← Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Celebrating the release of "Off Broadway" from Ryan Shaw and Ray Angry
00:57:49
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- [00:00]
Buzz Knight
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- [00:54]
Ryan Shaw
We're leaving today and entering a world of Cinderella Castle Sightseeing Tron Light Cycling Chun Jungle Cruise Punning Pirate Swashbuckling Everest Climbing Dapper Denning Dunning Soaring, soaring Fireworks show of I'm not crying, you're crying.
- [01:16]
Scott Jacoby
World of Favorites for whatever you love, infinite worlds await at the most magical place on earth. Walt Disney World Resort.
- [01:25]
Ryan Shaw
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- [01:55]
Ray Angry
Warehouse we believe that shoes are an important part of, well, everything from first.
- [02:00]
Ryan Shaw
Steps to first dates, from all nighters to all.
- [02:06]
Scott Jacoby
From building pillow forts to building a life for all the big and small.
- [02:10]
Ryan Shaw
Moments that make up your whole world.
- [02:12]
Unnamed Speaker
DSW is there and we've got just the shoes.
- [02:16]
Ray Angry
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- [03:24]
Ryan Shaw
Taking a walk I think we as human beings, we forget that you were talking about soul music. Soul music is not a genre because we are souls. We are spirits living in this avatar, you know. And I think we sometimes forget that not to get too super spiritual. Sometimes we forget that we're all children of God.
- [03:46]
Scott Jacoby
Welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast where your host Buzz Knight talks with musicians about their latest work and their inspirations. Today, Buzz heads to the bright lights of Broadway for a slight left turn. He heads to Usonia Studios in Manhattan, the home base for producer extraordinaire Scott Jacoby. Scott has garnered awards from platinum selling albums and has topped the charts throughout the world. John Legend, Coldplay, Vampire Weekend and a host of others have partnered with Scott. Buzz will also delve into a project celebrating some of Broadway's biggest songs with three time Grammy nominated vocal powerhouse Ryan Shaw and acclaimed pianist, composer and arranger Ray Angry. Best known for his work with the Roots, Ryan's voice has been called so big, so churchy and unmistakably Southern, full of fire and conviction and exploding with emotion by the Washington Post. Billboard hails him as a massive talent with a huge voice and Ray Angry has made his mark as a musical innovator collaborating with icons pushing the boundaries of genre. Together, Ryan and Ray have teamed up for their new album Off Broadway, a bold reimagining of Broadway hits blending R and B, soul, jazz, rock, reggae, house and classical influences. Join us now as Buzz Knight takes a musical journey with Scott Jacoby, Ryan Shaw and Ray Angry right here on the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [05:22]
Buzz Knight
So we've got a special Taking a Walk episode here, kind of a Behind the Creators episode. And we're here at Usonia Studios and we've got the man who was part of bringing this all certainly together, the producer extraordinaire Scott Jacoby. Scott, thank you for being on Taking a Walk.
- [05:44]
Scott Jacoby
So pleased that you guys are here. This is a privilege for me. And so thanks for all coming, making the trip.
- [05:50]
Buzz Knight
So excited. So how did you become involved with this great project? Take us through that.
- [05:57]
Scott Jacoby
Sure. Well, I have known Ray and Ryan individually going back a number of years through various sort of music channels, and in both cases, I'm a huge fan of them as people and them as talented individuals, you know, And I was working with Ryan on his new solo project and was invited to see a show between. With. With Ray and ryan @. @ 54 below in Manhattan. And my wife and I went and I was buzzing the whole evening. It was just. It was so special. And to see, you know, is one of those moments. You know, as incredible as Ray and Ryan are individually, to see them together, something explosive happened. And the show was called from. From Broadway to Soul. And seeing that, I just saw a, you know, an opportunity to have a. In record form, you know, an album of Broadway songs done in a style that would just work for Ray and Ryan. So I spoke to Elizabeth Healy, both of their managers, the following day. I was so excited to speak to her and said, you know, had this idea, explained it to her, and it got its way to Ray and Ryan, and then it quickly materialized into doing an album. We can get into that in a bit, but that's really how it started. It was so inspired that night, saying to my wife, God, this would be incredible. This would be so good. We can do a whole album and do it this way and that way. So that's how it started.
- [07:46]
Buzz Knight
It's fair to say it was a lightning bolt moment in time, right?
- [07:51]
Scott Jacoby
It was. I mean, at this point in. In my life and career, you know, I've really focused on doing the things that are truly meaningful to me that I find musically and personally rewarding and fortunate enough to have a lot of incoming work. But there's a whole different thing when. When it's almost. You come up with an idea or a concept and it's. It's almost outgoing in a way that, like, I say, hey, what do you think of this? It's a much different thing than someone saying, I want to work with Scott Jacoby. That this is like me saying, I'd like to work with you guys. And so you put yourself out there in that way. But I think doing projects, that it just goes back to the original sort of spirit that brought me to the music world in general. It's just like, I freaking love music, want to do it all the time and be involved in different ways. There's so much music that inspires me, let's make some. And so that's where it came from. That was the bolt of energy.
- [08:50]
Buzz Knight
What was the first moment when you were then in the studio with the guys? What was that like? Take us back to that moment and how it felt.
- [09:00]
Scott Jacoby
Well, that was really special. There were a number of steps in between that because, like, you know, you could argue the magic happened that well in a few days. But in our day of tracking, you know, the basic tracks for the album, which took place in one day, Ray had said, yeah, man, these guys are going to be amazing. The musicians, I think we can do it in one day. And I'm more conservative. I was like, might take two or three. And Ray's like, no, man, I think they got this. And I was like, all right, better safe than sorry. Whatever. Anyway, of course it happened in one day and. But there, you know, in order to kind of like. I always feel like in order for magic to happen, you have to sort of set up the circumstances. So the number of things that happen before walking into the studio are choosing musicians, doing arrangements, and that's where Ray and Ryan, you know, had a. Had a day together, or maybe, maybe more, where kind of looking at each tune saying, hey, here's this tune. How are we going to do this? How are we going to approach this? What genre is this going to be? How are we going to freak this? How are we going to make this ours? You know, I think that's a lot of the magic, too. So is the song selection, you know, and, you know, songs start from inspiration. The song's always king. The song has to come first. It's lyrical content, the melody, all that stuff. So once you pick those, then you're off and running. It's onto other things. But Ryan had to pick from a huge list of potential candidates of, you know, however many years of Broadway, which songs were most inspiring to him in different ways. And that's where. That's where it started. But the day of the recording, you know, it's just like, you know, we're in a relatively small space here. There are a lot of people around, a lot of moving parts. There was a lot of setup to that, too. I came in, you know, day before, spent the whole day making sure people could basically just walk in and play and it was going to sound good. That's part of that setup. And then all of this is just to allow for the magic that happens on that day, which hopefully it does. It doesn't always, but it definitely did.
- [11:08]
Buzz Knight
So then tell me when it finally is completed, the project is sealed and delivered. And when you first hear it in that environment as a finished product, from your perspective, how does that end up feeling?
