Ricky Valido is a captivating young performer with his own take on modern traditional country music and with a unique vocal style. He’ll get you up and moving with a rattling and foot stomping musical experience and more.
Ricky draws on his interesting personal history with his songwriting and ability to connect with his audience, both on and off stage, which is the driving force behind the growing demand for his music.
With a timeless sound his relationship with his art is pure, honest and genuine. With a true appreciation for the people who come out to enjoy his shows, Ricky is a fully independent artist with a sincere work ethic and gratitude for his community.
He’s an artist who embodies family values, a passion for raising awareness for the protection of nature and wildlife, while also being a talented musician, producer, businessman and creative soul.
Today, the big top is gone and its celebrated performers scattered around the world but we’ve got two people with intimate knowledge of the back story of the circus.
We’re going to go back-stage during its glory days to see what it was like behind the scenes with the clowns and other performers. To do that we’ve got circus insiders, Greg DeSanto, who spent 35 years as a performing clown, producer, director, consultant and writer for circuses across the country. He’s the last celebrated producing clown from Ringling and is now Exec. Dir. of the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research ctr in Baraboo Wi. and Dinny McGuire, a TV talk show host, who emceed and directed the Vaudeville Show at the Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville Theater, Dinny is a recent guest on our show and former Ringmaster with the RBB&B Circus. Greg and Dinny, you each spent loads of time behind the scenes at the circus, is there a record for number of clowns coming out of a car?
Greg Diamond is a prolific guitarist, composer, and recording artist from New York City. Touted as “a rising star in the New York jazz scene" by All About Jazz and a “composer of great maturity and genius” by Latin Jazz Network, he has created his own niche with an innovative eclectic style that continues to evolve.
Since 2008 he has released five albums including his first solo acoustic venture Musings & Origins (Chasm 2019).
He has presented his group at numerous premier venues, such as The Blue Note, Iridium Jazz Club, Joe’s Pub, Smalls Jazz Club, and Zinc Bar —not to mention numerous international festivals, such as The Madrid International Jazz Festival, Barranqui Jazz Festival, Jimmy Glass Jazz Festival, Teatro Libre Jazz Festival, Mede jazz Festival, Jazz al Parque Festival, and the Nublu Jazz Festival. In 2007 he was a semi-finalist at The Gibson International Jazz Guitar Competition hosted by The Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
In the past two decades he has collaborated with numerous renowned artists in the international arena, such as Seamus Blake, Steve Turre, Hector Martignon, John Benitez, Oscar Stagnaro, Emilio Solla, Antonio Hart, Michael Philip Mossman, Don Friedman, Gretchen Parlato, Asha Puthli and others.
Diamond has a DMA in Instrumental Jazz Performance from the University of Miami.
Khoa Le (Kwa Lay) is a NJ/NY based filmmaker and video designer, author of feature films, documentaries, essays and all types of video production. Le is CEO and Founder of KVibe Studios, an award-winning full-service film and video production company in 2012 and its subsidiary, Live Picture Studios. Khoa is also the president of US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce Northeast region where he creates opportunities for businesses to win contracts as a social responsibility.
Khoa directed the movie "Walt Before Mickey", a narrative feature film about Walt Disney’s early life struggles before creating Mickey Mouse.
He attended Julliard for music composition and has directed a TV Pilot for the NY Yankees. With little prior film-making experience, Le produced, wrote, and directed his first film, Denial, in 2009. It went on to win the award for "Best Suspense Short" at The New York International Film Festival which received global internet and mobile distribution with Australia’s Goliath Productions.
In the early days of pop music this pioneer radio DJ in Boston got fired after playing Rhythm & Blues for the white audience. He discovered teen idol Freddie 'Boom Boom' Cannon and with American Bandstand's Dick Clark, brought him musical fame. Jack's wife, Beverly McDermott was a leading casting agent for film and TV and Jack's stories are filled with delightful chunks of unheard behind the scenes goings on. Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra and Burt Reynolds all add to the story.
