Tommy Tedesco (1930-1997) was an American guitarist who worked for almost 40 years and had one of the greatest careers as a studio musician in Los Angeles and Hollywood. He performed on a gazillion of recording dates, including thousands of film and television scoring sessions for virtually all the major film composers in Hollywood. Tedesco was part of an unofficial collective of studio musicians labeled as "The Wrecking Crew," who performed (often uncredited) on an impressive amount of recordings for pop and rock artists between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, including such big stars as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand, Nancy Sinatra, The 5th Dimension, The Byrds, and many others.

In this episode of the "L.A. Studio Legends" series, producer and director Denny Tedesco talks about the extraordinary career of his father Tommy, from his early days as a young guitar player to the peak years of The Wrecking Crew, going in detail about his many experiences playing for John Williams on numerous projects, including such film scores as Conrack, The River and Indiana Jones. Denny also reflects on his father's unique legacy and how he celebrated it through his own documentary film The Wrecking Crew.

For more detailed information, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/19/tommy-tedesco-podcast/

Soundtrack label La-La Land Records has announced the world premiere release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the 1974 Universal Pictures film The Sugarland Express, the very first collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg. The esteemed director/composer duo celebrates this year the 50th anniversary of their legendary collaboration.

Released by La-La Land Records and produced in association with Universal Studios as part of their Universal Pictures Film Music Classics Collection, this world premiere limited CD release is edited, mixed and mastered by archival soundtrack producer Mike Matessino under the composer's supervision and approval. The album presents the original score composed and conducted by John Williams, freshly remastered from original multi-track session elements and includes also cues not heard in the final film.

In this new "Soundtrack Spotlight" episode of The Legacy of John Williams podcast, producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss the long-awaited premiere release of The Sugarland Express. Together with hosts Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden, Matessino chronicles the journey that led to the 50th anniversary soundtrack album, also commenting on the virtues of both Steven Spielberg's stunning debut film and John Williams' gentle, blues-y score.

More information at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/03/soundtrack-spotlight-the-sugarland-express-50th-anniversary/

World-renowned conductor and author JOHN MAUCERI returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast for an in-depth discussion about his latest book "The War On Music: Reclaiming the 20th Century" (Yale University Press), a riveting analysis of how music written by classical composers in the 20th century fell victim on the battlegrounds between nations during the three major global wars (World War I, World War II and the Cold War), with so much orchestral and operatic repertoire being erased (or "cancelled") and not being performed as a consequence of ideologies and policy making. 

The conversation spotlights how Hollywood became a refuge for musicians escaping the totalitarian regimes in Europe during the 1930s and how much this still reverberates in the music of composers working in Hollywood today, including John Williams. 

GRAMMY-nominated composer AUSTIN WINTORY joins the discussion, bringing his own views and sensibilities as a contemporary composer of media music navigating the current landscape.

Don't miss this fascinating talk with two very fine musical personalities exchanging passionate views and opinions about how the history of 20th century still lingers today with many consequences and how film and media music must play a pivotal role in creating a new pact with the audience of today.

Hosted and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto for The Legacy of John Williams

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LISTEN to our 2019 podcast with John Mauceri: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/09/09/john-mauceri-podcast/

John Mauceri Offical Website http://www.johnmauceri.com/

Buy "The War On Music": https://a.co/d/djMXeki

Austin Wintory Official Website https://www.austinwintory.com/

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The acclaimed classical composer and conductor talks his most recent projects and how the music of John Williams continues to be a source of inspiration

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Peter Boyer continues to be one of the most talented, versatile and successful living American classical composers. His brilliant symphonic music is celebrated across the United States and around the world as some of the most accessible and enjoyable repertoire composed in the recent years.

In 2022, Peter Boyer produced the fourth album of his orchestral music, ‘Balance of Power’ and Other Orchestral Works. Released on the Naxos label as part of their successful “American Classics” series, the album features world premiere recordings of symphonic works composed by Peter Boyer over the last number of years, with the composer on the podium conducting the world-renowned London Symphony Orchestra.

The music of Peter Boyer is unabashedly tonal, earnest and very emotional, yet composed with a thorough attention to detail to achieve a high level of craft in the treatment of the orchestral resources in the great tradition of such American luminaries of symphonic music as Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and John Williams. Boyer himself acknowledges how John Williams’s music is the gold standard for any orchestral composer when it comes to write memorable tunes and applying them with sensational dramatic instinct.

In this conversation, Peter Boyer talks about his recent projects (including the recording of “Balance of Power”) and to offer more insightful and in-depth thoughts about his approach to composition, the challenges of writing for orchestra, his views on the contemporary classical scene and how John Williams remains for him a role model and an ongoing source of inspiration.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/06/21/legacy-conversations-peter-boyer

Top-tier flutist talks her career as a studio musician in Hollywood and her many collaborations with John Williams on such legendary scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, The BFG, and many others Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

Geraldine Rotella is unquestionably one of the most heard flutists in the world. In a career now spanning five decades, she performed as a freelance on many studio recordings in Los Angeles, thus becoming one of the first-call studio musicians working in the area. She’s also Principal Flutist for the Los Angeles Master Chorale and the Assistant Principal/Piccolo for the Pasadena Symphony.

Geri Rotella performed on thousands of session dates for film and television soundtracks, playing for some of Hollywood's most acclaimed composers including John Williams, for whom he's the piccolo player since 1990 and performed on such legendary scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, The Lost World, Amistad, The Patriot, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, Memoirs of a Geisha, War of the Worlds, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse, The Book Thief, The BFG and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. She can be often heard playing high-pitched notes in the piccolo during the action scenes of those films (the Velociraptor sequences in the Jurassic Park movies being some of the trickiest she ever performed), but also performed a lot beautiful lyrical alto flute parts.

In this conversation, Geri Rotella talks her illustrious career as a studio musician in Hollywood, highlighting her family heritage and unique musical upbringing, the mentorship she received from Sheridon Stokes and Louise Di Tullio, and her many collaborations with John Williams throughout the years. Geri recollects the unforgettable experiences playing on such scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, The BFG and Indiana Jones among others, reflecting on Williams’ flute writing and also at his skills as a communicator on the podium.

For more information and the listing of the musical excerpts, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/06/07/geri-rotella-podcast/

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino presents the new 2-CD expanded edition of John Williams' romantic score coming May 2 on La-La Land Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto & Tim Burden

The Legacy of John Williams presents an exclusive preview of the first John Williams' archival soundtrack reissue of 2023, courtesy of La-La Land Records: a lavish 2-disc release of the Academy Award-nominated score composed by Maestro Williams for the 1995 romantic comedy Sabrina, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond and Greg Kinnear. Assembled, mastered and produced by archival soundtrack producer Mike Matessino, the new edition offers a wonderfully exhaustive presentation of John Williams' lush romantic score, remastered from 1st-generation analog tapes and expanded with a great wealth of previously unreleased material, including many unused cues and several alternates.

The new release presents an expanded edition of the original orchestral score composed and conducted by John Williams, plus all the source music and the songs (including the two original ones written by Williams and lyricists Alan & Marilyn Bergman) that were specifically arranged and recorded for the film.

 

In this special podcast episode, The Legacy of John Williams presents two exclusive preview tracks from the new expanded edition, with Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino offering his own precious insight and commentary on the lovely John Williams' score, how it sits in the composer's catalogue and chronicling the making of this new archival release.

 

Sabrina - 2-CD Expanded Soundtrack Limited Edition is coming May 2 on lalalandrecords.com

Special Thanks to MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys (La-La Land Records)

 

 

Music Scoring Mixer and Recordist talks his experience working at Sony Pictures Scoring Stage on numerous film score recordings, including many projects with John Williams Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto Special Guest: Douglas S. Lacey

Adam Michalak is one of the most experienced scoring mixers working today in Hollywood. He made his first steps in the industry at Sony Pictures Scoring Stage, first as an intern and then gradually climbing up the ladder to become one of the most trusted recordists working in the studio. In that role, he worked for such veteran engineers of the industry as Shawn Murphy, Dennis Sands and Alan Meyerson, recording for film scores by virtually all the great film composers working in Hollywood including John Williams.

In 2018, Adam left Sony and joined Hollywood Scoring, a company that has provided music production for feature films, episodic television, popular video games, and varied broadcast streaming media, but also produced large scale stadium music performances, concert hall productions, and outdoor music festivals.

In this conversation, Adam recollects the path that led him to become a recording engineer for orchestral music, from his early days as a film music fan to his first steps in Hollywood working at Sony's scoring stage and experiencing first hand the work of great film composers and their trusted mixers, offering a unique insight into the creative process of John Williams and Shawn Murphy on several projects as seen from the recording booth. Adam also reflects on the history and evolution of the recording process, offering a wide variety of examples and sharing anecdotes from his own experiences as a scoring mixer. Joining the conversation is film music and John Williams connoisseur Doug Lacey, who shares a friendship with Adam and also has a great experience working in the audio field.

Find more information at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/03/17/legacy-conversations-adam-michalak/

 

LA Phil Principal Pianist/Keyboardist talks about her unique experience of recording the piano solos for Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans, including the original score by John Williams

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

John Williams has written solo parts spotlighting specific instrumentalists both in his film scores and works for the concert hall. While it's not rare to see such superstar musicians as Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma or Anne-Sophie Mutter as the featured soloist and the dedicatee of a piece, Williams has often used the talents of some of the best musicians of the Los Angeles area, including distinguished members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It's the case of Joanne Pearce Martin, the Principal Keyboardist and Pianist of the LA Phil, who recently had the honour to be the featured piano soloist on the soundtrack for Steven Spielberg's acclaimed The Fabelmans, performing both the piano solos from the classical repertoire as heard in the film and John Williams' Academy Award-nominated original score.

