San Joaquin Sound

03/06/2026

Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Fred Sonic Smith from MC5, and Johnny Ramone of the Ramones played mosrite guitars. Mosrite didn't just make guitars, they made amplifiers and pedals too. The main designer of those electronics was Ed Sanner. He was one of the pioneers of early solid state amps and created the Mosrite Fuzzrite fuzz pedal back in 1966.

In this episode, we talk about a lot of different
people involved with Mosrite, so let me give you a short explanation. Semie Moseley is the founder of Mosrite. He was a great guitarist and a master guitar builder that pushed boundaries with his designs. His brother Andy Moseley also worked in the factory. The branch manager who was in charge of running the factory and ordering all the parts was Ken Gilstrap. Ed sometimes refers to him as Bilstrap. I also want to give a special thanks to Chris Goodsell who you may remember from episode 9. He has been friends with Ed for years and without him this interview could have never happened.

01/28/2026

Did you ever go to the Bakersfield Jazz Festival in the 30 plus years it was running? If so, you have Doug Davis to thank. He ran the festival, booking artists like Dizzie Gillespie and Larry Carlton. And Local legends Mary Osborne and Mento Buru. In addition to running the festival, he was also a professor in charge of the Jazz Program at CSUB. Doug Davis is an incredible professor, amazing pianist, saxophone player, and award winning composer of classical music, Jazz, and even radio jingles. He has played hundreds if not thousands of concerts in Bakersfield and has even played in Paris, France, and New York. Listen to Episode 14 of the San Joaquin Sound podcast to hear an interview with Doug Davis.

01/07/2026

Listen to Episode 13 of the San Joaquin Sound Podcast!

Matt Riot played guitar and drums in multiple Bakersfield bands. He played drums in a reggae band called The Soulsteppers. He also played in Death Valley driver, a wrestling themed powerviolence band that had the band members fighting each other mid-concert. They often played in the Munoz Boxing Gym (see Episode 1.) Matt also played in bands The Prolapse Nation, and The Kill. This interview is filled with wild stories from the Bakersfield music scene from the late 90s and early to mid 2000s.

Footage of Death Valley Driver is from Adam Harrell and Matt Mickey.

01/07/2026

Bakersfield Record of the Week Ep. 01
The Soulsteppers 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 from 2001.

Some of the photos are thanks to awesome blog: https://undertheredandblackflag.blogspot.com/2020/07/the-soulsteppers.html

12/25/2025

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This is Part 3 of a 3 Part series of interviews with Willie Cantu, the Buckaroo. This episode covers his time after he left Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and went on to pursue other musical adventures. He spent time in Toronto as a studio musician, then moved to San Francisco and pursued Jazz while becoming a part of the Avant-garde movement. Then he moved to Nashville and continued drumming including starting 2 different Scottish Pipe Bands. Listen to the final chapter of the Willie Cantu story on the San Joaquin Sound podcast.

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

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This is Part 2 of a 3 Part series of interviews with Willie Cantu, the Buckaroo. This episode covers his time with Buck Owens and the Buckaroos. Icons of Country music, they took Bakersfield Sound on the road, toured the world, and recorded hit after hit. Stay tuned for Part 3!

12/10/2025

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part series of interviews with Willie Cantu, the Buckaroo. This episode covers his time growing up in Corpus Christi, Texas and working the clubs as a drummer while still a teenager. It also talks about him joining Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and moving to Bakersfield and his first experiences there. Stay tuned for part two!

11/19/2025

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Chris Goodsell has been performing music since he was a child. He got into punk music in the 80s and learned guitar and bass. He was in bands like Big Jed, The Mutilators, Cradle of Thorns, and The Wichitas. He has played shows for decades all over Bakersfield and has gone on multiple worldwide tours. He has opened for Dee Dee Ramone, Willie Nelson, and even Korn.

10/22/2025

Podcast Episode 8 Trailer: Norm Hamlet: Ridin' the Frets with Merle Haggard & The Strangers

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San Joaquin Sound Episode 8 is out on all streaming platforms!

Norm Hamlet was the Pedal Steel guitarist for 49.5 years with Merle Haggard and The Strangers. He was a pioneer of The Bakersfield Sound. He played on 9 Gold and Platinum albums. He has toured all over the United States and internationally. This interviews covers his beginnings as a musician, touring with Merle, and his current tours.

10/08/2025

Trailer - San Joaquin Sound Podcast: Episode 7 - Marc DeLeon

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Marc DeLeon promoted many concerts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He played guitar, bass, and drums in many bands including Hossbruten, Adema, Premonition, American Standard, Cholo Biafra, and the Mentors. He has owned Mad Dog Tattoo for over 30 years. He has played our local American Legion, Gilman, CBGBs, and even the Eindhoven Metal Meeting. This conversation covers Bakersfield scene, San Francisco, and some touring stories.