July 29, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode of Lost in Jersey, we sit down with renowned saxophonist Baron Raymonde—New York Blues Hall of Famer, longtime music educator, and go-to sideman for some of the biggest names in the business. Baron shares stories from a remarkable career that’s taken him from New York to Texas and back again, through jazz clubs, world tours, and iconic New Jersey venues.
A classically trained musician, Baron carved out his path in jazz, blues, and R&B. From surprise auditions to last-minute gigs, his career includes performances with Rod Stewart, Gloria Gaynor, the Blues Brothers, Bruce Springsteen, and many more.
He reflects on life on the road—luxury hotels one day, hauling gear the next—and how he’s managed to balance an elite performing career with over two decades of teaching music at Nutley High School. Throughout it all, New Jersey has played a starring role, offering chance encounters, community, and creative grounding that helped shape his signature sound.
🎶 Barron’s new record features an all-star cast, so don’t miss his December 11th release party at The Bitter End, and follow his latest performances at Baron Raymonde.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey Jeanette, Hi Rachel.
So we just got off a reallygreat interview with Baron
Raymond, who is a musician.
He has also been inducted intothe New York Blues Hall of Fame.
He constantly plays gigs everyweekend around the city and does
recording, and he played forRod Stewart and Gloria Gaynor
(00:22):
and the Blues Brothers.
He tells several stories aboutthe people that he's played with
.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
He's played with legends in the jazz and blues
industry.
He plays a million differentinstruments.
He'll explain.
His main instrument is thesaxophone, but all of the
saxophones, and you'll learn alot in this interview about how
he developed his voice, hissignature sound that you asked
him about.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
So enjoy this interview.
Barron, welcome to Lost inJersey.
So nice to have you on the show.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I appreciate this, yes.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So this is Rachel and Rachel, you've never met Barron
, but I know, Barron through myhusband, Roger he, I think,
introduced us years ago when wefirst moved to New Jersey and I
remember he told me that youwere a sax player and then we
went to go see you at a show andblown away with what a great
musician you are.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Now, rachel is also a musician too, so I don't think
I had told you that she's aclassically trained violinist.
Nice, my father was, and my aclassically trained violinist
Nice.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
My father was, and my great uncle was a violinist.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yes, I was going to ask you about that.
I looked on your Instagram andI saw that wonderful older photo
of extended family and I waswondering about if you could
tell us about that and why youdid not pick the violin.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
My great uncle played with Toscanini in the NBC
Orchestra and my father at somepoint, I think when he was in
high school, lived with UncleAladar and he played violin.
My mother was an opera singer.
They started me on piano when Iwas very young.
I was six years old when Istarted lessons, so they wanted
me to play classical.
My parents definitely wanted meto play classical.
(02:02):
Yes, which I kind of rebelled.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Did you?
I get that Right, I mean Rachelyou also.
You started playing the violinwhen you were a toddler.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I think, right, yeah, I started Suzuki Method at
three and a half, barron tell usabout yourself.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I think that you play several instruments, right,
Like?
How many instruments do youplay?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Well, I don't know if I can count off and saxophones
my primary.
I play all the saxophones Iplay flute, clarinet, piccolo
piano.
I started in piano.
I also started when I was atoddler.
There was a school in New Yorkcalled Del Crozi my parents
brought me to just to get mestarted with listening.
What else do I play?
(02:43):
I mean, I can kind of play someof the brass instruments but I
don't consider myself a player.
I can teach it if I want to, tobeginners.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
What's your favorite saxophone to play?
Alto soprano, do you have?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Known as an alto player, but I play tenor quite a
lot too.
I just did a show in Edison,new Jersey.
It plays in the park, beautifulthe, the Carol King show, and I
had to play flute, uh, clarinet, tenor, sax and baritone sax.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Wow.
So you were, like you were inthe pit orchestra for Beautiful.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I was in the pit.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Uh, that's so.
It's what a great musical.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's a great place to see a show they held up uh,
about 3000 people can come.
It it's outdoors, it's reallynice.
I never knew about it some.
My friend, mark baron, wholives in new jersey, who is also
gloria gainers um musicaldirector, who I've worked with,
he asked me if I would like todo a pit gig, and I don't do
that much pit work and I thought, hey, why not, it'll be a
(03:41):
challenge.
I I have done some broadway.
I did ain't nothing but theblues, but the band was on the
stage and I did, uh, offbroadway love janice, the why
not?
It'll be a challenge.
I have done some Broadway.
I did Ain't Nothing but theBlues, but the band was on the
stage and I did Off-BroadwayLove Janice about Jacqueline,
and that was.
I was on stage too, it wasn'tin the pit.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
It's a very different kind of playing if you're
playing in a pit rather thanwith your band, right.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean I play, I'm veryversatile.
I went to music school in Texas, which, jeanette, you're from,
it's called University of NorthTexas.
But I learned a lot.
I learned jazz there, but I'mclassically trained and when I
got out of school I ended upplaying with one of the Blues
Brothers on the road and Ilearned to play blues and R&B
(04:23):
and I guess I'm kind of a jazzR&B.
I play rock.
You know, I played with RodStewart, who I met him through a
friend in Nutley where I live.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Really.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
That's how I?
Yeah, so it was New.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Jersey.
How did that go Like he justintroduced you.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
It was great because what happened was I was friends
with Chuck Kentis, who lived inNew Jersey but was playing with
Rod Stewart.
He used to have me come over tohis house to record saxophone
for him on tracks and sometimeswe co-wrote.
We actually got something onRicky Lake Show.
He used to ask me when Rod usedto come to New York to do TV
(04:59):
shows, do you know any musicians?
So it was helping out and I hadbeen the contractor for
musicians in New York and I'mstill am uh, contracting things.
I just contracted something atthe Mahegan Sun with Wayne
Newton, contracted the wholeband.
So that's how I met Rod.
And then eventually whathappened was he needed a horn
section benefit, uh for, uh, um,city of Hope.
(05:23):
So it was through somebody fromNew Jersey that I met Rod
Stewart.
I met a lot of people throughNew Jersey.
I mean I, I was originally aNew Yorker.
New Jersey gave me a lot ofbreaks that I've gotten in my
music career, absolutely yes.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I want to know that progression of when you went to
you were in a New Yorker andthen you went to Texas to study,
you know, to get your degree.
How did that transition go fromNew Yorker and then you went to
Texas to study to get yourdegree?
How did that transition go fromNew York and then going to
Texas and then back to New York?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
It was frightful at first because my first week down
there in Denton, texas, I wasin the town square.
I was going to buy school booksor whatever I don't remember
stuff A fan.
I needed a fan because my dormdidn't have a fan and it was so
hot and there was a Ku Klux Klanmarch going on and it really
freaked me out.
