Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Is there a chance good this be real? What is
this crazy bilingaffe? And I think it might be you
know this well, Dot Pump falling in love with you?
(00:26):
Is there a chance that you could feel us?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I know the holidays are here because the program that
you're listening to right now, Michigan's Big Show starring Michael
Patrick Cheels, is about to be stolen it's official holiday musician.
And last year it was Jennifer Hudson because she had
a new holiday album out.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
This year, the man is sitting with me right now
and he goes by James Judson.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
And I want to say, what an honor it is
that you're launching a new album and you're gonna do
so debuting on the airwaves of thirteen radio stations in
Michigan and streaming and podcasting.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Happy Holidays, James Johnson.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, thank you Mike for having me on. It's an
honor and privileged to be on any radio station. And
I hope your listeners enjoy the new Christmas few songs
that we created. We created a four song EP recently
just for listeners this year, and I have a full
blown jazz album with thirteen songs coming out probably at
(01:28):
the end of January of next year, twenty six. But
I've been working hard on my music and I hope
your listeners enjoy all our Christmas swing songs. The songs
are developed. We use the exact same band that Count
Basie used to play with with Frank Sinatra and when
Quincy was doing some of the producing and for account
(01:50):
Bassie and Frank, So our album are jazz and our
Christmas albums are reminiscent of Frank account Bassie and Quincy Jones.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
That's the orchestra that I saw you performing with during
the recording session in Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yes, exactly. The amazing musicians, all top, top flight musicians,
super talented in their own right, and I feel honored
to even have them on my album.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You know what happens to me.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
We have bumper music, right like, we're going to use
your music all through the holidays, and sometimes the.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Music is so beautiful when we come back from a.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Spot, I'm reticent to talk on top of it because
my voice is an abomination to the beauty of what
those musicians have performed.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
You have pipes, though you've got a really good voice.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I've been blow up blessed with a good vocal since
as a child. My earliest performance was and your Michigan
listeners might know who I'm talking about. I performed with
Frankie Yankvic a couple of different times. It used to
be known as the Poka King and was on Johnny
Knights Johnny Carson's show, and that's when I started. I
(02:57):
remember one time I sang with Frankie and this is
a long time ago, when I made twenty five dollars.
I couldn't believe I made twenty five dollars five years
old for singing with Frankie. So anyway, a lot of
the listeners won't know who I'm speaking of, but no,
I've had a knack of singing my entire life.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Well, you're not a Polish descent, though, are you.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
My grandmother was born in Yugoslavia and my grandfather in Czechoslovakia.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
And then on my dad's side, we're mostly French and German.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, vasolich fienttis the Polish would say, and Frankie Yankovic
would appreciate. And that is a really cool blast from
the past. And that's my sort of next question. When
you when you do holiday songs. We've heard them all
and countless variations from many performers.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
How do you put your spin on it?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well, if you listen to our four songs that you'll play,
they're all a little bit different than anything you've heard before.
We've put a jazz swing. It's definitely a swing to
White Christmas. I'll be home for Christmas. I have a
original song that I'm pretty proud of. It's actually the
title fact to the EP. It's Christmas Eve Tonight, and
(04:07):
that's about an empty nester song of a couple that's
still in love that raise their children. And I think
that'll resonate with a lot of your listeners.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You mean to say, the kids are gone with their
assorted families and now the two of them are left
alone on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, they're left alone and they still have a lot
of fire to burn in their belly. So it's a
swing song as well. And then we did a very
unique and I think a very special version of Silent
Night that will warm your heart. You'll hear the words
and it'll almost it almost makes you want to get
up and dance to Silent Night. Silent Night, traditionally for me,
(04:46):
was always a sad song. Everybody sings it as such,
and I actually got tired of it being that way.
And although I say the same words, sing the same words,
we put a swing to it and it makes you
feel like listen to it and getting up and moving.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Maybe James Judson is the artist we're speaking to now.
