Podcast appearances and mentions of Eric Gales

Amann & The Wayward Sons se han convertido en referentes a nivel europeo gracias a su potente directo y a un sonido que combina la esencia del blues y la fuerza del rock clásico y el soul, con una profunda carga emocional y contemporánea. A lo largo de su trayectoria han actuado en los principales escenarios de España y de distintos países, incluyendo Francia y Reino Unido. Han compartido cartel con leyendas como Ben Harper, Eric Gales, Samantha Fish, Little Steven y hasta con los míticos The Beach Boys, consolidando su reputación como un grupo capaz de medirse con los grandes nombres de la música internacional. En 2026 celebran su décimo aniversario sobre los escenarios.Escuchar audio

Season 20, Episode 49 of The Adventures of Pipeman.It's the Pipeman in the Pit weekly segment of The Adventures of Pipeman.Chapter 1: Carmine Appice and his reformed Cactus on behalf of the new blues rock album, Temple Of Blues II, that's due out April 3 via Cleopatra Records.Now the Temple opens again, this time for an all-star aggregation that recalls Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot, Dee Snider and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and a whole lot more!And Temple Of Blues II takes us back to their birth. That summer, Cactus were among the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival in England, and the new album's “Purple Haze” reunites them with both another of that bill's audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix.Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty “Moanin' At Midnight,” Joe Lynn Turner joins Morse, Carmine's Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) for “Bad Stuff,” Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) lead the way for “The Little Red Rooster,” and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful.”Track List:1. Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2 feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan 2. 300 Pounds Of Joy feat. Ty Tabor3. Moanin' At Midnight feat. Pat Travers4. Down In The Bottom feat. Dug Pinnick5. Token Chokin' feat. Bumblefoot6. Bad Stuff feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian & Tony Franklin7. Tail Dragger feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick8. The Little Red Rooster feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy Haslip9. Purple Haze feat. Melanie10. Spoonful feat. Ted Nugent & Bob DaisleyBONUS TRACK [CD ONLY]11. Feel So Good feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt LightningChapter 2: American heavy metal icons, ARMORED SAINT, are back with their anticipated new full-length, Emotion Factory Reset, set for release on May 22nd through Metal Blade Records.Produced, as were the previous four albums, by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour) the record finds the quintet challenging themselves. Songs like “Close To The Bone,” “Hit A Moonshot,” and “Every Man-Any Man”The collaborative nature of Emotion Factory Reset led to the album title, a phrase from Phil Sandoval. “To me, ‘Emotion Factory Reset' means to reset yourself back to clarity. Take a pause and breathe before you respond or react. You can't control outside events, but you can control your mind,” the guitarist says. “How you interpret things is what hurts you, not the event itself.”ARMORED SAINT Presents “Hit A Moonshot” Video / Single From Emotion Factory Reset Full-LengthIn advance of the record's release, the band presents the first single and album opener, “Close To The Bone.” Comments Bush, “The first track on the record sounds like vintage ARMORED SAINT. Yet vintage that comes out in 2026! How did we do that? The title of the record, Emotion Factory Reset appears as the first line of the bridge. Killer riffs, awesome rhythms and attacking vocals gets this train rolling. The title implies the human response to withdraw and keep things to yourself instead of being confrontational; Something I believe we all struggle with as humans. Do you just say, ‘aww, whatever man,' or do you say, ‘hey, fuck you!' Depends on the moment I guess.”Click Here to Subscribe to The Adventures of Pipeman for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS! Take some zany and serious journeys with The Pipeman aka Dean K. Piper, CST on The Adventures of Pipeman also known as Pipeman Radio syndicated globally “Where Who Knows And Anything Goes.”   Would you like to be a sponsor of the show?Would you like to have your business, products, services, merch, programs, books, music or any other professional or artistic endeavors promoted on the show?Would you like interviewed as a professional or music guest on The Adventures of Pipeman, Positively Pipeman and/or Pipeman in the Pit?Would you like to host your own Radio Show, Streaming TV Show, or Podcast?  PipemanRadio Podcasts are heard on Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and over 100 other podcast outlets where you listen to Podcasts.The following are the different podcasts to Follow, Listen, Download, Subscribe:The Adventures of PipemanPipeman RadioPipeman in the Pit – Music Interviews & FestivalsPipeman – The Wandering JewPositively Pipeman – Empowerment, Inspiration, Motivation, Self-Help, Business, Spiritual & Health & WellnessClick Here to Subscribe for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!Follow @pipemanradio on all socials & Pipeman Radio Requests & Info at www.linktr.ee/pipemanradioStream The Adventures of Pipeman daily & live Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays at 1PM ET on W4CY Radio & Talk 4 TV. Download, Rate & Review the Podcast at The Adventures of Pipeman, Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & All Podcast Apps.

Carmine Appice and his reformed Cactus on behalf of the new blues rock album, Temple Of Blues II, that's due out April 3 via Cleopatra Records.Now the Temple opens again, this time for an all-star aggregation that recalls Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot, Dee Snider and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and a whole lot more!And Temple Of Blues II takes us back to their birth. That summer, Cactus were among the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival in England, and the new album's “Purple Haze” reunites them with both another of that bill's audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix.Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty “Moanin' At Midnight,” Joe Lynn Turner joins Morse, Carmine's Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) for “Bad Stuff,” Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) lead the way for “The Little Red Rooster,” and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful.”Track List:1. Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2 feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan2. 300 Pounds Of Joy feat. Ty Tabor3. Moanin' At Midnight feat. Pat Travers4. Down In The Bottom feat. Dug Pinnick5. Token Chokin' feat. Bumblefoot6. Bad Stuff feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian& Tony Franklin7. Tail Dragger feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick8. The Little Red Rooster feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy Haslip9. Purple Haze feat. Melanie10. Spoonful feat. Ted Nugent & Bob DaisleyBONUS TRACK [CD ONLY]11. Feel So Good feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt LightningClick Here to Subscribe to The Adventures of Pipeman for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS! Take some zany and serious journeys with The Pipeman aka Dean K. Piper, CST on The Adventures of Pipeman also known as Pipeman Radio syndicated globally “Where Who Knows And Anything Goes.”   Would you like to be a sponsor of the show?Would you like to have your business, products, services, merch, programs, books, music or any other professional or artistic endeavors promoted on the show?Would you like interviewed as a professional or music guest on The Adventures of Pipeman, Positively Pipeman and/or Pipeman in the Pit?Would you like to host your own Radio Show, Streaming TV Show, or Podcast?  PipemanRadio Podcasts are heard on Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and over 100 other podcast outlets where you listen to Podcasts.The following are the different podcasts to Follow, Listen, Download, Subscribe:The Adventures of PipemanPipeman RadioPipeman in the Pit – Music Interviews & FestivalsPipeman – The Wandering JewPositively Pipeman – Empowerment, Inspiration, Motivation, Self-Help, Business, Spiritual & Health & WellnessClick Here to Subscribe for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!Follow @pipemanradio on all socials & Pipeman Radio Requests & Info at www.linktr.ee/pipemanradioStream The Adventures of Pipeman daily & live Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays at 1PM ET on W4CY Radio & Talk 4 TV. Download, Rate & Review the Podcast at The Adventures of Pipeman, Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & All Podcast Apps.

Carmine Appice and his reformed Cactus on behalf of the new blues rock album, Temple Of Blues II, that's due out April 3 via Cleopatra Records.Now the Temple opens again, this time for an all-star aggregation that recalls Ted Nugent, Billy Sheehan, Bumblefoot, Dee Snider and Pat Travers from volume one, alongside an all-new wave of heavy hitters including Steve Morse (Deep Purple), Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot), Alex Skolnick (Testament), and a whole lot more!And Temple Of Blues II takes us back to their birth. That summer, Cactus were among the main attractions at the Isle of Wight Festival in England, and the new album's “Purple Haze” reunites them with both another of that bill's audience favorites, Melanie, and its overall headliner, Jimi Hendrix.Elsewhere on this thunderous sequel, Pat Travers returns for the mighty “Moanin' At Midnight,” Joe Lynn Turner joins Morse, Carmine's Guitar Zeus bandmate Tony Franklin and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) for “Bad Stuff,” Dee Snider (Twisted Sister) and Tracii Guns (L.A. Guns) lead the way for “The Little Red Rooster,” and Ted Nugent and Bob Daisley (Rainbow) join forces for an astonishing “Spoonful.”Track List:1. Back Door Man Pt. 1 & 2 feat. Eric Gales & Billy Sheehan2. 300 Pounds Of Joy feat. Ty Tabor3. Moanin' At Midnight feat. Pat Travers4. Down In The Bottom feat. Dug Pinnick5. Token Chokin' feat. Bumblefoot6. Bad Stuff feat. Steve Morse, Joe Lynn Turner, Derek Sherinian& Tony Franklin7. Tail Dragger feat. Rudy Sarzo & Alex Skolnick8. The Little Red Rooster feat. Dee Snider, Tracii Guns, Jimmy Haslip9. Purple Haze feat. Melanie10. Spoonful feat. Ted Nugent & Bob DaisleyBONUS TRACK [CD ONLY]11. Feel So Good feat. Billy Sheehan & Britt LightningClick Here to Subscribe to Pipeman in the Pit for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!  Pipeman in the Pit is a music, festival, and interview segment of The Adventures of Pipeman Radio Show (#pipemanradio) and from The King of All Festivals while on The Pipeman Radio Tour. Pipeman in the Pit features all kinds of music and interviews with bands & music artists especially in the genres of Heavy Metal, Rock, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, Punk Rock, Goth, Industrial, Alternative, Thrash Metal & Indie Music. Pipeman in the Pit also features press coverage of events, concerts, & music festivals.   Pipeman Productions is an artist management company that sponsors the show introducing new local & national talent showcasing new artists & indie artists.Then there is The Pipeman Radio Tour where Pipeman travels the country and world doing press coverage for Major Business Events, Conferences, Conventions, Music Festivals, Concerts, Award Shows, and Red Carpets. One of the top publicists in music has named Pipeman the “King of All Festivals.” So join the Pipeman as he brings “The Pipeman Radio Tour” to life right before your ears and eyes.Would you like to be a sponsor of the show?Would you like to have your business, products, services, merch, programs, books, music or any other professional or artistic endeavors promoted on the show?Would you like interviewed as a professional or music guest on The Adventures of Pipeman, Positively Pipeman and/or Pipeman in the Pit?Would you like to host your own Radio Show, Streaming TV Show, or Podcast?    PipemanRadio Podcasts are heard on Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Pandora, Amazon Music, Audible, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and over 100 other podcast outlets where you listen to Podcasts.  The following are the different podcasts to Follow, Listen, Download, Subscribe: ·        The Adventures of PipemanPipeman RadioPipeman in the Pit – Music Interviews & FestivalsPipeman – The Wandering JewPositively Pipeman – Empowerment, Inspiration, Motivation, Self-Help, Business, Spiritual & Health & WellnessBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pipeman-in-the-pit--2287932/support.Click Here to Subscribe for PERKS, BONUS Content & FREE GIVEWAYS!Follow @pipemanradio on all socials &  Pipeman Radio Requests & Info at www.linktr.ee/pipemanradioStream The Adventures of Pipeman daily & live Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays at 1PM ET on W4CY Radio & Talk 4 TV. Download, Rate & Review the Podcast at The Adventures of Pipeman, Pipeman Radio, Talk 4 Media, iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, YouTube & All Podcast Apps.

Shannon Curtis "The Promise" (When In Rome cover) www.shannoncurtis.netJah Wobble & Jon Klein "Read Between The Lines - Automated Paradise www.jahwobble.com Chasing Dolls "She's Gone Out (Pass Me A Lighter)" www.chasingdolls.comSeraphic & Laura T "Echoes" -Slow Crush "Gloom" - Hush www.slowcrush.org Rebels Opera "Love Like A Live Wire" www.rebelsopera.comTruckfighters "The Bliss" www.truckfighters.com****************ALBUM FOCUSCactus "Temple Of Blues II" www.cactusrocks.net The reformed Cactus, led by drum legend Carmine Appice, shows off another collection of blues, mostly covers. From this compilation I aired"Back Door Man Part 1 & 2" featuring Eric Gales and Billy Sheehan"300 Pounds Of Joy" featuring Ty Tabor"Moanin' At Midnight" featuring Pat Travers"Down In The Bottom" featuring Dug Pinnick************************** Brother "Set Me Free" - Aztec Two Step 2.0 "World Without Walls" - Apocalypse (Now!) www.aztectwostep.comJefferson Ross "Gideon" - Low Country Wedding www.jeffersonross.com Shotgun Curly "Stay (The Gospel Of Curly)" www.shotguncurly.comMic Harrison & The High Score "Old Man" - Peach Blossom Youth www.micharrison.comSlaid Cleaves "Put The Shovel Down" - Together Through The Dark www.slaidcleaves.com*******************Eliane Amherd "Heida" - La Degustation www.elianeperforms.comLeo Brazil "Unsinkable Sam" - Alonehttps://www.birdsandbeastsrecords.com/Seth Tabatznik "Pacha Mama" - Dave Gunning "Going Nowhere Tonight" - Field Notes www.davegunning.comRosy Nolan "Main Attraction" - I Don't Need To Know www.rosynolan.comKatie Beth Mihm "Cause I Told You" www.katiebethhihm.com*********************

The 98th Academy Awards were Sunday night. KPop Demon Hunters swept its two nominations. Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein cleaned up in the craft categories and won three awards. But the big question going into the night was what would win the big awards. Would it be Sinners, with its record-setting 16 nominations, or the seemingly inevitable One Battle After Another? Inevitability won out. One Battle After Another won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Paul Thomas Anderson. This hour, The Nose reacts to the Oscars — the awards themselves, the ceremony as television, the fashion, the memes, Conan O’Brien’s turn as host — the whole thing. GUESTS: Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Vivian Nabeta: Director of digital marketing for Connecticut State Community College Gene Seymour: A “writer, professional spectator, pop-culture maven, and jazz geek Music featured (in order): There’s No Business Like Show Business – The Original Movie Orchestra Peg – Steely Dan Everything’s Come Up Roses – The Replacements I Lied to You (Live at the Oscars) – Miles Canton, Shaboozey, Brittany Howard, Eric Gales, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram Golden (Live at the Oscars) – EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami The Way We Were – Barbra Streisand (but the original proper version) Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pacific St Blues & AmericanaMarch 15, 2026Part 2 of 2 21. Fabulous Thunderbirds / You're Humbuggin' Me22. Johnny Winter / Be Careful with a Fool 23. Wings / Call Me Back Again 24. Paul Rodgers / Let Me Roll It 25. Mike Finnigan / Leave that Liar Alone 26. Selwyn Birchwood / Should'a Never Gotten Out of Bed 27. The Movies (Matt Whipkey) / Ruffin 28. Bruce Springsteen / American Land 29. Tom Waits / Jersey Girl30. Lucinda Williams / Freedom Speaks 31. Tinsley Ellis / Too Broke 32. Led Zeppelin / Black Country Woman 33. Sebastian Lane / Floatin' Away 34. Eric Gales / Rockin' Horse (feat Kingfish Ingram) 35. Joann Lynn Parker / End of the Line 36. Black Crowes / Profane Prophecy 

