Simon Barrett

Martin Luther King JR's "I Have a Dream" speech. Has the dream been realized or has it turned into a nightmare? Are we satisfied with our progress on civil rights or do we have serious work to do? We will discuss the current political/social environment almost 60 years after the speech and Betrayal in Black, Mark M. Bello's new legal thriller, which explores the topic of police shootings of innocent black men and how the legal system handles these cases.  

We take a look at some bizarre laws on the books

Tonight, I thought we should start the year off on a light note. We will discuss the strangest laws in all 50 states (time permitting).  Should be fun.

TheYear in Review We  will discuss what we believe were the most important legal issues and cases of 2019.

TheYear in Review We  will discuss what we believe were the most important legal issues and cases of 2019.  

Michael is one of the original pioneer players of the contemporary American stringed instrument known as The Chapman Stick. Capable of astounding expressiveness and simultaneous multi-part arrangements, ‘The Stick’ combines elements of guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussion into one instrument that is played more like a piano than a guitar. Michael has had 23 independent releases. His last three albums, ‘Serenity I, II & III’ have received considerable international airplay, awards, nominations, and rave reviews. His music is also being played on airlines and in hundreds of U.S. hospitals on The CARE Channel. ‘Serenity III’ debuted in the Top Five on all three of the major New Age charts including Billboard twice: #3 in Jan ‘19 and #2 in Feb ‘19. ‘Serenity III’ also won a Silver Medal in the Global Music Awards in June 2019. ’Serenity II’ made the Billboard Top Ten New Age albums chart at #8 in 2018 in addition to receiving Grammy nomination consideration. At a chance meeting in Hawaii, Carlos Santana once described Michael’s music as “a gift of the heart” that made him feel good.

Tonight, we would like to talk about lawyer advertising, The US Chamber of Commerce, actors portraying clients in lawyer television ads, and the public's misconception of jury verdicts and settlements in personal injury cases. Do the seriously injured get just awards?

This week we have an interesting series of questions. The Catholic church has a severe shortage of priests in the Amazon area. One idea is to allow priests to marry, this may entice more people to become members of the cloth. Are politicians permitted to have a private life? This is a much more complex subject than it appears. Just ask Katie Hill. Trump goes to the World Series and gets booed with chants of Lock him up. Appropriate or disrespectful? Trump tells Russia he’s going after Isis leader, but does not share with congress

Sexual harrasment in the workplace. I recieved this delightful email from Mark... Last month, an interview in Harper's Bazaar between Gretchen Carlson (formerly of Fox news) and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called "Gretchen Carlson Refuses to be Silenced" was featured. Though the subject matter is important and the law they discuss favorable to justice for victims, the interview and article pissed me off enough to write a letter to the editor.  Why? Who could resist an invite like that?

Subject to be determined

On November 12, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear Remington's appeal of the Connecticut Supreme Court decision allowing the Sandy Hook lawsuits against gun manufacturers to continue. At issue is the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005, signed into law by George W. Bush, with bi-partisan support in the House and the Senate. Neither party escapes scrutiny on this one, but the NRA and Bush pushed for it and got it passed, to the substantial safety detriment of the American people.

This week,the Roger Stone trial has started. Is it worth following, and what is it about?. Have you ever heard of "Restorative Justice?" I'd like to introduce the topic

"Issues requiring simple justice" and how the country deals with them.  Have we lost our way? Simple issues seem to get out of hand quickly. Reproductive Rights & Abortion Rights of the Special Needs and Disabled How we treat immigrants, poor people, minorities, LBGTQ community issues. Inother words this week is a grab bag of subjects    

This week we have an interesting series of questions. The Catholic church has a severe shortage of priests in the Amazon area. One idea is to allow priests to marry, this may entice more people to become members of the cloth. Are politicians permitted to have a private life? This is a much more complex subject than it appears. Just ask Katie Hill. Trump goes to the World Series and gets booed with chants of Lock him up. Appropriate or disrespectful? Trump tells Russia he’s going after Isis leader, but does not share with congress  

