Steve Dawson’s guest on his excellent Music Makers and Soul Shakers Podcast this week is multi-instrumentalist and record producer Steve Berlin. A longtime mainstay of the Los Angeles music scene, Steve Berlin is perhaps best known as a member of Los Lobos, although he is also a sought-after producer and session player. Berlin’s production, arranging and session work includes REM, Sheryl Crow, The Replacements, Faith No More, Dave Alvin, John Lee Hooker, The Tragically Hip, Buckwheat Zydeco and many more. I got to speak with Steve and we discussed his long career, the ins and outs of record production, the legendary 80’s roots/punk scene in LA, turning down an “offer he couldn’t refuse” from Ray Manzarek, creating the masterpiece “Kiko” and much more.
