Conversations and musical interludes with artists, industry professionals and supporters of the Americana/Global Roots Music scene. This podcast is curated by Diana Linn, Member of Folk Alliance International and the Americana Music Association, Host of the Tasty Brew Music Radio Show and Siren Song on 90.1 FM KKFI, and Co-Founder of the Heartland Song Network, Inc., a Kansas nonprofit dedicated to empowering the art of songwriting through education, collaboration and mentorship.
Sometimes the best conversations are worth waiting for — even if the wait happens to be over a decade.
Kansas City songwriter and guitarist Jeff Porter has long been on my wish list for a live appearance on The Tasty Brew. I finally wore him down, and he joined me in the studio, guitar in hand, for music and conversation.
Jeff is perhaps best known as a member of Kansas City's legendary The Rainmakers, but he's also an accomplished songwriter and a musician's musician — someone whoseplaying is as much about listening and knowing what not to play as it is about what he does.
We talked about how his idea of a good song has changed over the years, what he hears and feels differently when it's just him and a guitar, the musical freedom he finds playing locally in Kansas City with the band Mooncrow — and after a lifetime spent making music, what can still surprise him. I loved hearing a tip of his hat to some of the best the Kansas City Music Scene has to offer… like The Nace Brothers, BobWalkenhorst, Enrique Chi, Duncan Burnett, Rod Fleeman and Sara Morgan.
And yes, I asked the obvious question: after a decade of invitations, what finally wore him down? Here's Jeff Porter, live on The Tasty Brew.
28 Sept 2026
Willi Carlisle - Spreading the Gospel of the Universal Bubba
Willi Carlisle (https://www.willicarlisle.com/) calls himself a “big tent folk singer,” and spend a little time with his music and you begin to understand just how big that tent really is.
He’s a songwriter, poet, folklorist, storyteller and road-worn troubadour whose songs make room for outsiders, working people, oddballs, heartbreak, humor—and the complicated business of being human.
Willi joined me by phone ahead of his return to Kansas City and Knuckleheads, with a new record, The Universal Bubba, on the horizon. We talked about carrying stories from one community to another, keeping traditional music alive withoutputting it behind glass, the importance of humor when the truth gets heavy, and what happens when you invite Tyler Childers (https://tylerchildersmusic.com/) into your wonderfully unconventional musical universe. Add perk of this new tour - Kansas City's own multi-instrumentalist Fritz Hutchison (https://fritzhutchison.bandcamp.com/) is part of Willi's band for run!
It’s a conversation about songs, certainly—but also about the life that creates them.
I’m Diana Linn, and this is the Tasty Brew Music Podcast. Here’s my conversation with Willi Carlisle.
25 Sept 2026
Cody Dunning - Songs Honoring Strong Women in His Life
Warsaw, Missouri songwriter Cody Dunning (https://www.instagram.com/codydunningmusic/) crafts lyrics and melodies that are honest and relatable. Cody reached out to me via email forwarding his latest work; upon a quick listen I knew it was a good fit for The Tasty Brew. The ability to support songwriting in the Heartland by having songwriters come in and play live on the radio is one of my favorite things about being a broadcaster.
I especially appreciate Cody’s tunes honoring his mother and other strong women in his life …. Acknowledging their positivecontributions has been essential as he now leads primarily a lyrical life…foregoing… for now… other more traditional paths to employment.
As is often the case during one of these introductory conversations, the diversity of an artist’s origin stories never ceases to amaze me. They hardly ever align with where the artist ends up or currently resides… in this case Cody’s first musical memories being as random as The Smiths and listening to emo music as a kid. I look forward to following Cody’s musical journey.
Who has been a guest on Tasty Brew Music
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Flanner Laycock and Schrock
Rick Gibson
Christian Dixon
Kris Schultz
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
83
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
68
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