He's got a very new EP available with Holiday Music.
It's called It's Christmas Eve Tonight, and you know, I'll
be Home for Christmas is a terribly sad song.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Also it is, and we also made that. When we
were producing that in the studio, one of the sound
engineers said, hey, James, I didn't believe I can't believe this,
but you made I'll be Home for Christmas sound sexy.
So I hope your listeners kind of get that vibe.
It's not as sad as it traditionally is, but you
definitely get the message this man wants to be home,
(05:36):
but he's also young and full of fire, and you know,
I'm having a little more humph to he'll be home
for Christmas.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I never thought about this, but you know, in the
modern era, you could say I'll be home for Christmas
but only in my dreams. Or we could fire up
the Facebook live and get this camera going here right.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And it's true, and I'll be home for Christmas. So
another one similar to Silent Night. It was traditionally sung
slower and somewhat melancholy, but our version doesn't make you
feel that way. We make you feel like a little
happier about I'll be home for Christmas.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It's a mean song because throughout the lyric you hear
I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me,
and then the last line is if only in my dreams.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Well, that song originates from World War Two and it
was actually the most played song during World War Two
and sung by Being Crosby. It was a signature song
for him and a signature song for our country with
so many of our soldiers overseas, so it had a meaning,
(06:45):
I would say, much more than it does today for
most people. But we still capture that. We don't lose
the meaning of a song in our swing swing vibe
of it.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
How do we get your album, It's Christmas Eve Tonight.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well to be released on August. I mean, I'm so sorry,
it's going to be released November twenty eighth, and then
you'll be able to start listening to it on the
DSP's Apple Music Spotify. Every DSP that you turn to,
you'll be able to find James Judson's EP. It's Christmas
(07:20):
Eve tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
You know, it's not ironic that you said August, because
I think we were in that recording studio in August.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Well, I think it was possibly late August or September,
so that we cut the big band sound, yes, right there.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And that's the thing of it, the layer after layer
of putting something like that together that we just get
to go ahead and push a button and enjoy you.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
There's a lot more complication to make in music than
people realize. Live music. None of this is digital. We
never do digital music actually, So every note that you
hear on our album is real musicians, super talented jazz
musicians generally, and I hope your listeners appreciate that effort.
And you do have to work several layers. Some of
(08:02):
the solos, some of the guitar leads are done afterwards
after the big orchestra. Now, in the big days, they
had a big enough studio that the soloists actually played
with the orchestra. But those days are gone now, so
we have the luxury now cutting the main band, the
big band sound, and then we can bring in our
(08:22):
saxophone or our trumpet player layer later and overlay that music.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
James Judson has taken us right behind the curtain, right
into the studio and just very quickly the studio at
which you record on Sunset.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Well, I'm so proud I got invited into Sunset Sound
by the owner, Paul Camarata, who is just an absolutely
amazing individual. I have so much respect for Paul, and
to be in.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
You and Prince and the Beatles and James Judson, and
we'll be right back in a flash James Johnson with
(09:10):
his new holiday album and he's back with us here.
And you know you mentioned just a minute ago. Ai,
by the way, the holiday album it's Christmas Eve tonight,
your original single is on there. The number one holiday
not holiday country song right now on the country list
is all AI.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
It's not a real singer, it's not a real music.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I almost don't want to get out of bed when
I hear that.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Well, I think listeners eventually will not want more AI.
And of course AI can't put up a sound on
a live stage. They're not going to get out in
front of you and say to an audience.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
But they could put someone like Marshmallow, you know, with
a big helmet on, and you never see the person's
real face and they're not really singing anyway. Sometimes the
lip sinking that goes on isn't real performance either.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
It's definitely a threat to the music industry and I
just hate it for, you know, real musicians, real singers,
songwriters to have that enter into our realm. And I
really think it's very important for our government to step
in and start controlling some of the AI artistry that's
been created. Otherwise we're headed down a very dark path.
