Laura Dickinson

Vocalist, Laura Dickinson may be the busiest person in Hollywood.  She’s a voice actor, a vocal contractor—the person who hires and directs musicians and vocalists for film soundtracks--a conductor, arranger and a specialist in doing something called “soundalikes” sounding like Doris Day or Celine Dion or any number of people, if a movie needs someone to sing in that style. She’s won three Grammys for her music production and contracting work, while recording her own CDs between film gigs. 

Laura and I recorded our conversation in Los Angeles right before she went off to a gig for Yamaha, where she thought they were using her to analyze different vocal sounds, but she wasn’t quite sure.  Yes, this is woman who leads a very interesting life!

Jamie Lawrence

Composer/arranger/ producer, Jamie Lawrence comes from a long line of entertainment professionals.  His grandparents, Stan Lee Broza and Esther Broza, were radio and television pioneers, and his father is the multi Emmy and Tony winning jazz pianist, bandleader and Broadway music director, Elliot Lawrence.

This rich artistic background inspired Jamie early on.  As a child, when his friends were out playing ball, Jamie was sitting in the studio with his dad listening to recording sessions or tagging along to rehearsals. 

Now, a five-time Emmy winner himself, Jamie is equally at home working in television, film and Broadway and for the last ten years, he’s acted as Associate Music Director and conductor for the Tony Awards and written all the original music for the broadcasts.  Jamie talked to me about it all and how his deep love for jazz continues to inspire him.

Roger Corman

Director, producer and occasional actor, Roger Corman, has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is celebrated as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. He is known for his cycle of low-budget cult films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe and many other horror classics, including Little Shop of Horrors and The Man With the X Ray Eyes.  In Hollywood, Corman is equally celebrated for mentoring and giving a start to many young film directors and actors, from Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese to William Shatner, Bruce Dern, Jack Nicholson and many more. 

In 1964, Corman became the youngest filmmaker to have a retrospective at the Cinematheque Francaise as well as in the British Film Institute and the Museum of Modern Art. In 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Academy Award for “his rich engendering of films and filmmakers.”

We recorded the following conversation in Roger’s L.A. office in March 2020, right before lockdown. At the time, Roger was 94 and just as motivated as ever and just as busy.  We didn’t know everything was going to stop a few days later so he had trips and a new film planned. An inspiration on every level.

Roger passed away May 9, 2024.

Benny Benack III

Trumpeter/vocalist, Benny Benack III, follows in the footsteps of a trumpet-playing grandfather and clarinet and saxophone-playing father, a lineage Benny credits with influencing his musical attitude and his approach to performing.  Benny’s virtuosic playing and singing are coupled with a joyous, fun-loving stage presence, something rare in a jazz world loaded with virtuosos, but lacking in great players who are also great entertainers.

Now in his late twenties, Benny has released his second CD, A Lot of Livin’ To Do, and continues to tour with his own band, as front man for Postmodern Jukebox, and as a sideman to everyone from Melissa Erico and Josh Groban to Christian McBride and Ann Hampton Callaway.  Benny and I recorded this conversation the day after I saw him onstage with fashion designer and cabaret performer, Isaac Mizrahi, at the Café Carlyle in Manhattan.

Adrian Cunningham

Australian saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, vocalist and travel enthusiast, Adrian Cunningham is an energetic practitioner of early jazz with his group, Professor Cunningham and His Old School, and his work with Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks.  He’s equally passionate venturing in more modern directions, collaborating often with Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Renee Marie and others. 

Adrian moved to Manhattan from Sydney twelve years ago and feels that move not only raised his musicianship but helped him focus his career direction.  We had a great time together discussing my love for his native country, his passion for NYC and Adrian’s new CD celebrating the music of Lerner & Loewe.  

Jeff Goldblum

Actor Jeff Goldblum is a distinctive presence in every role he plays, from his early portrayals in The Fly, Jurassic Park and The Big Chill, to recent turns in Law and Order:  Criminal Intent and The Grand Budapest Hotel.  Now Jeff brings his unique character, curiosity and enthusiasm to his newest adventure, as a jazz pianist and singer, releasing his second CD, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This.  

