Clayton Howe’s Entertainmentx

Aaron Zigman ”Love And Kindness” talks orchestrating THE NOTEBOOK

Aaron Zigman (aaronzigman.com) is an award-winning composer who has scored more than 60 major Hollywood films and influenced other musicians and songwriters. In 2020, Grammy winner and top performing artist Billie Eilish listed Zigman’s work along with other notable musicians as inspiring songs on her recent platinum album. As a classically trained pianist, composer and conductor he has a degree of versatility rarely seen. His deep classical roots combined with his background in writing and producing songs for many of music's greatest performers (Aretha Franklin, John Legend, Christina Aguilera, Phil Collins, Seal, Natalie Cole and more) has given him the ability to traverse all styles of music to develop some of the industry’s most memorable film scores across diverse genres, such as the iconic The Notebook—one of six collaborations with award-winning director Nick Cassavetes—which consistently ranks in the top ten of romantic classics and has sold a record number of soundtracks.  Zigman has scored other hit films that include, but are not limited to, Bridge to Terabithia, John Q., The Proposal, The Ugly Truth, Alpha Dog, My Sister's Keeper, Sex & the City I & II, Escape from Planet Earth.  Zigman also scored the niche films Flash of Genius, The Company Men, and The Shack, featuring Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer. 

Morgan James ”Keep Your Eye’s On Your Own” Part 2

Morgan James (morganjamesonline.com)(IG:@morganajames) Let’s start with the voice, an instrument through which she can communicate anything. A gift bestowed upon her that she has expertly trained, meticulously nurtured, and passionately galvanized into action by an urgency to make real music. Next, the stories, and she has them in spades. They are full of truth and beauty, heartache and thoughtfulness. They reveal colors we weren’t expecting to see. They make us close our eyes and relate. And finally, the soul – the emotional and intellectual energy through which these parts are fueled. That special something that prompted The Wall Street Journal to herald her as "the most promising young vocalist to come along so far this century." That young vocalist is Morgan James. And Morgan James is a soul singer.Armed with her dedication to create authentic soul music, James and her husband Doug Wamble, her producer, co-writer and arranger, spent months writing twelve new songs in New York City. “Doug and I have always wanted to make a classic record like this,” she says. “Doug is originally from Memphis and we are both so inspired by the roots of classic soul music. Being entrenched in a place like that really informs everything you make there.” So, instead of recording in New York, she aimed straight for the source and booked a week at a new music studio in Memphis, at the recommendation of drummer George Sluppick. She immediately connected with the space: Memphis Magnetic, a renovated old bank transformed into a classic recording studio, decked out with a collection of vintage Nashville gear by owner Scott McEwen. The space exemplified exactly what James wanted her album to be: something new through the prism of something old. She and Wamble assembled a group of local musicians, including Sluppick, organist Al Gamble, bassist Landon Moore, and pianist Alvie Givhan. They tapped legendary Memphis musicians Reverend Charles Hodges and Leroy Hodges, who were the backbone of the Hi Records rhythm section, which played with Al Green and Ann Peebles, to contribute to two tracks. And finally, the team was rounded out with a classic Memphis horn section, plus the amazing Memphis String Quartet.“What I’ve learned over the years is to hire great people and let them do what they do best,” says James. “We came in with all the music charted and ready, and left space for people to be themselves and infuse it with their own magic. I really wanted every single person involved in the album to be from Memphis and to channel the great albums I admire so much. From every end of the spectrum, in every department, it felt like the right people.”
 
