EP 975 Rifkin’s Songwriting Takes on New Colors on Third Album

The host of America Trends, Larry Rifkin, has in the later stages of life taken up keyboards and songwriting.  He is putting out his third album of originals, in collaboration with Alasdair MacKenzie, as part of the music project he calls Rockaway.  The album, titled “Wrong Side of Love”, contains 16 songs that still offer political and social messaging, as in the first two albums, but redirects much of its focus toward love–its textures, complications and quiet endurance.  Jon Krofssik, the technical director behind the podcast, steps out of the shadows to conduct the interview with his long-time friend and broadcast partner. Rifkin discusses how he and the much younger and multi-talented, Alasdair MacKenzie, formed this interesting collaboration, thanks to the kindness of his daughter, Leora, and son-in-law, Peter, and how another young man, Matt Terribile, of Ace Tone Productions, gave Rifkin the confidence to put these tunes out as demos some years back.  The story is interesting and the songs of a yacht rock flavor with a contemporary sound, are different one to the next.  You’ll hear a number of them on this podcast.  The album will be available in digital stores, including Spotify and Apple Music, on Tuesday, June 9.

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