The Mindful Musician

This conversation was originally recorded and released on another podcast, Under the Marquee, when Henry Phillips performed at the SHU Community Theatre. But with his excellent comedy special, Neither Here Nor There, now on YouTube and a new musical comedy album recently released, it felt like the perfect time to share it with The Mindful Musician audience.

Henry has built a truly unique career as an independent artist through stand-up, musical comedy, feature films, comedy specials, and his cult-favorite web series, Henry's Kitchen.

We talk about building an independent creative career, finding your voice, his unique blend of music and comedy, creating Henry's Kitchen, and what it takes to make work that's authentically your own.

Henry also recently released There's Something Wrong With Me, a new album by his Henry's Kitchen alter ego, José Suicidio. As a longtime fan of Henry's work, it was a real full-circle moment for me to contribute piano and arrangements to a couple of the tracks.,

Enjoy my conversation with Henry Phillips.

Here are Henry's links:

Henry's Website: Henry Phillips

Comedy Special: Neither Here Nor There

New album: José Suicidio

(Tracks I contributed to are:

Hey Girl!

And Hit in the Head by a Brick)

John Novello is an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, Billboard No. 1 recording artist, bestselling author, and educator. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has performed with artists including A Taste of Honey, Donna Summer, Ramsey Lewis, The Manhattan Transfer, Edgar Winter, and many others. He is also the founder of the acclaimed jazz-rock trio Niacin, featuring Billy Sheehan and Dennis Chambers, and the author of the influential instructional classic The Contemporary Keyboardist, which has helped shape generations of keyboard players.

In recent years, John has expanded his work into personal and spiritual development through his bestselling books The Invisible Architect: How to Design Your Perfect Life from Within and The Song That Never Ended: A Jazz Musician's Journey to a Love Beyond Life. Today, he mentors individuals one-on-one, helping them apply the principles of The Invisible Architect to create more purposeful and fulfilling lives.

• John Novello Official Website
• Book a Mentoring Session with John
• The Invisible Architect
• Matt Oestreicher

In this episode of The Mindful Musician Podcast, Matt Oestreicher sits down with Victor, Joseph, and Roy "Future Man" Wooten for a wide-ranging conversation about music, mentorship, creativity, parenting, identity, and what it means to live a meaningful life.

While the Wooten Brothers are known extraordinary musicians, educators, mentors, innovators, and Grammy-winning artists, this conversation quickly moves beyond music itself. Together, they explore how young musicians discover who they are, the importance of mentorship, the deeper meaning of groove, and how music can serve as a model for navigating differences in the world around us. It also explores the connection between becoming a better musician and becoming a better person.

Episode Chapters

00:00 – Introduction

03:00 – Growing up as The Wooten Brothers

17:00 – Family, parenting, and mentorship

18:30 – How young musicians discover their identity

26:10 – Becoming who you already are

27:40 – The role of teachers and mentors

35:30 – What is groove?

37:30 – Joseph Wooten on connection and humanity

41:00 – The Wave Story

46:00 – Music as a model for life

52:30 – Roy Wooten and "The Symphony of Life"

54:00 – Victor Wooten's closing reflections

56:00 – Outro

Notable Moments

• The Wootens discuss how their upbringing shaped their approach to music and learning.

• Why great mentorship has more in common with great parenting than most people realize.

• A discussion of how artists discover their authentic voice rather than trying to become someone else.

• Joseph Wooten's reflections on groove, connection, and the human experience.

• Roy Wooten's powerful concept of "The Symphony of Life" and the idea that music offers an intelligent path forward for our differences.

• Victor Wooten's thoughts on creativity, growth, and becoming fully yourself.

