Yata has been a decades-long feature of the music scene in the Chippewa Valley region of Wisconsin, and an inveterate collaborator with so very many musicians of the area, enhancing his own songwriting, guitar, and wonderful singing skills with all kinds of instruments and harmonies. You might well call Yata a folk-music-plus performer, because he can do it all, including the more offbeat jazz, blues, and other styles. Yata is a people enhancer, but he's also deeply linked to the land and the water and the other creatures of this Earth.
Caleb Horne grew up steeped in music, playing the piano, alto saxophone, guitar, mandolin, and more. Along the way he got severely bitten by the bluegrass bug. He has played solo and in numerous configurations, including as part of the Original Midwest Grass Band, Evergreen Grass Band, Thistledown, JFT Party Band, and The Woodland Spring. More than 20 years into his music career, he's never been in greater demand.
I interviewed Geoffrey Gates back in 2017 about some of the notable experiences of his life, including his service with the International Voluntary Service in the war zone of Vietnam in 1971, and his service with the Peace Corps after his retirement from about 40 years as a doctor. A couple years ago he learned he has a terminal cancer, so he wrote A Memoir: Final Reflections, not for profit, but for personal clarity & perspective, and in which he shows so much more of the deep currents of his life.
The religious soup we grow up in affects all of us. Sometimes the influences are helpful and favorable, but especially for those off the mainstream, they can be very painful and alienating. Even passages from holy books, initially innocent or positive, can by so badly misconstrued as to become life-threatening. K. Renato Lings tackles the texts of the Bible that have been particularly hurtful to LGBTQ folks, using serious scholarship and analysis to help repair connections and compassion in our world. His newest book is Holy Censorship or Mistranslation?
We welcome back Paulette Meier, last with us in 2009. She's put out 3 albums since then, one around her activism and work for the world, and the other related to the timeless Quaker wisdom she has delivered in chant or plainsong. Paulette combines her beautiful voice with deep spirit and care for the world to share heart-mending and nourishing music from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Catholic, Community Christian, Quaker
Paul Klinkman has been creating the solution to climate change creatively for more than 50 years, exploring all kinds of innovative techniques, technologies, and methods to save the planet and its species from the ravages of catastrophic climate crisis. Inspired by a spiritual vision before anyone was talking about global warming, Paul has drawn deeply on his deep genius to find a hopeful way forward. We spoke with Paul Klinkman in person before a small audience at the annual Friends General Conference gathering held at the Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Congregational, Quaker
Katie Dahl's music is spirit-laden, rooted in a religious past which no longer fits, but which Katie still copes with through new lenses. Katie has been described as “a songwriter and playwright whose work is as expansive as Lake Michigan and as deeply rooted as its rocky coastal bluffs”, and that fits her well. With many songs related to the wild natural spots across Wisconsin & Minnesota, Katie's music delves into some of the best places and hearts on Earth, and leads us on a profound journey. Katie Dahl joins us via Zoom from Door County, Wisconsin.
Past/present religious/spiritual influences: Baptist, Unitarian Universalist, Quaker
Guest-host Peterson Toscano of Citizen's Climate Radio sitting in today.