Not So Famous in NJ - Coffee Talk and Candid Conversations With Lucille

New York doesn't have a corner on the arts. Where do you think most of the struggling artists in NY come from? New Jersey! This state is loaded with musicians, artists, writers, actors. . . and I'm talking to them about stuff most others won't ask.

From her chance meeting with Little Stevie Wonder to her original composition intended for Frank Sinatra, Rosemary talks about her decades long career as a singer, bandleader and musician support system while revealing why she had to pretend she was a tambourine player to even get paid.

I'm back! Bye bye Covid. Hello Season 3. This time I've stepped outside of the box to interview martial arts master, Damien Wright. We talk about how a 120 pound woman took down a huge football player, Damien's nerdy love of total contact fighting and his thoughts on going Brazilian. https://www.wrightfight.com/    

Smooth and sublte jazz singer Jeanie Bryson entered the music scene in the early 1980s. Being the unacknowledged daughter of Dizzy Gillespie - and having to hide that fact - complicated her life more than giving her a foot up in the music industry. Then, over a decade ago, she stopped performing after a tragic event changed her life forever.  www.singyouabrandnewsong.com

She may have gotten her first break because of her famous last name, but Stephanie Evanovich proved she has what it takes as a fiction writer, rocking the world with Big Girl Panties, making the New York Times bestseller list and following with three more major successes. We talk writing, acting and TaeKwonDo - just three of the things we have in common. But her kinky love scenes . . . well, liste...

There are plenty of talent shows on TV now, but in the 90s, there was just one: Star Search. In this INTERMEZZO, you'll get a chance to hear Jose Loo, best known as the front man for Line Drive, singing at the Count Basie theatre and competing in the semi-finals in this precursor to American Idol.

Downtown Red Bank has long been a mecca for artists wanting to display and sell their work. The McKay Gallery,  run by husband and wife team Bob and Liz McKay for over 12 years provided photographers and other artists just that opportunity. In this conversation, we talk about how their grandparents spurred their interest in photography and how Brookdale Community College introduced them to each ot...

He no longer has the pipes to play Don Quixote - or so he says - but Michael Kroll has graced multiple stages, here and in NY, and created, directed and starred in his own one-man version of A Christmas Carol more times than you can count. Michael and I talk about what drew him to stage acting, his regrets and his uncensored opinion of the worst director he's ever worked with. . .  and why he none...

In a curious combination of blues, rock, country and, yes, Christian music, Bridget Larson​ hits all the right notes, not just with her singing but also with her humanity.    https://www.bridgetlarson.com/video

Some people wait for things to happen. Jason Goldstein makes them happen. He is not afraid of failure, and his syllabus of successes in the theatre and in the ticketing world are a testament to his never-say-no attitude. We talk about how he became a performing arts entrepreneur and producer, when he appeared on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and why he thinks Livingston College was the unheralded gem...

Dad loved his lawn. But his daughters hated it. In this short story, we discover that things aren't always what they seem.

Move over, Red Bank and Asbury Park. Michelle Knox is on the cusp of creating a whole new arts mecca on the Bayshore. Not satisfied to be only create installations of her own sculpture, she's engaging an entire community to create, enjoy and appreciate the arts along with her in my hometown of Keyport, NJ. www.michelleknox.com

Tony Cimorosi has been on the NYC World Beat, Rock, R&B, Jazz and contemporary Jazz scene for over 35 years, and these three fabulous cuts from his latest album, "Change at West 4th St" exemplify his musical virtuosity.

With a resume that spans teaching at the McCarter Theatre to Program Director for the International House of Blues Foundation to Executive Director of the Algonquin Arts Theatre, it's no wonder Pam Ward is able to say "the buck stops here." We talk about Pam's varied - but always theatre-related positions, the skills she developed and how she compares community theatre directors to some of the mos...

Yes, I might lack impartiality, but I think these instrumental tunes written and produced by drummer Gary Dates are pretty darn good. And I'd feel the same even if he wasn't my husband. He's accompanied by a few guys you may be familiar with - since they were all members of Line Drive: Chris McKevitt, Tim Boyce, Rick Brunermer and Chris Plunkett, playing under the name Desperate Measures.

Why does a bass guitar only have four strings? Why do audiences in Moscow love jazz? This week world class bassist Tony Cimorosi and I discuss these issues and the thrill of gigging around the world, jerks in the music industry and why bass players love to play solos.

Story telling is a true art - and getting one of your stories produced on an award-winning podcast ain’t shabby. Screen writer Diana McCorry cut her writing teeth here, and this compelling radio play will help you understand why she’s such a successful screenwriter.

Thirty seven years ago Line Drive drummer Gary Dates was told he'd never get back the use of his left arm after a devastating car accident damaged the nerves in his left arm. Today, that neurologist can eat his words because Gary has become as one of the best and most musical drummers in the area. In this episode I speak to my husband of 35 years about how he dealt with that crisis. But our conver...

Anyone who has heard Jose Loo perform knows just how multi-talented he is. Singing is just one facet of that glittering jewel; the songs he's written and arranged reveal his love and understanding of music. And his keyboard skills - evident in the last cut - are often overlooked because of the magnitude of his other performance skills. I never get tired of listening to him. https://www.amazon.com/...

Billy Van Zandt started in community theater and became one of the world's most produced playwrights, parlaying those skills into a career writing and often executive producing hit TV series, including The Bob Newhart Show, Martin, Anything But Love and Daddy Dearest. We talk about what it takes to get a TV writing gig, his decades working with his long-time writing partner Jane Milmore,  a zany a...

Bassist Cody McCorry performs with multiple bands, including We Used To Cut the Grass. In this INTERMEZZO he flaunts his unconventional approach to music with the group in these Frank Zappa-influenced tunes.  Watch the official music video here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzLcydIftj0 And explore some other cuts here. https://weusedtocutthegrass.bandcamp.com/  

When fine art photographer Jill Pesciotta lost her mother, Trudy Maran, it was all the more bittersweet. Because Jill’s mom was also her creative muse.  In this conversation, Jill talks about her mother’s influence, her biggest disappointment and the highlights of her years as a photographer.   

This week's INTERMEZZO features musician and songwriter Chris Plunkett, with three songs from his CD, "Sunday Shuffle."   https://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Shuffle-Chris-Plunkett/dp/B0071LENKE

After opening and closing more stage theaters than most of us have even visited, Jade Greene talks about her love of acting, the trials of running a theatre company and her future plans. Oh. And her psychic abilities. With a promise to bring her tarot cards next time.

In this week's Intermezzo, Robert Mandelberg reads a chapter from his book, The Case of the Curious Campaign, proving that even local politics can make a pretty engaging story. If you'd like to read the entire book, buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/Case-Curious-Campaign-Whodunit-Mini-Mysteries/dp/1402703821/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=The+case+of+the+curious+campaign&qid=1613007542&amp...