Episode 76: Jerrod "J-Rod" Sullivan.

If you're a drummer, chances are you've seen J-Rod pop up in your feed. He's one of the most exciting drummers to watch, and now he’s holding down the drum chair for Janet Jackson. From uploading his first drum video to YouTube back in 2006 to building an audience of over 700,000 followers, J-Rod is living proof that consistency and passion pay off.

We get into everything from his early days playing in church to building an online community of over 700K+ followers with his drum videos and how he creates them. We talk about staying consistent while on the road, and why authenticity is everything. Plus, we go deep into the Janet Jackson gig, talking about how it came together from a DM and the sacrifice he took dedicating 2 months to turn this Janet Jackson opportunity into a closed deal.

I had to find out how in the world he plays the infamous “Control” drum fill, his gear setups, how he makes his social media videos (both the cameras, the audio, and the process), creating drumless tracks with the Moises app, his band The 4 Korners, staying sharp, and why it pays to act as if you already got the gig.

J-Rod came through to my hotel room in Las Vegas to link up the next day after his show with Janet Jackson. I went to the show and it was incredible. After the show, we went out with Zedd until 5 a.m., and the next morning he went straight to AMA rehearsals with Janet, then soundcheck at Resorts World with Janet, then to my hotel room to do the interview, and then straight to his show with Janet that night. We were running on fumes for this convo, which made it fun in it's own way. We dive into his story, his viral rise, how he landed the Janet gig, and so much more.

Here's my conversation with the incredible, Jerrod "J-Rod" Sullivan!

(0:00) INTRO

(01:17) THE JANET JACKSON LAS VEGAS SHOW

(02:37) ZEDD

(03:20) STARTING OUT, JROD'S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE

(06:30) J-ROD'S DRUM TONE

(07:20) HOW GETTING NOTICED CHANGED J-ROD

(08:27) VIDEO CREATION PROCESS

(11:07) DECISIVENESS

(13:26) DRUMLESS TRACKS

(13:56) HOME RECORDING RIG

(15:11) HOW TO MAKE TRACKS DRUMLESS

(16:11) PARAMORE'S "AIN'T IT FUN" COVER

(17:06) GAINING TRACTION OVER 10 YEARS

(18:43) GETTING THE GIG WITH JANET JACKSON

(34:19) OFFICIALLY GETTING THE GIG WITH JANET

(36:24) REHEARSALS WITH JANET JACKSON

(40:42) "CONTROL" DRUM FILL

(43:41) MEETING JANET JACKSON AT REHEARSALS

(46:40) LIFE RIGHT NOW AND WHAT'S NEXT

(50:17) WHO SHOULD BE ON THE PODCAST? 

Here's the Jimmy Jam Videos that were referenced in the video:

Jimmy Jam Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VQgpr2WNM0&t=3894s

Jimmy Jam Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2R4utgYvHdY&t=2305s

Flyte Tyme Studios Tour with Jimmy Jam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updSUi65UvI&t=1266s

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow J-Rod:

https://www.instagram.com/jrodsullivan/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

Follow Jammcard:

https://jammcard.komi.io/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacpJtZKkl1AgBAffAQ4GRhL3aVKuKHJ704aJuBkalXXThdDCOiRye8RjcHTKQ_aem_o5GVeQoM7Kb3ykDhqwZbtA

Thomas Lang: Drum God Mode, Practice Secrets, Clinics, Social Media Trends with guest Luke Holland!

Episode 75: Thomas Lang.

Thomas Lang is one of the best drummers of all time. His drive and focused, intentional practice has led to him being one of the most sophisticated drummers, producers, and composers, with the ability to do four-limb separation beyond pretty much anyone else. On top of that ability, he is musical! He's also a great human, impressive entrepreneur, and a fun guy to hang with.