The entire album was recorded to analog tape, a first for James. She wanted to be less precious about the process overall and to capture the same invigorated feeling as her live performances. Much of the album comes from single, complete takes, giving it a vibrant, in-the-moment sensibility. The songs on the album range in tone, but there’s a hopeful, life-affirming feeling that threads through the tracks. The playful “I Wish You Would” takes its cues from “Mr. Big Stuff,” while “All I Ever Gave You” looks back on losing someone after endless sacrifices. The album also features two duets, another first for James, with Marc Broussard and three-time Grammy nominee Ryan Shaw. The collaboration with Shaw, “I Don’t Mind Waking Up (To A Love This Good)” is the first single and a song James calls one of her favorites she’s ever written. And a standout moment comes on the closing track “Who’s Going to Listen To You? (When You’re Crying Now),” a song James and Wamble wrote with lyrics from a poem by Spin Doctors’ lead singer Chris Barron. It creates a poignant and heart-wrenching final note for the album, a collection of genuine, satisfying songs that embrace the best of American songwriting. The experience was so inspiring and affirming that James ended up titling the album Memphis Magnetic after the studio where it was made (an homage to Jimi Hendrix and his Electric Ladyland). For James, Memphis Magnetic is the culmination of a life-long love affair with music. She grew up listening to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Paul Simon to Prince to Aretha Franklin, cultivating an insatiable love for strong songwriters. After graduating from The Juilliard School with a classical music degree, and performing in the original companies of four Broadway productions, James began writing and recording her own music. Meeting her mentor Berry Gordy, Jr. led to a record deal at Epic Records, where she recorded and released her solo album Hunter in 2014. In addition to her studio albums, James recorded and released a full album cover of Joni Mitchell’s seminal Blue as well as The Beatles’ White Album in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Through her unique and varied career, there have been many ups and downs, but James cites her failures as more important than her successes in shaping the artist she is today.After her tenure with Epic Records, she took charge of her career from the business side as well. She cultivated a new world of fans with her viral YouTube videos, and while connecting with them on social media and at her live shows, she found the support and strength to go out on her own as an independent artist. Over the last several years, James has built her own empire and established herself as a touring powerhouse, allowing her to raise the funds to create her albums and make every decision from the ground up.“This album feels so unburdened by anybody or anything. All of the songs were written for this project. They were recorded in the same way, in the same room. It’s a moment in time captured. I felt like I was a part of the lineage of soul music. My guiding force throughout the record was ‘What would Aretha say? What would Otis say?’ It’s not a retro album or a throwback by any means. This album is me: classic elements, timeless melodies, and lyrics from my soul and experience. We need that right now. We need real music now more than ever.”

Morgan James ”Nothing Will Pass You By” Part 1

Morgan James (morganjamesonline.com)(IG:@morganajames) Let’s start with the voice, an instrument through which she can communicate anything. A gift bestowed upon her that she has expertly trained, meticulously nurtured, and passionately galvanized into action by an urgency to make real music. Next, the stories, and she has them in spades. They are full of truth and beauty, heartache and thoughtfulness. They reveal colors we weren’t expecting to see. They make us close our eyes and relate. And finally, the soul – the emotional and intellectual energy through which these parts are fueled. That special something that prompted The Wall Street Journal to herald her as "the most promising young vocalist to come along so far this century." That young vocalist is Morgan James. And Morgan James is a soul singer.Armed with her dedication to create authentic soul music, James and her husband Doug Wamble, her producer, co-writer and arranger, spent months writing twelve new songs in New York City. “Doug and I have always wanted to make a classic record like this,” she says. “Doug is originally from Memphis and we are both so inspired by the roots of classic soul music. Being entrenched in a place like that really informs everything you make there.” So, instead of recording in New York, she aimed straight for the source and booked a week at a new music studio in Memphis, at the recommendation of drummer George Sluppick. She immediately connected with the space: Memphis Magnetic, a renovated old bank transformed into a classic recording studio, decked out with a collection of vintage Nashville gear by owner Scott McEwen. The space exemplified exactly what James wanted her album to be: something new through the prism of something old. She and Wamble assembled a group of local musicians, including Sluppick, organist Al Gamble, bassist Landon Moore, and pianist Alvie Givhan. They tapped legendary Memphis musicians Reverend Charles Hodges and Leroy Hodges, who were the backbone of the Hi Records rhythm section, which played with Al Green and Ann Peebles, to contribute to two tracks. And finally, the team was rounded out with a classic Memphis horn section, plus the amazing Memphis String Quartet.“What I’ve learned over the years is to hire great people and let them do what they do best,” says James. “We came in with all the music charted and ready, and left space for people to be themselves and infuse it with their own magic. I really wanted every single person involved in the album to be from Memphis and to channel the great albums I admire so much. From every end of the spectrum, in every department, it felt like the right people.”
 