(10:21):
I'm so proud that we have zero AI on my
album and the next album, and that's just not something
we're going to do. Hopefully the listeners appreciate it. We'll
just have to see what the future unfolds for us.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
James Judson's holiday album and his jazz album's coming soon.
But it's the holidays now, so it's Christmas Eve tonight
and you can get it wherever you get your digital music.
The greatest performance that you've ever seen in person. Because
something motivated you, James Judson, to take your stake in music.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Well, I grew up with the likes of Frank Sinatra,
Naki Ole Rachels. But personally this might blow your listener's
minds through. My greatest live performance I've seen by a
singer was definitely Martina McBride years ago when she came
out with the song about America. I can't remember the
(11:17):
name of it, but her voice was incredible and I
was really taken aback by her performance. But she's still
not my all time favorite contry singer. That's Patsy Kline,
but Martina McBride gentlyin was right there, and my wife
might differ with me on that. And I can never
(11:38):
leave this conversation without mentioning Lady Gaga, who is just
so impressive to me as a musical talent, as a singer,
She's I think at one of the levels that very
few artists at Team Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
You're as old school as Frankie Yankovic and new school
is Lady Gaga. Yeah, by the way, embraced Tony Minnett
very clearly.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Who's playing on the house system.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Right now, Well, Tony Bennett. I forgot to mention him.
He was right there with Frank and Ray Charles and
Nak and Cole. Tony Bennett's been a wonderful voice. Of course,
him and Lady Gaga did that duet album and it
was just absolutely fantastic. And I do have a song
on my jazz album. The second song is a cover,
one of only two, and it's pretty well made famous
(12:23):
by Tony Bennett, the shotow of your Smile, and we
do a unique version of that, and I think it's
a really good, great version of it.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Actually, do you sing in the shower all the time?
We're all singers in the shower, are we?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah? I sing a lot in the showers. Because most
of my music that I write comes between three and
four am in the mornings. I almost never write during
the day. I'm very unique that way. The music comes
during dreams and the words, most of the keywords, sometimes
almost all the words arrive in a dream. I immediately
(12:58):
get up, I write the words down, sing, and then
we're off to the races to make the song.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
James Judson his album available right now is It's Christmas
Eve Tonight. It's a gift to all of us and
it is the official holiday music for twenty twenty five
of Michigan's Big Show. Last year, it was Jennifer Hudson.
She has a whale of a voice. Didn't even win
American Idol, but is now an Egot winner.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Where did you grow up? And you know what seasoned
you and cultured you? James Judson.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Well, in my early years was a small mining town,
coal mining town in Erie, Colorado, which is located about
fifteen miles due east of Boulder, Colorado. And I used
to be a little bit take a shamed to say
that I came from a coal mining family, announced one
of the more prouder things I could say.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And I only worked for the coal miner's daughter, didn't it?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
It sure did. And I grew up with polka music
all of my young young life, and as I grew
into teenagers, I had a couple of great rock bands
that so there would be weekends I played rock music
and then the next night I'd be somewhere playing poke music.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
You know, my mother's going to be so happy to
hear this.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
She's eighty two years old, and she had Johnny Sadrak
and the radio always going with the polka music.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
And they were toe tappers for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah, my mother was the same way. She used to
watch Big Joe's Poke show relentlessly in heaven.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
There is no beer? And who Stole the Keishka?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
That's funny mentioned who Stole the Kishka? We were just
out of Jewish Delli here and Los Angeles and we
were laughing at it. I was miss some of my friends.
I said, Hey, have you ever heard who Stole the Kishka?
And they said they thought I was lying? So I
got on Spotify and played Frank Yak and then who Stole.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
My uncle Paul Dropchick had a polka band that he
did a song called the Polish Go Go And I
tell you what, I still have it and I you know,
he's this was decades ago. I said, this thing could
go viral because it's so unique.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
The Polish Go Go Ah.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Send it to you, maybe we can make a deal.