In this conversation, Joanne talks about her experience of playing for John Williams and Steven Spielberg on The Fabelmans, sharing stories and insights about her unique collaboration with both the director and the composer during the creation of the film's soundtrack. She also talks about her experience playing under John Williams at the Hollywood Bowl and at the Disney Hall with the LA Phil many times over the years and also as rehearsal pianist, giving her own perspective on the Maestro's musicianship as a composer and conductor.

Learn more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/02/24/legacy-conversations-joanne-pearce-martin/(opens in a new tab)

Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor talks about his love for the music of John Williams and how it impacted his own life as a musician

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

The music of John Williams has inspired at least two generations of composers who have now successful careers not just in film, but also in the contemporary classical world. Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor Eric Whitacre is part of this peculiar group. One of the most popular and frequently-performed composers in the world, Whitacre is known primarily for his work in choral music, but he is actually a true multi-faceted artist who became a beacon and an inspiration for a multitude of singers, musicians, composer and lovers of music across the globe. His works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united more than 100,000 singers from more than 145 countries. 

In this conversation, Eric Whitacre talks about his love for the music of John Williams and how it helped shaping his own musical imagination since childhood, explaining why it continues to be for him an object of sincere admiration and also reflecting on his own approach to musicmaking and what it means to be a classical composer today.

More info at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/01/23/eric-whitacre-podcast/

n February 2022, the month of John Williams' 90th Birthday, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland staged a weekend of sold out concerts celebrating the maestro’s landmark birthday. The conductor was Richard Kaufman and The Legacy of John Williams was delighted to present two pre-concert talks with Richard at Dublin’s iconic National Concert Hall.

Prior to the talk we screened our tribute video and images and video clips were presented to the audience members throughout the talk.

The audio was recorded by the NCH and what follows is the full 36 minute talk hosted by Head Contributor Tim Burden, featuring Richard discussing his personal and professional experiences with John Williams, with whom he shares a long-lasting friendship. There are also insightful questions from the audience which gave a suitable intro to both Williams concerts.

Find photos and exclusive videos from the concert at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com

The Legacy of John Williams, in collaboration with Sony Music, is proud to announce the latest John Williams release - The Fabelmans (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack); a soundtrack album by the five-time Academy Award® winner for director Steven Spielberg’s deeply personal cinematic memory of the forces, and family, that shaped his life and career. The release marks the latest collaboration between Spielberg and Williams, whose longstanding creative partnership spans nearly 50 years and 30 films. From E.T., Jaws and Jurassic Park to Schindler’s List, Lincoln and Saving Private Ryan, Williams and Spielberg’s collaborations have produced some of the most stirring and well-recognized music in film history.

The Fabelmans is a deeply personal portrait of a 20th century American childhood. Written by Spielberg together with Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, it's a universal coming-of-age story about an isolated young man’s pursuit of his dreams, the film is an exploration of love, artistic ambition, sacrifice and the moments of discovery that allow us to see the truth about ourselves, and our parents, with clarity and compassion. The musical score by John Williams accompanies the film during its key moments with a poignant, lyrical tone that enhances the characters' most intimate and profound feelings--the main theme (heard in the opening track, "The Fabelmans") is one of the most heart-rending and touching themes ever composed by Williams. The music features chamber-like solos for piano, harp, guitar and celeste, painting a heartfelt portrait of the story and its main characters.

The Legacy of John Williams is proud to present this special podcast episode featuring a commentary on John Williams' new soundtrack by Editor Maurizio Caschetto and Head Contributor Tim Burden. The talk focuses around three tracks from the soundtrack album selected by Caschetto and Burden, "Mitzi's Dance", "Mother and Son", and "The Journey Begins," which offer a beautiful representation of Williams' poignant and delicate scoring for this film.

You can listen to John Williams' wonderful new music in full here: https://soundtracks.lnk.to/thefabelmans

Special Thanks to Maria Kopp and Dani Chwatt (Sony Music)

Producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss the soundtrack reissues of three classic John Williams/Steven Spielberg collaborations, reflecting on the significance of such a unique relationship between composer and  director. Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg is by far the longest and most successful artistic relationship between a director and a composer in the history of cinema. The duo is synonymous of what means having a fruitful, honest and profound association between two people making films together. Calendar year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the very first encounter between Spielberg and Williams, which happened when the director was in preparation of his first feature film, The Sugarland Express; after being impressed by Williams’ work for such films as The Reivers and The Cowboys, the director decided he was the type of composer he was looking for. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

The Spielberg/Williams collaboration spans now six decades, 29 feature films (including the upcoming The Fabelmans, which will premiere at the 47th edition of the Toronto Film Festival in September) and several special projects, so it’s virtually impossible to sum it up in a few words. Their roster includes some of the most successful and everlasting movies in the history of cinema: Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Jurassic Park, but also such highly acclaimed dramas as Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Munich and Lincoln.

Soundtrack label La-La Land Records has recently reissued three classic John Williams scores from the Spielberg canon: Jurassic Park, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to offer commentary on these three classic Spielberg/Williams collaborations, while also offering an in-depth overall reflection on the partnership between the composer and the director.

Oboe and English Horn player extraordinaire talks his career as one of the most prominent double reed soloists in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams on such scores as Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, The Patriot, Memoirs of a Geisha and many others.

For more information, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/05/30/phil-ayling-podcast/

Award-winning pianist talks her career as a classical performer specialized in contemporary repertoire and her many collaborations with John Williams, including her solos on Munich and The Adventures of Tintin, and the recent premiere of ‘Prelude and Scherzo’ for Piano and Orchestra Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

Pianist Gloria Cheng belongs in the category of instrumentalists who are true favourites of John Williams to the point of being even an inspiration for the composer. One of the most acclaimed musicians of his generation and an advocate of the contemporary repertoire and new-music, Gloria Cheng performed as pianist for John Williams in many film scores since the mid-2000s and has been spotlighted as soloist on such scores as Munich (2005), The Adventures of Tintin (2011) and War Horse (2011). She also performed on other Williams’ scores including The BFG, The Post, and the Star Wars sequel trilogy. In addition to the film work, Cheng also had the unique honour of performing Williams’ rare piano compositions for the concert hall: the 4-movement Conversations for solo piano (written and dedicated to her between 2013 and 2014), and the Prelude and Scherzo for piano and orchestra, which premiered in Barcelona in 2021 with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Vallès under Marc Timón, and later for its American premiere with the Albany Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Alan Miller.

Gloria Cheng is one of the world’s leading interpreters of piano works by major composers and a true advocate for new music, establishing fruitful partnerships with such contemporary music icons as Gyorgy Ligeti, Pierre Boulez, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Terry Riley, Thomas Adès and Steven Stucky. Gloria Cheng also works frequently as pianist and keyboardist for film scores and has performed on soundtracks by by such composers as Randy Newman, James Horner, Michael Giacchino. In 2005, she began a fruitful association with John Williams that continues until this day.

In this conversation, Gloria talks about her career as a classical performer and her path that led to perform as pianist for film scores; she recollectes her first experience playing for John Williams on Munich, the challenges of playing the solo on Tintin and her views on the Maestro’s style when writing for piano, reflecting upon her experiences playing Conversations and the Prelude and Scherzo.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/08/05/gloria-cheng-podcast/

Harpist extraordinaire talks her career both as a classical musician and studio recording artist, including her many collaborations with John Williams on such scores as Angela's Ashes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence and The Book Thief

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

JoAnn Turovksy is one of the most accomplished and talented harpists in the world. She is Principal Harp of several Los Angeles-based orchestras: the L.A. Opera orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. In a career spanning now four decades, Turovsky has been lauded and revered with many accolades: she is the recipient of a lifetime achievement award from the American Harp Society.

Harp is an instrument very dear to John Williams as it's often prominently featured in a lot of his film and concert music. Harpist extraordinaire JoAnn Turovsky has possibly the longest and most impressive track record of playing a lot of John Williams' harp parts over the last three decades as his favoured principal harp for studio recordings in Los Angeles. Turovsky is heard playing exquisite harp solos on some of the composer's most lyrical and haunting film scores including Angela's Ashes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Munich and The Book Thief. Turovsky's impeccable playing can be appreciated even when not playing a solo part, but when accompanying and enriching the orchestral texture, as the harp is used by Williams like a master orchestrator would do.

JoAnn has also been a professor of harp at the USC Thornton School of Music for the past three decades and sits on the faculty of the Colburn Conservatory of Music and the Colburn School of Performing Arts, teaching the next generation of harpists.

In this conversation, JoAnn Turovsky talks about her impressive career as a classical and studio musician, remembering her many experiences playing for John Williams, including her solo work for Angela's Ashes and The Book Thief, but also illuminating on the composer's use of harp and how he let the instrument shine within the orchestral palette.

Visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/ for more information.

Producer Mike Matessino talks the latest John Williams expanded reissues just released: the 1986 space adventure film SpaceCamp and the 1990 courtroom drama Presumed Innocent Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

For the joy of fans and admirers of the Maestro around the world, the first two John Williams expanded archival releases of 2022 have been recently announced. They are respectively SpaceCamp (from Intrada) and Presumed Innocent (from Varèse Sarabande), two sought-after titles that have been long out of print and that now are finally available in expanded and remastered form courtesy of Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino, giving a new chance to listeners to appreciate and rediscover two very unique and distinctive film works in John Williams’ catalogue.

In this conversation, Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to discuss how both SpaceCamp and Presumed Innocent fit into the chronology of John Williams’ career, talking about how the composer became a household name during the 1980s and how he challenged himself in new and diverse projects.

Special Thanks to Douglass Fake & Roger Feigelson (Intrada), Cary Mansfield (Varèse Sarabande) and to Mike Matessino.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/

Listen to an exclusive preview of the new expanded release of John Williams' SpaceCamp, now available from Intrada Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The Legacy of John Williams presents a special podcast "bonus" episode celebrating the release of the expanded edition of one of John Williams' most uplifting and joyous scores from the 1980s: SpaceCamp, composed for the 1986 film directed by Harry Winer and starring Kate Capshaw, Lea Thompson, Kelly Preston and a very young Joaquin Phoenix, telling the story of a group of young kids accidentally launched deep into outer space during an astronaut training program. Specialty soundtrack label Intrada just announced the release of a 2-CD set featuring the complete film score composed by John Williams on disc 1 (mastered from the recently found original three-track film mixes by engineer Armin Steiner), and the original soundtrack album program as mixed for record by Len Engel from a newly mastered hi-res transfer of the 1/4" album master on disc 2. This new edition is once again assembled, mastered and produced brilliantly by Mike Matessino, who also wrote detailed liner notes chronicling the film's history and production and providing an excellent analysis of the score.