- [11:25]
Scott Jacoby
Well, I mean, that's a true reward because everything associated with all of the steps before involve work and thinking and planning and skills and talents. And then the part that's just the listening part and experiencing something, you don't have to draw upon any of that. So it's just like you're essentially kind of getting all. All of the. All of the good without the challenges. And so I find it rewarding. And I also, like, I was there. It's. It's great that we're doing this podcast right now. Last night. It's a full circle moment because Ryan and Ray performed essentially the whole album last night and. And the show served as a record release, and that was a full circle moment to see it. The band was incredible. Ray and Ryan were amazing, and so that was a thrill on its own. And my brother and his wife were there and my folks were there, and they were looking over at me. I'm not conscious of what I'm doing, but I was just so in the zone of enjoying this. And that sort of is what it is to kind of like, answer your question, because it's just like you hear back something that didn't exist, you know, however many months ago, and it's the greatest pleasure. And just to see this talent on stage and to see people resonating with the music and with the songs and with the way that we've reinterpreted them, it's just. It's worth everything.
- [12:57]
Buzz Knight
Well, the reason I know it was a successful event is Ryan and Ray had to be peeled off the ceiling. They're still, I think, floating on air from it.
- [13:08]
Scott Jacoby
I can tell, understandably. Yeah, everyone was. Who was there? I think everyone. It was a special thing to behold. It really was.
- [13:15]
Buzz Knight
Well, congratulations on the project and once again, thanks for having us here.
- [13:19]
Scott Jacoby
Oh, yeah. A pleasure to have you. Thank you. Thank you.
- [13:22]
Buzz Knight
Buz, Ryan and Ray, thanks for being on. Taking a walk. Before we get started here with the proceedings, I want to ask you if you could take a walk with someone living or dead, possibly someone in the music side of things, but doesn't have to be. Who would it be and where would you take a walk with them?
- [13:48]
Unnamed Speaker
I would say, for me, it's. I would have to bring back two people. Honestly, for me, it's my two favorite singers of all time, and I can't say that I love one more than the Other. Both for different reasons, but they sort of complete my musical psyche, if you will. And that would be Donny Hathaway and Sam Cooke. And where we would walk. I would kind of like to start walking through their childhood neighborhood and then somehow end up, like, in the woods so I can hear all the real dirt and nobody else is around to know what we're talking about.
- [14:21]
Ryan Shaw
The real dirt?
- [14:22]
Unnamed Speaker
The real dirt, yeah. You know, from there. But, you know, like, their beginnings, like, where they started, what were their influences? You know, you can kind of hear it. But those two artists really sort of don't sound like anybody. And I know Sam Cooke grew up in the church, and I don't think Donny grew up in the church, but they are. But they have such a unique. Those are two artists that sort of really changed the game. Like, there was artists back in the day that used to make a living trying to imitate Sam Cooke. Like, that was their thing. They would imitate Sam on records or backgrounds or how he did certain things, and that was their whole livelihood. So when you have an artist like that, I want to just see, like, what was in his mind and how he grew up and, you know, just some of those stories.
- [15:02]
Buzz Knight
Yeah.
- [15:03]
Ryan Shaw
Good.
- [15:03]
Buzz Knight
Good one. Ray, what do you think? I know you've got a smile on your face.
- [15:08]
Ryan Shaw
Well, I was. This is such a. It's such an important question, because what you put out into universe is very important. What you said of your mouth is important. So that's great that Ryan had two. So since he had two, I got. I got to follow the. You know, I mean, follow the energy. This might. To some people, this might be very weird, but it makes sense to me. The first person I would pick would be Duke Ellington, and the second person I would pick would be Bjork. Now, here's. I was thinking about this, and it occurred to. One thing occurs to me about music. In order to exist as an artist, in order to exist in this world, we often have to exploit our art in order to fit in and to be heard. So when you take away the exploit of nature, of music, of the music industry, and you get to the root of just the music and where that comes from, which is, to me, you know, I've been saying the ether or, you know, for people who are spiritual, you can say it as God. And so for me, Duke Ellington represents the. The epitome of someone truly dedicated to the. The art of musical expression. And it's not really based on any particular genre, because I do feel like, you know, he was you know, coming up, when he came up, you know, he was, you know, working within the frameworks for which he could work. He had all the social issues that he had to deal with, but then also dealing with the band members. And also as an artist wanting to express himself, wanting to be in the Symphony hall, wanting to not be in the club, but wanting to be on a bigger scale, which he. To me, he's bigger than life, you know, and it's unfortunate when artists die, then they become bigger than life. And then when they're living, they can't really see or express it. Not to say that he. He didn't see that, but. But for. To me, Bjork represents the modernization and the economic genius that an artist has to have in order to create their own world. And so I love Bjork for that. I mean, I could have said Prince, but I love Bjork because she started out singing jazz as a little kid. She drew jazz records. And then she expanded. I mean, you know, she expanded from that to working with AI and. And creating, you know, music that it's incorporated with electronics, you know. And I just love the world that she's created. Even if it's like. To some people, they might not really understand her artistry, but I love her expansiveness as an artist. She's always expanding. Miles Davis was always expanding. I mean, I would. I could have said Miles, but I feel like Miles was. You know, he would have been kind of mean, you know.
- [18:14]
Unnamed Speaker
Right.
- [18:16]
Buzz Knight
You know, it's hard to have a.
- [18:17]
Ryan Shaw
Conversation, you know, but I feel like. But I. I strongly feel that if I were to meet Bjork and Duke Ellington, I feel like she would be just as interested in Duke Ellington as I am. And Duke Ellington would be interested in her because of the way his mind works, you know, as an artist and where that would take place in the summer in either Montego Bay or in Iceland. Because Iceland could be beautiful in the summer, you know, and just because, you know, why not? Being on a mountain somewhere and it's beautiful. And we have catering, of course.
- [19:04]
Buzz Knight
It sounds fantastic.
- [19:06]
Unnamed Speaker
So many.
- [19:07]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah, a little yacht or something. We're chilling on the yacht and, you know, having champagne and eating strawberries. That's magical music. Oh, my God.
- [19:16]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, it's magical.
- [19:18]
Buzz Knight
So tell me, guys, how did this collaboration come together? How did you guys first meet? And then how did this project come together?
- [19:29]
Ryan Shaw
That's, you know, it's funny, like, we don't know how we first met, but I do know my. My feeling is that I saw you I saw Ryan performing at the Village Underground. Because when I moved to New York, the Village Underground was this basically. Basically this creative hub where you had the best R and B artists, the best gospel artists coming, the best musicians coming through, the best recording artists coming through. And it was a singer's singers session, and Ryan would go there and wear the room out.
- [20:01]
Unnamed Speaker
What year did you move here?
- [20:04]
Ryan Shaw
2001.
- [20:05]
Unnamed Speaker
Okay. Because I moved here in 98.
