The Truth According to Janiva Magness

by Doug MacRostie

Janiva Magness is one of the premiere Blues and R&B performers in the world today. She has a rich and soulful voice that can take an audience from deep sorrow to overwhelming joy. The story of her life is one of extremes and hardships. In her teens, both of her parents committed suicide and she bounced from foster home to foster home around the Twin Cities. She was the kind of "at risk" youth that typically doesn't survive. As she describes it, that was the Fate she was born to. But, through the kindness of others she was able to discover her Destiny: music. She will be joining me on Centerstage MN to talk about her new CD "The Devil Is an Angel Too."

Janiva told me, "I really believe people deserve the truth. People work really hard for their money and if I'm going to expect them to spend money to see my performance or buy my CD, then I damn well better give them something worth spending on....My job is about human connection, and the gift, or vehicle is the music, but the stories are about human connection. In order to do my job I have to be able to tell the truth and bring myself to that story...if someone understands by the end of a song, or end of a show, that they're not alone in their experience - if I can accomplish a piece of that, then I've done my job. I feel like the world is full of mediocrity and people are B.S.ing out there, and on records there is a lot of B.S. out there, and I can't serve that...it's a glorious gift that this is my world and this is my job."

Beyond her internationally acclaimed music career, Janiva is proud to be a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month and Ambassador of Foster Care Alumni for Foster Care Alumni of America. "For me it's sort of 'paying it forward,' by talking about the early part of my life, it turns out that it helps other people that are still in the struggle, that are still in that part of their journey - and I want to serve that, I want to serve that. It's so amazing." And so is she.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on KSRQ in Thief River Falls, and on KMSU in Mankato. Sometimes heard on KFAI in Minneapolis & St. Paul and WTIP in Grand Marais. Often featured on MNartists.org.

The Beautiful and Lonely Courtney Yasmineh

by Doug MacRostie

While dreams of being a rockstar and performing around the world are in the hearts and minds of many aspiring songwriters, the reality of the music industry can be a cold, hard place. Through hard work and dedication Courtney Yasmineh has taken her music not only all over the U.S., but around the world and her latest release, "Beautiful Lonely" has taken her revealing and emotional songwriting in more of a rock direction sonically with highlights of pop, and she'll be joining me in-studio to talk about it on Centerstage MN - plus, she'll have her guitar along for some live music.

Having started playing guitar at the age of 8, Courtney Yasmineh releases music on her own label, "Stupid Bitch Records" and she does all her own management and promotion. This hands on approach may be too time consuming and hectic for some, but Courtney embraces it and puts in her all. As she describes in on her website, "I used to be a person, and when I was a person I liked nature, reading and writing, romance and friendship. Now I'm a musician and I am consumed by my musician-ness. When I come up for air, I hope a person I will again be."

I'll be starting the show with another song of Janiva Magness's "The Devil is an Angel Too," an outstanding album of blues/R&B with enough emotion to make Oscar the Grouch weep. It's on the top of my list to contact her label to get her back on the show to talk about this new CD. We'll also hear from The Hold Steady's new CD "Heaven is Whenever." A national act out of Brooklyn, they were formed by Craig Finn and Tad Kubler, the former members of 1990s Minneapolis band Lifter Puller. This new album is a rockin' homage to the classic rock of their youth dancing on the edge of the mainstream. Plus some High Bongo from Grand Rapids and Trampled by Turtles from Duluth.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji and can be heard again Sunday mornings at 6. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org. Centerstage MN is also heard on Pioneer 90.1 in Thief River Falls, Saturday nights at 11pm KFAI at 90.3 FM Minneapolis & 106.7 FM St. Paul Tuesday nights between 8 and 10pm.

Centerstage MN Gets High on Drama

by Doug MacRostie

When I was told, "I'll be bringing a digital piano," to the session for Centerstage MN, I thought it was a fancy way to say "keyboard." Nope. I'll be joined in-studio by High Drama Blues for some live music and conversation this Thursday night at 6 - and it's a REAL digital piano!

From Chisholm, HDB is an original and intricate blues & rock band. In-studio I'll have Gina Nordquist in vocals, Rob Wheeler on guitar and harmonica and Marty Halverson on digital piano and accordion. Their self-titled debut release was recorded at on the Iron Range at Sparta Sound by Rich Mattson - it's a great CD, but there is an energy to them when they play live that you'll want to hear.

Having met at Open Mic nights, HDB started working on original material right away, with Gina writing the lyrics and songs coming from impromptu jam sessions. The music is great and the vocals powerful. They are part of I.R.O.M.A., The Iron Range Original Music Association. Rob Wheeler has been heard on the show before with both The Wheeler Dealers and the Gypsy Prophets. They have a good thing going and it'll be a lot of fun to have them on Centerstage MN.

To set up the High Drama Blues, we'll hear from the new Janiva Magness album, "The Devil is an Angel Too." Janiva is a Blues and R&B singer with a rich and soulful voice that can lead an audience from deep sorrow to overwhelming joy. And we'll hear from some folkers with new music from Pat Surface and the Boundary Water Boys, the Blue Drifters and Bill Isles.

Centerstage MN is Thursday evenings at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org and the show is rebroadcast Sunday mornings at 6.

You Gotta Have Faith...Boblett

by Doug MacRostie

It's a pretty good deal, hosting a MN music program; not only do I have access to some excellent tunes, but the creators of the music come and join me in studio from time to time. This Thursday night at 6 on Centerstage MN I'll be joined in-studio by singer/songwriter Faith Boblett from Outing. Just out of High School, Faith has a beautiful voice and she'll bring her guitar along for some live music! She is in a continuous process of writing music, releasing new material to her fans by posting home-recorded videos of new songs on her YouTube channel. I'm really excited to have Faith on and hear her sing in person, and I'll try to get inside the head of an 18 year old songwriter.

I'll also be talking with Janiva Magness, a Blues and R&B singer with a rich and soulful voice that can lead an audience from deep sorrow to overwhelming joy. Originally from Detroit, she spent much of her youth in the Twin Cities area after both her parents commited suicide (there is a lot of tragedy in her past, you can read more about it here - she definitely has the "street-cred" to sing the blues...). While in MN, she got to spend some time in the great blues clubs of the era, which is when she hitchhicked across Minneapolis to see Otis Rush, an experience that opened her eyes to being a singer and performer. Janiva now has 7 full length albums to her credit and at the Blues Music Awards last month she recieved both Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year & B.B. King Entertainer of the Year awards. Janiva is also National Spokesperson for Casey Family Programs, promoting National Foster Care Month, and I'm honored to have her on the show.

I'll be playing some new music from Russ Brown, a singer/songwriter out of Minneapolis who just released his debut CD "The Fugitive Peace," and Marcy Playground's new CD "Leaving Wonderland...in a Fit of Rage," another excellent release from the New York/Minneapolis trio.

Last week my guest was Jason Edmonds of The Magic Castles, a highly creative and wonderfully unique psych-pop band out of Minneapolis. I had Jason back on the show to talk about their excellent new sophomore release "Dreams of Dreams of Dreams;" you can hear our conversation and some of the tunes by clicking here. It's like Jason said, "I've taken so much from the art community [in MN]...all my life I feel like I've been surrounded by awesome artist and I had a real desire to give back to that pool of art in a meaningful way and it's a real blessing to be able to do it w the Magic Castles."

Centerstage MN is Thursday evening's at 6, streaming live online at www.KAXE.org; or 91.7 Grand Rapids, 89.9 Brainerd and 105.3 Bemidji. All interviews are archived at www.KAXE.org and the show is rebroadcast Sunday mornings at 6.