Colorado Soul Stories

Your host, Mama Jill, protects and collects precious stories of our state; from place-makers who were the pioneers of creating culture here to the risk-takers passionately following their compass. Colorado is a beautiful place to behold and these people help make it a soulful place to be, emulating what is quintessentially Colorado.

Colorado Soul Stories is a society podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 36 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Colorado Soul Stories, a society show with 36 episodes published.

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  Episode #36

  Salida Know Your Neighbor Interview, Lily Ericsson and Rich Tyler

  Sep 21, 202617 minS2

  “Know Your Neighbor” is part of Nest Quest, a Chaffee County-wide initiative exploring ways to strengthen residents’ sense of home and belonging. Collaborating with Colorado Theater in Non-Traditional Spaces (TINTS) the Colorado Soul Stories Podcast has partnered with the project to record interviews conducted by local students, ages 8 to 18, with community seniors. Welcome to this first interview where Salida High School senior, Lily Ericsson interviews Salida artist, Rick Tyler. In this conversation full of discoveries, Lily opens things up with: What does it mean to be an artist? For Salida artist Rich Tyler, it may have less to do with titles and more to do with curiosity, creativity and the simple pleasure of making something with your own hands. This philosophy transfers to how Tyler lives his life. As the discussion continues, these two find a shared love of good films and candy-bar-named beloved horses. Rich also reveals a couple of surprises about past brushes with famous people. One way or the other, this interview reveals that our community's older adults have much wisdom to share from past experiences and that bridges can be made from that past to our present and our youth. This interview is the first in a series and was initially aired on Sept. 17, 2026 on Salida's public radio station, KHEN, https://www.khen.org/http/wwwradiorethinkcom/listen/khen. Stay tuned for more episodes dropping regularly. Enjoy!

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  Episode #33

  Salida Musician, Chris Nasca

  Jul 28, 20261h 3mS2

  Whether you live around Salida or not, Chris Nasca’s story is one of those uniquely Colorado stories that illustrate the allure of our state and what some will do to live here. In this episode you will learn how Chris’ family served as a loving launch pad for his life, we’ll hear how he started playing guitar and became interested in the Grateful Dead. You'll also hear about his journey to Colorado and how he first made a living here - a gritty and fun Colorado mountain tale! Chris has been intentional with his creative life’s path, methodically choosing a balance between music, mountain living and becoming an independent entrepreneur. He is certainly a well-loved piece of the Salida community who brings so much joy with his music.

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  Episode #2

  Jazz Guitarist, Justin Allison, Making Good Vibrations

  Jun 11, 202650 minS2

  When I first heard jazz guitarist, Justin Allison play, about five years ago, I was so happy. He sang some of my favorite jazz standards while mixing in his unique interpretations of familiar pop songs, many having wonderful uplifting messages. His performances are the kind where you want to simply stop everything and listen. Justin’s guitar playing is stellar and unique and his voice is glassy smooth with punctuations of scat singing. His life has been filled with playing music since he was a kid and he works hard to continue to perfect his craft daily. Can you believe his other skills lie in herding cattle? Join me, Mama Jill, for this informative chat with this talented Colorado musician, exploring his journey around the US interacting with many, many well-known musicians that helped support and educate him along the way. Justin speaks also to his love of the Salida area as well as fond memories of the exploding jazz scene in Denver during the 1980s. We end our discussion with an original performance. If you’re lucky, you can catch him playing live this summer. https://www.justinjazz.com/

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  Episode #1

  Salida Circus Founder, Jennifer Dempsey: How Clowns Can Save the World

  Jun 4, 202657 minS2

  <p>Jennifer Dempsey came to live in Salida, Colorado about 20 years ago. After ruminating about her future, she ended up doing what she does best: “circusing.” Her story is a study in how our childhood can influence our adult journey.</p> <p>Jennifer founded the Salida Circus in 2007. My first encounter with this charming organization came about 10 years ago, while watching the 4th of July parade travel down the main street of Salida. It was a bit of a surreal experience that seemed to transport me to a long-gone era as I observed the acrobats, clowns, jugglers and unicyclers pass by i...

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  Episode #32

  Cynthia Swanson, Colorado Best-Selling Author

  May 19, 202635 minS1

  <p>Mama Jill sat down with New York Times bestselling author and longtime Colorado resident, Cynthia Swanson, whose novels are known for their thought-provoking storytelling. Readers may already know Cynthia from her acclaimed debut, The Bookseller, her follow-up suspense novel, Anyone But Her and now her latest work, debuting May 21st, a collection of short stories showcasing the struggles of women through history, This Isn’t New.</p> <p>Cynthia is launching this new book at the Northwest Denver bookstore and podcast partner, West Side Books on the evening of May 28th at 7pm.</p> <p>During this discussion, Cynthia re...

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