Leevi Toponen also known as "Leevieemili" is a vital TikTok star, singer-songwriter, content creator for many well-known Finnish bands, and music video director! We got together with Leevi (Leevieemeli) and our long-time friend producer, songwriter, and well-known vocal coach Tracy Lipp at the Helsinki Records Studios in Helsinki Finland to talk ab…

Andrew Browning and the 9 Pound Hammers dive into the raw, gritty landscapes of California with their upcoming album, Love is a Beautiful Thing, set for release on November 22nd. With a sound steeped in the raw energy of ’70s rock and Americana, and storytelling that echoes the messiness of real life, this album brings listeners on a journey throug…

The Best of HackedePicciotto (Live in Napoli) is Alexander Hacke and Danielle De Pictiotto's newest release showcasing live interpretations of music from across their career. The album includes reinterpretations of tracks from all of their studio albums: Keepsakes (2023), a tender exploration of friendship and loss, The Silver Threshold (2021), the…

Paula Park is a dynamic music executive who has made her mark not only managing Korean American artist Audrey Nuna but also leading social impact campaigns for major artists like Demi Lovato and Quavo. Paula’s background as a first-generation Korean Brazilian gives her a unique perspective that she’s using to empower artists and drive meaningful ch…

Music Matters host Darrell Craig Harris speaks with popular ambient/new-age music artist Kevin Keller about the release of his latest album "Evensong" Darrell and Kevin also cover composing, collaboration, and more in this fun and insightful episode! More on Kevin Keller and his latest release Evensong is an 8-movement album that not only revives H…

Singer songwriter Eric Hirshberg's path is anything but typical. He's a former CEO of Activision and Deutsch LA, where he led record-breaking launches for major franchises like Call of Duty and was named one of the 50 Most Creative People in Business by AdAge. Yet throughout his remarkable career, Eric has always remained deeply connected to music.…

Rob McNelley, the acclaimed Nashville guitarist known for his collaborations with icons like Bob Seger, Dolly Parton, and Luke Combs, has just released his latest single, “The Other Side.” This slow-burning track, built on a growling bass line and featuring McNelley’s signature guitar prowess, is the newest addition to his series of Americana-flavo…

Bermuda Schwartz Reflects on Four Decades of Drumming with 'Weird Al' Yankovic and the Power of Online Presence" Bermuda Schwartz, the long-time drummer for "Weird Al" Yankovic, shares his fascinating journey with me from his early days in Chicago to his successful career in Los Angeles. Starting with drum lessons in Phoenix and transitioning from …

Legendary blues-rock guitarist and vocalist Joe Bonamassa has undeniably left an indelible mark on the music industry. In his recent exclusive interview with the Music Matters podcast, Joe reflects on his journey, highlighting the importance of authenticity and innovation in his illustrious career. With 27 #1 Billboard Blues albums under his belt, …

In this engaging podcast episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mama B, also known as JacQ Becker, a talented children's music creator, writer, and producer. Mama B recently released her first solo album, "Imagineology," a delightful blend of pop, jazz, and hip hop designed to appeal to both children and parents. Mama B's Background in Music …

As a seasoned music bass guitar player with almost 40 years of experience and the host of the Music Matters Podcast, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Rockie Lynne, a talented musician who has overcome adversity to find success in the music industry. In this podcast episode, we'll delve into Lynne's inspiring journey, his new Amazon documentary and …

Riina Ammesmaki, (between Jukka Heikkinen & Darrell Craig Harris) the voice behind the viral Finnish duo Top 40 Lounge In the latest episode of "Music Matters Podcast," Check out Riina Ammesmäki's musical journey! From singing in choirs as a kid to rocking it out at the Rock School with Pop and Jazz in Helsinki, and then moving to study music at th…

The Rumble: A New Orleans Experience Like No Other In the latest episode of "Music Matters Podcast," I had the privilege of chatting with two key members of the seven member musical family called "The Rumble", those two band members being, Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr and Aurélien Barnes. The band already has a Grammy-nominated debut album: "Live At T…