A wonderful conversation with Norm Brunet who continues to strike Gold with his music. His new six-song EP "Reflections", is again filled with top-drawer songs all delivered with his smoky, ear-catching vocals. The material here ranges from bluesy, ballsy and funky to solid ballads.
While the opening three selections (Let Me In / She Makes It Hard To Walk Away/ All Of The Time) are again another example of Norm Brunet's special talent as a songwriter; the closing three numbers (Letting You Go / She Makes Me Look Good / She Forgot That), all come from Nashville tune-smiths, the first time in his recording career that he goes that route. Brunet's own compositions stand up nicely against the imports.
Norm Brunet, an Ottawa-based recording artist for the past quarter century, has been somewhat overlooked domestically while attracting solid airplay Stateside..."Reflections" should change that scoreboard overnight.
A sober – and sobering – examination of all that is crooked, cockeyed and otherwise out of kilter in America’s current political climate, Life is the latest state of the union address from South Florida stalwart Jim Wurster.
Wurster, who took up the mantle of socially prescient singer/songwriter upon the 1995 dissolution of his beloved Miami band Black Janet, spent 33 years teaching high school history and has released several well received albums in the Americana genre over the years . As a citizen and an artist, he’s always kept the watchdog’s eye on Washington, turning what he sees as his country’s slow-but-steady descent into malaise and moral bankruptcy into gritty, bare-bones poetry. To that end, he’s been compared to everyone from Leonard Cohen to Townes Van Zandt to Tom Waits.
It's a fascinating conversation and one that will turn anyone into a Jim Wurster fan!
Dr. Gastón is an MIT graduate and a board-certified Acupuncture Physician with extensive hospital clinical experience in acupuncture and herbology. He trained in the U.S. and China and he’s studied meditation and Buddhism with major Kagyu Lamas.
Dr. Gastón completed his clinical training at South Shore Hospital in Miami Beach treating AIDS patients in the Ryan White Program and for two years helped teach students at the UM Medical School Acupuncture Post-Doctoral Courses. He also worked at Boston’s Children’s Hospital’s ER, and at Massachusetts General Hospital’s OR.
Dr. Gastón has been a student of Tibetan Kagyu Lamas for decades. He often guides his patients and students in meditation techniques to eliminate stress. He has been in family practice since 1998 and conducts free lectures all over South Florida and at the Miami Shores’ Brockway Library to educate the community on the extraordinary nature of Oriental medicine and meditation.
He is also a singer specializing in opera!
Go to: Quan Yin Medical Center, Miami Shores Fl. for more
Chuck Kirkpatrick: Guitarist, bassist, keyboards. Recording engineer, Member of FIREFALL, 'Just Remember I Love you', 'You Are the Woman' etc. 1983-1987.
Recording engineer at the famous Criteria Studios, Miami, between 1967-1972, 1979-1982. Engineered for Eric Clapton, America, Delaney & Bonnie, Aretha Franklin, Allman Brothers. Session singer and guitarist for Eddie Money, Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, Brian Wilson. jingles and did voice overs, round out a very talented guy. Recorded/engineered: Bee Gee, Clapton: Layla, Delaney and Bonnie, America, Aretha Franklin
Gold record…Brook Benton ‘Rainy Night in Georgia’
How much does the Ringmaster's coat weigh? How much space did a clown get on the circus train? Why did the show have to follow the music cues and did the Ringmaster really control the show? Can tigers aim their urine from 15 feet and hit a bullseye? Who was the bullseye?
The center ring carries with it a promise to entertain and amaze and through the years Dinny McGuire has kept that promise to audiences around the world for 11 years. We promise a conversation that will give you a new insight into the world of every child's dreams, the world famous RBB&B Circus secrets revealed! We go behind the scenes and see what happens when the band plays a particular song when there's a problem (With the animals)
Dinny has been a TV talk show host, choir director and led the famous Big Apple Circus in NYC
Kevin Hurley is a top tier singer and songwriter with a rich musical history
His distinctive vocal style together with his guitar prowess makes for a unique musical experience. Kevin has written and recorded many types of music with some of the most notable performers in the biz. His tune We're Gonna talk About It is a wonderfully crafted very listenable protest song for today. Hurley's style runs from Coconut Grove groovy through love ballads and rockers.
