Little Hurricane

"Musician's Spotlight," February 18, 2014: Gold Medalist of the 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition, Spencer Myer is garnering audience and critical acclaim from around the world. His stellar playing is rapidly establishing him as one of the outstanding pianists of his generation.

November 19, 2013 and February 11, 2014 - Grammy Award-winning guitarist and composer Pat Metheny describes the importance of "story telling" in composition, even when it comes to  instrumental improvisations. Part Two of a special two-part program.

http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

November 12, 2013 and February 4, 2014 - Winner of 20 Grammy awards and one of the most acclaimed musicians of his generation, guitarist and composer Pat Metheny makes his first appearance on Musician's Spotlight. Part One of a special two-part program.

http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

"Musician's Spotlight," January 28th, 2014: U2's Bono calls Hothouse Flowers singer Liam Ó Maonlaí "the best white soul singer in the world." As the rock and soul group approaches its fourth decade of trailblazing, Ó Maonlaí’s grounding in Irish language and traditional Irish music allows him to move with ease between the worlds of pop and traditional music.

4/22/14: Musician's Spotlight, January 21st & April 22nd, 2014:Missoula recording artist Ryan Bundy returns to the show with his most adventurous project to date: Crow’s Share. Folk instruments, electronic effects and subtle noises combine with Bundy's dark, husky voice in these ballads of lost love, restlessness and "left over morsels of childhood optimism."

January 14th, 2014: The Shook Twins, Laurie and Katelyn, bring their self-branded "quirky folk" to Musician's Spotlight. The identical twins honed their craft in Sandpoint, ID and have become favorites at festivals, clubs and concert halls since they relocated to Portland, OR, where their "quirkiness" has been welcomed with open arms. http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

Musician's Spotlight, January 7th, 2014: Blues and jazz singer, songwriter- interpreter-guitarist extraordinaire, Robben Ford, makes his first appearance on Musician's Spotlight. Robben reflects on the choices he's made during his thirty-plus year career and how they have led to the acclaim and respect he enjoys today.

"Musician's Spotlight," 12/31/13: Bill Payne

One of the founding members of the legendary rock band Little Feat, keyboardist Bill Payne visits with John backstage before a performance at the Top Hat Lounge in Missoula, describing his connection to Montana and how he came to call it home.  Payne also discusses the creative thread that connects his music, his photography and his writing.  http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

"Musician's Spotlight," Tuesday, September 24th, 2013: Two of the most respected names in Irish acoustic music, guitarist John Doyle and vocalist Karan Casey,  sat down with host John Floridis at the 2013 Montana Folk Festival in Butte for a "kitchen concert" and chat.

Musician's Spotlight, Tuesday, September 10th: Prairie Home Companion favorites, Nicky Mehta, Ruth Moody and Heather Masse - a.k.a. The Wailin' Jennys - return to "Musician's Spotlight," hosted by John Floridis. http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

December 3rd, 2013: Popular Missoula singer-songwriter Tom Catmull returns to Musician's Spotlight to discuss his most recent solo recording, "Words and Malady." Joe Nickell wrote in 2006 for The Missoulian: "Tom Catmull straddles genres like a bow-legged cowboy on a mountain bike.

Musician's Spotlight, September 3rd, 2013: Nathalie Pires

Her father named her after a Julio Iglesias song, but it was the mysterious sounds of Fado music, from her family's homeland of Portugal, that captivated young "Jersey girl" Nathalie Pires and inspired her musical career, bringing Fado's soaring melodies and dramatic stories to audiences across the globe.

August 20th and October 29th, 2013: "I always write each song as if were my last,” says Kalispell songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Luke Dowler, whose soulful delivery and raw honesty are are exemplified by the "8 in 8" project, for which Luke wrote, recorded and released eight videos of eight new songs in eight weeks.

July 23rd and October 22nd, 2013:  Seattle based folk-pop, indie-rock band Ivan and Alyosha derive their band name from Dostoyevsky, but their music is accessible as American pie. Their adventurous playing and writing aims for the highest common denominator. http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

7/16/13 and 10/8/13: The son of a North Dakota preacher/police chief, Josh Harty's storytelling and musicianship have become a must-hear for those who keep American country, blues and folk music close to their hearts. http://www.musiciansspotlight.org

7/9/13 and 9/17/13 - With a mix of vintage soul, blues and R&B, singer Nikki Hill reminds us why we love rock 'n roll. Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Nikki's hot and funky guitar band is building a name for itself across the U.S. and Europe. www.musiciansspotlight.org