Eric Gales, president of AWS Canada On March 14, 2006, Amazon Web Services launched S3, its first generally available cloud service. Twenty years later, AWS is a $100-billion-plus business, and the cloud has fundamentally reshaped how technology gets to market in Canada and everywhere else. To mark the occasion, we sat down with Eric Gales, president of AWS Canada, for a conversation about what those two decades have meant for Canadian partners – and where things are headed. Eric has been at the centre of the Canadian tech channel through every major platform shift. Before joining AWS in 2015, he served as president of Microsoft Canada during the company’s push to the cloud and as country manager for VMware Canada. Few people in the industry have watched the Canadian channel evolve from as many vantage points. In this conversation, Eric talks about the early skepticism partners had about buying cloud services from “a bookseller,” the moment it became clear that cloud wasn’t a passing trend, and what separated the partners who made the transition successfully from those who struggled. He also discusses how the launch of AWS regions in Montreal and Calgary changed the data sovereignty conversation for Canadian customers, and how that conversation is evolving again as AI enters the picture. Looking ahead, Eric shares his perspective on what Canadian MSPs and resellers should be focusing on right now, why he believes AI represents a generational opportunity for the channel, and what the latest AWS partner program updates mean in practice. He also offers a candid reflection on what he’d tell the channel if he could go back to 2006. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In The Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca, joining you for a special Friday episode. Thanks for pressing play. On March 14, 2006 – Pi Day, for those keeping track – Amazon Web Services launched S3, its first generally available cloud service. Tomorrow marks 20 years since that moment, and whether you were paying attention to AWS back then or not, it’s hard to argue that any single technology shift has reshaped the channel more than cloud. To mark the occasion, I sat down with someone I’ve known for close to 20 years in this industry – Eric Gales, the president of AWS Canada. Eric’s been at the center of pretty much every major platform shift in the channel. He ran Microsoft Canada during the cloud push, led VMware Canada, and has been heading up AWS Canada since 2015. So there aren’t many people better positioned to reflect on what the last two decades of cloud have meant for Canadian partners, and where AI is taking things next. This one’s a conversation, not an interrogation. I hope you enjoy it. Here’s Eric Gales from AWS Canada. Eric, thanks for taking the time. I appreciate it. Eric Gales: My pleasure, Rob. Great to talk to you. Robert Dutt: We’ve known each other for quite a while, going back to your Microsoft Canada days, and it’s been close to 20 years now. Before we get into AWS at 20, when you look over the arc of your career in Canada – Microsoft, VMware, AWS – you’ve been fortunate enough to be with and to lead some really transformative companies. What’s the single biggest thing that you’ve seen that’s changed about how technology gets to market here in Canada over those two decades? Eric Gales: Yeah, you know what, as you indicated, it’s been fascinating. It’s been super fun to be in the tech sector. I’ll take a few things. One is, I think about it as eras of computing. I actually started at the dawn of the PC era, the end of that mid-range era. The PC changed everything, and then local area networking, and the internet, and mobile computing. Then my time in Canada – when I first came to Canada I worked for Microsoft, and I worked for Compaq before I came to Microsoft. In this era, technology has only become more important to more customers. That’s one storyline, is that it’s become more and more important. One thing I think is the most profound change in recent times is, it was always just the domain of technologists. I was working for technology companies, selling to technologists. Now, because the impact of technology is so profound, it’s a lot more about businesses, and business leaders, and lines of business understanding what the technology can do. I think that’s been the biggest evolution, and certainly in the last decade, is the importance that everybody within an organization appreciates the importance of technology, and what it can do, and how to apply it. Robert Dutt: That has been pretty transformative for the channel, hasn’t it? Selling into line of business, selling into the C-suite rather than going to the CIO. That’s a good point. For all the technology changes, that’s kind of been the thing, right? Not a technology, but rather the “who cares about it” part of it. Eric Gales: Exactly. I think, just like as someone in this business myself, if I look out to that partner ecosystem, they’ve been on that same transformation that creates new challenges for every partner, as well as new opportunities. Those that have been most successful have of course been the ones that continue to evolve their businesses to meet the needs of, ultimately, the end customer. Robert Dutt: When AWS launched S3 back on Pi Day 2006, I don’t think many folks in the Canadian channel were paying attention on that day in particular. As you moved through your career path, when did you first realize, “Okay, cloud isn’t a buzzword. This is a fundamental change both in technology, and it’s going to rewire the channel”? Eric Gales: Yeah, I think there were two things back then. One was, at the time, of course, Amazon was not synonymous with being a technology provider. It was a consumer of technology. So point one was, “Amazon’s launched something.” I didn’t work for them then, and I would be in that community that says, “Why would you buy those services from a bookseller?” So that was one dimension of it. And then the second thing was, there had been managed services before, but I think the thing that a lot of people missed for a while was, a few things had changed. The internet was ubiquitous. People were using the internet for lots of different things. And so it was that new transport that the internet gave you that enabled a company like Amazon to come along with AWS and offer a service that was available to everybody. And then it also changed the way that people thought about consumption. Because up until that point, most software and consumption of services was a long-term contract or a license. And this was pay as you go, use on demand. It was a whole new construct. And I think it took a while for people to realize that AWS had changed a whole set of characteristics about how technology was going to be consumed. And the rest is history. That whole idea took off because it just made so much sense to customers, and many partners got behind that very quickly in terms of seeing the opportunity to transform how they interacted with their own customers. Robert Dutt: You’ve said, and I don’t think this is too much of a secret to the industry, to anyone who’s observed the Canadian business and technology scene, that Canadian businesses are slower to adopt new technology than especially the US, but also European counterparts. There’s that kind of tendency to let someone else see where the mines are in the minefield before you go walking. Looking back over 20 years of cloud in Canada, do you think that gap has closed, or has that sort of conservative approach to technology shifted forward to a new frontier? Are we going to see the same thing with AI now? Eric Gales: I think, you know what, when I first started working over here with the cloud 10 years ago, a lot of my conversations were about why cloud and why it was important, both with partners and end customers. And at that time, I had felt this sort of theme that Canada was slower to adopt technology. And I felt there was a real opportunity there because everyone was at the beginning. And so here’s an opportunity for us to take these capabilities to our customers and help them to play catch up with other jurisdictions. And I learned back then – I’d already learned by then – that it was important to point to Canadian customers to make it okay. To avoid the sort of “first to be second” thing. “Canadian customers are doing this.” And so we went out of our way early on to get key brands on our platform in every industry so we could make it okay. But I’d say in aggregate, yes, we’ve made a huge amount of progress, but the Canadian landscape moved a little bit more slowly than other jurisdictions. I see the same opportunity now, but the landscape has changed, the circumstances have changed. I think politically, geopolitically, there’s a new opportunity, particularly with AI. And I think there’s a great opportunity for Canada, for Canadian firms, for Canadian government, and for Canadian partners to take this opportunity to really see if we can accelerate the consumption and the application of this technology to real business problems and productivity challenges. And again, once again, the world is all at the same starting point. So I think there’s a great opportunity here to accelerate the Canadian adoption of these kind of capabilities in this next era. Robert Dutt: One of the things that certainly arguably helped close that gap, helped make cloud much more de rigueur here in Canada, is that we kind of eliminated the “okay, so my data is going to live where?” question. For you guys, rolling out Montreal in 2016, I think it was, and Calgary a couple years ago – not just data center announcements, these were things that unlocked data residency and sovereignty conversations that Canadian partners and their customers really needed. As those conversations shift from “where does my data live” to “who controls my AI models and my training data,” how does that change the work that partners do and how they frame that to customers? Eric Gales: Yeah, I think it’s interesting again, but go back to the history of it here. Many things have changed that have stayed the same. The importance of security – that hasn’t changed. Arguably, it’s more important. The management and the financial controls of technology they might be using – those haven’t changed. They’ve changed the application of those, but there are some key themes. This question of sovereignty and control of one’s data and the policies around it – those things are very important. They were very important to us. One of the reasons that we built our infrastructure here is the control of this for our customers. That’s why in this AI era, the same things apply. And so we’re super focused on maintaining the same principles that allow customers to use these models with their data in a secure way. That means that their IP doesn’t leak out somewhere. We don’t use their data for anything else. And so to us, the same philosophical approach and the same technical approaches to making sure that customers can be confident that there’s a way of taking advantage of all of these capabilities without compromising the security, the privacy, and their own intellectual property. That is a key feature of our value proposition to our customers – we help you get all of the benefits of these capabilities without the risks associated with using models which sort of live on the internet somewhere. Robert Dutt: For Canadian VARs, MSPs, folks who’ve been around since the early days of cloud, the ones who made that transition from selling boxes to selling services – what did the ones who succeeded have in common? And sort of the flip side of that as well, what did the ones who struggled to make that transition miss? Eric Gales: Yeah, I mean, I think – you’ve heard me say this before, Rob – but I’m a maniacal believer that the only sustainable competitive advantage is innovation. And whatever business you’re in, if you’re not innovating, if you’re not willing to change, then you’re losing. It’s just at what rate. And that’s not a new problem. I’d put it out there that, think of any company that you knew that was top of its game and then it wasn’t. In whatever industry, I would posit that you could trace it to a lack of innovation on product, customer service, supply chain, whatever. And that’s the case with the IT sector and with partners. If you think that you’re going to be able to hold the tide back in a world that’s changing, that’s going to come to a stop. And I’d say the characteristic of those partners that were able to most benefit from these eras of computing were those that were prepared to transform how they were going to make money, where they were going to make money, what they were going to contribute to their customers. And those that didn’t do that are the ones that typically end up in a position where their business isn’t sustainable anymore because that market went away. When I started in the industry, my first job, I was an installation engineer, and there’ll be some people out there – maybe you’re one of them – that remember, we used to put Harvard graphics cards into PCs. People paid money for us, for me, to do that work. And then, you know, graphics cards came in the PC. And so that business went away. And that’s the case. Where the money can be made, where you can build a profitable business, it’s been evolving. But the actual surface area to build businesses and be partners that help customers translate this technology into value for them – that opportunity has only got bigger. And that’s the case today. If you think about the potential for AI and AI services, there’s just a tremendous opportunity out there for partners to help customers translate these capabilities into value for their businesses. Robert Dutt: You guys have talked about partners being the lifeblood of AWS, I think the language that the leadership team has used. The fact that partners are generating $7 for every dollar of AWS service sold. That’s a great number. But for a Canadian MSP who’s in that long tail of the channel, that isn’t a Deloitte or an Accenture – maybe they’re a 15-person shop in the GTA or Calgary or wherever they may be – what does that $7 actually look like for them, and where is that value being created? Eric Gales: Yeah, I’d say there’s a few different areas. So if you think about the continuum, there are many customers out there who have yet to move their on-premises infrastructure to the cloud. And so there is a whole decade’s worth of work or more in helping customers to transform what they’re doing on-prem into the cloud. And there’s a necessity to do that, because the opportunity to leverage these new sets of capabilities like AI, for example – they have a dependency on having proximity of your data to these cloud services. And so at one end of the spectrum you’ve got migrations and modernizations of legacy technologies and architectures to the cloud. And at the other end of the spectrum, there’s building new capabilities, using the features of the cloud, using these new capabilities with AI. And we see three big categories there: helping businesses generate more employee productivity, helping streamline business processes and doing new processes in new ways, and then also thinking about new business models. And so there’s a continuum. The technology itself is a set of tools that can be applied to every business. But the services around that, the people and process part – that’s where that $7 is. That $7 is the people and process, largely, around helping customers to adopt and deploy and take advantage of these capabilities. And then there’s both the SI partners and then ISVs that live on the AWS platform. And we’ve tried to create new opportunities for those too, with things like Marketplace, to help our customers be able to consume software from our partners that build software that runs on AWS too. Robert Dutt: You guys rolled out some pretty significant program changes for 2026 – growth incentives, different benefits, changes to deal registration. For a partner who’s been doing this for a while, what’s sort of the biggest practical change they’ll feel day to day this year in terms of being an AWS partner? Eric Gales: Yeah, I think a lot of those changes are built in sympathy to what we were hearing from our partners and from our customers, to allow us to streamline the way that we’re working with our partners, to allow us to focus more explicitly in solution areas as well as specific industries. Think back to some of my opening comments at the beginning there – it’s more important than ever to be able to translate these capabilities into the language of the customer. And so we have a lot of focus on industry, for example, to help our customers put this technology into context. And so thematically, we’re trying to translate everything we’re learning from our partners and our customers into programming that allows us to jointly focus on the right things. And for us to make sure we’re getting the right support to the right partners in the right places to help them to scale their business. We think this next era of compute, particularly led by AI, provides a tremendous new opportunity for our partners to translate this technology into value for our customers. And so we’re trying to line up our execution and programming in a way that is much clearer, simpler to engage with, more transparent about what we think is important, and allows us to get the right support to the right people at the right time. Robert Dutt: You talked about the idea of AI kind of resetting that starting line, creating a new starting point where everyone’s on a more even footing because, like we were with cloud, it’s a new start. A lot of MSPs that I talk to are still figuring out the basics of it – the where to start, what’s real, what’s hype, how do I find value for my customers? I think you touched on that a little bit in the last answer. But if you were advising a Canadian MSP right now on their first meaningful AI conversation with a customer, what would you tell them to focus on? Eric Gales: I think it’s all about business value. Whenever you have a new era of technology like this, there are a bunch of people just trying to sell stuff. And customers want this stuff to be translated into value for them. And so I think really looking for where is the business value of the application of this technology, and being the translator of that for customers. Because there are tremendous opportunities for AI and generative AI and symbolic AI and machine learning to be applied in whole new ways with our customers. And what we’re finding is our customers need help to translate that into value for them. And so the real opportunity is to identify where are the sweet spots today that you can take a value proposition to a customer that is all about real business value and the “how” part. How do they get that value? And so I think at this stage, that is most important. There’s a high noise-to-signal ratio right now in this world because it’s moving so quickly. And customers are looking for people that can help to translate all of this noise into signal that’s valuable to them. And so that’s my general advice: find the opportunities where you can translate all of this stuff into real business value, whether that’s a particular use case, a particular portfolio of customers. And at the same time, every partner needs to have a business model here, a business that supports scaling and growing into the future, to translate this opportunity into business value for themselves. Robert Dutt: And sort of the flip side of that, what’s the biggest risk for a Canadian partner who looks at it and says, “Okay, still early in the game, going to wait for clarity”? Eric Gales: Yeah, I’d say that there can be no waiting. What we’re finding is that every customer, every partner needs to get moving. There’s a huge amount to be learned by doing here, and every era of compute that you and I have been involved in and the IT sector, it has gone at a faster rate than the previous one. And this one is going at a rate that we’ve never seen before. I think last year, 160,000 customers volunteered that they are adopting some form of AI. And that’s the highest rate of adoption we’ve ever seen of any technology, including internet and mobile phones. So this is happening. One needs to be moving. And there is a certain amount here, I think, for partners, of moving the train whilst laying the track. Those two things are important. I think the folks that wait will find themselves at a disadvantage just because it’s moving too quickly. And in fact, you have to build a business model, just like we’re doing here from my own organization, that is dynamically learning and evolving, because the rate of change here and the applicability – I mean, if you think about two years ago, 18 months ago even, you and I were talking about LLMs. But now we’re talking about agentic workflows. We’re past the LLM. It’s really about the application of this technology with agents. And so even in that very short period, the applicability of this technology and how people consume it has changed pretty profoundly. And so I think it’s super important every partner starts moving, because there’s a lot to learn and a lot to keep up with as this thing continues to accelerate. Robert Dutt: All right, I’m going to ask this one just a little bit tongue in cheek, maybe. 2006, you arrived in Canada and AWS launched. 20 years later, you’re running AWS Canada. If the next 20 years of cloud and AI are as transformative as the last 20 years have been to this business, to this business model, what does the Canadian IT channel look like in 2046? Are there still resellers and MSPs, or has everything been reinvented? Just crystal ball for me. Eric Gales: I think a lot is going to change. There’s no doubt about that. A lot is going to change. We very much see that, just as has been the case to date – if you think about it, IT has been about augmenting and working with humans and human processes and business processes. It’s created new business models. It’s allowed us to do things in new ways and to live, work, and play in all different ways. This next era of the application of AI, in particular at scale, follows the same themes but creates incredible new opportunities. So I think we’re going to see a tremendous amount of change in terms of how we live, work, and play with this technology. But within the context of that, tremendous opportunities to be part of the solution versus part of the problem. Part of helping people to embrace and use and deploy all of these capabilities in ways that are value-added and respecting the things that we know are important – security and privacy and intellectual property protection. There is a tremendous opportunity, I think, ahead. But I would not underestimate how profound the change is going to be over the course of, if you take that 20-year horizon, tremendous change. I think even over the course of the next few years, we’re going to see a lot of change in terms of how we work and how we live and how we interact with each other. Robert Dutt: All right, a more sane final question for you, especially since it is the 20th birthday of AWS. If you could go back to 2006 and tell the Canadian channel one thing about where the cloud was going to take them, 20 years on to 2026, what would it be? Eric Gales: I think, drafting off what we just talked about, it’s: don’t underestimate the opportunity here. When you have a new set of capabilities, back then with the birth of the cloud, there were people that embraced it very early on and were real beneficiaries of it. There are some partners I can think back to at the beginning, when I first came here to Canada, that really embraced that opportunity. And those that waited – those that waited missed out on a tremendous opportunity. So I think I would go back, if I could, and just try and do a better job of helping people to appreciate what the opportunity was here and why the people that were early adopters of it had the most to gain. And I think we’re in that moment now with AI. So the same again – I think tremendous opportunity here for Canada, for Canadian companies, Canadian partners to be the leaders in how these capabilities get applied to businesses and governments and how we work and live together. And so I’d say, lean in. Now is the time to lean in and work out how you can leverage this stuff to build a business and help businesses. Robert Dutt: All right. A very happy 20th birthday to AWS. And Eric, thanks so much for taking the time. Eric Gales: Thanks, Robert. Great to talk to you. Robert Dutt: There you have it. Eric Gales, president of AWS Canada, on 20 years of AWS. Again, the official anniversary is tomorrow, March 14th. I thought Eric’s point about the Harvard graphics card was a great one. The work disappears, but the opportunity doesn’t. It just changes shape. That’s been the story of the channel for as long as I’ve been covering it. And that’s the story again right now with AI. Thanks to Eric for joining us. And thank you for listening. The podcast will be back on Monday with In Case You Missed It, our weekly roundup of some of the headlines that might have flown under the radar this week. And next week on In The Channel, expect to hear about microsegmentation and why “contained by default” is replacing “detect and respond,” what Barracuda’s latest threat data says about how fast ransomware actually moves, and why the network visibility your business relies on might have more blind spots than you think. Between now and then, we’d invite you to subscribe to or follow the podcast in your podcast app of choice. And if it allows you to, please leave a rating and review. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, and I’ll see you in the channel.