Rocking Horse Music Club presents the music of original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips on the new album, “Which Way the Wind Blows.” The Rocking Horse Music Club is a songwriting and performing collective that emerged from Rocking Horse Studio, a world-class recording facility in central New Hampshire, USA. The group features producer/songwriter/instrumentalist Brian Coombes, singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Cohn, and singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Patrik Gochez, along with Rocking Horse Studio session musicians Eric Wagley (drums), Myron Kibbee (guitar), Mike McAdam (guitar), and Brenden Harisaides. The band has been performing as a unit live and in the studio since 2008. In February 2019, Rocking Horse Music Club began rehearsing and recording material for a tribute album to original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips. The album is scheduled for release on October 11, 2019, with live dates in England scheduled for November 2019.

The charge of high crimes and misdemeanors covers allegations of misconduct by officials, such as dishonesty, negligence, perjury of oath, abuse of authority, bribery, intimidation, misuse of public funds or assets, failure to supervise, dereliction of duty, unbecoming conduct, refusal to obey a lawful order, chronic intoxication, or tax evasion. Offenses by officials also include ordinary crimes, but perhaps with different standards of proof and punishment than for non-officials, on the grounds that more is expected of officials by their oaths of office. Indeed the offense may not even be a breach of criminal statute. See Harvard Law Review "The majority view is that a president can legally be impeached for “intentional, evil deeds” that “drastically subvert the Constitution and involve an unforgivable abuse of the presidency” — even if those deeds didn’t violate any criminal laws.

Rocking Horse Music Club presents the music of original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips on the new album, “Which Way the Wind Blows.” The Rocking Horse Music Club is a songwriting and performing collective that emerged from Rocking Horse Studio, a world-class recording facility in central New Hampshire, USA. The group features producer/songwriter/instrumentalist Brian Coombes, singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Cohn, and singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Patrik Gochez, along with Rocking Horse Studio session musicians Eric Wagley (drums), Myron Kibbee (guitar), Mike McAdam (guitar), and Brenden Harisaides. The band has been performing as a unit live and in the studio since 2008. In February 2019, Rocking Horse Music Club began rehearsing and recording material for a tribute album to original Genesis guitarist Anthony Phillips. The album is scheduled for release on October 11, 2019, with live dates in England scheduled for November 2019.

Last weekend saw yet another example of the issue, a black woman playing video games with her 8 year old nephew was shot and killed. Shot through the window of her own home. I am looking forward to discussing this subject with author and attorney Mark Bello.His upcoming book Betrayal Of Black explores this subject so it is a timely subject

Join me and author/attorney Mark Bello for our Journey to Justice Podcast tonight at 8 PM EST. Mark and I will clean up loose ends from our last discussion, and discuss the Wrong-Apartment Murder Trial of Texas police officer Amber Guyger. We will also discuss the importance of no-fault auto insurance and the effect of corporate/insurance lobbying on legislation. Time permitting, we will discuss the latest book Mark is writing—today's decision by the U.S. to withdraw troops from northern Syria is directly on point with Mark's new effort As usual, the book's content is 'ripped from the headlines' and relevant to what is currently happening in America and around the world. Join us tonight."  

This is an encore episode. We will be back in two weeks with a new program

A strange question for you, what do Prog Rock and Neo Classical (I hate the term New Age) musicians have in common? The answer, is very few are self taught, the vast majority have gone to school to learn the art and science of music. Yes, there is an underlying science to music. Truly gifted musicians like Holland Phillips have mastered both the art and science. I really enjoyed this album, I mean no disrespect to any Neo Classical solo musician, but there is a tendency for the tracks to have a certain look and feel of sameness about them. So begins my review.I will be sitting down with Holland and exploring this very fine album

Linda Franks new book Making A Mystery With Annie Tillery: The Madonna Ghost is a must read for any aspiring writer. It takes you behind the story and into the mechanics of writing a book.

This week on the program attorney and author Mark Bello and I are going to dive a little deeper into the subject of sexual abuse by the clergy. Mark’s debut novel Betrayal Of Faith is about this very subject and is loosely based on his experience some years ago representing abuse victims.   Time permitting we may discuss the current state of Bail Bond reform, and the pro’s and con’s of the proposed changes.

