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During the 1970s and 1980’s there was a flourishing of musical blending and innovation in the nation of South Africa that infected the whole world. All of this occurred in spite of the violent oppression of the then Apartheid government. One man who not only lived through those times but was an active participant was Benjy Mudie, he working for various record labels including Warner and Tusk and signing some of the most legendary names to come out of the rainbow nation. Listen in as Mr. Mudie talks about his experiences with such artists as eVoid, Johnny Clegg, Malcolm McLaren, Paul Simon, Mango Groove and others in addition to giving us a bit of history lesson of those both wonderful and troubled times.

Dr. Carlos Eire returns to talk about how his life as a Cuban refugee and being taken in by Jewish foster parents affected his faith, how he has tried to honor the sacrifices made by others to assist him and why Christianity was generally been a positive force in spite of its un-Christ-like aberrations throughout history.

Dr. Ming Wang is an Ophthalmologist and scientist who’s pioneered both the fields of health technology and molecular biology, having published research papers and written textbooks on a variety of subjects and helped thousands of people regain their sight. He’s also a dancer and musician, those latter skills having landed him on Dolly Parton’s record “Those were the days” playing the Chinese erhu instrument. In the film ‘God’s not dead’ the character of Martin Yip is based on Wang’s own experience at Harvard University. Dr. Wang has just released an autobiography called From Darkness to Sight, chronicling his journey from hopelessness and poverty in Chairman Mao’s China to eventually finding his place in America. Dr. Wang came back by the woodpile to talk further some of the stories and ideas covered in his book.

Randy Layton of Alternative Records comes on to talk about the story behind Robert Vaughn’s Songs from the Riverhouse record and the campaign to have it re-released on vinyl!

Mike Roe of the 77s and Randy Layton of Alternative Records come Back By the Woodpile to talk about the music and work of Robert Vaughn, including the up coming re-release of the seminal album Love and War.

Randy Layton of Alternative Records talks about his times with the 77’s, Steve Scott, Keith Green, Daniel Amos, 2lb Planet, Robert Vaughn and more!

Musician Mike Roe (77s, Kerosene Halo, Lost Dogs) came by for a short chat about a handful of topics, including his involvement with Robert Vaughn’s 1991 album “Songs from the Riverhouse”, his friendship with Alternative Records’ Randy Layton and then some musings on existential crisis’s that most creative spiritual folks go through.

Yale's Dr. Carlos Eire talks Christian history, martyrdom, pacifism verses self-defense and more.

Dr. Jaime Suchlicki of the Cuban Study Institute talks Jose Marti, Eduardo Chibás, Jewish-Cuban History, the current state of Cubans on the island and more.

Oswaldo Paya attempted to bring Cuba closer towards all the broken promises of Fidel Castro by peaceful, democratic means, which in the end cost Paya his life. Pulitzer Prize winner David E. Hoffman has written a biography call “Give Me Liberty” which tells both the story and thinking of Oswaldo Paya. Join us as we talk with the author about both Paya and the situation of Cuba before and after the communist takeover in 1959.

Derek Sorrells returns to conclude the story of his drumming career, including his stints with The Frantics and London Calling (with Jaime Rowe) and his meeting with a tall caped demon named Gene Simmons.

Drummer Derek Sorrells talks about his time keeping the time for artists Johnny Q Public, Miss Angie, The Frantics, Homesick and others.

Lin Zhao was an enthusiastic member of the Chinese Communist Party but in time her comrades would sentence her to death. In her jail cell this girl would rely on her Christian faith and reject the ideology that would ultimately extinguish her life. Professor Xi Lian comes Back By the Woodpile to tell the story of this important figure for the hope of democracy in 21st China.

Seth and Nirva Ready not only have their own musical career as a duo and host a theological/cultural podcast called FreeMind but they have also sang for folks like Kirk Franklin, Toby Mack, CeCe Winans, Rachael Lampa, Chris Tomlin, Donnie McClurkin and many others. On this episode the couple pull their lawn chairs up to the Woodpile to talk about their own personal histories, music industry insights and adventures, struggles to navigate the conflicts of the day within and outside the church while maintaining grace for their fellow man and several other topics that meander in and out of our free-flowing conversation.