Lee Caswell, senior vice president of product and solutions marketing at Nutanix Nutanix has published the 8th annual Enterprise Cloud Index, its flagship survey tracking how organizations are building and managing infrastructure. This year’s findings hit three themes that matter for the channel: the rapid spread of unmanaged AI tools, the growing weight of data sovereignty, and the accelerating shift toward containers. Lee Caswell, Nutanix’s senior vice president of product and solutions marketing, joins us to dig into the data. Lee spent years at VMware before joining Nutanix, giving him an unusual perspective on how the infrastructure market is reshaping itself – particularly as organizations navigate Broadcom’s changes to VMware alongside the push to build AI-ready environments. The numbers are striking: 79 per cent of respondents encounter AI tools deployed outside IT’s oversight, 80 per cent consider data sovereignty a top infrastructure priority, and 87 per cent expect containerization to increase. But Lee’s read goes beyond the headlines. On shadow AI, he argues most of this is rational behaviour by teams testing in the cloud before committing on-prem – the real challenge is providing a structured path, not clamping down. On sovereignty, he draws a memorable distinction between a “noisy neighbor” and a “nosy neighbor” in multi-tenant environments – a framing that matters for how MSPs position managed services around compliance. Lee, who recently wrote about what he calls the “sovereign edge”, goes deep on what sovereignty means in practice when AI workloads need to stay local. The conversation also explores the MSP opportunity. While 65 per cent of respondents say their AI runs via managed service providers, Lee candidly notes that figure includes SaaS-delivered AI. The bigger play, he argues, is MSPs becoming the “governed alternative” to shadow AI – a sanctioned service layer offering sovereignty compliance, optimal application placement, and predictable costs. His closing advice: be “AI smart,” not just “AI fast.” Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In The Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to Canadian IT solution providers for 16 years now. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca, and as always your host for the show. If you’re an MSP, there’s a good chance your customers are already using AI tools that your team doesn’t know about. Nutanix recently released the 8th annual Enterprise Cloud Index, their big annual survey of how organizations are building and managing infrastructure. And this year, the data paints a picture that would be uncomfortable for anyone who thinks they’ve got a handle on where AI is running in their environment. Nearly 80% of respondents say they’ve encountered AI tools or agents deployed outside IT’s control. Data sovereignty has become a top priority, and containers are quietly becoming the default for new applications. My guest today is Lee Caswell, Nutanix’s senior vice president of product and solutions marketing. Lee came to Nutanix from VMware, so he’s been watching the infrastructure market reshape itself from a vantage point that very few people have. We dig into what the survey data actually says, where the contradictions are, and what it means for MSPs and solution providers. Here’s our conversation. Robert Dutt: Lee, thanks for taking the time. Lee Caswell: Well, Robert, thank you. Robert Dutt: You come to Nutanix from VMware, and your CEO now, Rajiv Ramaswami, he was the COO over there. Now you’re running this survey while the virtualization market is being reshaped by Broadcom’s changes. How does sitting where you sit now, having been kind of on both sides of that fence, shape how you look at this year’s data? Lee Caswell: Well, I think it’s fascinating that for years, maybe 20 years, people just assumed that the underlying virtualization layer was fixed. That vSphere was well established, super product, exciting. A lot of people built their careers, frankly, on learning the ins and outs of vSphere. And to a lesser extent, some of the later add-on products. But the idea that the underlying virtualization layer has changed has, for the first time in years, had people reconsidering how they will build out their IT infrastructure for the next 10 years. Robert Dutt: And we’ll circle back to that theme and that infrastructure theme a little later. But I wanted to dive in off the top into shadow AI, because it’s something that we’ve been talking about a fair bit on the podcast, and it’s something that a lot of partners are thinking about and trying to get their heads around how to deal with it. According to the survey, 79% of your respondents say they’re encountering AI tools or agents that are deployed outside the purview of IT. That’s a striking number. I’m curious, though, about the quality of the problem. Is this mostly folks who are using ChatGPT carelessly or without permission, or are we talking about the worst-case scenario of actual AI agents making business decisions willy-nilly without oversight? Lee Caswell: Well, we’ve certainly seen some of those later examples, but I think the majority of this is rational decision-making on IT and developer teams. Thinking about the fact that AI infrastructure itself can be relatively expensive. GPUs, new servers, new hardware. You’re generally bringing new hardware into the mix to start with. And what customers have been doing is before they go and make their investment strategy, and particularly in on-prem environments, they’ve been trying things out in the cloud where you can rent infrastructure, you can basically start something up, spin it down. That’s kind of a classic test-dev model, by the way, not different from what we’ve experienced in the past. And yet, when you look at how you’re going to deploy AI long-term with considerations around sovereignty and privacy, and particularly around predictable and lower costs, you start thinking about how you can take your on-prem infrastructure skills, which could include a data center but might also include the edge, and start thinking about how do you bring your already-strapped IT teams into this? And from a channel perspective, it’s how do you leverage some of the skills where people have been trained, particularly on virtualization. We’ll come back to this in just a minute. And basically apply this now into the new world of AI LLMs, AI hardware, and containerized infrastructure running on VMs. Robert Dutt: So if I’m an MSP supporting that kind of mid-market client, the 200 to 1,000 seat kind of space, what does a practical response to shadow AI look like at this moment in time? Because, you know, “implement an AI governance framework,” that’s great in concept, but that’s the kind of consulting engagement that’s a little hard for a lot of MSPs to deliver. Lee Caswell: Well, first off, you want to start thinking about what are the risks you’re trying to address. One is you want to look carefully at what LLMs your user base is actually using. One of the things that we’ve been able to do, for example, is have an audit trail, so you can look at who’s using DeepSeek, for example. Who’s using OpenAI? Who’s using some of the Llama 2, Llama 3 models, for example, or NVIDIA models? So the ability to go and look into the user base and get an assessment of that. Secondly, you’re looking at how do you make sure you don’t have a runaway cost model? This was one of the risks in the early cloud days, you remember. You had users getting shocked with the amount of unplanned, unmanaged cloud costs. And so you’ve got this opportunity now to look at how do you manage a brand new metric of consumption, by the way, called a token. I defy you to find somebody who knows exactly how tokens are created and the like. That’s a very difficult challenge. If you can provide a predictable way to manage, monitor, and control the usage of tokens, we do that as a way to basically protect against runaway costs. And then finally, the idea of sovereignty. So where is your data? Specifically, as you look at geopolitical considerations, we have, I think, a stunning finding that showed that 57% of our respondents said that they wanted their AI workloads to be within a sovereign country. Now, that doesn’t mean a single location necessarily, but it does show the concerns around where’s my data? Who can subpoena my data? Who’s got access to my data? And it may be, Robert, that the data model is more sensitive than the data itself, because the data model shows how you’re interpreting the data. And that’s actually a really interesting finding, I think, for a lot of folks, as AI takes hold so quickly. Robert Dutt: And data sovereignty is an area that we want to drill down on. It’s an area that’s of key interest to our audience, obviously. You touch on the 57% number in terms of how customers want infrastructure in a single country. 80% say it’s a high priority. You wrote recently about what you called the “sovereign edge,” the idea that AI is forcing compute closer to data within sovereign boundaries. For a Canadian audience that’s been navigating this between different regulation at different levels, the US hyperscalers and the CLOUD Act, for years, what’s new here? Is this kind of validation that what they’re seeing is real, or is the ground really shifting here? Lee Caswell: I think the sensitivity is a continuation of the trends that we’ve seen in the past. What’s changed is the understanding that in an AI world, data will be more distributed than it is today. And so imagine if you’re a hydro company, let’s say. And you’ve got different dams and facilities and hydro control points. These are distributed. They need to be able to run in a disconnected manner. You want to have AI applied locally. If you’re doing things around video processing, you don’t want to send all that data back to a central location. And so the ability to have a distributed model where your data and apps are more distributed and yet be connected so that you can do patching, for example, day-two operations, security updates, and push those out to a distributed environment. Now the realization is sovereignty has grown in importance, and at the same time, my data and applications will be more distributed. That’s a double stressor for IT teams looking at how to maintain that control and let the agility of distributed operations continue on. Robert Dutt: So are you seeing organizations redefine sovereignty in terms of operational control rather than just “the data lives here”? Because I think that distinction can matter pretty significantly for how MSPs ultimately architect their solutions and try to address this challenge. Lee Caswell: Yeah, I think for MSPs, there’s a few important areas to think through. One is that customers who were looking for, let’s say, an infrastructure link are now looking for an AI dial tone. They’re expecting to have AI available, always on, no matter where they are, accessing it for their users. Because AI is quickly, as you can see from the data here, becoming a top corporate priority. So that’s one thing. The second one is that the sovereignty means you need to make sure you’re controlling where is your data replicated to? Where does DR happen? How do you fail back within sovereign boundaries? Being able to establish that, something where the data services, something that you can establish or set as a differentiated capability, has been extremely important. And then lastly, you start thinking about what about within the MSP? There’s a noisy neighbor issue, but there’s a nosy neighbor issue, which is how do I make sure that someone inside can’t cross boundaries internally in an MSP and look at your data being hosted in a common location? This is an area that you’re going to want to look carefully at multi-tenancy and how the infrastructure protects your data even when some of the infrastructure is shared across users. Robert Dutt: So let’s shift and talk about containers, because I think that’s one of the areas that’s impactful but kind of hard for the audience to act on immediately. You have 87% increasing their containerization, 83% building new apps in containers. For MSPs who are still living in a virtual machine-centered world, which is probably a lot of them at this point in time, what’s the practical on-ramp? And honestly, how urgent is this? Do they have years to kind of figure this out and re-strategize, or is this a situation where if you’re not there, you’re already behind? Lee Caswell: I think for many customers who are running traditional applications and let’s say they move from an owned data center into a service provider model, the idea is that the applications may not be changing as fast as the container world might have them think. However, what you’re seeing is that new applications are built with containers because developers benefit from running in containers. What we’re finding though is most customers, the far majority of containers, are running in VMs. And they run in VMs because you’re able to now get the benefits of software agility – develop apps faster, eliminate testing dependencies, be able to run in distributed environments more quickly. Those benefits are married or matched with the resiliency of the underlying infrastructure so that individual components can fail. You can have day-two operations intact, and you’ve got integrated privacy and security and sovereignty. The idea that you’re going to run these both – it turns out we allow customers to run containers depending on their use case. If they were going to run on a bare metal instance, they can. If they want to run in the public cloud on EKS, for example, they can run our container Kubernetes stack, take advantage of our orchestration capabilities, but they don’t have to. For many customers, the fastest path to adopting containers will be to run containers in VMs, very familiar to our users and to the service provider base. What we’re encouraging them to get ready for is that even if they weren’t considering containers for traditional workloads, the fast adoption of AI workloads will bring a requirement for supporting containers. Think carefully around how do you leverage the training you already have, resilient infrastructure, all the things that our teams have been able to protect their downside, and still get access to the upside of new AI applications. We think running containers in VMs actually makes that the fastest path to container adoption. Robert Dutt: On AI agents, the survey shows a great deal of optimism around them. The productivity gains, the new revenue streams, all of that. But you also note that, as we talked about before, 79% of organizations can’t quite figure out how to manage the tools their employees are already using. Can you walk me through that disconnect? How do you go from “we can’t govern what we have” to “let’s deploy autonomous agents”? Lee Caswell: Yeah. Well, as you start thinking about what people have realized about AI, first, most customers have figured out that AI training will happen in the public cloud and that training requires huge investments, large power outlays that can only be taken on by the development of the models by the largest hyperscalers and some sovereign nations themselves. And so customers have been looking at, “I’m going to take models,” but then they quickly realize that the ability to have these models be useful in a particular company environment is dependent on having access to proprietary data. Think of support. If you want to support a product, it’s not interesting to have support in a general sense. You want to have support for your products, things that you may not want to expose, internal documents that are proprietary and private to your specific company. So now what you’re doing is basically taking these models, giving them access to your private data. And now the idea is, “I’m going to be able to take that inferencing model,” which is what this is called. Taking inferencing means you can take advantage of a software platform that abstracts the new hardware that’s required, GPUs, and abstracts the different types of models that you may choose over time. And so this is where you have these different LLMs. The ability to access those – we certify and validate the leading models so that they will run on the GPUs that are certified by our OEM partners. And so what we’re doing is taking out the risks. Effectively, what you do is leverage all the expertise you have for building an enterprise-level application today, and now be able to assimilate GPUs at the hardware layer and new LLMs at the software layer. And we’ll make it operate exactly the same as what you have today. Robert Dutt: 65% say that their AI applications are running today via managed service providers. That’s a pretty validating number for our audience, except for maybe the few who are going to say, “Well, what about the other 35%?” But, you know, can’t please everyone every time. I want to push though on what running AI via MSP actually means in practice. Are we talking about infrastructure hosting, model development and management, governance and compliance? What’s the service that MSPs are actually delivering today versus what they should be thinking about building towards for the future as this evolves? Lee Caswell: Yeah, I think the numbers overstate a little bit about how much training and skill building has actually happened already, because this would include things like SaaS-delivered services. And as you think of SaaS-delivered services like Copilot or ServiceNow or Salesforce, you’ll have AI-enhanced SaaS services that can be delivered by a service provider. What we’re anticipating and preparing service providers for is the idea that customers will, as they have private data to run their private models, be requiring dedicated equipment or provided services that give access to GPUs and LLMs that are beyond a SaaS-level model and now are actually specific applications for specific customer use case models. Robert Dutt: We talked about shadow AI a little earlier. I’m curious, speaking of future states for MSPs, is there a world where the MSP becomes kind of the governed alternative to shadow AI? Essentially the sanctioned AI service layer? Because that seems like a bigger play and a little bit harder to get your head around, but a bigger opportunity than just, “Hey, we host applications on GPUs now as well as CPUs.” Lee Caswell: I think so. And I think there’s a terrific both revenue and profit opportunity for service providers around this. First, there’s a services aspect of thinking about where do these applications run? Do they run in one location? Do they run across the hybrid cloud? So for anyone who’s working with cloud providers, how do I bridge this world out to this sovereign edge as we talked about? So that idea of how do I optimally locate applications, AI applications, and their associated data – that’s a very interesting workflow model to start with. And then next up, I think, is the idea of, well, where and how do I maintain sovereignty within this model? Service providers have a terrific opportunity to say, “Here are the limits within which your data and applications can move. And I’m going to provide that and give you some audit capabilities to manage any compliance risks that you have.” So terrific opportunity, I think, for service providers to become, as you mentioned, that governed alternative. And then finally, the idea that you would have a predictable cost model with tokens that allow you to share GPU resources means not just predictable, but lower cost than having an unpredictable model from the hyperscalers. We think this is actually a really compelling opportunity for service providers going forward. Robert Dutt: Can’t let you go without asking this one directly. A lot of our audience is in the middle of evaluating their virtualization platforms because of what’s happened with Broadcom and VMware. Within the survey data, is there anything about how those infrastructure decisions intersect with AI and sovereignty, the things we’ve been talking about, that you’d like to share? Are organizations treating this transition and the AI buildout as separate projects, or do things start to connect in an overall infrastructure refresh rethink? Lee Caswell: Well, I think some of the excitement from a service provider standpoint should be based on modeling or following what’s happening with the largest hyperscalers. I mean, you’re watching hyperscalers build out tens of billions of dollars of capital per month. We’ve never seen anything like this happen. And so that model, at a hyperscaler level, now what you’re thinking about is 82% from the survey of our respondents felt that their infrastructure was not fully ready for AI. And so building this out – I called this an AI dial tone earlier. The idea that similar to how you remember, Robert, how when you went to hotels, when Wi-Fi came along, all of a sudden Wi-Fi became de rigueur. You had to have it. If it wasn’t fast enough, people knew right away and responded very quickly. My view is we’re going to have exactly the same response to having fast, secure, and managed AI dial tones, if you will, for AI workloads, where you can apply your custom data or your private data and do that quickly using skills that you already have. For me, that means using a platform based on servers, based on certified GPUs, getting access to a changing set and world of LLMs. And being able to abstract both the hardware elements and the software elements means that you’re going to have customers be able to take all of the fast-changing AI world and bring it to their business problems more quickly. Robert Dutt: Before we wrap, a couple of lightning round questions, if you will. If a Canadian MSP is listening to this and thinking, “Okay, I need to do something differently,” what’s kind of the one thing based on what this data is showing that you’d tell them to prioritize in the next 12 months in terms of transforming their business? Lee Caswell: Yeah, I’d say number one is AI is coming. So prepare yourself. If you think you can get started nicely with small clusters, for example – one of the nice things about the Nutanix model is you can start small and grow from there. So start small, get a usable cluster ready for customers so they can try out how they can assimilate new GPU hardware, new AI LLMs. I think that’s essential. Also, in the process, what will happen is they’ll get experience with this new world of containers without giving up their virtualization expertise. That’s an extremely important step. If you try and do everything at once, it can be a lot. There are competitive solutions that force you to go to a Kubernetes-oriented management model. That’s a step too far for most service providers. If you think now what you could do instead is leverage your familiar virtualization skills, bring in the containerization, and allow customers to get started on shared infrastructure with a predictable cost. That’s a winning strategy for providing an on-ramp to AI with the lowest risk and a fast uptake. Robert Dutt: All right. And finally, so that the MSP audience can kind of keep an eye on what they need to keep in mind on the customer side, what’s the most dangerous assumption that you see IT leaders making right now about AI infrastructure? Lee Caswell: I think the most concerning thing I see is customers who are racing to be AI fast without being AI smart. And we saw some of this in the early days of the cloud. We remember “cloud first” versus “cloud smart.” And what happened was you had blown-up costs, you had programs that weren’t successful. But I’d say the most important thing actually has nothing to do with the infrastructure itself. It has to do with corporate management making sure that the application of AI is tied to a specific business problem. That’s the most important element. This is the thing I look for first. If you’re trying to solve an important business problem where you can ideally show that you can save money, generate more revenue, or do things more efficiently, those are the areas where you say AI is going to help here. Don’t just apply AI because it’s cool. Apply it because it’s going to solve a business problem, and you’ll find that you can actually move any infrastructure. We’ll bring that and make that work for you. Robert Dutt: Once again, it all kind of flows back to business outcomes. That’s great advice. I love that. Lee, thanks so much for taking the time. I appreciate it. Lee Caswell: Robert, I really appreciate it. Thank you. Robert Dutt: There you have it. Lee Caswell from Nutanix on their 8th annual Enterprise Cloud Index. A couple of things I’d like to flag from that conversation. Lee’s distinction between a noisy neighbor and a nosy neighbor when it comes to multi-tenant environments and data sovereignty – that’s a framing worth sitting with if you’re thinking about how to position managed services around compliance. And his point about organizations racing to be AI fast without being AI smart – that’s one you can take directly to client conversations. We’ll have a link to the full Enterprise Cloud Index report in the show notes, as well as a full transcript of the conversation. Tomorrow on the show, AWS Canada celebrates 20 years of the cloud. I sat down with Eric Gales to talk about what that milestone looks like from a Canadian perspective, and we’ll be back next Monday to catch you up on the headlines with In Case You Missed It. Between now and then, we’d invite you to subscribe to or follow the podcast in your podcast app of choice. And if it lets you, please do leave a review. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, and I’ll see you in the channel.

Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at ESET Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at ESET, returns to the podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the cybersecurity landscape in early 2026. From the emergence of AI-powered malware to familiar weak points that keep showing up in breach after breach, Tony shares practical insights for MSPs advising their customers on security strategy this year. The conversation opens with a look at major incidents from the past year, including the Jaguar Land Rover cyberattackthat disrupted thousands of supply chain businesses and led to a £1.5 billion UK government loan guarantee, the Ingram Micro ransomware incident, and breaches affecting Salesforce and Oracle. Tony shares a striking insight from a cyber insurer: open VPN servers without MFA have overtaken RDP as the leading driver of claims. The discussion moves to shadow AI risks, with real-world examples of what goes wrong when companies deploy AI tools without security guardrails, and why MSPs have an opportunity to embed themselves as trusted advisors by being the security voice in the room. Tony also walks through the emergence of AI-powered malware, including ESET’s research on PromptLock, the first documented AI-powered ransomware – originally a proof of concept from NYU researchers that ended up in the wild – and PromptSpy, the first Android malware to use generative AI at runtime. The conversation closes with Tony’s advice for MSPs to stop talking about “cyber risk” and start talking about “business risk” – framing security in terms of downtime, continuity, and financial impact rather than technical threat statistics. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to the ChannelBuzz.ca podcast, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, still editor at ChannelBuzz.ca, and your host for the show. Cybersecurity is one of those areas where the threats never stand still, and lately the pace of change seems to be even faster. As we head further into 2026, factors like artificial intelligence, global geopolitical tensions, and increasingly organised cybercrime are reshaping what risk looks like for businesses of all sizes. Today we’re stepping back from the day-to-day headlines to talk about what’s coming next, what really matters beneath the noise, and what IT service providers and resellers should be paying attention to as they advise their customers. My guest is Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at ESET, and a frequent flyer on the podcast. Tony spends his time analysing emerging threats, talking with security teams around the world, and translating complex security trends into practical guidance. This conversation is focused on thought leadership and the big picture trends shaping cybersecurity this year, from AI-driven attacks and mobile threats to ransomware and the impact of global events on the digital world Canadians rely on every day. It’s a great conversation, so let’s get right into it. My chat with ESET’s Tony Anscombe. Tony, thanks once again for taking the time. Tony Anscombe: Oh, it’s always a pleasure to chat with you, Rob. Robert Dutt: I just wanted to take this opportunity to kind of take a look at where we’re at in cybersecurity in the early part of 2026 and get your thoughts on what to expect this year, sort of help our listeners, the VARs and MSPs of the world, get an overall feeling for where things are at, where they’re going. I guess to throw things open, when you look ahead at this year, what feels genuinely different about the threat landscape compared to, say, a year ago? I was going to say a year or two, but I think even a year in this rapidly changing place is plenty. Tony Anscombe: Well, I think you’ve seen some pretty big incidents last year. None of them, I would say, are a catastrophic incident, whereas the year before we saw the likes of Change Healthcare and there was the CrowdStrike update and things that affect hundreds of millions of people all at the same time. But you had Jaguar Land Rover with a significant issue. You saw the Salesforce ransomware, the Oracle zero day that was exploited in their systems. Ingram Micro ransomware incident took down a lot of the distribution channel. So I think there were incidents that are interesting. I think to an element, I’d kind of say that you’re going to see more of the same, but the same is becoming more sophisticated and is starting to change. Now, if you go back four or five years, we’d have told you that cybercriminals at some stage will start using AI technologies in there as we go. Then I meet people frequently that turn and say, “I’m being attacked by AI.” The answer to that is, no, you’re not. Stop watching Terminator at weekends. That’s my recommendation. You’re getting paranoid. I say that, but the use of AI within cybercrime is making it more sophisticated. It’s making it more challenging to detect in certain instances and it’s becoming more challenging from a social engineering perspective. The sophistication and the likelihood of you clicking on something is unfortunately increasing. I think if you look at cyber insurance reports that talk about claims and stuff like that, still 40% of people are paying. A lot of the things are business as usual. In fact, I spoke to a cyber insurer a couple of weeks ago, Rob, who gave me a snippet of information that I thought was fascinating. We talked about RDP a couple of years ago, you and I, about the issue of… and he said the majority of their claims are open VPN servers, where people have got a login page, ID and password to log into the VPN and they haven’t put MFA on it. VPNs have now taken the place of where RDP was, so that one seems to be moving down the chain a bit. I took a look, I went on Shodan. I took a look on Shodan and sure enough, you can find lots of open VPN servers. Robert Dutt: Just goes to show how some tools which are at least adjacent to security can be flaws as well. There’s no shortage of that. You already touched on a couple of them. You mentioned AI and obviously that’s the big subject of the industry and of business in general in 2025 and 2026. It seems like we’re at a place where right now, in many cases, it’s coming out in front of security, in front of management and in front of IT control, the whole shadow AI thing. I guess, what are your thoughts on where organizations are most exposed because of that gap that exists? Tony Anscombe: Well, that’s a good point. The boardroom or the management teams in companies are going, “We need AI, we need AI,” because that’s what they’re hearing. Sure, it’s a great tool. If you look at a company like us at ESET, we’ve used AI in our products for two and a half decades or so. It’s not that new to us. But if you look at the latest iterations where a customer can get natural language help and stuff like that, you can sort through our threat intelligence easier. Those type of tools are where companies are at, isn’t it? It’s the customer interaction or it’s the knowledge base searching or it’s being able to get reasonable information quickly and meaningfully and in a nice way. The problem is, a company takes all its data, throws it into an AI model and says, “Hey, AI, can you start helping my customers?” There’s likely to be personal information in there. They’re likely to leave APIs open and such like that then get abused. Before you do this, you need to have a cybersecurity person in the room. Now, that doesn’t mean you don’t do it. What that means is you do it in the right way. The cybersecurity person might turn and sit there and be the doomsday person and say, “Oh, no, we don’t want to do this.” But it’s then about explaining to the people that want it in the business about the risk and understanding where the level of risk lies and whether you’re comfortable and accepting of that risk. We’ve seen some great examples of it, haven’t we? What was it, somebody bought a car from one of the car companies for a dollar or something, they managed to trick the AI chatbot into it. That’s the type of thing you want to be protecting against, making sure that you’ve got those guardrails in place. Also making sure it’s not going to surface some customer’s phone number or customer data inadvertently. Some customer in a previous call may have turned around and said, “Here’s my email address,” or “Here’s my phone number.” Of course, if that’s in your knowledge base somewhere or stacked in your support tickets, the right teasing of that information might bring it out and suddenly, in effect, you’ve got a customer data breach, which your AI told somebody. I’m just saying you don’t want that. You need to do it with security in mind. Make sure the agents are tied down correctly. Now I saw there was an incident last year. I can’t remember which vendor it was with, Rob, but they had an API. It was an AI tool. They had an API for their customers to use. I think it was about 30 different customers were using it, or using the same ID and password. The password, by the way, I think was “default.” Robert Dutt: Perfect. Tony Anscombe: Right? So there you go. That’s just somebody doing it without too much thought. Put a cybersecurity person in the room, every customer would have had their own ID. There would have been stronger authentication, maybe certificate-based, and you wouldn’t have had that issue. It’s about having the cybersecurity people in the room with the business at the time you discuss it. Robert Dutt: That’s an interesting place for MSPs because especially in the smaller end of enterprise and into SMB, when those discussions are taking place, often that MSP is going to be serving as the security person for an organization. It speaks to, I think, the need for you, even if you’re a third party to the company, you’ve got to have a strong seat to be able to say, “Hey, customer, this is all sounding great as far as innovation goes, but there’s stuff you need to think about here too.” Tony Anscombe: Yeah, absolutely. But it’s also somewhere where the MSP actually shows up and provides the real value because if you can show that you’re reducing the company’s business risk, then that’s what you’re there to protect, isn’t it? I would have thought it actually cements you further into the company because the more projects you get involved in, the more you understand their business, the harder it is for that company to actually change MSP. You embed that customer relationship, which is kind of the holy grail, isn’t it? That’s what you want as a service provider. Robert Dutt: Absolutely. Your research talks about smartphones as an increasingly attractive target. No argument there, it makes sense. It’s where a lot of people are doing their computing, right? It’s an interesting space in that sometimes it’s under IT control. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a little bit of both. I guess what’s changed about mobile threats that MSPs and businesses should be paying more attention to right now? Tony Anscombe: Well, I’m smiling, Rob, sat here listening to you say that because I’ve got two phones on my desk. One of them is very controlled and one of them is mine. Robert Dutt: Wild West. Tony Anscombe: Yeah, well, it’s not the Wild West. Mine is controlled by me, not the company. But it’s a good point because if you look at people’s phones, they need to be under some sort of MDM service. If you’re allowing somebody to use their own device, then you need the ability to delete data. You need the ability to track the phone if it’s lost, delete the data and control the apps. Potentially have some sort of compliance on the security settings that are on the phone. If the person hasn’t got biometric unlock on the phone, then maybe you don’t want to install your stuff on there at all. It’s not just about having that container for the company data that you control, but it’s also having a minimum set of security standards on the phone, that the phone itself is secure. Bear in mind, you’re helping actually your employees secure their phone in that scenario as well. But yeah, the more and more devices you see, the more and more I think compliance you need to do on them. I don’t think that will change anytime soon. Robert Dutt: Ransomware, obviously the constant presence, the constant scourge. It keeps evolving, but the pattern keeps repeating in that a lot of the successful attacks are relying on maybe not the same weak points, but familiar weak points. I guess, why do we still see these same mistakes playing out? And what, if anything, can I do about that as an MSP? Tony Anscombe: Well, certainly one of the things MSPs need to do is make sure the customer is being trained, but also make sure your own staff are being trained as well. If you look at… and I wouldn’t want to put a percentage on it, but it’s a big number. If you look at the number that involve some form of social engineering, unfortunately – social engineering, you know, phishing, text messaging, physical phone calls – it’s never-ending. The elements of social engineering are huge there. I mean, I can’t remember whether we spoke about ClickFix last year. ClickFix was an interesting malware family. They used, one of the variants used the screen that says, “Are you a robot?” We all click the box, don’t we? And they’re very creative. Then it says, “Can you press these three keys on your keyboard to verify you’re human?” And what actually the three keys do is they invoke a PowerShell script. And there you go, you’re now breached. But it’s those sophisticated mechanisms such as that, that you need to make sure your employees understand, and your staff and your customer staff. So within the MSP, that you’re doing regular training, regular, even for your technical people. I worked for a company, Rob, when I first started my career in finance. It was a credit card company. And they used to run a program where a fictitious fake card member would sit there ringing numbers in the company each day, internal numbers. And your phone would ring and you’d pick the phone up and it would be a fake card member. And you had to own the call. Everybody in the company had to own the card member, regardless of whatever your job was. I’d love to see tech companies doing something similar. Robert Dutt: Yeah. Tony Anscombe: MSPs could be doing something like this with their customers. Can I randomly phone up your staff and see if I can socially engineer a password out of them? Not because I want to embarrass them, but because I want to be able to show that it can be done and then improve things beyond it. Wouldn’t that be a great service? It’s like phishing simulation, but with a person. Robert Dutt: Interesting idea. Tony Anscombe: Yeah. But if I ran an MSP myself, I think I’d be doing that on my own staff because I wouldn’t want to be, unfortunately, the supply chain into my customer that gets breached, that ends up seeing my customers breached. And there were a few of those, unfortunately, I think last year. I think Marks & Spencer were that way. And I think Jaguar Land Rover may have been through a third party as well. So I think there are some really interesting examples where third parties were unfortunately responsible. Robert Dutt: Well, yeah. It speaks to kind of that trend too, where a lot of times those who are doing the attacks are looking at that as an increasingly viable way in because there’s potential for there to be a gap between organizations that no one’s really… everyone assumes that everyone else is kind of looking at it, maybe. Tony Anscombe: Yeah, absolutely. There are other things I think MSPs… MSPs need to show their customers that they’re 100% secure, that they’ve gone through the same programs that actually customers do as well. One thing I think, if an MSP doesn’t go through what I define as regular cyber insurance type requirements, to me that would be a good thing for them to do, because cyber insurers kind of push that whole reduction in risk. Robert Dutt: That is rapidly becoming table stakes, isn’t it? That’s an expectation. Continuing along that line, for MSPs who are kind of planning out their security strategy, their security approach for the rest of the year, I guess what’s one assumption or one thing they’re doing that they should probably challenge or change at this moment in time? Tony Anscombe: One thing to change, that’s a big question. Only take on customers that are secure. Robert Dutt: Problem solved. Tony Anscombe: Yeah. Don’t allow your customers to have any connectivity. No. It’s to make sure that you’re keeping pace with the advanced technologies that are out there. For example, we’ve seen EDR become MDR and XDR, but are you now plugging in good, accurate threat intelligence feeds into that EDR? Whoever’s EDR you’re using, obviously, I’d love everybody to use ESET’s, by the way. But if they’re offering that as a managed service from an MSP, I’d also couple that with threat intelligence feeds and APT reports. If you’ve got government customers, actually start taking it to the next level so that it’s not just about relying on the monitoring and detection of an issue, but also that you’re intelligently looking beyond where other issues might come through other industries or what’s happening elsewhere. Robert Dutt: And taking that same kind of idea, but turning it around from a customer-facing perception. If you were advising an MSP on how to talk to clients about cyber risk this year and what they should be thinking about going forward, how does that conversation need to change in light of the changing threatscape? Tony Anscombe: Well, firstly, now that’s an interesting term. I’m guilty of using the term cyber risk. If I was in the MSP shoes today, I would not be talking about cyber risk. I’d be talking about business risk. I think cyber is becoming a risk just like any other risk to a business, i.e. theft, fire, building collapsing, earthquakes, whatever it might be that we tend to have risk. And cyber now needs to be treated as that risk. You’ve got to talk to a business in the terms of it being a business risk. There are some really good examples in the market now. I mentioned Jaguar Land Rover just a moment ago. Think about that entire incident. A third party to them gets breached and Jaguar Land Rover gets taken down through it. It affected 5,000 businesses. The UK government stepped in and bailed them out with PS1.6 billion. That’s a huge amount of money. If you and I had a little company, we’re making screws for gearboxes. It’s all very well somebody coming to me and turning around and saying, “Cyber risk.” But what I really want to know is the business risk. How much is it going to cost my business if I have this incident? What is my downtime going to be? Talk to them in the business language and put it in real terms. It self-justifies, by the way, then the expenditure on cybersecurity because you’re talking to them about the finance of the business. I kind of stopped talking about, you know, “70% of ransomware attacks start as phishing.” Great, those are supplemental, but talk to them about actually how they keep their business running. Robert Dutt: I think it speaks to a broader trend in the channel of over time, moving from speaking about technology to speaking about solutions to increasingly speaking about outcomes. I think we’re talking about now the business outcomes of security investment. Tony Anscombe: Yeah, absolutely. To a lot of this, this is the decision of the CFO of where is the acceptable business risk. Then it’s about putting the right cyber plan in place to meet the line of business risk. And by the way, we all have risk in different… our line will all be in different places. If 10 of us stand in a casino in Las Vegas and we’ve all got $200, we’re all going to behave completely differently when we walk up to the roulette table. Robert Dutt: Yeah, absolutely. And depending on where we’re at, we may have additional oversight, which colours our risk decision-making and depending on what… in this case, in what industry you’re in, for example. Tony Anscombe: Well, exactly. Every CFO and every business will have a different line in the sand of where their business risk is. Robert Dutt: You obviously get to spend a whole lot of time looking at what’s there and what’s coming in terms of security. I’m curious, is there anything that’s surprising you about the current security scene? Tony Anscombe: Well, the one thing that we’ve seen in the last six months… we’re being attacked, but let’s come back full circle here. We’re being attacked by AI. We have seen a couple of examples of malware. At this stage, they appear to be proof of concepts of AI-based malware. What that means is it’s actually dynamically using AI within the malware to generate the attack. It’s looking at the environment and then using the environment, asking AI to then generate scripts and code on the fly in real time. They’re using public AI models to do this. It will create the script and then they attack with that script. Now, in theory, that means you’re using a never-before-seen piece of code within the attack, which obviously makes it very challenging to detect. The two instances we’ve seen, one was PromptLock. The other one, we published details in the last few weeks, PromptSpy. One was on a Windows, macOS and Linux platform. The other one, a few weeks ago, was on an Android platform. We’re seeing the emergence of that type of code. So lower barrier to entry. Now that code’s out there in the marketplace. Difficult-to-detect attacks. I think you’re going to see that expand over this next year. Now, interestingly, one of those examples I just used, PromptLock, was a project by a university student. That’s what it transpired to be, but they put it in the public domain. Need I say more? Please don’t do this. [Laughter] Robert Dutt: I guess it was a matter of time that once the idea of vibe coding became kind of mainstream, that it was going to get turned back around and used in some sort of malicious way. That is one true trend across security over time. They will take advantage of the tools that are available. Tony Anscombe: They will. But I expect to see more of that AI-generated code out there over this next year. The challenge then is making sure the technologies that are in place, those advanced technologies, are picking up those advanced attacks because it will become more challenging as it goes. Robert Dutt: Tony, as always, so much going on in the security space, but you’ve given us some good things to think about. I think most importantly, some actionable things to think about as you’re running the security practice of an MSP. Appreciate your taking the time, as always. Tony Anscombe: Hey, always a pleasure, as I said, Rob. Robert Dutt: There it is, my conversation with Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at ESET. Whether it’s the rise of AI-powered malware, open VPN servers quietly becoming the new weak link, or simply learning to talk about security in business terms, there’s a lot here for MSPs to think about as we move through 2026. I’d like to thank Tony for joining us once again. Thank ESET Canada for their ongoing support of the site. And of course, thank you for listening today. We’ll be back in your feed tomorrow as we’re joined by Lee Caswell from Nutanix to discuss the company’s 8th Annual Enterprise Cloud Index Report, and with a special episode on Friday as we discuss Amazon Web Services at 20 with AWS Canada chief Eric Gales. You’ll want to be sure you catch those, so please do subscribe to or follow the podcast in your podcast app of choice. And if it allows you to do so, please consider leaving a review or rating of the show. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, and I’ll see you in the channel.

