Jenifer Lewis

This week, Jay Jay again goes Beyond the Music to welcome renowned author Craig Taylor onto the podcast. Craig is a Canadian journalist and playwright who was born in Edmonton and grew up in Lantzville. He moved to London in 2000, to immerse himself in the city for his book Londoners, and then to New York in 2014. Given their deep rooted connection to New York through music & literature, Jay Jay & Craig have a lot to connect over to say the least. Tune in to hear all about their views & insights surrounding the city that they both hold very dear; getting into discussing why New York has remained such an essential hub for artists over the years. Hear all about Craig's immersive processes that he has lived through when writing his novels. Don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week, Jay Jay chimes in from his vacation in Mexico to give his latest updates on the show - & to introduce this week's revisited episode, with record label legend David Rath. David Rath comes from Roadrunner Records where he spent twenty-one years in the A&R and Creative Departments, having been A&R on albums by Slipknot, Korn, Gojira, Coheed and Cambira, Slash, The Amity Affliction, Trivium, Stone Sour, Dream Theater and Megadeth and where he oversaw music videos from Nickelback, Theory Of A Deadman, Killswitch Engage, Jerry Cantrell and Slipknot. Rath helped guide the label through multiple changes in ownership and management, after which he oversaw the signings of Platinum selling acts Young The Giant and Vance Joy for Atlantic and Elektra Records. As the head of the A&R department at Roadrunner, Rath most recently signed and A&R?d Grammy nominated acts Turnstile and Code Orange, along with White Reaper and Motionless In White who both recently scored #1 Alternative and Active Rock radio hits. In 2022, Dave Rath formed a partnership and new venture with Cees Wessels, the original founder of Roadrunner Records, to launch the rock label Blue Grape Music. The Blue Grape name comes from the influential hardcore/metal merch company formerly owned by Wessels. The new label recently signed pioneering metal outfit Code Orange, along with the Bay area post-punk band Spiritual Cramp, and New Jersey?s buzzing hardcore band GEL with releases scheduled for 2023. Blue Grape Music has offices in both New York City and Amsterdam and is presently distributed by The Orchard. Prior to being at Roadrunner Records, Rath, a graduate of Villanova University, was the Director of The Philadelphia Music Conference and drummer for the Columbia Records band Heavens Edge. Jay Jay & David discuss their journeys into the record business, the ins & outs of A&R and the current state of the record label industry. David gets into how working in A&R keeps his ear to what's happening in the music world, & why he finds this to be very important. Don't miss this insightful conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Edited & Produced by Matthew Mallinger

This week's very special guest is Davell Crawford, who is also known as the ?Piano Prince of New Orleans," is an acclaimed pianist, vocalist, composer, and arranger. Growing up in New Orleans, Crawford?s influences run the gamut from Fats Domino to Sarah Vaughan, to Dr. John & Patsy Cline. Davell is truly a prodigy and natural entertainer, with an amazing story & remarkable natural talent. This past year, Jay Jay & Davell played together at New Orleans Jazz Fest, along with legendary drummer Steve Jordan. Tune in to hear all about how Jay Jay & Davell's friendship developed over the years, & how performing at Jazz Fest came together. Jay & Davell draw parallels between their very different musical backgrounds & upbringings, & share insight into what's to come for the both of them musically. Don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week's guest is renowned musician Steve Conte! Known for his work with the New York Dolls and Michael Monroe, he has just recently announced the worldwide release of his new album, 'The Concrete Jangle,' on vinyl. Previously only available on vinyl via Record Store Day, 'The Concrete Jangle' is the critically-acclaimed successor to his 2021 opus 'Bronx Cheer.' Recognized for his notable guitar contributions with the New York Dolls and as the guitarist for Michael Monroe?s band (where he continues to perform), Steve Conte gained global acclaim through his collaborations with Japanese composer and artist Yoko Kanno on the soundtracks of popular anime series, including Cowboy Bebop. Be sure to listen to Steve's new record, & check out up to date information on his work below. Don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Website: www.stevecontenyc.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/steveconte Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