I'm from New York and I calledmy parents and they're like
(06:16):
don't leave school, stay inschool.
They were just concerned that Ididn't drop out of school.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
So I was like don't pay attention to those crazy
people.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Maybe you know I was telling him maybe I could go to
William Patterson, because thatwas a good jazz school which I
eventually went to get mycertification as a teacher,
which does have a great jazzprogram well known around the
world.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yes, william Patterson School of Music yes,
but my goodness, what anintroduction to Texas.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, and the South, yeah, oh, my God.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
But yet you made it through, you did.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Because you know what the school was like its own
entity and there were so manygreat musicians there I met and
we played and I got into themusic and I kind of that was
just once I saw that, but it wasmy first week there, so it was
just like God, you know aftercollege, how did you move into
becoming a professional?
Well, first of all, my fatherwas kind of pushing me to go to
(07:10):
music school because he said Idon't want you end up playing in
bars and grills for the rest ofyour life.
They emphasized reading and Istarted learning how to
transcribe music off of solosfrom all the different
instruments and learn, you know,my basics.
Yeah, it set me up network wisebecause there were so many
musicians in New York and LA andChicago and that went to North
(07:34):
Texas State University.
Still to this day there's guyson Broadway.
One of my friends who lives inNew Jersey plays sax with the
Rolling Stones, tim Reese.
My other friend, matt Bissonette, was playing bass with Elton
John, and it just goes on and on.
And just the preparation, itwas fierce competition.
Honestly, I was stressed a lotbecause the competition was so
(07:58):
stressful, but it did help mefor auditions.
When I came to New York afterschool I went into a couple
auditions where there was acattle call, where there was 100
sax players.
I think one was with ChubbyChecker and they called me
because I got so good atauditioning.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
That's something good to know, because I know a lot
of kids here in our town,montclair, go to school for
musical theater and all that andthe competition, like you said,
is fierce while you're even init, but I guess it really does
prepare you for auditions.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Well, that's what they said at the school.
They said we're preparing you.
This is like the outside world,because there's so many great
musicians here and it's fiercecompetition.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I remember when I first got there it was like, oh,
I got to really step it up withmy practice.
I would start practicing six toeight hours a day.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
So you go into auditions.
What was your big break?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I mean I've had a lot of breaks in my career, I guess
you know going on the road withMatt Guitar Murphy.
I was pretty close to being Ijust had done a stint with this
guy in Atlantic City at theSands Hotel.
Jt Bowen, who was a part ofClarence Clemons' band from
Bruce Springsteen's sax player,and Matt Guitar Murphy asked me
to go on the road so I got toplay with Lester Chambers from
(09:12):
the Chamber Brothers and HarveyBrooks.
They had a band together andthey were older than me.
They knew Jimi Hendrix and JimMorrison and they took me in
like when I was in my 20s and Ilet them school me.
They liked my playing but youknow they were teaching me.
Harvey played on Highway 61,bob Dylan, the whole record, and
with Miles Bitches Brew and allthese different famous records.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
When you say they schooled you, what kind of
education are you getting there?
That's different from whenyou're getting it in music
school, just curious.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Well, when I'm in music school.
It's all about scales andtheory.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And precision.
Precision yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Technique.
But Harvey was like play like asinger.
You know, when you recordrecords people don't want to
hear.
I mean, some people play likethat, but when you're playing on
a pop song it doesn't make anysense.
If you listen to some of thegreat pop songs, they were very
simple parts and simple solosand I kind of had to unlearn
(10:12):
some of that from north texas,which that's been an issue that
musicians have talked aboutgoing to the music school and
then having to unlearn because,like the beatles they never to
the music school and then havingto because, like the Beatles,
they never went to music schooland they put out beautiful music
.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I appreciate learning that from you.
I've been learning that overthis long journey of not playing
classical that I I would bringin vibrato for everything and it
just doesn't need it in a lotof the rock songs.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
You know, is there a signature sound that you develop
, or is that something that youdon't want to have when you're
playing with many differentgroups of artists?
Speaker 3 (10:48):
The more I played out , the more I found my voice on
the instruments.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
That takes a while to mature.
I started developing my soundin school because I was
practicing six to eight hours aday and I did some themes for TV
.
I had a friend from North Texas.
He was arguing with his wifebecause I hadn't seen him for
like 25 years and he goes.
That's Baron on that theme onthat TV show.
And then he called me upbecause his wife said how do you
know?
(11:13):
25 years he goes.
I know Baron sound, you knowit's amazing.
And then I called him up and Isaid it was me and he goes.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I knew that is so impressive.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
He was able to pick that out.
And for a person like myself,who's not, like you know, an
expert in you know, jazz oranything, it is a little hard to
tell the difference.
But I'm kind of old school withColtrane, chet Baker, all of
these older people.
I don't know the new ones, butI can tell when you hear their
sound.
You know.
You do know.
I had some things I wanted toask you about, about your
(11:45):
influences, because I'm not upon all of the jazz of today and
the blues of today.
Who are the people that youlook to today, that you think we
should know about?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Well, I definitely like Joe Bonamassa, the blues
guy out there.
He's great.
I love Steenie Van Zandt.
I don't know if you knew Iplayed with him, filled in on
tour with him, which was great.
This is Chris Potter on sax.
Joshua Renman those type ofpeople are for jazz, are very
influential.
I kind of listened to more ofthe old school R&B guys King
(12:20):
Curtis.
I also am a Coltrane guy.
I love Coltrane.
My parents are actually buriedin the same grave lot as
Coltrane in Long Island and Iactually walked by his grave
looking for my parents' grave.
I thought, oh, I've never seenanother Coltrane, but it was him
.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
There's not like a monument or something there.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
No, it's just a plaque, like my parents, so of
course I wanted to find out if Icould be buried there.
But there's no more plots left.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
There's no more plots left.
My mom is buried in the samegraveyard as Buddy Holly.
Wow yeah, because we're fromTexas, in Lubbock, texas, and
when you drive into the cemeteryyou immediately drive past the
Buddy Holly.
But it's you know, they've doneit up.
It's not like you know, just aplaque, it's like you know
(13:09):
you're passing Buddy Holly's.
So it's kind of cool.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Talking about Buddy Holly, I actually played the
surf ballroom his last gig inIowa, where he died and the bus
driver brought us where theplane went down.
But there's a booth that hemade his last phone call to his
wife there.
So this was in the 80s.
I think it's still there.
It's called the Surf Ballroom,but it's in the movie.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Yeah, yeah, Okay, incredible, and I'm going to add
you another story that I get.
I have to tell to you about isthat my aunt's mother was
passing away.
When I went down to Texas a fewyears back and we were all
hanging out in the kitchen,there was two people that were
there with me.
I didn't know who they were.