Roi Karo, chief strategy officer at Check Point Check Point Software has been on an acquisition tear. Under new CEO Nadav Zafrir, the company has picked up five startups since early 2025, with three announced simultaneously in February: Cyclops, Cyata, and Rotate. But these aren’t opportunistic bolt-ons. They map directly to a four-pillar strategy that Check Point says defines the future of its security platform: Hybrid Mesh Network Security, Workspace Security, Exposure Management, and AI Security. In this episode, we sit down with Roi Karo, Check Point’s Chief Strategy Officer, and Angelo Valentini, head of channel sales for Canada, to dig into the thinking behind the acquisitions and what they mean for the channel. Roi brings an unusual perspective to the table, shaped by 25 years in Israeli defense intelligence and a stint as Chief Risk and Strategy Officer at blockchain infrastructure company Fireblocks before joining Check Point. Angelo Valentini, head of channel sales for Canada at Check Point The conversation covers how each acquisition fits into the broader strategy: Rotate brings MSP-native expertise to the Workspace Security pillar, where Check Point is consolidating endpoint, email, browser, and mobile security under a single management layer. Cyclops completes a full Continuous Threat Exposure Management cycle by adding internal asset scanning alongside CyberInt’s external scanning and Veriti’s automated remediation. And Cyata addresses the emerging challenge of governing autonomous AI agents operating on user endpoints, a category that barely existed a year ago but is evolving fast. We also explore what Check Point means by an “open garden” platform, including how its tools integrate with and remediate across competitors’ products, and how that philosophy plays out in practice for MSPs managing multi-vendor security stacks. Angelo adds a Canadian lens, touching on the opportunity in Canada’s SMB-dominant market and the compliance implications of Bill C-26. Check Point’s MSSP Partner Program offers consumption-based pricing and multi-tenant management for solution providers looking to explore the opportunity. Roi closes with a pointed message for partners: the assumption that there’s still time to learn and prepare is “terribly wrong.” The threat landscape is accelerating, and the window to adapt is narrower than most people think. Read Full Transcript Robert Dutt: Hello and welcome to In The Channel from ChannelBuzz.ca, bringing news and information to the Canadian IT channel for the last 16 years. I’m Robert Dutt, editor of ChannelBuzz.ca, and as always your host for the show. Check Point Software has been making some big moves. Under new CEO Nadav Zafrir, the company has acquired five companies since early 2025, including three announced simultaneously in February: Cyclops, Cyata, and Rotate. And these aren’t random bolt-ons. They map to a deliberate four-pillar strategy that Check Point says defines the future of the platform. Those four pillars are: Hybrid Mesh Network Security, covering data centers, cloud, SASE, and SD-WAN. Workspace Security, protecting endpoints, email, browsers, and SaaS applications. Exposure Management, giving organizations visibility into their full attack surface. And AI Security, governing the new wave of autonomous AI agents operating inside enterprise environments. For solution providers, the most interesting piece here might be the Rotate acquisition. It’s an acqui-hire that brings in a team with deep roots in the MSP ecosystem, including veterans of Datto and Kaseya. Cyclops adds a data lake with over 150 integrations for attack surface management. And Cyata tackles a category that barely existed a year ago: identity management for AI agents. To unpack the strategy and what it means for the channel, I sat down with Roi Karo, Check Point’s chief strategy officer, and Angelo Valentini, who leads Check Point’s Canadian partner business. Roi brings an unusual perspective – 25 years in Israeli defense intelligence and a stint as chief risk and strategy officer at blockchain infrastructure company Fireblocks before joining Check Point. Here’s our conversation. Gentlemen, thank you for taking the time. I appreciate it. Roi Karo: Thank you very much. Angelo Valentini: Thanks for having us. Robert Dutt: Roi, before we dive into strategy itself, you come to Check Point from Fireblocks, and before that, 25 years in the IDF and on that side of the world. Pretty unique lens. I’m just curious, how does that shape how you think about security strategy versus someone who’s grown up and spent that kind of time inside the cybersecurity vendor world? Roi Karo: Yeah, that’s interesting. I think it gives a unique perspective, being part of the Israeli intelligence security, and it gives, I think, a wide view of how things are shaping. And it’s part of what we’re trying to answer today. The biggest hurdle I’m trying to uncover is what is going on. What’s going on in the world, what is going on in the market, and of course, how should we react as a security company. And I think my background gives an interesting perspective for that. And stating what is obvious, in Israel, many people in the cybersecurity industry are veterans of the Israeli defense forces. So it’s an interesting background and a very useful background to be part of the security ecosystem in Israel. Robert Dutt: You guys announced three acquisitions simultaneously, and that’s following last year, which saw Lakera and Veriti. That’s an aggressive pace. I guess, what do you see as the strategic urgency driving the acquisitions? Is it about AI creating new categories of risk, or is it about the competitive landscape forcing your hand? Is it a little bit of both? What’s driving this? Roi Karo: Yeah, I think both and maybe some more. Stating the obvious, things are changing faster than before. Everybody’s talking about how AI is changing the world. Something that everybody says in their first sentence: everything is faster. Things that before took years now take weeks and even days. So we can’t just wait. We need to move fast, faster than we moved before. So acquisition is a great way to move faster. When we find a very strong team that has a very good product that can help our portfolio and give us good products that we can suggest or offer to our customers, this is something that we’re very interested in. And I think, as you mentioned, the competitive landscape – competitors are also moving faster. So we need to keep pace. And the last thing I would add, Check Point as a large company offers a wide variety of solutions. We’re very known for our firewalls and network security, but if we’ll have more time, we can talk about the other pillars. And actually all three new acquisitions are supporting and accelerating our other product pillars. So offering a consolidated solution to our customers is one of our biggest strategic moves, and all of those acquisitions are helping us to get faster through this target. Robert Dutt: You kind of presage where I was going next, which is, in your blog post, you frame four pillars of where Check Point is going, what you want to be locking down. And as you rightly point out, Check Point has that history, that strength in network security. The newer bets, especially both exposure management and AI security, which is obviously nascent – it seems like they require different muscles, different skill sets, different approaches from Check Point and from partners alike. Where are the real capability gaps that needed filling? Roi Karo: Yeah, so I think when talking about gaps, there are different types of gaps. One type of gap is mostly on the AI front. Everything is new. So to be very honest, I think that the security industry is still learning how to secure AI. So we have gaps. Everybody has gaps because it’s so new. We’re inventing new things. We’re building new kinds of security solutions. And that’s one type of a gap. A different type of a gap is that we have products for many years and we want to have better solutions, acquiring features or products that can help us accelerate closing those types of gaps. But I think the first type is more interesting because those are purpose-built solutions that did not exist before. This is where the true innovation is happening. And without that, nobody will be able to secure the new types of attacks that we’re seeing in the wild. Angelo Valentini: Robert, if I could just add – on the partner side, I think some of the gaps and concerns are really about visibility, governance, and also about operational efficiency. I think that’s one of the things that we’re trying to help partners with in terms of what their concerns are relative to AI, relative to exposure management, all these areas. Robert Dutt: You describe this whole scenario as an open garden platform, which is a nice framing versus the walled garden approach. For MSPs who are running multi-vendor security stacks and representing multiple security vendors, which, let’s be honest, is the vast majority – what does that open garden mean in practice for them? Roi Karo: Yeah, so I think a couple of things. Our philosophy is openness. We’re not trying to create any kind of vendor lock. We play with all vendors. You mentioned the acquisition from last year of Veriti. That’s a great example because what Veriti offers is the ability to patch or virtually patch all of your security vendors. If you have a threat that you discovered, now you want to make sure that you’re actually being defended against it. So what Veriti does is go over all of those exposures and close them. And when they say close them, they close it using a Check Point security product, but also all other vendors. So we have integration even with our competitors, other types of vendors. So that’s one example of how we try to build our solutions in a way that supports all the other players, because we acknowledge what you said. Most vendors and even most companies, they don’t want vendor lock. They want to use several vendors. They want all of them to play together. So we design our solutions in an open way. It can be used with APIs, it can call to other types of solutions and help MSPs or customers, other types of customers, to build their full stack of solutions. Robert Dutt: That kind of maps, I think, with things that I’ve been hearing more and more from partners. Back in the day, you’d hear a lot of, “I want to work with fewer security vendors.” Still, no one’s saying, “Hey, I want to sign up 400 security vendors and try to understand the nuance of what all of them are doing.” That’s operationally impossible. What I hear more, I think, is the idea of, “I want to have a few strategic security vendors and I want them, where possible, to play nicely together in my environment.” Roi Karo: Absolutely, I can’t agree more. I think consolidation is important. Nobody wants 400. Nobody wants even 40 vendors. It’s hard. But nobody wants one vendor. I think that in a way, we’re trying to figure out this balancing, this sweet spot between having hundreds of vendors and having one vendor. And what we do is – the reason we picked those four pillars is because we truly believe that we’re leaders in each one of them and we have the best solution in each one of them. And anywhere that we don’t have a solution, we partner. So a good example is CNAPP. We have a strategic partnership with and other CNAPP vendors. So we don’t have our own CNAPP solution. We integrate it with another vendor. And everywhere we don’t have the best solution, we’ll integrate with the best vendors that are out there. Robert Dutt: Okay, let’s talk a little bit about the acquisitions that were made that start to build out this platform, or continue to build out this platform. And I wanted to start with Rotate specifically, because I think it’s really interesting for this audience. You acquired them, it seems, primarily for the team. And that team includes key people who come from a background in Datto, in Kaseya – companies that really built up the foundations of the MSP ecosystem of today. What does that signal about how you guys are looking at the MSP market and the MSP opportunity for Check Point? Roi Karo: Yeah, so I will zoom out a bit and then focus specifically. When we announced the workspace pillar, we realized among other things that companies want to manage the whole end user security through one vendor, through one unified management, and not point solutions. So we took our endpoint solution, our email solution, browser, mobile – all the solutions we have around the end user – bundled them together, and are offering a way to manage all of them from a unified management. That is something that is unique and I think is very compelling to all types of customers and mostly MSPs, for obvious reasons. They want to manage all of this end user security from one vendor, from one management. And doubling down on MSPs, we understand their needs. We have many MSPs as customers and we want to provide an easy way to manage all their tenants, all their end users in one single pane of glass. And that’s what we’re building, and this is what we want to accelerate with the team of experts coming from Rotate. Angelo Valentini: So Robert, in Canada, as you know, 90% of the businesses are SMB. So this is a huge opportunity for partners as we go and develop this and enhance that solution for our partners. It’s a huge opportunity. Robert Dutt: And speaking of huge opportunity, the email security business that’s already – I think I saw 160 million is the figure for Check Point’s revenue line there – as well as being one of the most foundational tools that MSPs bring to market and have fueled that business. I’m curious to get your thoughts on how you build from that beachhead that you’ve got established in email security and into that broader workspace security story that Rotate is facilitating. Roi Karo: I think email security, as you said, it’s so fundamental. And when we try to explain to people how AI is changing the hackers, this is the easiest example because it’s most common and easy to explain and imagine. Phishing attacks look different now with AI-based attacks. We all did this training that you need to find spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes to identify phishing. As you can imagine, there are no spelling and grammar mistakes anymore when phishing emails are being built or crafted with AI. So email security is being changed and being reinvented. And we are building new types of email security to make sure that we’re securing also for the most advanced AI-based phishing attacks. Our email security is something that we take a lot of pride in and we can prove that it is better than many others. So that’s, as you said, a great beach entry through many of what we’re doing with our customers. And adding the other capabilities on top of the email is super important. Because again, using a very simple example: someone got a link, they pressed it because it wasn’t blocked. And now they have malware on their computer. You want that endpoint security to be connected to the email security and have one platform that can see everything and can actually prevent attacks before they happen. So we integrated our endpoint solution, our browser extension, our mobile solution, and the email together into one threat intelligence layer that provides data to all of those solutions. Robert Dutt: Cyata is about governing AI agents, which as well as being the buzzword of the day is also a category that didn’t exist a few years ago, because AI agents themselves did not exist a few years ago. For an MSP today, is security around AI agents something that their customers are asking about? Or is this one of those things that’s in a “be ready for this now so you can sell it tomorrow” kind of space? Roi Karo: Yeah, I think that this will grow very fast because, as I’ve mentioned, AI is moving faster than we imagined. When we say agents, I think there are two separate use cases, and one of them is very relevant to the MSP. One that is less relevant is building AI applications that use agents. This is for bigger organizations and more sophisticated organizations that have engineers and are building their own software. But all of us are using agents. ChatGPT and Claude today, you just press a button and you’re running an agent from your endpoint. That is something that is happening. It’s the more advanced user today, but tomorrow it will be all of us using agents running on their endpoints. And one of the things that Cyata built, and we’re now adding to our products, is a capability running on the laptop of the end user, identifying agents that are running there on behalf of the users. It can identify and, first of all, give visibility into all the agents that are running from the end user’s computer, but also provide governance and policy that make sure that they’re doing only things that they’re allowed, that they’re using the right identities, that they have access only to things that they are supposed to have access to. And this is something that I believe will be very relevant to MSPs in the near future, sooner rather than later, because it’s related to all the end users, all the people that are using AI. Angelo Valentini: Robert, this also plays nicely with some of the government compliance developments with the Canadian government. So Bill C-26, for example, is all about governance and compliance. This is a great way in which this acquisition plays right into the government legislation. Insurance is another big thing where we’re seeing a lot of compliance requirements, and also financial institutions. So this is just another way that this plays into that compliance as well. Robert Dutt: Last but not least on the acquisitions, can you give me a bit of a feel for how Cyclops fits in, what they bring to the table, and the opportunity you see there for your partners? Roi Karo: Yeah, absolutely. And again, zooming out and zooming back into Cyclops. We just announced our Exposure Management pillar. We acquired, I think almost two years ago, CyberInt. They’re doing external risk management – they’re scanning the organization from the outside and providing all the data you can achieve from looking at the organization, the company, from the outside. Dark web and the organization itself. Six months ago, we acquired Veriti, that takes all of the data, all of the exposures, all of the threats, and mitigates them automatically. So you have automatic remediation. And now with Cyclops, we completed the full cycle, because they are scanning the organization internally. This is an asset management capability that actually connects to hundreds of vendors that provide data. And then you have the full picture of what’s going on inside your organization. So CyberInt’s capabilities are scanning from the outside, Cyclops’ capabilities are scanning from the inside, and Veriti’s capabilities take all of this intelligence – and all the intelligence we acquired in decades of building our capabilities – and make sure that all of this is being remediated. In this way, we accomplished the full cycle of what Gartner calls CTEM, Continuous Threat Exposure Management, and provide a very unique value proposition to our customers of having the full cycle of understanding what is happening across your attack surface, identifying the threats, and remediating the threats. Cyclops provided a very important piece of the puzzle that we were missing, and we’ll integrate them very quickly into our value proposition and offer a full cycle of CTEM. Robert Dutt: How quickly do these acquisitions – you mentioned the plan for Cyclops there – but how quickly do these become native Check Point experiences rather than adjacent tools that are also on the Check Point line card? Roi Karo: Very quickly in those three cases, because they’re part of a wider value proposition. It’s not a standalone – all of them started as a startup with a standalone capability, but the real magic and the real value will come when we integrate them. That will happen very quickly because all of those solutions are very modern in design, which makes it easier. And part of the due diligence we did around all of them is how quickly we can integrate. So this will be integrated very quickly. And of course, now – as I say, everything is happening faster – we are using AI to build products and integrate products. So that will happen very fast, and this will be offered to our customers immediately. Robert Dutt: Zooming back out to the strategy level, if I’m a Canadian MSP with managed seats numbered in the hundreds – typical SMB-focused MSP – today I’m running Check Point email security, maybe firewalls. When I look at this strategy, what is this going to change about what I sell and how I operate over the next 12 months? Roi Karo: I think CTEM and exposure management becomes even more important than before. Maybe we need to take one step back with your permission. I think that the threat landscape is changing, and that’s something that we all need to acknowledge. Just imagining how the attackers are using AI in order to accelerate their attacks – things that before took attackers months or years to build, to find new vulnerabilities, we’re seeing right now happening much faster. The scale, the sophistication of attacks is changing. And we all need to prepare. Vendors, MSPs, and other types of organizations need to make sure that they are prepared for a new wave of attacks. And for that, you need to have everything that can help you understand. We talked about my background – intelligence is super important to understand what is going on. And exposure management is exactly that: understanding what is going on. Are you attacked? Where are you exposed? Who is attacking you? You can’t fly blind. So the first thing I would add to my portfolio if I’m an MSP is offering threat intelligence, offering exposure management, scanning all of my customers and making sure that they’re not exposed, finding servers they have that are exposed, finding PII that is related to them on the dark web, and making sure that I’m warning them. Many kinds of solutions we have as part of our exposure management value proposition I think will be very interesting for MSPs. So that’s one thing I would explore with Check Point. The second thing is AI, of course. We talked about agents, but even the basic LLM use of end users, that’s something that needs to be governed. Angelo mentioned compliance, it will become part of it. Even if you’re a small law firm and you want to make sure that your lawyers are obeying the rules that you decided – can they use ChatGPT in order to write a legal document? If it’s a small medical company, can they consult ChatGPT on medical issues? What is the PII guidance you give them? Can they put PII in ChatGPT or not? All of this needs to be governed, and our products enable that. They run on the endpoints, they make sure that you’re aware of what all of your employees, all of the people in the company are doing with AI, and they can enforce governance on what you want to allow and what you want to block. Do you allow DeepSeek in your organization? Do you allow other types of LLMs or GPTs? All of this, as part of AI security, is something that MSPs will need to adopt and educate themselves on, and educate their end users very quickly. And what we’re building is a full suite of AI security. We’ll have offerings for small companies, offerings for large enterprises, and everything in between. Angelo Valentini: You touch on AI governance, we talked about exposure management. These are ideas that sound consultative and complex, which is great because channel 101: where there’s mystery, there’s margin, and there is ample mystery here. But again, through the lens of that SMB-focused MSP, how do I get to it? So I guess what I’m getting at is, how are you helping partners productize those conversations they need to have without requiring them to go super deep themselves as AI specialists? I think that’s the bread and butter of partners today, is the service offering. When they see acquisitions like this, we play in all their wheelhouse in terms of all the areas: visibility, governance, and also operational efficiency. So that’s the number one thing. It’s our job to enable our partners as well as part of it. Me in the partner community, we go and enable our partners to understand the technology and understand the opportunity. And there are consulting opportunities here, there’s increased revenue opportunity here. That’s one of the things that we focus on, is really to get awareness to the partners so they understand: hey, there’s an opportunity here for incremental revenue, for increased opportunity in consulting and implementation. And then from there, there’s ancillary AI solution revenue that follows. So it’s up to the partner to decide, but it’s really something that they should consider. Robert Dutt: Just to wrap things up before we go, do you have time to do two quick lightning round questions, quick answers? First of all, what’s one assumption about cybersecurity that you think partners need to stop making right now, or at least over the course of this year? Roi Karo: I think that the basic assumption is that we have time, that sophisticated attacks are not here yet, and we have time to learn, we have time to adjust, and everything will be okay. I think that’s terribly wrong. I think that the attackers, they don’t have the governance and legal obligations that we have as companies. So they’re running very fast. It’s happening now. So I think a wrong assumption that many people have, MSPs included, is: okay, it’s still early, we can learn, we can take our time. I think we need to move fast and we need to move faster than we’re moving. Robert Dutt: And taking that similar lens but turning it inside this time, what’s the hardest internal debate that you’re having at Check Point right now about AI and security, and why isn’t it settled yet? Roi Karo: We understand that we need to offer AI as a part of – we talked about many angles of AI, one that we did not mention, and I will use your question to address it – is using AI for security. We talked about AI for the attackers, we talked about AI that everybody’s using and we need to secure. Part of what we’re building in a very innovative way is autonomous security – AI agents that are running security. And this of course is the biggest promise. And many people feel that we need to move much faster on this front. It’s not easy. And we’re building it in many parallel lanes, because it’s hard to predict what will win. But we understand that the future of security – you need to fight AI with AI, you need to adopt AI. And this is maybe the biggest promise of our industry, when the industry will be able to adopt AI and leverage the power of AI in order to provide better security. And in many ways, in bigger organizations, the department that needs to adopt AI the fastest is the security department. Because for all the other departments, this is a force multiplier, it changes everything, but in a way it’s a nice to have. For security, because the attackers are using AI, if security people won’t adopt AI for themselves and use AI to secure their organization, they will lose. So we’re trying to do our best in offering our customers AI-based security. We have today in all of our pillars co-pilots and MCP servers and agentic capabilities. But we aspire much higher. We want to build real autonomous security, real AI employees – AI security employees that will be part of the team. We have very exciting, innovative teams that are building those kinds of things. And answering your question, the debate is: can we, or how can we, move faster on this front, offering our customers fully autonomous, fully AI-based security. Robert Dutt: That’s a pretty good overview and view of the strategy and of where you think things are at. Good luck with the acquisitions and rolling them in and continuing to broaden out the strategy. And thank you very much for taking the time for this conversation. Roi Karo: Thank you for hosting us. It was a pleasure. We’ll be in touch. Angelo Valentini: Great to be here. Robert Dutt: There you have it, a look at Check Point’s push to reshape its platform around AI security, exposure management, and the MSP workspace, with Roi Karo and Angelo Valentini. The takeaway I keep coming back to: Check Point isn’t just buying technology here. They’re making a deliberate bet on the MSP market, and hiring a team from Datto and Kaseya to build it out is the strongest signal of that intent. Whether you’re already in the Check Point ecosystem or not, the open garden approach they’re describing is worth paying attention to. And Roi’s point about urgency is one that I’d take seriously. The window to learn and prepare is shorter than a lot of people think. Thanks to Roi and Angelo for a great conversation. And thank you as always for listening. Also this week on ChannelBuzz.ca: on Wednesday, ESET’s Tony Anscombe joins me to walk through the security trends and threats solution providers should be watching this year. On Thursday, I sit down with Nutanix SVP Lee Caswell to dig into their latest Enterprise Cloud Index research, including what the data says about shadow AI, data sovereignty, and where infrastructure decisions are heading. And on Friday, a bonus episode – AWS Canada’s Eric Gales joins me for a look back at 20 years of AWS and what it means for partners going forward. If you’re enjoying the show, please take a moment to subscribe or follow in your podcast app of choice. And if you’re feeling generous, a rating or review goes a long way to helping other solution providers find us. Until next time, I’m Robert Dutt for ChannelBuzz.ca, and I’ll see you in the channel.

