Jim Reilly's Words & Music Podcast

Texas guitarist and bassist Nick Cañas has done everything right. He's got killer chops, and through thoughtfully produced and engaging online content creation, he has masterfully caught the eyes and ears of progressive music fans, gear enthusiasts, and the businesses whose gear he uses. It's the blueprint for staying creative in today's ever-changing musical landscape.

Join us as we discuss creativity and inspiration and add a healthy dose of the story behind his connection to NS Design and Ned Steinberger's continuing innovations.

Join me as I finally managed to nail down Joey Lauricella at the 2024 NAMM show for the rest of the Fodera Guitars story. Feel free to go back and listen to my episode with Vinny Fodera first, although that's not mandatory.

Joey and Vinny have been making some of the world's most respected and influential instruments for over 40 years now. After talking with Vinny, I thought the secret to their success was the connection between the builder and the player. While that's definitely true, after talking with Joey, it's clear that there's so much more to the secret of Fodera's success.

As an added bonus, Mike Bendy, Fodera's director of sales and marketing and a killer Fodera artist in his own right, joined us and added his perspective as one of those taking Fodera forward to the next generation of players.

Jon Liebman is one of the bass world's foremost bass educators, authors, content creators, and an outstanding player in his own right.

After publishing over 800 interviews with a who's who of the music elite, it was time to point the microphone and share his story.

And what a story! From growing up with a backstage pass to the birth of rock and roll radio, to a very impressive education and playing career, to creating the website For Bass Players Only, the story twists and turns and lands in some pretty inspiring places.

I hope you enjoy.

PS, You can find links to Jon's website and a special link to the new Free Bass Course mentioned in the episode on my site: www.jimreilly.ca/liebman.

New York musician and producer Jeremy Nesse is a true innovator. He has the rare ability to hear beyond the box and is drawn to making music that engages and challenges the listener to venture outside the box with him.

He's currently involved in two projects that are gathering some pretty significant attention: Tilted Axes, a performance ensemble that has become a fixture on the streets of New York, and Through the Wire, a complete reimagining of Peter Gabriel's music featuring many of the musicians who created the music in the first place, along with a who's who of progressive musicians.

Thanks for joining us as we talk about all this and much more.

For over forty years, Fodera basses have set the standard for hand-crafted custom instruments. Some of the finest musicians on the planet play Fodera instruments. Vinny Fodera's story goes back to the very beginning of the custom guitar builders' movement. It started by connecting a player's vision with that of an artist, and those relationships continue to form and inform Fodera as the company continues to push boundaries and craft sonic works of art.

Sometimes the interviewer becomes the interviewee. Talking with Devon was fun for all kinds of reasons. Not the least of which was that he was genuinely interested in me and my work and would often turn the questions back on me.

This little extra bit is one of those times. The ideas that came out resonated throughout the full interview, though, and were too good not to share.

(For the record, when I said that nothing surprised me, what I was going to say was that it didn’t surprise me, but validated what I assumed before talking with him. But I ended up on a different tangent…)

Devon Smullen has been making beautiful basses for over 30 years. These days, he's pushing the boundaries of bass form and function even further. Join us as we talk about instrument design, inspiration, process, and the motivation that drives it all.

Join me for this debut episode as I talk music, writing, and inspiration with Chapman Stick player/author Michael Kollwitz. Mike has been there since The Stick's beginning. He's a natural storyteller and shares his incredible behind-the-scenes insights of learning from the master himself, Emmett Chapman, the birth of a community, and sheds light on what has kept him on his musical path for over four decades. And, if that wasn't enough, Mike also shares some engaging and inspiring stories from his new memoir: Stick With It: Adventures of a Chapman Stick Player.