They were friends of her motherand we were talking and they're
(13:51):
like this is Peggy, hi Peggy,and it was Peggy Sue.
That's Peggy Sue from the BuddyHolly song.
And I was like, oh my God.
So one thing that you did touchon earlier are your stories
with Rod Stewart.
Now I think Roger has told me alittle bit about a couple of
stories about you going on theroad with him.
What was that like?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
They were having all these other artists, like Jewel.
They were going to do all RodStewart songs and surprise him
at the end with Rod Stewart.
Anyway, what happened was thenight before I went to rehearsal
I went out to dinner with Rodand the band and they were going
to have me play just one song.
Some guys have all luck orsomething.
I forgot what it was.
He said welcome to theorchestra.
(14:29):
I'm looking for a blonde femalesax player.
And I said, well, let me thinkabout it.
I mean, I'm friends with CandyDolpher and her dad over in
Holland.
She used to be Prince's saxplayer.
So anyway, the next day I wentin there and they're like Brandy
and all these artists, can youplay flute on this and sax on
this and rehearse on it?
I was just supposed to do onesong and they recorded this.
(14:51):
Rod records all his rehearsalsto hear them, even though he
wasn't there.
This was at SIR in New York,which used to be a big place
that a lot of people used to gorehearse.
And the next morning when Icame in, they were like Rod
really likes how you sounded onthat ballad with Brandy.
And when he came in he goes Iwant to hear Baron with Brandy.
So I said okay, I'll play.
(15:13):
And then afterwards he walked byme and said I want you.
And I was like blonde hair,blue eyes, that's not me.
I thought, yeah, I'm like 41years old and I'm.
I'm not a blonde with blue eyes.
But I guess he was seriousbecause I had to renegotiate the
money, cause after thatrehearsal the musical director
came over and said can you playon Rosie O'Donnell tomorrow?
(15:34):
And I said sure, so I.
But I got to go home andpractice.
I went over to I think it wasNBC Studios and he really liked
my playing.
And after the charity thing hecame over to me and said you're
really great.
And I said no, rod, you are.
I did the human tour and then9-11, a lot of things fell apart
and then he eventually got theblonde.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Anyways, he finally got the blog back.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
It's okay because I was not doing that much and I
ended up getting into teachingbecause I did go back to when I
moved out to New Jersey toWilliam Patterson to get my
certification as a music teacherand I started teaching
part-time in Bloomfield.
Then Nutley needed somebody andI really liked it.
And now I've been teaching for23 years and I teach at the high
(16:19):
school in Nutley and I love itand I love giving back to kids.
At first when I startedteaching I thought, oh, this is
the end of my music career.
But really the people I'veplayed with since then, like
Levon Helm, the Blues Brothers,gloria Gaynor, stevie Van Zandt
(16:41):
I've been so busy playing withall these you know, I just found
a picture of me playing withDaryl Jones, with the bassist
from Rolling Stones.
This is all while I'm teachingand people can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
How is that happening ?
Because as long as I've knownyou, Baron, you're always having
a weekend gig or somethinggoing.
First of all, I don't know howyou have the energy.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I'm in the middle of doing a project, a record we're
just finishing with two guysfrom la baron von freykenpaul
it's a new band.
I've wrote a bunch of the stufffor the guys and I guess, just
being in the business for 40years and I'm very good at
networking, I've gotten verygood at social media.
Because I was self-employedbefore I taught.
I became a hustler and I stillhustle, not that I want to do
(17:19):
that all the time.
I got to be choosy.
What I want to spend my time,like you know, this record
project.
That's a priority versusplaying a bar, though I do like
playing bars too, because it'smore intimate.
I have passion, I am driven bymusic, I am, I love music, I.
But another reason, I think, isbecause I lived on the road for
(17:39):
so long that I got used to thatpace.
Go, you know, when you're doing40 cities and two and a half
months.
That's a lot of traveling andgetting up and going and having
to play in front of people,being tired and whatever.
I never went for fame, I wentfor being a good musician,
writer.
I was not one to say, oh, I'mgoing to be famous.
(18:01):
I worked with some very famouspeople and, I have to say, being
around, that there's definitelya price they pay.
It's not free.
I remember when I was RodStewart going with his son to a
couple places because Rodcouldn't go there with his son.
He's not going to go intoMcDonald's with his son,
otherwise everybody's going togo chasing after him, as it was
(18:23):
when we went out to restaurants.
People would see him and thenall of a sudden there'd be a
crowd at the bar.
When I first started out withMatt Murphy, it was like the
Blues Brothers.
We had a van and a Cadillac andwe drove everywhere up to
Calgary, all over Texas and Ihad to help move the equipment
and that was pretty rough.
(18:43):
Working with Rod Stewart, I wasstaying at Ritz Carlton's and
Four Seasons and even StevieVins' private jets.
That's nice.
Sure, I'll take that.
Being away from family is noteasy.
I've seen musicians, you know,when their daughter or son's
having a birthday they're cryingbecause daddy's not home and
(19:03):
all that.
It's not an easy life.
Put it that way.
You know I'm not coming homefor three months.
It's not, you know, when youhave family, that's hard.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yeah, you said that you have a record coming out.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
This record I'm doing .
Now it's done.
It's with the band baron vonfrankenpaul.
I met these guys at the namshow, the big convention in in
anaheim, california.
They asked me to play at one ofthe booths there for gear.
I can send you a story about itbecause of I wrote that and um,
we had fun.
(19:38):
And then pa, the bass player,was a record producer too and he
goes let's make a record.
So we started collaboratingover the internet.
First they came to New York andthey said can you get a studio,
baron?
So I went to my friend in theloft in Bronxville, al
Hamburger's studio, and werecorded five songs.
And then Paul had me come outand record in LA.
(20:03):
And we're going to do a releaseparty at the Bitter End in
December 11th.
Yeah, at 9.30, december 11th.
Steve Ferroni I don't know ifyou heard of him is playing
drums.
He was Tom Petty's drummer.
He played with Eric ClaptonDurant.
He's really amazing.
Will Lee from David Lettermanis going to be playing a couple
songs because we're doing a songcalled Cactus that Will Lee
(20:24):
played the original.
So we said why don't we haveWill and I'm friends with Will
and he said, sure, I'll comedown and play that in a Miles
Davis song.
And then we have Lou Marinifrom the Blues Brothers is going
to accompany me on a couplesongs.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Wow, yeah, he's been touring with James.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
It's an all-star group.
Yeah, I feel really blessed.
Emma Dean Rivera is playing andthis great pedal steel guy,
greg McMullen, is going to beplaying on it, but we're excited
about it.
We're in the midst ofcopywriting and watermarking
things and then making chartsand then we're speaking to a
publicist, but that's where weare right now.
(21:07):
That's so exciting, but it'svery exciting.
