In this episode Gene talks to longtime Simon's Tavern jukebox curator Keith Lipinski. A native of Berwyn, Keith moved to Chicago in 1997 and started working the door at Simon's two years later. Having first been drawn to Simon's by its jukebox

Episode 6: Marc Kelly Smith

Sep 1st, 2019 56m

On Episode 6 Gene talks to Marc Kelly Smith, founder of the world-famous Uptown Poetry Slam. Smith talks about the event's humble beginnings at the now-defunct Get Me High Lounge in Wicker Park. At that time, poetry readings were sparsely atten

Episode 5: The Gene Pool Story (Part 3)

Aug 19th, 2019 46m

Episode 5 finds Gene in a more ruminative place, talking to Studio C's Andy Miles about his mental health struggles, specifically his coming to terms with a bipolar disorder diagnosis after spending a week in a Brooklyn psych ward. That helped

Episode 4: The Gene Pool Story (Part 2)

Aug 6th, 2019 46m

In this fourth episode of The Gene Pool Show, Gene tells (another part of) his life story to Studio C's Andy Miles, and performs one of his songs. He talks about moving to Chicago in 1983, and to "desolate" Williamsburg, Brooklyn in 1989, at a

Episode 3: Ty Hanson (Part 2)

Aug 5th, 2019 31m

Episode 3 features Gene’s second interview with Ty Hanson, a drummer and trombonist who played with Frank Sinatra, The Jackson 5, James Brown, and many more. In this conversation (see Episode 1 for Part 1), Ty reminisces about backing Little Ri

Episode 2: The Gene Pool Story

Jul 29th, 2019 43m 19s

In this second episode of The Gene Pool Show, Gene (previously known as Bill Harding) tells (part of) his life story to Studio C's Andy Miles, and plays three of his songs. He talks about his recent featured set at the Green Mill's poetry slam,

Episode 1: Ty Hanson

Jul 26th, 2019 44m

Episode 1 features Gene’s conversation with Ty Hanson, a musician who played dates with Frank Sinatra, The Jackson 5, James Brown, and many more. Hanson, 76, was a drummer and trombonist, and got his start on the so-called Chitlin Circuit, “a c

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