The entire album was recorded to analog tape, a first for James. She wanted to be less precious about the process overall and to capture the same invigorated feeling as her live performances. Much of the album comes from single, complete takes, giving it a vibrant, in-the-moment sensibility. The songs on the album range in tone, but there’s a hopeful, life-affirming feeling that threads through the tracks. The playful “I Wish You Would” takes its cues from “Mr. Big Stuff,” while “All I Ever Gave You” looks back on losing someone after endless sacrifices. The album also features two duets, another first for James, with Marc Broussard and three-time Grammy nominee Ryan Shaw. The collaboration with Shaw, “I Don’t Mind Waking Up (To A Love This Good)” is the first single and a song James calls one of her favorites she’s ever written. And a standout moment comes on the closing track “Who’s Going to Listen To You? (When You’re Crying Now),” a song James and Wamble wrote with lyrics from a poem by Spin Doctors’ lead singer Chris Barron. It creates a poignant and heart-wrenching final note for the album, a collection of genuine, satisfying songs that embrace the best of American songwriting. The experience was so inspiring and affirming that James ended up titling the album Memphis Magnetic after the studio where it was made (an homage to Jimi Hendrix and his Electric Ladyland). For James, Memphis Magnetic is the culmination of a life-long love affair with music. She grew up listening to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Paul Simon to Prince to Aretha Franklin, cultivating an insatiable love for strong songwriters. After graduating from The Juilliard School with a classical music degree, and performing in the original companies of four Broadway productions, James began writing and recording her own music. Meeting her mentor Berry Gordy, Jr. led to a record deal at Epic Records, where she recorded and released her solo album Hunter in 2014. In addition to her studio albums, James recorded and released a full album cover of Joni Mitchell’s seminal Blue as well as The Beatles’ White Album in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary. Through her unique and varied career, there have been many ups and downs, but James cites her failures as more important than her successes in shaping the artist she is today.After her tenure with Epic Records, she took charge of her career from the business side as well. She cultivated a new world of fans with her viral YouTube videos, and while connecting with them on social media and at her live shows, she found the support and strength to go out on her own as an independent artist. Over the last several years, James has built her own empire and established herself as a touring powerhouse, allowing her to raise the funds to create her albums and make every decision from the ground up.“This album feels so unburdened by anybody or anything. All of the songs were written for this project. They were recorded in the same way, in the same room. It’s a moment in time captured. I felt like I was a part of the lineage of soul music. My guiding force throughout the record was ‘What would Aretha say? What would Otis say?’ It’s not a retro album or a throwback by any means. This album is me: classic elements, timeless melodies, and lyrics from my soul and experience. We need that right now. We need real music now more than ever.”

”Just A Couple of Guys Talking” Larry Turman: On Producing, Self Reflection, and Life

Larry Turman has produced forty films, running from The Graduate to American History X. He also directed two films and executive produced many for television. Turman was voted into the Producers Guild of America Hall of Fame, has been a juror at the Flanders Film Festival, guest lectured at La Femis in Paris, the Triangle Conference in Rome, Equinoxe in Bordeaux, the Polytechnic in Singapore, the UNIJAPAN Entertainment Forum at the Tokyo Film Festival, AFI, UCLA and NYU. His book, So You Want To Be A Producer, was published by Random House. Turman has served on the Board of the Producers' Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and is a graduate of UCLA.

Jonathan Groff ”Love” Part 2

This is a special re-air with Jonathan Groff (who has no social media!) and he shares a ton about his life! We talk about Spring Awakening, Hamilton, Frozen 1 and 2, Mindhunter, and his challenges with coming out (to name a few topics.) He has such a wonderful balance of "chill" yet "ready to work" and I feel many can learn from his work ethic! This was a very funny, enjoyable conversation with wonderful lessons learned. Enjoy!