Learned a lot from paul as arecord producer, I'll have to
say, and he was very open andhe's taught me a lot about
record producing definitely isit that you said that taught you
?
ill like ill, that's the same.
Yeah, he used to live in newyork, way back the industry's
changed so much.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I mean, I guess you have to like get it out to all
the different distributionchannels, just like you do with
anything.
Now.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
If you're sending it to a radio station, they want a
CD.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
What is the big jazz station in New Jersey?
That-?
Speaker 3 (21:34):
BGO.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
BGO, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I know Ross and Roland's Kirk wife was working
there volunteering.
My friend from Texas, ericScorsia, organist, who still
lives in Texas, came up and Isaid you want to see WBGO
Because they played some of hismusic.
But right from the Newarkairport we went to WBGO and
there was Ross and Roland Kirk'swife right there and he goes.
Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
But it really is the only jazz station I mean in the
area yeah, it's a great station.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah, new jersey's known to have an incredible
depth of jazz players.
I that's something that I'vealways heard is that you have no
idea who lives around theseparks, you know, yeah yeah, like
in montclair christian mcbride,andide and Bruce Williams.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
The alto player, steve Turrey, lives in Montclair
, I think at least he used to.
Billy Hart, famous drummer.
I do this Ray Charles tributewhich we're playing at the Blue
Note in November on Thanksgivingweekend.
But Billy lived right acrossthe street and he came in to see
us play and it was like oh wow,billy Hart hart and he was just
(22:40):
like.
He said, no, I just live acrossthe street.
So I heard you guys play that'sso wild.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
I love that we usually wrap up these interviews
with asking your favorite thingthat you love about new jersey,
but I would like to twist thatinto what is your favorite jazz
or club gig places to go to innew jersey.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Well, I used to love trumpets.
Unfortunately that's not there,but I play at the La Bamba's
Holiday Hurrah.
Every year it was at Stone Pony, which I love.
Playing Stone Pony Last year wedid at the Vogel was really
nice.
I like the Wonder Bar, I likeAsbury Park is kind of cool.
I've played at PNC, my favorite.
Well, I guess Stone Pony iskind of fun.
It's really when that place iscrowded and people are going
(23:25):
crazy.
It's, it's a lot of fun.
So I would say probably stonepony is stone pony.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
What about in new york city?
Is there still a jazz clubthat's kind of the the jazz club
?
Speaker 3 (23:36):
well, there's a lot.
There's still village vanguarddisease, but I like I've been
playing at the blue note withforever ray and I love playing
there.
It's so much fun, I have to saythat's great I would go out of
my way if I can't.
If I have something else goingon to make sure I play there.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I don't know, Rachel, if you've had probably have
done the crawl of the hiddenjazz clubs there.
I don't know if they're there,but sometimes you'll just
stumble upon a little roomthat's playing jazz.
Is that still something thatyou see, Rachel?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
do you have you seen that?
I haven't, but I haven't beenin the city that much, but I
used to love going to theVillage Vanguard a lot and then
Smoke up all the way up Upper.
West Side was really fun, andthen Smalls.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Those are great places.
There's other places andBrooklyn and all Shaker Lab.
Yeah, I love going there.
Yeah, that's the amazing thingabout New York.
Back in the 80s, when I livedthere, I walked by a little
place it was a nothing place andthere was a sign there Antonio
Jobin, and I was like are youkidding me?
(24:40):
And there he was.
I went in there and he wasdoing a duo with somebody else.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
You know, I was like oh, in there he was.
I went in there and he wasdoing a duo with somebody else.
You know it's like oh, in newyork something like that would
happen.
I mean, that's the thing isthat I wish I knew all the names
that you know, but once youhear them play, once you hear it
, you know this is, this is agreat type of you know musician
that you don't see every day,and I think that you're one of
those people, baron.
When people meet you, you'revery kind and very understated
and you're one of those people,barron, when people meet you,
you're very kind and veryunderstated and you're really
nice and friendly.
When you see you pick up thesax and play, you're just blown
(25:15):
away.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Now I'm going to go down a journey of knowing your
music, but I saw just some clipsof you on Instagram from recent
and you are phenomenal.
I understand about your voicecoming through that sax.
It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
My mother was a singer.
I think I got some of thatvoice from my mother.
Yes, I always practice highnotes.
I can play high notes.
Yes, I hear that all day goingaway up and I could play in the
autism register on this sax upand I could play in the autism
register on this act.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Well, I think that you did end up playing bars, and
you know places that your daddidn't necessarily want you to
be playing at.
I hope that you feel that hewould be impressed with what
you've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm sure he would yes , absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Do you have a Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen story?
We'll take it.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Okay, well, I did play with Bruce Springsteen
story.
We'll take it.
Okay, well, I did play withBruce Springsteen at the
Paramount Theater for the Lightof Day concert with La Bamba Big
Band.
That was so cool.
And then being at Bon Jovi'shouse, what happened was La
Bamba, from Conan, and he usedto play with Springsteen, had a
big band which I was playingwith, which we do the holiday
hurrah with, teamed up withSouthside Johnny, a very known
(26:28):
Jersey singer, to make a tributeto Tom Waits album.
Since Southside was friendswith Bon Jovi, we did it at his
carriage house on his propertyin Middletown, which was really
cool, yeah, and another thingthat I did in New Jersey was,
you know, stevie Wonder used tohave a place in Alpine.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Got to play his daughter's wedding, aisha that
he wrote Isn't she Lovely?
And get to play with her.
And the first song he sang tohis daughter he sang himself and
I was about five feet away fromhim and he sung his heart out
and everybody was crying.
My God, it's that emotional.
But these are the things I'vemet.
(27:06):
You know, people I've got toplay with in Jersey About a
month ago I end up in arecording studio in New Jersey
and I don't know who I'mrecording for, and the Philip
Rose from the Indian from YMCA,it's for him.
It's like wow, I saw that videoof yours.
He lives in New Jersey.
You know these YMCA.
It's for him.
It's like wow, I saw that videoof yours.
(27:27):
He lives in New Jersey.
It's been good for me to livehere.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I know.
I know that's the thing.
I feel like it's been good forme and I feel like it's probably
good for you too, rachel.
I mean, it's a great placebecause you don't have the
pressure of New York City.
It's so much more casual, buteverybody's like toiling away at
their pursuits, you know Well,barron.
Thank you so much for joiningus and sharing with us your
(27:54):
story about music, your musicjourney and your life here in
New Jersey.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I want to come see you live, so.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
I hope you keep us posted.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I posted on my website saxbarroncom
S-A-X-B-A-R-R-O-Ncom.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I post all my public showings.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Okay, we'll put those links in our website too.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
Have a great day, Thanks.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Barron.
This podcast was produced byRachel Martens and Jeanette
Afsharian.
