Holly and Barry Tashian exemplify the best in the music industry - people who truly love the live music experience, and whose love of music conveys to their audience wherever they perform.  They went to high school together in New England ...

Shel Talmy produced records that set the templates for hard rock and punk rock.  After growing up in Chicago and learning the art of sound engineering in Los Angeles, he began his career as a producer in London in the early ‘60s.  The...

Mimi Pond and Wayne White are a creative couple extraordinaire.  They first met at one of Wayne’s puppet shows in New York City in the early ‘80s.  Both Mimi and Wayne went on to make their mark on American culture, starting on Pee-We...

In this episode, we pay tribute to the late, great Lucille Kallen, a true pioneer in television comedy writing.  Born in Los Angeles and raised in Toronto, Lucille’s first love was piano, but she soon showed her comedy chops writing live s...

Paul Dooley is a legend of acting, improvising, and writing.  He has played beloved father roles in such films as “Breaking Away,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “The Runaway Bride,” as well as Larry David’s father-in-law in “Curb Your Enthusiasm....

Michael Beinhorn takes being a producer very seriously.  This singularity of purpose shows in the ground-breaking albums he’s produced, including Soundgarden’s “Superunknown,” The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Mothers Milk” and “Uplift Mofo Part...

Megan Williams and Eleanor Bingham Miller are producers of the fascinating and heart-wrenching documentary “Boston” about the history of the Boston Marathon, the tragic 2013 terrorist bombing at the finish line, and how the Marathon came back t...

Martha Wash is a singer of unparalleled power and soul, and has one of the most recognizable voices in music.  Martha was raised in San Francisco, and started singing at age 3 after having heard her mother’s gospel records.  Martha sa...

Mark Schiff has been slaying audiences with his stand-up comedy since the late ‘70s, getting his start at such legendary New York City clubs as Catch a Rising Star, The Improv, and The Comic Strip.  He paid his dues just to get a few minut...

Malcolm Cecil helped shape the sound of 1970s soul, funk and R&B as co-producer and engineer of the some of the most iconic albums and singles of all time.  Malcolm collaborated with such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Billy Preston, The...

Michael Alago and Laura Davis-Chanin have both lived rock ’n' roll from a unique insider’s perspective.  As an A&R executive for Elektra Records starting in the early ‘80s, Michael signed such bands as Metallica and White Zombie to the...

Acting in a critical and commercial hit like Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” is nothing new for actress K Callan.  Throughout her storied career, she has appeared in numerous hit projects, including “All In The Family,” “How I Met Your Mother,...

Judy Rothman Rofé is an Emmy-winning writer, producer, and lyricist behind some of the most popular children’s television programs in recent memory.  Growing up a fan of musical theater, as well as rock and folk music, Judy’s songs have ap...

Jon Wilkman is an author and award-winning filmmaker whose work has appeared on the major networks, PBS, HBO and A&E. His seven-part Turner Classic Movies series, “Moguls and Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood,” was nominated for three Emm...

Jonathan Taplin has found a unique and historic niche in the arts, in academia and in the public sphere.  As a folk and blues fan in the early ‘60s, he watched performances by singers like Doc Watson, Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hur...

James Ward Byrkit is an innovative filmmaker whose projects range from blockbuster, big-budget tentpoles to low-budget, personal films.  Raised in Flagstaff, Arizona, Jim was first inspired by Star Wars, the Twilight Zone television series...

Jerry Schatzberg is a paragon of perseverance, who paid his dues to become one of the most influential photographers and filmmakers of the late 20th century.  After getting his start with  baby and catalogue pictures, he worked his wa...

Ever wondered who helped Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Amy Sedaris, and Paul Dinello to hone their comedy chops when they were starting their careers? Our guests, Jeff Michalski and Jane Morris, have directed, taught, and worked with these and...

Harvey Brooks is one of the most respected and emulated bassists and producers in the history of rock and jazz music.  After being the lucky recipient of a B.B. King record at a synagogue dance contest as a kid, he was inspired to pursue p...

Danny Jolles is an actor-writer-filmmaker-comedian-singer-dancer-podcaster - a true multihyphenate.  He is best known for his role as George on the CW’s “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” created by and starring his friend, Rachel Bloom.  Danny a...