- [20:06]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah, I moved here a month before 9 11. I got my masters at Howard University and I moved to New York. And a month later, New York was just disaster.
- [20:17]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, yeah.
- [20:18]
Ryan Shaw
And that was my introduction to New York. And then. And then, you know, as. As New Yorkers became more confident to go out and then be. Village Underground became a very important place for. For musical development, for artistic development. And I would see Ryan there singing, and he would just. I just remember how killing you were. And then you did a record and you got a Grammy nomination.
- [20:40]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, you went everywhere.
- [20:42]
Ryan Shaw
And then I did not never saw you again because you were just every. Here, here, everywhere performing.
- [20:48]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, I think we did. Yeah, we.
- [20:49]
Buzz Knight
We.
- [20:49]
Unnamed Speaker
We would see each other in those circles down there. And I don't think we ever, like, we were like, hey, oh, man, you were great. And I was like, yo, man, you were killing. Killing the organ, you know, whatever. And it was just that for years. And then when it was time for me, I had even walked away from Broadway for a little while after I did Motown. And I was talking with my manager, Elizabeth, and she was saying, well, I think, you know, if you want to, you know, ever get back into that, we need to not wait so long. So reconnect with your Broadway audience. And I think. And you haven't performed in New York for a while for your Ryan Shaw fans, so maybe we should do a show that combines the two worlds. So we started coming with the concept, and I was like, oh, maybe I can do this. You know, from Broadway to soul. I can do some Broadway stuff to connect with that crowd and do some of my original music as well, so that everything, you know, sort of played to both crowds in one space and 54 below is a really great place to do that because it's like cabaret style. And then we was like, well, how do we want to present it? And I'm like, well, it's a small room, so I think maybe just me and one other musician would be good. Be very intimate. And she was like, well, who you think you like to use? And then she was like. I think she said, what about Ray And I was like, oh, yeah. I've known Ray for years, but we've never worked together. This might be cool to bring in some fresh blood and explore a different thing. Cause I always have my conglomerate of musicians that I always have that I would pick from. But I was like, you know, let's. Yeah, let's try something new. And we've known each other. We've been cordial and cool for years, so let's make it happen. And so that's how the 54 Below show happened the first time. The one that Scott saw.
- [22:11]
Buzz Knight
But the lightning bolt moment. Yes.
- [22:15]
Ryan Shaw
But prior to this 54. The show at 54 below, I was composing the music for a film called Sleep Apnea, and Ryan and I wrote the title song.
- [22:26]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah. That was the first collaboration.
- [22:29]
Ryan Shaw
What's the title of the song?
- [22:30]
Unnamed Speaker
Breathe again, Breathe again Until we breathe again yeah.
- [22:33]
Ryan Shaw
Yo.
- [22:34]
Unnamed Speaker
Can't climb a mountain Stuck on the ocean floor Surrendering air what are you waiting for? This is the moment.
- [22:46]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [22:46]
Unnamed Speaker
It was a great song. And it goes from there.
- [22:48]
Ryan Shaw
Song.
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Unnamed Speaker
And by the end, I'm just. Till we breathe again yeah. We did it at the last show, but it didn't fit.
- [22:58]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [22:59]
Unnamed Speaker
This was about our record with Skies. It wasn't about that. But the last time that song was in the show.
- [23:03]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [23:03]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [23:04]
Ryan Shaw
This song is in the reserves. We're waiting for, you know, for the film to come out so that we can release the song.
- [23:09]
Unnamed Speaker
And if not, we'll have to put it somewhere else because it's. It's amazing.
- [23:12]
Buzz Knight
Ray, after he just did that, you know what? I just went. I went, touchdown.
- [23:17]
Unnamed Speaker
Right, Right.
- [23:18]
Ryan Shaw
Oh, my goodness. It's a beautiful song. But that was my intro to Working with Ryan.
- [23:23]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [23:24]
Ryan Shaw
So from there, we just started saying, oh, this is cool. We should do some more stuff.
- [23:29]
Unnamed Speaker
And we end up doing a couple of segments for the. We did a title song and a couple. For some reason, it's been such a blur. Our synergy is just like a tornado. Like, we hit and just started spinning. And so it's been. Yeah, I forgot that happened before.
- [23:40]
Ryan Shaw
Another song in there called the Family.
- [23:42]
Unnamed Speaker
Yep. Yep. The Family. So it's a few. Yeah, A few things. So it's been. It's been a good. Every time we get together. The coolest thing about, like I say, working with Ray is that he is.
- [23:53]
Ryan Shaw
He's.
- [23:53]
Unnamed Speaker
You know how sometimes I would do improv and, you know, the first rule of improv is always. Yes. And you never do anything to stop the motion. So if they say something, you don't like, like, oh, you're ugly. You don't be like, oh, I'm not ugly. You go, yeah, I'm ugly. I born from a monkey. You know, whatever you have to say to get to keep the story going. So you never put restrictions. And with Rey, it's like, no matter what happens, there is nothing stupid or nothing bad, anything negative. It's just, it'll hit his synergy and then we'll just spin and we'll just figure out how to make this idea work. That's the, that's the kind of collaboration is never. It's always a forward, almost a one up in a non competitive way.
- [24:28]
Ryan Shaw
Basically what he's trying to say. It's an egoless, egoless space to create. Yeah, because I'm finding out even, even as, as I'm getting older and becoming more interested in developing my own brand and my own sound, but also connecting other with other, getting them to do the same thing. You know, it's the ego. It's the ego. And what Scott is talking about him like seeing us and we could have been like, well, nah, I'm good, you know, I don't want to do this show. I mean, you know, we, you know, I don't want, you know, for whatever reason, you know, and working in a space where Scott is like, you know, he's got all these crazy instruments in there, like all this vintage gear. And I'm like, oh, let's try this, let's try that. And he's not like, well, nah, that's my joint, man. Don't touch that. You know what I mean? Yeah, it's like an egoless space. And that's when the, to me, that's when the best music is made. You know, when. Not to get super duper spiritual, but Quincy Jones would say, when you let God in the room, then magic happens. And you, you know, he, I mean, he created thrillers, so maybe this is our thriller, right?
- [25:42]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [25:43]
Ray Angry
Like it?
- [25:43]
Unnamed Speaker
I would say, yeah.
- [25:45]
Buzz Knight
But Scott, I have to ask you, I see the vibe of these guys in action here. Is it the same way when they're in the creative process? The same vibe? I mean, it's just so much fun.
- [25:59]
Scott Jacoby
It's fun. And what Ryan was saying about Ray is true of both of them. First of all, collaboration is at its best when people are open, you know, And I think that Ryan and Ray are both very open, open human beings and open musicians. And that's when, that's what allows for magic to happen. I think when people just say, oh, that could be Cool as opposed to just like this. Again, that attitude that I think does come from ego, which is just like nah or this. It's always a pivot into something positive and just, you know, you can hear it in the arrangements of these tunes and the way that they were approached there was like, I think no restrictions. And that was as, you know, Ryan's a singer but we're all musicians and there's a spirit that musicians have. And when you don't put any guardrails on a process, when there's no label, so to speak, when there's no. You just get this thing of like, we can do this because we want to do this. And I think that's where this album came from. Like it's hugely adventurous. Right. There's hardly a genre of music that is not covered on this. And that wasn't, you know, from an academic point of view. It was just because, like, hey, let's freak this this way, let's do this this way. And. And that's so exciting as, as a producer, as an engineer, as a mixer, as a musician, as a singer. No guardrails. Let's just do it.