A conversation with Mike Matessino discussing this new release is coming soon on The Legacy of John Williams podcast, but as a gift to our readers and listeners, The Legacy of John Williams presents a bonus "prologue" episode featuring two full tracks from this new release, including the long-awaited unreleased cue "Arriving at Daedalus", perhaps one of the most sought-after in the long list of previously unreleased pieces from Williams' filmography. So, sit back, relax and prepare to enjoy a special treat, courtesy of Intrada and Mike Matessino.

Order your copy of SpaceCamp Expanded Edition at Intrada's website: SpaceCamp Expanded Edition 2-CD set

 

Special Thanks to Douglass Fake, Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson at Intrada, and to Mike Matessino.

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino talks his involvement in the preparation of the live-to-picture concert performance of John Williams' classic score premiering at the KKL in Lucerne on April 29

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

On the eve of the world premiere of Superman In Concert at the KKL in Lucerne, Switzerland, The Legacy of John Williams welcomes Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino for Part 2 of the podcast special dedicated to this thrilling and long-awaited concert performance of John Williams' majestic score live to picture (listen to Part 1 HERE). In addition to his stellar soundtrack restoration work for which he's much appreciated, Matessino has collaborated with Film Concerts Live on several of their 'Film with Orchestra' projects, assisting and consulting on Back To The Future, Jurassic Park, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and more recently on Superman: The Movie. 

In this conversation, Mike Matessino sits down again with The Legacy of John Williams' Editor Maurizio Caschetto and Head Contributor Tim Burden to talk with thorough detail how the 'Film In Concert' presentations are put together, chronicling his work on Superman and also on other classic John Williams' film concerts as Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Matessino also discusses the reasoning behind the choice of reintroducing music that was originally dialed out or cut from the film's original theatrical release and the many technical challenges of the live-to-picture format.

John Williams' Superman In Concert is having its world premiere on April 29, 2022 at the KKL in Lucerne, Switzerland, performed by the City Light Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anthony Gabriele. The event is presented by City Light Concerts in association with Film Concerts Live and Warner Bros. Pictures. It will also be presented on June 25, 2022, at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK, with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra conducted by Anthony Gabriele. More info at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com

Conductor Anthony Gabriele talks the stirring musical score by John Williams for the 1978 classic film premiering in a live-to-picture concert presentation at the KKL in Lucerne on April 29

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The unforgettable superhero film Superman: The Movie is making a long-awaited comeback for the world premiere of John Williams' stirring musical score performed live to picture by the City Light Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anthony Gabriele in the splendor of the spectacular KKL Concert Hall in Lucerne (Switzerland) on April 29, 2022. The event is presented by City Light Concerts in association with Film Concerts Live and Warner Bros. Pictures.

The 1978 classic movie directed by Richard Donner and starring Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando is rightfully considered as one of the best comic book films ever made and it's still beloved by legions of film and superhero fans around the world, thanks in no small part to the stirring and unforgettable musical score composed by John Williams.

Superman is the latest of the classic John Williams' film scores being presented in the live-to-film concert format and, after two years of postponement due to Covid pandemic, it's finally having its long-awaited world premiere at the spectacular KKL in Lucerne, Switzerland, performed by the City Light Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anthony Gabriele. The conductor is one of the most renowned specialists of the 'film with orchestra' format and he kindly accepted the invitation of The Legacy of John Williams to talk about the music of Superman, how it sits into the filmography of John Williams, the many virtues of Richard Donner's film and its stirring score, and the uniqueness of Maestro Williams' overall opus. This is the first of a two-part podcast special dedicated to the world premiere of Superman In Concert. Listen to the full episode to discover the guest of Part 2...

Legendary singer and vocal contractor talks her illustrious career in Hollywood working in choirs and as soloist for many film composers, including her work for John Williams on Amistad and other projects Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

Film score recordings in Hollywood are performed not just by hundreds of talented orchestra musicians, but they often feature the superb work of great vocalists, singers and choirs. Sally Stevens is perhaps the most famous and distinguished singer and vocalist who lent her beautiful voice to countless film and television soundtracks and studio recordings in Los Angeles. Her resume includes work for illustrious film composers including John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman, just to name a few, but also for some of the most famous names of the recording industry like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Burt Bacharach among others, in a career spanning five decades and thousands of performances.

Under the banner name Hollywood Film Chorale, she contracted choirs and singers for successful films including Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, The Abyss, Forrest Gump, The Matrix Revolutions, Jurassic World, among others, and also on popular tv shows as The Simpsons and Family Guy. She also served as choral director of the Oscars broadcasts for over 20 years, the most recent being the 2018 Academy Awards.

Sally's collaboration with John Williams started in 1997, when she was asked to be vocal contractor for the film Amistad, directed by Steven Spielberg. She also collaborated on such films as Minority Report (2002), War of the Worlds (2005), Munich (2005), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015).

In this conversation, Sally Stevens reminisces about her glorious career as a singer and vocal contractor working in Hollywood, from his early days singing in the choir for Alfred Newman's How The West Was Won to the work as soloist for Lalo Schifrin, Jerry Goldsmith and other great composers. She also recollects her experience working as a vocal contractor for John Williams on Amistad and other projects involving choirs and vocal soloists, sharing her own unique insight and perspective on Williams' choral writing and the use of human voice.

For more information and the list of music excerpts visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/04/01/sally-stevens-podcast/

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino returns to talk more on his work for the 50th Anniversary Edition, with distinguished Broadway Music Director and Conductor Andy Einhorn joining as a special guest to discuss the first concert performance of John Williams' orchestrations and the legacy of the beloved musical.

 

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

 

The Legacy of John Williams goes back to Anatevka for the long-awaited 2nd part of the discussion on Fiddler On The Roof 50th Anniversary Soundtrack Edition. The massive 3-disc set released by La-La Land Records was the subject of an in-depth talk and feature article published last December, and now Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino returns to offer more eloquent thoughts and insights about the 1971 classic film by Norman Jewison, its Academy Award-winning adaptation score by John Williams, and the painstaking restoration work he went through to bring new life to the original soundtrack recordings.

This second act of the Fiddler On The Roof podcast special is also enriched by the presence of a very welcome special guest. Leading Broadway Music Director and Conductor Andy Einhorn joins to talk about a truly unique and very special initative: the presentation of a lightly-staged production of Fiddler On The Roof featuring the world premiere concert performance of John Williams' Oscar-winning orchestrations, a project spearheaded by the UMS in collaboration with The Philadelphia Orchestra and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance/Department of Musical Theatre.

During the conversation, Einhorn reflects on the various reasons why this project holds a special place in his career, the challenges he faced to put it together and the thrill of hearing Williams' sumptuous orchestrations performed live for the first time in 50 years, talking also about the details and nuances hidden in the score. He and Mike Matessino offer precious insight on the timelessness of Fiddler On The Roof and its relevance for today's audiences also in light of the tragic recent events happening in the same region in which the original story takes place, i.e. the small Ukraine village of Anatevka.

Read more: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/03/04/fiddler-on-the-roof-podcast-pt2/

 

Legendary pianist and keyboardist talks about his career and his collaborations with John Williams on numerous projects, including his iconic solos on such classic scores as Harry Potter, Angela’s Ashes, Lincoln and The Book Thief Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

Among the studio musicians who performed for John Williams during the last two decades, Randy Kerber occupies a special place. He’s one of the most accomplished pianists and keyboardists working in the studio environment, with an impressive resume that includes many legendary film composers (Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Michael Kamen, Randy Newman, Alan Silvestri), but also a great deal of iconic recording artists including Michael Jackson, Paul Anka, Leonard Cohen, Rickie Lee Jones, Whitney Houston, Michael Bolton, Rod Stewart, B.B. King, Bill Medley, Annie Lennox, Art Garfunkel, Anastacia, Celine Dion, Natalie Cole, Al Jarreau, Ray Charles. He’s also a Grammy-nominated composer and arranger, and worked as orchestrator for top Hollywood composers including James Horner and John Powell. He had the privilege of being appointed as featured piano soloist on several John Williams’ scores including Angela’s Ashes (1999), Lincoln (2012) and The Book Thief (2013) among others, but was also the keyboard soloist playing the celesta part of “Hedwig’s Theme” on the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001).

His impressive career as one of the first-call studio keyboardist in Los Angeles also includes such unforgettable film scores as Forrest Gump (music by Alan Silvestri) and Titanic (music by James Horner), in which he can be heard performing exquisite piano solos. Kerber’s impeccable playing is also prominently featured in the Academy Award-winning musical La La Land, with music by Justin Hurwitz.

n this conversation with The Legacy of John Williams, Randy Kerber talks about his career as a session musician, his early years working in the studio environment and how he became one of John Williams’ first-call musicians, from his first experiences as a synth programmer on such films as Always and Jurassic Park, to the prominent role as piano soloist on Angela’s Ashes, Lincoln and The Book Thief. Randy also talks about John Williams’ approach to piano writing and offers his take on the Maestro’s musicianship, reflecting on the various experiences as seen from his perspective as a studio musician.

