Joe Kelley | Musicians Reveal Podcast
318 episodes listed below
Funk history, straight from the players.
Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley gathers funk, soul, R&B, and Prince-connected players for relaxed conversations about records, stages, scenes, and craft. The talk moves through clubs, studio choices, touring memories, and the friendships behind the music.
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Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley is a long-running, interview-first music show rooted in funk, soul, R&B, and the extended Prince universe. Its strength is intimacy. The conversations feel less like formal profiles than old friends settling into the details: who played where, what the room sounded like, which record changed a player’s ear, and how a session actually came together. The show has a brisk, lived-in pace. Questions open the door, then guests take the scenic route through memory, influence, and craft. Eddie M., John Paris, and Tim Larkin use a reunion conversation to revisit Bay Area music as a wide-open mix of salsa gigs, jazz clubs, arena names, and small rooms where major players were still close enough to watch. Morris Hayes and Maya Santiago bring the focus into the studio, where pitch, tempo, attitude, instruction, and artistic feeling all have to find one performance. Dwayne Kerr’s episode turns flute playing into a full musical world, shaped by Hubert Law, family listening, and the desire to push the instrument forward in funk. Greg Chastain’s conversation adds another dimension, tying music to Voices of Hope, cancer fundraising, national anthem performances, and the discipline of singing in large sports venues. Curt Jones brings the history of Slave, Aurra, Deja, and the emotional afterlife of Prince’s passing into the frame. Damon Dixon’s appearance centers memoir, movement, fashion, family support, and years inside Prince’s New Power Generation. Michael Bland talks about Sons of Almighty and the deliberate spiritual direction behind post-NPG music. Chris Calzone connects modern funk with South Carolina, gospel feeling, groove, and Minneapolis influence. Across episodes, the show values memory, musicianship, and respect for the people behind the sound. It is casual without being thin. It is nostalgic without getting stuck there. The best moments come when a guest follows a side story and the side story becomes the point.
Made for: Best for listeners who care about funk, R&B, Prince-related music circles, and the practical stories behind records and tours. It especially suits people who enjoy relaxed musician interviews with plenty of names, scenes, and craft talk.
What sets it apart: The show stands out because it lets working musicians speak in detail about relationships, rooms, sessions, and scenes that usually get flattened into short career summaries. Its archive-like feel comes from trust, shared context, and a comfort with digression.
Since 1982, Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley has spotlighted iconic and rising artists in funk, soul, R&B, and Prince’s musical family. From its roots on NPR affiliate WVOF 88.5 FM to its thriving YouTube channel (17.2k subscribers, 8.1 Million views), the show delivers soulful, in-depth interviews with legends and unsung pioneers alike. 🎤 Hosted by Veteran music host and interviewer Joe Kelley, the show has featured: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers & Grammy winners Larry Graham, Mavis Staples, Patrice Rushen, Victor Wooten, Cyndi Lauper Members of Prince’s Revolution, New Power Generation, The Time, and more Icons from Zapp, Cameo, P-Funk, and beyond 🎶 In 2004, P...
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Detailed conversations connect studio judgment and touring memory to the people who made the choices and played the parts.
Joe Kelley gives guests room to explain how musical lives are built from decisions rather than legend. His conversations stay close to the work: Morris Hayes and Meia Santiago describe the give-and-take between producer direction and an artist's attachment to a vocal line, while…
A Prince studio rule opens the door; your reward is musicians explaining what the credits cannot.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A loose, easygoing reunion turns Bay Area memory and Prince lore into the main draw.
Eddie M., John Paris, and Tim Larkin sound comfortable together here, and Joe Kelley gives them room to roam. The best material comes when they keep circling the same clubs, players, and years from slightly different angles.
A warm studio conversation about trust, taste, and getting the take right.
This conversation treats music as a working partnership, with Morris Hayes and Meia Santiago talking through how the project took shape, where friction can surface, and what a strong take asks for.
A flute-centered conversation about influence, faith, and how Kerr's sound took shape.
Dwayne Kerr presents Hold On as a personal dedication to a close friend facing cancer, and he connects the song to holding on to God's love and staying strong in God.
