A Song That Changed My Life: Frankie Muriel on Cal Tjader’s “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro)”The Artist: Frankie Muriel

The Storyteller: Frankie Muriel

The Song: Shimmery, nimble vibraphone lines and a montuno piano vamp open Cal Tjader’s 1960s classic “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro).” They lock into a rich intersection of classic son clave rhythms, while the glassy glissando runs of the vibraphone—the distinct, metal-bar-based pitched percussion instrument famously popularized by jazz pioneer Lionel Hampton—weave seamlessly throughout the entire track. A reinterpretation of jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie and Chano Pozo's "Guarachi Guaro," Tjader’s version mutates standard jazz progressions to create a distinct brand of cool, spacious, melodic froth.

This compelling fusion, built on a base of Latin grooves, became the signature sound that attracted a massive wave of new listeners, ultimately helping to bring this style of jazz to the forefront. That same vibraphone aesthetic, interwoven with a rolling mambo beat,  remains audible in the work of conga legend Poncho Sanchez as well as the dream-fused loops heard in modern heavyweights like Tyler, The Creator, who notably interpolated Tjader’s arrangement of "Invitation."

The Background: Possessing a keen awareness of music from a young age — taking note of the vibrant sounds of his father, Frank Muriel, an accomplished Latin jazz percussionist — Frankie Muriel the younger naturally developed a deep relationship with rhythm. Beyond the beat, he absorbed an innate knack for songwriting and showmanship, an inherited intuition that helped him to heed the call to entertain. This compulsion eventually steered him to front the funk-rock-flavored band KINGOFTHEHILL. With MTV heyday hits like “I Do U” becoming mainstream fixtures, Muriel learned the art of the larger-than-life performance.

While enjoying peak popularity, Muriel noted the unpredictable tides of musical tastes and industry trends. Observing these shifts, he recognized that longevity often required strategic pivoting as well as a strong dose of creative autonomy. Armed with this sharp survival instinct, he prepared to adapt, ensconcing himself in recording studios to learn the ins and outs of the production process while plotting a way to reinvent his career and re-emerge.This behind-the-scenes education proved to be both creatively liberating and highly profitable, ultimately paving the way for his return to lead the dance-rock juggernaut Dr. Zhivegas. The demanding live show marathon, filled with dynamic theatrics and spectacular staging, captured a massive following for nearly three decades. Yet, after years of relentless touring and sensing another sea change, Muriel course-corrected, moving away from the band formats of his past toward a solo endeavor. Beginning with the 2025 release I’m Still Standing, and continuing into his recent release, The Cabo Sessions, Muriel comes full circle, returning to the improvisational rhythms that first inspired him as a child.

The Story: Nights infused with syncopated percussive breaks and vibrant Latin melodies were a constant from an early age for Frankie Muriel. For him, music and memory became an inseparable tapestry of sights and sounds, with its selvage being Cal Tjader’s classic “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro).” Growing up under the immediate influence of his father, Frank Muriel, an accomplished percussionist, Frankie Muriel found himself immersed within the genre.

“It’s been a part of my life and part of my life’s soundtrack since I was a baby and I could hear music,” Muriel recalls. “It was a favorite of my father’s — and was also the kind of music that he played —  so it was always in our house, it was part of the soundtrack...”  Naturally, this constant exposure to such irresistible sounds also sparked an urge to dance. “I think as a child you feel that instinctive pulse and you start moving your body, and those are the great songs that [are always making you] move first,” he explains.

Beyond just the physical groove, the song carried a personal family connection, right down to "the rhythmic break to the song, how it starts off and the vocal break...” It was this specific section, and the distinct vocal call-out within the song, that Muriel connects with the most.

“It stayed with me because it sounded like my father’s voice. I always thought that it was his song because his band played it and it sounded like him singing the refrain,” Muriel shares. “Obviously, I was too young to understand what resonated with me, but it’s a core memory… Now it is in regular rotation in my home, so my daughter is growing up with this as part of her life’s soundtrack. To this day, I always hear him in it.”

These jazz arrangements inadvertently wired Muriel’s understanding of songwriting, teaching him how to decode a hook before setting foot onto the stage. “I think I learned about rhythm and melody from these types of songs way before I discovered rock and pop,” Muriel reflects. “These songs had a catchiness to them without lyrics, and the rhythm is just a hypnotic look into the groove, which I think is the hook that gets inside of you as you listen.”

The early childhood grooves stayed with him, shifting from a nostalgic background track into a major focus for his new music. While working on his latest material, those deeply embedded cadences resurfaced.“I grew up as a drummer and vibraphone player, which combines percussion and piano into one instrument, so that’s how I learned my melodies,” Muriel notes. The percussion and the congas have also taken on a more prominent role in his newest collection of songs.“As I was working on my new album, The Cabo Sessions, I realized the sounds from my youth had completely permeated into my writing. What started as a way to honor the memory of my father turned into understanding that these rhythms were in me the whole time. I’ve just let them out, and they’re creating textures and adding great energy into my new music.”

Photo Courtesy of Big Picture MediaThe post A Song That Changed My Life: Frankie Muriel on Cal Tjader’s “Soul Sauce (Guachi Guaro)” first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

UnitedMasters strengthens executive team with four appointments across marketing, brand, commerce and operationsThe new hires include former Warner Records executive Todd L. Perry II, alongside Goldie Harris, Luca Zanello and Jason Peerless.
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The Last Night Elvis Presley Ever Performed - And He Played for 90 Minutes Like He Knew It

Inside Big Phat Pod: Preserving Gordon Goodwin’s Legacy One Story at a TimeBehind a massive soundproof door in an otherwise unremarkable industrial park in Burbank, a remarkable effort is underway to preserve and expand the legacy of one of contemporary music’s most celebrated creative forces. Inside the production facility The Dreaming Tree,  session singer, vocal contractor, educator and longtime Big Phat Band singer Vangie Gunn-Goodwin and her co-host, award-winning composer, arranger and producer Andrew Kesler, have transformed a podcast studio into a vibrant living archive celebrating Gordon Goodwin’s music, career and enduring legacy. It’s also become a vibrant gathering place for an extended musical family.

