In the first of our 2024 episodes Tim talks to the amazing Ash Mukherjee in Cliftonville, Kent.

Born in Kolkata, India, Ash trained in Bharatanatyam at Kalamandalam Kolkata with Guru Smt Thankamani Kutty.

He pursued ballet with Lady Doreen Wells from the Royal Ballet and earned a BA (hons) in Jazz Theatre Dance from London Studio Centre.

Acclaimed by Dance Europe Magazine as one of the finest Indian classical dancers in the UK, Ash was hand picked by the This Is It! team, to dance a duet with Michael Jackson at London’s O2 Arena.

Ash starred on BBC 3’s Move Like Michael Jackson and created with choreographer Lavelle Smith Junior a solo integrating Indian classical dance with Michael’s iconic hit "Man In The Mirror," broadcast to three million viewers.

Choreographic works include BBC 2's Royal Wedding Duet for So You Think You Can Dance UK, Katie Melua/William Orbit's "The Flood" video, and British Youth Music Theatre's "Educating Yorkshire T’Musical".

Awards include Outstanding Male Dancer Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards UK nominee, Time Out London Rising Talent, and Critics’ Choice artist by Dance Europe.

As an actor Ash has appeared in TNT's "Will," Marvel's The Eternals, and HBO's "House Of Dragon." His one-person show "Vishnu’s Got My Back," delving into mental health from post-colonial Kolkata to London, premiered at Royal Birmingham Conservetoire, followed by a 2022 UK tour.

Ash currently serves as Movement Director for The Citizens of the World Refugee Choir, performing at the Queens Platinum Jubilee Party at Buckingham Palace and Glastonbury 2022.

Instagram: @ashmukherjeeofficial

Despite still being a teenager, Sunderland-based newcomer Tom A. Smith has already achieved more than most artists do in a lifetime. He played his first ever gig aged just eight, supporting local psychedelic rockers Detroit Social Club at legendary Newcastle venue The Cluny, he performed at Glastonbury before he was even in secondary school, and Tim Burgess handpicked him to play his stage at Kendal Calling, making him the festival’s youngest ever performer. He has played live with local hero Sam Fender and supported Catfish & The Bottlemen, as well as other Northern acts on the rise like The Lathums and The Mysterines.

Tom has also supported other big names such as Elton John & Billy Bragg and he’s appeared on Soccer AM performing alongside Miles Kane. Following a summer full of festival appearances.

Tom joins Tim for a chat outside the iconic Dreamland Cinema in Margate and walks along the beach talking about his early beginnings, from picking up the guitar at the age of 4 through to the fantastic year he has had touring and bringing out new material.

Tom's website and links to his music and socials https://www.tomasmithmusic.com

Recorded at Margate, Kent, December 2023

Youtube Video Version: https://youtu.be/yrvlXzZWsgM

David Ippolito is an American singer-songwriter and playwright. He has self-released eight albums and is best known for his weekly summer performances in Central Park. In 1992, David first performed an impromptu concert on a hill in Central Park in front of a small audience. Among those present was editor Jack Rosenthal from The New York Times, who the next day published an editorial about the performance. The next week, David played again, and began to gather a following. Since then, he has performed on a hill near a rowboat lake almost every summer weekend to crowds of passers-by and regulars, including international tourists, and has become a cult figure in New York. David talks to Tim about his early battles with drink and drugs and how he found himself playing the guitar and singing in Central Park.

In a special extended 2 part special David walks Tim through the sites and sounds of Central Park in New York, as he works on his new venture as a playwright and screenwriter.

Next step Broadway and Hollywood!

Davids site: http://www.thatguitarman.com