The Legacy of John Williams Podcast

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden With Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino As promised during his latest talk, GRAMMY-nominated soundtrack producer Mike Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to discuss more about the historical 50th anniversary soundtrack edition of Jaws, but also to present another archival reissue from John Williams' catalogue: the suspenseful score for the 1977 thriller Black Sunday, finally back in print in a newly remastered edition courtesy of La-La Land Records. Matessino also takes the chance to comment about his involvement in John Williams - The Anthology, a lavish retrospective boxset from Sony Classical whose first volume has been released last July. In this new conversation, Mike Matessino goes further in the depth of his restoration work for the Jaws 50th Anniversary soundtrack, addressing both the challenges and the joys of this venture; after that, he talks about his remastering of Williams' tense score for Black Sunday, for which he also offers a new assessement on its artistic value. The talk is rounded off with commentary on the John Williams Anthology boxset and a tribute to Kurt-Hans Goedicke, former legendary Principal Timpani of the London Symphony Orchestra, who recently passed away and whose epic and formidable sound graced classic Williams scores recorded in London including the original Star Wars trilogy, Superman, Dracula, Raiders of the Lost Ark. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2025/09/16/soundtrack-spotlight-jaws50-black-sunday-jw-anthology/

LA-based arts journalist sits down to talk about the path that led him to write the first major biography on John Williams and his lifelong love for the music of the Maestro Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Edited and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto John Williams: A Composer's Life is the first major biography in English language on the legendary American composer, authored by Los Angeles-based writer Tim Greiving and published by Oxford University Press (release date is September 2, 2025). The 640-page book is an engaging overview on the life and career of the renowned composer, a comprehensive retrospective of a musician who defined the sound of movies for at least two generations of filmgoers and whose body of work is among the most well known of the modern era, going beyond its mere function as musical accompaniment to a film and becoming a revered object in itself. Yet the man has remained very private all throughout his career and while he became a beloved public figure, he kept his personal life very far from the spotlight. Through unique access to the composer himself and many of his longtime collaborators, friends, and family members, Greiving offers an exhaustive portrait of the man behind the genius, accurately chronicling his entire life and the incredible career trajectory that led him to become "the Maestro of the Movies." Tim Greiving sits down with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about his lifelong love for John Williams' music, his quest in bringing the first biography on the Maestro to life, the thorough learning process he went through when meeting and talking with his idol and the weight of the daunting task he chose. Read more at The Legacy of John Williams: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2025/07/16/tim-greiving-podcast/ Pre-order John Williams: A Composer's Life on Oxford University Press: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/john-williams-9780197620885 Tim Greiving's official website: https://timgreiving.com/ Follow Tim Greiving's Substack Behind The Moon: https://behindthemoon.substack.com/

Hosted by Tim Burden and Maurizio Caschetto Produced and Edited by Tim Burden “From legendary composer John Williams, a soundtrack so incredible it was recorded twice…”   On the heels of the celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of Steven Spielberg's blockbuster classic Jaws, Universal Studios and Universal Music Enterprises presents new remastered releases of the masterful score composed by John Williams. The plural is not a typo because both the original film score and the soundtrack album recording are being newly reissued in brand-new editions restored, remixed and remastered by GRAMMY-nominated producer Mike Matessino for digital, vinyl and CD releases. Soundtrack producer Mike Matessino comes back on The Legacy of John Williams podcast to offer a first round of commentary and illustrating the details of the various releases of the Jaws 50th Anniversary, while also assessing the importance of the score in John Williams' career and further elaborating on the differences between the original film score and the soundtrack album recording.   Visit Jaws50Music.com for more information. JAWS™ & ©1975 Universal City Studios LLLP   thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com

Listen to a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music Hosted by Tim Burden What are the best re-recordings of John Williams’ music by other conductors? Star Wars is famously one of the most re-recorded pieces of music in the world, yet there are so much more John Williams re-recordings by many top conductors which deserves a bit of recognition. Join The Legacy of John Williams Head Contributor Tim Burden in a fascinating journey showcasing highlights and curiosities from over 50 years of re-recordings of John Williams’ music—from the superb readings by Charles Gerhardt and Zubin Mehta to the recent vibrant recordings by Gustavo Dudamel, including some fun and unexpected oddities in-between. If you want to dig deeper on the subject, read the in-depth essay by Editor Maurizio Caschetto chronicling the history of John Williams’ re-recordings.  

