Podcast Summary: All Of It – Rachael & Vilray Perform Live
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guests: Rachael Price & Vilray
Original Air Date: November 12, 2025
Overview
In this episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart welcomes back local duo Rachael & Vilray to discuss and perform songs from their latest album West of Broadway. Known for their distinctive blend of original compositions sporting a retro jazz flavor, the conversation covers the duo’s creative origins, musical influences, songwriting process, and the merging of Broadway and jazz sounds. The episode features spirited live performances—including a surprise guest feature from Stephen Colbert—and offers revealing anecdotes into their artistic partnership.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Live Performance: "Love Comes Around"
[01:22]
- Rachael & Vilray open with “Love Comes Around,” a heartfelt original love song that channels the spirit of classic American standards.
- Rachael’s vocals, marked by both warmth and a touch of nostalgia, set the tone for the episode.
2. Learning Jazz Scat and Vocal Improvisation
[04:14 – 06:24]
- Alison asks about Rachael’s scatting technique and education.
- Rachael Price: “I started learning how to scat from Ella Fitzgerald, but that was more of a memorization process…memorizing solos is…can be the first step to learning how to scat.” (04:22)
- Studied under jazz trumpeter John McNeil at the New England Conservatory, who taught her true improvisational skills.
- Discusses the personal experience of scatting: “Every time I’m like, wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s ridiculous.” (04:56)
- Rachael frames her scatting as a meditation, guided by the song’s lyrics even without words.
- “I kind of think of myself as, like, expounding upon the lyric in my mind. So it’s like a weird meditation when I’m doing it.” (06:05)
- Vilray shares that scatting emerges organically in their duo setting where instrumental solo options are limited.
3. The Sound of "West of Broadway": Broadway Meets Cool Jazz
[06:24 – 11:31]
- Vilray explains the album is inspired by both classic Broadway and west coast cool jazz:
- Broadway music is wide-ranging: “It can be rock and roll, or it can be, you know, jazz inflected or even opera inflected.” (06:40)
- Recent influences include cast recordings from Stephen Sondheim musicals (“A Little Night Music,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”) and classics like “My Fair Lady” and “Gypsy.”
- Cool jazz influences are rooted in “Birth of the Cool” (Miles Davis): “If you listen to Birth of the Cool...that’s kind of the gold standard...spooky and it’s fluid...it kind of doesn’t sound like anything else as far as jazz is concerned.” (07:30)
- Rachel discusses character-driven songwriting:
- Each song is a “character study”—even creating imaginary backstories for the singers, imbuing songs with emotional depth that shifts nightly.
- Vocal inspiration drawn from Sarah Vaughan for that “late 50s jazz sound.” (11:04)
- Rachel Price: “All the songs are like a character study. You really have to embody the person who's singing them in a really particular way.” (09:54)
- Vilray credits arranger Jacob Zimmerman for capturing the desired jazz textures.
4. Instrumentation & Humor: "The Stuff"
[11:49 – 15:37]
- Discuss the playful song “The Stuff,” featuring xylophone reminiscent of Blossom Dearie’s “Soubrette” album.
- Vilray: “It’s...a xylophone. Warren Wolfe is on the vibraphone for most of the record; on that tune, he’s on the xylophone...Brings a cartoony element.” (11:56)
- Rachel: “It highlights that…It’s a very silly song.” (12:38)
- Rachael & Vilray perform “The Stuff” with lyrical wit about finding comfort—and romance—at home.
5. Their Origins: The Start (and Restart) of Their Duo
[15:37 – 19:44]
- Vilray recounts an early failed attempt to play together due to his musical rust after leaving college.
- “We had one sort of embarrassing afternoon in which she brought over some charts, and I tried to read them and didn’t really succeed...And then a different friend encouraged me to play some music many years after that.” (16:00)
- Revival of partnership after Rachael attends Vilray’s solo gig, inspired by his selection of obscure jazz tunes.
- Rachael Price: “What Vilray didn’t mention is that he did the grunt work in the subway...performing...just busking, which is actually a great way to just practice tunes, playing them over and over.” (17:26)
- On why she believed in him: "It was that...feeling of, oh, this can be fresh and new, that caused me to...ask him to let me sing with him." (18:11)
6. Songwriting and Musical Direction
[19:44 – 20:42]
- Vilray writes in a variety of genres but finds a niche in jazz; he likes the structural conventions of genres such as jazz and country.
- Vilray: “…It’s good for business...to be a little bit pigeonholed and to say, well, you know, this sounds like something that you’re familiar with, but...it’d be interesting to experiment...in a world...less easy to identify.” (19:54)
7. Collaboration with Stephen Colbert: "Off Broadway"
[20:42 – 25:54]
- The story behind the playful collaboration:
- The song was written to poke fun at the challenges and quirks of Broadway, with Colbert recruited after a conversation at his birthday party.
- Vilray: “The joke to me is it’s three people standing around saying Broadway is the worst…But I thought it was a funny joke...that this guy who goes into work every day on Broadway is saying, get off Broadway.” (21:29)
- Colbert recorded the song with them, contributing both humor and star power.
- Live performance of “Off Broadway” with Colbert’s witty cameo.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Rachael Price on Scatting:
“I feel like a little kid when I’m scatting. Every time I’m like, wow, I can’t believe I’m doing this. It’s ridiculous.” (04:56) - Vilray on Musical Inspiration:
“If you listen to Birth of the Cool...that’s kind of the gold standard...spooky and it’s fluid...it kind of doesn’t sound like anything else...” (07:30) - Rachael on Character-Driven Songs:
“All of the songs are like a character study. You really have to embody the person who’s singing them...” (09:54) - On Rachael’s Support for Vilray:
“She’s the best friend.” (17:25) — Vilray
“It was that…feeling of, oh, this can be fresh and new, that caused me to...ask him to let me sing with him.” (18:11) — Rachael
Performance Timestamps
- "Love Comes Around" — [01:22-03:55]
- "The Stuff" — [12:53-15:37]
- "Off Broadway" (feat. Stephen Colbert) — [22:44-25:54]
Tone & Takeaways
The episode is warm, witty, and gently nostalgic, with Alison Stewart guiding a conversation rich with musical insight, artistic self-reflection, and playful banter. Rachael and Vilray’s chemistry shines through in both dialogue and music, balancing deep respect for musical history with a uniquely modern and personal touch. Their stories of artistic growth, genre blending, and supportive collaboration offer inspiration for musicians and music lovers alike.