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Rhonda Smith - Season 2 - Episode 07

Side Player Stories

Release Date: 08/18/2022

Richard Drexler - Season 3 - Episode 06 show art Richard Drexler - Season 3 - Episode 06

Side Player Stories

Our final episode of this limited series features UCF's very own Richard Drexler. He's no stranger to WUCF and his work with Jeff Rupert is always one to watch. From working with Jazz royalty to his obsession with lobsters - we get down to the nitty gritty. Florida is honored to house such a talented individual!

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Susan Marshall - Season 3 - Episode 05 show art Susan Marshall - Season 3 - Episode 05

Side Player Stories

Memphis is home to many iconic musicians. Its best kept secret may just be Susan Marshall! Known for her studio and stage work with Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lucinda Williams, Toy Caldwell, Lenny Kravitz and more. From her vocal beginnings to Itta Bena - we find out about it all.

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Jimmy King - Season 3 - Episode 04 show art Jimmy King - Season 3 - Episode 04

Side Player Stories

This trumpeter, singer, songwriter and rapper has gone on to back multiple award-winning artists. Getting the call to back Bruno Mars would be one of them and change his life forever. Growing up in Atlanta, church shaped his artistic path. We learn how he landed on trumpet, why he studied jazz as a postgraduate, and what it was like working with John Legend.

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Caitlin Evanson - Season 3 - Episode 03 show art Caitlin Evanson - Season 3 - Episode 03

Side Player Stories

Caitlin opens up about her orchestra to folk/pop trajectory and how so far...her life has outwritten her wildest dreams. Speaking of Wildest Dreams, Evanson found herself next to arguably the leading culturally significant songwriter of our generation - Taylor Swift. We get the scoop on what it was like behind the scenes and how being at the center of it all is something she'll cherish for life.

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Cat Popper - Season 3 - Episode 02 show art Cat Popper - Season 3 - Episode 02

Side Player Stories

Cat started out with classical music. Although discouraged to pursue other genres while studying jazz in college, she really found her stride in New York City where she sought out punk, Irish, bluegrass and reggae. The transition from upright to electric bass was hard, but she found her groove. From Jack White to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals to Puss n Boots – Cat has continued to prove she can rock with the best of them.

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GE Smith - Season 3 - Episode 01 show art GE Smith - Season 3 - Episode 01

Side Player Stories

With equal sense of wonder and diligence, G.E.’s love of guitar led him to work with people like Hall & Oates, Mick Jagger and Bob Dylan. We get an inside look at what life was like for him growing up in Pennsylvania, the moment he received his first electric guitar and the rigorous schedule as the bandleader of Saturday Night Live. With guitar in hand, he happily recalls the moments that shaped him as an artist.   

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Saul Dautch - Season 2 - Episode 13 show art Saul Dautch - Season 2 - Episode 13

Side Player Stories

Saul Dautch knows a thing or two about transitioning from jazz student to a career in music. Under Jeff Rupert’s direction, he learned a lot and played with the Flying Horse Big Band. Making the move to NYC, Saul continued his studies at Rutgers where he now is an instructor.

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Cindy Blackman Santana - Season 2 - Episode 12 show art Cindy Blackman Santana - Season 2 - Episode 12

Side Player Stories

Hearing Max Roach for the first time changed Cindy Blackman Santana’s outlook. Studying under jazz greats such as Art Blakey, Alan Dawson and Jackie Mclean – she got to know jazz at its roots. This would prove both helpful and useful when it came to auditions and gigs down the line. Whether it was playing onstage every night with Lenny Kravitz or Santana – her connection to music surpasses the physical sense.

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Justin Gilbert - Season 2 - Episode 11 show art Justin Gilbert - Season 2 - Episode 11

Side Player Stories

Atlanta native Justin Gilbert wasn’t always so keen on piano lessons. In fact, he made it quite difficult for his mother. But now you may find him playing the keys with Miss Alicia Keys herself. Growing up in church really formed his playing. Touring the world with Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids gave him standout moments he doesn’t take for granted. Following advice from cherished conversations – he has learned to ‘hurry up and take his time’.

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Freebo - Season 2 - Episode 10 show art Freebo - Season 2 - Episode 10

Side Player Stories

Amidst the evolution of rhythm & blues to funk and rock music – Freebo was cutting his teeth as a session musician in Los Angeles. Favoring the fretless bass, he also plays tuba which has allowed him to be readily available for gigs that came his way. Partnering up with Bonnie Raitt at the start of her career in the early 70s became a decade long professional relationship. Most recently you will find him working with the talented folk singer songwriter Alice Howe.

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More Episodes

Rhonda Smith found herself as the first call bassist for not one but two icons – Prince and Jeff Beck. Her journey began in Canada where she studied Jazz Performance. From there – her tireless work ethic, improvisation and adaptability turned her into the artist she is today. Her decision to bring a fretless bass to an audition changed the course of her life.