Follow Your Dream - Music And Much More!

Danny Gottlieb is an All-Star Drummer. He's played with The Pat Metheny Group, John McLoughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Gary Burton Quartet, Mark Egan and Elements, Airto Moreira, Flora Purim, Gary Sinese's Lt. Dan Band, and many more. We discuss all the incredible musicians that he met and played with at the U. of Miami, the Jazz Fusion era, and so much more. My featured song is my version of...

Michael Simon has been a leading television director for the past 35 years. He has directed 25 live final episodes of “Survivor”, 42 seasons of “Ridiculousness”, “Soul Train”, VH1 episodes featuring Miles Davis, Prince and others; the Bee Gees HBO Special “One Night Only”, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and much more. My featured song is “The Winner” from the album Made In New York by my band, Project Grand S...

Jimmy Vivino is an All-Star Guitarist, Keyboard Player and Bandleader. He was the bandleader of Conan O’Brien’s various television show bands; a member of the Fab Faux, the world’s greatest Beatles tribute band, and currently a member of Canned Heat blues band. He talks about playing Tevye in “Fiddler On The Roof” in High School, his 15 year affiliation with Al Kooper of Blood Sweat and Tears and...

“East Side Sessions” is the Project Grand Slam album that I released in January 2020, just a few months before the pandemic caused a worldwide lockdown. The album features 12 of my new songs - all vocals for the first time. Our singer was the incomparable Marilyn Castillo.  The reviewers were effusive in their praise and called it “Album Of The Year!”, “Impeccable!”, “Another Winner!” and “A Sonic...

Jodi Krangle is a celebrated Voiceover Specialist. She’s worked in a variety of settings including for Disney, Depends, Viagra, Dell, Kraft, Lindt Chocolates and others. She specializes in Brand Voice, Commercials, Corporate Narration and even Podcasts. My featured song is “Metro Shuffle” from the album The PGS Experience by my band, Project Grand Slam. Spotify link . -----------------------------...

Joe Lovano is a Superstar Grammy Award winning saxophonist who Downbeat Magazine has called “The Titan among us”. He’s played with a Who’s Who of the Jazz world including Woody Herman, Tony Bennett, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Esperanza Spalding, Hank Jones and Diana Krall. My featured song is “Out Of Tahini” from the album Play by my band, Project Grand Slam. Spotify link . ---------------------...

Peter Noone - better known as Herman with Herman's Hermits - is a 1960s Superstar. They had a remarkable string of hits including #1s: "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" and "Henry VIII, I Am", plus "I'm Into Something Good" (written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin), "Kind Of A Hush", "No Milk Today", "Listen People" and many more. My Co-Host for this interview is Gary Puckett, another 1960...

Peter Tiehuis is one of the best guitarists in Holland. He’s played and recorded with every big star in the Netherlands and many international stars including Benny Goodman, Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Tina Turner, Elvis Costello and Herbie Hancock. My featured song is “The Rich Ones”. Spotify link . --------------------------------------------- The Follow Your Dream Podcast: Top...

Peter Erskine is a Superstar Drummer. He’s a two-time Grammy winner who has played on over 700 albums and film scores. He rose to worldwide fame with Weather Report, perhaps the greatest band of the 1970s Jazz Fusion era. He has also played with Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Steps Ahead, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and many more. He was voted Best Jazz Drummer of the Year 10 times by the readers of...

Music To Life is a nonprofit that supports new voices in social change: Next Gen Artists addressing Human and Civil Rights issues. This episode introduces Music To Life through its CEO, Liz Stookey Sunde, and her dad, Noel Paul Stookey - who was Paul of Peter Paul and Mary. And also introducing two artists who graduated from the program: Amanda Pascali and Elexa Dawson. My featured song is “1000 D...

This episode is a special Shout Out to the six wonderful female singers who I’ve featured with my band, Project Grand Slam: Judie Tzuke, Kat Robichaud, Lucy Woodward, Ziarra Washington, Leslie Hunt and Marilyn Castillo. I’ve been extremely fortunate to have such incredible vocalists to interpret my original songs and my reimagined covers. Here are the song excerpts featured in this episode along w...

Oscar Hammerstein II was Broadway’s greatest lyricist. He was responsible for the book and lyrics to so many of the musicals that created the Golden Era of Broadway. With Richard Rogers he wrote “The King And I”, “Oklahoma”, “The Sound Of Music”, “Carousel”, “South Pacific” and “Flower Drum Song”. With Jerome Kern he wrote “Show Boat”. He co-wrote 850 songs, and won 8 Tony Awards and 2 Oscars. Aft...

Welcome to the first Saxophone Summit! Featuring the following four extraordinary world class saxophone players:  John Helliwell of Supertramp, one of the greatest bands of the rock era. They dominated the charts in the 1970s with their album “Breakfast In America” which sold over 20 million copies.  Fred Lipsius, the saxophonist and an arranger for Blood Sweat & Tears, another one of the greatest...

