The 103rd episode of No Hair, No Heart has Mookie sitting down with Pat Donohue, one of the most respected acoustic guitarists alive and a player whose reputation among musicians is legendary. A Grammy winner, National Fingerpicking Guitar Champion, longtime performer with A Prairie Home Companion, and an artist once praised by Chet Atkins as one of the world’s great fingerpickers, Pat joins Mookie with zero ego and tons of good advice.

What follows is a sharp, grounded, often funny discussion about talent, discipline, and staying sane in a noisy world. Pat talks about his life in music, the long road from learning guitar as a kid to becoming one of the most admired players in the business, and why he still carries himself with the modesty of a working craftsman instead of an icon.

The conversation also gets into something rare these days: an artist intentionally keeping politics out of the music. Pat explains why he prefers to let the songs speak for themselves and why not every stage needs to become a soapbox. In a culture addicted to public declarations, Pat's voice and approach are a refreshing stance.

Pat also shares stories from his years on A Prairie Home Companion, where he spent decades as part of the famed Guys All-Star Shoe Band, performing for millions of listeners each week and contributing to one of America’s most beloved radio shows.

For younger listeners and aspiring players, Pat also offers the most practical advice imaginable: get out there and play. Don't theorize endlessly, or wait until you’re “ready.” Play live. Play often. Learn in public. Make mistakes. That’s where musicians are forged.

The Guest

Pat is one of the most listened-to finger pickers in the world. As the guitarist for the “ Guys All-Star Shoe Band” of Minnesota Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion, for twenty years, Pat got to show off his savvy licks and distinctive original songs to millions of listeners each week. Pat’s musical tastes are eclectic. Though he considers himself foremost a folk guitarist, Pat’s influences are rooted in bluesmen Blind Blake, Robert Johnson, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters and Miles Davis. He manages to blend jazz and blues with folk, and the mix is seamless. Over the years he has captivated audiences with his unique original compositions, dazzling instrumentals and humorous song parodies, including Sushi-Yucki and Would You Like to Play the Guitar?

If you're in the city, come out and see Pat Donohue & Friends Dan Newton and Mike Cramer at the Midway Saloon in St. Paul.

His Website

https://www.patdonohue.com/index.html

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On this 102nd episode of No Hair, All Heart your favorite bald host Mookie Spitz is thrilled to go full ADHD with the legendary musician, producer, bandleader, teacher, radio host, and industry connector Jesse Krakow: He's the musician's musician thanks to playing with everyone cool while somehow showing up wherever the interesting stuff is popping.

Jesse's jet fuel is fan obsession. As a kid, he dove headfirst into the weird end of the pool—Zappa, Beefheart, outsider bands, avant-prog—and never stopped swimming. That energy carried straight into Time of Orchids, his long-running experimental band, and into a career defined by constant motion: new projects, thrilling collaborators, and endless experimental rabbit holes.

One of the wildest threads is his deep connection to The Shaggs, the famously unpolished, totally singular band from the ’60s. Jesse loves them, tracked them down, organized a tribute, built relationships with the surviving members, and helped bring their music back into the world as a full-fledged multimedia revival. That’s how he rolls: If Jesse's energized, he dives in and makes it happen.

His conversation with Mookie moves like his career: fast, sideways, and occasionally off the rails. Jesse tells wild stories, contemplates the value of failure while revelling in success, and bursts with ideas and enthusiasm. They talk about The Muse ignoring then inspiring the greats, and how brillance can end any second, stressing the need to double-down before she goes belly-up.

That mindset is all over Jesse’s process. He’s always thinking about music, working ideas out, playing gigs and publishing. Collaboration is baked into everything—bands, revivals, and teaching. His advice to young musicians is exciting and clear: make it good, believe in yourself, and listen to people who have been there and done that.