For more information and a list of the musical excerpts featured in the episode, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/02/25/randy-kerber-podcast/(opens in a new tab)

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino remembers the legendary Academy Award-winning composer, lyricist and songwriter who collaborated with John Williams on several projects including Superman, Home Alone and Hook Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Composer, lyricist, librettist Leslie Bricusse (1931-2021) is one of the most talented and versatile musicians who worked in movies and musical theatre in the second half of the 20th century. His gift both for melody and catchy lyrics kept his works popular throughout the decades. Bricusse is well known to fans and admirers of John Williams for their collaborations on such pivotal and successful projects as Superman: The Movie (1978), Home Alone (1990) and Steven Spielberg’s Hook (1991), but also for the film musical Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), for which Williams did a magnificent work of adaptation, arrangement and orchestration of Bricusse’s lovely song score.

Bricusse passed away suddenly last October at the age 90 and we tribute his memory and his artistic achievements with this podcast episode featuring Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino, who worked on many restorations of Bricusse’s scores (Doctor Dolittle and Goodbye, Mr. Chips, among others) and was also a personal friend, offering an in-depth overview of Leslie’s career and his collaborations with John Williams.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2022/01/29/remembering-leslie-bricusse/

Renowned violinist talks about his career as a studio musician in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams. Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

 

More info at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/05/10/bruce-dukov-podcast/

The great Los Angeles studio musicians reunite for the first time in years to celebrate John Williams Hosted and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The Legacy of John Williams is proud to present this special podcast episode dedicated to the legendary Los Angeles studio musicians who performed in dozens of film soundtracks by John Williams, including such iconic scores as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Hook and Jurassic Park.

L.A. STUDIO LEGENDS – The Reunion explores the unparalleled contribution that the great Los Angeles-based studio players brought to many of John Williams’ film soundtracks and recordings in a conversation with some of those world’s most legendary studio musicians who performed in principal roles on dozens of his scores recorded in Hollywood from the late 1960s until recent years: Flutists Louise Di Tullio and Sheridon Stokes, Pianist and Keyboardist Ralph Grierson, Trumpet player Malcolm McNab, French Horn player James Thatcher and Tuba player James Self. Joining the conversation is esteemed Conductor (and former studio Violinist) Richard Kaufman, one of the world’s leading interpreters of film music repertoire and also a personal friend of Maestro Williams.

This spectacular ensemble of talented musicians, reuniting for the first time in years, offers a precious perspective on John Williams’ musicianship as a composer and conductor, recollecting the unforgettable performances on such classic film scores as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park among others and sharing many of their fond memories of playing for Maestro Williams. The event is hosted by The Legacy of John Williams’ Editor-In-Chief Maurizio Caschetto and Head Contributor Tim Burden.

More info: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/12/23/l-a-studio-legends-the-reunion-video

Link to video version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ANAJK-hu_s

A tribute to the legendary award-winning composer, arranger and orchestrator who collaborated with John Williams on many projects over the years, as remembered by his stepdaughter Renata Pompelli Featuring Special Guest Mike Matessino Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Among the collaborators who worked with John Williams during his long and distinguished career, Alexander Courage (1919-2008) certainly holds a very special place. Composer, arranger, orchestrator and conductor of rare skill and incredible bravura, Alexander Courage (affectionately named "Sandy" by his family and closest friends) is considered one of the best and most revered musicians who ever worked in Hollywood at least since the 1940s.

His association with John Williams started way back in the mid-1950s, when Courage requested a young man named Johnny Williams to perform as pianist for the soundtrack of the 1957 film musical Funny Face starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn. Courage recommended Williams to Deutsch for orchestration duties on Some Like It Hot. Williams often spoke of Courage's importance as an arranger and orchestrator for the great MGM musicals of the 1950s, comparing him to great arrangers like Robert Russell Bennett and Conrad Salinger for his uncanny ability in creating a unique orchestral sound.

Courage's collborations with John Williams continued also throughout the following decades. In 1970, Courage joined Williams as an orchestrator on Fiddler On The Roof, for which the composer won his first Academy Award (and thanked Courage during his speech). Courage also contributed orchestrations for The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Cowboys (1972) and also some of Williams' blockbuster scores of the era including Superman and Return of the Jedi. One of their key collaborations was for the 1987 film Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, the last starring the beloved Christopher Reeve as the Man of Steel. Among his orchestration credits for John Williams are also major blockbuster scores including Home Alone, Hook and Jurassic Park.

We're very honoured to have Alexander Courage's stepdaugher Renata Pompelli as the special guest of The Legacy of John Williams podcast to honour and celebrate Sandy's memory and legacy on the day of his 102nd birthday (December 10). Renata is the family's custodian of memories and historian In this conversation, she shares many affectionate memories of Alexander Courage, both as a man and as a musician, offering an intimate, caring and lovely portrait of one of Hollywood's true (and perhaps lesser-known) musical geniuses, including his long-standing friendship and working relationship with John Williams.

For more info, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/12/10/legacy-conversations-alexander-courage/(opens in a new tab)

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino presents the 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition of Fiddler On The Roof and discusses the history and the legacy of the beloved film musical and its importance for the career of John Williams Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Soundtrack label La-La Land Records just released a spectacular new limited edition of one of the cornerstones in John Williams’ filmography. Fiddler On The Roof 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition is the most comprehensive and detailed release ever assembled of the soundtrack for the film adaptation of the beloved Tony Award-winning Broadway musical written by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, produced by the great Harold Prince and directed for the stage by Jerome Robbins on a play by Joseph Stein. The 1971 film version was directed by Norman Jewison and it features a phenomenal adaptation score by John Williams, who won his very first Academy Award for his work on this film.

This new release presents a restored and remastered version of the popular soundtrack album, with alternates and newly-discovered material presented across an expansive 3-CD set. La-La Land Records’ lavish release, in time for the film’s 50th anniversary, is a wonderful opportunity to revisit a very important milestone in John Williams’ rich filmography.

In this special episode of The Legacy of John Williams podcast, producer Mike Matessino returns to talk with Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden about Fiddler On The Roof and its place in John Williams’ filmography, while also reflecting on his own personal connection to the film and the original musical and why they’re still relevant to today’s audiences, John Williams' love affair with the violin and the many aspects that makes this release very special for fans and admirers of the Maestro.

Learn more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/12/03/fiddler-on-the-roof-podcast-pt1/(opens in a new tab)

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Thanks to Mike Matessino, MV Gerhard and Matt Verboys

Order Fiddler On The Roof 50th Anniversary Remastered Edition on La-La Land Records: https://bit.ly/3d2XWDt

Music Excerpts featured in the podcast © 1971, 2021 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. under exclusive license to Capitol Records LLC. All Rights Reserved. Used under permission

Legendary pianist and keyboardist talks his unparalleled career as a first-call studio musician on thousands of film scores for top film composers, including his many collaborations with John Williams, for whom he played on more than 30 films including The Poseidon Adventure, The Towering Inferno, The Eiger Sanction and Hook

Pianist Mike Lang certainly doesn't need much introduction among the legendary musicians who performed on film and television soundtracks in the last 50 years. He represents the epitome of the greatness and versatility of the studio musician in several different ways, having performed with virtually all the greatest film composers since the 1960s in more than 2,000 film scores, in many cases as first pianist and keyboardist, but also with an impressive slew of iconic recording artists. Lang's resume is one of the most impressive among any living musician on the planet.

Lang's career as pianist for film scores is the stuff of legend. He performed in thousands of film and television soundtracks serving virtually all the legendary film composers of the last 50 years including John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, Henry Mancini, Michel Legrand, Bill Conti, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard.

Mike Lang's collaborations with John Williams started in the early 1970s and continued until the very recent years, playing in scores like The Towering Inferno, The Eiger Sanction, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1941, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Always, Hook, Rosewood, Catch Me If You Can and many others.

In this wide-ranging, fun conversation, Mike sits down with The Legacy of John Williams' Editor Maurizio Caschetto and Head Contributor Tim Burden to talk about his unparalleled career as one of the most sought-after studio musicians in the history of music, not just film scores, reminiscing on his beginnings, his training and his early years playing for film composers, including John Williams. Mike also offers his own unique insight about Williams' musicianship, the Maestro's skills as pianist and the evolution of his career, while pondering also on the life as a studio musician with all its unique aspects and idiosincracies.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/11/16/mike-lang-podcast

French Horn player of the Berlin Philharmonic and music educator extraordinaire talks her lifelong love for John Williams and the unforgettable experience of performing his music under the Maestro's baton

French Horn player Sarah Willis is member of the Berlin Philharmonic since 2001 and she's one of the most generous musical citizen of the world. In addition to being one of the most talented and distinguished French Horn players in the world, she's a true music ambassador of her instrument and a devoted and joyful educator, sharing her deeply passionate love for music and music-making with a worldwide community that's growing bigger every day.

Sarah Willis is a gigantic fan of John Williams and his music since 1977, when she saw Star Wars for the first time with her family. As a member of the Berlin Philharmonic, Sarah was part of the historic concerts that John Williams conducted in Berlin, an experience she doesn't hesitate to define as one of the most joyful she ever had as a musician. This is the main topic of the conversation Sarah had with The Legacy of John Williams for this new episode of the Legacy Conversations video series, where she sat down with editor Maurizio Caschetto and head contributor Tim Burden to recollect the joy and happiness of working for a full week with Maestro Williams, but also the challenges of playing a very demanding repertoire especially for the horn section. Sarah also illustrates what makes John Williams' music so special for the horn player, sharing anecdotes and stories from the rehearsals and the whole experience, but more importantly communicating her deeply contagious love for music and music-making.

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For more information:

https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/11/08/sarah-willis-podcast/(opens in a new tab)

 

Sarah Willis Official Website: https://sarah-willis.com

 

The Film Music of John Williams: Reviving Hollywood's Classical Style A Conversation With EMILIO AUDISSINO Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Featuring Special Guest Frank Lehman, music theorist

Distinguished author Emilio Audissino talks about his acclaimed book The Film Music of John Williams - Reviving Hollywood's Classical Style, the first and only monograph book in English language dedicated to the music of Maestro John Williams, now updated and revised in a newly published second edition from University of Wisconsin Press.

In this conversation, Audissino talks about the process that brought him to write a book on John Williams and the specific angle he chose, focusing on the composer's revival of Hollywood's classical symphonic style through the film scores of such movies as Jaws, Star Wars and Indiana Jones, adding his own thoughts on the burgeoning study work on John Williams' music by academic professors and researchers across the globe that happened in the last few years. Audissino also talks about updating the second edition with a new chapter dedicated to the film/music analysis of Williams' gothic score for John Badham's Dracula (1979). Joining the conversation is music theorist Frank Lehman, another distinguished scholar who devoted a lot of his field work to the music of Maestro Williams.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/09/24/legacy-conversations-emilio-audissino/(opens in a new tab)

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino presents Intrada Records' new 2-disc expanded edition of John Williams’ score for Clint Eastwood’s alpine thriller, featuring the world premiere release of the original film recording and a remastered version of the 1975 soundtrack album Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

The restoration of Maestro John Williams’ rich filmography adds another pivotal item to its ongoing process of “future proofing”. Intrada Records has just released a 2-disc expanded edition of one of the Maestro’s most interesting and diverse scores of his pre-Jaws era: The Eiger Sanction, written for the 1975 alpine thriller directed by and also starring Clint Eastwood, in his one and only collaboration with the composer. The new release is produced and remastered by Mike Matessino, who continues to be the ultimate guardian of John Williams’ film score presentations through his universally admired painstaking methodology of soundtrack restoration, preserving the Maestro’s work for all future generations in the best and most accurate way.

The original soundtrack album issued on MCA Records at the time of the film’s theatrical release was a re-recording where Williams selected cues from the score expanding and repurposing them for a more cohesive listening experience. The brand-new 2-CD release by Intrada Records presents both a remastered version of the 1975 MCA soundtrack album and the premiere release of the original film recording, featuring a great deal of unreleased music, including never-before-heard material that was written and recorded for a longer cut of the film. All the material has been painstakingly restored and remastered by Mike Matessino. The end product is a wonderful musical journey that puts a well-deserved spotlight on one of John Williams’ lesser-known yet most fascinating and diverse scores to be found in his long and rich filmography. 

In this conversation, Mike Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to present this new 2-disc expanded edition of John Williams’ score for Clint Eastwood’s alpine thriller, spotlighting and documenting his own unique restoration work while offering thoughts and insights on the Maestro’s music for the film.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/08/10/the-eiger-sanction-podcast

Cellist extraordinaire talks his distinguished career as a studio musician in Hollywood and his many collaborations with John Williams, including his exquisite solo playing for such scores as Angela’s Ashes, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Memoirs of a Geisha and Munich, offering precious thoughts about the Maestro’s music and his creative process with musicians. Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto

If you’ve heard an exquisite solo cello while watching a big Hollywood movie of the last 25 years, it’s very likely that you were listening to the stunning musical talent of Stephen Erdody. He’s one of the most distinguished and talented cellist working in the studio world, but also a very fine classical musician who have spent many years playing with symphony orchestras and chamber groups. His impeccable playing impressed also Maestro John Williams, who appointed him as principal cello of all his recordings in Los Angeles since 1999 until today.

Stephen Erdody performed cello solos for John Williams on such scores as Angela's Ashes (1999), A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Munich (2005), War Horse (2011) and The Book Thief (2013). He performed a duet with world-renowned cello superstar Yo-Yo Ma on the score for Memoirs of a Geisha, and also was 1st cello on the Star Wars sequel trilogy produced by Disney. In addition to film scores, Erdody was also principal cello on various recording projects, including the albums American Journey (2002), Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams (2002) and The Spielberg-Williams Collaboration Vol.3 (2017).

Steve is the most renowned studio cellist working in Hollywood today and has recorded hundreds of film and television scores with many top film composers including Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Danny Elfman and Ludwig Goransson. You can hear some of Steve’s lovely solos on such scores as I Am Legend (James Newton Howard, 2009), The Pacific (Hans Zimmer, Geoff Zanelli & Blake Neely, 2010), August Rush (Mark Mancina, 2009). 

In this conversation, Steve talks in-depth about his distinguished career as Hollywood’s preferred principal cello and his many collaborations with John Williams on such scores as Angela’s Ashes, Munich, Memoirs of a Geisha, War Horse and many others, offering his own deep thoughts and reflections about the uniqueness of Maestro Williams’ music and the role of the cello in his scores, telling many stories and anecdotes from decades of recording sessions with him.

For more information and a list of musical excerpts go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/07/26/stephen-erdody-podcast

 

The esteemed Soundtrack Producer discusses two classic John Williams' film scores recently released: Steven Spielberg's 1989 aviation drama Always and Robert Altman's 1972 cult classic Images

 

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

 

As we reach the middle point of 2021, fans and admirers of John Williams have more than a reason to be happy and cheerful at the moment. A couple new CD releases present two of Maestro Williams's most unique and varied scores of his extensive filmography: the first official commercial edition of the soundtrack for Robert Altman's disturbing and fascinating cult classic from 1972 Images (released by Quartet Records) and a newly expanded edition of the score for Steven Spielberg's 1989 aviation drama Always (released by La-La Land Records). Both titles have been meticulously restored and remastered by soundtrack producer Mike Matessino, who continues to be the ultimate guardian for what he called the "future proofing" of John Williams' invaluable musical legacy in terms of album releases.

Images is one of Williams' most original and groundbreaking scores of his entire career, while Always showcases the Maestro's more intimate and quiet musical persona.

In this new exclusive audio interview, Mike Matessino talks with The Legacy of John Williams about the restoration of these new editions of John Williams' Images and Always, focusing on the respective places of these scores in Williams' filmography, offering his own always deep thoughts about both movies and their scores, spotlighting his methodology and creative decisions in producing these new stellar albums that should belong in the soundtrack collection of any student of John Williams' music. The discussion features various exclusive audio clips from both releases.

 

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/06/24/mike-matessino-always-images-podcast

 

Distinguished author Steven C. Smith and composer & conductor William Stromberg discuss the lineage that connects John Williams and the great composers of the Golden Age of Hollywood, including Bernard Herrmann and Max Steiner

John Williams is the film composer who, more than any other, was able to take the great tradition of the Golden Age of Hollywood's film music and revive it for modern audiences. Thanks to the impressive box office success of such films as Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Superman, the late 1970s saw a resurgence of the classic symphonic film score as intended by the great composers of the Golden Age: Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Alfred Newman, Dimitri Tiomkin, Miklós Rózsa, Franz Waxman, were the forefathers of what is commonly referred as "the Hollywood sound", i.e. the lush, romantic orchestral vernacular in vogue during the 1930s, '40s and '50s, mostly based on the great tradition of Late Romantic symphonic music from Europe, of which all the aforementioned composers were all natural descendants. This type of vibrant, colorful and emotional musical accompaniment defined Hollywood's film music until the dramatic turn of the tide known as the end of the studio era in the early 1960s. John Williams restored almost single-handedly that tradition with a sincere, heartfelt homage to those musical stylings and a new renaissance of film music began.

This is the starting point of this new episode of the Legacy Conversations series on The Legacy of John Williams podcast, featuring two very esteemed and distinguished special guests who are among the most respected authorities on the subject of classic film music: author Steven C. Smith and composer/conductor William T. Stromberg.

Steven is an Emmy-nominated documentary producer, author, and speaker who specializes in Hollywood history and profiles of contemporary filmmakers. He is the author of two acclaimed biographies: Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood’s Most Influential Composer (Oxford University Press), and A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann (University of California Press).

William T. Stromberg is a respected composer and conductor working in the film music business since the late 1980s. Together with his artistic partner John W. Morgan, he produced an impressive amount of brand-new recordings of classic film scores from the Golden Age of Hollywood by Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Franz Waxman, Dimitri Tiomkin and other illustrious composers, including premiere complete recordings of such iconic scores as King Kong, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Fahrenheit 451, The Egyptian.

The profound expertise and knowledge of both Steven C. Smith and William Stromberg make them the ideal guests to talk about the lineage that connects John Williams to the great tradition of the Golden Age of Hollywood’s film music, especially to composers like Max Steiner and Bernard Herrmann.

For more information and the list of the musical excerpts featured in the episode, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/06/10/steven-c-smith-william-stromberg-podcast

Composer & Conductor David Newman talks conducting classic film music live and the program curated by John Williams for the LA Phil concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 2-4. Featuring Writer and Journalist Tim Greiving Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Film music is now a staple of the concert hall experience, with countless performances across the world by orchestras and ensembles of all kind, from local community symphonies to major historical institutions. Music from the movies is performed on the same stage where only the established canon of classical repertoire was once allowed, bringing a new audience to the concert hall and reinvigorating the live experience with innovative formats like the live-to-picture concerts. If this is now an accepted reality of the classical music landscape, a huge part is owed to John Williams and his 45-year activity as a champion of conducting film music in concert halls.

On February 2, 3 and 4 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Newman is conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program called A Century Of Film Music. The concert is part of a series curated by John Williams and it features an exciting selection offering a journey through several decades of great film music with pieces by some of the finest composers who ever wrote for the movies. This is the starting point of this new Legacy Conversation podcast episode, a lively discussion with David Newman about the challenges and the opportunities of performing film music in the concert hall, while also reflecting on how crucial John Williams has been in making film music more widely accepted and recognized. Joining the discussion is writer and journalist Tim Greiving, who has followed the film music industry closely for almost 20 years and witnessed the transformation of how music from the movies is perceived by the audience.

 

Read more: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/02/02/legacy-conversations-a-century-of-film-music

Listen to "A Century Of Film Music" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1blGRnjBOFUA4xfGZiX08O

Legendary flutist talks her incredible career as a performing artist, the legacy of her own musical family, the phenomenal streak of work as a studio musician in Hollywood and her many collaborations with John Williams on such iconic scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, War Horse and many others.

Flutist Louise Di Tullio is one of the true icons among the generation of musicians performing in the Los Angeles area who came on the scene between the late 1950s and early 1960s. In an amazing career spanning almost six decades, Louise performed both as a world-class classical player and studio musician, often in the position of principal flute, for countless film scores, recording projects and live performances.