In this episode, we dive deep into his story, how he became the Thomas Lang we see today — both in his skill sets and his success. We talk about how he throws his drum camps, his insane clinics (he did the biggest clinic tour of all time), how to practice correctly, what to do and what not to do. You'll also get a glimpse into his great personality and mindset.

Luke Holland jumped in and joined us in this interview as well, which was fun since we're all friends. Together we talked about something you all want to know — our least favorite social media drumming trends lol. More importantly, keeping the inspiration to continue drumming, and so much more.

Here's my interview with the awesome Thomas Lang, and special guest Luke Holland, Let's go!!

Special thanks to Apogee Electronics. We used their Apogee HypeMic and Podcast Kit in this episode and they sounded great. Check it out!Apogee HypeMic & Podcast Kit: https://apogeedigital.com/product/podcast-kit/?srsltid=AfmBOor0bzlGQhUM0cHCNZoSPLEmXEl_qjIO-AQhdsDTDCxQCP7zNBd_

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

(0:00:00) INTRO

(0:04:16) CREATIVE CONTROL DVD

(0:12:10) HOW THOMAS BECAME 'SUPER DRUMMER'

(0:14:21) THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DRUM CLINIC TOUR

(0:20:22) ENTREPRENEURSHIP

(0:21:04) HOW TO PUT A DRUM EVENT TOGETHER

(0:28:07) BIGGEST REVENUE GENERATOR

(0:30:35) SIGNATURE PRODUCTS

(0:34:04) PRICING

(0:37:30) THOMAS LANG ON PRACTICING

(0:45:17) SLEEP

(0:46:09) PRIMUS & DREAM THEATER AUDITION

(0:50:24) SOCIAL MEDIA DRUMMING

(0:51:05) PRIMUS AUDITION

(0:51:45) WHO THOMAS LANG LOOKS UP TO

(0:53:11) LUKE HOLLAND APPEARS

(0:55:05) INSTAGRAM DRUM TRENDS WE DON'T LIKE

(1:02:36) HOW TO STAY INSPIRED

(1:21:05) THE DRUM WORLD TODAY

(1:27:21) AI DRUMMING

(1:29:38) DREAM COLLABS

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow Thomas Lang:

https://www.instagram.com/thomaslangdrum/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

Episode 74: RedOne.

RedOne is one of the most successful producers and songwriters of our time. From Lady Gaga’s Just Dance, Poker Face, and Bad Romance, to J.Lo and Pitbull’s On the Floor, and Nicki Minaj’s Starships — he’s helped shape the sound of modern pop.

In this episode, we go deep into RedOne’s story — from being broke in 2008 to producing The Fame with Gaga and changing pop music forever. He shares behind-the-scenes stories from iconic sessions, how his producer tag came to life, and how he creates hits from demo to final mix.

We talk about his work with FIFA and how he is now their Head of Music Entertainment, producing the album for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, as well as writing the official anthem song for his favorite team, Real Madrid, We also talk about collaborating with Jung Kook and Red's close friend, Cristiano Ronaldo, We discuss his passion for elevating music from the MENA region, all about his life in Dubai, as well as the future of AI in music, and the love he shares with his wife Laila Aziz.

This episode is full of inspiration, heart, and real talk from a global hitmaker. Let’s go!

(0:00:00) INTRO

(0:02:43) LADY GAGA IN 2008, "JUST DANCE"

(0:03:41) LADY GAGA'S, "POKER FACE"

(0:06:09) 2008 STRUGGLES & KAT DELUNA'S, "WHINE UP"

(0:11:28) "THE FAME" SESSIONS WITH LADY GAGA

(0:14:29) "JUST DANCE," "POKER FACE," "LOVEGAME"

(0:16:03) "BOYS, BOYS, BOYS" & JUST DANCE

(0:19:24) THE REDONE PRODUCER TAG

(0:22:28) "POKER FACE"

(0:28:02) "BAD ROMANCE"

