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PODCAST

Music Life and Times

Music Life and Times, an ongoing discussion between internationally renowned jazz pianist Kevin Bales, and Mike Shaw, singer-pianist and author of the novel The Musician, argues that becoming an accomplished musician takes three commitments: discipline, self-acceptance or self-confidence, and cooperation. They are also the life lessons that music teaches those who would learn to play. Our podcast seeks to prove the premise through revelations about music and musicians past and present as well as

music music interviews

All Episodes

28:37

EP58: Trumpeter Mark Rapp, Founder of ColaJazz

Music Life and Times ·

2025/04/25

Mark Rapp’s resume as a performing artist is impressive enough. He has performed in jazz clubs and festivals around the world from Croatia, Brasil, Austria, Switzerland, and the US, including back-to-back appearances at the 2017 and 2018 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. His celebrated 2009 debut release “Token Tales” earned him DownBeat magazine’s recognition as a “Top Emerging Trumpeter,” a sold-out Blue Note appearance, and a spot in the famed Newport Jazz Festival. Moreover, he is the

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26:43

EP57: A Tribute to Sam YI

Music Life and Times ·

2025/04/11

This extended episode of Music Life & Times pays tribute to Sam Yi, “the guiding light of jazz in Atlanta,” who ran the Churchill Grounds jazz club in Midtown for two decades. Sam passed away on February 3. “His steadfast promotion of jazz music helped artists maintain a sense of belonging and provided listeners with a spot to hear the latest talent, among shifting venues and interest,” noted the ArtsATL website upon his passing. The podcast features comments from friends and musicians, just a

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16:53

EP56: Jazz Funerals

Music Life and Times ·

2025/03/28

The recent deaths of jazz promoters and club owners Johnny Scatena and Sam Yi were followed by extensive tributes from the musicians whose careers they enabled and lives they changed. Unique to the music profession, and in particular to jazz, is how the most beloved of their time are sent off with performances of the music they played, or in these two cases, the music they so ably and enthusiastically promoted.

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19:18

EP55: The Versatile Jazz Guitarist Dave Frackenpohl

Music Life and Times ·

2025/03/14

The versatile Dave Frackenpohl has played in the widest range of groups, from symphonies to nightclub duos, and formats, from commercial rock bands to big bands to touring Broadway musicals to jazz festivals. His life in jazz took off during his 10 years in Rochester, NY, and his reputation as a premier jazz guitarist has grown steadily over more than 25 years of being based in Atlanta. In the tradition of the finest jazz musicians, Dave is an educator, teaching jazz guitar, jazz history, and

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23:14

EP54: James Casto, Producer, Home By Dark

Music Life and Times ·

2025/02/28

James Casto is a singer-songwriter who expanded his passion beyond his own music to create and continue an annual series of concerts featuring singer-songwriters. Inspired by his time in Nashville, and in particular by a song performed one night by Vince Gill, Casto began developing the concept that has matured into a five-month program annually of indoor and outdoor, paid and free, sing-songwriter performances. The program is now 19 years old and draws thousands of attendees, many of whom purchase

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29:14

EP53: Justin Varnes - Percussionist, Educator

Music Life and Times ·

2025/02/14

If you were putting together a jazz combo for the evening—or for the ages—you’d be well served by Justin Varnes on drums. And if you wanted your son or daughter to study with someone who will help them learn to love music as well as play it, again there is Justin Varnes. Based in Atlanta, Justin studied at the University of North Florida and the New School in New York. He has played with a long list of jazz greats, including our host Kevin Bales, and teaches at Georgia State University. In 2015, he

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21:25

EP52: Kevin Korschgen’s Wheel House Sessions

Music Life and Times ·

2025/01/31

Kevin Korschgen, drummer, educator, and the producer of Greenville, South Carolina’s Wheel House sessions talks about his seven years of more than 100 concerts in a small space in Greenville’s arts district he originally rented as a drum rehearsal studio and how it became his concert venue. As rare as the venue, so too are the combinations of musicians he brings together, from Greenville, but also from around the Southeast, including our podcast host Kevin Bales, accomplished jazz musicians who most

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14:31

EP51: Gary Motley, Pianist, Educator, Composer, Arranger

Music Life and Times ·

2025/01/24

In anticipation of the 2025 Valentine’s weekend edition of the Emory University Jazz Festival, we talk with Gary Motley, the founding director of Emory’s Jazz Studies program, about his beginnings in music and jazz, some of his associations with other revered jazz musicians, and the upcoming Emory festival where he and his trio will be joined by tenor saxophonist David Sanchez on Friday February 14 for the festival’s feature concert.

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23:06

EP50: The Audience Rewards You

Music Life and Times ·

2025/01/10

One of the lessons you learn from performing music is how audiences reward you for your efforts, that is, the joy you get from their appreciation of your music. That’s one of the greatest returns you get from the work you put in learning to play music well. What could be more fun or more gratifying!

