Jerry Seinfeld's Web Series

Jerry Seinfeld has a new show that is 100% online. Seinfeld is a car nut who has a collection of classic Porsche vehicles. So, it makes sense that his new show has to do with cars. He loves cars and he loves comedy, so his show has him driving classic cars and chatting with iconic comedians. He picks up a comic, they go out for coffee, and he takes them home. The episodes are shot either in New York or Los Angeles. It's called "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee." You can watch it here. Season one has 10 episodes. Season two has six episodes. Currently the show is in season three, with four episodes completed. Most episodes are about 15 minutes long. In the Michael Richards episode, Jerry picks him up in an old, rusty Volkswagen bus. In the Carl Reiner episode, Jerry picks him up in a Rolls Royce and they later meet up with Mel Brooks. He picks up Patton Oswalt in a 1981 DeLorean. Jerry revealed that the DeLorean company received funding from celebrities like Johnny Carson and Sammy Davis Jr. Other episodes include conversations with David Letterman, Don Rickles, Larry David and more. This is a great program, and within the intimacy of a car, it almost feels like you are eavesdropping on a private conversation about comedy and the world of show business. It used to be that a comic would need to try and get a deal with a television network to get exposure. But today, one can have their own show on the internet. Ten years ago, a show like this one would not exist 100% on the internet.

Music Mavens Part Four: Quincy Jones

Above photo: Quincy Jones with Michael Jackson

Our final profile in this 4-part series takes a look at the legendary Quincy Jones. This man has a musical career that dates back to the 1950's. He has won more Grammy awards than any living artist, totaling a whopping 26 wins. Many people think of him as Michael Jackson's producer for "Thriller," the masterpiece that went platinum 100 times over. Or you may remember him from his coordinating and conducting of the USA for Africa benefit song "We are the World". But his musical career started decades prior to those landmark accomplishments.

In the 1950's, at age 17, he dropped out out the prestigious Berklee school of music in Boston to tour with Lionel Hampton's band as a conductor and trumpet player. Word of his musical talent spread and he composed, arranged and recorded with Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Count Basie and other jazz legends. The excellent movie, Ray, starring Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles, documented the time when Quincy first met Ray in Seattle.

Jones became an executive at Mercury Records and he won his first Grammy in 1963. In the mid-1960's he became Frank Sinatra's conductor and arranger. He arranged one of Sinatra's biggest hits, "Fly Me to the Moon". He composed music for films and TV shows such as Sanford and Son. He said this about Sinatra:

"Frank Sinatra took me to a whole new planet. I worked with him until he passed away in '98. He left me his ring. I never take it off. Now, when I go to Sicily, I don't need a passport. I just flash my ring."

In 1978, Quincy Jones met Michael Jackson while working on music for the film The Wiz. The collaboration between the two of them would take Quincy's musical career into the stratosphere. Jones would produce the albums "Thriller" (1982) and "Bad" (1987) for Michael. In 1985 Quincy brought together musical superstars like Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Sting, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Huey Lewis and more to record the song "We are the World". This single sold 20 million copies.

In 1990, Quincy wrote a song for a new sitcom starring Will Smith, "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air". He was also the executive producer of the show. His production company made many shows, including Mad TV for the Fox network.

The legacy of music that will be left behind when Quincy Jones is gone will live on forever. No doubt, he is one of the most celebrated and accomplished artists in the history of music.

Information from imdb.com.

Music Mavens Part Three: Clive Davis

Above photo: Clive Davis with Janis Joplin


In honor of Grammy week, this is part 3 of our 4-part series on the most influential people in the music industry. Clive Davis knows how to spot musical talent. His nickname is "The man with the golden ears". He is a Brooklyn-born, Harvard-educated lawyer who started at Columbia Records in 1960. By 1967, he was president of the label. During his time with Columbia Records he signed Janis Joplin and Carlos Santana. He started his own label, Arista Records, in 1974. He discovered the talents of Barry Manilow and Whitney Houston and signed them to his label. He said this about Whitney Houston:

"You wait for a voice like that for a lifetime. You way for a face like that, a smile like that, a presence like that, for a lifetime. And when one person embodies it all, well, it takes your breath away."