- [27:29]
Buzz Knight
So Scott, you were reading my mind. That was really where I was heading with, with Ryan and Ray, which is the whole magic from your guys perspective of covering, you know, so many genres. Talk about that as artists and why that's important to you.
- [27:49]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, I would say for me it's really important because I started off my career as a session singer. You know, I moved to New York and you know, I always wanted to do Broadway but that didn't happen until like 17 years later. So I got swept away in the music world. And the first, my first like money making gigs was going into the studio with foreign artists, hearing them their new song that they're writing, either singing the backgrounds they had come up with and most a lot of the times creating the backgrounds for the albums myself with other singers. And so everything was a different genre. And I realized that kind of like what Ray was saying, music is just music. I think people and the monetization of music overtime required people and also the segregation of music, if you really want to call it, required people to put themselves or to put their artists in a box so that it could be packaged, you know, like cereal. Like why can't Cheerios, Corn flakes and you know, life all be in the same box? I would eat it, but no, they have to remove this. So this is life. You buy this or you buy that, you buy that. But really it's Cereal.
- [28:57]
Ryan Shaw
All natural.
- [28:58]
Unnamed Speaker
Well, you know what I mean?
- [29:01]
Ryan Shaw
You gotta take the chemicals out. You know what I mean?
- [29:03]
Buzz Knight
Please.
- [29:06]
Unnamed Speaker
Okay, well, great. Nuts. Okay, whatever. But you know how. You know, so for me, music is just music. And I think I used to always get asked this question for when I do interviews, like, what is. What do you. What does soul music mean to you? And I'm like, well, soul music is not. Soul music is really not a genre to me. Like, the first time when I was in the Marine Corps, I was exposed to a lot of music there in the. You know, at the. And on bass and stuff. And a lot of the guys would listen to, like, country music. And the first time I heard Shania Twain, Is There Life After Love, I was moved. That was soul music to me. So I'm like, the genre has nothing to do with soul. And so how we choose to package each song was just. What was very important to me and Ray, was if it suited the song, if it worked for the song, and if it singed, like, an authentic voice for me, then that's just what it was. Now, once it was finished, people could say, oh, my God, that's an ode to the 80s. Oh, my God, that feels like pop. Oh, that's gospel. But at the time, when we were creating was just the music that was happening in the room. And then later it became the package. And I think that's what was very special about it, because, like, Scott was just saying, it wasn't, like, intentional. It was just while we were baking. This is just what happened. And then after we got finished, like, oh, wow, that ended up being jazz, or, dang, this has a reggae feel. That's 80s. Or this is gospel, or this is funk, you know, and this is classical, you know, all of it.
- [30:27]
Ryan Shaw
You know, recently, I was listening to a clip of someone talking about Horowitz and his journey as a pianist. And one thing that stood out to me is that Horowitz represents an era of showmanship and artistic expression where he would never play the same piece the same way, you know, or he would pick the program for whatever he's. You know, if he's playing at some famous concert, or he'll pick the program the day of the concert, and he would pick a piece he hadn't played in seven years. So if you could imagine the. The musicality that would come, because then you like, oh, what was this? And then now you're. You're having to make choices. That being said, when you have a song that's. That's been written, say, for example, 40 years ago, you know, as an artist, it's more beneficial for me to put my own stamp on it so that the song evolves and takes on a new meaning. And so for Ryan to be such an incredible vocalist and to take a song like without you and really put a new meaning to the song for the musicians, actually to put a new stamp on the song. Just like when Miles Davis would take any Broadway standard, Summertime, and made it a jazz standard, you know, but how many times can we do Summertime? There's so many amazing songs that never get covered and why not create. I think Herbie Hancock had a record called New Standards.
- [32:12]
Scott Jacoby
New Standard. Yeah.
- [32:13]
Ryan Shaw
You know? You know, it's like art imitates life and nothing. I think we, as human beings, we forget that, you know, you were talking about soul music. Soul music is not a genre because we are souls. We are spirits living in this avatar, you know, and. And I think we sometimes forget that not to get too super spiritual. Sometimes we forget that we're. We're all children of God. You know what I mean? And we're here to express ourselves in ways that, number one, we're storytellers. And everyone loves a good story. And it keeps people excited. It keeps young people like, oh, my God, I didn't know that. Oh, that's crazy. Oh, my God, I love that. You know, it keeps the excitement of life going and. And I hope that young people are inspired by these new. By the. This album, because it's not just for the Broadway community. It's for people that love music. You know, we're just creating new standards, you know?
- [33:15]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. Beautifully put.
- [33:17]
Scott Jacoby
We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [33:22]
Buzz Knight
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- [34:15]
Scott Jacoby
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- [36:07]
Ray Angry
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- [37:08]
Scott Jacoby
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and Meat Eater founder Stephen Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say it seems like the.
- [37:44]
Buzz Knight
Ice Age people that were here didn't.
- [37:46]
Scott Jacoby
Have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [38:00]
Unnamed Speaker
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [38:11]
Scott Jacoby
Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.
- [38:14]
Buzz Knight
So would you guys walk through? I know they're all your favorites off of the album, so you could walk through all of them if you want, but walk through maybe some or all of the songs and what they mean to you and how you created your new stamp of these songs.
- [38:38]
Unnamed Speaker
I think as for all of them, I mean when we started this process, I think Ray and Scott were both like, I think it's more important that Ryan picks a song since he'll be singing most of them. So I went on a sort of a wild goose chase because I love Broadway and I always wanted to do Broadway, but I'm sort of not like the traditional theater kid. I had certain musicals that just came to me in certain songs that I would do and I love theater and I'm, I think I'm some. I think I'm like a closeted director because I'll see shows and I'm like, oh, I would have done this. This direction should have been this and that. So I used to like, you know, at my church I would direct little plays and stuff So I always had a thing for music and musicals and how theater works. And so when I said instead of doing just the songs we did at the Fifth Floor below, before, which were just parts of my story that I wanted to share, and then tied in my favorite songs or my earliest influences of Broadway, when Scott was like, well, we should do a record, I said, well, let's not pigeonhole it to that. Let me just go back. And so I took a step back and I just pulled up, like, Broadway songs from the beginning till now and just looked up like. I think I actually did a Google search for the top 10 Broadway songs for every year since it. Since, like 1950 and forward. And so. And then I would see certain songs and, like, certain titles would jump out. Certain songs that I knew. I'm like, oh, that would be. I remember that song. I remember that. And I just pulled. And I think the initial list I compiled was about 35 songs of songs that I knew or had heard or remembered the melody and something about it was tangible for me. And then I sent it to the team and they were like, well, okay, well, we can't do 30 songs. Because Scott was like, well, we could do nine.