22. Sebastian Lane / Floating Away23. Shemekia Copeland, KW Shepherd Robert Randolph / Hit 'Em Back 24. Eric Gales / Baby, Baby 25. Lucky Peterson / Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone 26. Fanny / Badge27. Maggie Bell / After Midnight 28. Renee Elise Goldsberry  Starring 30. Sass Jordan / Cry Baby 31. Black Crowes / Profane Prophecy 32. Lucinda Williams / Righteously 33. Joe Ely / Driven to Drive 34. Los Lonely Boys / Heaven 35. Keegan McInroe / John's Songs36. Matt Cox / Around the Bend 37. Ruth Brown & Bonnie Raitt / I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town 38. Tinsley Ellis / Too Broke 

Pacific St Blues & AmericanaFebruary 28, 20261. Bobby Harden - Feels So Good2. Jon Batiste / Lean on My Love 3. Roomful of Blues / Tell Me Who 4. Honeydrippers / Rockin' at Midnight 5. Tinsley Ellis / Too Broke (To Worry) 6. Carolyn Wonderland / Bad to the Bone 7. Blind Willie Johnson / God Moves on Water8. Lesley Riddle / Titanic9. Blue Moon Marquee / Rollin' & Tumblin'10. Muddy Waters / Rock Me 11. Ann Cole / I Got My Mojo Working 12. Gus Cannon Band / Minglewood Blues13. Omar Coleman & Igor Prodo / Answer Your Phone 14. Eric Gales & Joe Bonamassa / Don't Wanna Go Home15. Sebastian Lane / Floatin' Away 16. Gary Clark Jr./ This is Who We Are17. Joe Bonamassa w/ Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks / To Know You is to Love You 18. Indigenous / Blues from the Sky 

Today, I report on a behind-the-scenes tour of the GRAMMYS I was lucky to take on Day One of artist rehearsals at Crypto Arena, relive adventures from the three JEFF BECK tribute concerts I played earlier this month, and share with you one of the most inspiring guitar performances I saw at this year's NAMM convention — PHILIP SAYCE's soul-stirring, fret-melting set in the Anaheim Hilton's cavernous lobby. In fact, Sayce was so mind-bogglingly great that night, I decided to include in this episode an ENCORE of our May, 2022, interview/jam, recorded at his home in Los Angeles. ALSO: Hope you enjoyed the Eric Gales episode, which posted last week. Today's and last week's episodes are presented by Guitar Player and guitarplayer.com

Today we “fly the ‘copter” across the country to plug in with blues/rock powerhouse ERIC GALES at Earthtones Recording — the Greensboro, North Carolina studio where guitar phenom does most of his tracking. With his second Grammy-nominated album out (2025's A Tribute to LJK — recorded in honor of his brother Manuel “Little Jimmy King” Gales) — plus a new signature model Kiesel guitar in the works (he plays one of the prototypes on this episode), tons of 2026 tour dates on the calendar, and an in-depth guitar course from TrueFire.com just released, Eric is as busy as ever. So, I appreciate him taking some time to talk guitar and music with me, jam with me, detail his guitar approaches and musical inspirations, and dive deep into the huge topics of gratitude, redemption, and helping others. Special thanks to Benjy Johnson at Earthtones Recording for capturing this episode, GuitarPlayer.com for sponsoring, and for TrueFire for setting the whole thing up. — JUDE GOLD, host and creator, No Guitar Is Safe

On this episode of GetConnected, we explore the state of cloud computing, AI, and innovation in Canada, the role of technology in modern sports, and a powerful real-world example of how cloud tech is being used to fight wildfires. We're joined by Eric Gales, Managing Director of Amazon Web Services Canada, who shares insights on where cloud and AI adoption stands today and how Canadian organizations are using technology to innovate at scale. Julie Souza, Global Head of Sports at AWS, discusses how cloud infrastructure and data are transforming sports — from performance analytics to fan engagement and broadcast innovation. We also hear from Colin O'Neill, CEO & Co-Founder of Voxelis, an AWS customer using cloud technology aboard helicopters to collect and process critical data that helps detect, monitor, and respond to wildfires. From national innovation strategy to life-saving applications, this episode highlights how cloud and AI are moving beyond theory into real-world impact.

Pacific St Blues & AmericanaNovember 2, 2025This week we debut the new single from Sebastian LaneAnd play, What's the Common Thread1. Jimmie Vaughan / The Rains Came 2. Buddy Guy / It Feels Like Rain 3. Gary Moore / Walking By Myself 4. Muddy Waters Tribute Band / Mojo Working 5. Screaming Cheetah Wheelies / I Found Love 6. Larkin Poe / Who Do You Love (Bo Diddley beat, George Thorogood)7. Samantha Fish / Sweet Southern Sounds 8. Monster Mike Welch / Losing Every Battle 9. Joe Bonamassa w/ Michael McDonald, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks / To Know You is to Love You 10. BB King / Waiting for Your Call 11. Robert Johnson / Ramblin' on My Mind 12. Devon Allman & Jimmy Hall w/ Robert Randolph / Peace to the World 13. Kris Lager Band / Let's Dance Nice and Slow 14. Eric Gales / Something Inside of Me 15. Notorious Cherry Bombs / Let It Roll, Let It Ride 16. Little Feat / Let It Roll 17. Van Morrison / Roll with the Punches18. Paul Rodgers / Let Me Roll It 

22. Christone Kingfish Ingram / She's So Sweet 23. Eric Gales feat Joe Bonamassa / It Takes a Whole Lot of Money 24. John Fogarty / Weeping in the Promised Land 25. Sam Fender / The Dying Light 26. Aerosmith / Eye Sight to the Blind (Tommy, Sonny Boy Williamson)27. Morgan James / Dream On 28. Eric Nelson / Hit You Like a Train 29. George Jones / He Stopped Loving Her Today 30. Lonnie Johnson / Star Dust 31. Dom Flemons / One Dollar Bill 32. Robert Johnson / 32-20 Blues 33. Keb Mo / Love in Vain 34. Charley Crockett / Bad Company (Mott the Hoople, Bad Company) 35. Free / Mr. Big 36. Sheryl Crow & Jason Isbell / Everything is Broken (Bob Dylan) 37. The Black Crowes / Dirty Cold Sun 

Episode 093 welcomes back POLYRHYTHMICS, the fantastically-funky septet primarily based in Seattle, but these days steadily spreading their net further and wider than ever before. BEN BLOOM (along w/ bassist Jason Gray) appeared on Ep.059 in 2022, now the guitarist/co-founder returns to chop it up once again, this time with drummer/co-founder GRANT SCHROFF (aka Champagne Bubblebath) also in the mix. 0:00 - ep.093 preview 03:25 - Sponsor- AARON SCHWARTZ ART 06:55 - Sponsor - LAZYMOON DESIGN 08:50- The Upful Update & B.G's BIG NEWS! 19:45 - introducing Ben and Grant from POLYRHYTHMICS 24:00 - INTERVIEW - Polyrhythmics [71 min] 1:34:45 - afterglow & ViBE Junkie Jamz Late 2025 brings busy, fertile, exciting times for the erstwhile groove merchants as they mark 15 years in the game, and we celebrate the release of their fiery new LP 'Life From Below'. They're hitting the road just as the pod goes to press, the boys ready to bless up some long dormant markets in the Northeast, Southeast, and beyond. We get the scoop on the blazin' new joints, before delving into some personal developents like how Bloom recently relocated back East with his family. The guys discuss the new geographical band dynamics, and how it affects the hang, writing, rehearsal, travel, and overall Polyrhythmics' modus operandi. We go inside the lab and look into studio sessions for the latest record, hear some philosophies on improvising, unpack band interpersonal communications, reflections on collaborating with vocalist Adryon de Leon, the forthcoming Champagne Bubblebath mixtape with Gray and searing Seattle axeslinger Jimmy James, plus a whole lot more!  -bg Bio: Seattle-based Polyrhythmics are celebrating 15 years of sonic exploration with the release of their highly anticipated new album, Life from Below. Since forming in 2010, this seven-piece powerhouse has redefined instrumental music with a sound that blends funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, and Afrobeat into a kaleidoscope of rhythm and groove. Known for their dynamic live performances and innovative compositions, the band has earned a reputation as one of the most captivating acts on the contemporary music scene. This year's Life from Below marks an exciting new chapter for Polyrhythmics, delivering a fresh collection of grooves infused with the bold creativity and signature tight-knit musicianship that fans have come to expect. As they celebrate their 15th anniversary, the band reflects on a decade-and-a-half of musical evolution, countless miles on the road, and a loyal community of listeners that continues to grow. Polyrhythmics website, BandCamp, Instagram ViBE Junkie Jamz "Mayo Con Yayo" - Polyrhythmics "Humpin' Around" -- The Nth Power GAP Band Tribute ft. Eric Gales and Nicholas Payton [9/21/25 Tipitina's in New Orleans for DJ Soul Sister's 50th] "New Life" - Blind Melon - demo 1995   CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR - AARON SCHWARTZ ART! LAZYMOON DESIGN for promo/poster art needs! Send B.G. a few dollas 4 makin U holla! Upful LIFE Patreon EMAIL the SHOW PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW on Apple Podcasts Listen/Comment on Spotify Theme Song: "Mazel Tov"- CALVIN VALENTINE

This week on Beale Street Caravan, we feature Paul Taylor and Three Springs live from the Green Room in Crosstown Arts. Over the years Paul has worn many hats, recording and touring with artists as diverse as Chuck Prophet, Amy LaVere, Ann Peebles, Eric Gales, Robert Ellis, and many more. The episode marks the Memphis multi-instrumentalist's first show home in Memphis since relocating during the recent pandemic.