In 2000, he started another label, simply called J Records, which would have music distributed by BMG. Also in 2000, Davis was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has won five Grammy awards. During his amazing career he discovered artists such as Pink Floyd, Chicago, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.

Information from imdb.com and en.wikipedia.org.

Music Mavens Part Two: David Foster

It's Grammy week, and part 2 of our series on heavy hitters in the music industry looks at David Foster. He is a composer/producer/arranger/musician who has worked with many soft rock/easy listening artists. He has worked with Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Madonna, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Chicago and more. He has worked on soundtracks for such films as The Wiz, St. Elmo's Fire, Secret of My Success, Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard and many more. He has written and/or composed music for television shows like Glee, Criminal Minds, Dancing with the Stars and others. He wrote the hit song for Chicago, "Hard to Say I'm Sorry". He wrote Neil Diamond's song "Heartlight". For Michael Jackson's breakthrough album "Thriller", Foster was a guest artist who played the synthesizer and wrote synthesizer arrangements. He played keyboards on the 1975 Lynyrd Skynyrd album "Nuthin' Fancy". He was the composer for Chicago's third album in 1971. If it involves music, this Canadian music maven has probably done it. For over 40 years, David Foster has been a pivotal force in the music industry. Foster has 3 Oscar nominations, 4 Grammy nominations, one Golden Globe win, and one Primetime Emmy win.

Here's a quote from Foster:

"Every single day I wake up, I try to do my very best. I give 100-per-cent, and absolutely 100-per-cent love what I do every day. I've been doing this for forty years. I'm obsessed with what I do, and I just love it."


Information from imdb.com and allmusic.com.

Music Mavens Part One: Rick Rubin

It's awards season once again. Many of the big award shows are already over, such as the People's Choice Awards, The Golden Globes, The Screen Actor's Guild Awards, and the Oscars are a couple months away. This Sunday is the grand daddy of award shows for the music industry, The Grammys. So, over the next few days, we will have a 4-part series looking at some of the heavy hitters of the music industry.

You could say that Rick Rubin has the Midas touch. Many recordings he has worked on have turned out to be gems that have yielded gold or platinum records. In 1984 he co-founded Def Jam records with Russell Simmons. That label became the go-to company for hip hop stars. They signed Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, 3rd Bass and LL Cool J. Rubin has worked as a producer and/or composer for the hip hop artists as well as a variety of artists from all genres over the years. It seems like when a musical artist has a career that needs a shot in the arm, they call in Rick Rubin. He has worked with Johnny Cash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails, Slipknot, The Black Crowes, The Cult and many more. He has contributed songs to film soundtracks for Less Than Zero, Pump Up the Volume, Can't Hardly Wait, Friday Night Lights and many more. He has won 10 Grammy awards.

Here are just a few of the recordings he has worked on as a producer and/or composer.

Radio--- LL Cool J--- 1985
King of Rock--- Run-DMC--- 1985
Reign in Blood--- Slayer--- 1986
Raising Hell--- Run-DMC--- 1986
Licensed to Ill--- Beastie Boys--- 1986
Tougher Than Leather--- Run-DMC--- 1988
South of Heaven--- Slayer--- 1988
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back- Public Enemy- 1988
Root Down--- Beastie Boys--- 1995
System of a Down--- System of a Down--- 1998
Renegades--- Rage Against the Machine--- 2000
Audioslave--- Audioslave--- 2002
Neil Diamond--- 12 Songs--- 2005
Red Hot Chili Peppers--- Stadium Arcadium--- 2006
Johnny Cash--- American V--- 2006

Information from imdb.com, allmusic.com and http://top40.about.com/od/popmusicproducers/p/rickrubin.htm.