Framed by a giant Big Phat Pod logo and surrounded by shelves displaying Big Phat Band albums, memorabilia and several of the four Grammy Awards Goodwin earned from 25 nominations during an extraordinary career, the pair are creating a series devoted not only to the acclaimed composer, arranger and bandleader’s music, but also to the stories, friendships, creative partnerships and personal experiences that shaped it over decades. Critical to bringing that vision to life is Kesler, whose friendship with Gordon stretches back years. An accomplished composer, arranger and producer, he first connected with Goodwin through recording projects and holiday collaborations before becoming one of his close creative allies. Combining deep musical knowledge with an obvious affection for Gordon’s work – and a self-described “Gordon nerd” – Kesler serves as the perfect counterpart to Vangie’s warmth and natural storytelling. Their easy rapport and shared passion for Gordon’s music give Big Phat Pod the relaxed chemistry that makes every conversation feel less like an interview than a reunion among lifelong friends.

While the podcast emerged following Goodwin’s passing in December 2025, the idea itself originated with Gordon. About six months before his death, podcast producers approached Gordon and Vangie about creating a series devoted to his music, career and creative process. The concept immediately appealed to him because it felt like a natural extension of Phat Tracks with Gordon Goodwin, the nationally syndicated radio show (out of KKGO Los Angeles and later KSDS San Diego) he hosted from 2017 until illness forced him to step away. Listeners discovered that beyond his brilliance as a composer and arranger, Gordon possessed a rare gift for storytelling. Whether discussing Count Basie, Earth, Wind & Fire or Jacob Collier, he consistently elevated the listening experience by explaining where the music came from, why it mattered and who helped bring it to life. “He would tell you why a song was important, who played on it and what made it special,” Vangie recalls. “Then when you heard the song afterward, you appreciated it on a completely different level.”

Before the podcast could begin, however, life intervened. Gordon and Vangie were balancing tours, performances and the recording of what would become his final studio album with the Big Phat Band, 25 Years of Phatness. Featuring fresh originals alongside reimagined versions of fan favorites including “Hunting Wabbits,” “The Jazz Police” and “Sing, Sang, Sung,” the project captured the ensemble at full creative strength. Shortly afterward, Gordon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Looking back now, Vangie views the completion of that album as something close to miraculous. “We got it done just in time,” she says. “When I listen to that album now, I hear Gordon’s joy. I hear his optimism. I hear everything that made him who he was.” After treatment, a brief return to daily piano playing and encouraging signs of improvement, Gordon suffered a massive hemorrhagic stroke shortly after Thanksgiving 2025 and passed away on December 8.

For a time, the podcast naturally faded into the background as Vangie navigated grief and the overwhelming responsibilities that follow the loss of a spouse. Then one afternoon, while driving home from Disneyland, where she teaches vocal workshops, she found herself thinking about the upcoming release of 25 Years of Phatness and wondering how best to continue sharing Gordon’s music with audiences around the world. The answer arrived suddenly.

The podcast idea returned with remarkable clarity. Entire seasons began forming in her imagination, with each one devoted to a specific album, era or chapter in Gordon’s career. Individual episodes could focus on particular songs, recording sessions, musicians, engineers and collaborators. “The stories were already there,” she says. “The music was there. The relationships were there. It just needed somebody passionate enough to bring it to life.”

Observing a recording session reveals that Big Phat Pod is far more than a conventional interview program. On the evening I attended, saxophonists Brian Scanlon, Danny Kaneyuki and Alex Hahn, front-of-house engineer Ryan Mowrey and acclaimed percussionist Brian Kilgore rotated through the guest chairs as Vangie and Kesler guided conversations that felt equal parts oral history, educational seminar and reunion among old friends. Excerpts from 25 Years of Phatness and classic Big Phat Band recordings filled the room as solos were isolated, analyzed and celebrated. The format allows listeners to move beyond simply hearing the music to understanding how it was conceived, performed and experienced by the artists themselves.

One particularly spirited discussion centered on “Hunting Wabbits,” perhaps the composition most beloved by both audiences and student musicians. Scanlon praised Gordon’s Christmas charts and vocal arrangements, prompting Vangie to float the idea of a future holiday concert devoted to that side of his writing. What made the conversations so compelling was the way they effortlessly moved between technical observations and personal memories. It was a brief exchange, but one that perfectly captured the cross-pollination of ideas and mutual respect that define the band.

Perhaps the most revealing aspect of the evening was the extraordinary camaraderie among the musicians. As solos played through the studio monitors, band members cheered each other’s performances, laughed at old stories and openly celebrated one another’s accomplishments. Watching these interactions made it easy to understand why the Big Phat Band has maintained such a distinctive identity throughout its 26-year history. While the ensemble has always been known for technical excellence and astonishing musicianship, the chemistry among its members is equally essential to its success.

To Vangie, that spirit is no accident. Many of the musicians have known one another for decades, while younger members grew up playing Gordon’s charts in school before eventually joining the ensemble themselves. Gordon intentionally cultivated that multi-generational atmosphere, believing that mentorship and continuity were essential to the band’s future. The result is a culture where younger musicians sit alongside artists they admired as students, creating a unique blend of reverence, friendship and artistic challenge.

The evening also underscored Gordon’s appreciation for the people working behind the scenes. One of the longest and most fascinating segments focused on Ryan Mowrey, whose responsibilities extend far beyond traditional front-of-house engineering. Technical director and audio specialist Mowrey occupies a role that many audience members never see but every successful performance depends upon. Vangie described him as the guy constantly looking out for everyone around him, while Kesler joked that he might be the most important member of the entire organization.

Future episodes will continue expanding the lens beyond performers. Engineers, mixers and production personnel all have stories to tell, and Big Phat Pod intends to tell them. Talley Sherwood, who engineered 25 Years of Phatness, longtime mix engineer Tommy Vicari, and the team behind the album’s Dolby Atmos mixes (Steve Genewick and Maurice Patist) are all expected to share their perspectives in future installments.