20. Albert King / You Upset Me Baby 21. Eric Gales & Trudy Lynn / Voodoo Chil(d) Slight Return22. BB King / Paying the Cost to Be the Boss 23. Joanne Shaw Taylor / A Good Goodbye24. Devon Allman / Gettin' Greasy With It 25. All Things Swamped / Sidewalk Strut26. Billy Branch / Dead End Street27. Buddy Guy / Stone Crazy28. St Paul & the Broken Bones / Sushi & Coca Cola 29. Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal / Crazy Love 30. DK Harrell / Grown Now31. Jon Batiste / Big Money 32. Carolyn Wonderland / Blues for Gene 33. Dom Flemons / One Dollar Bill 34. Billy Gibbons / Livin' It Up Down in Texas 35. Los Lonely Boys / She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

Jordan A. Wilson, born in Cincinnati, OH, and raised in Carrollton, KY, is a dynamic artist blending nostalgic rhythms with fresh originality. A self-taught guitarist, he began playing at 14, performing solo, in church, and at talent shows. Over the years, Jordan became a key figure in the Cincinnati music scene, collaborating with artists like Joseph Nevels (now Los Angeles), Lauren Eylise, and as a member of KNOTTS, while also leading his own band, the Jordan Wilson Coalition.Base in Madison, IN, the Coalition fuses Blues, Alt-Rock, R&B, Soul, and Funk-what Jordan calls "Alt-Blues, Rock "N' Soul". The sound has been described as a blend of Bill Withers and Jimi Hendrix, sprinkled with some alt-rock seasoning. The band has been billed with Patti LaBelle, Erykah Badu, Thundercat, Eric Gales, Mr. Sipp and Ronnie Baker Brooks at venues like the Rose Center (Dayton), Heritage Bank Center, Megacorp Pavilion, Memorial Hall (Cincy) and more.

The latest edition of Blues is the Truth is packed with deep grooves, red hot solos and all the soul you could ask for. Whether you're a fan of electric fire or acoustic grit this show has something for every kind of blues lover. As always you'll get all the regular features including the Blues Driver with Paul Michal and the latest gig news from across the scene. This week's episode features music from Big Three Trio, Connor Selby, Freddie King, The Cinelli Brothers, Eric Gales, Katie Bradley, Larry McCray, Jimi Hendrix, Willy Buck and Bob Corritore, Bessie's Blues, Boz Scaggs, Kirky TG and Sinkin' Down, Trev Turley, Lonnie Brooks, Jimi Primetime Smith, Billy Walton Band, Gary Moore, Nick Curran, Howling Wolf, JW Jones, Dave Ferra, Rosie's Smokehouse Deluxe and Lurrie Bell. Proudly sponsored by the Tuesday Night Blues Jam at the Rising Sun in Isleworth where the music is always alive and kicking.

Two great guests, one non-award-winning podcast! Chris Jericho is up first. The wrestling legend was in Detroit with his band Fozzy, as they celebrated 25 years. It was their final show on this run, and they chose District 142 to close it out. Of course, I had to ask him about the passing of wrestler Sabu. He told a story of the last time they connected...sorta. Lots of Fozzy talk about the 25 years of the band, opening for Iron Maiden, starting at the bottom, and lots more. Bass player P.J. Farley texted me a great question to ask Chris - if he'd ever grabbed the wrong luggage at the airport. That's a funny story! Then, it's guitarist Mike Mostert from the band In Theory. They currently have a killer cover of Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You" with Eric Gales out. It's a bluesy dream! He spoke to getting Gales to play on the track, how they came up with their name, rock legends he's worked with, and that's just for starters. Thanks for listening!

David Michael Miller hung out with Rockabilly Greg In the Flamingo Lounge on March 12, 2025, playing and talking about his music. David Michael Miller, founder, lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter for Miller and The Other Sinners, is a well-established musician in the Western New York music scene, for 6 years fronting the band, Dive House Union.  David has shared the stage with artists such as Tedeschi Trucks Band, Steve Miller Band, Joe Bonamassa, Jonny Lang, Gary Clark Jr., Bobby Blue Bland, Jimmie Vaughan, Shemekia Copeland, Eric Gales and many others.  He represented the WNY Blues Society in 2013 and 2014 at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis  in both the Band and Solo/Duo categories.  He continues to participate in the Blues in the Schools program in Western New York.  In 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017, he was presented with the best Male Blues Vocalist Award by Buffalo's Night Life Magazine.

Eric Gales – A New Chapter Begins: First-Ever Announcement of His New Album, TV Show & SoundtrackIn this special episode, Eric Gales joins us for a first-time announcement about the next big chapter in his career. Known as one of the most talented and underrated guitarists of his generation, Eric has spent decades redefining blues and rock with his unique playing style, raw emotion, and undeniable passion. Now, he's ready to take things to an entirely new level with three major projects: a new album, a TV show, and an original soundtrack.A Look at Eric Gales' JourneyEric picked up the guitar at just four years old, influenced by legends like Jimi Hendrix, Albert King, and Eric Johnson. By the time he was 16, he was already signed to Elektra Records, releasing his debut album The Eric Gales Band in 1991. Over the years, he built a loyal fanbase with his soulful playing, blues-rock fusion, and electrifying live performances, earning the respect of icons like Carlos Santana, Joe Bonamassa, and Dave Navarro.Despite his immense talent, Gales' journey hasn't been without struggles. He has faced addiction, legal troubles, and personal setbacks, but his resilience and love for music have always brought him back stronger. His 2022 album Crown, produced by Joe Bonamassa, was a turning point—earning him his first Blues Music Award and solidifying his place as one of the most important blues-rock musicians today. Now, he's pushing his creative boundaries even further with this new, multi-dimensional project.What's Coming Next?New Album – Eric Gales shares details about his upcoming studio album, including the themes, collaborations, and the personal experiences that shaped the music. He reflects on how his playing has evolved and why this record feels like a natural progression in his career.TV Show – Stepping into the world of television, Eric gives us a tease into his new show.Original Soundtrack – Along with the album and show, Eric is on an movie soundtrack. Blending his signature bluesy-rock sound with new elements and fresh storytelling. He teases how this will be more than just a collection of songs—it's a full musical experience that reflects his artistic growth.This is an episode fans won't want to miss—a rare chance to hear Eric Gales open up about his past, his future, and the music that continues to drive him forward.https://www.ericgales.com/

This week, Mike is in Vegas for the big AWS Re:Invent Conference, where he's learning all about the latest in cloud and AI advances. Big news, Amazon has announced their own AI – Nova! Mike talk about some of its capabilities, including almost magical abilities to create realistic video clips from simple text prompts. He also speaks with Eric Gales, AWS's Canadian Country Manager about where AI is headed, and what we should all be doing to take advantage of it's capabilities. He'll also speak to the man behind their partnership with the Halo Project, who's mission is to rid the world of land mines. Finally, have you ever wanted to be a hologram? The tech is here now, and it's incredible. And of course, we have the Intel Core Ultra AI segment of the week!

Steve Fister - One Foot in the Blues – One foot in the Blues Playing For Change - The Weight – Robbie Robertson ( The band)VA - All Blues'd Up! Songs of Led Zeppelin - 04 - Eric Gales & Otis Rush - I Can't Quit You Baby - 2002 Tony Joe White - Feeling Snakey – Feeling Snakey  - 2024 – 320Rival Sons – Memphis sun  - Pair of aces , pt 1 – 2024 The Greyboy Allstars – They way you make me feel  - Grab Bag 2007-2023 - 2024 Robbert Duijf – I Ain't dead yet - Tired Of Being Good - 2024 Mark Hummel – Double trouble  - True Believer - 2024 Cedric Burnside – Please tell me baby - Live on Audiotree (EP) - 2024 Captain Morgan Express – I'm gonna miss you  - The Pussycat Tapes – 2024Anthony Gomes - The Whiskey Made Me Do It - 2024 Remix

SELECCIÓN 16 2024 BLUES SYNDICATE 1- TOMORROW NIGHT – B.B. KING 2- CHICKEN A LA KING – COUSING JOE 3- SINNER´S PRAYER – RAY CHARLES & B.B. KING 4- WAR IS COMING – WAR 5- BLUES FOR THE LOWLANDS – SONNY TERRY & BROWNIE MCGHEE 6- SINCE I FELL FOR YOU – B.B. KING 7- I WALKED ALL NIGHT – MIGHTY JOE YOUNG 8- TAKE OUT SOME INSURANCE – JIMMY REED 9- KNEE DEEP – ZAC BROWN BAND 10- STICK WAY OUT BEHIND – SNOOKY PRYOR 11- MR. PITIFUL – TAJ MAHAL 12- FUNKY MABEL – JOHN LEE HOOKER 13- I WANT MY CROWN – ERIC GALES & JOE BONAMASSA 14- WE´LL ALWAYS BE TOGETHER – BOBBY KING & TERRY EVANS

Playlist: Pacific Street Blues & AmericanaAugust 25, 2024Back for another round, our popular trivia game, What's the Common Thread?Contact 1. BB King / Mean Old World2. Bobby Blue Bland / Ain't That Lovin' You3. Nat Cole Trio / Straighten Up (and Fly Right) 4. Charles Brown / Cryin' Mercy5. Chris O'Leary / Things Ain't Always What They Seem 6. Tommy Castro / Bad Case of Love 7. Johnny Burgin / Silently Suffering 8. Chris Cain / I'm Gunna Quit My Baby9.  Fanny / Badge 10. Eric Gales & Derek Trucks / Layla 11. Derek & the Dominoes / Got to Get Better in a Little While12. Joyann Parker / What's Good for You  13. Shannon McNally / I Ain't Living Long Like This 14. Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters / Empty Little Room 15. Kim Richey / Joy Rider 16. Bruce Springsteen / Riding in My Car17. John Lee Hooker / This Land is Nobody's Land18. Carter Family / When the World's on Fire19. John Mellencamp / This Land is Your Land 20. U2 / Jesus Christ

Blues guitarist and singer Eric Gales shares his talent and ability to evoke deep emotion with his music in a KNKX studio session.

My guest this week is mastering engineer Maor Applebaum, who's worked with the likes of Faith No More, Yes, Meatloaf, Eric Gales, Walter Trout,  Dream Theater, Sepultura, Halford, and many more.  Maor has written presets and collaborated with various plugin companies such as Waves, Brainworx/Plugin Alliance, Softube, Arturia, Leapwing Audio, Pulsar Audio and others.  He's also guested and lectured at various trade shows and recording schools, and is co-creator of the THE OVEN line of analog hardware which is modeled and emulated by Brainworx. During our interview, Maor spoke about the different mastering requirements for different genres, common mixing problems that he sees, what he asks clients to supply for mastering, the audio gear he's developed, and so much more. I spoke with Maor via zoom from his studio outside of Los Angeles.  On the intro we look at song melodies getting simpler and production more complex, and the quietest places in the U.S.

Discussed in this episode:Pinnick Gales Pridgen Article:https://www.dugnation.net/pgp.php2014 Good For Sumthin'Tonight (I'm Leaving)2015 SingleQuest for Love 2016 A Night on the Sunset StripMake It There2017 Middle of the RoadHelp Yourself (with Kingfish)2017 SingleShe Cast a Spell on Me2019 The BookendsWith A Little Help From My Friends (With Beth Hart)2023 - SinglesTennessee WhiskeySunshine Of Your Love2022 CrownDeath Of MeI Want My CrownI Gotta GoLinksWebsiteApple MusicSpotifyQobuzSocial Media Links:https://linktr.ee/turnonthemusicWelcome to Turn On the Music Podcast, where we dive deep into the world of music and explore its many facets. Whether you're a casual listener or a die-hard music aficionado, this podcast is your go-to destination for insightful discussions, fascinating interviews, and captivating stories about the artists, genres, and trends shaping the musical landscape.Join your host Kyle and CJ, along with a rotating panel of music enthusiasts and industry experts, as we dissect the latest hits, uncover hidden gems, and reminisce about timeless classics. From pop to rock, hip-hop to jazz, and everything in between, we celebrate the diversity of musical expression and its profound impact on our lives.Each episode, we'll take you on a journey through the rich tapestry of music history, exploring the cultural significance of iconic albums, dissecting the lyrics of your favorite songs, and uncovering the untold stories behind the music. Whether you're seeking recommendations for your next playlist or craving in-depth analysis of music theory, Turn On the Music Podcast has something for everyone.So, tune in, turn up the volume, and let's embark on a sonic adventure together. Whether you're commuting to work, relaxing at home, or hitting the road on a weekend getaway, Turn On the Music Podcast is the perfect soundtrack to your life. Let's make some noise and turn on the music!

Pacific St Blues & AmericanaSpotlight on Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Blues BandEXTENDED SHOW - part 2 of 2 June 30, 2024Facebook Contact19. Fleetwood Mac feat Bob Welch / Sentimental Lady20. Best Coast / Rhiannon21. Rhiannon Giddens / You Louisiana Man 22. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers feat Stevie Nicks / Insider 23. Johnny Cash feat Lindsay Buckingham & Mick Fleetwood / Sea of Heartbreak24. Ronnie Earl / Heart of Glass (a musical tribute to Peter Green) 25. Rory Gallagher / Showbiz Blues26. Joe Bonamassa / Lazy Poker Blues 27. Peter Green & Splinter (solo) / Can You Tell Me Why? 28. Jeremy Spencer (solo) / It Hurts Me too 29. Vince & the Valiant's (Fleetwood Mac feature Danny Kirwin)30. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Blues Band / The Green Manalishi 31. Karen Souza / Dreams32. Trixie Whitley / Before the Beginning 33. Gardens & Villa / Gypsy EXTENDED SHOW34. Eric Gales & Derek Trucks / Layla35. Aerosmith / Rats in the Cellar36. Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac Blues Band / Madge Jam 

Discussed in this episode:1991 The Eric Gales Band Eric Gales, Eugene Gales, Hubert CrawfordResurrection1993 Picture of a Thousand FacesParalyzed2001 That's What I AmThat's What I AmJust Got Paid2006 Crystal VisionRetribution2007 The Psychedelic UndergroundDark Corners of My Mind2008 The Story of My LifeLayin Down the Blues2009 Layin Down the Blues (Greatest hits kinda?)The Open Road2010 RelentlessIf You Knew the Truth2011 TransformationAltered Destiny2012 LiveMe and My Guitar2013 Pinnick Gales PridgenAngels and Aliens2014 Pgp2Psychofunkadelic BluesEric Gales Links:WebsiteApple MusicSpotifyQobuzSocial Media Links:https://linktr.ee/turnonthemusicWelcome to Turn On the Music Podcast, where we dive deep into the world of music and explore its many facets. Whether you're a casual listener or a die-hard music aficionado, this podcast is your go-to destination for insightful discussions, fascinating interviews, and captivating stories about the artists, genres, and trends shaping the musical landscape.Join your host Kyle and CJ, along with a rotating panel of music enthusiasts and industry experts, as we dissect the latest hits, uncover hidden gems, and reminisce about timeless classics. From pop to rock, hip-hop to jazz, and everything in between, we celebrate the diversity of musical expression and its profound impact on our lives.Each episode, we'll take you on a journey through the rich tapestry of music history, exploring the cultural significance of iconic albums, dissecting the lyrics of your favorite songs, and uncovering the untold stories behind the music. Whether you're seeking recommendations for your next playlist or craving in-depth analysis of music theory, Turn On the Music Podcast has something for everyone.So, tune in, turn up the volume, and let's embark on a sonic adventure together. Whether you're commuting to work, relaxing at home, or hitting the road on a weekend getaway, Turn On the Music Podcast is the perfect soundtrack to your life. Let's make some noise and turn on the music!