Along with his wife Valerie, a lyricist and producer, Kevin has nurtured a singing songwriting career which spans genres and styles. He makes it easy to listen!
Starting with a young Jerry Garcia as guitar teacher, Kevin has amalgamated diverse styles to create one all his own. Needed You More is a tender love ballad full of hopes and dreams sung to the world in the time of covid and it rings out with timeless lyrics with which we all identify.
And the stories of the 'old Grove' are priceless. Kevin talks about early groups he has been a part of and the friendships made over the years. He has played and recorded with David Crosby, Bobby Ingram, producer Jim Mason, Slick Aguillar and shared the stage with many other musical pros.
This is a fascinating talk with a wonderful musician. The Aaron Lebos Reality is a powerful and unique original music group from Miami, Fl., whose music blends Rock, Funk and Rock in an organic fusion. Since forming in 2012, Aaron Lebos Reality has exploded in South Florida attracting both the highest-level musicians and the mainstream audiences. Playing at Miami’s premier venues, the group has been showcased on NPR numerous times. Aaron Lebos is a well-known, versatile guitarist born and raised in the South Florida area. He received his Bachelors from the University of Miami and a Masters at Florida International University, both in Jazz Performance. Aaron developed much of his versatility playing gigs, touring and recording in the diverse South Florida music scene. He currently also plays with some of the biggest names in South Florida such as Nu Deco Ensemble, Nicole Henry and The Spam All-stars as well as doing many other gigs and sessions. Aaron's newest release "141 Layers of Ikigai" is out August 2019 and is his strongest yet! Aaron Lebos Reality shows are high-energy bolts of equal parts arrangement, melody, improvisation and experimentation.
“This South Florida power trio…plays music like Michael Jordan played basketball - with such grace, skill, energy and sheer dominance, that it’s almost not fair to the other trios out there.” - Ground Up Festival
Two accomplished musicians, finger style guitarist Peter Betan and flutist Marc Berner break new ground every time they play!
They perform a highly stylized form of music, highly melodic, textural and percussive. They produce an acoustic interplay that incorporates elements of jazz, folk and Spanish music genres.
Original artist Peter Betan has played in all performance venues ranging from intimate club settings to musical theaters and festivals. He has opened shows for a slew of musical icons like Bob Dylan, Styx and Richie Havens.
Marc Berner began playing bugle and piccolo, gravitated to the flute and went on to alto saxophone at 19. He later added soprano, tenor and baritone saxophones in addition to alto, bass and contra bass flutes and shakuhachi. Marc's recording debut was in 1973 with Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary) on Noel's Something New and Fresh.
Based in Miami, Florida since 1983, he has worked and recorded in various musical styles. In 2004 he co-produced his first CD, Wind and Strings for Yoga with guitarist/songwriter Jonathan Dichter.
Allan Aunapu was 1st Captain of the sloop Clearwater, which ran up and down the Hudson River with its message of environmental grassroots action through hands-on learning, music and celebration. Launched in 1969 it is recognized today as America’s Environmental Flagship.
As a singer/songwriter, Allan picked up songs in a sailing career throughout the caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. he was a wonderful advocate for fun, laughter and ecology!
Is the Ringmaster really 'in charge' of the show at the circus? What's the record for clowns in a car? What song does the band play when there's trouble? All these questions will be answered by a great showman, Dinny McGuire, Ringmaster. As the person who steps into center ring and takes command with his booming voice, Dinny has traveled world-wide entertaining his way into your heart!
A fascinating peek into the world of a huge Houdini collector and leading magic producer.
Roger Dreyer the CWO (Chief Wizard officer) Fantasma Toys, the #1 magic brand
endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the world's largest professional magicians' organization, and the owner of one of the largest public collections of
Houdini escapes, gimmicks and props in the world. Roger is also a magic consultant for Disney and other film and TV production companies.