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36:48

EP49: Tribute to Johnny Scatena

Music Life and Times ·

2025/01/03

Johnny Catena, the much loved owner of Café 290, Atlanta’s premier music venue for more than 30 years, passed away on November 15, 2024. More than a club owner, Johnny was a lover of music and the musicians who played it. In this extended episode of Music Life and Times, several of Atlanta’s preeminent musicians—Joe Gransden, Kipper Jones, Melvin Miller, William Green, Gary Harris, and Music Life and Times host Kevin Bales—check join us to pay tribute to Johnny, to talk about what he meant to their

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26:36

EP48: Kevin Smith: Bassist Extraordinaire

Music Life and Times ·

2024/12/06

Where you find great jazz in Atlanta, there’s a good chance you’ll find Kevin Smith on bass. The Florida State grad became enamored with the instrument early in life, chose in fact, orchestra over band in school because the orchestra had a bass, then became enamored with jazz, hearing it for the first time in person from a group that included Music Life and Times podcast co-host Kevin Bales. An educated player who reads as well as he improvises, Kevin is as comfortable with a classical score as he

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24:18

EP47: Feel the Burn: Vinnie D'agostino

Music Life and Times ·

2024/11/29

On Friday, November 15, 2024, Vinnie D’Agostino led a group of four premier jazz musicians, including our podcaster Kevin Bales on piano, at Atlanta’s Red Light Café for a night of intensity and energy aptly advertised as “Feel the Burn.” Vinnie, who was our featured guest in Episode 16 of Music Life and Times, began his professional music career on saxophone in his teens, then steered his life toward the corporate world, holding positions with the Department of Defense and more than 30 years with

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20:09

EP46: Dave Finucane: Saxophonist and Director of the...

Music Life and Times ·

2024/11/22

Dave Finucane talks about his Durham Jazz Workshop, a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to preserving and promoting jazz music in North Carolina. The Workshop, which he co-founded with his wife Valerie Courreges, offers jazz education programs, including instruction in improvisation, music theory, and performance techniques, to aspiring musicians of all ages. The Workshop’s Sharp 9 Gallery Jazz Club presents live performances featuring renowned jazz musicians—local, regional, and international

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22:34

EP45: Composer and Pianist Randy Hoexter

Music Life and Times ·

2024/11/15

Kevin talks with Randy Hoexter upon the debut of his latest album, Tomorrowsville. They discuss his musical upbringing and how he became enthralled with the creation of music—that is, composing as well as playing. His style is described, at least on one hand, as “intricate,” a definition that is well supported in his playing and recordings. But while intricacies are central to his compositions, the end result is unquestionably musical, pleasing and listenable, even to the untrained ear.

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21:20

EP44: Jazz Journalist Ralph Miriello

Music Life and Times ·

2024/11/08

Ralph Miriello has been reviewing new—and old—jazz recordings since 2007 for publications like Downbeat and currently through his blog, Notes on Jazz.com. A passionate fan of jazz, Ralph spent much of that time in Atlanta before moving to the West Coast, in Washington State just outside of Portland, Oregon. In this episode of Music Life and Times, Ralph talks about his work as a jazz journalist and about the universality of the music, and shares his passion for everything jazz.

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19:20

EP43: Giving Back or Welcoming In?

Music Life and Times ·

2024/11/01

A tradition among jazz musicians is bringing along younger players, giving them a chance to mature and grow their skills as well as their love of playing. The tradition plays itself out in many ways, such as in jam sessions, university jazz programs, and private lessons, but also through organizations like the Hilton Head Island Junior Jazz Foundation. Kevin is on the board and this year again, assembled five young musicians from around the country to perform for audiences, first at the Velvet Note

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22:21

EP42: On The Passing of Russell Malone

Music Life and Times ·

2024/08/26

Russell Malone was not only a world-class jazz guitarist but someone known for reaching out to other musicians, showing interest in them, and encouraging them, as he did so frequently with our podcast host Kevin Bales early in his career. Kevin shares some memories of his times with Russell and talks about mentoring and music, and how common it is for great players like Russell to mentor the up-and-coming.

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20:30

EP41: Persistence: Another Life Lesson Music Teaches.

Music Life and Times ·

2024/08/09

Persistence: You won’t get far without it. Learning to play music well is hard; progress can be slow, very slow; you can be tempted to quit. Kevin and Mike share experiences of their own as well as stories of some of the greatest musicians of all time, including Charlie Parker and Ludwig von Beethoven, and how they worked to overcome obstacles and persisted when it might have been easier to give up.

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20:53

EP40: Music Teaches Resiliency

Music Life and Times ·

2024/07/26

It’s not easy to learn to play music, especially to learn how to play well. It takes a great deal of work—we call it practice—and practicing in a way that leads to meaningful progress. As well, the more you learn, that is, the better you play, the more work it takes to make progress. You also learn by making mistakes, and if you make mistakes on the job, that’s a hard lesson; it can be humbling. That’s where your resiliency comes into play. So yes, learning to play teaches you to be resilient, which

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24:54

EP39: Your Instrument: Let’s Talk Pianos

Music Life and Times ·

2024/07/12

The relationship between player and instrument can be life-long. You might go through several instruments as you learn to play and learn what you like in your instrument, but once you find the one, it’s a marriage that endures. Some players even assign names and genders to their instruments. On a recent trip to the Steinway factory in New York, Kevin was hosted for a tour of the entire facility and was able to observe the craftsmen and women as they built some of the world’s finest pianos. What

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