Only a few folks that I know could do me such a solid as diving in to the Wu-Tang library, and it pleases me more than you know to welcome the J.P.G. back to Badass Records Podcast.

The Jett Pakk was kind enough to indulge me on my Wu-Tang exploration, and we sat down to have a brief chat about the group's studio discography, which looks like this…

Ian "The Cheeto Flow" Hallowell is more things than I could possibly list here in one of these bio-type thingys, but I can for sure say that he is a saxophonist, a son, a brother, a nephew, and one heckuva badass dude.

I mean...wow.

Amazing hang.

Glad we got to chat about a few of his favorite records, which are these…

Gay Joey is an absolute badass for swinging by the Badass Records Podcast studio to record Episode #58 with me, and it was an absolute pleasure chatting with him.

He is a son and a brother and an uncle and a server and a friend to many and an all-around fantastic guy.

Brett Batliner.

Whew. It's even a mouthful to type.

I kid, I kid.

Brett Batliner cooked for me a dozen years ago, and we've somehow managed to stay in quasi-contact since. What fun times those were, too. Me. The fearless leader amongst a dozenish 19-year-olds. Yikes.

Anyway...Brett's a great guy. He's a son and a brother and a boyfriend and a pet lover and a guitarist and a rapper. And unfortunately for Brett, he's also a service-industry guy. Run, Brett! Run far and fast!

            I met Jon Brick about 37 years ago, which is pretty bananas to think about. We were fresh off of not only a Royals World Series parade, but also having watched Space Shuttle Challenger explode on that television screen atop the wheeled-in A/V cart of our fifth-grade classrooms, which -- one might say -- was a little ways away from hosting a podcast and creating award-winning feature documentary films, the latter of which the guest of Episode #56 can say.

            Jon's a fascinating dude. He's seen a handful of the world's parts and had some incredible-sounding experiences along his journey's path. And what a place he's in now professionally <cues the closing moments to Chicago's "Beginnings">.

Being blessed with three amazing sisters is literally the gift that never stops giving. I am lucky to not only have each of them in my life, but also thankful to be exposed to some of the great things in each of their lives.

Since today's guest is something of an introvert, I was surprised when she agreed to join me for for Episode #55, and thrilled at how fun our conversation turned out to be.

She's a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a great friend, an impressive-seeming professional, a fantastic person with whom to sit down and visit, and my middle sister Megan's homegirl, Leah Twibell.

Leah tabbed Green Day's Dookie (1994), Weezer's The Blue Album (1994), and Crash by Dave Matthews Band (1996) as three of her favorite records, and this proved to be a trio that did not disappoint.

My chat with Leah was a blast. Thank you for checking it out.

Steve Woods is a son, a brother, a husband, a father, a handyman, a fine, fine golfer, a funny dude, and a friend. He's also a chef at heart, a valuable employee to his bosses, and an all-around good guy.

I'm still trippin' out over the fact that we've known each other for longer than two decades, and I couldn't have been happier than I was to see him on my front porch for Episode #54 of Badass Records Podcast.

James Inman is a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a formerish standup comedian, a computer whiz, and a collector of both vintage speakers and sundry Elvis Costello albums.

He's a hoot, and a trip, and a man that's wise beyond his years (Note: Shouts out to the local public library.), and he did -- for the record -- say (once we'd wrapped) that it was cool to leave everything in.

As usual I was part of the conversation when we taped and a different part of it during edits, and normally I'm ready to move on once I've played both roles. This time, though, I think maybe I'm still processing everything that I learned. In fact, I'm not sure of all that I didn't know before we had our conversation. And trust me -- it was a good one.

Ashleigh Blackwell gets the honors for the official official-official one-year anniversary of Badass Records Podcast. That is, some spacing occurred between the recordings and airings of the first two episodes, but -- from the third installment on -- I've managed to get one up per week. This being #52 means a year's worth now lives on the Internet, and -- you know -- that's kinda cool.

Anyway, Ashleigh's wise and witty. She's bold and beautiful (Wasn't there a TV show with a similar name?). She's a daughter and a sister and an aunt and a dog lover and a marketplace force, and she's also a great person to know, even if only a little.

So, I'm very thankful that she stopped by and rapped music and life with me. Our conversation went a bunch of different directions, and I tip my hat to her for her fearless engagement and rawness from start to finish.

This week's installment of Badass Records Podcast is Episode #51, and I'm pleased as punch to announce that my guest is the one, the only -- Eva Saviano.

I know we touched on it in our conversation, but -- to be sure -- I wanted to peek in a few spots to make sure I had her professional title correct, and while I didn't find conviction within my search, I did find one of the best bios I've ever seen in my life, so I'll share how she has described her self and add a few details after:

Uncommonly frank and, frankly, uncommon. 

