Documentary filmmaker, Huey Coleman, often focuses his lens on older artists, and Judy talks to him about his film, In Good Time, about the life and music of Marian McPartland.
Marian McPartland
The late Marian McPartland’s long running NPR show, Piano Jazz, aired for 33 years. It was a thrill for me to be a guest on Piano Jazz early in my career and fun to turn the tables on Marian in 2004 and have her on Jazz Inspired.
Neville Dickie
British stride pianist, Neville Dickie celebrated his 81st birthday this year and is still going strong and is as busy as ever. Judy talks with Neville about his first performance in the States in Manhattan in 1983 at a popular piano room called Hanratty’s, that featured what was then called two-handed piano players, those who loved playing solo and sounded great doing so. Tommy Flanagan, Sammy Price, Ralph Sutton, Art Hodes and many others played a week or two run in this celebrated room throughout the year. Neville discusses that special time in jazz and some of his earlier inspiration.
Dan Block
Dan Block is one of those rare individuals who plays multiple instruments in multiple styles and is equally passionate and artistic in each direction. Judy talks to him about his first CD with his guitarist brother, Rob, and how he’s combined his equal love for jazz and classical music to become the musician he is today.
Robert Fairchild
Tony Award nominee and former New York City Ballet Principal dancer, Robert Fairchild, starred as Jerry Mulligan on Broadway in An American Paris, the most awarded musical of the 2015/16 season.
Robert first saw Gene Kelly in Singin’ in the Rain when he was in fourth grade, which inspired his ambition to sing and dance on screen. He studied jazz and tap growing up, but at 15, his older sister, Megan Fairchild—presently a Principal dancer with New York City Ballet—encouraged him to attend a summer camp at the School of American Ballet to polish up his classical technique. To everyone’s surprise, he fell in love with ballet, and eventually joined his sister at New York City Ballet.
Now, after starring in An American in Paris in Paris, NY and London, Robert has set his sights on a broader career path that includes acting and singing and movies, bringing him back to his initial dream of being a modern day Gene Kelly.
Darmon Meader
Vocalist/saxophonist Darmon Meader talks about leading New York Voices, his solo projects and his new NY Voices CD with the Bob Mintzer Big Band, Meeting of Minds.
Shirley Crabbe
Vocalist Shirley Crabbe discusses her new CD, Bridges and her inspirations from Abbot and Costello to Ethel Waters!
Chris Brubeck
Multi-instrumentalist/composer, Chris Brubeck is influenced by classical, rock, funk, New Orleans, swing and everything in between. The influence of his father, pianist/composer Dave Brubeck, and the lyric writing of his mother, Iola, have also inspired him and continue to inform everything he pursues in his constantly evolving musical life.
Chris discusses his long career and his latest Brubeck Brothers CD, TimeLine, a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s historic State Department tour.
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.