Celebrating Christmas and Hanukkah with four guests from 2025 contributing their music and written word with a holiday theme.

:00 - Nu-Blu with Carolyn and Daniel Routh
11:03 - Charles Wiedenmann, holiday stories
11:30 - Dr. Hankus Netsky on Hanukkah music
29:38 - Sudi "Rick" Karatas, west coast Christmas

Dr. Hankus Netsky has devoted his life to researching, documenting, and performing Klezmer music. It is traditional Jewish music with roots in Eastern Europe, introduced to the United States in the 20th century. Klezmer was a signature element of Yiddish theater in New York and Philadelphia and is a mainstay of many Jewish celebrations. Dr. Netsky talks about his own history as a kid in a predominantly black Philadelphia neighborhood, where he played in jazz and blues bands before beginning the search for his own musical roots. His book, Klezmer: Music and Community in 20th Century Jewish Philadelphia, is available on Amazon

Dan Parr's faith came to him early, but it took him a while to go with it. He became a believer in earnest after reading the Bible. Today, Dan is a successful voice artist who has gone through the Bible, line by line, and rewritten it in everyday, easier-to-read English. He hopes it'll bring more people to God, especially Gen Z-ers.

Author Susen Edwards wrote a memoir on behalf of a woman whose troubled life took her into and out of three bad marriages, addiction, a Kenyan prison, and the global drug trade. As an author, Susen was committed to writing a true account of the subject's life while being careful not to invade the privacy of some of the principals. A fascinating tale of a true story written by a skillful writer who endured the same emotional roller coaster as her subject.

Podcasts have come a long way since the early 2000s. There's a podcast for every interest and many come in video form. It's easier than ever to do your own podcast for very little money. Tom Kranz has it all in this episode celebrating International Podcast Day 2025.

Kim Curry spent 30 years as a Top 40 radio DJ in markets across America, mostly in Miami at Power 96 and Y100. His air persona, Kid Curry, was synonymous with radio stardom of the 70s, 80s and 90s. Then, things changed forever with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis at age 50. But life goes on and the Kid is still in charge.

During his 25 years working for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Deric Gilliard dealt with a lot of change under five different presidents. But it was his four years with the first Trump administration that threw the most obstacles in the path of his agency's mission to promote the health and welfare of Americans. His book The Longest Four Years of My Life examines his career in detail.

Nu-Blu has been a bluegrass institution for 22 years. With Daniel and Carolyn Routh at the helm, the band has recorded seven albums and toured the world. The Rouths also have stakes in two iconic businesses in their hometown of Siler City, North Carolina. Thus, their music brings their hometown sensibilities to audiences everywhere. We hear music from their latest album, Where You've Been, and Carolyn's remarkable story of surviving two strokes and learning to play the bass as part of her recovery.