Jeff and I recorded this conversation in 2020 right before the world shut down for the pandemic. We had a ball. This is one of my favorite shows!

Hendrik Meurkens

Hendrik Meurkens had a solid reputation as a vibraphonist--touring and recording with some of the greatest jazz musicians in the business--when he heard harmonica master, Toots Thielemans, which inspired Hendrik to teach himself to play harmonica, an instrument that only a few jazz musicians master. 

His latest CD, Cobbs Pocket, celebrates those elements with three of his favorite musicians, drummer Jimmy Cobb, organist, Mike LeDonne and guitarist, Peter Bernstein. 

Arturo O'Farrill

Pianist/composer/arranger/educator, Arturo O’Farrill brings the world together through his music, combining musicians from different cultures and musical influences from past and present.  Arturo sees it all connecting in a spiritual, inspiring continuum, which he celebrates on his new CD Fandango at the Wall, which is now also a book and documentary.   

As the son of Chico O’Farrill, Arturo enjoyed music as a central focus of his life from the beginning.  Additionally, he’s worked with some of the greatest musicians in jazz and continues to pursue collaborations which inspire him in new directions. I found Arturo’s attitudes about what we do with music, how we share it and what we learn from it, particularly inspiring, along with his commitment to put good thoughts and actions into the world. 

Mike LeDonne Two

Pianist/organist, Mike LeDonne started playing piano at the age of five and by ten, he was gigging and teaching piano.  His playing reflects his broad range of influences and what he learned from his long associations with Benny Goodman, Milt Jackson, Sonny Rollins, Art Farmer, Clifford Jordan and countless other jazz greats.  

Mike absorbed and honors the lessons he learned from the early greats who influenced him, notably that the most important thing is the sound and swing of what one plays.  

This is the second half of my conversation with Mike LeDonne, recorded in NYC.

Mike LeDonne One

Pianist/organist, Mike LeDonne started playing piano at the age of five and by ten he was gigging, and teaching piano at his father’s music store.  Most great musicians show their talent and passion early, but only a lucky few have a childhood surrounded with the kind of reinforcement and joy that Mike experienced with a jazz musician father and a warm, supportive family.  Mike’s mother even made hip band uniforms for Mike’s first group!

Mike LeDonne has the attitude of the early greats who influenced him and his playing reflects his deep respect for the history of jazz and his experiences working with everyone from Benny Goodman to Milt Jackson to Sonny Rollins and beyond.

Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg

Violinist, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg has been a powerful and unique presence in classical music since she burst onto the scene in the early 1980s.  She moved from her native Italy when she was eight to study at The Curtis Institute of Music, and she later studied with Dorothy DeLay at The Juilliard School.  Nadja’s fiery stage presence and passionate musical interpretations quickly brought her international acclaim, recording contracts, awards and a non-stop touring schedule.  

Now, in a move that surprised all but her closest friends, Nadja has jumped into a new life in New Orleans, teaching at Loyola University, College of Music and Fine Arts, and going all in on the Louisiana scene.  She continues to perform but her main focus is her life and teaching in New Orleans.  We discuss her passion for teaching, New Orleans and jazz from her home in the French Quarter.

Sarah McKenzie

Pianist/singer/songwriter, Sarah McKenzie, like so many of her fellow Australians, felt she’d have to leave her beloved country to pursue her dreams, which is exactly what she’s done, living in Paris and London, then moving on to Boston to study at the Berklee College of music, and now settling in Los Angeles. Sarah speaks of her experiences with the passion and appreciation of a poet and channels it all into her songwriting, which is featured on her newest CD, Secrets of My Heart.

Jeff Rupert

Saxophonist Jeff Rupert spent the early years of his career playing, touring and recording with everyone from Maynard Ferguson and Mel Torme to Diane Schurr and Benny Carter.  While continuing his busy performing schedule, since 1995, Rupert has served as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Central Florida where he is committed to inspiring young jazz musicians and helping them not only develop musically, but learn the skills to develop a lasting career, a conversation often skipped in university programs.