Jonathan Groff ”Love” Part 1

This is a special re-air with Jonathan Groff (who has no social media!) and he shares a ton about his life! We talk about Spring Awakening, Hamilton, Frozen 1 and 2, Mindhunter, and his challenges with coming out (to name a few topics.) He has such a wonderful balance of "chill" yet "ready to work" and I feel many can learn from his work ethic! This was a very funny, enjoyable conversation with wonderful lessons learned. Enjoy!

Lorin Latarro on ”Waitress” PART 2

Lorin Latarro (lorinlatarro.com) is currently choreographing Broadway’s MRS. DOUBTFIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS, The Public’s THE VISITOR and Broadway bound THE OUTSIDERS. Lorin also choreographed Broadway and London’s WAITRESS, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSEwith Janet McTeer and Liev Schreiber, and WAITING FOR GODOT with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Lorin is the Associate Choreographer of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and AMERICAN IDIOT.
Her additional choreography includes LA TRAVIATA at The Met Opera with Sara Mearns dancing 2020 season, Almost Famous and Huey Lewis’s Heart of Rock And Roll (Old Globe), Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), Chess (The Kennedy Center), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street for “This American Life” (Brooklyn Academy of Music), The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night and The Odyssey (Delacorte Theater), Queen of the Night which garnered a Drama Desk Award (Diamond Horseshoe), Assassins, Fanny, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (City Center Encores!), Between the Lines (Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Superhero (Second Stage), Beaches (Drury Lane Theatre), and A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre Center).
Lorin performed in fourteen Broadway shows including Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, Fosse, Swing!, Kiss Me Kate, A Chorus Line, and Man Of La Mancha. Lorin danced for Robert Wilson, Martha Graham, and Momix. Lorin has also worked with Pina Bausch, Jiri Kylian, Pete Townsend, Green Day, Sara Bareilles, Melissa Etheridge, Cameron Crowe, and Charlize Theron.
Ms. Latarro holds a BFA from The Juilliard School where she is also an adjunct professor. She is a Drama Desk, Lortel, and Chita Rivera nominee. Lorin has traveled to India and Africa multiple times to work with The Gates Foundation in family health and planning. Lorin is the founder of ArtAmmmo.org Artists Against Gun Violence as seen in the NY Times, PBS, Rachel Maddow, BBC.

Lorin Latarro: ”Forward. Inspire. Breathe.”

Lorin Latarro (lorinlatarro.com) is currently choreographing Broadway’s MRS. DOUBTFIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS, The Public’s THE VISITOR and Broadway bound THE OUTSIDERS. Lorin also choreographed Broadway and London’s WAITRESS, LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSEwith Janet McTeer and Liev Schreiber, and WAITING FOR GODOT with Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Lorin is the Associate Choreographer of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and AMERICAN IDIOT.
Her additional choreography includes LA TRAVIATA at The Met Opera with Sara Mearns dancing 2020 season, Almost Famous and Huey Lewis’s Heart of Rock And Roll (Old Globe), Merrily We Roll Along (Roundabout), Chess (The Kennedy Center), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 21 Chump Street for “This American Life” (Brooklyn Academy of Music), The Public Theater’s Twelfth Night and The Odyssey (Delacorte Theater), Queen of the Night which garnered a Drama Desk Award (Diamond Horseshoe), Assassins, Fanny, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater (City Center Encores!), Between the Lines (Kansas City Repertory Theatre), Superhero (Second Stage), Beaches (Drury Lane Theatre), and A Christmas Carol (McCarter Theatre Center).
Lorin performed in fourteen Broadway shows including Twyla Tharp’s Movin’ Out, Fosse, Swing!, Kiss Me Kate, A Chorus Line, and Man Of La Mancha. Lorin danced for Robert Wilson, Martha Graham, and Momix. Lorin has also worked with Pina Bausch, Jiri Kylian, Pete Townsend, Green Day, Sara Bareilles, Melissa Etheridge, Cameron Crowe, and Charlize Theron.
Ms. Latarro holds a BFA from The Juilliard School where she is also an adjunct professor. She is a Drama Desk, Lortel, and Chita Rivera nominee. Lorin has traveled to India and Africa multiple times to work with The Gates Foundation in family health and planning. Lorin is the founder of ArtAmmmo.org Artists Against Gun Violence as seen in the NY Times, PBS, Rachel Maddow, BBC.