Another important figure behind the scenes is producer Cindi Garren, whose involvement carries its own emotional resonance. Garren is the widow of saxophonist Kevin Garren, who spent approximately 15 years performing with the Big Phat Band before his passing in 2021. Her participation further strengthens the sense that Big Phat Pod is being created by people whose lives have been deeply intertwined through Gordon’s music and the community that grew around it.

Of course, any discussion of Gordon Goodwin eventually leads to the astonishing breadth of his accomplishments. Beyond building the Big Phat Band into one of the most influential large jazz ensembles of the modern era, he enjoyed a prolific career as a composer, arranger and orchestrator. His four Grammy Awards, three Daytime Emmy Awards and 25 Grammy nominations only begin to suggest the scope of his influence.

Yet listening to the stories shared throughout the podcast, one quickly realizes that awards alone don’t reflect the affection so many people continue to feel for him. Again and again, conversations return to themes of generosity, optimism, mentorship and friendship. The stories that resonate most are not about trophies or accolades but about Gordon encouraging younger musicians, creating opportunities for others and maintaining relationships that lasted decades.

The confidence he placed in Vangie speaks volumes about their partnership. Following his diagnosis, he asked whether she would consider carrying the Big Phat Band forward if necessary. Her answer was immediate. “Absolutely. It would be my honor.” By that point she had become far more than the band’s featured vocalist. She managed countless responsibilities behind the scenes. Gordon often joked that she somehow managed to take care of everyone else before stepping onstage and transforming into the performer audiences knew and loved.

That combination of leadership, empathy and energy also prepared her for hosting Big Phat Pod. Beyond her extensive career as a vocalist and contractor, she has spent decades teaching singers, directing ensembles and helping artists develop confidence and authenticity. Those experiences taught her how to put people at ease and create environments where meaningful stories emerge naturally. Some musicians, she notes, are far more comfortable playing a difficult solo than discussing it afterward. One of her greatest strengths as an interviewer is helping guests relax enough to share memories that might otherwise remain untold.

Asked what Gordon would enjoy most if he could walk onto the set today and watch an episode being recorded, Vangie’s answer comes without hesitation. It would not be the microphones, the memorabilia or even the discussions about his music. It’s all about the relationships, the friendships, the musicians laughing together, sharing stories and celebrating one another’s accomplishments. Those connections, forged through decades of collaboration and strengthened through mutual respect, are ultimately what the podcast preserves most powerfully.

When the conversation turned to what she hopes future listeners ultimately understand about Gordon, she doesn’t mention awards, recordings or professional accomplishments. Instead, she speaks about character: “That his music was such an integral part of his DNA that it expressed who he was at his core—a man of character, loyalty, vision, love, joy, energy and hope.” As the stories continue to unfold and new generations discover the music, Big Phat Pod ensures that both the legacy and the man behind it remain very much alive.The post Inside Big Phat Pod: Preserving Gordon Goodwin’s Legacy One Story at a Time first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

From Suno’s vinyl move to Spotify’s ‘fan-made’ Merlin deal… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...

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Dirtwire at Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NCWeb: dirtwire.netContact: dirtwire@mammothmusicgroup.comPlayers: David Satori, violin, banjo, guitars, guimbri, percussion; Evan Fraser, kalimba, jaw harp, kamale, n’groni, global percussion

The stage is almost completely dark. The 700-seat room is packed shoulder-to-shoulder right up to the edge of the stage, and only a handful of curious objects scattered across the floor offer any clue as to the musical adventure about to unfold. When Dirtwire finally emerges from the shadows, dressed entirely in black and nearly disappearing into the black backdrop, the sense of mystery only deepens. It feels less like the beginning of a concert and more like the opening moments of some strange sonic experiment.

Before a single recognizable melody arrives, odd sounds begin drifting through the house system. Strange drones, rattles, whistles, and tones emerge from seemingly nowhere. Unfamiliar instruments appear under faint stage lights. The audience waits, intrigued but uncertain. Then a groove begins to form. It comes from an instrument that is difficult to identify and even harder to describe. Slowly it gathers momentum, building layer upon layer of anticipation until a massive bass frequency suddenly locks into place. A steady four-on-the-floor beat erupts from the subwoofers, and in an instant the entire room is moving. The evening has officially taken flight.

For the next 90 minutes, Dirtwire unleashes a dizzying parade of soundscapes, textures, rhythms, and instrumental experiments. The performance feels simultaneously ancient and futuristic, as though forgotten folk traditions have collided headlong with modern electronic dance music. The groove remains constant and infectious, driven by an ever-present pulse that keeps the audience tethered to the journey no matter how strange the scenery becomes.

The duo wanders fearlessly across musical landscapes, collecting sounds and influences from every imaginable direction. At one moment the music resembles a beggar’s banquet of world instruments and tribal rhythms. Moments later it transforms into a towering wall of sound generated by instruments few people could name, much less pronounce. Every texture seems designed to surprise. Every new sound opens another door.

What is most remarkable is the relentless momentum. There are no pauses, no breaks for lengthy introductions, and virtually no downtime. Instead, the music flows continuously, one groove melting into another. Beats intertwine with drones, melodies emerge briefly and then dissolve, and rhythmic patterns chase one another through the room in endless combinations. The experience becomes hypnotic, with each musical idea serving as a launching point for the next.

In many ways, Dirtwire’s performance resembles a modern electronic interpretation of Bach’s variations on a theme. Yet even that comparison falls short because the theme itself never remains fixed. It shifts constantly, mutating from moment to moment. 

The result is less a collection of songs than a single immersive experience—part dance party, part musical expedition, and part sonic fever dream. By the time the final notes fade into the darkness, the audience has traveled a considerable distance without ever leaving their seats, carried along by grooves, textures, and imagination.The post Dirtwire at Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The Music Industry Is Trying to Guess the AI Recipe After Dinner Was ServedThe following MBW op-ed comes from Andreea Gleeson, former CEO of TuneCore and founder of AGA (Andreea Gleeson Advisory)
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Analogue Productions Releases Definitive Audiophile Reissue from the WhoAnalogue Productions just announced an expansive new series of definitive audiophile reissues from The Who, spotlighting four of the band’s most essential recordings: My Generation, Live At Leeds, Tommy, and Who’s Next. Spanning the explosive early years of what would become one of the most celebrated bands of rock 'n' roll, these releases present each album in its highest-fidelity form across multiple premium formats, including 180-gram 45 RPM vinyl, Hybrid SACD, Ultra High Quality Record (UHQR) editions, and Ultra Tape reel-to-reel. 