(0:35:32) U2 STORY

(0:37:42) CREATING "ON THE FLOOR" WITH J.LO & PITBULL

(0:46:54) CREATING "STARSHIPS" WITH NICKI MINAJ

(0:50:58) HOW REDONE CREATES DEMOS

(0:52:51) FIFA, JUNG KOOK, REAL MADRID, CRISTIANO RONALDO

(1:01:53) REDONE'S WIFE, LAILA

(1:08:08) DUBAI

(1:11:21) DUBAI MUSIC SCENE

(1:12:02) ADVICE FOR MENA REGION ARTISTS

(1:14:05) AI IN MUSIC

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow RedOne:

https://www.instagram.com/redone/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

One of the best things about being on the road is catching up with friends all over the globe. In today’s episode, we’re in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Tonight is the Formula 1 Grand Prix (you know I love F1), and headlining it is J.Lo!

I got to catch up with my longtime friends Charles Streeter, Brandon Brown aka Pastor Funk, and Javad Day. Streeter has been J.Lo’s drummer for many years. Pastor Funk is playing bass with her, and has also played bass and/or music directed for everyone from The Jacksons to Stevie Wonder. He also leads his own band, The Brandon Brown Collective (aka the BBC), which was actually the first band to play at the JammJam!

Javad Day, aka Mr. Klynik, is playing keys with J.Lo, and this same week, he’s also musical directing Megan Thee Stallion at Coachella. Javad’s worked with Beyoncé, Mac Miller (that’s him on Mac’s Tiny Desk), Ella Mai, Mustard, Ciara, Tyler, the Creator, and more.

I love these guys and had such a great time hanging in Saudi with them, right before they crushed it for a huge crowd with J.Lo (and then immediately hopped on a plane back to the U.S).

We found a hut, popped up a camera, and filmed this one ON THE GO. So here it is, my convo with my brothers Streeter, Pastor Funk, and Javad!

(00:00) INTRO

(00:59) JAVAD DAY INTERVIEW STARTS

(01:27) JAVAD’S TRAVEL SCHEDULE

(02:35) 1500 OR NOTHIN’

(03:32) RICKEY MARTIN & J.LO

(04:05) MUSIC DIRECTING ZEDD’S “THE MIDDLE” BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS PERFORMANCE

(04:56) MUSIC DIRECTING JAMMJAMS

(05:47) J.LO

(06:34) GETTING THE MEGAN THEE STALLION GIG

(08:22) JENNIFER LOPEZ AT F1

(09:47) BAND IN A BOX

(11:18) MEGAN THEE STALLION COACHELLA SHOW

(13:18) MODERN DAY MUSIC DIRECTING

(13:54) HOW TO CREATE A COACHELLA SET

(16:33) COACHELLA REHEARSALS WITH MEGAN THEE STALLION

(17:14) JAVAD’S FIRST GIGS

(18:07) TRAVEL SCHEDULE

(18:50) SNEAKS MOVIE WITH MUSTARD

(23:29) CHARLES STREETER & PASTOR FUNK INTERVIEW STARTS

(25:57) REHEARSALS WITH J.LO

(28:49) HOW PASTOR FUNK, STREETER AND ELMO MET

(34:07) THE FIRST JAMMJAMS

(34:59) BRANDON BROWN COLLECTIVE JAMMJAM

(35:39) FULL CIRCLE: PLAYING IN SAUDI WITH FRIENDS

(37:43) PASTOR FUNK

(38:51) A MEMPHIS JAMM

(42:45) TOURING WHILE BEING A HUSBAND AND A DAD

(45:07) PLAYING TO MASSIVE CROWDS

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow Javad:

https://www.instagram.com/mrklynik/

Follow Streeter:

https://www.instagram.com/thestreeter/

Follow Pastor Funk:

https://www.instagram.com/pastorfunk/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

Ash Soan is one of the most sought after session drummers in Britain, who has worked with the likes of Adele, Taylor Swift, Seal, Billy Idol, Tate McRae and so many more. Ash's 5th gig was Woodstock '94 with the band, Del Amitri and then went on to support Van Halen (which was my first concert) and Bon Jovi. Recently, Ash has been touring with Snow Patrol and Tori Amos. Ash has also been collaborating with Ariel Posen and are releasing their self-titled album together- available now on Bandcamp.