- [40:16]
Buzz Knight
Killjoy.
- [40:17]
Scott Jacoby
Well, you know.
- [40:18]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, because he's like, yeah, we're not gonna, you know.
- [40:20]
Buzz Knight
Well, there could always be a follow up album.
- [40:22]
Unnamed Speaker
Yes.
- [40:23]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [40:23]
Unnamed Speaker
So I said, so let me try to whittle this down. And then we ended up with the nine songs that we have, which was my way. Surprise, she used to be mine. Waving through a window without you sending the clowns on Broadway I'm missing two. I don't have Gethsemane. And did I say waving through a window? And I think. And waved it through a window. Oh, no. On the street where you live.
- [40:53]
Scott Jacoby
Yes.
- [40:54]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah. From My Fair Lady. And a lot of that process was a blur for me, actually. I feel like they just sort of came because when me and Ray first got together, like at his house, and I would just be singing through, you know, Ray is. He's one of those creative geniuses that he. In that moment is that moment, and if you don't capture that moment, that moment's not coming back. So then we have to find a new moment. So sometimes. And there will be moments. There will be. Every moment is a moment, and every moment is from my. Where I sit is generally brilliant to some degree. And so I'm like, well. And so when we first, like, My Way was probably the most interesting one because that was actually Scott had done a recording of My Way with Another artist. And he was like, well, I have a cool version of that song. You guys want to hear it? So we heard it, and I was like, oh, that's pretty cool. And I was like, it's. It didn't super feel like me, but we love the vibe. And then. So me and Ray, he sent it to us. He said we all listen to it and see what happens. And then it sort of evolved into what we have now.
- [41:57]
Buzz Knight
A stirring, moving rendition is how I would carry.
- [42:02]
Unnamed Speaker
Thank you.
- [42:02]
Ryan Shaw
And Beautiful.
- [42:03]
Buzz Knight
Just amazing.
- [42:04]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah. And we did, like.
- [42:06]
Ryan Shaw
That was, like. It was like an ode to George Clinton, too.
- [42:11]
Scott Jacoby
Totally.
- [42:11]
Ryan Shaw
You know what I mean? Because, you know, if I had it my way, I would work with every type of artist. George Clinton. I work with Sarah McGough. You know, Sarah McLachlan. Yeah. I would work with her. I would work with Bjork. I would work with Pink. I was just working all. Everyone who I love.
- [42:30]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [42:31]
Ryan Shaw
You know, Brandi Carlisle. Oh, my gosh, she's amazing.
- [42:33]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [42:34]
Ryan Shaw
So anyway, so that I felt like, man, I wanted. I wanted Uncle George to like, to maybe hear this and be like, oh, man. Okay. Yeah, we still. The funk is still alive.
- [42:44]
Buzz Knight
Yeah.
- [42:45]
Ryan Shaw
You know, and. But what Ryan does with that, it's sort of like gumbo to me. Music is like gumbo, but also music is fluid, and there's a through line, you know, if you. If you notice it, There's a through line where everything is connected. For me, I live in a world where. I mean, I grew up. First of all, I grew up listening to classical music, but then also listen to gospel music. And. And I was listening to jazz and then. And then hearing, like, Pat Matheny and then hearing George Duke and Herbie Hancock and Chickeria and all the electronic stuff that Chicorya was doing. And all this music is. Is in my head, you know, And. And. And it just comes out when I'm working with different people. But that particular song, I love it because you have the funk meets gospel. You know, the ending.
- [43:36]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [43:36]
Ryan Shaw
And then the very end, it's just Ryan.
- [43:39]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [43:40]
Ryan Shaw
That was crazy. Yeah, that was crazy. That was crazy. That. That's one of my favorite songs, but my favorite song is sending the clowns. Because the. The way that I view music, I view music as creating. I view it as like, I'm going to the library to check out a book. So I go, yeah, I think Pharrell said it was a great analogy that Pharrell made. You know, you go into the library to check out a book. I take it a step Further, you go into the ether and you know, God lives in the ether, and he sends down messages, you know. See? See, right there. I hear you.
- [44:15]
Unnamed Speaker
I hear you. Exactly.
- [44:16]
Ryan Shaw
He's calling. Exactly.
- [44:18]
Unnamed Speaker
Let him in.
- [44:20]
Ryan Shaw
Isn't that perfect?
- [44:21]
Unnamed Speaker
It was perfect, yes. Oh, really?
- [44:24]
Ryan Shaw
See? Exactly. See, I'm telling you. And, and I. And, and, and, and just like that, I am so present to that. Because if you're not present to that, then you miss the opportunity. And so sending the clowns was just something. I just had this notion. I was like, man, this would be great solo piano. But Ryan has to sing. I'm gonna play the melody. And he answers me, but his voice is like. It's in way in the back somewhere. And I told it to Ryan. He was like, ah, it sounds beautiful. I don't know if you need me on it. I don't hear myself on it. And then I didn't. Like. I don't. When I work with people, I do not like to micromanage people because I know what it's like to be micromanaged as an artist, and I fucking hate it. You know what I'm saying? Like, someone telling you how to fucking do your art and you're like, you know, it really bothers me because, you know, because I've been in so many studio situations with really, like, well to do, well established producers who were just shitheads, you know, and they take the light life out of the music by saying, you are bringing their energy through your fingers. You know what I mean? And it sort of really kills. That's why the music industry is the way it is right now, because people aren't themselves. Everyone's being micromanaged. Everyone's trying to fit into. Oh, are you viral enough? Are you this? Are you that? What about the fucking music? Do you like the song? You feel something? Okay, cool. Put on something else next. Someone's gonna love this song. They might be in Budapest. I just feel that music is just used in such a way that doesn't help people. You know what I mean? With everything that, you know, the arts are being killed and I'm going on a ramp. I feel like Kanye right now. You.
- [46:15]
Buzz Knight
You know, I'm not stopping you.
- [46:16]
Ryan Shaw
But, you know, I just think it's important. I just think it's important to let people be themselves, man.
- [46:23]
Buzz Knight
But isn't also with your. Your other job as part of the. The roots, I mean, isn't that part of the secret to that success as well, that people know that there's so much fun and games going on, of course, that.
- [46:40]
Ryan Shaw
But that's a different thing from what I'm talking about.
- [46:42]
Buzz Knight
Completely.
- [46:43]
Ryan Shaw
You know what I'm saying?
- [46:43]
Buzz Knight
Yeah, like a thousand percent.
- [46:45]
Ryan Shaw
That's a totally, totally different type of thing. And. And to me, that works because there is a weld oiled machine, and it's also, you know, how can I say this? So there's no one way to skin a cat. Right. When you. When you have a factory, there's. You have, like, Balenciaga and you have Louis Vuitton, you have Tom Ford. So all these different styles of music or different ways of creating music definitely have to be there. But you talking about my experience in the music that I'm creating, it's a totally different thing.