Sourced from the original analog master tapes and meticulously mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (with SACD editions mastered to DSD), each release is pressed at Quality Record Pressings and housed in deluxe Stoughton Printing Old Style tip-on gatefold heavyweight jackets with scuff-resistant matte finishes, ensuring both sonic and physical presentation meet the highest audiophile standards. 

My Generation (1965) 

Produced by Shel Talmy at IBS studios, The Who’s explosive debut remains one of the most ferocious opening statements in rock history. Peaking at No. 5 on the U.K. charts, My Generation captured the raw energy of the mid-’60s mod scene while introducing the band’s classic lineup: Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle, and Keith Moon.

Featuring era-defining tracks like “My Generation,” “The Kids Are Alright,” and “The Ox,” the album’s aggressive sound and power-chord attack helped lay the groundwork for hard rock and punk. Now available as a 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP set, Hybrid Mono SACD, and Ultra Tape reel-to-reel edition, these new versions unlock unprecedented dynamic range, transient attack, and low-end depth – bringing the band’s raw, volatile energy into startling focus. 

“Pete Townshend was much more into early blues and what he could do with his guitar and loved sound,” Shel Talmy explained to me in a 2017 telephone interview.

“Of course, I encouraged all the power chords and all that kind of stuff and that’s what attracted me when I first heard them. I thought they were the first rock ‘n’ roll band I heard since I came to England. When I first arrived, I thought everything was incredibly polite.

“In Los Angeles and Hollywood for my sessions, I insisted on being there for the mastering on everything I did. I started as an engineer with Phil Yeend. I spent a lot of time trying to perfect the sounds we were getting at Conway Studios. We spent time isolating instruments and working on drum sounds. Working on guitar sounds. Microphone placements we did were utilized with the Who, Kinks, and David Bowie.

“I brought with me from Conway a way to use the equipment of making everything louder, apparently louder than it actually was. I did that by bringing up a guitar through channel one, which was right at the beginning of distortion, and the other one, which was normal. So, I used to bring up the distorted one underneath the good one and the entire level went up. And I always tried to do everything I could without distorting. So, I was always near the red line of the meter. I brought that with me. I liked hearing records that I think actually expand the vocal audio range of what you’re hearing.

“The UK technical people didn’t think I was weird. They thought I was different because I was pretty much the first American producer there. The first place I went to was IBC on Phil’s recommendation. That’s where Phil worked. And they were way ahead of everybody else. In terms of gear, they had young engineers who were willing to experiment.

“Pianist Nicky Hoplins was one of my favorite people. A really nice guy. Easy to work with. A heavy-duty, talented musician. I had him playing live with all these people, by the way. I didn’t bring him in for overdubs. I don’t know how to describe him. When you hear something undefinable but you know it is brilliant. That’s what I saw with Nicky Hopkins. All the bands loved him that I introduced him to.”  

“I always felt the song was seventy-five per cent of the record. But I still subscribe to the fact that if you’re gonna hear a great song you’re gonna pretty much know it in the first eight bars. And then it continues to develop: three to four minutes is about the right amount of time for it.

“Shel Talmy is the Brilliant producer that developed the Hard Rock part of the British Invasion, which was the birth of the Hard Rock period,” emailed musician, producer and actor Steven Van Zandt in a May 2022 correspondence. “And Shel did it with half instinctive genius and half outrageous chutzpah! If he’d done nothing but the first five Kinks’ albums, he’d belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Then again, if he did nothing but the first Who album, he’d belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!”  

Tommy (1969) 

The Who’s groundbreaking rock opera Tommy marked a turning point in the band’s career, transforming them into international superstars and establishing new possibilities for the album as an art form. 

Written by Pete Townshend, the album’s narrative of a “deaf, dumb and blind” boy unfolds across iconic tracks like “Pinball Wizard,” “I’m Free,” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It / See Me, Feel Me.” Now, for the first time, Tommy receives the UHQR treatment, pressed on 200-gram Clarity Vinyl for maximum transparency and minimal surface noise. 

Also available as a Hybrid Stereo SACD and Ultra Tape reel-to-reel edition, these releases reveal new layers of depth and detail in one of rock’s most ambitious and enduring works. 

Live At Leeds (1970) 

Recorded at the University of Leeds in February 1970, Live At Leeds captures a performance so visceral and unrelenting it remains the gold standard for live rock recordings. 

Celebrated for its raw authenticity and explosive interplay, the album features blistering takes on “Magic Bus,” “My Generation,” and “Shakin’ All Over,” alongside ferocious covers like “Summertime Blues.” Available as a 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP, Hybrid Stereo SACD, and Ultra Tape reel-to-reel edition, these reissues preserve every ounce of the performance’s intensity, placing listeners as if they’re standing just feet from the stage.

I asked photojournalist Heather Harris about Live At Leeds. “Why The Who Live at Leeds and why now? The original gig was performed in Feb. 1970 and released a mere 3 months later for a reason: it instantaneously became obvious that this was The Who. In Their Absolute Prime. 

“Better than Monterey, better than Woodstock. And, oddly, better recorded than ever before. And we need that so very much right now. Previous studio albums buckled under the limited technology of the times. This live recording, however, separated the sounds of each virtuoso far more plainly, and one could hear what they were actually doing, unoverdubbed, for the first time. Yes, Moon really did play 32/4 pretty much the whole time, without oxygen breaks. My photo from the same era shows how astonishing beyond belief they were, insofar as it's a document of what the audience saw going on for 2+ hours onstage.

“Lastly, this Deluxe edition with the original Tommy material restored contains the one track I would select for extraterrestrials or similar to explain exactly what the very best of genuine hard rock and roll sounded like live: "Sparks." An instrumental, Townshend and chums successfully explore an onslaught of the musical ideas of their head songwriter, occasionally approaching actual narrative, always ferocious.