You can find us on Spotify,itunes and Buzzsprout.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
Hey Jeanette, Hi Rachel.
So we just got off a reallygreat interview with Baron
Raymond, who is a musician.
He has also been inducted intothe New York Blues Hall of Fame.
He constantly plays gigs everyweekend around the city and does
recording, and he played forRod Stewart and Gloria Gaynor
(00:22):
and the Blues Brothers.
He tells several stories aboutthe people that he's played with
.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
He's played with legends in the jazz and blues
industry.
He plays a million differentinstruments.
He'll explain.
His main instrument is thesaxophone, but all of the
saxophones, and you'll learn alot in this interview about how
he developed his voice, hissignature sound that you asked
him about.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
So enjoy this interview.
Barron, welcome to Lost inJersey.
So nice to have you on the show.
Thanks for having me.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
I appreciate this, yes.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
So this is Rachel and Rachel, you've never met Barron
, but I know, Barron through myhusband, Roger he, I think,
introduced us years ago when wefirst moved to New Jersey and I
remember he told me that youwere a sax player and then we
went to go see you at a show andblown away with what a great
musician you are.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:17):
Now, rachel is also a musician too, so I don't think
I had told you that she's aclassically trained violinist.
Nice, my father was, and my aclassically trained violinist
Nice.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
My father was, and my great uncle was a violinist.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yes, I was going to ask you about that.
I looked on your Instagram andI saw that wonderful older photo
of extended family and I waswondering about if you could
tell us about that and why youdid not pick the violin.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
My great uncle played with Toscanini in the NBC
Orchestra and my father at somepoint, I think when he was in
high school, lived with UncleAladar and he played violin.
My mother was an opera singer.
They started me on piano when Iwas very young.
I was six years old when Istarted lessons, so they wanted
me to play classical.
My parents definitely wanted meto play classical.
(02:02):
Yes, which I kind of rebelled.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Did you?
I get that Right, I mean Rachelyou also.
You started playing the violinwhen you were a toddler.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
I think, right, yeah, I started Suzuki Method at
three and a half, barron tell usabout yourself.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I think that you play several instruments, right,
Like?
How many instruments do youplay?
Speaker 3 (02:23):
Well, I don't know if I can count off and saxophones
my primary.
I play all the saxophones Iplay flute, clarinet, piccolo
piano.
I started in piano.
I also started when I was atoddler.
There was a school in New Yorkcalled Del Crozi my parents
brought me to just to get mestarted with listening.
What else do I play?
(02:43):
I mean, I can kind of play someof the brass instruments but I
don't consider myself a player.
I can teach it if I want to, tobeginners.
Speaker 2 (02:53):
What's your favorite saxophone to play?
Alto soprano, do you have?
Speaker 3 (02:57):
Known as an alto player, but I play tenor quite a
lot too.
I just did a show in Edison,new Jersey.
It plays in the park, beautifulthe, the Carol King show, and I
had to play flute, uh, clarinet, tenor, sax and baritone sax.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Wow.
So you were, like you were inthe pit orchestra for Beautiful.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I was in the pit.
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Uh, that's so.
It's what a great musical.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
It's a great place to see a show they held up uh,
about 3000 people can come.
It it's outdoors, it's reallynice.
I never knew about it some.
My friend, mark baron, wholives in new jersey, who is also
gloria gainers um musicaldirector, who I've worked with,
he asked me if I would like todo a pit gig, and I don't do
that much pit work and I thought, hey, why not, it'll be a
(03:41):
challenge.
I I have done some broadway.
I did ain't nothing but theblues, but the band was on the
stage and I did, uh, offbroadway love janice, the why
not?
It'll be a challenge.
I have done some Broadway.
I did Ain't Nothing but theBlues, but the band was on the
stage and I did Off-BroadwayLove Janice about Jacqueline,
and that was.
I was on stage too, it wasn'tin the pit.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
It's a very different kind of playing if you're
playing in a pit rather thanwith your band, right.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Yeah, absolutely.
I mean I play, I'm veryversatile.
I went to music school in Texas, which, jeanette, you're from,
it's called University of NorthTexas.
But I learned a lot.
I learned jazz there, but I'mclassically trained and when I
got out of school I ended upplaying with one of the Blues
Brothers on the road and Ilearned to play blues and R&B
(04:23):
and I guess I'm kind of a jazzR&B.
I play rock.
You know, I played with RodStewart, who I met him through a
friend in Nutley where I live.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Really.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
That's how I?
Yeah, so it was New.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Jersey.
How did that go Like he justintroduced you.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
It was great because what happened was I was friends
with Chuck Kentis, who lived inNew Jersey but was playing with
Rod Stewart.
He used to have me come over tohis house to record saxophone
for him on tracks and sometimeswe co-wrote.
We actually got something onRicky Lake Show.
He used to ask me when Rod usedto come to New York to do TV
(04:59):
shows, do you know any musicians?
So it was helping out and I hadbeen the contractor for
musicians in New York and I'mstill am uh, contracting things.
I just contracted something atthe Mahegan Sun with Wayne
Newton, contracted the wholeband.
So that's how I met Rod.
And then eventually whathappened was he needed a horn
section benefit, uh for, uh, um,city of Hope.
(05:23):
So it was through somebody fromNew Jersey that I met Rod
Stewart.
I met a lot of people throughNew Jersey.
I mean I, I was originally aNew Yorker.
New Jersey gave me a lot ofbreaks that I've gotten in my
music career, absolutely yes.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
I want to know that progression of when you went to
you were in a New Yorker andthen you went to Texas to study,
you know, to get your degree.
How did that transition go fromNew Yorker and then you went to
Texas to study to get yourdegree?
How did that transition go fromNew York and then going to
Texas and then back to New York?
Speaker 3 (05:52):
It was frightful at first because my first week down
there in Denton, texas, I wasin the town square.
I was going to buy school booksor whatever I don't remember
stuff A fan.
I needed a fan because my dormdidn't have a fan and it was so
hot and there was a Ku Klux Klanmarch going on and it really
freaked me out.
I'm from New York and I calledmy parents and they're like
(06:16):
don't leave school, stay inschool.
They were just concerned that Ididn't drop out of school.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
So I was like don't pay attention to those crazy
people.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Maybe you know I was telling him maybe I could go to
William Patterson, because thatwas a good jazz school which I
eventually went to get mycertification as a teacher,
which does have a great jazzprogram well known around the
world.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Yes, william Patterson School of Music yes,
but my goodness, what anintroduction to Texas.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Yeah, and the South, yeah, oh, my God.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
But yet you made it through, you did.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Because you know what the school was like its own
entity and there were so manygreat musicians there I met and
we played and I got into themusic and I kind of that was
just once I saw that, but it wasmy first week there, so it was
just like God, you know aftercollege, how did you move into
becoming a professional?
Well, first of all, my fatherwas kind of pushing me to go to
(07:10):
music school because he said Idon't want you end up playing in
bars and grills for the rest ofyour life.
They emphasized reading and Istarted learning how to
transcribe music off of solosfrom all the different
instruments and learn, you know,my basics.
Yeah, it set me up network wisebecause there were so many
musicians in New York and LA andChicago and that went to North
(07:34):
Texas State University.
Still to this day there's guyson Broadway.
One of my friends who lives inNew Jersey plays sax with the
Rolling Stones, tim Reese.
My other friend, matt Bissonette, was playing bass with Elton
John, and it just goes on and on.
And just the preparation, itwas fierce competition.
Honestly, I was stressed a lotbecause the competition was so
(07:58):
stressful, but it did help mefor auditions.
When I came to New York afterschool I went into a couple
auditions where there was acattle call, where there was 100
sax players.
I think one was with ChubbyChecker and they called me
because I got so good atauditioning.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
That's something good to know, because I know a lot
of kids here in our town,montclair, go to school for
musical theater and all that andthe competition, like you said,
is fierce while you're even init, but I guess it really does
prepare you for auditions.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Well, that's what they said at the school.
They said we're preparing you.
This is like the outside world,because there's so many great
musicians here and it's fiercecompetition.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
I remember when I first got there it was like, oh,
I got to really step it up withmy practice.
I would start practicing six toeight hours a day.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
So you go into auditions.
What was your big break?
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I mean I've had a lot of breaks in my career, I guess
you know going on the road withMatt Guitar Murphy.
I was pretty close to being Ijust had done a stint with this
guy in Atlantic City at theSands Hotel.
Jt Bowen, who was a part ofClarence Clemons' band from
Bruce Springsteen's sax player,and Matt Guitar Murphy asked me
to go on the road so I got toplay with Lester Chambers from
(09:12):
the Chamber Brothers and HarveyBrooks.
They had a band together andthey were older than me.
They knew Jimi Hendrix and JimMorrison and they took me in
like when I was in my 20s and Ilet them school me.
They liked my playing but youknow they were teaching me.
Harvey played on Highway 61,bob Dylan, the whole record, and
with Miles Bitches Brew and allthese different famous records.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
It's incredible.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
When you say they schooled you, what kind of
education are you getting there?
That's different from whenyou're getting it in music
school, just curious.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
Well, when I'm in music school.
It's all about scales andtheory.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
And precision.
Precision yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
Technique.
But Harvey was like play like asinger.
You know, when you recordrecords people don't want to
hear.
I mean, some people play likethat, but when you're playing on
a pop song it doesn't make anysense.
If you listen to some of thegreat pop songs, they were very
simple parts and simple solosand I kind of had to unlearn
(10:12):
some of that from north texas,which that's been an issue that
musicians have talked aboutgoing to the music school and
then having to unlearn because,like the beatles they never to
the music school and then havingto because, like the Beatles,
they never went to music schooland they put out beautiful music
.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
I appreciate learning that from you.
I've been learning that overthis long journey of not playing
classical that I I would bringin vibrato for everything and it
just doesn't need it in a lotof the rock songs.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
You know, is there a signature sound that you develop
, or is that something that youdon't want to have when you're
playing with many differentgroups of artists?
Speaker 3 (10:48):
The more I played out , the more I found my voice on
the instruments.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
That takes a while to mature.
I started developing my soundin school because I was
practicing six to eight hours aday and I did some themes for TV
.
I had a friend from North Texas.
He was arguing with his wifebecause I hadn't seen him for
like 25 years and he goes.
That's Baron on that theme onthat TV show.
And then he called me upbecause his wife said how do you
know?
(11:13):
25 years he goes.
I know Baron sound, you knowit's amazing.
And then I called him up and Isaid it was me and he goes.
Speaker 1 (11:19):
I knew that is so impressive.
Speaker 3 (11:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
He was able to pick that out.
And for a person like myself,who's not, like you know, an
expert in you know, jazz oranything, it is a little hard to
tell the difference.
But I'm kind of old school withColtrane, chet Baker, all of
these older people.
I don't know the new ones, butI can tell when you hear their
sound.
You know.
You do know.
I had some things I wanted toask you about, about your
(11:45):
influences, because I'm not upon all of the jazz of today and
the blues of today.
Who are the people that youlook to today, that you think we
should know about?
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Well, I definitely like Joe Bonamassa, the blues
guy out there.
He's great.
I love Steenie Van Zandt.
I don't know if you knew Iplayed with him, filled in on
tour with him, which was great.
This is Chris Potter on sax.
Joshua Renman those type ofpeople are for jazz, are very
influential.
I kind of listened to more ofthe old school R&B guys King
(12:20):
Curtis.
I also am a Coltrane guy.
I love Coltrane.
My parents are actually buriedin the same grave lot as
Coltrane in Long Island and Iactually walked by his grave
looking for my parents' grave.
I thought, oh, I've never seenanother Coltrane, but it was him
.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
There's not like a monument or something there.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
No, it's just a plaque, like my parents, so of
course I wanted to find out if Icould be buried there.
But there's no more plots left.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
There's no more plots left.
My mom is buried in the samegraveyard as Buddy Holly.
Wow yeah, because we're fromTexas, in Lubbock, texas, and
when you drive into the cemeteryyou immediately drive past the
Buddy Holly.
But it's you know, they've doneit up.
It's not like you know, just aplaque, it's like you know
(13:09):
you're passing Buddy Holly's.
So it's kind of cool.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
Talking about Buddy Holly, I actually played the
surf ballroom his last gig inIowa, where he died and the bus
driver brought us where theplane went down.
But there's a booth that hemade his last phone call to his
wife there.
So this was in the 80s.
I think it's still there.
It's called the Surf Ballroom,but it's in the movie.
Speaker 1 (13:30):
Yeah, yeah, Okay, incredible, and I'm going to add
you another story that I get.
I have to tell to you about isthat my aunt's mother was
passing away.
When I went down to Texas a fewyears back and we were all
hanging out in the kitchen,there was two people that were
there with me.
I didn't know who they were.
They were friends of her motherand we were talking and they're
(13:51):
like this is Peggy, hi Peggy,and it was Peggy Sue.
That's Peggy Sue from the BuddyHolly song.
And I was like, oh my God.
So one thing that you did touchon earlier are your stories
with Rod Stewart.
Now I think Roger has told me alittle bit about a couple of
stories about you going on theroad with him.
What was that like?
Speaker 3 (14:09):
They were having all these other artists, like Jewel.
They were going to do all RodStewart songs and surprise him
at the end with Rod Stewart.
Anyway, what happened was thenight before I went to rehearsal
I went out to dinner with Rodand the band and they were going
to have me play just one song.