This week we touch on many subjects—as the ‘non attorney’ here, I wish to revisit last week’s Opioid discussion and the $572 million levied against J & J. In addition, let’s discuss the college admissions scandal; actress Felicity Huffman is being sentenced this week. At the same time, some 3000 non-violent prisoners are being released because of the “First Step Act.” We’ll talk to Mark Bello about these two issues. Is Vaping the next “Opioid-type” crisis? How can the law prevent a crisis? Finally, “Gerrymandering;” what is it and why should we care in 2020? All this and more, please join us for a great discussion.  

This week on the program attorney/author Mark Bello and I will be joined by veteran trial attorney J.R Whaley. Last weeks decision against Johnson & Johnson for $572 million for their role in creating the Opioid crisis likely did not surprise many people. J&J of course are appealing the verdict. The question I have, is, are we looking at a relplay of the Big Tobacco story? This is sure to be a lively discussion

Attorney and Author Mark Bello and host Simon Barrett are pleased to anounce the launch of our new project, Journey Into Justice, we aim to explore different aspects of the legal system. We will also be invinting guests to share the knowlege on aspects of the law and specifif cased

The National Wrecking Company featuring members of  The Lizards, Cactus, Humble Pie & The Plasmatics are releasing their highly anticipated debut album. The new release features one of the final recordings by guitar legend Bernie Torme, best known for his work with the Ian Gillan Band and Ozzy Osbourne, who passed away this year. The song is a bonus preview track from the upcoming National Wrecking Company II release “Overture/Mechanized Confusion.”

I have long had a keen interest in the somewhat murky waters of the legal system Attorney and author Mark Bello has agreed to join me in a weekly dive into the heady space of the legal world. In this epispode we will merely be dipping our toes into the subject. Financier Jeffery Epstein commited suicide this week, and even though Trump would have us beleive that it was a glorious conspicacyby the Clintons, proof is in short supply but who cares when you have 50 million twits following your tweets? On a more serious note, how was a vey high risk person abble to hang himself in a high security jail?        

Noel Jasso on drums. Produced by Geoff Pearlman (“Echo in the Canyon Band”), “Follow Me to the Sun” is one of the featured songs in the Hollywood Fringe Fest Encore Award winning musical “American Stranger the Musical” (music & book by Laura Espinoza).   The song is about someone who feels desperate & lonely after someone has left them; the reason is never revealed. This person then hopes they will find a way to reunite, but it may not be within earthly bounds.   “Seem so long since you drove away, standing out in a chill burns my naked face, Morning gushes in a shallow wind, but the fire from your kiss keeps the flame within”  

Potter’s Daughter will be releasing their new single “Blood and Water” featuring legendary Renaissance vocalist Annie Haslam on August 8, 2019! The single will be available digitally, CD single and limited edition 7-inch vinyl! Potter’s Daughter was formed in New York City while Dyanne Potter Voegtlin was studying classical piano performance at the Manhattan School of Music. A pupil of Robert Goldsand and Mike Longo, Dyanne searched for the marriage of classical theory and virtuosity with the freedom and innovation of jazz both in study and performance. Together with a rotating group of masters from many schools of music, Dyanne performed regularly in New York City, as well as in north-eastern Pennsylvania. Now, joining forces with long-time friend, Amit Chatterjee, (producer, arranger, and guitarist), and Ian C. Voegtlin (composer, guitarist, and saxophonist), they are looking forward to releasing their first single, “Blood and Water,” featuring guest artist Annie Haslam. This single marks the beginning of the band’s evolution from the acoustic and eclectic sound of their debut album, “The Blind Side.” Embracing more elements of fusion and progressive rock, Potter’s Daughter’s “New Prog” philosophy creates a listening experience of complex melodic composition, emotional vocal leads and harmonies, and searing solos.