A native of Los Angeles, Louise Di Tullio comes from a family of very distinguished musicians who had incredible careers as classical players and studio musicians. Louise started to play flute at a very young age and soon began to take lessons to become a professional musician. Before reaching the age of 20, Louise joined the LA Philharmonic, playing piccolo in the flute section, following in the footsteps of her father and two uncles. After six years with the Philharmonic, she found success in all aspects of the recording world. Louise started to perform in Hollywood studio orchestras, mostly as a piccolo player, and was contracted regularly to play for big name film composers including Alfred Newman, Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry and of course John Williams. 

Louise’s first session with John Williams dates back in 1969 for the score for The Reivers. You can hear Louise’s playing, often performing both delicate and virtuosic piccolo parts, on such iconic scores as The Towering Inferno, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Fury, 1941 and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

In 1990, Louise inherited the first chair from Sheridon Stokes as principal flute for John Williams and from this moment onward her career as studio musician became the stuff of legend. As principal flute, Louise Di Tullio can be heard performing on many John Williams’ scores since 1990, including Home Alone 1 and 2, Hook, JFK, Far and Away, Jurassic Park, Schindler’s List, Rosewood, Seven Years in Tibet, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can, War of the Worlds, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse, and The Book Thief.

Besides her work in countless John Williams’ scores, Louise Di Tullio served as principal flute for many other great film composers, including Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry, James Horner, Lalo Schifrin, Bill Conti, James Newton Howard, Bruce Broughton, Danny Elfman, among others. Over the course of her extraordinary career, Louise performed on more than 1,200 motion pictures and tv films including some of Hollywood's biggest hits of the last 50 years.

In this conversation, Louise reminisces for the first time since many years about the legacy of her extraordinary musical family, the first steps as a classical player, including performing under Igor Stravinsky. Louise talks extensively about her many years recording film scores with John Williams, from her first experiences playing piccolo on The Reivers and Jaws, to her playing as principal flute on scores like Hook, Jurassic Park and War Horse, recollecting many memories and sharing her point of view about the music and the art of Maestro John Williams.

Visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/05/28/louise-di-tullio-podcast/ for more informations and the list of the musical excerpts featured in the episode.

The English-born conductor talks about the brand-new recording "Spotlight on John Williams", the debut album of the Swiss-based City Light Symphony Orchestra, a 2-CD collection of some of John Williams' film masterpieces

Spotlight on John Williams presents the City Light Symphony Orchestra conducted by English-born Maestro Kevin Griffiths in a 100-minute musical journey throughout some of John Williams’ movie masterworks, featuring such acclaimed soloists as Valentine Michaud, Reinhold Friedrich and Paul Meyer. The selections include 21 tracks, including music from many of the popular film franchises the composer is associated with – the Star Wars saga is represented by a 4-movement suite from The Force Awakens and the Indiana Jones movies with the riveting “End Credits” suite from The Temple of Doom, while the Harry Potter wizarding world is featured with four selections from The Sorcerer’s Stone, The Chamber of Secrets and The Prisoner of Azkaban. The stirring themes from such beloved film scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Superman are also represented, but there is space for other Williams’ gems like “Viktor’s Tale” from The Terminal, the patriotic themes from JFK and Born on the Fourth of July, the jazzy 3-movement “Escapades” suite for alto saxophone from Catch Me If You Can, the lively opening credits from The Adventures of Tintin, and the stirring Americana of The Cowboys Overture.

The recording is a real showcase of the City Light Symphony Orchestra’s brilliance – the performance is tight and vigorous, the spectrum of sonorities they bring out is sparkling, full of colours and nuances, but always focused and sharp at the same time.

In this conversation, conductor Kevin Griffiths talks with The Legacy of John Williams about the challenges of recording the album, how the project was put together and how he worked with the City Light Symphony Orchestra to bring out all the marvelous nuances and details of John Williams’ music. He also talks about the differences of conducting live to picture vs. traditional symphonic setting, how the audience’s perception of film music has changed throughout the years, and what John Williams’ music meant for him since childhood, while also reflecting on the legacy of the Maestro.

Spotlight on John Williams is released on Prospero Classical

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/04/09/kevin-griffiths-city-light-interview/

Acclaimed contemporary classical composer talks his career and his cinematic music for the concert hall, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Silent Night, his approach to composition and how much John Williams’ music touched him since childhood and inspired him to become a composer

Few contemporary classical composers have such a wide-ranging, colorful and personal style like Kevin Puts. Winner of the coveted Pulitzer Prize in 2012 for his debut opera Silent Night, he has become one of the leading American composers of his generation. Critically acclaimed for a richly colored, harmonic, and freshly melodic musical voice that has also been described as “emotional, compelling, and relevant,” his works, which include two operas, four symphonies, and several concertos, have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading orchestras, ensembles and soloists throughout the world.

A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Kevin Puts started to study piano during childhood. His love for music was ignited by the John Williams’ scores for such films as Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, which made a lasting effect on him and were among the main inspirations to pursue a career as a composer.

His love for movie music, and specifically John Williams, led him to a musical style characterized by a strong storytelling element. His compositions have been often described as “cinematic” and “film-like” by music critics and commentators, an observation that Puts always took as a compliment.

Puts’ catalogue is truly impressive and includes major orchestral, symphonic and operatic works and a great deal of chamber music as well. His Pulitzer Prize-winning opera Silent Night is probably his most important and successful work so far. It was premiered by Minnesota Opera in November 2011, and marked his debut in the genre of opera and vocal works. Describing his work, Puts said he was “going for a cinematic quality, commenting on the action and the emotions of a scene as it unfolds as a great film composer like John Williams might do it”.

In this conversation, Kevin talks about his career as a contemporary classical composer, his approach to composition as storytelling, and how much the music of John Williams inspired him since childhood, particulary the score of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

For more information and the list of musical excerpts featured in the episode, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/03/22/legacy-conversations-kevin-puts/

Legendary trumpeteer talks his illustrious career as former Associate Principal Trumpet of the Boston Symphony Orchestra / Principal Trumpet of the Boston Pops and his subsequent life as studio musician in Los Angeles, including his many collaborations with John Williams as soloist on such scores as Born On The Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon and Saving Private Ryan

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Trumpet legend Tim Morrison has defined probably more than any other soloists one of the key signature styles of John Williams, enhancing the American spirit in many of the composer's brilliant pieces for film and the concert hall through his singing, lyrical trumpet sound and purity of tone. Tim Morrison has been the voice of Ron Kovic's struggle in Born on the Fourth of July and the reminiscence of President Kennedy's core American values in JFK; he underlined John Quincy Adams' noble speeches in Amistad, and accompanied with somber, plaintive tones the drama of World War II American soldiers in Saving Private Ryan. Whenever John Williams needed that signature American sound in some of his film scores, he often chose Tim Morrison to be the interpreter of choice. Also, as Principal Trumpet of the Boston Pops Orchestra from 1987 to 1997, he has often being the soloist of choice in many concerts and recordings with Williams on the podium.

In this wide, in-depth conversation, Tim Morrison talks about his brilliant career and musical life, from his studies and early days as performer to his arrival in Boston, his many collaborations with John Williams as soloist on Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon and Saving Private Ryan, but also the many brilliant Boston Pops recordings he performed in, including the iconic Summon the Heroes solo. He also reflects on Williams' comment about his "American sound", his life as studio musician in L.A., and his solo recording album After Hours.

What happens when you discover and start to love music when you're still a little kid and share this passion with one of your siblings? This is the starting point of this in-depth discussion between two pairs of brothers with many things in common, specifically the love for the music of John Williams. One of the missions of this website is to celebrate and discuss the huge influence of the Maestro among at least two generations of people who literally grew up and became adults while listening to his music, and how it helped shape lives and even careers of millions of people around the world.

Brothers Will Brueggemann and Marty Brueggemann are two of the most admired podcasters among the niche of film music aficionados on the internet. Their show, UnderScore: A Podcast of Music and Story, offers insightful musical analysis of major film scores including works by John Williams. In this episode, titled "Growing Up With John Williams", editor Maurizio Caschetto and contributor/illustrator Gianmaria Caschetto sit down with Will and Marty to discuss what it means to grow up listening to the music of Maestro Williams. Both pairs of brothers were raised in similar contexts and started to fall in love with Williams' music for such films as Superman, E.T. and Star Wars since childhood (as happened to millions of fans and admirers of the Maestro around the globe). The discussion goes on to talk about Williams' unrivaled compostional prowess, his daring harmonic choices and his uncanny ability to craft the perfect melody for the film. More thoughts are also offered about what makes John Williams' music so exciting for kids and young people.

Legendary harpist talks her distinguished career as former Principal Harp for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, including the many collaborations with John Williams and the premiere of the Harp Concerto On Willows and Birches, composed for her by the Maestro in 2009

Ann Hobson Pilot is one of the most talented women in the classical music who ever performed in United States and also a distinguished international soloist, teacher, mentor and moving force behind music educational programs for underserved minorities. She has been Principal Harp for the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops for almost 30 years, from 1980 until his retirement in 2009. She joined the BSO in 1969 as Associate Principal Harp after stints in the Pittsburgh Symphony and Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra where he performed as Principal Harp for 3 years (1966-69). Ann has the distinguished credit of being the very first African-American woman to land a Principal role in an American orchestra, building herself a career through her talent and unique sensibility back in a time where the classical music scene was still a predominant white male-driven environment.

Ann Hobson Pilot started to perform for John Williams in 1980, when the Maestro accepted the post as Principal Conductor of the Boston Pops. After many years performing under former Pops’ music director Arthur Fiedler (who died in 1979), Ann immediately got in perfect harmony with Williams’ musicianship (“he brought a breath of fresh air”, she said) and his own fabulous music. She was frequently featured as soloist in concerts and recordings with the Boston Pops often performing many of the Maestro’s exquisite passages for harp, including music from Schindler’s List, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, Harry Potter and Angela’s Ashes, all of which feature extensive writing for harp. Ann was also principal harp on the original soundtrack recording of Schindler’s List, where he performs in duet with violinist Itzhak Perlman.