But with a minute ago, the way we were to
me is the most emotional song I've ever heard, and
I've suggested that to people. For you, what is the
one that makes you stop in your tracks?
Speaker 1 (15:13):
James Judson, that's easy. I actually have two on my
new album. It's Stars Past the Milky Way, which came
from a dream again and it's actually about It's a
very happy, uplifting song. In melody, and the lyrics are
(15:34):
kind of uplifting that it's really about dying, it's really
about being dead and in heaven. And then the song
that probably is I should say my number one is
probably the very last song on the album, is called
On and On, and I loved making that song because
it's just a guitar, a piano on my vocal and
(15:55):
Tim Sonefeld, my producer, told Steve Cotter, who's a world
famous jazz guitarist, and my keyboard player Gary Matsumoto. They go, Steve,
you're gonna start the song and then you're gonna You
guys are just gonna follow Jim and I didn't want
to let any of these great jazz musicians down, so
I went into the vocal booth, Steve went out into
(16:17):
the live room, Gary went into the piano booth, and
we started playing this song and it immediately was unbelievably great.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
James Judson and you can find him wherever you find music,
and on this program, Happy Holidays.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Happy Holidays, Mike the shadow, You're smile.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
As it always happens.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
And I'm sure Larry King found it the same way.
The small talk that happens after the interview is sometimes
they're richest. You didn't tell me that Frankie Yankovic stayed
with your relatives, saying number he was the frank Sinadro
of Polish music?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Was he was?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He was?
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He like, oh, he was the Polka king? He was?
Speaker 3 (17:07):
But was he a wild man? Was he quiet?
Speaker 1 (17:09):
No? He wasn't wild at all. He was very polished.
Frankie Ankovic was a very polished class act and I
still remember wow. And his hair was always perfect. He
was always dressed the part and he played the accordion
of course fabulous. And uh that's how I got to
sing with him, because he stayed with my aunt and
uncle when he'd come to town.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Does a recording exist?
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Uh, you know, we're having drinks. I I don't think. Uh, sadly,
you know, back in the day, there weren't a lot
of family. No, there weren't a lot of cameras, and
there might there's some. I think we have some photographs maybe,
but no video. Zero video.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
You might laugh.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
But I took accordion lessons when I was a kid
and I was in an accordion band. Al Truskowski was
to show up once a week and give me the lessons.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Well, guess what, I have a small miniature accordion. Myself
and my sister took lessons and study and I got
so tired of her playing Lady of Spain.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Accordion again, Spanish Eyes was Spanish a great song, but
I was based on accordion music, if you can believe it. Well,
Tom Izzoh, the Michigan State basketball coach, brings his accordion
out once a year for a holiday show and the
players come and they sing and he he, I mean
he opened up the box and it was just like
my second grade boxing where the sheet music is still
(18:37):
in the bottom of it.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Well, your Michigan listeners will like this because I'm a
University Colorado buff gut. But when it's big ten time,
I'm a Michigan State fan. So tom Rizzo is a
big girl of mine.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, I'm not sure, because they would beat Ohio State
and Michigan on occasion.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
And I freaking love like the underdog.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I like the underdog. University Colorade has been an underdog
for thirty years. Now.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Well there you have it. When you come to Michigan. Well,
you'll have to do a show or something will get
you set up.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Oh for sure, yeah, we plan to start touring soon.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Okay, you don't have to wait though, Get the album
right now wherever you get music.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
James Judson. That's on Christmas Eve tonight.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
What was Far
Is there a chance good this be real? What is
this crazy bilingaffe? And I think it might be you
know this well, Dot Pump falling in love with you?
(00:26):
Is there a chance that you could feel us?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I know the holidays are here because the program that
you're listening to right now, Michigan's Big Show starring Michael
Patrick Cheels, is about to be stolen it's official holiday musician.
