What do you get when a piano prodigy from suburban Chicago absorbs Dr. John, Allen Toussaint, and the Meters as a kid, tours Europe with Muddy Waters' son at eighteen, survives addiction, records a debut album in a potentially haunted Chicago church — and then has Bob Lefsetz declare in all capital letters "THIS IS THE FUTURE OF THE MUSIC BUSINESS"? You get Neal Francis, the most exciting piano-driven soul and funk artist working today, and this episode is your introduction.

In this episode, Schecky traces how Neal Francis O'Hara went from boogie-woogie lessons at twelve under Chicago blues legend Erwin Helfer to headlining Thalia Hall with an 11-piece band in custom jumpsuits, recording live to analog tape on an album cheekily titled Francis Comes Alive. We break down why Changes is the one song every new ...