A personal conversation about music, loss, and a community effort kept moving.
Greg Chastain's conversation ties music to cancer support in a way that feels lived in, not packaged. It starts with his mother's two cancer battles and the founding of Voices of Hope of Boston, then moves through a background shaped by music, theater, and especially community…
Les, also known as LRC Funk, describes how John Blackwell connected him to Prince, whose five-question screening led to an audition at Paisley Park with Larry Graham.
Michael Jackson called Paul Jackson Jr.'s mother's house, and she hung up on him: "boy, quit playing on my phone."
Joe Kelly brings Eddie M, John Paris, and Tim Larkin together for a reunion built on roughly 45 to 50 years of shared history.
Joe Kelly welcomes Morris Hayes and Maya Santiago from Spain.
Dwayne Kerr brings Flutation into focus.
Greg Chastain talks through how Voices of Hope of Boston grew out of his mother's cancer battle and his own lifelong pull toward music and community theater.
Host Joe Kelly interviews musician Curt Jones about his career with bands like Slave and Aurra, his new CD 'Kurt Jones III', and his extensive guitar collection.
Joe Kelley interviews Damon Dixon, a longtime collaborator of Prince, about his career and new book.
Michael Bland discusses his new album 'Sons of Almighty' and its spiritual, positive themes, while reflecting on his time with Prince and the need for uplifting music in today's landscape.
Host Joe Kelley interviews multi-instrumentalist Chris Calzone about his new record and the funk scene in South Carolina.
Joe Kelley interviews bassist Star Colors about her career, new album, and balancing practice with performance.
Keith Killgo discusses his early career with The Blackbyrds, including promoting music in radio stations and record stores, and his experience playing with Miles Davis at age 10.
Host Joe Kelley interviews drummer Guy from the band Days of Wild about their music and current projects.
Host Joe Kelley interviews Tommy McDermott, founding member of the Stone City Band, about his touring plans and experiences as a funk musician.
Joe Kelley interviews Gary Hines of Sounds of Blackness about their NAACP Image Award win and world music influences.
Host Joe Kelley interviews Seth Neblett, author of 'Mothership Connected,' about his book tour and his parents' legacy in funk music.
Bernie Worrell discusses his recent tour, the formation of his band WVU Warriors, and his music career with influences from friends like Bootsy Collins.
Host Joe Kelley interviews guitarist Stu Cutler about his new album of cover tunes.
Joe Kelley hosts a live in-studio performance and interview with the band Bossa Nova Beatniks, discussing their new album 'Moonlit Bossa' and its upcoming release.
Joe Kelley interviews bassist and podcaster Mike Zabrin about his music, podcast, and holiday plans.
Joe Kelley interviews funk legend Larry Graham about his upcoming appearance on David Letterman and his music career.
Joe Kelley interviews soul singer Bobby Hardin about his recent vacation in the Philippines and his career.
Joe Kelley interviews Tamar Davis about her new album 'I Am the Storm' and the challenges of being an independent artist.
Host Joe Kelley interviews original members of Cameo about their new band The Word Up Story and upcoming show in Atlanta.
Joe Kelley interviews Danny Bedrosian, keyboardist for Parliament Funkadelic, about his new book on P-Funk history.
Joe Kelley interviews bassist Rhonda Smith about her solo album 'Intellipop' and her work with Prince.
Joe Kelley interviews funk artist Tommy Jenkins about his new song 'Get To It' and its origin story.
Joe Kelley interviews singer-songwriter Gail Chapman about her solo career and songwriting process.
This episode features an interview with musician Donald "Thump Daddy" Payne, discussing his career playing funk, R&B, and rock, including his work with legends like Bootsy Collins and Fred Wesley, and his recent gigs in Columbus, Ohio.
Host Joe Kelley interviews Denise Pearson, lead vocalist of Five Star, about her career, new music, and creative process.
Joe Kelley interviews Taja Saville, founder of Urban Farming and former collaborator with Prince, about her work and the upcoming PRN Alumni Foundation event.
Joe Kelley interviews Gary Hines of Sounds of Blackness about their upcoming album release and its theme of perseverance.