Producer Mike Matessino returns to talk about the remastered and expanded reissues of two riveting Americana scores by Maestro John Williams Hosted by Tim Burden and Maurizio Caschetto Special Guest: John Takis 2025 began with two long-awaited archival reissues of John Williams’ scores: The Reivers (from La-La Land Records) and The Patriot (from Intrada). Both are presented in fully remastered and expanded presentations by GRAMMY-nominated soundtrack producer Mike Matessino, finally giving fans of Maestro Williams the chance to rediscover two masterworks from the composer’s catalogue. The scores also presents the occasion to observe the evolution of Williams’ voice when writing music for American-themed subjects, a recurring motif in his career. Producer Mike Matessino returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast together with film music writer John Takis to discuss these two milestone releases from John Williams’ filmography, offering commentary and reflections about how the two scores sit in the composer’s canon and their specific nature as part of Williams’ exploration of the American sound. A special tribute to Intrada’s late founder and producer Douglass Fake is included at the end of the episode. Special Thanks to Roger Feigelson, Jeff Johnson (Intrada) and MV Gerhard, Matt Verboys (La-La Land Records). Read more at thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com

Intrada Records announced the release of a newly expanded and remastered soundtrack 3-CD limited edition of John Williams' triumphant score for The Patriot, the historical epic drama from 2000 directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Mel Gibson as a hero of the American Revolution. The Academy Award-nominated score by Maestro Williams is a powerful, ambitious work full of stirring emotions enhancing the rousing adventure aspect of the film, but also replete with lyrical moments accompanying the inner feelings of the characters, including tender folk-like violin solos by Mark O'Connor. The score has plenty to offer in terms of themes and leitmotifs: a sonorous Americana theme and fanfare-like material for main hero Benjamin Martin; a gorgeous love theme for the characters of Anne and Gabriel; a haunting trumpet solo echoing Benjamin's traumatic war memories; plus a handful of secondary motifs. Williams also addresses the period in which the film takes place with authentic fife-and-drum music. The new soundtrack release is mastered, edited and produced for Intrada by Mike Matessino and presents the complete film presentation of Williams' score on Disc 1 and 2, plus a solid selection of alternate cues and a generous selection of source music tracks, including several composed by John Williams (got to thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com for the full track listing). A remastered presentation of the original Hollywood Records soundtrack album from 2000 rounds off the third disc. The 3-CD set also features a colorful booklet with film stills and in-depth liner notes by John Takis. The release will be available to order starting January 20th at Intrada.com and will begin shipping immediately afterwards. Intrada has graciously allowed The Legacy of John Williams to present an exclusive preview of this magnificent new release, hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden, including a full unreleased track ("The Defeat At Charleston"). Special Thanks to Roger Feigelson and Jeff Johnson at Intrada, Mike Matessino and John Takis.  

Hosted by Tim Burden, Maurizio Caschetto, Mike Matessino Featuring Special Guests Jon Burlingame, Jeff Bond, Neil Bulk, Deniz Cordell, Annie Pasqua, Miguel Andrade, Jason LeBlanc, John Takis Sing a song for the glorious season! The Legacy of John Williams presents a special Christmas episode of its podcast series to celebrate the music of the Maestro during this magical, lyrical time of the year together with friends and a few esteemed guests, a sort of Christmas party with people gathering to exchange wishes and reminiscing what made us fall in love with John Williams’s music when we were kids. For this occasion, Mike Matessino joins Tim Burden and Maurizio Caschetto as co-host of the talk. Kicking off the festivities is journalist, author and lecturer Jon Burlingame, USA’s leading writer on the subject of music for films and television. Burlingame has interviewed John Williams many times over the years, becoming friendly with the composer and chronicling with accurate reporting the many milestones of his career.  The talk continues with another renowned authority on film music: author and writer Jeff Bond. Joining  afterwards are several first-time guests on the podcast: New York-based musicians Deniz Cordell and Annie Pasqua, soundtrack producer Neil Bulk and LOJW Contributing Writer Miguel Andrade. Returning guests Jason LeBlanc and John Takis round off the table of this special Christmas episode. It’s time to grab your favourite Holiday drink, sit down in the comfort of your chair, put the headphones on and feel that gingerbread feeling while listening to this cheerful conversation among friends and connoisseurs sharing their love for John Williams’s music and going somewhere in their memory to tell about how it all began. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/12/23/podcast-christmas-special/