Artists Mentioned

• Jacob Collier

• Kandace Springs

• Scat Springs

• James Genus

• Carter Beauford

• Cory Wong

Recommended Listening:

• Kandace Springs

CATCH THE WOOTEN BROTHERS LIVE:

Victor Wooten and The Wooten Brothers will be appearing live at the SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Tickets and information: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/victor-wooten-and-the-wooten-brothers

Victor Wooten: https://www.victorwooten.com/

Joseph Wooten: https://josephwooten.com/

Roy Wooten: https://www.instagram.com/royfuturemanwooten/?hl=en

Matt Oestreicher: https://www.mattoestreicher.com/

The Mindful Musician Podcast Home: https://www.mattoestreicher.com/themindfulmusician

Tickets for BOTH SIDES NOW on Saturday April 25th at SHU Community Theatre:

https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/-both-sides-now%3A-the-music-%26-lives-of-leonard-cohen-and-joni-mitchell

About the show BOTH SIDES NOW:

"Two singer-songwriters sit on the edge of a cliff…" With these words, we are drawn into the world of Both Sides Now - a theatrical concert that explores the music and lives of long-time friends and one-time lovers, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Created by, and starring Robbie Schaefer and Danielle Wertz, the cabaret-style performance traverses decades alongside songs such as A Case of You, Hallelujah, Big Yellow Taxi, Suzanne, and many more. Both Sides Now is at once a piece of the 60's and 70's, and of right now -- offering us a story about the messiness of being human, of lives persistently lived at the edge of growth, and of finding the courage to turn toward one another, again and again. Artist Bios: Robbie Schaefer Robbie is a rabbi, singer-songwriter and theatre/film artist. The guitarist and songwriter for the indie folk band Eddie From Ohio has several solo releases as well, including the 2023 single Under the Sun. He is the founder of Lamplighters, an online community that cultivates small-batch, relationship-driven, inclusive Judaism. He is also the founder of OneVoice, an international non-profit that unites and empowers youth through music and the creative arts. The organization was active from 2011-2023 and completed projects in Tanzania, Nicaragua, India, Greece, and Israel. Robbie has shared the stage with Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles, Josh Groban, Keb ' Mo, and Emmylou Harris, among others. His first work for musical theater, Light Years, which explores his relationship with his father, a Holocaust survivor, saw its world premiere at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre in 2018. The musical is now a feature film entitled Burst The Silence (Rolling Pictures), which is due for release on streaming platforms in 2025. He is currently at work on a new musical, The Blue Poppy, an Irish-Jewish ghost story written in collaboration with Scottish playwright Grace Barnes, and Songs From The Wilderness, a new album of Jewish musical midrash (interpretation), due for release in early 2026. Also, he likes olives. A lot. Danielle Wertz Danielle is a storyteller, collaborator, jazz musician, composer and arranger. Described as, "untarnished by the politics of music" (Jazz Music Archives) and "a masterful ballad interpreter" (New York City Jazz Record) she has rapidly gained national acclaim. After being named a 2015 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition semi-finalist, Danielle independently released her debut album, Intertwined, which ranked #4 on Capital Bop's list of "Best DC Jazz Albums of 2017." That same year she placed 2nd in the Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition and 3rd in the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Vocal Competition. In 2023 Danielle released her sophomore album, Other Side. With this project she made a quantum leap as a composer and conceptualist. Reimagined and rewritten during the pandemic, the album pairs her original compositions with carefully crafted arrangements of standards from the Great American Songbook. Jazziz called the album "expressive and polished" and Jazz Weekly noticed a "Joni Mitchell'd tenderness to her material." Danielle continues to be an avid collaborator internationally and as a member of the NYC jazz scene, and is looking forward to headlining her first European tour in 2025. Also, she loves chocolate. A lot.

CORRECTION: The show is at SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield, CT on Saturday, April 25th NOT April 26th.

Matt Oestreicher is the host of The Mindful Musician Podcast: https://www.mattoestreicher.com/

Charlie Hunter Interview | The Mindful Musician Podcast with Matt Oestreicher

🎟️ See Charlie Hunter live at SHU Community Theatre on Thursday March 26, 2026: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/charlie-hunter-trio

In this episode of The Mindful Musician, host Matt Oestreicher interviews Charlie Hunter. Charlie Hunter is known for his groundbreaking hybrid guitar instrument which allows him to play bass and guitar simultaneously—creating a unique contrapuntal style rooted in groove, blues, and jazz. Over a decades-long career, he has collaborated with artists like D'Angelo, Norah Jones, Kurt Elling, Mos Def, Bobby Previte and developed a reputation for subtle, deeply musical and groove-oriented playing that prioritizes feel over flash.

This episode explores jazz as a model for collaboration and democracy, the long journey of artistic development, and how modern forces like streaming economics, income inequality, and "enshittification" are reshaping the music industry. The conversation also touches on early influences like Blind Blake(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Blake) and the evolution of American roots music into Charlie's current sound.

Other artists and music mentioned by Charlie:

Lo Steele (with Charlie Hunter): https://open.spotify.com/album/0joGHqwP9PD2x443YwjmFB?si=1PvrErNdRWObqDbefP4xnQ

Bobby Previte: https://www.bobbyprevite.com/

Monty Croft: https://www.montecroft.com/

🎟️ See Charlie Hunter live at SHU Community Theatre on Thursday March 26, 2026: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/charlie-hunter-trio

The Mindful Musician Podcast is hosted by Matt Oestreicher, featuring conversations with world-class musicians on creativity, career, and meaning in the arts. https://www.mattoestreicher.com/

The Mindful Musician Podcast with Matt Oestreicher

In this episode of The Mindful Musician, Matt Oestreicher sits down with legendary bassist Nathan East and his son Noah East for a wide-ranging conversation about musicianship, philosophy, legacy, and what it truly means to sustain a life in music.

This episode is connected to the March 1st performance at the SHU Community Theatre, where Nathan and Noah will appear live, opening for 11-time Grammy Award winner Christian McBride.

Nathan East is one of the most recorded bass players in modern music history. A founding member of the contemporary jazz supergroup Fourplay and a longtime member of Eric Clapton's band for more than four decades, Nathan has also performed and recorded with Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Anita Baker, Barry White, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, and countless others. He co-wrote the hit song "Easy Lover" and has played on some of the most iconic recordings of the past 40 years.

Joining him is Noah East — pianist, composer, and collaborator — whose new album Father Son marks the first full recording project between father and son. While Noah grew up immersed in musical excellence at the highest level, he is carving his own artistic identity with clarity and depth. In this conversation, Matt makes a point to engage Noah directly, exploring the experience of growing up in a legendary musical household while building an independent voice. Their dialogue touches on intergenerational collaboration, ego, listening, favorite drummers, Yamaha basses, longevity, and the responsibility of raising a musical child.

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions on Facebook — several of them made their way directly into this conversation.

Nathan and Noah East will perform live at the SHU Community Theatre on March 1st, opening for Christian McBride and Ursa Major. The SHU Community Theatre is a 500-seat nonprofit performing arts center in Fairfield, Connecticut presenting world-class music, film, and live events.

More information and tickets: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/christian-mcbride-%26-ursa-major

The Mindful Musician is hosted my Matt Oestreicher

find him at https://www.mattoestreicher.com/

🎙️ New Episode of ON THE MARQUEE

This week on The SHU Community Theatre Podcast, we welcome legendary guitarist John Scofield.

John Scofield's guitar work has influenced jazz since the late 70's and is going strong today. Possessor of a very distinctive sound and stylistic diversity, Scofield is a masterful jazz improviser whose music generally falls somewhere between post-bop, funk edged jazz, and R & B.

Born in Ohio and raised in suburban Connecticut, Scofield took up the guitar at age 11, inspired by both rock and blues players. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. After a debut recording with Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker, Scofield was a member of the Billy Cobham-George Duke band for two years. In 1977 he recorded with Charles Mingus, and joined the Gary Burton quartet. He began his international career as a bandleader and recording artist in 1978. From 1982–1985, Scofield toured and recorded with Miles Davis. His Davis stint placed him firmly in the foreground of jazz consciousness as a player and composer.