Rising Latina pop star Sasha Prendes speaks with Darrell Craig Harris on Music Matters Podcast - EP06-S07 Welcome, folks, to another electrifying episode of Music Matters Podcast. Today, we have a shining newcomer in the Latino-American realm hailing from Kansas, this Cuban vocalist has quickly become a prominent figure, captivating not just the La…

NYC guitarist and bandleader Gideon King of Gideon King and City Blog is my guest on this episode. Gideon on his iPhone in NYC, and myself in a hotel room in Helsinki, Finland while I'm on tour. We chat after trouble getting connected! Chatting about the new EP called "Splinter." Plus, Gideon gives his advice on how to approach being an independent…

Photo credit ~ Deb Frazin 2023 On this episode I chat with Mike Watt - what a great guy, a Punk Rock Bass player legend. Mike is a true cultural omnivore, exhibiting an insatiable appetite for diverse musical experiences. This profound openness and eagerness to explore new sounds is evident as he continues to engage in numerous projects, and captiv…

My special guest and fellow bass-player is Robban Hagnäs, a man of many hats - The owner of the Finnish record label - Ramasound Records Scandinavia. Well known Finnish bass player from the Wentus Blues band, show promoter and booking agent, producer, and club owner - phew, busy man! We talk about a lot of things. Robban is a really nice guy, and i…

Listen in on this fascinating guest hosted podcast with the two founders of Charlotta Kerbs and the Strays about their new single and upcoming album featuring the Muscle Shoals All Stars ~ new single on Feb 24 and the EP release is in mid-March 2023 both on Ramasound Records Scandinavia! Charlotta Kerbs & The Strays is a global music project founde…

My special guest to kick-off off our new season 07 is Shevy Smith. Amongst her many talents, she is the founder of the new and already popular Ultimate Playlist App. Ultimate Playlist gives you the opportunity to win a minimum of $2k and a chance to win a $20k jackpot each day, simply for listening to, rating, and/or adding songs to your Apple Musi…

I love that technology can allow me to chat in real-time while Alex King, guitarist/vocals with the progressive bluegrass band ~ Alex is on the Sicard Hollow tour bus, and gives insight into the band and their rise to becoming very established while not in anyway taking things for granted... Sicard Hollows recent crop of new albums are extremely en…

Listen in on this fascinating chat, and the LIVE 3-Note improvisational piano composition playing that of my special guest William Goldstein kindly created for me. He has been a recording artist for Motown and CBS Masterworks. His own label, distributed worldwide by The Orchard has over 60 albums currently available generating over 3,000,000 stream…

My good friend in London, UK - Fiona Ross, and I had a chance to catch up as we end the summer 2022 break. We chat about Women In Jazz Media ~ founded by Fiona, now with a 22 member female team, and publishing their fourth Women In Jazz Media high-quality digital magazine, with subscribers across the globe. Fiona Ross is a real joy to know, very ca…

I recently chatted with Laura B Whitmore from the company Positive Grid Laura has a long history in the music manufacturing PR world, including working with Marshall, KORG, VOX, and several other well known companies! Laura is also founder of the very popular "She Rocks Awards". Checkout more on Laura B. Whitmore with these links below: Websites ma…

My special guest on this episode is Troy Bullock - Bringing back True Country Music. Tradition has a new name. What once perhaps seemed outdated, now has a new voice. Troy is challenging the status quo, bringing a host of Traditional Country Music influences with him. Listen to Troy's recent new debut release, 'PAYDIRT' Troy and I really covered so…

Listen in on my insight chat with Matt Simons, he has gone way viral with his music with 100’s of millions of downloads on several different platforms including Spotify. He is currently on tour with #2cellos #MattSimons Matt Simons emotional frankness has been a hallmark of his career. His sweet, plaintive, piano-rooted melodies allying themselves …

