Shows / Colorado Soul Stories
Colorado Soul Stories
Mama Jill interviews legendary place-makers, local creatives, musicians and keepers of our gorgeous natural settings. From Colorado’s Front Range to deep into the mountains.
Episodes
Colorado Soul StoriesKnow Your Neighbor Series: Salida Highschooler Interviews Blues Musicians
In this next Nest Quest, "Know Your Neighbor" episode, Salida high schooler, Henry Dempsey gets to know Beau Bones and Oren Dreeben who play the blues together…
Colorado Soul StoriesLiving "Up on the Mesa" in Salida
What was it like to live up the hill from downtown Salida in the quiet neighborhood up on the Mesa? 10-year-old Gloria Post interviews three long time…
Colorado Soul StoriesKnow Your Neighbor: Jewell Interviews Gayle Anne
In this charming episode of the Salida "Know Your Neighbor" series, eight-year-old Jewell comes back to the studio to interview longtime Salida resident…
Colorado Soul StoriesA Ghost Story from the Windsor Hotel
Happy Halloween Season! I saved this little tidbit from the Windsor Hotel episodes. Steve Whitehead, former keeper of the Windsor Hotel in Del Norte, Colorado…
Colorado Soul StoriesKnow Your Neighbor: Jewell Interviews Mike
Eight-year-old Jewell Madisyn Janisch had plenty of questions for her neighbor, Mike Sugaski when the two sat down recently for a “Know Your Neighbor”…
Colorado Soul StoriesSalida Know Your Neighbor Interview, Lily Ericsson and Rich Tyler
“Know Your Neighbor” is part of Nest Quest, a Chaffee County-wide initiative exploring ways to strengthen residents’ sense of home and belonging. Collaborating…
Colorado Soul StoriesThe Magic of the Windsor Hotel, PART 2 - Fine Dining in the San Luis Valley
When we left off with our story, longtime Del Norte resident, Steve Whitehead had helped lead the restoration of the historic Windsor Hotel, spanning a time…
Colorado Soul StoriesThe Magic of The Windsor Hotel, PART 1
Restoring an old building is not an easy task. Add the fact that the building is historic doubles the implications of the effort. Well this is a story of a…
Colorado Soul StoriesSalida Musician, Chris Nasca
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…
Colorado Soul StoriesJazz Guitarist, Justin Allison, Making Good Vibrations
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…
Colorado Soul StoriesSalida Circus Founder, Jennifer Dempsey: How Clowns Can Save the World
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.”…
Colorado Soul StoriesCynthia Swanson, Colorado Best-Selling Author
Mama Jill sat down with New York Times bestselling author and longtime Colorado resident, Cynthia Swanson, whose novels are known for their thought-provoking…
Colorado Soul StoriesPhotographer Tim Brown: Salida has his Heart
If you have lived in Colorado for a long time it’s not a new story; a handful of starving artists discover an untapped, affordable and lovely place to set down…
Colorado Soul StoriesJoe Firstman, Cordovas, Baja Wondergrass
RAW, UNEDITED, INTENSE conversation with the both rough and refined, Joe Firstman. Mama Jill is in Baja Mexico for the Baja Wondergrass music festival…
Colorado Soul StoriesJohn King: Traversing the Colorado Rockies on Nordic Skis, 1978
John King is Colorado anthropomorphized. He’s got grit. He relishes nature; from its deep blue skies to its blinding blizzards and all the various contours of…
Colorado Soul StoriesThe Brown Palace Hotel: History and Mystery
Napoleonic treasures, Masonic symbolism, famous guests, including the prize steers from the annual National Western Stock Show and evidence of visitors from…
Colorado Soul StoriesRyan Warner of Colorado Public Radio
His voice is the authentic, trusted storyteller of Colorado. Whether it be his monthly check-ins with our governor, showcasing the best barbeque place in a…
Colorado Soul StoriesMore with Chandler Romeo & Reed Weimer: Denver's Beatnik Barbie & Ken
Welcome back to my conversation with Chandler Romeo and Reed Weimer. In addition to their recent project with the Wonder Tower in Genoa, Colorado, they have…
Colorado Soul StoriesSaving the Wonder Tower
Chandler Romeo and Reed Weimer have been affectionately labeled as the Beatnik Barbie and Ken of Denver's Art Scene. Indeed they helped elevate local arts in…
Colorado Soul StoriesBest of 2025: Nuggets of Gold!