“Saturday Night Live once dramatized sending a goodie bag into outer space containing our best cultural items, with the extraterrestrials responding ‘Send more Chuck Berry!’ We should have sent ‘Sparks’ by The Who in Live at Leeds. So powerful that no life form in the universe would dare attack us.”

 “At the time of the Leeds recording in February 1970, The Who could easily be considered the most exciting band to see live,” reinforced longtime Who fan and collector, Alan Watts. “While The Rolling Stones were riding their wave of being culturally dangerous, catching a Who show live—with the up-front trio of Daltrey, Moon, and Townshend—you might consider them more of a physical threat; you definitely would not want to get in their way! Although their performance at Monterey in June 1967 had put them on the map, two events in 1969 pushed them to the forefront of the era’s premier rock bands. The first was the release in May of 1969 of Tommy, a novel ‘rock opera’ built around the deaf, dumb, and blind pinball wizard. Tommy was followed by their defining appearance at Woodstock in August. By then the band was in the midst of an almost continuous string of shows in the US, Canada, and Europe. These began with a US tour in May and went through until their last gigs of the year in England in late December; over 100 shows in total. By the end of 1969, the band had become the incredible well-oiled machine that we were to hear going full throttle on Live at Leeds.

“The idea of recording shows for a live album first appeared during their first Tommy tour in mid-1969. The base recordings for such an album were made by their sound engineer, Bob Pridden, during the Fall tour. However, Townshend was not impressed, and he famously announced that they were deliberately destroyed in a backyard bonfire. Fortunately for us, some survived, and can be pretty easily located on fan-made CDs. They show a band at the top of their game.

“At the start of 1970, the band decided to try again, and recorded two gigs: one at Leeds University on February 14th 1970, and another the following day just down the road at Hull City Hall. Most of the Leeds recording was deemed satisfactory despite the infamous “crackling noise” from poorly connected sound leads. The resulting single-disc 38-minute album was released three months later.

“And what an album it was! The entire show was over two hours long, but the album was pared down by omitting the mammoth Tommy section. But what remained on the album was as good a record of their live performances as you could wish for. Having ‘Young Man Blues’ as the opening track was perfect; it hit you like an express train! ‘My Generation’ was a powerful and raucous 15-minute anthem of teen angst mixed in with a Tommy medley. It ended with the trademark cacophony of feedback. ‘Our hymn … One huge deafening din!’ was how Townshend introduced the song.

“The original vinyl album was marketed with the famous pseudo-bootleg cover (not a million miles from the cover of the famous 1969 Stones bootleg LIVE R THAN YOU’LL EVER BE), along with a fascinating collection of Who artifacts, which included photos, a copy of their Woodstock contract (they were paid $12,500 for an hour), a poster, etc. The whole package made for a very appealing memento of the times. Is it the best live album of all time? Maybe. But it’s hard to think of a better document of a single gig from a band at the height of their powers.

“Later releases have thankfully filled in the gaps of the original, and you can now hear virtually the whole show. Although if you look carefully enough there are more complete versions floating around that have the entire show in the correct running order with all the extensive Townshend banter between songs.

“For me, this is the most consequential album of my formative years. By late 1970 I had been going to live gigs for about a year, and had loved Get Yer Ya Ya’s Out. Although I’d heard many Who singles, I was more interested in British blues, and that’s something that The Who were not. But then came Live at Leeds to change my entire perspective. All I wanted to do now was to see The Who live. In December 1970 they played at my home town university in northern England, but unfortunately these gigs were off limits to me as you had to be at least 18 to get in. I finally got my wish the following July with a pre-Who’s Next gig in my local hometown hall. It still remains the best live concert I ever saw—and they still looked dangerous!”

Who’s Next (1971) — UHQR Edition 

Few albums match the power and legacy of Who’s Next, The Who’s 1971 masterpiece that cemented their status as arena rock legends. Featuring timeless tracks like “Baba O’Riley,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” the album remains a cornerstone of rock history. 

Pressed as a UHQR edition on 200-gram Clarity Vinyl, this release delivers extraordinary sonic realism – uncovering new detail in everything from Keith Moon’s thunderous drums to the album’s pioneering synthesizer textures. Originally conceived from Townshend’s ambitious Lifehouse project, Who’s Next stands as a defining achievement in the band’s catalog and one of the greatest albums of all time.

Across all formats, Analogue Productions’ meticulous approach, from mastering and plating to pressing and packaging, ensures these releases represent the definitive listening experience for both collectors and devoted fans. From the explosive beginnings of My Generation to the arena-shaking heights of Who’s Next, this series captures The Who at their most vital, restoring the full force, clarity, and immediacy of recordings that changed rock music forever. 

For the March 8, 1975 issue of Melody Maker, I interviewed Keith Moon in his rented Laurel Canyon home.  

“Everybody labors under the misconception that Pete Townshend is the leader of the band,” emphasized Moon. “There is no leader. It’s the Who. Tommy never stopped growing. When Pete was writing it, he got to the point where he was saying, ‘Where do I go from here?’ We were sitting in a boozer in London, which is most unlike us, throwing ideas around. And I said, ‘Well, what about a holiday camp?’ So, it was Tommy’s Holiday Camp. This is how the Who works. Everybody contributes, everyone is part of what we are involved in. The involvement is total, with no one person in control.” I did ask him, looking back, did he have any favorite Who songs or albums?

“Well, The Who Sell Out, and parts of Quadrophenia. To me, these works express the way the Who is. It really depends what mood I’m in. I’ve forgotten half the stuff we’ve done, and all of a sudden, I’ll hear one of our numbers on the radio, and I remember it.”      

In 2007, I interviewed Pete Townshend via email about the June 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival.   

“It was more of a revelation to others than to us. Bob Pridden, our sound man, had worked in the UK with Charlie Watkins (of WEM) to produce a line array speaker system we used (that was used big time at the first Isle of Wight Festival a little later).

“In the USA they were still using Bill Graham’s chosen system – big cinema speakers. So, it was good sound, but we weren’t overly impressed. We were using line array speaker sets thirty years before some audio scientist declared they were the way forward, and are used today, of course. everywhere.