Principal Percussion of the London Symphony Orchestra talks about playing for John Williams on such film scores as the Star Wars prequels, Harry Potter and also in several live performances. When it comes to the world of percussion in the orchestral canon, very few musicians in the world can bring to the table the same level of expertise, knowledge and mastery as Neil Percy, the Principal Percussion of the London Symphony Orchestra since 1990 and Head of Timpani and Percussion at the Royal Academy of Music since 2000. Neil performed in more than 150 film soundtracks, working with such composers as John Williams, James Horner, Patrick Doyle, Trevor Jones and Alexandre Desplat with their music for films such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Braveheart, Notting Hill, Twilight: New Moon and Unbroken, to name a very few. His experiences with John Williams are among Neil’s most cherished memories of playing with the LSO, as he matured a sincere love for the Maestro’s music over the years. In this conversation, Neil Percy sits down with The Legacy of John Williams to talk about his career in music, the fulfilling of his dream of being part of the LSO and his many memories of playing for John Williams on such film scores as Star Wars and Harry Potter, and also on several studio recordings conducted by the Maestro, offering his unique perspective as a percussion player. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/11/29/neil-percy-podcast/

Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Featuring Mike Matessino As part of its ongoing podcast series, The Legacy of John Williams presents an exclusive interview with Laurent Bouzereau, the director of Music By John Williams, the documentary film dedicated to the life and career of John Williams, now available for streaming on Disney+. Produced by Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard among others, Music By John Williams presents the life's story of the legendary composer, who himself sits in front of the camera to recollect and reminisces the numerous highlights of his incredible career, with many of his closest friends and collaborators offering stories and insight about his timeless music. Laurent sits down with The Legacy of John Williams for an in-depth talk about the honour and the responsibility of creating the first documentary film on John Williams, his lifelong love for the Maestro's music, the challenges he faced throughout the production and why he made the film thinking about future generations. Joining the conversation is archival soundtrack producer Mike Matessino, who also worked as Music Consultant on Music By John Williams. Special Thanks to Rebecca Bass and Raegan Cutrino at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for their kind help and assistance.   Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/11/18/laurent-bouzereau-podcast/

Tommy Tedesco (1930-1997) was an American guitarist who worked for almost 40 years and had one of the greatest careers as a studio musician in Los Angeles and Hollywood. He performed on a gazillion of recording dates, including thousands of film and television scoring sessions for virtually all the major film composers in Hollywood. Tedesco was part of an unofficial collective of studio musicians labeled as "The Wrecking Crew," who performed (often uncredited) on an impressive amount of recordings for pop and rock artists between the late 1950s and the early 1980s, including such big stars as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, The Beach Boys, The Mamas & The Papas, Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand, Nancy Sinatra, The 5th Dimension, The Byrds, and many others. In this episode of the "L.A. Studio Legends" series, producer and director Denny Tedesco talks about the extraordinary career of his father Tommy, from his early days as a young guitar player to the peak years of The Wrecking Crew, going in detail about his many experiences playing for John Williams on numerous projects, including such film scores as Conrack, The River and Indiana Jones. Denny also reflects on his father's unique legacy and how he celebrated it through his own documentary film The Wrecking Crew. For more detailed information, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/19/tommy-tedesco-podcast/

Soundtrack label La-La Land Records has announced the world premiere release of the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of the 1974 Universal Pictures film The Sugarland Express, the very first collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg. The esteemed director/composer duo celebrates this year the 50th anniversary of their legendary collaboration. Released by La-La Land Records and produced in association with Universal Studios as part of their Universal Pictures Film Music Classics Collection, this world premiere limited CD release is edited, mixed and mastered by archival soundtrack producer Mike Matessino under the composer's supervision and approval. The album presents the original score composed and conducted by John Williams, freshly remastered from original multi-track session elements and includes also cues not heard in the final film. In this new "Soundtrack Spotlight" episode of The Legacy of John Williams podcast, producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss the long-awaited premiere release of The Sugarland Express. Together with hosts Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden, Matessino chronicles the journey that led to the 50th anniversary soundtrack album, also commenting on the virtues of both Steven Spielberg's stunning debut film and John Williams' gentle, blues-y score. More information at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/07/03/soundtrack-spotlight-the-sugarland-express-50th-anniversary/

Oboe and English Horn player extraordinaire talks his career as one of the most prominent double reed soloists in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams on such scores as Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, The Patriot, Memoirs of a Geisha and many others. For more information, go to https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/05/30/phil-ayling-podcast/