Ash came through my hotel in London to meet up with me on his way to Heathrow to fly out to Abu Dhabi for a show with Snow Patrol. From the lobby of my hotel, in this convo we go in on how Ash achieves his legendary drum tone, how he created his unique studio "The Windmill," and more. I remember Ash for being one of the first to start using high quality audio on Instagram in his VF15 videos and it's inspiring to watch him continue to play and work on his sound.

We are On The Go! Here’s my conversation with Ash Soan.

Tom Stingemore is one of the most knowledgeable minds in music sync licensing. He was President of Sync at Hipgnosis, the multi-billion dollar music catalog fund that owns thousands of No. 1 songs. Before that, he was SVP of Sync at BMG and Creative Director of Sync at Universal Music Group.

In this episode, we link up in London to talk about Tom’s new company, Alloy, and his mission to fix one of the biggest problems in sync: bad data. We break down what music sync is, how it works, what’s broken in the current system, and how it can be improved.

Whether you’re a music supervisor, artist, producer, or just curious about how songs get placed in film, TV, ads, and games—this episode will give you a deep understanding of the sync world today and where it’s going.

We are On The Go — here’s my conversation with Tom Stingemore.

Special thanks to Dean St. Studios in London for having us!

(00:00) INTRO

(02:55) WHY SYNC IS IMPORTANT TO ARTISTS

(03:59) SYNC MAKES YOU MONEY

(04:45) HIPGNOSIS

(07:13) PROBLEMS, CURRENT STATE OF SYNC

(21:33) SYNC SOLUTIONS, ALLOY

(25:17) EXAMPLES

(28:10) REACTIONS

(30:08) TOM'S FOUNDER JOURNEY

(33:00) THE METADATA PROBLEM, SPOTIFY

(35:25) WHY SYNC HASN'T BEEN FIXED YET

(37:15) JAMMCARD

(38:24) BETTER SYNC IS ACHIEVABLE

(40:32) HOW IS SYNC DIFFERENT BETWEEN BMG, UMG, HIPGNOSIS

(44:10) INDIE ARTISTS GETTING SYNC

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow Tom:

https://www.instagram.com/tomstinge/

Learn more about Alloy:

https://www.alloy.music/

Tom's Article on Music Business Worldwide:

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/five-reasons-why-sync-is-still-stuck-in-the-last-century/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

Welcome to the first episode of our new On The Go podcast series — stripped down, run-and-gun, recorded in different cities around the world, and still packed with all the good stuff: behind-the-scenes stories, insights, lessons learned, and more. I’m traveling right now and wanted to keep the podcast conversations going, so here’s what we’ve got for you.

For this one, I caught up with my friend Damien Nolan. By day, he has one of the coolest jobs in the world — he’s the Formula 1 Team Radio Editor and Engineer. When you’re watching F1 and those Team Radio messages pop up, that’s Damien and his team. They bring all the behind-the-scenes comms to life. It’s wild how fast they move — turning something said in a driver’s helmet into a broadcast moment in just seconds, reaching millions of people.

By night (and sometimes the same day), he’s a killer session guitarist in the UK.

We talk about what it’s like working inside the F1 machine, how he balances both worlds, and how creativity plays out in high-pressure environments — whether it’s a racetrack or a stage.

Hope you enjoy this new format to keep the convos going while I’m traveling. Let us know in the comments what you think. Let’s go!!