The Legendary Rock Band are recording a new album! This is the first new studio album made in the United States since 1977!!   The original members of NEKTAR: Derek "Mo" Moore (bass guitar, back vocals), Ron Howden (drums, back vocals) and Mick Brockett (lights and visuals), with Ryche Chlanda (guitar, lead vocals) from the 1978' band and Randy Dembo (12-strings guitar, bass guitar) from the 2005 band, and newcomer Kendall Scott (keyboards).   The music for our new album "The Other Side" comes from the 1978 era when the band was writing in Mo's basement in Chatham, New Jersey.   This music was put on pause for the last 40 years and it's now time to release it with new input and fresh ideas.   

Drummer Dave Schoepke will be releasing his first solo drum album titled “Drums On Low” on July 15, 2019. Schoepke is an accomplished North American drummer, who has had the pleasure of working with the legendary Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre. Dave toured with Martin's band in 2017 and in 2018 for the “Cruise To The Edge” Tour. He's also been the primary drummer for The Willy Porter Band since 2002, and has loved every second of his time with the band. Dave has toured with Willy Porter on a number of occasions over the years, and has numerous television and radio appearances on his record. The amazing part is that Dave is able to do all of this, and still has time to devote to his own band Tweed. Tweed has been a mainstay touring in Europe for the last few years along with a number of other blues and soul groups. 

Drummer Dave Schoepke will be releasing his first solo drum album titled “Drums On Low” on July 15, 2019. Schoepke is an accomplished North American drummer, who has had the pleasure of working with the legendary Jethro Tull guitarist Martin Barre. Dave toured with Martin's band in 2017 and in 2018 for the “Cruise To The Edge” Tour. He's also been the primary drummer for The Willy Porter Band since 2002, and has loved every second of his time with the band. Dave has toured with Willy Porter on a number of occasions over the years, and has numerous television and radio appearances on his record. The amazing part is that Dave is able to do all of this, and still has time to devote to his own band Tweed. Tweed has been a mainstay touring in Europe for the last few years along with a number of other blues and soul groups.   

An interview with Jack Spann about his new album Propaganda Man Jack Spann has had an incredible couple of years. The Saint Louis native has lived in New York City for the last 18 years and established himself as one of the city's in-demand keyboardists. His reputation led to an introduction to David Bowie's producer, Tony Visconti who hired him to play on the demos for what would be Bowie's final album, Blackstar.         Spann's Visconti connection did not end there. It led to an introduction to Milwaukee-based producer, Gary Tanin, who worked with Spann on his 1st and 2nd solo records, Time, Time, Time, Time, Time, and Beautiful Man From Mars and now on his 3rd upcoming release Propaganda Man.   The album took two years to complete and is different from his last, in that it faces social issues head on and does not shy away from addressing thorny social conundrums. Several guests appear while Spann provides lead vocals, piano, keyboards, guitar and bass. Cecil Robbington provides drums and percussion along with producer Gary Tanin adding additional keyboards.     - WOAS-FM 88.5.

Fraudprophets (www.fraudprophets.com), a collaboration between multi-instrumentalist and composer Sean Halley and A-list drummer Nate Morton (seen weekly on NBC’s ‘The Voice’), are ecstatic to announce the release of their debut album ‘Poptosis’ on June 3, 2019. The new record seamlessly blends elements of jazz, pop, rock, country and 70’s fusion into tunes that feel uniquely natural together, a result of the long-standing bond between Morton and Halley and their decades-long careers on stage and in the studio…and the gin. “It probably isn’t the best way to go about it, but we randomly started this whole thing one night by drinking cocktails to a click track”, said Morton. “Not having a plan ended up being a real blessing, as the snippets of music that came out of that evening were free-spirited and fun, and they were infused with personality and our love for each other as musical dorks.” Halley continues, “Nate and I love just about every kind of music, so nothing was off limits if it was a style we felt comfortable with. The same was true for the production – I like big-sounding records, so if we needed a ridiculous Beastie Boys-esque organ-and-drums breakdown for a tune, I’d have to go figure it out.”

