The City's Backyard

Our guest this week is Blues keyboardist, recording artist, composer, and record producer Mark Naftalin. He entered the musical scene in 1965 as the keyboardist with the popular and influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band.  He is internationally renowned among blues fans for his contributions to the band's sound. Mark was a band member on the first 4 Paul Butterfield Blues Band albums from the mid-1960’s. He was inducted into ...

New York Comics Ellen Karis and Chris Monty have fun chatting it up on this episode talking about their love for comedy, acting, and what to expect from their shows in the tri state area and their show together coming up soon in WESTPORT, CT!  For more on their bios and shows check out their websites are below! To purchase tickets for Westport, CT click here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/october-17th-comedy-extravaganza-the-vfw-west...

SEAN CHAMBERS TEAMS UP WITH THE SAVOY BROWN RHYTHM SECTION:
Sean Chambers and the members from Savoy Brown all became friends after playing a festival together in 2019.
In 2023, shortly after the unfortunate passing of Savoy Brown's founder & leader, Kim Simmonds, renowned guitarist and songwriter Sean Chambers teamed up with the Savoy Brown Rhythm Section consisting of Pat De Salvo on Bass, and Garnet Grimm on dr...

On this week's episode we are talking about Thursday Night JAZZ at THE POST in WESTPORT, CT with The Jazz Rabbi Greg Wall! Greg talks about jazz as a genre, the impact on jazz in the community of Westport with the jazz society and of course the historic piano! The famous jazz piano is owned by the jazz society and has had many legendary musicians grace the keys over the years! Tune in to find out which ones. Not only that but ...

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Eliot Lewis has toured the world over as a member of the Daryl Hall & John Oates band, as well as a former member of The Average White Band. Eliot has also been the only musician to appear on every episode of Daryl Hall’s popular, "Live From Daryl's House” show all while keeping his own solo career going at a seemingly impossible pace. 

Over the course of his career he ha...

Our friend Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling drops by the backyard of New York City to chat about his comedy shows in the tri-state area!

We also catch up with him about his new role on a TV show called "The Better Sister" on Amazon Prime  out NOW where some of the scenes are shot from his house in Bayville, Long Island and gets in the show for a couple of scenes as a bar owner! 

For eighteen years (1983-2001) a fixt...

Legendary rock drummer Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Ozzy Osbourne, Rod Stewart, Beck, Bogart & Appice, Cactus, and Blue Murder) checks in to talk about his days touring on the road with Ozzy  and recording and co-writing with Rod Stewart! 

Carmine drops by as a regular guest but this time he's on tour with Tonight's The Night - The Rod Stewart Hybrid Tribute featuring Rob Caudill & Carmine Appice

Singer Rob Caudil...

Here's what people are saying about Steve...

"Steve Marshall is the only comedian who can do an hour clean or an hour edgy."
Gary Greenberg, Current Producer, Former Head Writer on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, ABC

"Students love him. We've asked him to perform at Mount Saint Mary College three times."
Student Activities, Mount Saint Mary College, Newburgh, NY 

"Steve is the headliner of my Comedy f...

We check in with our friend Steve Cooper, executive director at The Milford Performance Center in Connecticut! It is always fun chatting about upcoming shows including Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute Band on Saturday September 13th, The Music of Paul McCartney SIR PAUL September 27th, The original Billy Joel Band THE LORDS of 52nd STREET, the CT Grateful Dead All stars, STATESBORO a Tribute to The ALLMAN Brothers Band October 11th, ...

A musician of many talents, James, is an iconic figure in blues music for over 40 years, is an accomplished blues harpist, singer, front man and bandleader, lending these talents to his own band, The James Montgomery Band, and to countless sessions and tours over the years with the likes of Gregg Allman, Johnny Winter, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, James Brown and so many others it w...

Rob Fraboni is a Grammy-winning record producer, a legendary sound engineer, a studio designer, and creator of RealFeel™ sound technology. On this episode we have a conversation with Rob about some of the history of where and how he started his career working in the music business as well as his RealFeel sound technology which he touches on at the end of the show. Rob also has some stories that any music fan will enjoy!

Rob is well ...

John McAndrew's music has been heard around the world, many national events, and in several feature films. John's albums “Forgiven” and “Souls” on WBA Records were in Grammy Consideration in Roots Gospel, and Americana categories. His new album “Better Side of Me” produced by Denny Seiwell and Fernando Perdomo was released in May of 2025 on Quarto Valley Records .

John McAndrew is a storyteller and it can truly be said tha...

The Original Alice Cooper Group is releasing their first album together in 51 years called The Revenge of Alice Cooper! On this episode we check in with equipment manager Ron Volz! Ron was the roadie behind the scenes that set up the stage with sound gear and props over the years working for the glam rock group! Ron has many stories that gives the Alice Cooper fans a different perspective of the band and how they traveled and worke...

Melissa Newman is a vocalist, teacher, writer and artist who works primarily in porcelain and stoneware. She has shown work in galleries around the Northeast.  After enjoying a lucrative jingle career she continues to perform frequently with her jazz trio. Melissa spent almost 20 years volunteering and working with the inspiring women at Bedford Hills correctional facility, teaching visual and performing arts there and in other com...

Comedian Joe Pontillo and publicist Ken Franklin from LAUGHING GAS COMEDY talk all about the comedy scene in the tri state area along with the backyard of WESTPORT, CT at The Veterans of Foreign Wars along the banks of the Saugatuck River! 

Laughing Gas Comedy and The City's Backyard present another night of pain free comedy at the VFW Westport. We are back following our wildly successful first show in April. Tickets are $20 on...

A singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Eliot Lewis has toured the world over as a member of the Daryl Hall & John Oates band, as well as a former member of The Average White Band. Eliot has also been the only musician to appear on every episode of Daryl Hall’s popular, "Live From Daryl's House” show all while keeping his own solo career going at a seemingly impossible pace. 

Over the course of his career he ha...

Local session guy music man Rick Tedesco drops by from Brookfield, CT to chat about being asked to play on the new album from THE ALICE COOPER group called The Revenge of Alice Cooper out this July! Rick is a local guitar show owner and musician....his guitar show called The Guitar Hangar is out he met Ian Hunter from Mott The Hoople which led to him meeting Dennis Dunaway and the guys in the ALICE COOPER GROUP! Rick tells a few fu...