If you haven't had a chance to listen to our Season 1 Episode 8 with Mike, covering record stores, free jazz, his radio show Destination Out, or his long time ensemble, Northwoods Improvisers, please start there. Then head right back here. After all, that was the first episode of the MMHP that catapulted us around the world with our Michigan Music History outlook and exposure. Mike alone was the first podcast we had that skyrocketed the listener number and remains in the top few to this day. We feel this episode just may eclipse that.

The long time listeners to WCMU know his voice. A Professor at CMU in music, as well as world renown bassist in the Northwoods Imporvisers, Johnston is a jazz writer, free music enthusiast, and a collector of all things organic and jazzy, from rock to world music and back. In this podcast, he gives background on the Improvisers 2023 release Fanfares, as well as gets to fill the gaps between his time early as a DJ, music with Faruq Z. Bey, and where the mighty new version of Northwoods is heading with the amazing saxophone front of Donovan Boxy and Dominic Bierenga, with the dual bass addition of Jack O'Brien (along with Johnston), violin from record label head Mike Khoury (Entropy Stereo) and Johnston's long time partner, drummer Nick Ashton.

Johnston also hangs around post-podcast for another 20 minutes of chat, discovery and story sharing, so please hang in there for the full show... Destination OUT of the ballpark with this episode!

Somewhere in Ann Arbor, across to Detroit, the folklore of the '60s planted seeds in south Michigan. One of the front-runners to this soapbox congregation was Andy Cohen. Spending years crafting and honoring tradition, Cohen happened upon Andrew Rogers in Ann Arbor and the 'rest is history' as has been repeated. Here is a reunion, alive with song, discussion, Cohen's mystical perspective and tales from long ago. This is more of a collective of life stories, rather than a typical q&a session. Cohen and his record label/company Riverlark continue to give a historical perspective in modern times.

Here in our final part 2 of 2, Cohen and Rogers eclipse their many reunions, discuss the performances they have shared, the album that they have been creating, and an endless fire that keeps Cohen out for six weeks and back home for six weeks all year around.

Musician Michelle Coltrane, daughter of Alice, step-daughter of John, offers backstory on Alice's time growing up in Detroit through Michelle's own growing up time between California, New York, and visits to Detroit. Michelle has proclaimed, 'The Year of Alice Coltrane' here in 2024 (with a centennial celebration of John coming soon as well!). This Alice Coltrane year was bench-marked by a recent release from her archives, The Carnegie Hall Concert, from 1971. Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda was at a creative peak when recording this Carnegie show. Backed by two drummers, two bassists, two saxophone/woodwind musicians and two other percussion/utility musicians. Alice helped put this show together as a benefit/tribute to Swami Satchidananda, an Indian guru she first encountered in 1969 while in the depth of grief, after losing her husband, John Coltrane. This show was on the heels of an album where she also honored him, Journey In Satchidananda--released the week before this concert. Alice shared the billing with Laura Nyro and The Rascals--the draw of the evening, whose Felix Cavaliere was a devote follower, as was Nyro. Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders got second billing next to Alice's name, as he was a rising star in the jazz world, sprouting from John Coltrane's stable along side of Alice herself.

An R&B musician herself, Michelle takes us on a journey of her lifetime through her own lens, of times in Detroit, following her mother to concerts, spending time with Swami Satchidananda, dealing with her own career, and how her and step-brothers Ravi and Oran (John Jr. passed in '82) continue to grow and sprout the legacy of both Alice and John Coltrane. This