The Hillbilly Moon Explosion are a European band who just came to the US to play their own unique version of Rockabilly to Americans. They've long held the US in their hearts. Way back in 2006 they traveled to San Diego to record an album 'All Grown Up' with producer Mark Neill (Black Keys). That track was their first duet with Mark 'Sparky' Phillips, the wayward singer from Welsh psychobilly band Demented Are Go. His well-worn vocals contrasting with the sultry Emanuela Hutter made the pairing one that had to be repeated on their next two albums.  

Los Angeles - For the last thirty-five years, The RAZ Band has been recording and performing their own brand of original songs, entertaining audiences across the US and globally.    On March 30, 2019 Gonzo Multimedia will release the much anticipated new RAZ Band studio album “#9”. Produced by Badfinger legend Joey Molland, “#9” features eleven new RAZ Band songs. The first 1000 copies include a limited edition live EP, recorded in Los Angeles on December 8, 2018.    This past December 2018 The RAZ Band recorded their first live album performing songs from the upcoming “#9” album as well as their most recent albums “Madison Park” (2015 Roadie Crew magazine album of the year) & “The Best of RAZ 1984-2015”. The live performance will be included as a bonus disc with the release of their new studio album “#9”.   As Michael Raz Rescigno states: “I'm excited that our first live album will be released with our new studio album. album was a great recording experience and was recorded, mixed and mastered in ten months from the end of 2017 through Sept 2018. We're also very excited that Joey Molland sings lead vocals on two of the songs on #9. This is the first RAZ Band album featuring Joey singing lead vocals.”

As amazing as it sounds, NYC rock legends Binky Philips & The Planets after 47 years will be releasing their debut album “Established 1972 NYC” on April 26th! David Fricke of Rolling Stone once described  the band as “the best rock & roll band I never saw or heard.”  Says Binky, “Over many years, I have written about ten albums worth of songs. None of them ever got past the demo stage. Perhaps, rightly so. It's fitting that The Planets' first ever true full-blown-production album, 'Established 1972 NYC', is comprised of the best songs I have ever written. The brand of music we play could be called Unhyphenated Rock. It's straight up. It's hard. It's real. We are not Pop. We are not Metal. We are not Punk. We are not Retro. We are Rock & Roll.”

This week author Joel Moore amd I will be joined by re-enactors John Houck and John Vogt.

As we start to wind down this season of Journey Into The Civil War this week we are going to heve a general discussion.

HIGHEST INTENTION is a vintage Roots Reggae Revival band that hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Their sound is locally grounded and globally appealing, bringing to mind artists like Sublime, 311, and even Bob Marley. Their highly anticipated debut album UNIVERSAL LIGHT will release March 22, 2019 worldwide in stores and online. This stunning debut is a solid release that honors the tradition of Jamaican Roots music while also forging its own brand of progressive Reggae for the new millennium.  Formed in 2012 by guitar player and singer Ben “Down” Lowe, HIGHEST INTENTION has performed alongside countless Reggae greats and established themselves as a local favorite, conveying a message of love and unity with a clean and fundamentally modern Roots Reggae sound. HIGHEST INTENTION plays to wildly enthusiastic audiences in clubs, concert halls, and festivals up and down the West Coast, including the world-famous Mavericks Challenge surf competition, the Bay Area Vibez Festival, and has performed with artists including Damian Marley, Fishbone, and Native Elements, to name a few.

Professor Louie has emerged in the music industry as the torchbearer of the true spirit of American Roots music. As a seasoned live performer, prolific recording artist, and versatile multi-instrumentalist Louie also wears the hat of award-winning recording producer and engineer, capturing the talents of some of the world's most highly acclaimed musicians, most notably, The Band.    In 2018, Professor Louie and The Crowmatix joined the Empire State Orchestra & Choir to perform their song Melody Of Peace at The NY Capital Region's premiere holiday extravaganza CBS 6 TV Special "Melodies Of Christmas". The four night sold out performances at The Proctors Theater in Schenectady, NY was filmed in front of 15,000 people and viewed by three million on CBS 6. The show since its inception has raised over $8,000,000 for The Melodies Children's Ward at Albany Med and the impetus for the album "Songs Of Inspiration." Award winning song Melody Of Peace was recorded by Professor Louie & The Crowmatix in Prague with The Prague Symphony and Kuhn Radio Choir. This version is on "Songs Of Inspiration".

