Duke Robillard

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Hicks has played with the royalty of Southern Rock since joining The Outlaws in 1989. Growing up in the same part of Georgia that spawned Marshall Tucker and the Allman Brothers, Chris has written and played some of the genre's classics that shine to this day. Moving back and forth between The Outlaws and the Marshall Tucker Band for extended stints with each, he's coming to The Cut with some long-time band mates in Almost An Outlaw. We recorded this episode ahead of the show as Chris was driving through Georgia getting ready for his Gloucester show. MUSIC:  Heard It In A Love Song Diablo Canyon Steam on the Blacktop Mr. Cowboy

We asked Chelsea about her new album and its launch party at The Cut. She talks with us about having the freedom to create and collaborate and taking themes that reflect on the world today. We talked about taking listeners on a voyage of happiness, sadness and inspiration, the people who played on the album who are coming to the party, and how the album will be released in a really original way. MUSIC: Bless the Telephone Isn't It A Pity Oil Drum May the Wind Blow 

We talked with executive chef Nick Dowling the day after the grand opening of the Publick House at The Cut, the music venue's new restaurant. He covered everything from how he got into the restaurant business at the age of 16, creating Medford's gigantic American Beer Hall, sourcing food locally, the problem with wheat processed in the US, and what the Gloucester community means to him. MUSIC:  Stir it Up Everybody Eats When They Come to My House

Coming to The Cut on October 1st--Flamenkora! The international trio of Volker Goetze (trumpet) Roberto Montiero (guitar) and Ali Boulo Santo Cissoko (kora) perform their amazingly uplifting music incorporating Flamenco, jazz and Senegalese Griot. From their recent residency at the Manship Estate in Lanesville come their own unique musical creations, while we discuss the power of collaboration and the exploration of an elevating musical frontier. MUSIC: M'Bok Africa Wa Sant Yalla Touba Boudau Lia Done Bagne    

Serbian-born guitarist/singer Ana Popovic talks about learning guitar from her dad, listening to blues records and picking the music apart. Then we get into forming her first band and then heading to The States to launch her solo career, how she likes to keep trying new styles in her songs, and how her private life differs from her life on the road. MUSIC: Like It On Top Girls of Many Words Hottest Ticket in Town Soulution 

In a podcast first, we do a five-way interview with the members of Reggae royalty, Third World: AJ Brown (vocals), Richie Walters (guitar), Tony Williams (drums), Norris Webb (keyboards), and Richie Barr (bass). We wrap up our legends of Reggae series with a conversation about their first inspirations as musicians--including the original Third World band--playing with Jimmy Cliff and Toots and the Maytals, and why the band continues its international popularity. MUSIC: 96 degrees Try Jay Love Now That We Found Love (re-recorded) Third World Keeps Turning 

Before leaving college, guitarist Barry Goudreau teamed up with keyboard player Tom Sholz and vocalist Brad Delp to form just another band out of Boston...We talk about what was supposed to last a few months turning into a 50-year legacy, why the band broke up, how Barry and Brad went on after that, and their many years of songwriting together. MUSIC: Rockin Away Mean Woman Blues Let It Roll What You Leave Behind

A spirited conversation with headline saxophonist Deric Dyer and his longtime bandmates Cliff Goodwin on guitar and Mitch Chakour on keyboards. We talk with Deric about coming from Bermuda to Worcester to join a band who later went on to backup singer Joe Cocker for several years. Then, how during a dry spell in his career, Deric gets the chance to audition for Tina Turner--and the rest is history. We had a lot of fun creating this episode!   MUSIC: Gimmee Some Lovin' Sirry Seems to Be the Hardest Word (feat. Joe Cocker) We Don't Need Another Hero (feat. Tina Turner) Nessun Dorma 

Duke talks about how the foundation of all his music is built on the blues, playing on the slanted roof of a drive-in movie snack bar for his first paying gig, his musical roots and inspirations, and writing songs that he doesn't have to sing. MUSIC: Do You Mean It Duke's Blues Lowdown When I Get Lucky

From winning Connecticut's "Best Guitarist" at the age of 15 to playing with the Allman Brothers at the Beacon Theater in New York, Jeff Pitchell has shown again and again he can serve up a grand buffet of guitar styles for every occasion. He's played with many musical greats, and it all started when he walked away from being a public school teacher. MUSIC: Superstition Whiskey River (feat. James Cotton) Out In The Cold When It All Comes Down (feat. James Mason)