Renowned violinist talks about his career as a studio musician in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams. Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto   More info at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/05/10/bruce-dukov-podcast/

Composer & Conductor David Newman talks conducting classic film music live and the program curated by John Williams for the LA Phil concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on February 2-4. Featuring Writer and Journalist Tim Greiving Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Film music is now a staple of the concert hall experience, with countless performances across the world by orchestras and ensembles of all kind, from local community symphonies to major historical institutions. Music from the movies is performed on the same stage where only the established canon of classical repertoire was once allowed, bringing a new audience to the concert hall and reinvigorating the live experience with innovative formats like the live-to-picture concerts. If this is now an accepted reality of the classical music landscape, a huge part is owed to John Williams and his 45-year activity as a champion of conducting film music in concert halls. On February 2, 3 and 4 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, David Newman is conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a program called A Century Of Film Music. The concert is part of a series curated by John Williams and it features an exciting selection offering a journey through several decades of great film music with pieces by some of the finest composers who ever wrote for the movies. This is the starting point of this new Legacy Conversation podcast episode, a lively discussion with David Newman about the challenges and the opportunities of performing film music in the concert hall, while also reflecting on how crucial John Williams has been in making film music more widely accepted and recognized. Joining the discussion is writer and journalist Tim Greiving, who has followed the film music industry closely for almost 20 years and witnessed the transformation of how music from the movies is perceived by the audience.   Read more: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/02/02/legacy-conversations-a-century-of-film-music Listen to "A Century Of Film Music" playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1blGRnjBOFUA4xfGZiX08O

Renowned trombonist talks his career as a studio musician in Hollywood and his many years playing for John Williams as Principal Trombone on such scores as Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Star Wars films   William “Bill” Booth is one of the most respected veterans of the Los Angeles music scene and one of the most appreciated orchestral trombonists in the world. In a career spanning five decades, Bill Booth has performed on thousands of recording sessions, including a staggering amount of film and television soundtracks in Hollywood, thus becoming the leading trombonist in town. He has been the Principal Trombone for John Williams for all of the Maestro’s recordings in LA since 1991, performing on such legendary scores as Home Alone, Hook, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and the Star Wars sequel trilogy.   In this conversation, Bill Booth reflects on his career as a studio musician, chronicling the path that led him to Hollywood and becoming the leading studio trombonist for film and television. He talks at length about his many years playing for John Williams on dozens of his legendary film scores, reflecting on the special quality of the Maestro's music and his affinity for the instrument as shown in many of his film scores including Hook, Jurassic Park and the Star Wars series.   Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2024/01/19/bill-booth-podcast

Part 2 of the podcast special dedicated to La-La Land Records’ magnificent 3-CD set of John Williams’ masterful score for the 1991 Steven Spielberg fantasy epic Hook – The Ultimate Edition is  a 3-CD collection with a newly restored and expanded presentation of the magnificent score composed by John Williams for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino in full cooperation with the composer, the new release presents this seminal Williams’ work in a truly definitive and loving treatment, with the complete score presented in the film’s narrative order on disc 1 and 2, and a third disc featuring for the first time all the songs by John Williams and Leslie Bricusse for when the film was supposed to be a musical. In Part 2 of the Hook - The Ultimate Edition podcast special, producer Mike Matessino returns to discuss more of the musical contents of La-La Land Records' magnificent release, together with associate producers and co-writers of the liner notes John Takis and Jason LeBlanc. During the conversation, the trio of special guests dissect all the riches found in the treasure chest of this John Williams' score, analyzing the score's main themes, how the songs' melodies were reworked into the thematic fabric of the piece and offering their own thoughts and reflections on the film and its score. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/27/hook-podcast-special