And last year it was Jennifer Hudson because she had
a new holiday album out.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
This year, the man is sitting with me right now
and he goes by James Judson.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
And I want to say, what an honor it is
that you're launching a new album and you're gonna do
so debuting on the airwaves of thirteen radio stations in
Michigan and streaming and podcasting.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
Happy Holidays, James Johnson.
Speaker 1 (01:07):
Well, thank you Mike for having me on. It's an
honor and privileged to be on any radio station. And
I hope your listeners enjoy the new Christmas few songs
that we created. We created a four song EP recently
just for listeners this year, and I have a full
blown jazz album with thirteen songs coming out probably at
(01:28):
the end of January of next year, twenty six. But
I've been working hard on my music and I hope
your listeners enjoy all our Christmas swing songs. The songs
are developed. We use the exact same band that Count
Basie used to play with with Frank Sinatra and when
Quincy was doing some of the producing and for account
(01:50):
Bassie and Frank, So our album are jazz and our
Christmas albums are reminiscent of Frank account Bassie and Quincy Jones.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
That's the orchestra that I saw you performing with during
the recording session in Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
Yes, exactly. The amazing musicians, all top, top flight musicians,
super talented in their own right, and I feel honored
to even have them on my album.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You know what happens to me.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
We have bumper music, right like, we're going to use
your music all through the holidays, and sometimes the.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Music is so beautiful when we come back from a.
Speaker 2 (02:25):
Spot, I'm reticent to talk on top of it because
my voice is an abomination to the beauty of what
those musicians have performed.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
You have pipes, though you've got a really good voice.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I've been blow up blessed with a good vocal since
as a child. My earliest performance was and your Michigan
listeners might know who I'm talking about. I performed with
Frankie Yankvic a couple of different times. It used to
be known as the Poka King and was on Johnny
Knights Johnny Carson's show, and that's when I started. I
(02:57):
remember one time I sang with Frankie and this is
a long time ago, when I made twenty five dollars.
I couldn't believe I made twenty five dollars five years
old for singing with Frankie. So anyway, a lot of
the listeners won't know who I'm speaking of, but no,
I've had a knack of singing my entire life.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Well, you're not a Polish descent, though, are you.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
My grandmother was born in Yugoslavia and my grandfather in Czechoslovakia.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
And then on my dad's side, we're mostly French and German.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Well, vasolich fienttis the Polish would say, and Frankie Yankovic
would appreciate. And that is a really cool blast from
the past. And that's my sort of next question. When
you when you do holiday songs. We've heard them all
and countless variations from many performers.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
How do you put your spin on it?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Well, if you listen to our four songs that you'll play,
they're all a little bit different than anything you've heard before.
We've put a jazz swing. It's definitely a swing to
White Christmas. I'll be home for Christmas. I have a
original song that I'm pretty proud of. It's actually the
title fact to the EP. It's Christmas Eve Tonight, and
(04:07):
that's about an empty nester song of a couple that's
still in love that raise their children. And I think
that'll resonate with a lot of your listeners.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You mean to say, the kids are gone with their
assorted families and now the two of them are left
alone on Christmas Eve.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Yeah, they're left alone and they still have a lot
of fire to burn in their belly. So it's a
swing song as well. And then we did a very
unique and I think a very special version of Silent
Night that will warm your heart. You'll hear the words
and it'll almost it almost makes you want to get
up and dance to Silent Night. Silent Night, traditionally for me,
(04:46):
was always a sad song. Everybody sings it as such,
and I actually got tired of it being that way.
And although I say the same words, sing the same words,
we put a swing to it and it makes you
feel like listen to it and getting up and moving.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
Maybe James Judson is the artist we're speaking to now.
He's got a very new EP available with Holiday Music.