** PLEASE SUBSCRIBE ** Brought to you by FUNKNSTUFF.NET and hosted by Scott "DR GX" Goldfine — musicologist and author of “Everything Is on THE ONE: The First Guide of Funk” ― “TRUTH IN RHYTHM” is the interview show that gets DEEP into the pocket with contemporary music's foremost masters of the groove. Become a TRUTH IN RHYTHM Member through YouTube or at https://www.patreon.com/truthinrhythm. Featured in TIR Episode 326 (Part 2 of 2): Texas-based blues-rock guitar slinger, singer and multi-instrumentalist Lance Lopez. Inspired by giants like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons and Johnny Winter, he's released nine albums since his 1998 debut – including 2023's fantastic Trouble Is Good, which was named one of FUNKNSTUFF's Top 10 Rock & Blues Albums of the Year.  Though he might not be a household name, Lopez's gritty tone and fretboard agility are prominent in an incendiary, emotive playing style that places him among today's best hard-edged, blues-rooted guitarists. He also talks about his surprisingly close friendship with superstar Prince. Having shared stages with the likes of Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, ZZ Top and Joe Bonamassa, he has also worked with Supersonic Blues Machine, Eric Gales and Buddy Miles. Speaking of which, coming up on March 1st, he is among the performers at For the Love of Buddy Miles Tribute Concert in Dearborn, Mich.  RECORDED JANUARY 2024 LEGAL NOTICE: All video and audio content protected by copyright. Any use of this material is strictly prohibited without expressed consent from original content producer and owner Scott Goldfine, dba FUNKNSTUFF. For inquiries, email info@funknstuff.net. TRUTH IN RHYTHM is a registered U.S. Trademark (Serial #88540281). Get your copy of "Everything Is on the One: The First Guide of Funk" today! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1541256603/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1541256603&linkCode=as2&tag=funknstuff-20&linkId=b6c7558ddc7f8fc9fe440c5d9f3c400

** PLEASE SUBSCRIBE ** Brought to you by FUNKNSTUFF.NET and hosted by Scott "DR GX" Goldfine — musicologist and author of “Everything Is on THE ONE: The First Guide of Funk” ― “TRUTH IN RHYTHM” is the interview show that gets DEEP into the pocket with contemporary music's foremost masters of the groove. Become a TRUTH IN RHYTHM Member through YouTube or at https://www.patreon.com/truthinrhythm. Featured in TIR Episode 326 (Part 1 of 2): Texas-based blues-rock guitar slinger, singer and multi-instrumentalist Lance Lopez. Inspired by giants like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Billy Gibbons and Johnny Winter, he's released nine albums since his 1998 debut – including 2023's fantastic Trouble Is Good, which was named one of FUNKNSTUFF's Top 10 Rock & Blues Albums of the Year.  Though he might not be a household name, Lopez's gritty tone and fretboard agility are prominent in an incendiary, emotive playing style that places him among today's best hard-edged, blues-rooted guitarists. He also talks about his surprisingly close friendship with superstar Prince. Having shared stages with the likes of Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, ZZ Top and Joe Bonamassa, he has also worked with Supersonic Blues Machine, Eric Gales and Buddy Miles. Speaking of which, coming up on March 1st, he is among the performers at For the Love of Buddy Miles Tribute Concert in Dearborn, Mich.  RECORDED JANUARY 2024 LEGAL NOTICE: All video and audio content protected by copyright. Any use of this material is strictly prohibited without expressed consent from original content producer and owner Scott Goldfine, dba FUNKNSTUFF. For inquiries, email info@funknstuff.net. TRUTH IN RHYTHM is a registered U.S. Trademark (Serial #88540281). Get your copy of "Everything Is on the One: The First Guide of Funk" today! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1541256603/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1541256603&linkCode=as2&tag=funknstuff-20&linkId=b6c7558ddc7f8fc9fe440c5d9f3c400

Visit HOW TO GROW YOUR MUSIC CAREER BLOG for more valuable insights on your music career!   What is mastering? And why it is so important? Mixing vs. Mastering: What's the Difference?   What are the differences between mastering on analog gear and with plugins?   If you find these questions interesting, then this episode is just for you! REWIND: The Musician's Podcast, How to Make Money From Music Tips for your successful Career in Music! An optimistic podcast about how to build your music career, marketing tools for musicians, career advice, and how to turn your dreams into your everyday life! Amit Weiner hosts musicians, composers, professors, and sound engineers, as they share their life stories and career decisions. In this episode our guest for this podcast Mastering engineer from LA, Maor Appelbaum. Maor Appelbaum is a mastering engineer and musician. After working as staff engineer (mixing, recording and mastering) for famed record producer Sylvia Massy Shivy at Radiostar Studios in Weed, California, Maor moved to Los Angeles where he opened his private mastering suite Appelbaum's current credit list runs from Faith No More, Limp Bizkit and Sepultura to Eric Gales and Yes.   Read more career tips in the blog: https://www.amitweiner.com/rewind-the-musicians-blog     Amit Weiner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amit-weiner/   Stay tuned and don't forget to REWIND!  

Here is some great music on my Bluesland podcast from January 11, 2024. Included is music of Samantha Fish, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Joe Louis Walker, Eric Gales, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Tracy Nelson, Howlin' Wolf and more. Every song handpicked out for your listening pleasure.

This incredibly beautiful soul Ally Venable Band is my guest this week. A look into the life of an emerging female guitar slinging Texas troubadour that represents us with such polished grace and soul and she's in her early 20's with so much more ahead. Collaborative work with Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales to name few. Clearly revered in the music world as a monster on guitar , she's the whole package. Singer/ songwriter , guitar player and sweet to look at. Don't miss this one. Thanks to Burress Law PLLC The Guitar Sanctuary and Cadillac Pizza Pub.   Originally aired 12/31/2023 on 95.3 FM KYHI the Range in Dallas, TX.

The interview was on September 25th, 2022 Night Traxx Presents Eric Gales . Discuss his new album " Crown "

World-renowned guitarist Gary Hoey delivers everything a fan could hope for.Named one of the top 100 guitarists of all time, Gary thrills his audiences with action-packed shows that draw on his 22 albums, extensive touring, and mastery of the electric guitar.A driven songwriter, player, producer and teacher, Gary has worked with great artists across all generations, like Brian May, Ted Nugent, Joe Satriani, Kenny Wayne Shepard, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Johnson, Steve Vai, Beth Hart, Eric Gales, Peter Frampton, Johnny Winter, Ally Venable, Quinn Sullivan, Robben Ford, Jeff Beck, Lita Ford, Roger Daltrey, Dick Dale and many more.We chat with Gary about his first new Christmas song to be released since 2013. Gary has always loved classical composers like Tchaikovsky so he created a rockin' version of the famous Sugar Plum Fairy from The Nutcracker. He played all the instruments on this song. The artwork for the single was created by Doug Long from Orange Blossom Junction in Visalia, CA. A man with many talents, Doug always created the best posters for his venue and this was one of them. Doug's love for music was as big as his heart for people. It was an honor to play there over the years. He always treated musicians like family. This single is in his memory (RIP 1952-2018).To follow The City's Backyard Podcast to see more pics of our guests click on the link:https://www.facebook.com/thecitysbackyardTo follow Gary Hoey click below! https://www.facebook.com/garyhoeyofficialpagehttps://garyhoey.com

Lance Lopez is an American blues rock and Texas blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter. Lopez has been influenced by Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. Jeff Beck has described Lopez as "a very exciting and intense blues guitarist". Lopez has spoken over the years about being mentored by both Billy Gibbons and Johnny Winter. Lopez was age 16 at the time he met Gibbons, and they have remained friends throughout. Over the period between 2008 and 2011, Lopez toured in Europe extensively, playing at larger music festivals and supporting acts including ZZ Top, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, and Rod Stewart. In 2009, Lopez had signed a new recording contract with MIG (Made In Germany) Music / String Commander, who were based in Hanover, Germany. In 2010, the album Salvation From Sundown, which was produced by Jim Gaines was released by MIG. It was issued in limited edition format alongside a DVD of the Rockpalast concert recorded on July 25, 2009. It was deliberately arranged in a Texas blues style, which led to Jeff Beck calling Lopez, "a very exciting and intense blues guitarist". In March 2012, MIG Music released the sixth album from Lopez, Handmade Music. As with the previous release, the album was produced by Jim Gaines and recorded at the Ardent Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. In 2012, Supersonic Blues Machine was formed by Lopez, the drummer Kenny Aronoff, and the bassist and record producer Fabrizio Grossi. They released their debut album, West Of Flushing, South Of Frisco, which was recorded mainly by the three musicians separately and using Pro Tools technology to bring the various elements together. The same principle was used in selecting the guest musicians tracks to be added to the overall mix. The band was 'augmented' on the recording by Billy Gibbons, Robben Ford, Walter Trout, Warren Haynes, Eric Gales and Chris Duarte. Supersonic Blues Machine had its worldwide debut concert at the Holland International Blues Festival on June 4, 2016, in Grolloo, the Netherlands. The rigors of touring and the lifestyle caught up with Lopez around this time. Lopez stated "My own personal struggles were overcoming alcoholism, drug addiction and to start eating healthier, lose weight and exercise... I struggled for years drinking and drugging and eating badly while I was drinking... I became very overweight". Once recovered, Lopez noted about performing, "That still doesn't mean every night is perfect... but at least I can walk away and say I did the best I could and I was sober doing it". His next release was Live in NYC (2016), which was issued on Cleopatra Records and produced by Paul Nelson. The recording come out of Lopez attending, and performing at, the 70th birthday party for Johnny Winter. Lopez signed with the Mascot Label Group in November 2017, and his debut album on their Provogue Records imprint was Tell the Truth, which was released on March 2, 2018.It was produced by Fabrizio Grossi, and featured Jimmy Zavala. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Randall Terry focuses on his feature film, "Time Boys," that resulted from his desire to fulfill his sons' wishes to make a family-friendly movie in which they could star.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Full Rig Details: https://bit.ly/EricGalesRR2023Eric Gales is back again. Since last chatting with John Bohlinger in 2017, the blues maestro's rig has transitioned to include more signature Raw Dawg gear pieces—including pedals, amps, and, of course, his signature Magneto guitars. Just last year, the lefty slinger released the Grammy-nominated, Crown, which features collabs with his pal Joe Bonamassa. Gales was touring in support of that record when he rolled through Nashville.Subscribe to PG's YouTube Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribePGYouTubeShop the Rig: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQdNNzWin Guitar Gear: https://bit.ly/GiveawaysPG Don't Miss a Rundown: http://bit.ly/RIgRundownENLMerch & Magazines: https://shop.premierguitar.comPG's Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierguitarPG's Instagram:

Max Muscato is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer and philanthropist. As a rock artist he brings electrifying performances to every show. Over the last several years Max has gained an extensive following and has toured and opened for: Citizen Cope, Theory of a Deadman, Aaron Carter, Finger Eleven, Eric Gales, Ripe, The Allman Betts Bandn and more. He is currently working on his next singles Valarie and Toxic & Poison due out in 2022.In addition to his music career, Max is also the founder of Rock Autism Music Festival and the creator/writer of the new TV show “Setlist.” The show is the truest depiction of their family dynamic while revealing the grind it takes to make it in the music industry. Max's powerful songs written about his brother's struggle with Autism and addiction is a deep-rooted catalyst that drives his passion and career. Proceeds from his festival fund Rock Autism programs for individuals with Autism, connecting them to a career in music and film.

My guest is Grammy-Winning producer, engineer, and mixer Matt Wallace. This is Matt's second appearance on the show, originally appearing on WCA #046. He has worked with Faith No More, Maroon 5, O.A.R., Dio, Tank and The Bangas, Replacements, Eric Gales, 3 Doors Down, Andy Grammer, Blackberry Smoke, Ludo, Train, Blues Traveler, Satchel, Mushroomhead, and I Prevail.In this episode, we discuss:Status since the last episodeDifficulties in the industryChallenges with ATMOS Legacy MixATMOS and Apple, WTF?Crushing it with ATMOSSmart SpeakersMoving Towards the FutureWhat kept you in the business?If you build it, they will comeKeeping low overheadMusician first, construction secondImportance of Alternative IncomeStaying Visible in the business"Prodixing"Band performance qualityProTools - No need for those pesky chopsStudio Deluxe Vibe is more important than gearStudio space influences performanceLeaving the Bay AreaLA is the best place to make a recordMatt's Rant: Managing Your MoneyLinks and Show NotesMatt's siteMatt on instagramDownload 15 Tips to Help you Survive as an Audio ProCreditsGuest: Matt WallaceHost: Matt BoudreauEngineer: Matt BoudreauProducer: Matt BoudreauEditing: Anne-Marie Pleau WCA Theme Music: Cliff Truesdell Announcer: Chuck Smith

From channeling life experiences through his playing to his gospel influences and learning from right-handed players, Gales digs deep. Get 30% off your first year of DistroKid by going here: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbFhsVENfSEoweXlsaFNnSWQwM2RHNlZYMGdfQXxBQ3Jtc0tsM3pTeHpBRG1NXzJQRDdOSDRlalYxLVprUlF5cDM1eC03YjlHNGRWLUlxbUdyVTZRbDJUeVJpclh1SlowdkhFSjRCM1BzZzBWTkVlWHBkZGF6bzItQzUzTlBMV01HM2Vzbkd5UUlXWXkyYWUwRTFFNA&q=http%3A%2F%2Fdistrokid.com%2Fvip%2Fcorywong (http://distrokid.com/vip/corywong) Visit Eric Gales: https://www.ericgales.com (https://www.ericgales.com) Hit us up: wongnotes@premierguitar.com Visit Cory: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbk1tMGhEZUJDNW9WSHJlZjhUQTF2eTE4bU1mZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsR3FtcVR3dU1CTUZUOF9PUXRzdXBpRG53TGU5ZDAxYU9rZ0M5TzJoVHA4RUZPNXhDVXdYWVZvdmVBN0lXQ2tEa3RlWHpwLWxFYlN0RjNhOFlleHUxd1BCdDhwZEJUV2czOEJ3djRCaEhVTWxDeXhVOA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.corywongmusic.com (https://www.corywongmusic.com) Visit Premier Guitar: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbDdydmxPMGc4RWFVbmVLelpSMm1IclNvenU5d3xBQ3Jtc0tuYUVjV3Y1MFdKeWxUUDVnTEdVbGtndTgzNG5EMVZFQjRGOTlEYUdaVEJTYkgxRTBEUmI1dGVQWjZ0YWllNlNUa1AzcnV3NF9xN21zdUV2alZTQm94MmlXQnJCcXlwRTUtMDlEOE9scDJrSHVOS01JZw&q=http%3A%2F%2Fpremierguitar.com (http://premierguitar.com) Twitter: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbE4zUWVYZWpQSHBlY20yM2plak1kanE2Sk9rZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsRS1TRmRNTEs1WWpQOHMxWG5aMENSd2hMaTZvMUl5Vm5BSEFvb3AxbThEcGI4d2ExaFc3NEN4Uk5Md2pmRnptLXhMQ1JMUVVOdm01dkxsdzZGOU4wemcxUW9VUHpxajlVNWJRekV2Q2w1emlEWVBKMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fwongnotespod (https://twitter.com/wongnotespod) IG: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnRlQUJYQmxvU25kenB4RWR3R0hQc0JqbmVuZ3xBQ3Jtc0traC01d3Q2LWV4N2lNMnJGRWoycWtUTHRtUTIwbFFxTVZQeVlSR2hlTHlNTGNVOTZLeE83cm5vdFlTVk15Tnp2eDBtcmdVUEp2cjdlUjJfNDYtZDYtd0NQUTJHNmdRNUdTaGQxU2pMWGFjRVdSLWVaWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fwongnotespod (https://www.instagram.com/wongnotespod) Produced by Jason Shadrick and Cory Wong Additional Editing by Shawn Persinger Presented by DistroKid