Angelo Garcia from the mega-popular boy band “Menudo” (1988 – 1990) shares about his first tour experience with the world famous group when he was 11 years old in Mexico! It's a very personal and honest discussion about his experiences with the group. Angelo has gone on to further his education as an adult student, all while still developing his mu…

My special guest is Richard Shelton. A British film, TV and theatre actor and singer, who performed in ITV's Emmerdale. He portrayed Frank Sinatra in Rat Pack Confidential in London's West End, and performed in the movies House of Lies and in My Week with Marilyn. We chat about his new album coming out on April 20th ~ being an Englishman in LA, and…

Artist/Musician Will Wood speaks about getting healthy, being bipolar, and being creative in today's society! Will has strong and focused opinions of the potential downside of social-media for young fertile minds, let alone adults, especially over the CV19 pandemic-period. He also offers his thoughts on what the definition of success should mean fo…

Listen in on my awesome chat with legendary songwriter Alan Roy Scott, a lovely gentleman with a huge history and many great stories! We covered a lot of ground on this episode, we hope you find it both enjoyable and insightful. Some of the artists, films, tv shows, that Alan has written for! Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Notorious B.I.G., Gloria E…

We had such a lovely chat with artist, teacher, bandleader, Paola Vera coming to us from her home in France! Paola along with her artist career is also a highly respected music educator, who’s a professor of Jazz at the prestigious Conservatoire of Music in Bordeaux, France! Chatting about her inspirational life story - her arrival in France a deca…

I had an awesome podcast video chat with longtime friend Gerry Linarducci financial planner for many well-known sports, entertainment, music, folks. We spoke about finances and creatives, cryptocurrencies and NFTs, financial planning for retirement, and more! Here are the links for Gerry Linarducci and his social media channels as well. https://www…

From my super fun Music Matters with Darrell Craig Harris chat with amazing vocalist Eric Martin, lead singer for the globally popular band Mr Big on episode 11, season 4. MMP is sponsored by Switcher Studio and Kathy Ireland Worldwide. Support from Shure Music Tribes Unite You can find out more and connect with Eric Martin through his website and …

Listen in on my super fun chat with the highly respected keyboardist, producer, writer, Jason Miles , a really nice man with a huge story. He shares snippets of his exciting and revealing 'New Book' titled: The Extraordinary Journey of Jason Miles ~ A Musical Biography A series of short stories that brings you into the inner-sanctum of what it was …

I had an awesome time chatting with Hondo S Carpenter Sr , Hondo is the Sports Illustrated publisher/writer assigned to the Las Vegas Raiders He’s a super nice man, a friend, and a highly-skilled journalist, radio and tv host. Very Inspiring... Please checkout Hondo S Carpenter Sr social media channels below: https://www.si.com/nfl/raiders/author/h…

I had an awesome chat with Bennet Cerven, amazing violinist from the mega-viral band The Trouble Notes over 100 Million video views online, and huge music festival bookings! The Trouble Notes are an emotional, pan-cultural music of the group, forms personal memories into a colorful melting pot of different traditions, touching on deep and complex s…

Meresha, social media star, singer, composer, producer from Poland , who's garnered a huge social media following, a large number of streams on Spotify, following on Twitter and similar streaming outlets! We had a great Music Matters podcast chat from her temporary home in Florida! #Meresha #edm #popmusic #AlienPop Please checkout Meresha's website…

We had a great chat this morning with French Canadian/Serbian producer, artist, DJ MaddNyxx great music and an amazing new indie artist! Please check out the new release “Akashic Records” on Spotify now! You can check out All MaddNyxx music @ https://linktr.ee/maddnyxxAlso, her social media channels @ https://www.instagram.com/maddnyxx/ https://www…