The Legacy of John Williams presents a multi-part podcast special dedicated to HOOK - The Ultimate Edition, a 3-CD set of John Williams' magnificent score for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg, now available from La-La Land Records. Hook – The Ultimate Edition is a 3-CD collection from La-La Land Records with a newly restored and expanded presentation of the magnificent score composed by John Williams for the 1991 film directed by Steven Spielberg. Assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino in full cooperation with the composer, the new release finally gives this seminal Williams’ work the truly definitive and loving treatment it always deserved, with the complete score presented in the film’s narrative order on disc 1 and 2 (including cues dialed out from the film’s final dub), followed by a selection of alternate cues. But the real surprise of this new Ultimate Edition is the third disc, a program presenting for the very first time all the songs written by John Williams and lyricist Leslie Bricusse when Hook was supposed to be a full-on movie musical, interjected by additional alternate score cues and source music pieces, thus creating a fascinating experience that offers the listener a chance to connect with this music in a new and unexpected way. In part 1 of this Hook - The Ultimate Edition podcast special on The Legacy of John Williams, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino sits down to talk about the genesis of Steven Spielberg's 1991 fantasy epic, its place within the director's filmography and the long history of how it almost became a musical, while also addressing how Hook sits in the canon of the Steven Spielberg/John Williams collaboration; Matessino also talks about his friendship with lyricist Leslie Bricusse, the years-in-the-making process of assembling and producing this new set and his own personal journey to bring it to life with the utmost level of care and detail that such music always deserved. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/27/hook-podcast-special/

Soundtrack Producer Mike Matessino and Writer John Takis talk two early John Williams' masterworks, now available in new remastered editions from Quartet Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden European-based soundtrack label Quartet Records announced a 2-CD set presenting new remastered editions of two early masterworks in John Williams' filmography: Heidi (1968) and Jane Eyre (1970), both newly restored, assembled, mastered and produced by Mike Matessino. Both scores were composed by Williams for two made-for-television films produced by Frederick H. Brogger for Omnibus Productions and both directed by Academy Award-winning director Delbert Mann. In this new podcast conversation, soundtrack producer Mike Matessino and film music writer John Takis talk the history of these two early landmark John Williams' scores, offering insights and reflections on the special quality and the timelessness of both scores, how they sits in the Williams' canon and chronicling the laborious restoration process both recordings went through for this new spectacular release, another one that cannot be missed in the CD collection of any true John Williams' admirer. Read more at https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2023/12/21/heidi-and-jane-eyre-podcast

Producer Mike Matessino returns to talk the remastered and expanded editions of two impressive scores from the Steven Spielberg/John Williams collaboration, recently released by La-La Land Records Hosted by Maurizio Caschetto and Tim Burden Special Guest: Jason LeBlanc, project assistant The collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams continues to be one of the main subjects of the activities of The Legacy of John Williams. In the last few months, fans of the Maestro have been treated with two more remastered and expanded releases from the catalogue of the legendary Spielberg/Williams partnership, courtesy of specialty soundtrack label La-La Land Records: The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad. In this episode, Mike Matessino returns to discuss these two releases, shedding light on his restoration work on both these seminal scores, but also offering his insightful comments on how they sits within John Williams' filmography and overall career. Project assistant Jason LeBlanc joins the episode as a special guest to further illuminate on the process of restoring these two releases and explaining his role assisting Matessino during their production. ---------------- Amistad 25th Anniversary Remastered and Expanded 2-CD Limited Edition https://lalalandrecords.com/amistad-25th-anniversary-expanded-limited-edition-2-cd-set/ The Lost World: Jurassic Park Remastered and Expanded 2-CD Limited Edition https://lalalandrecords.com/the-lost-world-jurassic-park-remastered-expanded/

World-renowned conductor and author JOHN MAUCERI returns on The Legacy of John Williams podcast for an in-depth discussion about his latest book "The War On Music: Reclaiming the 20th Century" (Yale University Press), a riveting analysis of how music written by classical composers in the 20th century fell victim on the battlegrounds between nations during the three major global wars (World War I, World War II and the Cold War), with so much orchestral and operatic repertoire being erased (or "cancelled") and not being performed as a consequence of ideologies and policy making.  The conversation spotlights how Hollywood became a refuge for musicians escaping the totalitarian regimes in Europe during the 1930s and how much this still reverberates in the music of composers working in Hollywood today, including John Williams.  GRAMMY-nominated composer AUSTIN WINTORY joins the discussion, bringing his own views and sensibilities as a contemporary composer of media music navigating the current landscape. Don't miss this fascinating talk with two very fine musical personalities exchanging passionate views and opinions about how the history of 20th century still lingers today with many consequences and how film and media music must play a pivotal role in creating a new pact with the audience of today. Hosted and Produced by Maurizio Caschetto for The Legacy of John Williams ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LISTEN to our 2019 podcast with John Mauceri: https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2019/09/09/john-mauceri-podcast/ John Mauceri Offical Website http://www.johnmauceri.com/ Buy "The War On Music": https://a.co/d/djMXeki Austin Wintory Official Website https://www.austinwintory.com/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------