The Guest

Jesse Krakow is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, sideman, teacher and music director. He was a co-founder of the experimental rock band Time of Orchids, a touring bassist for Shudder To Think and a member of The Shaggs/Dot Wiggin Band. He has worked with John Zorn, Paul Rudd, Kate Pierson (The B-52’s), Gary Lucas (Captain Beefheart), Nina Persson (The Cardigans), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Gilbert Gottfried, Nona Hendryx (LaBelle), Roddy Bottum (Faith No More), Julee Cruise (“Twin Peaks”), Chris Butler (The Waitresses), and longtime NYC institution The Losers Lounge, among many others. He was awarded a Fellowship from The Brooklyn Philharmonic, hosted the weekly radio show “Minor Music” on WFMU, a Professor at Bootsy Collins’ Funk University, and has recorded re-creations of albums by Hulk Hogan and Corey Feldman. Currently he is the MD for MANDONNA: an all-male tribute to Madonna. His most recent recording is "Bastards of Prog", released on Cuneiform Records in July 2026 under the name KRAKHOUSE.

Get More Jesse

BoP: https://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/bastards-of-prog

HULK: https://jessekrakow.bandcamp.com/album/hulk-rules

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jessekrakow7127

ToO: https://timeoforchids.bandcamp.com/album/sarcast-while

SHAGGS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecAAN6E6yY

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In the 101st episode of No Hair, All Heart, Mookie is thrilled to chat with legendary guitarist and songwriter Laurence Juber—a player whose illustrious career adapts and expands at every turn. From studio sessions with George Martin to lead guitar with Paul McCartney's Wings, to becoming one of the most respected fingerstyle guitarists in the world, Laurence's career has evolved with every opportunity enthusiastically taken, every new skill masterfully learned.

Mookie zeroes in on something rare: Juber’s ability to absorb new musical environments from rock to film scoring, jazz to classical, altered tunings to popular orchestrations, and translate them into his own distinct and thrilling aesthetic language. Central to his success has been Laurence's inspiring flexibility where patterns, theory, and instinct seamlessly blend into his distinct and masterful style.

Going beyond “rock guitarist,” “session guy,” or “fingerstyle player," Laurence lives a life of incessant creative and technical exploration: standard tuning, DADGAD, orchestral voicings, counterpoint that sounds like multiple instruments at once. Mookie frames it clearly: most people get overwhelmed by possibility, while Laurence embraces it and rocks it. New context? Learn it. New constraint? Conquer it. New sound? Build around it. "Cerebal plasticity" is what Mookie calls Laurence's secret sauce, and together they explore the enthralling variants.

Along the way they get into:

• How Laurence immediately took to reading music, and why “pattern thinking” is the perfect complement
• How alternate tunings unlock harmonic colors musicians cannot access otherwise
• The discipline and benefits of studio work fueling the freedom and exploration of solo performance
• Why counterpoint on guitar feels like bending or blocking time—second by second, and frame by frame
• And why AI, for all its usefulness, still can’t replicate the lived, physical experience of playing an instrument

Enmeshed in soulful nostalgia, with a masterclass in adaptability, Laurence reveals how an artist stays relevant and intriguing by constantly learning. And yes, Laurence picks up his guitar and plays for us, just like yesterday and everyday!

The Guest

Laurence Juber is a Grammy-winning guitarist, composer, and arranger best known for his time as lead guitarist with Paul McCartney’s Wings. A London-trained musician and former National Youth Jazz Orchestra standout, he first made his mark as a top session player in the 1970s.

Over a decades-long career, Juber has released more than two dozen solo albums and become one of the world’s leading fingerstyle guitarists, known for his orchestral approach and acclaimed Beatles arrangements. His work spans numerous film and television soundtracks, as well as compositions for video games, theme parks, and theater.

He has collaborated with artists ranging from Ringo Starr to Harry Styles, moving seamlessly across rock, jazz, classical, and acoustic traditions—building a career defined by versatility, precision, and constant reinvention.

Visit his website at: https://laurencejuber.com/

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