Tom Morris has had an illustrious career in classical music. He was the longtime former Senior Executive of The Boston Symphony Orchestra and then The Cleveland Orchestra. He went on to become the Artistic Director of the Ojai Music Festival. He currently serves on the Board of the Interlochen Arts Center. And he has a forthcoming autobiography coming out which discusses several of the key people...

The Four Seasons are one of the greatest vocal groups of all time. Led by Frankie Valli, their lead singer with the distinctive falsetto voice, they had dozens of hits beginning in the early 1960s including “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Can’t Take Me Eyes Off Of You”, “Dawn (Go Away)”, “Rag Doll”, “Working My Way Back To You” and many more.  My guests in this episode all had important roles wi...

Mark Egan is an acclaimed electric bassist. He’s played on countless jazz and pop albums as well as movie and television soundtracks. He was a member of the Pat Metheny Group and then formed the band Elements with drummer Danny Gottlieb. He played with Gil Evans for 13 years. He’s recorded with a Who’s Who including Sting, Roger Daltrey, Judy Collins, Cyndi Lauper, Art Garfunkel, Gato Barbieri and...

Jeremy Swift shot to worldwide fame as Leslie Higgins - the Communications Director for the AFC Richmond football club - in the hit series “Ted Lasso”. He was nominated for an Emmy Award. Before Lasso he was in films such as “Mary Poppins Returns” along with Dick Van Dyke, “Oliver Twist” directed by Roman Polanski, and “Gosford Park” directed by Robert Altman. He’s also worked with the National Th...

Jan Akkerman is a Superstar Dutch guitarist who has been praised by some of the world’s greatest guitarists including Brian May, Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Steve Vai and Al Di Meola. In 1973 Jan was voted the World’s Best Guitarist by the readers of Melody Maker. He first reached international prominence as a member of Focus. He’s played with any number of fantastic musicians including Jack Bru...

Welcome to my second Joint Interview! My Co-host again is Gary Puckett, ‘60s Superstar with Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, as we interview Dennis Tufano of The Buckinghams, another ‘60s music Superstar.  Dennis was the original voice of The Buckinghams, America’s answer to the British Invasion bands. Like Gary, Dennis and his band had an incredible string of hits including “Kind Of A Drag”, “Don’...

Cy Young has had an extraordinary career in entertainment. He co-starred with Buster Keaton in “Once Upon A Mattress”. He danced on Broadway in “Pajama Game”. One of his songs was recorded by Barbra Streisand. He’s had plays and musicals produced. He’s an author.  And he talks about stars like Carol Burnett and Dody Goodman. My featured song is my version of “The ‘In’ Crowd” from the album PGS 7 b...

Marc Johnson is a renowned jazz bassist, band leader and producer. He’s played with Woody Herman, Bill Evans, Stan Getz, Pat Metheny, Peter Erskine, Eliane Eliase and many more. His most recent album is “Overpass”, a solo bass album. My featured song is my version of Chick Corea’s “Sea Journey” from my 1994 debut album Miles Behind. Spotify link .  --------------------------------------------- The...

Welcome to a SPECIAL EPISODE - ‘60s JAMBOREE II - featuring the following 60s Superstars: TOMMY JAMES - of Tommy James and the Shondells. Their string of hits included “Hanky Panky”, “Crimson And Clover” and “I Think We’re Alone Now”. GARY PUCKETT - of Gary Puckett and the Union Gap. Their hits included “Woman Woman” and “Young Girl”.  RICHIE FURAY - an original member of Buffalo Springfield, Poco...

This episode is the WORLD PREMIERE of “Lou’s Blues”, my new single.  As I've mentioned several times on the podcast, I came of age musically during the British Invasion era of the 1960s, and then I segued into the Jazz Fusion era of the 1970s. That era was dominated by incredible bands like Weather Report, Return To Forever and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. My band, Sagov, was a part of that scene. Wh...

Michael Abene is a Grammy winning Big Band arranger. He’s worked with Germany’s WDR Radio Big Band,  played in the Maynard Ferguson Big Band, and arranged for the GRP All-Star Big Band. He’s also arranged for Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, John Scofield, Dianne Reeves and Steps Ahead. My featured song is my version of Thelonious Monk’s classic “Well, You Needn’t” from my 1994 debut album Miles Behind....

Josh Simons is the Australian-based CEO of Vinyl Group, comprising Vampr, a social network for musicians, and Jaxsta, a music database company. A former touring musician, Josh went over to the tech side of music and is now blazing a path for musicians via technology. My featured song is “New Wind” from The Singles Project, my recent EP. Spotify link .  ---------------------------------------------...