When the KAOS studio closed along with the rest of the world in March 0f 2025, I think most of us thought it would be a short break. But it would be 14 months before I got back to doing live shows.
Now looking back five years ago, I really enjoy listening to those first shows that I did from my upstairs spare bedroom, using a Zoom recorder and free editing software. Unlike the live recorded shows in the studio, I found I couldn’t speak extemporaneously so I wrote out my radio script which makes me sound a bit wooden.
But the beauty of the shows was not my voice, but those of the 25 musicians who responded to my request to record a little about how they were doing and to introduce a song for the show. For instance, in the April 9 show, you’ll hear a poetic intro by Antoine Diel, a description by Alex McMurray of his quarantine activities such as making kimchi and Kelcy Mae’s adventure in backyard birding. It’s a window into a time of deep uncertainty characterized most beautifully by Marla Dixon’s humorous yet angsty intro to her music in the April 30, 2020 show. And of course, the music is exquisite.
Here are links to the show pages and the recordings. I hope you enjoy them.
On the April 9th show, you will hear from Alex McMurray, Robert Snow, Antoine Diel, Abigail Cosio of Bon Bon Vivant and Kelcy Mae as they talk about their COVID lives and their music.
The April 16 show featured: Sonny Landreth, Lynn Drury, Mark Mullins (of Bonerama), Mike Doussan, Paul Sanchez and Jeremy Davenport.
April 23rd show included: Tiffany Pollack, Charlie Halloran, Louie Ludwig and Noah Young
April 30 Show featured Marla Dixon, Craig Klein, Billy Iuso and John “Papa” Gros.
May 5: Debbie Davis, Lena Prima, Sierra Green, Davis Rogan
May 13: Helen Gillet, and Shawn Williams, and included a very brief part of an interview I had with Ronald Lewis who founded the House of Beads and Feathers celebrating African American Mardi Gras culture. Ronald Lewis had just died, a victim of COVID.
As you know, I no longer produce Gumbo YaYa show. Instead I host a live drive-time freeform show on Thursdays on KAOS. You can catch me and the tunes I sling from 4 to 6 p.m. (PST) at 89.3 FM and you can always listen to my latest two shows anytime (including now!) on Spinitron.


