- [47:22]
Buzz Knight
Yeah.
- [47:23]
Ryan Shaw
When I'm working with someone else, I'm totally like, what are we doing? You know, but if I'm a composer and I'm in the driver's seat, let's go. Yeah, but. But also, here's a beautiful thing. That's a great question. The thing about leadership, in order to be a great leader, you have to be a great follower. You know what I mean? And I learned from everyone that I work with. And for me, I think I'm in a position where I can appreciate both sides. But when you talk about micromanaging someone who's creating and they're creating like we're creating a record together, it's a totally different thing. If I say, if I example, if I say, if Ryan says, man, I want to try, get, send me, I want to do a swing. And I say, no, I don't really, like. I don't think that idea works. And I don't even try it. You know what I mean?
- [48:16]
Buzz Knight
Yeah. It's the structured road in necessary environments, of course, and then there's the free creative spirit environment. And those are two completely different.
- [48:29]
Ryan Shaw
Well, when you're making a record.
- [48:30]
Buzz Knight
Yeah.
- [48:30]
Ryan Shaw
When you're creating a record, when you're creating your own music, you have to have that sort of freedom and an openness to be inspired by conversation, be inspired by who you're working with when you're working on your own music. But if you're, for example, if, you know, Prince says, you know, hey, Ray, I want you to come to studio. I can't say Prince, you know, like, you know, yeah, here's my song.
- [48:55]
Scott Jacoby
Right.
- [48:56]
Ryan Shaw
You know what I mean?
- [48:57]
Unnamed Speaker
But at the same token, Prince would also be the one to. If he asked Ray to come to the studio, Prince, being the artist that he is, would listen to what Ray would have to say would. Would allow that to be a free space. Yeah. I mean, really, it's that.
- [49:10]
Ryan Shaw
I hope I'm making sense.
- [49:11]
Scott Jacoby
You are.
- [49:11]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah. You are. But even with sending the clowns, like, yeah. He was like, I'm gonna play it. And I was like, that's beautiful. And then, you know, Ray was doing. I call him Ray Isms. So Ray had his Rayism. Then he started going. He was like, oh, I'm gonna put a moog on this. And it was. And then next thing you know, it turned to this thing, and I was like, I don't think that I fit on this record because what you're doing was so beautiful. Just the piano was fine, and now this is taking it to a whole nother place. And I don't think I have a place here. And so he just left it alone. And then this is when the trifecta happens. Because Scott has such great instincts as a producer. I was here, and we had just finished all the recordings, and I was kind of tired, and I was like, ray, want me to sing on this fucking song? I don't know if I'm be able to do it. I'm just not feeling. And Scott says, well, just go. Just do what you feel. Just do two takes, two passes. And if you. And if you're not feeling, then we'll let it go, but at least do two passes. And then I'm like, okay. And so I do the first pass, and then I see Scott just sort of slink from behind the board. He goes, I think you've changed my mind about having vocals on this record. And then he said, do one more pass. I did another pass. And then Scott went in and did his. His editing. And that's what we have.
- [50:16]
Ryan Shaw
My example of not micromanaging someone. That's. That's the. That's these. That's the. The result. Because I. In my mind, I heard him singing on it, but, you know, I didn't want to say, oh, sing it like this, because I hear it like this. I just put it out there. And when he sang on it, it was exactly what I heard.
- [50:36]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [50:37]
Ryan Shaw
Because I knew my instincts told me that Ryan would kill this, because I hear his voice in my head, and I. I could hear how he would improvise through the other crazy harmonic landscape I created on that song. And he nailed it. And to. And that's my point about micromanaging, because I allowed him the space to take in what I. What my idea was, and then he internalized it, and without him even knowing it he figured out his own way and, and created his own magic. And that's what I mean, you know.
- [51:09]
Unnamed Speaker
And it is probably. I would. My favorite song on the record. Just about. Yeah, yeah. I mean, I would put it very close to Gethsemane. Like it is. It came out. That's the one song that actually will. When it ends, I will start it over again. It's so calming and it's chaotic. It reminds me of one of my favorite pieces of music, which is. It's the. I can't remember how to pronounce it. It's like it's the, the. The theme song from Babel. And then halfway, it's like a seven minute piece if you heard it. But just google the theme song from Babel. And at the end it goes into these like dissonant, like violin started coming and then it evens out again. And that's what it was doing for me, the way Ray interpreted Descend in the Clowns and. Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's one of my favorites.
- [52:01]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah. And plus when you, when you, you know that song, I didn't realize the history of that song. But like, you know, the song about rejection is also about loss, but also about re. Result resolution. You know, so many different aspects of that song and Ryan just killed that. But my other favorite song is Gethsemane. That Andrew Lloyd Webb. I hope he loves what we did with his song. He, you know, it's. He's such a legend. But when Ryan pitched the idea, I just could not hear that. You want to swing.
- [52:30]
Unnamed Speaker
I was like, okay, yeah. He didn't say no. That was the only time he just kind of turned his head to the side. Was like, really?
- [52:35]
Ryan Shaw
And every. And. And then we got even crazier. And then I was like, well, if we swing. And I was like, well, we have all this other music that's like sort of hard hitting, is either gospel or is. You know. And then I was like, well, what if he made it like the song hot? You know? And then I was thinking like, well, you know when in different cultures around the world, when someone passes away, it's almost like a celebration as opposed to. Because you're. You're transitioning to the other side. And it's not like a sad thing because we will see you once again because at the end of the day we're gonna all pass away. And so I was like, well, maybe we can change the meaning and energy of the song and make it something that's celebratory. And everyone was like, I don't know if it's gonna. Can we do this? I don't know. We can do this.
- [53:27]
Unnamed Speaker
It got pretty. That's the one song that. That we felt. We took. We took Chance, but it just felt right for the song. And it's like, what Ray was saying. Cause, like, Elizabeth actually called me, and we were having a conversation about it. She was like, you know, this song is about, you know, Jesus surrendering, like, his death, you know, about him saying, okay, I'll die. And I was like, I know, but it feels right. And from my upbringing, I grew up Pentecostal. So Easter Sunday celebration is about him rising. So for my culture, his death is just as celebratory as his rising. Because we know this moment for us, in this day and time, at that moment, if we like in the moment in time, then, yes, it's sad. He's giving up his life. He's choosing this. But in this day and time, he's doing that so that he can live again, so that we can all live. So for me, the death is just as celebratory as that. So we don't see death in the same. That's why he's saying the most time. The most like, shouting that we've ever done in a church is usually at a funeral. If somebody lived a good life that we saw and we thought they were holy and pure, then we are, like, celebrating, you know, thank you, Lord. You know, I want to have that same celebration. And so, for me, it was very fitting. But it did get to the point where she was like, well, maybe we need to call Andrew Louis Weber people and see if this is gonna be okay. And then, you know, I think she even reached out to his lawyer, and he was like, did he change the melody? I was like, no, I kept the melody. Did he change the lyrics? Same lyrics. Let's not open that can of worms. So we ended up with it, and I think it is one of the most joyous. When we performed it last night, it was.