Jay Jay welcomes writer, film producer & scholar Jonathan Taplin back on the podcast! We are especially fortunate to have Jonathan be able to join us this week, as he very recently lost his Los Angeles home in the Palisades fire this January. Jonathan shares his experience with the fires & needing to run away from his own home, & gives an update on the recovery efforts surrounding his neighborhood. Jay Jay & Jonathan get into discussing the recent Bob Dylan biopic - & who better to ask about the film than Jonathan, not only because he is a member of the academy and is a legendary film producer - but because he was Dylan's tour manager in the 60's & was there at Newport in 65.' This leads to them discussing Jonathan's book 'The End Of Reality.' One of the reasons ?A Complete Unknown? received so many Academy Award nominations was because it it such a strong example of how powerful a counterculture can be. His new book posits that we are just at the beginning of a new counterculture in current day. Be sure to check out Jonathan's new book, which you can learn more about on his website below, & don't miss this timely conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! www.jontaplin.com Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week has been a heavy one to say the least - which Jay Jay & his dear friend, Cliff Chenfeld, get together to discuss. Cliff & Jay Jay connect to talk about the new Bob Dylan biopic - & inevitably discuss the events unfolding this week in Los Angeles with the spreading of the wildfires & tragedies surrounding. Jay Jay's producer Matthew Mallinger joins part of the conversation as he's based in Los Angeles - & the three of them talk about their loved ones & friends who are being affected by the situation with the wildfires. This leads to Cliff & Jay Jay discussing their love for the city, their deep histories with & relationship to the city, & how disasters of this scale can impact the infrastructure & culture of a city for years to come. Cliff & Jay transition to discuss their reviews of the new Dylan biopic, the importance of Dylan's artistic impact on the world, & why they find the resurgence of his popularity occurring from this film to be both a timely and great thing. Don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

Tune in this week for part II of Jay Jay, Tor & Matthew's year end recap! Jay Jay addresses rumours surrounding Twisted's reuniting, & discusses the current state of the band. The three of them get into popular musical highlights throughout the year; from Talking Heads & LCD Soundsystem to Andre 3000 & Jessica Pratt. Hear Jay's insights surrounding the current state of record deals being cut relative to when Twisted was releasing Stay Hungry & their music in the 80s. Jay Jay, Tor & Matt reflect on podcast guests throughout the year from Steve Vai & Joe Satriani, to Dean Delray, Tommy Emmanual, Tommy James, Carmine Appice & many more. Don't miss this two part year in review episode - & a special thank you to all fans and guests who have tuned into & been a part of the podcast this past year! Stay tuned for more great guests & exciting news in 2025 - only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

Jay Jay, Tor & Matthew (Jay Jay's Social Media Manager & Producer) get together this week to discuss highlights of 2024; getting into favorite guests throughout the year, the current state of the podcast, Twisted's Stay Hungry 40 Year Anniversary, favorite records collected throughout the year & what's to come in 2025. Don't miss this two part year in review episode special - & a special thank you to all fans and guests who have tuned into & been a part of the podcast this past year - stay tuned for exciting news & guests in 2025 - only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

This week, we're revisiting an episode in which the focus is on Jay Jay's remarkable health journey & surviving prostate cancer, with special guest Dr. Samir Taneja. Dr. Samir Taneja is a urologist & surgeon who performed Jay Jay's prostate cancer operation in 2018. Jay Jay discusses why he finds it so important to educate yourself on any health concerns that are affecting your life, & shares his experience in doing so himself. Dr. Taneja shares his insight on prostate cancer diagnosis & methodology, and discusses the decisions that individuals who are diagnosed with prostate cancer have to weigh, differences between various treatments currently available, & why he finds active surveillance to be so important. Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

Founding member, lead singer, lead guitarist, and individual who wrote more than 90% of the Grand Funk Railroad music catalog - legendary Mark Farner - is this week's guest on the podcast! Farner has always been known as an energetic driving force on stage, the engine that pulled the original Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts. From his soulful voice and power rock riffs, to fueling the Funk with his atomic stage presence. Hear all about his story and his imprint on music, starting back in 1969 from his humble blue collar beginnings back in Flint. For years, Farner has captained a global crusade for love, peace and freedom as a rock ?n? roll icon. Today, more than 60 years later ? Farner commands the stage with the same intensity performing epic hits that defined a generation ? ?I?m Your Captain (Closer to Home)?, ?Bad Time?, ?Some Kind of Wonderful?, ?Foot Stompin? Music?, ?Heartbreaker?, ?Rock & Roll Soul?, ?Locomotion?, ?Mean Mistreater? and ?We?re An American Band?. Tune in to hear about Mark's upcoming release, tour dates & much more - only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger