The Third Story podcast features long-form interviews with musicians and members of the creative class, hosted by me, Leo Sidran.
Their stories of discovery, loss, ambition, identity, improvisation, risk, and reward are deeply moving and compelling for all of us as we embark on our own creative journeys.
Most recent episode: Richard Marx
Leo Sidran (photo by Tom Warburton)
Harry Connick, Jr. on memory and loss, growing up as a musical prodigy in New Orleans, his formative relationships with Ellis Marsalis and James Booker, the “dream state” of his remarkable early success, and Babe: Elaboratio — A Tribute to My Mother, an ambitious orchestral work and book devoted to his mother, Anita Livingston, who died when he was 13.
Grammy-winning singer, pianist and songwriter Nicole Zuraitis on The Devil I Knew, the boundaries of jazz, the long game of an independent career, and what it means to finally bake your own cake.
Pianist Sullivan Fortner on growing up in New Orleans, nearly choosing medicine over music, and the teachers and mentors who shaped him, from Barry Harris and Fred Hersch to his years playing with Roy Hargrove; his musical and personal partnership with Cécile McLorin Salvant, his fascination with sound and experimentation, and the making of Solo Game and Leave That In There.
From singing jingles as a child to writing some of the biggest pop hits of the 1980s, Richard Marx reflects on his musical upbringing, his songwriting career and his new album, After Hours.