- [54:48]
Ryan Shaw
It was so good.
- [54:49]
Unnamed Speaker
It was insane. The reaction that the people got everyone, insane, even, I think, over at the. At Center Stage, I think Elizabeth asked Van Dien over there, who is our label partner, you know, what was your favorite song? And I think he's like, gethsemane.
- [55:07]
Buzz Knight
So tell me how it felt at the event. And just watching the response of people as artists, how special is that? When you're seeing your work come full circle to fruition, it's in front of people.
- [55:23]
Ryan Shaw
Describe that feeling, man, that, you know, it feels like When's the next show? Yes. That's how I felt. For me, it was. You know, it was almost like a full circle because Scott so eloquently said, you know, he was sitting there at the show with his folks, and he was just so engulfed in music. But everything started with Scott. And I can't even. I can't even explain or express how appreciative I am of Scott and his. His selflessness to see art and say, okay, this could really work. Let me. Let me tap into that. And to come back after he had already done it the first time and to come back the second time and to see them, because I didn't have the same keyboards that I had, you know, that I had in here, but it still works. You know what I mean? And we had. It was different set. Different set of musicians. So my takeaway is that we created such a dynamic record that anyone can perform the music and have their own thing or that put their own stamp on it. So we literally created a new standard.
- [56:43]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah. A new thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And even with Kissimmee, and this is why I said, like. Like, it was like. I mean, the. The collaboration was truly the three.
- [56:53]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [56:53]
Unnamed Speaker
Because though what Scott's instinct was about this show always bridge. Bridged any small gap that there was between, like. Like, even, like, for instance, going back to sending the clowns, like, I don't think I should sing on this song. We'll do this. There was many times I would. I was in here trying to think what the song was. I was having a real difficult time with something. And then. Oh, it was. It was. I learned to stamp on the bricks before I even turned the key. And I was. You know, I'm such an aggressive singer that I was just be like. At the end, I was just, like, going off. And then Scott just sort of peeks around the board again. Hey, maybe just try a couple of takes, you know, without all that. Just like. Like, relax. Like, lay into it. And I was like, okay. Because, you know, at the end, I was like, I'm way back. He was like, maybe not. You know, I was like, okay. He's like, but just feel the beat and just, you know, just, like, lean into that. And I was like, oh, yeah.
- [57:48]
Scott Jacoby
Island vibes.
- [57:49]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [57:49]
Unnamed Speaker
He was like, I don't feel like I'm on an island. Like, you're making me shake my drink out of my hands, you know, what's.
- [57:54]
Ryan Shaw
The song that goes.
- [57:58]
Unnamed Speaker
On the street where you live?
- [57:59]
Ryan Shaw
So. So, you know. You know, it's funny. So Scott. So I have to shout out Scott and his incredible studio.
- [58:09]
Unnamed Speaker
Yes.
- [58:09]
Ryan Shaw
The gear. And he needs to be talked about. Like, he has, like. This is the history of music.
- [58:16]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, pretty much.
- [58:17]
Ryan Shaw
You know, the drum machines that Sly used on the family. On. Sly on Family stand. Like, he has. And we use all of those incredible instruments that Sly used. And it's like a musical history museum in here. And. And there was one keyboard that he has, and I hadn't played it, and I was just going through sounds, and I literally. I was like, oh, this is cool. Oh, what's this? And I started playing them the intro to on the Street Where She Lives.
- [58:50]
Scott Jacoby
Right.
- [58:50]
Ryan Shaw
I just saw it going, you know, And I just. The music just happens just like that. Yeah. You know.
- [59:00]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [59:02]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah. The studio is such.
- [59:03]
Unnamed Speaker
And that was the other thing about it, because a lot of these arrangements, like, we had, because we. I don't. We didn't sit and, like, flush out arrangements. Like, I think Ray was so confident, because me and Scott was like, well, I don't know about this. He was like, no, these kids we got, you know, they. They're great. Well, one is Papa Bear. Papa Bear is my. Is my godson, actually. And he grew up in the church, and he's actually a child project. He started off on the. I mean, he's just as good a drummer as he is a bass player. He don't want me to say. He probably mad that I said that because he don't, like, play the drums no more, but he's really dope. And as a child, he was, like, a prodigy and. But, like, getting these kids together. And he was like, one day. And me and Scott was like, no, we too old for that. We need two days. He was like, no, they're gonna do it in one day. Mom tell you, it's gonna be great. So we got. We did all our homework, really, before. And once we got in here, just to see, like, the concepts that we have, and I was just kind of standing back and, you know. And, you know, because the collaboration with Ray, and Ray knew these guys, he worked with him before. And just to take the concept in, to see Ray just sort of, like, take them as almost like throwing paint, like, painting with these guys, like, in real time. And so some of the arrangement, we saw him shift, and I was like, oh, that's not. And then it would hit and I would just bust through the door. Like, that's it. Yeah, that is it right there.
- [60:09]
Ryan Shaw
Let's go.
- [60:10]
Unnamed Speaker
And it will be that. And it was so such a. It Was like, That's what I'm saying. A lot of. I don't remember. A lot of it was just. It was in real time. It was like. And Scott just captured all of those magical moments.
- [60:20]
Ryan Shaw
You know, it's funny, I was thinking about the. The. The intro to My Way. I was like, yo, Jalen, man, can you. You know that song Rock with youh? You know, intro to rock with you? We need like a yo. Like, what's your signature drum intro that people from 20 years from now are going to say, yo, was that.
- [60:40]
Unnamed Speaker
Oh, and they are. And they will be.
- [60:42]
Ryan Shaw
Oh, yeah, we need. We need you to have your own rock with you intro. We need that on this song. And he was like. He thought about it and he was. Play something. I was like, no, that's not. No, no, no. But try to try it again. And then he was, okay, cool. And he killed it. And what's the song where. I had him do the 773, 911.
- [60:59]
Scott Jacoby
Oh, yeah.
- [61:00]
Ryan Shaw
Was it the reggae song?
- [61:02]
Scott Jacoby
It was. No, I think. I think it was the. On the street where you live. In the street where you live. Yeah, in the chorus part.
- [61:11]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [61:14]
Ryan Shaw
Oh, my God.
- [61:14]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [61:15]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah. I would just take. I was just. We were just painting, man.
- [61:18]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [61:18]
Ryan Shaw
And it was great.
- [61:19]
Unnamed Speaker
Just saw colors and flavors. Yeah.
- [61:20]
Ryan Shaw
With great musicians. We're going back to not micromanaging people, you know?