Back stories on the couple that voiced the Disney characters Mickey and Minnie, how David Copperfield helped youngsters in the performing arts and why children need magic in their lives.
Woody Woodbury has one of the longest (8 decades) careers in show business. He is a comedian with best selling comedy albums, a national TV host, movie star and one of the nicest guys you'll meet.
As baseball player Ted William's wing man during the Korean conflict he helped save Ted's life when Ted's fighter aircraft was damaged over hostile territory. Woody trained fighter pilots (He flew over 100 missions) for the Navy and went on to a storied career from night clubs to the early days of entertainment Television. This interview shows that a man who was 97 at the time still has the 'chops' to be an intelligent and fun guest with the minutiae of a lifetime intact in his brain!
Josh Klinghoffer is an American musician best known for being the former guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers from 2009 to 2019, with whom he recorded two studio albums, I'm with You (2011) and The Getaway (2016), and the b-sides compilation, I'm Beside You (2013). he talks about meeting a rock idol John Frusciante for the first-time way back in 1997, branding it the "first night of the rest of my life." ... John didn't have a guitar strap, so he sat on the floor. It was an atypical place for a rock concert. "It was magical to little 17 year-old, me.
Josh released his debut album titled To Be One With You on November 22, 2019 under the name Pluralone. (Plural-one)
Klinghoffer’s singing is gentle and hypnotic, weaving the lyrics through his spirited and unique approach and fits the instrumentation of the song perfectly- making the lyrical content less important than the overall encompassing swirl of Klinghoffer’s composition.
His live debut as a solo artist was when he opened for Pearl Jam in Toronto, March 18, 2020. This is a fascinating interview with a tremendously talented singer/guitarist.
From Daytona Beach in the 1960s through the Miami Merchandise Mart shows to many appearances on national TV, today’s story begins in Columbus Ohio and finds its way to Miami Springs, a small-charming bedroom community that’s smack in the middle of Miami-Dade County. It is known not only for its founder aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss but for the fabulous Rhodes Brothers.
No record of the history of Miami Springs could be complete without recognizing the Rhodes Brothers contributions to the spark and community spirit they brought. In the 1960's Ruey, Tom, John & Eddie Rhodes moved with their family from their Columbus Ohio home to South Florida & soon became one the most beloved groups ever to be based here.
The brothers started out singing Christmas carols to family and friends. The Fabulous Rhodes Brothers Ruey, Johnny, Tommy and Eddie would go on performing at many types of club dates across the country, a string of Jerry Lewis Telethons and even had their own club at the Merchandise Mart. They appeared on the Merv Griffin Show, 21 times on The Mike Douglas show, and The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Carson said, “They have something special, something different, They have an electricity about them that literally turns the audience on”. On the Record and Off the Wall features John Rhodes, surviving member of a group Florida will not forget.
We’re taking a trip back in time to the when the folk music scene was popping in South Florida. There were many venues for the music and loads of talented artists playing at Bubba’s in the Grove, Monte’s Conch, The Flick in Coral Gables and other local watering holes. The Flick was a proving ground for beginning folksingers and players, along with some who had already made it. On any given night patrons could hear the likes of Joni Mitchell, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Rush, Michael Martin Murphy, Jerry Jeff Walker, Dion and Peter, Paul and Mary. There to record their efforts was David Cohen. At local watering hole Johnmartin's in Coral gables, David was the Acoustic Sundays’ organizer and promoter after a stint by Chicago's singer/songwriter John Brown. David has a prodigious amount of recordings from 'back in the day' and it serves as a historic record of the good musical times we had.
Locals Mike and Barbara Smith, Valerie C. Wisecracker, Rick Kickasola, Grant Livingston, Amy Carol Webb, Bob Ingram, Rod MacDonald, Vince Martin, Dion DiMucci, Jimmy Buffett and more graced that stage.
Thursday evenings at the South Miami Elks Club David promotes a free styling group of folkies and their acoustic music including Phil Allen, Mr. 12 String Chuck Ellis, Bruce Turkel, Burt Bruton, Michael Weiskopf, Scott Katz, Ed callahan and others.