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

(00:00) INTRO

(00:55) INTERVIEW STARTS

(01:22) DAMIEN NOLAN

(01:33) DAMIEN’S ‘DAY JOB’ AT F1

(01:45) HOW F1 TEAM RADIO WORKS

(05:00) MIX ENGINEERING DRIVER MICS

(09:04) RADIO INSTALLS IN THE CAR

(11:06) ON SCREEN MESSAGES, CONTROVERSY

(13:10) CHANGING TIMEZONES

(15:03) DAMIEN’S MUSIC CAREER

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow Damien:

https://www.instagram.com/theonlinesessionguitarist/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

Episode 73: Keyon Harrold.

Everywhere I turn, I see Keyon Harrold. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest trumpeters alive today, pushing the new jazz generation forward with power and soul. His solo album Foreverland was GRAMMY-nominated this year for Best Alternative Jazz Album, and his resume is stacked — Jay-Z, Common, Erykah Badu, Diana Ross, Mac Miller, Robert Glasper, the Count Basie Orchestra, Terrace Martin — and he played all the trumpet parts in the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. Keyon is a dear friend and an incredible human being. He drops so much wisdom in this episode and truly inspired me with his words. I hope you enjoy my conversation with the great Keyon Harrold.

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

(0:02:09) LIVING ROOM SET WITH RONALD BRUNER JR

(0:05:35) MEETING TERRACE MARTIN AND ROBERT GLASPER AT JAZZ CAMP AT 15 YEARS OLD

(0:08:03) SNOOPADELICS, SPUT, TERRACE, KAMASI WASHINGTON, KEYON

(0:08:55) COMMON

(0:09:47) SNOOPADELICS, TOURING WITH SNOOP

(0:12:26) BOBBY SHORT

(0:12:37) COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA

(0:14:11) ERYKAH BADU, MARY J. BLIGE, MAXWELL

(0:15:05) CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, MICHAEL JACKSON IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR WITH GREG PHILLINGANES, JONATHAN MOFFETT

(0:16:07) JAY-Z, G-UNIT

(0:17:19) PRODUCING

(0:18:35) KEYON'S SOUND, PERSONAL PROJECTS

(0:20:00) MILES DAVIS FILM

(0:20:31) "THE MAGICIAN", SIGNING TO SONY

(0:22:08) ADVICE FOR MAKING A SOLO ALBUM

(0:26:52) "FOREVERLAND" ALBUM, GRAMMY NOMINATION

(0:30:15) "FIND YOUR PEACE" FROM "FOREVERLAND"

(0:33:02) HOW TO BE THE BEST YOU

(0:35:39) FATHERHOOD, KEYON HARROLD JR.

(0:44:04) LIZZ WRIGHT

(0:44:42) AJA MONET

(0:45:13) MILES DAVIS BIOPIC, ROBERT GLASPER, DON CHEADLE

(0:52:36) KEYON'S CIRCLE, – UP-AND-COMING TALENT

(0:54:25) JOE LOVANO, LOVANO FAMILY

(0:59:25) DIANA ROSS

(1:03:49) MAC MILLER, ESTELLE

(1:04:28) A THROUGH LINE FROM COLLABORATIONS

(1:07:04) ANTARCTICA TRIP WITH SCOTT KELLY, CHARLIE DUKE, NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON

(1:14:02) META RAY-BANS

(1:16:02) AGAVE PLANT

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow Keyon:

https://www.instagram.com/keyonharrold/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano

Episode 72: William Bowerman. William is one of the most in-demand musical directors in the world, coming out of London. His client list includes Post Malone, Jennie, BLACKPINK, The Kid Laroi, FKA Twigs, Addison Rae, and many more. He's the co-founder of WFB with his wife, creative director Ace Bowerman. Together, they’re building something special.

Episode 71: Harvey Mason Sr.

You’ve heard Harvey Mason Sr., whether you realize it or not. From the iconic grooves of Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters to the GRAMMY-winning “Kiss From A Rose” by Seal, Harvey's drumming has shaped music history across genres, decades, and mediums — albums, film scores, and TV alike.