When Pilot announced her retirement as BSO’s Principal Harp, Williams set to write a Concerto for Harp specifically for her, titled On Willows and Birches. The composer wrote the concerto during the spring and summer of 2009, and the piece was premiered on September 23, 2009, as part of the Opening Night of BSO’s annual subscription season.

In addition to her career as musician, Ann Hobson Pilot spent a lifetime devoted to teaching and mentoring young students in distinguished music schools and conservatories (including the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University) and appearing in masterclasses and seminars at the Tanglewood Music Institute. She’s currently affiliated with the State College of Florida, in addition to the Tanglewood Music Center and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. 

In this conversation, Ann talks about her incredible life and career as classical musician, her challenges and obstacles of being an African-American woman playing in an environment predominantly white and male-driven and her many collaborations with John Williams, including the thrill and the honour of having a concerto written for her by the Maestro. She also talks about the recording of the film score for Schindler’s List and many other favourite memories of working together with John Williams for almost 30 years.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/02/22/ann-hobson-pilot-podcast/

Legendary flutist talks his distinguished career as studio musician in Hollywood, from his early days performing under Alfred Newman at 20th Century Fox to his many collaborations with John Williams as first chair flute, including his solos in such scores as Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Witches of Eastwick, as well as the premiere of the Flute Concerto

 

Flutist Sheridon Stokes is one of the true all-time greats among Hollywood studio musicians. In a career spanning six decades, Sheridon Stokes became one of the most heard flute artists in the world mostly thanks to his impressive career in the film and television industry in Los Angeles. He has performed as principal flute on dozens of classic film scores including many by John Williams. For the Maestro, he performed solos on Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and The Witches of Eastwick. It’s his beautiful, crystalline tone that accompanies some of the most iconic scenes in those films. But, as you’ll hear in the episode, Sheridon and John Williams met long before the Maestro would become the most famous and celebrated film composer in history.

 

In this conversation, Sheridon talks about his illustrious life and career as one of the most venerable studio musicians in Hollywood, from his early days performing in the 20th Century Fox Orchestra under Alfred Newman to his meeting with a young John Williams in 1957. He talks at length about his first works with Williams in the early 1970s and the world concert premiere of the composer’s Flute Concerto with the UCLA orchestra in 1973. He also reminisces his flute solos on Jaws, E.T. and The Witches of Eastwick, and the work with composer Lalo Schifrin, offering his own unique insight into the great history of Hollywood’s film music.

 

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/01/18/sheridon-stokes-podcast/

Legendary saxophonist and woodwind specialist talks his career as studio musician in Los Angeles, from his early days as session player to his collaborations with Maestro John Williams, including the stunning alto saxophone solos he performed on the score for Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Catch Me If You Can

Saxophonist and woodwind specialist Dan Higgins is unquestionably one of the most talented session musicians on the planet and also highly respected among his peers. His stunning skills both as saxophonist and woodwind player on several instruments (including clarinet and flute) have been appreciated by a wide variety of composers and musicians with whom Higgins collaborated throughout his amazing career. He has performed in the woodwind section on several John Williams' film scores since the mid-1990s, but he's first and foremost remembered for the stunning alto saxophone solos he recorded on the brilliant score Maestro Williams composed in 2002 for the film Catch Me If You Can, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo Di Caprio and Tom Hanks.

Born in Boston, MA, in 1955, Dan Higgins first distinguished himself as an outstanding saxophonist while attending University of North Texas. After moving to Los Angeles, Dan started to work as a freelance studio musician, mostly on record dates, but also on many recordings for television shows, including playing on live shows and specials, following the footsteps of other great saxophone players like Gene Cipriano, Ronnie Lang and Plas Johnson.

His career as studio musician for the film and television industry is impressive: he has worked on 700+ motion picture scores and is a featured saxophone soloist on many great films with such notable composers as John Williams, Alan Silvestri, Marc Shaiman, Randy Newman, David Newman and Alexandre Desplat among others.

Dan Higgins has worked extensively with John Williams for more than 25 years. His first collaboration was playing alto saxophone on a few “period music” source pieces that Williams arranged as part of the musical score for Schindler’s List (1993). However, the big breakthrough came in 2002, when the Maestro called upon Dan’s talents as soloist on alto saxophone for the score to Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can. The film was a box office hit and the score garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score. The success pushed Williams to prepare a three-movement concert suite based on the main thematic material from the score called Escapades for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra. Higgins premiered the concert suite with the Maestro on the podium conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra in May 2003 and subsequently appeared as guest soloist to perform the piece with notable orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

In this conversation, Dan talks about his amazing career as studio musicians in Los Angeles, his early days as jazz musician, how he picked up the legacy from legendary studio saxophonists like Gene Cipriano and Ronnie Lang and also how he learned discipline from them. Dan talks extensively about the projects he did with John Williams, with a special focus on his soloist work on Catch Me If You Can, remembering the recording sessions for that film and offering his own unique insight into the creative process of Maestro Williams. Dan also recollects the work on The Adventures of Tintin and the unique instructions John Williams gave him before recording the zany “Canto Bight” jazz piece for The Last Jedi.

For more information and the list of the musical excerpts, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/01/08/dan-higgins-podcast/

French Horn player extraordinaire talks his life and career as studio musician in Hollywood and his many collaborations with John Williams, including his work as Principal Horn on The Post and the recent Star Wars sequels The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker, sharing his views on the Maestro's music

Los Angeles native French Horn player Dylan Skye Hart is part of the younger generation of studio musician who are carrying over the great tradition of the "Hollywood sound" in film scores established by legendary horn players such as Vince DeRosa and Jim Thatcher, of whom Dylan can really be considered a natural heir. Dylan had the distinguished honour of performing as Principal Horn for John Williams on a few of his more recent scores, including The Post (2017) and the Star Wars sequels The Last Jedi (2017) and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), following in the footsteps of those above mentioned musicians.

Since 2008, Dylan Hart has played for many top Hollywood composers including Alan Silvestri, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard, Bruce Broughton, John Powell and Alexandre Desplat. Dylan is also a devoted classical musician—he's currently Principal Horn for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Santa Barbara Symphony, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, and the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Dylan is also a member of the Los Angeles Horn Quartet and Modern Brass Quintet.

In this conversation, Dylan talks about his life and career as French Horn player in Los Angeles, from his humble beginnings to his years studying with Vince DeRosa and Jim Thatcher. He recalls his first gigs in major film scores and his work performing for John Williams in such scores as War Horse, The Post, Dear Basketball and the Star Wars films, offering his own unique insight about Williams' process in the studio and his writing for the instrument. Dylan also reflects on the great tradition of Hollywood's horn playing style as mastered by his teachers DeRosa and Thatcher and what it means carrying that legacy.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2020/12/18/dylan-hart-podcast/

Legendary tuba player talks his 40+ years career as studio musician in Los Angeles and his collaborations with John Williams, including the “Voice of the Mothership” solo in Close Encounters of the Third Kind and his work on Home Alone, Hook and Jurassic Park

Tubist Jim Self is one of the true legends among both the international tuba community and the Los Angeles studio musicians. In a career spanning more than four decades, Jim has performed internationally as soloist, orchestral player, chamber musician and studio musician. He performed in more than 1,500 film and television soundtracks and can be heard playing solos on many of them. He has been John Williams’ principal tuba for 25 years (from 1990 to 2015), performing solos on such scores as Home Alone, Home Alone 2, Hook and Jurassic Park. Above all, he performed the iconic “Voice of the Mothership” tuba solo as heard in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

He’s currently principal tuba for four orchestras—the Los Angeles Opera, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. He still performs occasionally as a studio musician for film scores and played 2nd tuba on the recent Star Wars sequel trilogy from 2015-2019. John Williams has referred to him as “one of the greatest instrumentalists of his generation”.

In this long, engaging conversation, Jim talks about his extraordinary career as studio musician and his many years performing for John Williams. He recollects recording the iconic solo for Close Encounters of the Third Kind and his work on Home Alone, Hook and Jurassic Park, offering insightful comments and reflections about playing for John Williams, but also about the music itself. He also talks about his work for Jerry Goldsmith and James Horner, his friendship and early years playing with tuba legend Tommy Johnson, the role of tuba in film music and his life as a composer.

For more information and the list of musical excerpts visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2020/11/10/jim-self-podcast/

Renowned trombonist talks his career as a studio musician in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams as Principal Trombone on such scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Star Wars films

 

William “Bill” Booth is one of the most respected veterans of the Los Angeles music scene and one of the most appreciated orchestral trombonists in the world. In a career spanning five decades, Bill Booth has performed on thousands of recording sessions, including a staggering amount of film and television soundtracks in Hollywood, thus becoming the leading trombonist in town. He has been the Principal Trombone for John Williams for all of the Maestro’s recordings in LA since 1991, performing on such legendary scores as Home Alone, Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the Star Wars sequel trilogy.

 

In this conversation, Bill Booth reflects on his career as a studio musician, chronicling the path that led him to Hollywood and becoming the leading studio trombonist for film and television. He talks at length about his many years playing for John Williams on dozens of his legendary film scores, reflecting on the special quality of the Maestro's music and his affinity for the instrument as shown in many of his film scores including Hook, Jurassic Park and the Star Wars series.

 

Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/01/19/bill-booth-podcast

Legendary French Horn player talks his distinguished career as studio musician in Hollywood and his many collaborations with John Williams as Principal Horn since 1989, including such film scores as Always, JFK, Jurassic Park, Sleepers, and The Patriot Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Among the many studio musicians who performed in John Williams’s scores, French Horn legend James Thatcher certainly occupies a very special place. The esteemed hornist has performed in many scores composed by the Maestro and has been his first-choice principal horn from 1989 until 2013. James Thatcher performed in many scores by John Williams, including such popular films as Jurassic Park and Home Alone, but also as featured soloist in Always, JFK, Sleepers, Amistad, Rosewood and The Patriot.

