M57 On-Air Urban Salon
Ellen and the M57 team produced 7 podcasts with live music and 30 interviews, including the last interview of the great comedy team Stiller and Meara, Milton Glaser, the artist and co-founder of New York Magazine, musicians from New Orleans and Italy, and other thematic shows.
EPISODE 1
featuring Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller, journalist and culture writer Melik Kaylan, Parisian chanteuse, director, actress and writer Nathalie Schmidt, singer-songwriter Kayte Grace and writer and singer Sheela Raman. Seth Goldman co-hosts and Ellen Kaye co-hosts and performs with Ethan Fein and the M57 Band featuring Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass, Gio Cepeda on drums and guest artist saxophonist Sami Bronowski.
EPISODE 2
Episode 2 begins a tale of two cities as we celebrate the music and culture of New Orleans and New York City. Guests include New York-based vocalist and science fiction bookstore owner Cici James, percussionist and world music pioneer Kevin Nathaniel, who has been playing and building mbiras since 1982, artist and M57 Curator Leah McCloskey. From the Big Easy: New Orleans author of The Gravy; In the Kitchen with New Orleans Musicians and food editor of OffBeat magazine Elsa Hahne, founder and director of the New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation and New Orleans Musicians Clinic, Bethany Ewald Bultman and artist Emilie Rhys, daughter of artist Noel Rockmore. Seth Goldman co-hosts and Ellen Kaye co-hosts and performs with Ethan Fein and the M57 Band featuring Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass and Gio Cepeda on drums.
EPISODE 3
Episode 3 continues our tale of two cities, featuring artists and guests from both New Orleans and New York. Guests include New Orleans born and bred musician John Boutte, Felice Guimont of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, Eva Hurst San-Martin from the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation, and from New York: graphic designer Milton Glaser, fashion designer Lloyd Williams violinist Sandi Billingslea, restaurateur Benlly Polanco of Corcho Wine Room, singer/songwriter Valentin Mesa and singer/songwriter Zeo Munoz. Seth Goldman co-hosts and Ellen Kaye co-hosts and performs with Ethan Fein and the M57 Band featuring Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass and Gio Cepeda on drums.
EPISODE 4
Episode 4 is all about the music, with guests pianist and composer Jed Distler who is the founder and artistic director of the Composers Collaborative, Mabel Mercer Foundation artistic director cabaret performer KT Sullivan and jazz improvisational vocalist Cleve Douglass, who have all known and worked with Ellen and Seth for many years. Seth Goldman co-hosts and Ellen Kaye co-hosts and performs with Jed, Cleve and Ethan Fein and the M57 Band featuring Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass and Gio Cepeda on drums.
EPISODE 5
Episode 5 The M57 On-Air Urban Salon returns with a delight in all things Italian featuring Violinist Daniele Richiedei of Brescia, Italy, Chef Odette Fada, and Italian Vocalist/Composer Miriam Meghnagi. From NYC, we are joined by Entertainer Mark Nadler, Drummer Matt Kane, Guitarist Ryan Blotnick and Improvisational Jazz Vocalist Cleve Douglass.
Special interviews with Iris Dankner and Barbara Schorr of Holiday House Hamptons/ Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Violinist Sandi Billingslea Co-Hosts and performs, Seth Goldman Co-Hosts and Ellen Kaye Co-Hosts and performs with the M57 Band: Musical Director Ethan Fein on guitar, Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass, and Gio Cepeda on drums.
EPISODE 6
Episode 6 is all about the movies, and everyone we feature in this show is a part of that world: Academy Award winner Lee Grant, Robert Osborne the host of Turner Classic Movies, and author Tania Grossinger, who talks about her books, “Growing Up At Grossingers,” “Jackie and Me” and “Memoir of an Independent Woman” and knowing all kinds of people in the biz. We listen to music by composer and singer-songwriter Alfonso Vilallonga, including compositions from his new score from last year's Best Foreign Language Film, the Oscar-nominated "Blancanieves" and songs from his not-yet released album “Frogland.” We play songs from Armenian-American composer Tatev Yeghiazaryan's in-production stop-motion animated film "Off the Wall” and a song from the soundtrack of the film "Rosso Malpello" by Italian composer and vocalist Miriam Meghnagi from the film "Rosso Malpello," as well as several recordings by international opera star, the late Jan Peerce, who appeared in a few movies. Also featured guest saxophone player/comedian Samuel Bronowski joins us at the round table and plays a few tunes with the M57 band. Seth Goldman Co-hosts with Sandi Billingslea and Ellen Kaye who also performs with the M57 Band: Musical Director Ethan Fein on guitar, Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass, Sandi Billingslea on violin and Jamie Eblen on drums.
EPISODE 7
Episode 7 of the M57 On-Air Urban Salon is an omnibus of music and ideas. At the table is comedian Jeff Kreisler, author of “Get Rich Cheating” and restaurant consultant Clark Wolf. We talk about food, politics, the politics of food, economics, and of course, chicken. Recorded on the eve of our heading to New Orleans to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Que Pasa Fest, we hear the music of Alfonso Villalonga from Barcelona, John Boutte from New Orleans, New York-based artists Valentin Mesa and Kayte Grace. We play Frenesi, a classic from Linda Ronstadt. Seth Goldman and Sandi Billingslea co-host and Ellen Kaye hosts and sings with the M57 Band: Ethan Fein, Music Director, guitar and banjo, Benjamin Franklin Brown on bass, Gio Cepeda on drums and Sandi Billingslea on violin.