Mempho Presents
WYXR’s 2025 Stereo Sessions
WYXR's Stereo Sessions, presented by MEMPHO, is an immersive listening party experience where we explore and examine albums in the Memphis music catalog that have received cult recognition.
Now entering its fourth season, Stereo Sessions, a beloved WYXR event, will expand its reach in 2025 by becoming a nationally-syndicated podcast series.
Hosted inside the state-of-the-art Memphis Listening Lab, each session features exclusive interviews with the musician (or in some cases a person close to the musician) behind these treasured pieces of Memphis music lore.
Within every in-depth panel discussion about a record's impact, audience members learn why these albums live on as favorites among local music insiders.
Season Sponsors:
Phineas Newborn
Phineas' Rainbow
- Sounds like: Classic jazz solo piano
- For fans of: Ahmad Jamal, Duke Ellington, Thelonius Monk
Host Joe Restivo, a jazz and rock guitar virtuoso, will offer critical commentary on Newborn's importance to Memphis' jazz legacy, as well as his delicate balance between jazz innovation and commercial acceptance.
Sponsored by:
Human Radio
Human Radio
- Sounds like: '90s pop rock
- For fans of: R.E.M., U2, Weezer, Oasis, Jet, Maroon 5, XTC
Special guest Ross Rice, singer-songwriter and lead singer of Human Radio, will join Stereo Sessions to share his journey from Memphis' cafes and lounges to the glitzy airwaves of MTV during the network's tastemaking heyday.
Sponsored by:
O.V. Wright
Memphis Unlimited
- Sounds like: '60s Blues Soul
- For fans of: Otis Redding, Al Green, Aretha Franklin
Special guest Rev. Charles Hodges, a pianist and organist best known for playing behind Al Green, will share his insights as a key musician in O.V. Wright's touring and studio band since joining the soul legend fresh out of high school.
Masqueraders
Love Anonymous
- Sounds like: '70s Sweet Soul
- For fans of: The Temptations, Smokie Robinson & The Miracles, Marvin Gaye
Special guests The Masqueraders, who recently revived their career on America's Got Talent, will appear alongside the album's producer Lester Snell to reveal the hidden secrets behind their soul success in-studio.
Sponsored by:
Billy Always
Billy Always
- Sounds like: '80s synth soul
- For fans of: Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Donna Summer
Special guest Lawrence "Boo" Mitchell, heir to Willie Mitchell's Royal Studios dynasty, will detail Billy Always' album and the studio's stark transition from the Hi Rhythm band sound of the 1970s to the synthesizer-centric soul sound of the 1980s.
The Hot Dogs
Say What You Mean
- Sounds like: '70s power pop
- For fans of: Big Star, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Beatles
Hosted by Greg Cartwright (Reigning Sound, Oblivians) and Pat Sansone (Wilco)
Special guest Greg Reding joins Cartwright and Sansone, whose reverence for Reding and Hot Dog results in gleaming inspiration surrounding an often untold era of Memphis rock innovation.