In early 1980, a city bus crashed into the Peruvian embassy in Havana Cuba. Somehow this incident would lead to the mass exodus of over 100,000 Cubans mostly via small boats from the communist Island to the democratic United States. But there were a lot a lot of events that brought the peoples of the two nations to that point. Here to helps fill in some of those gaps is historian Victor Triay, author of Mariel Boatlift: A Cuban American Journey.

In 1846, a slave by the name of Dred Scott after several attempts to buy his own freedom from his master Eliza Sanford, sued. In one Missouri court Scott won his freedom but then in the appeals process pursued by Sanford, his liberty was taken away. Through a long process the case ended up before the US Supreme Court where a devastating decision delivered by Chief Justice Roger Taney in 1857 said that not only would Scott, his wife and children remain slaves, but in fact the rights of man as defined in the Declaration of Independence had never applied to those Americans of African descent. Dr. Dennis Boman comes Back By the Woodpile to explain the days leading up to the monumental case in addition to its nuances and aftermath.

R.J.M. Blackett professor of history at Vanderbilt University and a historian of the abolitionist movement in the US. He’s written several books including Building an Antislavery Wall, A Thousand Miles for Freedom and The Captive’s Quest for Freedom. But today professor Blackett comes on the podcast to talk about his work Making Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Politics of Slavery.

Tito Puente was considered hands down the “King of the Mambo”, pushing and molding the genre of Latin jazz known by many names over time. To Puente, whether it was called Afro-Cuban, Cubop, Cha-Cha, Boogaloo or Salsa, it was all the same to him: great dance music. Jim Payne author of Tito Puente: King of Latin Music comes Back by the Woodpile to discuss the master’s life and their time together.

If you’re a fan of old timey and traditional American rural music and you happened to catch an earful of the modern ‘Power Country’ or ‘Bro Country’, some of it might strike ya as written by city slicker bottom-liners trying to dumb the art down as low as possible, as if all us consumer cretins needed was a song about being driven in a pickup truck to a free-flowing whiskey bonfire by women in Daisy Dukes to separate us from our pork rind moistened cash. This is not just a cynic talking- I’ve heard them in recording studios and back stages separating themselves from the crap they’re shoveling, just so we know that they know it’s bad. But there’s still some torch-carrying musicians out there mostly off the radar that both know the roots of the music and respect it enough to push it to new directions, much like the long-dead rule-breakers they admire. Greg Garing we believe is one of those fellers and he’s so dedicated, he’s about killed himself trying to keep it alive. On one of his better feeling days, Greg came Back by the Woodpile to share a few of the multitude of stories he’s picked up and live throughout his career. (Recorded in 2016)

Nicolas Guitierrez is a Cuban American lawyer who was directly involved in the drafting, passage and enforcement of the Cuban Liberty & Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996, aka the Helms-Burton law. As President of the National Association of Sugar Mill Owners of Cuba, Mr. Guitierrez comes on the podcast to educate us on not only the history of Cuban sugar, but the theft and mismanagement of the industry on the part of the Castro dictatorship, in addition to other related issues (recorded 2019).

Legendary musician Phil Keaggy comes Back by the Woodpile to talk over 25 years later about his masterpiece album Beyond Nature. The life events surrounding it’s composition and recording, the philosophical origin behind the project, exclusive performances and explorations of the songs and the record’s impact on everyone involved are all discussed.

Aaron A Train Smith returns to talk of his education in drumming, his stints with The 77s, Romeo Void and Rich Mullins and of his faith and philosophy.

Legendary Drummer Aaron A Train Smith stops by the Woodpile talks about the early days of his career involving The Temptations, The Undisputed Truth, Norman Whitfield, Chuck Jackson, Miroslav Vitous, Wah Wah Watson, The Jackson Five and others!

Songwriter Bill Luther comes Back by the Woodpile to talk about the struggle and the songs that come of it, ultimately landing him hits by Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Mark Wills and others.

Bay of Pigs Veteran Bill Muir reflects on his life in Cuba before Castro, his work in the underground while the Communists ruled the country, the invasion itself and the years since.