Sound your funky horns...it's Episode #50 of Badass Records Podcast, and what a ride it's been so far!

I hope there're many more episodes to come and that you'll keep tuning in to see the latest and greatest conversations with all of my amazing guests.

But, now -- without any further ado...let me tell you about how excited I am to share this week's episode with you.

Sometimes, as we make our way through our days, we stumble upon opportunities for new connections. I could be sitting here typing these words, preparing to drop my 50th podcast episode, and the road to today could've looked different. That difference could've been tiny; it might've been huge. And who knows. Maybe everything'd be just fine.

It's Episode #49, party people!

I can't properly express how excited I was to sit down and talk life and tunes with MABkc.

Hoo boy! I am so excited for him and all that he lovingly has on his plate: wife and child(ren), new location(s) for Industry Soundz, paused recording projects calling him back, and perhaps a podcast in the near future. It's all real fantastic stuff, and I hope that each of those things continue to bring him joy and prosperity.

When I opened the door to welcome Cole Welch into my home, one of the first thoughts I had was that he looked familiar, and it turns out that we not only went to high school together, but were on swim team together for a season as well.

Great start to meeting a perfect stranger.

Anyway, for Episode #48 of Badass Records Podcast, we waxed philosophic and touched on a few of Cole's favorite records. And they are these…

Tabitha Jurgensmeyer is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a pro's pro, an adventurer, and an absolute joy with whom to talk.

All things considered, Tabby J. said, "Yes" to doing an episode (no. 47) of Badass Records Podcast where many might've declined in haste.

For that -- and for all of her admirable qualities -- I have a ton of respect for her.

We chatted Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the phenomenon that was the duo of Dave Matthews/Tim Reynolds, Boyz II Men, So So Def Bass All-Stars, and Dr. Dre. Specifically and respectively, we covered some P.J.fandom, Californication (1999), Live at Luther College (1999), II (1994), Vol. II, and 2001 (1999).

This is a weird one.

For me.

Tony Berrios and I have played hockey together for about five years.

I'm not sure if the number's actually five. It might be seven or it might be three and-a-half.

I just don't know anymore.

Point being: I have come to know Tony pretty well, and -- if you'll pardon the cliche -- they certainly broke the mold when Tony was born.

He is -- without question -- one of the super-fantasticist human beings I've ever met.

Oh, The Kid....

What can be said about The Kid that hasn't been said already...

He's a son and a brother and a husband and a dad and a musician and a super-student of music.

I love that The Kid's folks're still hangin' and that he and all of his siblings found and chose fantastic partners. And they all have beautiful children and they're just...they're just a really good clan.

So, I was stoked that I got this cat to come chat with me for Episode #45, and when he chose Mr. Bungle, I couldn't've been less surprised.

Sammy Sanchez is a son, a brother, a boyfriend, a bartender, and a music aficionado in the truest sense of the word.

Having recorded Episode #30 with his father, Cesar, I was pleased as punch to get to sit down with a member of the next generation, and wax both tunes and philosophical.

Sammy selected Small Change (1976) by Tom Waits, Pink Floyd's Animals from a year later, and LCD Soundsystem's 2010 release, This is Happening, and boy were they a treat to discuss with him.

Andrew LeRoy is a son, a brother, a husband, a father three times over, an attorney, and an all-around good dude. He hosts a mean trivia night and calls a decent game of hoops, both from the same stage, nonetheless.

But before I get ahead of myself, I need to be serious for a moment.

Shortly after we started recording, I discovered that the guest of Episode #43 was on the phone with the late Tom Pickert when he was murdered five years ago in front of his home in my neighborhood. Tom was a married man and a father of two (one of his sons was in my daughter's elementary-school class) who was shot in the back of the head by a coward, and -- if things continue to trend in the way that they are -- that sorry excuse for a human being will ultimately die behind bars.

Kadesh Flow is a son and an MC and a trombonist and a fantastic human being who was kind enough to sit with me for a spell so that he could share a bit about both himself and a few of his favorite records.

We touched on the following:

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John (1973)

Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor, Lupe Fiasco (2006)

Trombone Shorty's Backatown (2010)

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West (2010)

Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly (2015)

If you wanna learn more about Kadesh, you should Google him. He's on the socials, he's got a Bandcamp, and a YouTube page. Find out where he's gigging with one of his many outfits. Buy/stream some of his music. Get yourself some merch'.

Tara Davis is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mom, a business owner, a hostess, an aunt, a fashionista, a friend, and one heck of a next-door neighbor.

Tara's three super-fantastic daughters and her super-dope husband make for quite the clan on the other side of the fence, and our collective families have compiled some fun memories over the last six or seven years. And even though their plates are pretty dang full, both dad and mom have made the time to come do an episode of the podcast with me, leaving me feeling pretty darn grateful.