Tag Archives: The Beatles

Chuck McDowell navigates the eclectic with ESOEBO

Louisiana born Georgia raised Chuck McDowell is an award winning songwriter and entertainer with a reputation as a remarkably prolific songwriter in songwriting circles around the country. Clever and driven in his pursuit to write better songs, his focus and energy has gained attention from, and garnered co-writes with, some of most lauded songwriters & lyricists of our day.

In the beginning…. well, In the 2nd grade, Chuck was star struck by the Beatles and amazed by the effect the guitar slinging songsters had on the girls. He decided it was time to pick up the guitar for himself. But eventually, when it was time to get serious about life and start a family, his music was relegated to his basement and occasional church services.

ESOEBO - IVOver the last 12 years, Chuck has again dived into his passion and commitment to music and the wonderful connections it creates between people. A romantic, an innovator and a wildly creative personality, he first put together the eclectic ESOEBO, a guitar/cello duo with Gail Burnett that re-imagines and re-invents a wide variety of cover songs (Eclectic Selections Of Everything But Opera). Gwinnett Magazine named ESOEBO Best Entertainer of the Year.

Recently, KC Cafe Radio Music Director Kathy Forste talked with McDowell via Skype.  They talk about his path to music, the formation of ESOEBO, and the influences that continue to shape his music to this day.

Listen to the interview here:

Download the interview here: Interview: Chuck McDowell 2018/02/28

Listen to an interview and Performance with Chuck McDowell from the 2018 Folk Alliance International Conference:

Download the interview/performance here: Interview: Chuck McDowell

Joy Zimmerman releases 4th album, “Say My Name”

Joy Zimmerman was just 5 years old when she first became acquainted with music.   Her mother played piano and her grandmother was an organist.  Mom thought Joy would also take a liking to the piano, however it was the violin that piqued her interest.  There was something pure in the sound of the violin, a sound that would lure her in to a fascinating musical world.

Joy grew up enjoying a very diverse exposure to music.  Thanks to St. Louis rock radio, she became influenced by the likes of Carol King, James Taylor, Earth, Wind and Fire, The Beatles, Sting, and Simon and Garfunkel.

Joy continued to play violin through her college years, performing in churches, for weddings and for funerals.  With all the love that she had for the violin, however, there never seemed to be a real connection between music and career.  She pursued studies for, and eventually a career in social work.

Her interest in music would again become piqued when her son began taking guitar lessons.  She became so intrigued that she asked if she could also begin taking lessons.  As she became better at learning chords, she discovered her own melodies springing forth from the strings. She would go on to join a Folk trio that allowed her to experiment between the violin and her newfound guitar interest.  She would go on to challenge herself with songwriting, and found that it came to her quite naturally.  From that fortunate discovery,  Joy went on to release 4 albums, the latest of which is titled Say My Name.

Recently KC Cafe Radio Music Director Kathy Forste talked with Joy about her journey of musical discovery, and the valuable lessons she has learned along the way.  She also talks about recording her latest album, Say My Name, and the decision to record this one in Kansas City.  And we hear her reaction to having received an Honorable Mention award from American Songwriter Magazine for her song, “Messy Girl.”

Listen to the interview here:

Download the interview here: Interview: Joy Zimmerman 5/31/2017

Wyatt Brewer Writes About Life and Love

wyatt_brewerFor Kansas City native Wyatt Brewer, writing music that he loves has practically been a life-long experience.  Between his dad that lived in Kansas City’s mid-town community of Westport, and his mom who lived in the “Northland” suburbs, Wyatt enjoyed the “best of both worlds” – experiencing live music at practically every corner of the city.

It would be Wyatt’s father that had the greatest influence on him musically, however.  A musician himself, his father owned a 4-track reel-to-reel recorder, and spent hours laying tracks on various music projects.  Wyatt grew up listening to his father assemble musical works, piece-by-piece, and gained an appreciation for the intricacies of music at an early age.

Wyatt was also highly influenced by his father’s musical influences, namely The Beatles.  His father kept a notebook of songs he played, and as early as age 10, Wyatt found himself going through that notebook picking out songs he could play on guitar.

Wyatt’s journey into original songwriting was perhaps accidental, but not surprising considering his exposure to music so far.  One night, at age 14, he was walking home from an open mic event, and began humming a tune he thought was familiar.  After realizing this was something he had never heard before, he went straight home, turned on his computer, and put words to his newfound tune.  Wyatt would go on to write other original tunes, both on his own and collaboratively with musician Sarah Lynn.

While a few of his songs have been recorded to date, he has not yet released an album.  That changes this December, when he releases Factory Made, whose title cut is influenced by the 1973 Michael Crichton Science Fiction movie Westworld.

Recently, KC Cafe Radio Music Director Kathy Forste talked with Wyatt via Skype.  They discussed his musical upbringing, his own musical influences (besides The Beatles), the accidental meeting that led to his collaboration with Sarah Lynn, and the musical goals for his life with the forthcoming release of his new album.

Listen to the interview here:

Download the interview here: Interview: Wyatt Brewer 9/27/2016