long time partner, drummer Nick Ashton.

Johnston also hangs around post-podcast for another 20 minutes of chat, discovery and story sharing, so please hang in there for the full show... Destination OUT of the ballpark with this episode!

Somewhere in Ann Arbor, across to Detroit, the folklore of the '60s planted seeds in south Michigan. One of the front-runners to this soapbox congregation was Andy Cohen. Spending years crafting and honoring tradition, Cohen happened upon Andrew Rogers in Ann Arbor and the 'rest is history' as has been repeated. Here is a reunion, alive with song, discussion, Cohen's mystical perspective and tales from long ago. This is more of a collective of life stories, rather than a typical q&a session. Cohen and his record label/company Riverlark continue to give a historical perspective in modern times.

Here in our final part 2 of 2, Cohen and Rogers eclipse their many reunions, discuss the performances they have shared, the album that they have been creating, and an endless fire that keeps Cohen out for six weeks and back home for six weeks all year around.

Musician Michelle Coltrane, daughter of Alice, step-daughter of John, offers backstory on Alice's time growing up in Detroit through Michelle's own growing up time between California, New York, and visits to Detroit. Michelle has proclaimed, 'The Year of Alice Coltrane' here in 2024 (with a centennial celebration of John coming soon as well!). This Alice Coltrane year was bench-marked by a recent release from her archives, The Carnegie Hall Concert, from 1971. Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda was at a creative peak when recording this Carnegie show. Backed by two drummers, two bassists, two saxophone/woodwind musicians and two other percussion/utility musicians. Alice helped put this show together as a benefit/tribute to Swami Satchidananda, an Indian guru she first encountered in 1969 while in the depth of grief, after losing her husband, John Coltrane. This show was on the heels of an album where she also honored him, Journey In Satchidananda--released the week before this concert. Alice shared the billing with Laura Nyro and The Rascals--the draw of the evening, whose Felix Cavaliere was a devote follower, as was Nyro. Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders got second billing next to Alice's name, as he was a rising star in the jazz world, sprouting from John Coltrane's stable along side of Alice herself.

An R&B musician herself, Michelle takes us on a journey of her lifetime through her own lens, of times in Detroit, following her mother to concerts, spending time with Swami Satchidananda, dealing with her own career, and how her and step-brothers Ravi and Oran (John Jr. passed in '82) continue to grow and sprout the legacy of both Alice and John Coltrane. This