So Important!

Hello and Welcome! My guests today are Lisset Diaz and Miguel Comas, two members of the terrific young band, the Sweet Lizzie Project. These guys have a story to tell! Some time ago, PBS went to Cuba to learn more about the music scene there. That led to the migration of Lisset, Miguel, and the rest of the Sweet Lizzie Project band to the United States. Here's the amazing story of how it happened! I saw the band at a small house party about two months ago and I was instantly hooked. The band resides in Nashville, and their music uniquely reflects influences from both residences. Yet it is unequivocally and uniquely their own and I can't recommend it enough. Diaz is a powerhouse of a singer; Miguel Comas produces their music, and adds his signature lead guitar to the mix; and together they lead this young band that you need to learn more about.  And here's your opportunity! The songs you'll hear are Something, from the debut album Heaven, and their recently released duet with Raul Malo and the Mavericks, e

I had the great pleasure of speaking with Dennis and PJ Aubrey about their wonderfully unique life's work - visiting the great Romanesque and Gothic churches of Europe, and brilliantly photographing and writing about - and now also podcasting about - their efforts. What started out as a hobby has turned into a spiritual adventure for the Aubreys, who have visited over 900 churches to date. What a treat it was to chat with Dennis and PJ.  You owe it to yourself to check out their great work. Their photography is regularly exhibited worldwide, and their website - and in particular, their blog - provide wondrous excursions to a different time, where these churches were the centerpiece of rural and urban communities alike. The photographs on their social media sites, along with the carefully crafted accompanying text, and worth checking out - though you may find yourself unable to stop enjoying all that the sites have to offer. The Aubrey's blog, entitled Via Lucis: Photography of Religious Architecture (or, th

Kat Murti is the founder and CIO of Feminists for Liberty, a nonprofit organization dedicated to spreading the ideals of libertarian feminism. The organization's motto is "anti-sexism and anti-statism, pro-markets and pro-choice." Kat and I talked about the organization, its objectives, and about libertarian feminism - the organization's underlying philosophy. As listeners know, we don't talk politics on this podcast, but policy is fair game, and Kat's perspective on a number of issues is worth hearing. I appreciate that Kat spent some time with me, and I hope you enjoy our conversation.  Kat is a media presence. Check out the Feminists for Liberty Website, as well as the organization's Facebook page to learn more about Kat and her work. And you can follow the organization on Twitter.  Hope you enjoy the episode, and thank you again, Kat!

Rabbi Chuck Diamond is the former Rabbi at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where on October 27, 2018 a lone gunman massacred eleven congregants. His only rationale was that he "wanted to kill Jews."  Rabbi Chuck joined me to share his story. He knew the slain personally, he is a native of he neighborhood where the slaughter took place, and he was a prominent spokesman in the aftermath of the massacre. He is a man of great wisdom with a unique perspective on the events in Pittsburgh, and I am very appreciative that he spent a few minutes with me.  In 2017, Rabbi Chuck founded his own community, Khalila La La, dedicated to providing a unique Jewish experience in the Pittsburgh area. You can learn more about Khalila La La, and support Rabbi Chuck's inspirational work, here at the official website. Rabbi Chuck also spoke at Temple Emanuel in Kensington Maryland recently, and an article in the Washington Jewish Week about Chuck's talk can be found here.  Thank you Chuck, and thank you dear listener. 

Hello everyone,  I had so much fun putting this episode together!  I chatted with Stacy Godfrey, a long-time fellow fan of the band Genesis, and a co-host of the terrific podcast, Tabletop Genesis. Listening to her podcast, it became obvious to me that she would be fun to chat with. Why? Well, we both came to Genesis in very different eras of the band's history (me in the progressive 1970s, Stacy in the more pop-focused 1980s). Yet both of us spent time discovering, and learning to appreciate, all of the band's music and I knew that would be fun to talk about. It  was! And...we make some recommendations! I recommend some great Genesis songs from the 1980s that old stalwarts like me might appreciate. Stacy, in turn, highlights some of her favorites from the 1970s for those mostly familiar with the more pop-focused version of the band in the 1980s. And as a special Awesome So Important! Bonus, here's a link to a spotify playlist with almost all the songs we discussed: Stacy and Monte's So Important Genesis P