“We were pretty scared. We’d done a package in New York City with Cream, and it seemed as though we’d missed a beat. We were still displaying Union Jacks and smashing guitars while Cream played proper music and had Afro haircuts and flowery outfits. Jimi had already hit in the UK. This was a divine opportunity. A side issue was that we played at the Fillmore on this trip, and that was probably more important to us, because Bill Graham insisted we play a longer set than we were used to. So, we had to really begin to play proper music, like Cream, I suppose. It was around this time we began to include songs like ‘Young Man Blues’ and ‘Summertime Blues.’

“It was exciting to go to San Francisco for the first time, but also quite strange. The music industry people were pretty whacked out by LSD already in a way that hadn’t happened in the UK.   

“I remember Brian Jones, sweet as ever. Eric Burdon himself was solid as ever, at least face-to-face he was a good bloke. Jimi was out of his tree. Derek Taylor was frightened to come out of his little box from where he handed out passes. The beautiful people gazed at each other. Mama Cass was adorable. John Phillips was too. It was a nice vibe, as we used to say. But we were keen to stay true to our thesis, which was that this is a crock of shit and the war isn’t over yet—we meant World War II, not fucking Vietnam. So, to say the least, we were slightly out of step. The Who was a pretty tough band to be in. I took my girlfriend; we hung on to each other.

“We [the Who and the Jimi Hendrix Experience] were both competitive. He felt like something of a newcomer, and standard-bearer for black blues, I think—that he may have felt had been plundered by the British sixties bands. But he and I debated about who should go on first. I felt he was a master, a genius. I was not prepared to follow him, not because I was afraid to follow him but because in my old-fashioned showbiz mind the best artists go on latest in the set. In the end we tossed for it, and Jimi lost. We went on first; he then announced that if we preceded him, and set the crowd alight with our destruction act, he too would set them alight. So, the crowd got two mind-f**ing sets.

“Others may remember it differently. I couldn’t see how the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, or Country Joe could be taken seriously. Their sound was so ragged, so raw. I was used to a slicker sound. Now I see better what they were doing, and just like the Who, it was not just about music; it was about message and lifestyle and change. The three bands I mentioned all had manifestos that were not just about the music. It took me a while to understand that.”

Pete also cited the Monterey and Woodstock festivals.

“Woodstock: another shitty movie that changed our world. I mean a shitty movie in my head. The real movie made us stars. I hated Woodstock, every moment of it bar standing at the side of the stage to watch Sly and the Family Stone, and meeting Richie Havens. F**king hippies, yuppies, yippies, floppies. The warm, soft side of me found my teacher Meher Baba in London in 1967, soon after Monterey and a horrible acid trip on the way home. It was a lovely moment for me to see Meher Baba’s face on a poster fixed high on a telephone pole when I got out of the car into the mud at Woodstock. Both Festivals were ambitious dreams that worked for some people, not for others. For the Who as a band, they made us first famous, then even more famous in the USA. For me as an individual, they challenged everything I thought I knew about showbusiness and the world.”

In 2007, I conducted a phone interview with Roger Daltrey.

“I could feel the influence of Monterey on the rock festivals that followed, of course. It was the first. Then you say that, and there was the Newport Jazz Festival, which was very similar. So, it wasn’t really the first of anything. It was the first for my era, and my music, and that’s why we remember it. In August 1965 we played the Richmond Jazz Festival with Solomon Burke. A tiny affair with a tent and a cricket pitch.

“I didn’t see anyone at Monterey. We were just ushered in and put under the stage a couple of hours before we went on. And then we were kind of escorted out after the set. They weren’t best with us because we broke the equipment up and they were very worried about their microphones and all that kind of stuff. [Laughs.] It was quite funny, and we weren’t allowed or welcomed to stay. [Laughs.] We reminded them that this world was in a shit state, it wasn’t peace and love at all. [Laughs.]  Monterey Festival. Great sex… It was the third day of discovering the wonders of the American motel room. (laughs).

“There was a lot of camaraderie at Monterey with the bands. And I’m sure it’s the same with young bands today. Incredible camaraderie, and because we didn’t know what we were doing. Any of us. It was a young business. No one had written the rules. The rules were there to be made, and we made our own. We played it as we went along. And it was fantastic. It was a very liberated period in that sense. But then, you know, ultimately it became manipulated by business, and we find ourselves in the state it is in today. It wasn’t peace and love at all. (laughs).”

(Harvey Kubernik is the author of 21 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon, 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972, 2015's Every Body Knows: Leonard Cohen, 2016's Heart of Gold Neil Young and 2017's 1967: A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love.

Sterling/Barnes and Noble in 2018 published Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz. In 2021, they wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child for Sterling/Barnes and Noble. 

Otherworld Cottage Industries in 2020 published Harvey’s Docs That Rock, Music That Matters. His Screen Gems: (Pop Music Documentaries and Rock ‘n’ Roll TV Scenes) was published in February, 2026 by BearManor Media. Kubernik is currently working as Creative Director on a book on the Beatles for a UK publisher scheduled for a 2027 publication date.

Harvey spoke at the special hearings in 2006 initiated by the Library of Congress held in Hollywood, California, discussing archiving practices and audiotape preservation.

In 2017, he appeared at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in its heralded Distinguished Speakers Series, and as a panelist, where he discussed the forty-fifth anniversary of The Last Waltz at the Grammy Museum in L.A, in 2023).

Photo © 1970 Heather Harris. All Rights Reserved. The Who in San Diego, Unretouched, non-AI photograph.The post Analogue Productions Releases Definitive Audiophile Reissue from the Who first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

UMG asks court to dismiss US musicians’ union lawsuit over Udio AI dealUniversal Music has asked a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit brought against it by the American Federation of Musicians
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ASCAP Employees Give Back to Communities Worldwide During Volunteer DayPictured: ASCAP volunteer cleaning up at Theodore Roosevelt Park in NYC

ASCAP has released a statement to report that, "On Thursday, July 23, ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, held its annual company-wide ASCAP Volunteer Day, bringing together hundreds of employees across its offices in the US, London and remote workforce to support local communities through service projects. ASCAP first launched its volunteer program, 'ASCAP Notes the Cause,' in 2016."