Since that time he has prominently led his own groups in the international Jazz scene, recorded over 30 albums as a leader (many already classics) including collaborations with contemporary favorites like Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Eddie Harris, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Bill Frisell, Brad Mehldau, Mavis Staples, Government Mule, Jack DeJohnette, Joe Lovano and Phil Lesh. He's played and recorded with Tony Williams, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Dave Holland, Terumasa Hino among many jazz legends. Throughout his career Scofield has punctuated his traditional jazz offerings with funk-oriented electric music. All along, the guitarist has kept an open musical mind.

Touring the world approximately 200 days per year with his own groups, he is an Adjunct Professor of Music at New York University, a husband, and father of two.

John Scofield Trio will be performing at SHU Community Theatre on 11/23/25

For Tickets and More Information go to: https://www.shucommunitytheatre.org/all-events/john-scofield-trio

John Scofield's Website: https://www.johnscofield.com/

Matt shares his new episode of the SHU COMMUNITY THEATRE PODCAST with the Mindful Musician.

VENUE WEBSITE: https://shucommunitytheatre.org/

This week on The SHU Community Theatre Podcast, we welcome singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Coley O'Toole. A proud Connecticut native, Coley shares the incredible story of his journey from playing local gigs to touring the world as a keyboardist and vocalist with Green Day. He opens up about his roots in CT, his early love of music, and the bands he helped build — including the platinum-selling pop-rock group We the Kings, who are hitting the road this summer with Avril Lavigne. Whether you're a musician, a music lover, or just curious about life on the road and inside the industry, this episode offers an honest, inspiring look at what it takes to make it in music — and stay there.

Coley's Website: https://www.coleyotoole.com/

Coley's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coleyjotoole/?hl=en

WE THE KINGS band: https://www.wethekingsmusic.com/

Their most popular song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CUyWJ7UINM

Book a songwriting session with him here:

https://mastermindroad.thrivecart.com/songwriting-coley/

Music: Per Your Request (written and arranged for The Verve Jazz Ensemble by Matt Oestreicher)

GENERAL PODCAST INFORMATION:

The SHU Community Theatre On The Marquee podcast.

Welcome to On The Marquee—the podcast that takes you beyond the spotlight and behind the scenes of the performing arts!

Hosted by SHU Community Theatre's Executive Director, Matt Oestreicher, this show shines a light on entertainment and education in concert by featuring exclusive conversations with upcoming performing artists.

Each episode, Matt peels back the curtain to reveal the artist's journey—demystifying the creative process, sharing untold stories, and uncovering what it's like to be a performing artist.

Whether you're a lifelong arts lover or just curious about why you should come to a performance, On The Marquee is your all-access pass to the arts and entertainment world.

Matt returns to the Mindful Musician podcast to talk about his new-ish role as the Executive Director of The SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield Connecticut and to tell you to come see comedian Todd Barry there on Saturday February 24th.

VENUE WEBSITE: https://shucommunitytheatre.org/

GET TICKETS FOR TODD BARRY'S HALF JOKING TOUR: http://shucommunitytheatre.showare.com/ToddBarry

LINK TO THE PODCAST THAT THIS IS FROM (The SHU Community Theatre Podcast)

https://sites.libsyn.com/513383/shuct-commedian-todd-barry

link to part 1:

http://www.mattoestreicher.com/themindfulmusician/2019/10/15/ep35-an-exploration-of-improvisation-with-stephen-nachmanovitchpart-1

part 1 on iTunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-35-exploration-improvisation-stephen-nachmanovitch/id1039740479?i=1000453557899

The full length album that we recorded:

"The Liquid Between The Styles" - (including the pieces from this podcast)

https://themindfulmusician.bandcamp.com/releases

Stephen Nachmanovitch links:

Website:

http://www.freeplay.com/

His new book The Art of Is: Improvisation as a way of life

http://www.freeplay.com/Writings/TheArtOfIs.php

His classic book Freeplay

http://www.freeplay.com/Writings/2-amazonlinks-fp.php

Host Matt Oestreicher links:

The Mindful Musician Podcast Homepage:

http://www.mattoestreicher.com/themindfulmusician

Website:

http://www.mattoestreicher.com/