James Thatcher is one of the most prolific and revered studio musicians who ever worked for the film recording industry, but also an accomplished and respected classical player, certainly one of the world’s premier French horn players. He had the distinguished honour to have been one of the longest first-chair musicians serving for John Williams and performed in virtually all of his scores recorded in L.A. until 2013.

Jim has also been James Horner's first-choice principal horn for thirty years, playing in such film scores as Field of Dreams, Glory, The Rocketeer, Titanic, Deep Impact and many others.

Jim Thatcher has also worked with an extraordinary list of composers that include Jerry Goldsmith, James Newton Howard, Alan Menken, Randy Newman, John Barry, Maurice Jarre and Alan Silvestri. Jim’s performances can be heard on such films as Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves, The Fugitive, Pretty Woman, Back to the Future, Frozen, Total Recall, Glory, Independence Day, Monsters, Inc., Beauty and the Beast, Ice Age, The Polar Express, Toy Story, Cars, Forrest Gump, Night at the Museum, King Kong, and the list goes on and on. He has the impressive record of performing in more than 3,500 film and television scores during his career. In addition to film and television scores, Jim played in many studio recordings and his solo horn work also includes Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Kenny Rogers, Dave Grusin, Harry Connick Jr. and Mel Torme.

In this long, engaging conversation, Jim talks about his life and career as studio musician in Hollywood, his friendship with the great Vince DeRosa, and his many projects with John Williams, including his solo work in films like Always, JFK, Jurassic Park and The Patriot. Jim talks extensively about the challenges and the thrills of being the principal horn for John Williams for many years, but also offers his insightful thoughts about the music itself, the history of the instrument in film, offering memories from his collaborations with James Horner and Jerry Goldsmith. He also talks about his work as a classical musician and his life as a teacher.

 

Visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2020/10/23/james-thatcher-podcast for more information and to listen to a special tribute montage dedicated to Jim Thatcher

Exclusive video podcast with soundtrack record producer Mike Matessino discussing his restoration work on John Williams's thrilling score for the sci-fi classic directed by Steven Spielberg in 2005 Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden

Steven Spielberg's big-budget adaptation of the sci-fi classic novel by H.G. Wells War of the Worlds marked the 22nd collaboration between the esteemed director and composer John Williams. The film turned out to be a very unique and perhaps even personal project for the director, who took the opportunity to craft a grim moral tale disguised as an action-packed sci-fi drama.

The movie presented a unique challenge for composer John Williams. The music accompanies the drama with his usual skillfull dramatic sensibility, giving the film's action sequences its necessary propulsive energy, but at the same time avoiding any kind of leeway to conventional scoring. Instead the music enhances the dark, grim tone of the film through violent Herrmann-esque orchestral colors (12 horns, 2 tubas, 5 trombones, 2 sets of timpani playing antiphonally), unstable harmonic language and an overall tone of fragilty and uncertainty. 

The new remastered edition released by soundtrack specialty label Intrada Records has been meticolously restored and produced by Mike Matessino, who worked from the original audio elements to rebuild from scratch the mixes and all the performance edits. The new release is spreaded on two CDs--Disc 1 presents the complete 80-minutes film score with all the cues in chronological order as they appear in the film (including unreleased and extended material), while Disc 2 offers the remastered original soundtrack album, plus a slew of alternate cues that reveal Williams' meticolous creative process for the film.

In this conversation with The Legacy of John Williams, Mike Matessino offers his deep thoughts about how this new release of War of the Worlds came about, how the perception on the film and some of its most controversial aspects changed throughout the years and became even more relevant in today's world, the role of the music within the film and how the new edition was meticolously assembled and produced.

Special Thanks to Mike Matessino and Tim Burden, and to Douglass Fake and Roger Feigelson at Intrada Records

War of the Worlds - Expanded and Remastered 2-CD Edition available for purchase at http://store.intrada.com/s.nl?it=A&id=12263

Visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com for more information

The legendary trumpeteer talks his unparalleled career as studio musician in Hollywood and his journey with composer John Williams as principal trumpet on 40+ films between 1973 and 2011, including some of the Maestro’s most beloved scores such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones films

Among the musicians who performed for John Williams in Los Angeles, trumpet legend Malcolm McNab has certainly a place of honour. This incredibly talented musician started to perform for the composer in 1973, playing lovely lyrical solos in the score for the film The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (directed by Richard C. Sarafian, starring Burt Reynolds and Sarah Miles). His exquisite playing immediately became a benchmark and, from that moment onward, McNab became principal trumpet for virtually all John Williams’s recordings in Los Angeles from 1973 until 2011, becoming one of the longest-serving members (if not the single longest) in his pick-up orchestra: a grand total of 46 film scores, including some of the Maestro’s most iconic works like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, The Witches of Eastwick, Home Alone, Hook, Far and Away, Minority Report, plus several television projects (including Amazing Stories, Great Performances and the theme for the NBC Nightly News programs) and other special projects such as the live-to-picture performance of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial for the film’s 20th anniversary in March 2002. He also had lovely lyrical solos in Stanley & Iris (1990).

Malcolm McNab’s career highlights don’t stop however just at his many successful collaborations with John Williams. The trumpeteer has also been the first-call principal trumpet for many other great Hollywood composers including Jerry Goldsmith, Alex North, James Horner, Randy Newman, James Newton Howard, Bruce Broughton, Michael Kamen, with many of them writing beautiful solo parts especially for him. McNab’s truly impressive list of credits includes many of Hollywood’s most famous movies of the last 45 years. His playing can be heard in hundreds of memorable soundtracks, including the Rocky series, several Star Trek movies, Pretty Woman, The Karate Kid, Spider-Man 1 and 2, The Sixth Sense, Silverado, Edward Scissorhands, Independence Day, the Lethal Weapon films, Pirates of the Caribbean, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and Pixar’s Toy Story 1, 2 and 3, Cars and Monsters, Inc., and many, many others. He can be heard as featured soloist in John Barry’s Dances With Wolves, Randy Newman’s Avalon, Jerry Goldsmith’s L.A. Confidential and The Last Castle, James Horner’s Glory, just to name a few.

In this rich, in-depth conversation, Malcolm talks about his career as studio musician legend, performing for virtually every great composer in Hollywood and performing both exquisite solos and virtuosic trumpet parts in many film scores. He talks at length about his many years performing for John Williams, from the first gig in 1973 to the success of scores like Jaws, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Jurassic Park, reflecting on the evolution of the trumpet section in Williams’s scores and the challenges of performing very difficult parts on many occasions, but also the fun and the joy of recording source music for Jaws and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. McNab also recollects his experiences with rock legend Frank Zappa, his friendship with Uan Rasey and his many collaborations with Jerry Goldsmith.

For more information visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2020/09/23/malcolm-mcnab-podcast

Legendary pianist and keyboardist recollects his impressive career as a studio musician performing in thousands of Hollywood film scores and his many collaborations with John Williams from 1969 until 2001, including his unforgettable playing on Jaws and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Very few musicians can compare to the versatile and incredibly prolific career of Ralph Grierson. A legend among studio musicians, Grierson has graced a great number of performances and recordings (including thousands of film soundtracks) thanks to his talent on a wide variety of keyboard instruments, from traditional piano and harpsichord to the most advanced synthesizers, playing across genres and styles including classical music, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, contemporary and avant-garde.

Born near Vancouver, Canada, Grierson began studying music since a very young age. In 1968 he settled in Los Angeles, establishing parallel careers as a studio musician for TV and film (playing all the electronic keyboard instruments and also piano, organ, and harpsichord) and as an interpreter of contemporary music. With Michael Tilson Thomas he made the first recording of Stravinsky's own four-hand piano reduction of The Rite of Spring. 

Grierson also appeared on a handful of Grammy-nominated albums: Palm Leaf Rag, and the follow-up album, Magnetic Rag, both with the Southland Stingers (a group formed by some of the finest Hollywood studio musicians conducted by) and both containing music by Scott Joplin; and ‘S Wonderful, a collection of George Gershwin’s tunes for piano duet performed together with Artie Kane (a legendary studio musician himself who often performed for John Williams).

He first worked with John Williams on The Reivers (1969), a score that would then became the Maestro’s first Academy Award nomination as Best Original Score—and the work that would pick the attention of a then-very young up-and-coming director named Steven Spielberg. From that moment, Grierson worked on almost every John Williams score recorded in Los Angeles until 2001, a total number of 46 scores. He can be heard playing in iconic scores such as Jaws and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial—he’s the pianist on the unforgettable piano solo heard in the film’s end credits.

rierson performed piano, synthesizer and keyboards in many other classic scores by the Maestro including The Cowboys, The Towering Inferno, Family Plot, 1941, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Witches of Eastwick, The Accidental Tourist, Always, Stanley and Iris, Home Alone, just to name a few (often performing in a keyboard section that included other legendary talents such as Artie Kane, Mike Lang, Clare Fischer, Chet Swiatkowski and Ian Underwood).

Over the course of his 30+ years career as studio musician, Grierson performed on literally thousands of film and television scores, playing for every top Hollywood film composers and includes some of cinema’s biggest hits such as E.T., Titanic, Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, The Matrix. Ralph also appeared as the piano soloist (both on screen and on the soundtrack recording) in the segment of "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin in Disney’s Fantasia 2000. 

n this wide-ranging, in-depth candid conversation, Ralph talks about his incredible life and career as studio musician in Hollywood and his collaborations with John Williams on many film scores as pianist and keyboardist, recalling his work on Jaws and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Ralph also recalls some of his other career’s highlights, including his work with the late James Horner and his soloist work for Disney’s Fantasia 2000. He also opens up about the career-altering injury he faced in 2002 and how his life changed since then. 

For more information and the list of musical excerpts featured in the episode visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2020/08/26/ralph-grierson-podcast/