It's called It's Christmas Eve Tonight, and you know, I'll
be Home for Christmas is a terribly sad song.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Also it is, and we also made that. When we
were producing that in the studio, one of the sound
engineers said, hey, James, I didn't believe I can't believe this,
but you made I'll be Home for Christmas sound sexy.
So I hope your listeners kind of get that vibe.
It's not as sad as it traditionally is, but you
definitely get the message this man wants to be home,
(05:36):
but he's also young and full of fire, and you know,
I'm having a little more humph to he'll be home
for Christmas.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
I never thought about this, but you know, in the
modern era, you could say I'll be home for Christmas
but only in my dreams. Or we could fire up
the Facebook live and get this camera going here right.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
And it's true, and I'll be home for Christmas. So
another one similar to Silent Night. It was traditionally sung
slower and somewhat melancholy, but our version doesn't make you
feel that way. We make you feel like a little
happier about I'll be home for Christmas.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
It's a mean song because throughout the lyric you hear
I'll be home for Christmas, you can count on me,
and then the last line is if only in my dreams.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Well, that song originates from World War Two and it
was actually the most played song during World War Two
and sung by Being Crosby. It was a signature song
for him and a signature song for our country with
so many of our soldiers overseas, so it had a meaning,
(06:45):
I would say, much more than it does today for
most people. But we still capture that. We don't lose
the meaning of a song in our swing swing vibe
of it.
Speaker 3 (06:56):
How do we get your album, It's Christmas Eve Tonight.
Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well to be released on August. I mean, I'm so sorry,
it's going to be released November twenty eighth, and then
you'll be able to start listening to it on the
DSP's Apple Music Spotify. Every DSP that you turn to,
you'll be able to find James Judson's EP. It's Christmas
(07:20):
Eve tonight.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
You know, it's not ironic that you said August, because
I think we were in that recording studio in August.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Well, I think it was possibly late August or September,
so that we cut the big band sound, yes, right there.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
And that's the thing of it, the layer after layer
of putting something like that together that we just get
to go ahead and push a button and enjoy you.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
There's a lot more complication to make in music than
people realize. Live music. None of this is digital. We
never do digital music actually, So every note that you
hear on our album is real musicians, super talented jazz
musicians generally, and I hope your listeners appreciate that effort.
And you do have to work several layers. Some of
(08:02):
the solos, some of the guitar leads are done afterwards
after the big orchestra. Now, in the big days, they
had a big enough studio that the soloists actually played
with the orchestra. But those days are gone now, so
we have the luxury now cutting the main band, the
big band sound, and then we can bring in our
(08:22):
saxophone or our trumpet player layer later and overlay that music.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
James Judson has taken us right behind the curtain, right
into the studio and just very quickly the studio at
which you record on Sunset.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
Well, I'm so proud I got invited into Sunset Sound
by the owner, Paul Camarata, who is just an absolutely
amazing individual. I have so much respect for Paul, and
to be in.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
You and Prince and the Beatles and James Judson, and
we'll be right back in a flash James Johnson with
(09:10):
his new holiday album and he's back with us here.
And you know you mentioned just a minute ago. Ai,
by the way, the holiday album it's Christmas Eve tonight,
your original single is on there. The number one holiday
not holiday country song right now on the country list
is all AI.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
It's not a real singer, it's not a real music.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
I almost don't want to get out of bed when
I hear that.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Well, I think listeners eventually will not want more AI.
And of course AI can't put up a sound on
a live stage. They're not going to get out in
front of you and say to an audience.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
But they could put someone like Marshmallow, you know, with
a big helmet on, and you never see the person's
real face and they're not really singing anyway. Sometimes the
lip sinking that goes on isn't real performance either.
Speaker 1 (10:01):
It's definitely a threat to the music industry and I
just hate it for, you know, real musicians, real singers,
songwriters to have that enter into our realm. And I
really think it's very important for our government to step
in and start controlling some of the AI artistry that's
been created. Otherwise we're headed down a very dark path.
(10:21):
I'm so proud that we have zero AI on my
album and the next album, and that's just not something
we're going to do. Hopefully the listeners appreciate it. We'll
just have to see what the future unfolds for us.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
James Judson's holiday album and his jazz album's coming soon.
But it's the holidays now, so it's Christmas Eve tonight
and you can get it wherever you get your digital music.
The greatest performance that you've ever seen in person. Because
something motivated you, James Judson, to take your stake in music.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Well, I grew up with the likes of Frank Sinatra,
Naki Ole Rachels. But personally this might blow your listener's
minds through. My greatest live performance I've seen by a
singer was definitely Martina McBride years ago when she came
out with the song about America. I can't remember the
(11:17):
name of it, but her voice was incredible and I
was really taken aback by her performance. But she's still
not my all time favorite contry singer. That's Patsy Kline,
but Martina McBride gentlyin was right there, and my wife
might differ with me on that. And I can never
(11:38):
leave this conversation without mentioning Lady Gaga, who is just
so impressive to me as a musical talent, as a singer,
She's I think at one of the levels that very
few artists at Team Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
You're as old school as Frankie Yankovic and new school
is Lady Gaga. Yeah, by the way, embraced Tony Minnett
very clearly.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
Who's playing on the house system.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Right now, Well, Tony Bennett. I forgot to mention him.
He was right there with Frank and Ray Charles and
Nak and Cole. Tony Bennett's been a wonderful voice. Of course,
him and Lady Gaga did that duet album and it
was just absolutely fantastic. And I do have a song
on my jazz album. The second song is a cover,
one of only two, and it's pretty well made famous
(12:23):
by Tony Bennett, the shotow of your Smile, and we
do a unique version of that, and I think it's
a really good, great version of it.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
Actually, do you sing in the shower all the time?
We're all singers in the shower, are we?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah? I sing a lot in the showers. Because most
of my music that I write comes between three and
four am in the mornings. I almost never write during
the day. I'm very unique that way. The music comes
during dreams and the words, most of the keywords, sometimes
almost all the words arrive in a dream. I immediately
(12:58):
get up, I write the words down, sing, and then
we're off to the races to make the song.
Speaker 2 (13:03):
James Judson his album available right now is It's Christmas
Eve Tonight. It's a gift to all of us and
it is the official holiday music for twenty twenty five
of Michigan's Big Show. Last year, it was Jennifer Hudson.
She has a whale of a voice. Didn't even win
American Idol, but is now an Egot winner.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
Where did you grow up? And you know what seasoned
you and cultured you? James Judson.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Well, in my early years was a small mining town,
coal mining town in Erie, Colorado, which is located about
fifteen miles due east of Boulder, Colorado. And I used
to be a little bit take a shamed to say
that I came from a coal mining family, announced one
of the more prouder things I could say.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
And I only worked for the coal miner's daughter, didn't it?
Speaker 1 (13:48):
It sure did. And I grew up with polka music
all of my young young life, and as I grew
into teenagers, I had a couple of great rock bands
that so there would be weekends I played rock music
and then the next night I'd be somewhere playing poke music.
Speaker 3 (14:07):
You know, my mother's going to be so happy to
hear this.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
She's eighty two years old, and she had Johnny Sadrak
and the radio always going with the polka music.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
And they were toe tappers for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Yeah, my mother was the same way. She used to
watch Big Joe's Poke show relentlessly in heaven.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
There is no beer? And who Stole the Keishka?
Speaker 1 (14:28):
That's funny mentioned who Stole the Kishka? We were just
out of Jewish Delli here and Los Angeles and we
were laughing at it. I was miss some of my friends.
I said, Hey, have you ever heard who Stole the Kishka?
And they said they thought I was lying? So I
got on Spotify and played Frank Yak and then who Stole.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
My uncle Paul Dropchick had a polka band that he
did a song called the Polish Go Go And I
tell you what, I still have it and I you know,
he's this was decades ago. I said, this thing could
go viral because it's so unique.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
The Polish Go Go Ah.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Send it to you, maybe we can make a deal.