This week author Joel Moore and I will be joined by musicians Steve and Lisa Ball to tell us more about the popular music during the Civil War.

During the mid-1980s Locate Your Lips made some of the most adventurous music heard in Milwaukee. They were a powerful trio but not a power trio in the classic rock sense. Built around the jazz-schooled yet rock ready drumming of Kenny Baldwin, the empathetic accompaniment of bassist Andy Cavaluzzi and fiery guitar playing by (ex - Shivvers guitarist) Jim Eannelli, Locate Your Lips emerged from the city’s punk rock scene—Kenny owned the Starship club that became its Downtown mecca—but was not confined by it. With the energy of punk and the sophistication of jazz and progressive rock Locate Your Lips broke ground and left audiences unable to pigeonhole them.   Working with tapes left from a live broadcast on WQFM and a previously unreleased album length studio recording, Jim Eannelli produced a Locate Your Lips album to be released in April, 2019. There was so much material that the project became a double CD with no slack moments.  

This weel author Joel Moore and I will be joined by Jackson McQuigg. He  is Vice President of Properties at the Atlanta History Center and manages capital projects for the History Center. The Senior Military Historian Gordon Jones and I managed the conservation, move and restoration of the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting and the locomotive Texas. He has been with the Atlanta History Centeher for 23 years.   Some background on the painting and its history is available here:  http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/explore/exhibitions/cyclorama-the-big-picture  

This week author Joel Moore and I will be joined by Robert Hicks and Shauna Devive to talk about what happened to those that fell on the battlefield

“Welcome” is Bob Beland's 4th self produced solo album release, written and recorded over 2018 at Wrong Way Works, Mar Vista, California. Extra special credit should be given to my good friend Greg Embrey for all of his help and involvement along the way. The opening track, “Rocky Up! (love theme from “The Bang Bang Theory”) is an instrumental version of a song I co-wrote earlier last year with Kevin Godley, from the UK band 10cc and Godley & Crème fame, which is called “The Bang Bang Theory” that will be included as part of his first solo album “Muscle Memory” due out soon.

Prog ensemble Shumaun will be releasing their highly anticipated sophomore album “One Day Closer to Yesterday” on February 22, 2019. The new release has an underlying concept of love gone wrong. The album begins with two souls in a state of preexistence bonded by love, and continues after they are both assigned bodies on Earth. All attempts at a blissful reunion are complicated, as only one of them can recall their state together prior to birth… and yet their connection is undeniable. “One Day Closer to Yesterday” touches on the many real struggles, conflicts, and experiences that romantic relationships might go through… the good, bad, spiritual, and terrestrial. The Shumaun sound is shaped by the soaring vocals and lead guitar work of Farhad Hossain, the pounding melodic bass lines of Jose Mora, the subtle guitar nuances of Tyler Kim, and the technical and groove-oriented drumming of Tanvir Tomal.

Andy Waskie has agreed to return to the program to look at some of the artifacts in and around Philidelphia

This week author Joel Moore and I will be joined by Steve and Lisa Ball to discuss and listen to the music that was popular with the Union. Some songs we may never know the origins of, but many are well documented and have rich stories behind them.

Let me start with a question, what is the lightest material on the planet? The answer is something called Aerogel. It is so light and so durable that NASA used it to capture ‘Stardust’. Impressive for a product that has its roots in a #2 Pencil, Carbon. Why do I introduce this Fact? Karen Biehl has created the musical equivalent of Aerogel, the music is so light yet so well composed that the listener is picked up and transported to a world of peace and tranquility, a place that is so sadly lacking in our modern world. Some music is designed to provoke, some music is designed to be ignored, and some music just picks you up and takes you on a journey. Starlight Dreams is certainly in the category of ‘taking you on a journey’. As with any musician I listen to I went digging online for information, her website is www.maestramusica.com What surprised me about the site was that it was not your usual, About me, Buy My Album, and Good Bye. She also is involved with a Youth Scholarship Program. Everyone preaches STEM from the rafters but I think the arts are just as important.