This is a treat! All of the best wisdom from the collection of the 2025 Colorado Soul Stories interviews. Whether you have listened to all the episodes or not…
Colorado Soul StoriesListener-submitted Colorado Winter Stories
Happy Holidays! This episode contains listener-submitted Colorado-specific winter and holiday stories. Contained in this 17 minute episode are festive…
Colorado Soul StoriesThe Colorado Poets Laureate Anthology Book Launch Interviews
Join the conversation as Mama Jill sits down with Colorado's most recent poets laureate and their anthology creator and organizer, dynamic social entrepreneur…
Colorado Soul StoriesChris White: Building a Sustainable Community
In this inspiring episode of Colorado Soul Stories, Mama Jill travels to the high mountain ridge of Poncha Pass to sit down with her longtime friend and…
Colorado Soul StoriesAna Maria Vasquez: The Lost Episode, Creating Balance in our Lives
In this, a lost episode, with Animal and Nature Intuitive Ana Maria Vasquez, your Colorado Soul Stories Podcast host, Mama Jill sat down with her at a radio…
Colorado Soul StoriesAndy Carlson from the Highland Electric Co. Band
Andy Carlson is one of those happy people whose positivity is contagious. He is a proud Northsider who truly loves and cares for his community. He shares this…
Colorado Soul StoriesJohn Deffenbaugh of Historic Denver: Positive Preserving
Do you know about the preferred location for the new Bronco stadium? It has been proposed at Burnham Yards, off of 8th Ave. and I-25 and just west of the Santa…
Colorado Soul StoriesJane Parnell: First Woman to Climb Colorado's Highest 100 Peaks
Her name might not be familiar to you, but it should be. Jane Parnell is a mountaineer, writer and environmental activist. Inspired by family trips to the…
Colorado Soul StoriesSunnyside Music Festival Pt.1: West Side Books, The Reals!
Join Mama Jill and her friends at the Sunnyside Music Festival, recorded Sept. 13, 2025. Bear with the Mama as she battles portable mics in the wind with the…
Colorado Soul Stories"Everything is Beautiful, and Nothing is Clean": Autumn Check-In with Mama Jill
She's unearthing sweaters, observing the warm hues of the turning leaves and contemplating the transformational tendencies of this season, just days after, yet…
Colorado Soul StoriesGray Carstens: Mama Jill's Son Shares his Path to Choosing a Career, Part 1
Mama Jill takes time to interview her grown son, Gray Carstens. In part one, Gray shares the struggles he experienced after high school striving to figure out…
Colorado Soul StoriesColeman Smith and Robin Vega: Connecting Music and Community
Coleman Smith is an internationally known fiddle player who captivates listeners with his sublime cross-genre style of playing his violin, which has been…
Colorado Soul StoriesTeague Bohlen Part 2: Paths to the Writing Life
As Mama Jill and Teague continue their conversation, they touch on Teague's small town, midwestern upbringing and how that influenced his proclivities to…
Colorado Soul StoriesWriter, Teague Bohlen: Part 1
Mama Jill has a meaty conversation with Denver writer, Teague Bohlen. Teague teaches writing at the University of Colorado in Denver, is a regular writer for…
Colorado Soul StoriesSarah Anderson of Heavy Diamond Ring
Mama Jill interviews the front woman of her favorite Colorado band, Heavy Diamond Ring. Join the conversation as they go in-depth, reflecting on how Sarah's…
Colorado Soul StoriesJoJo Tells ANOTHER Story: Me and the Sheriff, an Unforgettable Night in Westcliffe, CO
In this thrilling episode of Colorado Soul Stories, join us as Jojo Elmquist recounts a wild night in Westcliff during the late 1980s. Discover how an ordinary…
Colorado Soul Stories"From Shadows to Light: An Artist's Journey of Hope"
Welcome to Colorado Soul Stories, a podcast dedicated to telling the tales of creative individuals who have shaped the essence of Colorado. Join your host…
Colorado Soul StoriesAna Maria Vasquez: Animal and Nature Intuitive
In this episode of Colorado Soul Stories, long-time Colorado resident and host Mama Jill takes us on a journey with Ana Maria Vasquez, a multi-sensory…
Colorado Soul StoriesThe eXposed Storytelling Series
Do you have a story to tell that you've never really told anyone because it was traumatic, devastating or humiliating? These stories can eat away at us…
Colorado Soul StoriesCipriano Ortega: LoLo House
Cipriano Ortega is a longtime Northsider in Denver with deep roots. During this episode we discuss his newly released album, LoLo House as well as all of his…
- Colorado Soul Stories
Introduction to Colorado Soul Stories
Meet your host for Colorado Soul Stories, Mama Jill.
Colorado Soul StoriesExposed 2.0: JoJo Reads a Story
After you listen to the Exposed Storytelling, Episode 2, listen how JoJo Elmquist found the Exposed open mic in Northeast Denver, which led her to join that…
Colorado Soul StoriesMuddy's Coffee House: Culture, Civility and Refuge
In the early 1970s when Denver was a much more isolated city, Muddy's Coffee House emerged out of a vacant building and provided an oasis of culture, civility…