We had the opportunity this week to have a super fun chat with @axstv executive producer and tv host @katiedaryl from the popular show #TopTenRevealed! Katie has such an interesting story, from starting on local Phoenix radio at 15 years old, to hosting shows and segments on @tmz_tv @mtv and exec producing and hosting two of the most popular shows …

I had a super fun chat with such a nice lady with a fascinating story - Jenna Busch We spent real quality time talking about her fascinating career as a pop culture commentator, tv host, journalist, working with Stan Lee, Marvel studios, Star Wars, and so much more! Among her many talents, Jenna is a well-known voiceover artist! At one point she wa…

We had the opportunity to chat with drummer/bandleader Migdalia Van Der Hoven at the EFG London Jazz Festival Toulouse Lautrec Venue Migdalia is originally from Mexico, but has been living in London with her family for several years! She recently released her new album, and has built a solid jazz career staying busy in the London/UK jazz scene! We …

Fun chatting in between sound check and show with the amazing UK jazz artist/saxophonist Hannah Horton Hannah Horton Sax at the EFG London Jazz Festival Toulouse Lautrec Venue with assistance from Women in Jazz Media We spoke with Hannah about her new album “Inside Out” playing as a side musician with folks like Amy Winehouse, and her awesome solo …

(We apologies for the background sounds this was beyond our control. We have reduced as much as possible, and we hope you find this interview informative.) We sat down with French painter, workshop director, curator, Aurelie Freoua at the EFG London Jazz Festival Toulouse Lautrec Venue to talk about her art, her amazing art workshops, and being at …

Music Matters host Darrell chats with the amazing jazz/world music artist, writer, composer, multi-instrumentalist Lara Eidi at the Toulouse Lautrec Venue through Women in Jazz Media EFG London Jazz Festival This episode of Music Matters is sponsored by Switcher Studio To follow and or connect with the music of Lara Eidi, follow the links below: ht…

My special guest this time is Dean Bushala. He is a commercial and television Producer, Director and Cinematographer. He has directed series for National Geographic, History and Discovery Channel. He started his career designing and branding television networks in Europe. Listen in as Dean and I cover a lot of ground in our 1-hour fun and insightfu…

We had the opportunity to catch up with our awesome friend Ashaine White at this year's EFG London Jazz Festival to talk about her new album, writing, and podcast hosting with Women in Jazz Media and working on the London Jazz Fest team! This episode of Music Matters is sponsored by Switcher Studio To follow and or connect with the music of Ashaine…

Listen in on episode 1 of our new season 4 - to my recent fun podcast chat with my new friend Mr. LORDI. Speaking about the Globally known Finnish hard rock band and former Eurovision Song Contest winner Lordi We chat about their new multi-album box set release, songwriting, upcoming tour plans, tips for new aspiring hard rockers, and more! Find ou…

My special guest on this episode is a music clearance and licensing expert - Kevin Magowan. Raised in Los Vegas, Nevada, he was fortunate enough to meet Elvis! A born Rocker, as a young man Kevin made his way to Los Angeles, and started his career in the music business with the music publishing legend Al Gallico. Then he went on to Walt Disney Stud…

What a pleasure to chat with this legend of music. Let me ask you a question: What do Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, Sting, Roberta Flack, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, George Benson, Michael Jackson, David Sanborn, Vanessa Williams, and hundreds of other legendary artists and musicians have in common? Yes...they've all worked with Grammy Award-winni…

I had such a fun time chatting with the legendary Randy Brecker from the amazing Brecker Brothers! Such an awesome and long career, we covered a lot of ground. He's a very generous and gracious man, and he had me in stitches! Randy has had such an interesting life, his beginnings go back to being a founding member of Blood, Sweat, and Tears! His wo…

UK Jazz artist/producer/journalist Fiona Ross chats about her new album, women in jazz, and the London Jazz Fest! All on Episode 19, Season 3. Fiona Ross is one of those people that I keep coming back to. Fiona is very inspirational and very much a role model of what is truly the meaning of success as a creative artist. I spoke with her from her Lo…