Some guys have all luck orsomething.
I forgot what it was.
He said welcome to theorchestra.
(14:29):
I'm looking for a blonde femalesax player.
And I said, well, let me thinkabout it.
I mean, I'm friends with CandyDolpher and her dad over in
Holland.
She used to be Prince's saxplayer.
So anyway, the next day I wentin there and they're like Brandy
and all these artists, can youplay flute on this and sax on
this and rehearse on it?
I was just supposed to do onesong and they recorded this.
(14:51):
Rod records all his rehearsalsto hear them, even though he
wasn't there.
This was at SIR in New York,which used to be a big place
that a lot of people used to gorehearse.
And the next morning when Icame in, they were like Rod
really likes how you sounded onthat ballad with Brandy.
And when he came in he goes Iwant to hear Baron with Brandy.
So I said okay, I'll play.
(15:13):
And then afterwards he walked byme and said I want you.
And I was like blonde hair,blue eyes, that's not me.
I thought, yeah, I'm like 41years old and I'm.
I'm not a blonde with blue eyes.
But I guess he was seriousbecause I had to renegotiate the
money, cause after thatrehearsal the musical director
came over and said can you playon Rosie O'Donnell tomorrow?
(15:34):
And I said sure, so I.
But I got to go home andpractice.
I went over to I think it wasNBC Studios and he really liked
my playing.
And after the charity thing hecame over to me and said you're
really great.
And I said no, rod, you are.
I did the human tour and then9-11, a lot of things fell apart
and then he eventually got theblonde.
Speaker 1 (15:54):
Anyways, he finally got the blog back.
Speaker 3 (15:57):
It's okay because I was not doing that much and I
ended up getting into teachingbecause I did go back to when I
moved out to New Jersey toWilliam Patterson to get my
certification as a music teacherand I started teaching
part-time in Bloomfield.
Then Nutley needed somebody andI really liked it.
And now I've been teaching for23 years and I teach at the high
(16:19):
school in Nutley and I love itand I love giving back to kids.
At first when I startedteaching I thought, oh, this is
the end of my music career.
But really the people I'veplayed with since then, like
Levon Helm, the Blues Brothers,gloria Gaynor, stevie Van Zandt
(16:41):
I've been so busy playing withall these you know, I just found
a picture of me playing withDaryl Jones, with the bassist
from Rolling Stones.
This is all while I'm teachingand people can't believe it.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
How is that happening ?
Because as long as I've knownyou, Baron, you're always having
a weekend gig or somethinggoing.
First of all, I don't know howyou have the energy.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
I'm in the middle of doing a project, a record we're
just finishing with two guysfrom la baron von freykenpaul
it's a new band.
I've wrote a bunch of the stufffor the guys and I guess, just
being in the business for 40years and I'm very good at
networking, I've gotten verygood at social media.
Because I was self-employedbefore I taught.
I became a hustler and I stillhustle, not that I want to do
(17:19):
that all the time.
I got to be choosy.
What I want to spend my time,like you know, this record
project.
That's a priority versusplaying a bar, though I do like
playing bars too, because it'smore intimate.
I have passion, I am driven bymusic, I am, I love music, I.
But another reason, I think, isbecause I lived on the road for
(17:39):
so long that I got used to thatpace.
Go, you know, when you're doing40 cities and two and a half
months.
That's a lot of traveling andgetting up and going and having
to play in front of people,being tired and whatever.
I never went for fame, I wentfor being a good musician,
writer.
I was not one to say, oh, I'mgoing to be famous.
(18:01):
I worked with some very famouspeople and, I have to say, being
around, that there's definitelya price they pay.
It's not free.
I remember when I was RodStewart going with his son to a
couple places because Rodcouldn't go there with his son.
He's not going to go intoMcDonald's with his son,
otherwise everybody's going togo chasing after him, as it was
(18:23):
when we went out to restaurants.
People would see him and thenall of a sudden there'd be a
crowd at the bar.
When I first started out withMatt Murphy, it was like the
Blues Brothers.
We had a van and a Cadillac andwe drove everywhere up to
Calgary, all over Texas and Ihad to help move the equipment
and that was pretty rough.
(18:43):
Working with Rod Stewart, I wasstaying at Ritz Carlton's and
Four Seasons and even StevieVins' private jets.
That's nice.
Sure, I'll take that.
Being away from family is noteasy.
I've seen musicians, you know,when their daughter or son's
having a birthday they're cryingbecause daddy's not home and
(19:03):
all that.
It's not an easy life.
Put it that way.
You know I'm not coming homefor three months.
It's not, you know, when youhave family, that's hard.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yeah, you said that you have a record coming out.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
This record I'm doing .
Now it's done.
It's with the band baron vonfrankenpaul.
I met these guys at the namshow, the big convention in in
anaheim, california.
They asked me to play at one ofthe booths there for gear.
I can send you a story about itbecause of I wrote that and um,
we had fun.
(19:38):
And then pa, the bass player,was a record producer too and he
goes let's make a record.
So we started collaboratingover the internet.
First they came to New York andthey said can you get a studio,
baron?
So I went to my friend in theloft in Bronxville, al
Hamburger's studio, and werecorded five songs.
And then Paul had me come outand record in LA.
(20:03):
And we're going to do a releaseparty at the Bitter End in
December 11th.
Yeah, at 9.30, december 11th.
Steve Ferroni I don't know ifyou heard of him is playing
drums.
He was Tom Petty's drummer.
He played with Eric ClaptonDurant.
He's really amazing.
Will Lee from David Lettermanis going to be playing a couple
songs because we're doing a songcalled Cactus that Will Lee
(20:24):
played the original.
So we said why don't we haveWill and I'm friends with Will
and he said, sure, I'll comedown and play that in a Miles
Davis song.
And then we have Lou Marinifrom the Blues Brothers is going
to accompany me on a couplesongs.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Wow, yeah, he's been touring with James.
Speaker 3 (20:41):
It's an all-star group.
Yeah, I feel really blessed.
Emma Dean Rivera is playing andthis great pedal steel guy,
greg McMullen, is going to beplaying on it, but we're excited
about it.
We're in the midst ofcopywriting and watermarking
things and then making chartsand then we're speaking to a
publicist, but that's where weare right now.
(21:07):
That's so exciting, but it'svery exciting.
Learned a lot from paul as arecord producer, I'll have to
say, and he was very open andhe's taught me a lot about
record producing definitely isit that you said that taught you
?
ill like ill, that's the same.
Yeah, he used to live in newyork, way back the industry's
changed so much.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
I mean, I guess you have to like get it out to all
the different distributionchannels, just like you do with
anything.
Now.
Speaker 3 (21:26):
If you're sending it to a radio station, they want a
CD.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
What is the big jazz station in New Jersey?
That-?
Speaker 3 (21:34):
BGO.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
BGO, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
I know Ross and Roland's Kirk wife was working
there volunteering.
My friend from Texas, ericScorsia, organist, who still
lives in Texas, came up and Isaid you want to see WBGO
Because they played some of hismusic.
But right from the Newarkairport we went to WBGO and
there was Ross and Roland Kirk'swife right there and he goes.
Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
But it really is the only jazz station I mean in the
area yeah, it's a great station.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
Yeah, new jersey's known to have an incredible
depth of jazz players.
I that's something that I'vealways heard is that you have no
idea who lives around theseparks, you know, yeah yeah, like
in montclair christian mcbride,andide and Bruce Williams.
Speaker 3 (22:19):
The alto player, steve Turrey, lives in Montclair
, I think at least he used to.
Billy Hart, famous drummer.
I do this Ray Charles tributewhich we're playing at the Blue
Note in November on Thanksgivingweekend.
But Billy lived right acrossthe street and he came in to see
us play and it was like oh wow,billy Hart hart and he was just
(22:40):
like.
He said, no, I just live acrossthe street.
So I heard you guys play that'sso wild.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
I love that we usually wrap up these interviews
with asking your favorite thingthat you love about new jersey,
but I would like to twist thatinto what is your favorite jazz
or club gig places to go to innew jersey.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
Well, I used to love trumpets.
Unfortunately that's not there,but I play at the La Bamba's
Holiday Hurrah.
Every year it was at Stone Pony, which I love.
Playing Stone Pony Last year wedid at the Vogel was really
nice.
I like the Wonder Bar, I likeAsbury Park is kind of cool.
I've played at PNC, my favorite.
Well, I guess Stone Pony iskind of fun.
It's really when that place iscrowded and people are going
(23:25):
crazy.
It's, it's a lot of fun.
So I would say probably stonepony is stone pony.
Speaker 1 (23:30):
What about in new york city?
Is there still a jazz clubthat's kind of the the jazz club
?
Speaker 3 (23:36):
well, there's a lot.
There's still village vanguarddisease, but I like I've been
playing at the blue note withforever ray and I love playing
there.
It's so much fun, I have to saythat's great I would go out of
my way if I can't.
If I have something else goingon to make sure I play there.
Speaker 1 (23:52):
I don't know, Rachel, if you've had probably have
done the crawl of the hiddenjazz clubs there.
I don't know if they're there,but sometimes you'll just
stumble upon a little roomthat's playing jazz.
Is that still something thatyou see, Rachel?
Speaker 2 (24:10):
do you have you seen that?
I haven't, but I haven't beenin the city that much, but I
used to love going to theVillage Vanguard a lot and then
Smoke up all the way up Upper.
West Side was really fun, andthen Smalls.
Speaker 3 (24:19):
Those are great places.
There's other places andBrooklyn and all Shaker Lab.
Yeah, I love going there.
Yeah, that's the amazing thingabout New York.
Back in the 80s, when I livedthere, I walked by a little
place it was a nothing place andthere was a sign there Antonio
Jobin, and I was like are youkidding me?
(24:40):
And there he was.
I went in there and he wasdoing a duo with somebody else.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
You know, I was like oh, in there he was.
I went in there and he wasdoing a duo with somebody else.
You know it's like oh, in newyork something like that would
happen.
I mean, that's the thing isthat I wish I knew all the names
that you know, but once youhear them play, once you hear it
, you know this is, this is agreat type of you know musician
that you don't see every day,and I think that you're one of
those people, baron.
When people meet you, you'revery kind and very understated
and you're one of those people,barron, when people meet you,
you're very kind and veryunderstated and you're really
nice and friendly.
When you see you pick up thesax and play, you're just blown
(25:15):
away.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
Now I'm going to go down a journey of knowing your
music, but I saw just some clipsof you on Instagram from recent
and you are phenomenal.
I understand about your voicecoming through that sax.
It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
My mother was a singer.
I think I got some of thatvoice from my mother.
Yes, I always practice highnotes.
I can play high notes.
Yes, I hear that all day goingaway up and I could play in the
autism register on this sax upand I could play in the autism
register on this act.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Well, I think that you did end up playing bars, and
you know places that your daddidn't necessarily want you to
be playing at.
I hope that you feel that hewould be impressed with what
you've accomplished.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
I'm sure he would yes , absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
Do you have a Bon Jovi or Bruce Springsteen story?
We'll take it.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Okay, well, I did play with Bruce Springsteen
story.
We'll take it.
Okay, well, I did play withBruce Springsteen at the
Paramount Theater for the Lightof Day concert with La Bamba Big
Band.
That was so cool.
And then being at Bon Jovi'shouse, what happened was La
Bamba, from Conan, and he usedto play with Springsteen, had a
big band which I was playingwith, which we do the holiday
hurrah with, teamed up withSouthside Johnny, a very known
(26:28):
Jersey singer, to make a tributeto Tom Waits album.
Since Southside was friendswith Bon Jovi, we did it at his
carriage house on his propertyin Middletown, which was really
cool, yeah, and another thingthat I did in New Jersey was,
you know, stevie Wonder used tohave a place in Alpine.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Got to play his daughter's wedding, aisha that
he wrote Isn't she Lovely?
And get to play with her.
And the first song he sang tohis daughter he sang himself and
I was about five feet away fromhim and he sung his heart out
and everybody was crying.
My God, it's that emotional.
But these are the things I'vemet.
(27:06):
You know, people I've got toplay with in Jersey About a
month ago I end up in arecording studio in New Jersey
and I don't know who I'mrecording for, and the Philip
Rose from the Indian from YMCA,it's for him.
It's like wow, I saw that videoof yours.
He lives in New Jersey.
You know these YMCA.
It's for him.
It's like wow, I saw that videoof yours.
(27:27):
He lives in New Jersey.
It's been good for me to livehere.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
I know.
I know that's the thing.
I feel like it's been good forme and I feel like it's probably
good for you too, rachel.
I mean, it's a great placebecause you don't have the
pressure of New York City.
It's so much more casual, buteverybody's like toiling away at
their pursuits, you know Well,barron.
Thank you so much for joiningus and sharing with us your
(27:54):
story about music, your musicjourney and your life here in
New Jersey.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I want to come see you live, so.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
I hope you keep us posted.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
I posted on my website saxbarroncom
S-A-X-B-A-R-R-O-Ncom.
Speaker 3 (28:11):
I post all my public showings.
Speaker 1 (28:13):
Okay, we'll put those links in our website too.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
Thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
Have a great day, Thanks.
Speaker 2 (28:22):
Barron.
This podcast was produced byRachel Martens and Jeanette
Afsharian.
You can find us on Spotify,itunes and Buzzsprout.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
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