"In New York City, ASCAP Chief Executive Officer and Billboard's 2026 Women in Music 'Executive of the Year' Elizabeth Matthews joined the organization’s NYC-based employees at Theodore Roosevelt Park on the Upper West Side, Manhattan, where volunteers promoted environmental sustainability by planting, mulching, constructing garden beds and assisting with park cleanup efforts," they add.

“ASCAP is built on the idea of doing right by our collective of songwriters and composers, so volunteering is a natural extension of who we are,” said Matthews. “We are laser-focused on the greater good of our members by delivering the highest royalty distributions with the lowest overhead, and we also believe in working for the communities we live in. It is inspiring to see hundreds of our employees step away from their desks and give their time and energy to the schools, parks and organizations that make our communities stronger.”

ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews and Chief Legal & Business Affairs Officer Clara Kim at Theodore Roosevelt Park

"Service is at the heart of ASCAP's culture. ASCAP employees are deeply committed to serving our members, strengthening the rights of creators and giving back to our local communities especially for those in need," Matthews told MC. "ASCAP 'Notes the Cause' is a reflection of those same values and has the added benefit of bringing us together as colleagues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others."

The statement elaborates: "Across New York, ASCAP employees participated in nine volunteer initiatives addressing environmental stewardship, education, senior engagement and community well-being. Volunteers led elementary school students in recreational and fitness activities during a field day at P.S. 020 Anna Silver on the Lower East Side and supported school revitalization efforts at P.S. 145 in the Upper West Side through painting and gardening."

"Other volunteers spent time with senior community members through healthy eating workshops and arts-and-crafts activities at JASA and VISIONS Center on Aging. At the New York Cares office, employees created floral arrangements and seed pods for a local senior center."

"Projects also took place at ASCAP’s New York, Los Angeles, Nashville and London offices. Employees prepared envelopes for The ASCAP Foundation’s fall fundraising appeal, painted character-shaped mural pieces to be donated to P.S. 161 in West Harlem, wrote Letters For Elders, collaborated on Missing Maps for humanitarian organizations; assembled gift packages with Project Glimmer to help under-resourced young women; and assembled materials for people with severe or profound and multiple learning disabilities for Bag Books and for underserved, homeless and foster care youth for the Assistance League of Los Angeles."

"The annual global volunteer day reflects the same values that guide the organization’s work on behalf of songwriters and composers. With nearly $2 billion in revenue in 2025, and delivering 90 cents of every dollar collected back to its members as royalties, ASCAP is member-driven and community-oriented. Now in its fourth consecutive year, the annual volunteer program gives employees the opportunity to step away from their daily roles serving creatives for one day to contribute directly to organizations meeting a range of local needs. The annual volunteer day joins programs and initiatives including company jam sessions, a monthly songwriter performance and interview series, and other in-office events aimed at fostering a strong sense of community across ASCAP."

Visit ascap.com for more info.The post ASCAP Employees Give Back to Communities Worldwide During Volunteer Day first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Spotify says it doesn’t need deals with all the majors to launch its AI covers and remixes toolComments landed hours after Spotify announced a licensing agreement with Merlin
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In the Studio with IAN SWEETThe Artist:  IAN SWEET - Jilian MedfordProducer & Mixed by: Ben AllenEngineered by: Ben AllenAdditional Engineering by: Tomás Uribe and Kegan KroghMastered by: Joe LaPortaRecorded at: Maze Studios and Rock Lobster RecordingThe Origin: For nearly a decade, Jilian Medford’s silvery vocal presence has been the heart of IAN SWEET—soothing and strong, it continually draws listeners into her ever-shifting soundscapes. This signature strength has guided listeners through the collaborative, angular rush of her debut Shapeshifter and the denser haze of Crush Crusher, as well as the introspective Show Me How You Disappear and the electro-pop-tinged SUCKER.Strewn within these atmospherics and propulsive rhythms are Medford’s lyrics, documenting frictions found in everyday life, processing the world through a melancholic-meets-luminous, kaleidoscopic lens, and notating everything from the painful to the divine. For Medford’s newest release Shiverstruck, vocals and lyrics remain her definitive creative prism, yet she deepens her approach by leaning into a hyper-focused writing process.By lasering into these smallest lyrical and instrumental details before jumping into the studio, she allowed a brand-new sense of creative spontaneity to emerge. Below, Medford shines a light onto this process, detailing how reexamining her songwriting workflow allowed her to find an assured version of IAN SWEET.The Production: While chaotic spontaneity defined much of IAN SWEET’s prior recording history, for this collection of songs, Medford deliberately chose to let patience prevail. Before tracking began, she meticulously refined her demos, dialing in the exact shapes and structural foundations for each song. This newfound discipline became the ultimate core of the album's creation. Paradoxically, instead of feeling confined by this structure, having the underpinnings of each song completed gave Medford a pseudo-safety net—leaving her free to sonically explore while tracking. This elevated form of pre-production in turn allowed for deeper in-the-room exploration, securing her creativity before a single microphone was turned on.

“I just wanted to be confident with every song before stepping into the studio,” Medford explains. “I wanted to use the studio time for elevating it... It was like a little bit more mature way to approach creating, which is different for me. But it felt good to have everything in a very solidified place.”

This methodical approach to the first phase of recording—ticking the boxes for drums, bass, guitar, and piano—might seem counterintuitive, but it ultimately created the free time to dabble and dive into the unknown depths of sonic exploration. Medford credits producer Ben Allen's seasoned workflow for maintaining a sense of calm that allowed for the magic to happen. "He has a method to the madness and makes it so that we’re never over our heads,” she notes. “We’d get the basics tracked, leaving time to try whatever the hell we want, make crazy mistakes and run with those... It was just great to have the foundations and then be able to explore a bit more, giving a little glitter on top.”

This structural sense of security extended beyond instrumentation; it gave Medford the psychological permission to fully release her vocal register, navigating the quiet moments before blowing out the loud. “My favorite thing about singing is the release that you get,” Medford shares, highlighting her tracks' extreme emotional range. “You can have these really introspective, soft, personal moments… and then you can just explode at any moment.”For Medford, this vocal dynamic mirrors the complexity of the human experience. “We can be soft, vulnerable, shy, and insecure, and then we can be the most confident, loud, take-up-space person as well. Through the vocal production and the vocal takes, and where they sit in the mix, that complexity really gets a chance to shine.”