He’s not only a musical powerhouse, but a dear friend, and in this episode, we finally sat down to dig into his legendary run — especially his work with Herbie Hancock and the Head Hunters album. Harvey shares the story of how that band came together, the sessions behind Chameleon and Watermelon Man, and why he chose not to tour with them at the height of their success.

We also dive into his solo career — how it started, how it evolved, and the surprising role Clive Davis played in making it all happen.

Harvey opens up about his long-standing friendships and collaborations with Quincy Jones and Chick Corea, his approach to fatherhood (including raising his sons Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, and Max Mason, former VP of Quincy Jones Productions), and how he built a legacy both on and off the kit.

Fun fact: Vic Firth was Harvey’s teacher — and Harvey still receives royalties from the early days of Vic Firth drumsticks!

We also get into his stunning new album Changing Partners: Trios 2, featuring the likes of Chick Corea, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, James Genus, Dave Grusin, Stanley Clarke.

This conversation is a masterclass in musicianship, legacy, and love for the craft. Enjoy my sit-down with the incomparable Harvey Mason Sr.

‘Go with Elmo Lovano’ is a weekly podcast where Elmo interviews creatives and entrepreneurs in music on HOW they push forward every day, got where they are in their careers, manage their personal lives, and share lessons learned and their most important insights.

(0:00:00) Intro

(0:02:35) Harvey’s New Album

(0:05:26) Head Hunters

(0:06:29) Getting the Call from Herbie Hancock

(0:09:20) Making the Head Hunters Album

(0:10:59) Studio vs. Touring Musician, Harvey’s Background

(0:14:06) Berklee, Studying with Alan Dawson

(0:15:33) Vic Firth taught Harvey

(0:17:55) Moving to L.A., Lucille Ball Show

(0:19:41) Session Work in the 1970’s

(0:21:24) Working with Quincy Jones on the Bill Cosby Show

(0:22:51) Instrument Collection, Harvey’s Foundation

(0:24:23) Session Work, Touring

(0:28:00) “Chameleon” Session

(0:30:56) Herbie’s Hollywood Bowl Show

(0:32:55) What Herbie was like in the 70’s

(0:33:47) “Watermelon Man”

(0:35:15) The “4 A.M.” Session, Jaco Pastorius

(0:36:41) Jaco Stories

(0:38:22) The “4 A.M.” Session Continued

(0:38:45) Focusing on Goals, Family Life

(0:41:18) Harvey Mason Jr.

(0:41:59) Max Mason

(0:44:18) Learning from Clive Davis, Quincy, and others

(0:48:22) Biggie, T.I., and Lupe Fiasco Sampled Harvey’s Music

(0:49:05) Funk in a Mason Jar

(0:49:39) “Till You Take My Love,” David Foster, David Paich

(0:51:40) Clive Davis

(0:55:59) Touring with Carole King

(0:57:30) Chick Corea

(0:58:55) Losing Chick and Quincy

(1:00:44) What Harvey is Doing Now

(1:02:05) How to Keep Creativity Going

(1:02:54) Playing Piano in Church

(1:06:42) Playing with Duke Ellington

(1:08:07) The Quincy Jones JammJam

(1:09:12) Advice

(1:10:47) “Changing Partners Trios II”

(1:11:49) Vic Firth Stories

(1:18:55) Residuals, Pension, Royalties, and Sessions

(1:21:31) Sharing Stories

Please SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW this podcast to catch new episodes as soon as they drop! Your likes, comments and shares are much appreciated!  

Listen to the audio form of this podcast wherever you get your podcasts: https://elmolovano.komi.io/

Follow Harvey:

https://www.instagram.com/harveymasonsr/

Follow Go With Elmo:

https://www.instagram.com/gowithelmo/

https://www.tiktok.com/@gowithelmo

https://x.com/gowithelmopod

Follow Elmo Lovano:

https://Instagram.com/elmolovano

https://x.com/elmolovano