- [61:25]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [61:25]
Ryan Shaw
That's a central theme of this record, you know, it's like being. Letting God be in the room. That's what I'm. That's what I really meant to say. It's not about micromanage. It's about just letting the energy be where it's supposed to be, you know, and there's no. And there's nothing to anyone that feels like they need to micromanage. But for this particular record, we wanted God to be in the room so that we can have a more universal outreach and effect with people that listen to this record. But anyway, it was really great to work with these guys. And there was. They were crazy. They thought I was crazy. When I was like, nah, we could do the record in one day.
- [62:04]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [62:05]
Ryan Shaw
And we did it in one day.
- [62:06]
Buzz Knight
Unbelievable.
- [62:07]
Ryan Shaw
At least I could have done without distress. At least the tracks.
- [62:10]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [62:10]
Ryan Shaw
You know, the. We did. I mean, of course you have to do the. You know, the. The additional production and. And I'll record all the vocals, but in terms of, like, the actual tracks with the band, we did it in one day.
- [62:21]
Scott Jacoby
Yeah.
- [62:21]
Ryan Shaw
But you can do any. When you have great musicians. And you. And. And we did come prepared. We did have a general idea of what we're going to do. And then it's just easier when you're working with really great musicians to. To say, oh, okay, so let's. Let's go down Broadway and then make a Left on. On 23rd Street. Yeah. Actually, you know what? 23rd street is. Is crowded. Let's go down to 42nd and make a right.
- [62:46]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [62:46]
Ryan Shaw
You know, and we can go to Central. Maybe. Maybe we'll go up 110th of Central Park. You know what I mean? Yes. All right. Let's go get some food at Lincoln Center. Okay, cool.
- [62:55]
Unnamed Speaker
And that happened at the end of. Because, like, I say I could have done without the stress. I will say of the one day. But it was not great. It was really great. But at the end. Yeah, but at the end of the day, like, everybody was getting ready to leave. And I think the last song we ended up tracking was Waving Through a Window. And everybody was like, well, what are we gonna do with this? And everybody. And it was doing things. And I was like. And then suddenly it came in, and I was like, like, I think we should do some reggae. And then it came in. Yes. It's just at the last minute, because we were stressed, like, well, how we gonna do. And it wasn't feeling right. And I was like, let's just. Let's just reggae. Let's try that. And then it was like, okay. And then they just jumped in. It was like. And I was like, that's it.
- [63:34]
Ryan Shaw
Yeah.
- [63:34]
Unnamed Speaker
And it ended up just being. But, like I say, just being able to come in and paint and just be in the vibe and be collaborative.
- [63:40]
Ryan Shaw
And that song was. Cause, you know, I was playing that. I was playing that line because it's. You know, I love Wayne Shorter. And. And it's weird because Wayne. I feel like, like, Wayne Shorter has been, like, talking to me, you know, because there's a song he has called Deluge. I literally keep hearing this song, and I'm like, yo, what is this song? And someone told me what the song was, and I was like, oh, wow. And then that particular song that. The intro is, you know, a. A take on his composition for Weather Report.
- [64:21]
Scott Jacoby
Right?
- [64:22]
Unnamed Speaker
Yeah.
- [64:25]
Buzz Knight
Yes. Birdland.
- [64:29]
Ryan Shaw
Right? Yeah, Birdland. Exactly. Exactly. Oh, yeah. You know, incredible. So we just kind of, like, just riffed off that. Yeah, yeah.
- [64:39]
Unnamed Speaker
But with the reggae vibe.
- [64:40]
Ryan Shaw
Oh, yes. Yes.
- [64:41]
Unnamed Speaker
It was just all these worlds that just met. It was so much fun.
- [64:44]
Ryan Shaw
I mean, but that's the way music, in my mind, that's the way music is because, you know, even in classical music you have so many composers that you know that study Bach and they'll do their own version of the of the world, typical Clavier. And they'll, you know what I mean? You have Chopin doing the his, all of his ETOs, which is patterned after Will Tim McLavier, you know what I mean? And so to me, there's so many through lines when it comes to music and everything affects each other, you know.
- [65:18]
Buzz Knight
Ryan Themes and Variations I could spend hours. I already have spent hours, but I could spend more hours having you dig into the creative process and all the things that move you and how you move us with your music. But congratulations, Scott on Off Broadway. An amazing, amazing output here of joy and beauty and creativity. And thank you for sharing it with our Taking a Walk audience.
- [65:51]
Unnamed Speaker
Thank you for having us.
- [65:52]
Ryan Shaw
Thanks for having me.
- [65:53]
Unnamed Speaker
Great.
- [65:53]
Scott Jacoby
Thanks Buzz.
- [65:54]
Buzz Knight
It's really been a treasure. Thank you.
- [65:58]
Ryan Shaw
Thanks.
- [65:58]
Buzz Knight
This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire card, I get three times points on travel and dining and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more with Chase sapphire reserve@chase.com Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JPMorgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.
- [66:46]
Ray Angry
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Talkspace, the leading virtual therapy provider, is telling everyone let's face it in therapy by talking or texting with a supportive licensed therapist at Talkspace, you can face whatever is holding you back. Whether it's mental health symptoms, relationship drama, past trauma, bad habits or another challenge that you need support to work through, it's easy to sign up. Just go to talkspace.com and you'll be paired with a provider, typically within 48 hours. And because you'll meet your therapist online, you don't have to take time off work or arrange childcare. You'll meet on your schedule. Plus, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers and most insured members have a zero dollar copay. Make your mental health a priority and start today. If you're not covered by Insurance, get $80 off your first month with Talkspace when you go to talkspace.com and enter promo code SPACE80. That's Spa CE80 to match with a licensed therapist today. Go to talkspace.com and enter Promo Code SPACE80.
- [67:47]
Scott Jacoby
Explore the winding halls of historical true.
- [67:49]
Unnamed Speaker
Crime with Holly Fry and Maria Tremarchi, hosts of Criminalia, as they uncover curious.
- [67:54]
Scott Jacoby
Cases from the past.
- [67:55]
Ryan Shaw
The legend of the Highwayman suggests men.
- [67:58]
Scott Jacoby
Dominated the field, but tell that to Lady Catherine Ferrers, known as the wicked lady who terrorized England in the mid-1600s. Her legend persists nearly 400 years after her death.
- [68:09]
Ryan Shaw
Highwaymen are in the hot seat this season. Find more crime and cocktails on Criminalia Listen to criminalia on the iHeartRadio app.
- [68:17]
Scott Jacoby
Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A crime makes headlines. People talk about it for a few days. Then it disappears. But for the people left behind, their.
- [68:30]
Unnamed Speaker
Story is just beginning. But at night, we hear the garage opening and my son hears it. We freak out. Honestly, I didn't tell my son this, but I felt that was it.
- [68:40]
Scott Jacoby
From the exactly right network, this is the Knife. Real stories of crime's ripple effects told by those who lived them.
- [68:47]
Unnamed Speaker
New episodes every Thursday.
- [68:49]
Scott Jacoby
Listen to the knife on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [69:19]
Unnamed Speaker
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [69:26]
Buzz Knight
You're listening to an iHeart podcast.