Jeff and I talk about Jeff’s music and inspirations and how he inspires the next generation of musicians.

Glenn Crytzer

Guitarist/bandleader/vocalist, Glenn Crytzer loves Jazz Age and Swing Era music and lives it, from his stylish vintage clothes to his swinging concerts.

Glenn was deep into his studies in classical composition and cello at the Cleveland Institute of Music when he discovered swing dancing and the Lindy Hop. His dancing adventures furthered his interest in early jazz, inspiring him to teach himself guitar, banjo, and jazz arranging.  Glenn moved to New York, set aside that cello career and now leads The Glenn Crytzer Orchestra and his smaller band, The Savoy Seven, playing for fellow swing music lovers and feeding a craze that never completely goes out of style.

Danny Bacher

The late saxophonist/vocalist, Danny Bacher—who sadly died in December 2024 at the age of 48—was a jazz musician who was proud to call himself an entertainer, a label that is often shunned by the jazz community.  Danny and his brother were a touring comedy team for years and Danny proudly mentioned his membership in the New York Friars Club in all of his press materials.

Danny drew on his acting and comedy experience and his love of  American Standards with his CD, I’m Still Happy, which celebrated his positive take on life.  Danny was one of the positive and generous people I’ve ever met. We recorded this conversation in NYC in 2018.

Dan Koontz

Composer/pianist/singer-songwriter, Dan Koontz, was an obsessive listener as a child.  While other kids were outside playing ball, Dan stayed inside listening to his parent’s records of country and rock music and the jazz he discovered later.  At the same time, he studied classical piano, and with a Guggenheim Fellowship in Music Composition he headed off to Eastman School of Music.  

Dan’s classical compositions have been recorded and celebrated but it’s his love of country and bluegrass thathecelebrates on his new CD, Whiskey and Wine, recorded with his father and brother with their trio, Edna’s Kin.

Isaac Mizrahi

Isaac Mizrahi burst onto the fashion scene in 1987 and quickly became a favorite with fashion editors, movie stars and fashionistas.  Although he’s continued to have his hand in fashion--judging on Project Runway Allstars, and with his lines for Target and QVC--his primary passion is cabaret performance, which he’s been pursuing since the mid 1990s.  Mizrahi’s shows combine standup comedy, the Great American Songbook, flirting like mad, asides about sex, and swag.  Yes, there is often a giveaway at some time during his shows. Isaac and I talk about it all.

Jon Batiste

My 2019 conversation with pianist, composer, Jon Batiste, who is an exuberant presence, whether playing music or talking about the importance of putting good energy and meaningful work into the world. His band, Stay Human, is named to honor the belief that human interaction during a live musical performance can uplift humanity in the midst of the "plug in/tune out" nature of modern society.   

Stephen Colbert, like Jon Batiste, has a commitment to social engagement, making Batiste a natural choice to lead the band on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.  Jon and I talked about his work with Colbert, his commitment to positivity and his CD, Anatomy of Angels.

Jon left The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2022 to pursue personal and professional interests, which this tireless talent has done in spades.

George DeLancey

Bassist/composer George DeLancey is one of the most sought after bassists on the scene today.  At the tender age of thirty, he is already a composer and arranger of depth and maturity and a swinging, commanding player.

George and Judy met in Manhattan to discuss his jump from his beloved Midwest to NYC and his new CD, Paradise, which features his own compositions along with those of Ellington, Monk and others of his favorite musicians.

Cathy Segal Garcia

Vocalist Cathy Segal Garcia is a deep thinker, and like many great artists, looks beyond her own creativity to the larger meaning of it all.  She grew up in a house filled with music and a father who was a professional saxophonist. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Cathy moved to L.A. where she thought a life as a jazz singer was for her—and it was, although, to her initial surprise, she also became a highly respected teacher and vocal coach.  Judy talks to Cathy about her ever-evolving career and her latest CD, Dreamsville, a poetic musical exploration with guitarist, Larry Koonse and pianist, Josh Nelson.