Vince Giordano

Musician/historian/archivist/jazz scholar.  Vince Giordano is all of these things. And with his band The Nighthawks, he is one of the greatest performers of early big band jazz.  

Vince Giordano has done multiple projects with Martin Scorcese and Woody Allen, did the music for and appeared in the TV series, Boardwalk Empire, and is presently doing music on the new series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. 

Vince and Judy discuss his unique career and the new documentary of his life: Vince Giordano: There’s a Future in the Past.

Michael Mahin

Children’s book author Michael Mahin discusses his new book about blues great, Muddy Waters, the subject of his book, Muddy, The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters.  

Michael and Judy recorded this conversation in Santa Monica, CA shortly after Muddy’s release and during Michael’s filming of his first horror movie, a contrast in artistic focus Judy found particularly interesting.  

Ron Losby

Steinway CEO planned on a career as a concert pianist, studying at Julliard and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Artistic talent and business skills are not often paired but in Ronâ??s case they were. Ron talks about his transition from performer to businessman, how he wishes jazz were part of his musical training and how he feels the presentation of sophisticated music has changed over the years.

John Altman

British film composer, John Altman grew up with an illustrious musical family.  His Uncle Woolf Phillips arranged and conducted for the Marx Brothers, Frank Sinatra and Laurel and Hardy and his Uncle Sid Phillips, led Britain's best know Dixieland band.  

John has arranged for everyone from Rod Stewart to George Michael, played sax with Jimmy Hendrix and Eric Clapton and written for films as diverse as Titanic and Goldeneye.  He and Judy talk about it all.

Paula Poundstone

Comedian Paula Poundstone talks about her book The Totally Unscientific Study of The Search for Human Happiness, her passion for 1920s and '30s jazz, and her forays into jazz drumming, swing dancing and tae kwon do!

Roger Kellaway

Grammy-winner and Academy Award-nominated pianist/composer Roger Kellaway has worked with everyone from Ellington to Elvis and Carmen McCrae to Barbra Streisand.  Roger covers classical, jazz and everything in-between, including his theme for NPR's Selected Shorts series and Roger's Remembering You, the closing theme for the '70s hit show, All In The Family.  With Roger's wide range of musical influences and abilities it makes sense that Judy started her conversation with Roger in Manhattan and continued it at his beautiful home in Ojai, California.  There was a lot to discuss!

David Silverman

Animator David Silverman is best known for his work on The Simpsons but he is also a passionate musician, playing his tuba anytime he gets a chance, including bringing it to our interview for a bit of jamming after we recorded!

Larry Koonse

Guitarist Larry Koonse has played with everyone from Seth MacFarlane to John Dankworth and Cleo Lane to the Los Angeles Philharmonic.  Larry is one of the busiest and most versatile guitarist on the scene today.

Angie Wells

Vocalist Angie Wells has a sultry, powerful voice that reflects her love for jazz and blues greats Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Joe Williams and Muddy Waters.  After years as the Makeup Department Head for both Blackish and the recently released Mudbound, she’s adding touring as a jazz singer to her already overly full schedule. 

George Winston

Pianist George Winston died June 4th, 2023 after a decades long struggle with cancer. George first gained popularity in the 1980s for what was then called New Age Music, although George refered to his playing as “folk piano.”  His influences were broad—everything from New Orleans and stride piano to rock and blues—and he had an unusually specific memory about when each of these styles made their way into his subconscious and music.

George Winston discussed his long career and his CD, Spring Carousel with me in November 2017.  George wrote the music for Spring Carousel while he was in treatment for bone cancer and donated the profits from it to cancer research.   

Eric Allen

Chicago saxophonist, educator and author, Eric Allen has set aside gigging for a while to focus on his writing, a perfect occupation for this stay at home dad.   His new book, “50 Years At The Village Vanguard: Thad Jones, Mel Lewis and The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra” is the first illustrated history of what Eric calls “the most influential big band in modern jazz.”  

Eric and his co-author, Dave Lisik, compiled a fascinating collection of interviews and pictures, which illustrate the creation and history of this great band.  

John Lithgow

Stage and screen actor John Lithgow has been honored with multiple Emmy and Tony Awards, and two Oscar Nominations.  John has been performing and developing Stories By Heart since he first presented it at Lincoln Center in 2008.  Today we revisit my conversation with John, which was recorded during that initial Lincoln Center run.  John explores creativity and the evolution of story telling, and how both connect us to ourselves, and those around us.

Susan Glatzer

After spending years as a film executive at Paramount and other studios—in production and acquisition--Susan Glatzer has taken on directing with her uplifting documentary on the swing dance craze, Alive and Kicking.  Susan has been an avid swing dancer herself for years and has seen the popularity of this joyful art form grow and expand throughout the world.  

Jeremy Kahn

Jazz pianist Jeremy Kahn proudly states that he’s played with everyone from Joni Mitchell and Dizzy Gillespie to Aretha Franklin and Alvin and the Chipmunks, not to mention Barbara Cook, Charlie Haden and Max Roach.  After a few years in New York City, Jeremy is back in his native Chicago and divides his time between his own concerts, teaching and playing in pit orchestras for theatrical productions.  Jeremy enjoys it all and talked to Judy about how each facet of his creative life feeds the others. 

Diane Schuur

Two-time Grammy winner, jazz vocalist Diane Schuur, carries on the tradition of the powerful women singers who inspired her, Sarah Vaughan and Dinah Washington.  Her latest CD focuses on two great men who have inspired her, Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra.  Her CD, I Remember You (With Love To Stan and Frank) commemorates the support--musical and otherwise--she’s gotten from both of these towering figures.

Duke Robillard

Guitarist Duke Robillard’s blues playing and singing have been honored with numerous awards, including a Grammy nomination.  Duke is also a fan and swinging exponent of early jazz, which he celebrates on his latest CD, Duke Robillard and His Dames of Rhythm, which includes vocals by his longtime musical collaborator, Sunny Crownover, bluesy Cat Russell, sultry Maria Muldaur and a surprise appearance by Downton Abbey’sElizabeth McGovern.  Duke brings it all together with his some of his favorite musicians celebrating well-known standards and lesser-known gems.

André deShields

Two-time Tony winner, and Obie, Emmy and Drama Desk recipient, Andre DeShields broke out in the title role in The Wiz, followed by choreographing two shows for Bette Midler and then joining the cast in the original Broadway production of Ain’t Misbehavin’.  September 2017 he opened off Broadway with Ellen Burstyn in a jazz meets Shakespeare version of As You Like It at Classic Stage Company in Manhattan.

Alan Broadbent

In this two part show, I talk with Alan about his early years in Los Angeles and his arranging for Natalie Cole, Diana Krall, Kristen Chenoweth, his love for Mahler and finally realizing a jazz symphony composition, the idea for which he had over twenty years ago.

Enrico Tomasso

British trumpeter talks about playing for Louis Armstrong when he was seven and playing in his family’s band, and touring America a few years later as a child star and appearing on What’s My Line and The Ed Sullivan Show. 

Ben Paterson

Judy talks with the Steinway Artist and Ellis Marsales Piano Competition winner, pianist/organist/vocalist, Ben Paterson about his move to New York from Chicago—and the difference in those two scenes—his love for Oscar Peterson and Jimmy Smith..