Gerry McIntyre ”The Mayor of Broadway” PART 2

Gerry McIntyre (gerrymcintyre.net) has been seen on Broadway in a number of shows including Anything Goes, Once On This Island, Chicago, Uptown It's Hot, and Joseph...Dreamcoat, a role for which he was one of three Americans chosen to be in the film starring Donny Osmond.
Gerry is also a highly sought after director and choreographer. Major theatres he has worked at throughout the United States include the Lions Theatre (Off-Broadway), Virginia Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Connecticut Repertory, Ogunquit Playhouse, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, as well as television programs such as the Rosie O'Donnell Show. Broadway: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (original cast), ANYTHING GOES with Patti LuPone, JOSEPH...DREAMCOAT with Michael Damien, UPTOWN...IT'S HOT with Maurice Hines, CHICAGO with everyone, A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Tim Curry. National tour of WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND and was Punjab in the ill-fated ANNIE 2. Off-Broadway: ENTER LAUGHING (Drama Desk nom—Outstanding Revival), THE AUDIENCE (Drama Desk nom—Outstanding Musical), SIDD, BROADWAY JUKEBOX, JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE with Glenn Close and William Hurt, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY (NAACP and Ovation award).TV: BOARDWALK EMPIRE, LAW AND ORDER, WHOOPI, THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW, THE PRETENDER, THE NANNY, NAKED TRUTH, MURPHY BROWN, NYPD BLUE, CAROLINE IN THE CITY.Film: STEALING MARTIN LANE, THE KISS, BROADWAY DAMAGE, THE NEXT STEP, JOSEPH...DREAMCOAT with Donny Osmond and Joan Collins, and the documentary AFTER THE STORM.

Gerry McIntyre ”The Mayor of Broadway” on Grace

Gerry McIntyre (gerrymcintyre.net) has been seen on Broadway in a number of shows including Anything Goes, Once On This Island, Chicago, Uptown It's Hot, and Joseph...Dreamcoat, a role for which he was one of three Americans chosen to be in the film starring Donny Osmond.
Gerry is also a highly sought after director and choreographer. Major theatres he has worked at throughout the United States include the Lions Theatre (Off-Broadway), Virginia Stage, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Connecticut Repertory, Ogunquit Playhouse, and Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, as well as television programs such as the Rosie O'Donnell Show. Broadway: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (original cast), ANYTHING GOES with Patti LuPone, JOSEPH...DREAMCOAT with Michael Damien, UPTOWN...IT'S HOT with Maurice Hines, CHICAGO with everyone, A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Tim Curry. National tour of WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND and was Punjab in the ill-fated ANNIE 2. Off-Broadway: ENTER LAUGHING (Drama Desk nom—Outstanding Revival), THE AUDIENCE (Drama Desk nom—Outstanding Musical), SIDD, BROADWAY JUKEBOX, JOAN OF ARC AT THE STAKE with Glenn Close and William Hurt, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY (NAACP and Ovation award).TV: BOARDWALK EMPIRE, LAW AND ORDER, WHOOPI, THE JAMIE FOXX SHOW, THE PRETENDER, THE NANNY, NAKED TRUTH, MURPHY BROWN, NYPD BLUE, CAROLINE IN THE CITY.Film: STEALING MARTIN LANE, THE KISS, BROADWAY DAMAGE, THE NEXT STEP, JOSEPH...DREAMCOAT with Donny Osmond and Joan Collins, and the documentary AFTER THE STORM.