Lil Jam Quest Podcast

Andres Valbuena is one of the most versatile drummers I've ever played with and I'm super happy he bugged me to be on episode #16 of Lil Jam Quest! The universe brought us together this summer on the Cassette Roulette show with John Cameron Mitchell and Amber Martin and we quickly realized we could talk about music for days. Andres currently tours with psych-soul sensation, Melt, and gigs with many many bands in the NYC area. On this episode, we talk about jam culture, the physicality of being a touring musician, great teachers, and more!
Check out some links:
Andres being himself!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg2jR4jL3Qb/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Melt- Sour Candy (the viral video that started it all)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z133wUm-WZ0&ab_channel=Melt

It all started out so simple... I just wanted to be a bass player and rock the f****** world! That is definitely not the case for me hah. Nowadays, as independent artists, we're always looking to fill our calendar up with anything just to keep us engaged in our art. For us, it's gigging, songwriting, recording, collaborating with other artists, etc. so sometimes that can get a little chaotic if you're doing too many things at once. In this episode, Justin and I talk about our own balancing acts and how we deal with them.

Hello friends! On episode 18 of Lil Jam Quest, Justin and I have our final guest of 2022, Colin Campbell! Colin is a multi-instrumentalist, primarily focusing on piano and organ, and is music director of the high-energy funk act, Southpaw Preachers.
It was incredible talking to Colin about multi-tasking various instruments in a live setting, his love/hate relationships with reading charts, and importance on feel and energy of playing music. He also talks to us about his influence of R&B, soul, and funk while living in Dallas, Texas. On this episode, we go head first on this deep-dive into the heart of music! It was a joy to have him on our podcast!
Here's a video of The Southpaw Preachers covering Jackson 5's " I Want You Back"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41HOheOUqQQ&ab_channel=TheSouthpawPreachers
Genuine Pt. 1 (as referenced in the episode!)
https://youtu.be/_RP3B2krt4Y

This week's episode we have Nashville drummer, John Alvey! John talks to about his love for vintage cymbals, the balancing act of being a family man and also professional musician, and the pros and cons of being the "leader" in a band versus a supporting member. Very different perspectives of the two! We enjoyed this conversation so much, we could've easily had a few extra hours with John. Until next time, please enjoy some of his own music as well as projects he's played in by clicking the links below!
John's website: www.johnalveymusic.com
Melanie's website: www.melaniejoymusic.com
Instagram: @johnalveymusic
Youtube drumming playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWBwvmZi-e0&list=PLBwNVm5XJLc4DCz4kAYNX2iUz3I4Hbci-
John Alvey's Bio:
A regular of the Nashville jazz and country and roots music scene, John has recorded with Taj Mahal, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Shannon LaBrie, and on stage has played with jazz artists Joel Frahm, Gregory Tardy, Brian Lynch, Bob McChesney, Jason Marshall, Don Aliquo, Rahsaan Barber, and Roland Barber. In fifteen years in Nashville and on the road, John has worked with blues, gospel, and roots musicians The Legendary Ingramettes, Sherman Holmes (The Holmes Brothers), and Alison Brown with Sierra Hull. John covers a range of styles from jazz to country to post-bop and free improvisation, to combining sample-based hip hop with live instruments. His first album as a leader will be released in 2023.

NYC photographer/artists, Nic Tinsley, joins us in talking about getting messy in the creative process to find the gold nugget at the end of the road. Go get lost! We also touch on the power of nostalgia in music and how important it is to be consistent with creating art.