But with a minute ago, the way we were to
me is the most emotional song I've ever heard, and
I've suggested that to people. For you, what is the
one that makes you stop in your tracks?
Speaker 1 (15:13):
James Judson, that's easy. I actually have two on my
new album. It's Stars Past the Milky Way, which came
from a dream again and it's actually about It's a
very happy, uplifting song. In melody, and the lyrics are
(15:34):
kind of uplifting that it's really about dying, it's really
about being dead and in heaven. And then the song
that probably is I should say my number one is
probably the very last song on the album, is called
On and On, and I loved making that song because
it's just a guitar, a piano on my vocal and
(15:55):
Tim Sonefeld, my producer, told Steve Cotter, who's a world
famous jazz guitarist, and my keyboard player Gary Matsumoto. They go, Steve,
you're gonna start the song and then you're gonna You
guys are just gonna follow Jim and I didn't want
to let any of these great jazz musicians down, so
I went into the vocal booth, Steve went out into
(16:17):
the live room, Gary went into the piano booth, and
we started playing this song and it immediately was unbelievably great.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
James Judson and you can find him wherever you find music,
and on this program, Happy Holidays.
Speaker 1 (16:29):
Happy Holidays, Mike the shadow, You're smile.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
As it always happens.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
And I'm sure Larry King found it the same way.
The small talk that happens after the interview is sometimes
they're richest. You didn't tell me that Frankie Yankovic stayed
with your relatives, saying number he was the frank Sinadro
of Polish music?
Speaker 3 (17:03):
Was he was?
Speaker 2 (17:03):
He was?
Speaker 1 (17:04):
He like, oh, he was the Polka king? He was?
Speaker 3 (17:07):
But was he a wild man? Was he quiet?
Speaker 1 (17:09):
No? He wasn't wild at all. He was very polished.
Frankie Ankovic was a very polished class act and I
still remember wow. And his hair was always perfect. He
was always dressed the part and he played the accordion
of course fabulous. And uh that's how I got to
sing with him, because he stayed with my aunt and
uncle when he'd come to town.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Does a recording exist?
Speaker 1 (17:32):
Uh, you know, we're having drinks. I I don't think. Uh, sadly,
you know, back in the day, there weren't a lot
of family. No, there weren't a lot of cameras, and
there might there's some. I think we have some photographs maybe,
but no video. Zero video.
Speaker 3 (17:54):
You might laugh.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
But I took accordion lessons when I was a kid
and I was in an accordion band. Al Truskowski was
to show up once a week and give me the lessons.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Well, guess what, I have a small miniature accordion. Myself
and my sister took lessons and study and I got
so tired of her playing Lady of Spain.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Accordion again, Spanish Eyes was Spanish a great song, but
I was based on accordion music, if you can believe it. Well,
Tom Izzoh, the Michigan State basketball coach, brings his accordion
out once a year for a holiday show and the
players come and they sing and he he, I mean
he opened up the box and it was just like
my second grade boxing where the sheet music is still
(18:37):
in the bottom of it.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
Well, your Michigan listeners will like this because I'm a
University Colorado buff gut. But when it's big ten time,
I'm a Michigan State fan. So tom Rizzo is a
big girl of mine.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, I'm not sure, because they would beat Ohio State
and Michigan on occasion.
Speaker 3 (18:55):
And I freaking love like the underdog.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
I like the underdog. University Colorade has been an underdog
for thirty years. Now.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Well there you have it. When you come to Michigan. Well,
you'll have to do a show or something will get
you set up.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Oh for sure, yeah, we plan to start touring soon.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Okay, you don't have to wait though, Get the album
right now wherever you get music.
Speaker 3 (19:17):
James Judson. That's on Christmas Eve tonight.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
What was Far
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