This emotional freedom was augmented by the copacetic, creative vibe of Maze Studios in Atlanta. The space, owned by Allen, offered Medford an alternative to the sterile confines of traditional recording spaces, mirroring her headspace. “What I loved about Maze is that they weren’t trying to be anything but themselves,” Medford reflects. “It’s a feeling like you're in your living room. The gear has been collected over the years, and it is part of it. Everything has a very personal story to it, a history. It felt like a similar place to where I'm at in my life… I'm just trying to work hard, get my hands dirty, and find my truest self.”

Liberated from outside expectations, this absolute creative environment allowed her to let the messy, physical world bleed straight onto the microphone. Because the foundations of the songs were already set, these environmental disruptions never derailed the tracks; instead, they became part of the record's accidental magic.“I think just the space in general that we were recording in felt very down and dirty and industrial and really raw,” Medford continues. “We would sometimes have to stop vocal takes because a storm outside was shaking the garage door in the room… But at times those earthly sounds made their way through anyway. That was the point though—even more than hearing my voice, you’re hearing the world around me.”

This deep alignment of values fostered an environment of total ease among her tight, three-person tracking team consisting of herself, producer Ben Allen, and engineer Ben Etter—a unified front that provided something invaluable: the freedom to claim absolute ownership over her performances without fear of judgment. Medford felt safe to try anything, including playing piano, a testament to the unspoken connection within the sessions.

“It was just the three of us really making this record together,” Medford notes. “I think them drawing something out of me—I wasn't afraid to say, 'Can I hop in there and play?'… I'm not an amazing piano player, but I wanted to play piano on this record. I wanted to be the one sitting at the piano playing it. It was important for me to do it, even though that's not my main instrument.”

Their answer was always an encouraging yes. “There was no question from the Bens. It was like, 'Yeah, go down there and play.' And even if I messed up the notes, nobody said anything,” she shares. “Just feeling that room felt like being equal in the process…it's my music, so I want to be the one there doing it. I don't want anybody else playing everything, because I'm going to look back and feel as though I wasn't a part of it. It was very important for me to feel very, very part of it.”

In the end, Shiverstruck stands as the sonic realization of an artist finally aligning with herself. By stepping out of the crowded, chaotic expectations of her early career, Medford used the studio to chisel away the noise, leaving a lean soundscape where her voice, lyrics, and instrumentation are entirely her own. In doing so, she conquered her chaotic instincts and reclaimed total creative confidence, turning daily tracking sessions into a space to embrace and push boundaries.

Photo Credit: Wrenne Evans

The post In the Studio with IAN SWEET first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

BMG acquires Wolfmother frontman Andrew Stockdale’s publishing and recorded rightsBMG has published Stockdale globally since 2016, and the acquisition adds his recorded music royalties and neighboring rights to that relationship.
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The Magic Flute, LA Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CAWeb: laopera.orgContact: customerservice@laopera.orgPlayers: James Conlon, conductor; Barrie Kosky, director; Suzanne Andrade, director; Craig Colclough (bass-baritone) as Sir John Falstaff; Sydney Mancasola (soprano) as Pamina; Kyle Miller (baritone) as Papageno; Miles Mykkanen (tenor) as Tamino; Aigul Khismatullina (soprano) as Queen of the Night); Kwangchul Youn (bass) as Sarastro; Zhengyi Bai (tenor) as Monostatos; Diana Newman (soprano) as First Lady; Katie Trigg (mezzo-soprano) as Second Lady; Meridian Prall (mezzo-soprano) as Third Lady; Emily Damasco (soprano) as Papagena

Mozart’s The Magic Flute is the most frequently performed German-language opera, thanks in part to the fact that it was a smash hit from its first performance in September 1791. That’s 235 years of this wonderful, fantastical piece of work wowing audiences around the world. 

The plot is relatively simple and fairy tale-esque. Prince Tamino is saved from a monster, after which he falls in love with Pamina, daughter of the Queen of the Night, after seeing her portrait. Hey, it was a different time. Said Queen has Tamino rescue Pamina from Sarastro, who we’re told is evil (but he isn’t really). Adventures happen and capers occur. 

Importantly, what we got at the LA Opera, the final show of the 2025/26 season, was not the traditional Magic Flute. Rather, the cast is dressed in ‘20s silent movie costume, and the set is largely animated. In other words, the performers are interacting, live and on stage, with cartoon cats, dogs, robots, etc. Notably, the Queen of the Night is a giant spider lady. It’s all visually dazzling.

The integral structure of the opera, including the plot, character development, and music, remains entirely intact. After over two centuries of traditional performances (and there will be more in the future), Mozart’s legacy and The Magic Flute in general can survive a madcap rendition. It looks incredible. Those costumes, including white mime face, are visually dazzling. The arachnid Queen of the Night is mind-blowing, while the Nosferatu-like Monostatos is the pantomime villain that we all need.

Two decades into his career with the LA Opera, James Conlon conducts the orchestra impeccably. We were lucky enough to be close enough to the orchestra pit to see him, and we conclude that he must be a joy to play for. Every movement, every facial expression, betrays his adoration for the music and the craft.

The most recognizable aria in this show is the Queen of the Night’s “Der Hölle Rache Kocht in Meinem Herzen” (Hell’s Vengeance Boils in My Heart), known to be one of the most difficult for a soprano due to the repetition. Aigul Khismatullina nailed it here, and brought a tear to many an eye while earning rapturous applause. But then, everyone involved did a stellar job.

Photos by Cory Weaver

The post The Magic Flute, LA Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Tom Corson promoted to new role as COO of Warner Music GroupWarner Records Co-Chairman and COO Tom Corson has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Warner Music Group, reporting directly to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl. Corson succeeds the outgoing Armin Zerza, who WMG announced earlier is leaving his dual CFO/COO role at the company. In his new role, Corson will bring global marketing, merch, … Continued
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