Maestro John Morris Russell Talks James Bond Concert

05/14/24 • 35 min

John Morris Russell Talks Shaken Not Stirred

Dan and Tom interview Maestro John Morris Russell (JMR) about his Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert, “Shaken Not Stirred,” musical scores, and James Bond music. As you might have guessed, the concert’s focus is the music of James Bond. You may know JMR from his work as the conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra for the past 13 years.

Joining JMR in the concert is the amazing vocalist Capathia Jenkins. She possesses the wide vocal range needed to cover the various styles of singers from the James Bond catalog.

We will be attending the concert and we’re sure James Bond fans will enjoy this one.

In this episode, JMR talks about what to expect in this concert and how they put it together. He also talks about his career, why he decided to conduct instead of play an instrument, some influential composers, and film scoring in general. If you’ve ever wanted to know what a composer has to deal with in scoring a movie, JMR gives you a good idea. It is really amazing how they do it.

One other area we discuss is how technology has made composition more efficient. Much is the same as it's been for hundreds of years. But, some of it is streamlined today.

Raymond Benson with an assist

Dan and Tom wanted some expertise for this interview, so they asked Raymond Benson for an assist. Of course, Raymond graciously agreed. Raymond helped us delve into other composers' works and JMR’s experiences with them. Plus, Raymond tells of a very scary experience he had with composer John Barry.

What do you think?

So, we’re excited to be going to this concert and see John Morris Russell put what he told us into action. We think this will be a good one. Do you have plans to go to this concert? If so, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at [email protected]. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.

Webpage: https://bit.ly/3UxXUJ2

Credit: John Morris Russell pictures courtesy of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

John Morris Russell Talks Shaken Not Stirred

Joining JMR in the concert is the amazing vocalist Capathia Jenkins. She possesses the wide vocal range needed to cover the various styles of singers from the James Bond catalog.

We will be attending the concert and we’re sure James Bond fans will enjoy this one.

One other area we discuss is how technology has made composition more efficient. Much is the same as it's been for hundreds of years. But, some of it is streamlined today.

Raymond Benson with an assist

What do you think?

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.

Webpage: https://bit.ly/3UxXUJ2

Credit: John Morris Russell pictures courtesy of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Previous Episode

SPY HUNT – 1950 Cold War Espionage Classic Decoded!

Dan and Tom decode SPY HUNT, a 1950 espionage B movie. And they don’t agree on this one.

SPY HUNT was based on the book “Panther’s Moon” by Victor Canning. It has espionage, a MacGuffin, a train, a dead drop, escaped black panthers, a budding romance, and quite a few interesting characters.

Dan and Tom call out some interesting plot points that may have been influenced by earlier movies such as THE LADY VANISHES, THE 39 STEPS, and others.

In addition, you’ll find out what a black panther really is. We’re sure you’ve lost sleep trying to figure that out.

Above all, they look at some places where SPY HUNT may have influenced spy movies that followed, including one very interesting piece of dialogue. How much influence did this movie have on the James Bond franchise?

So, if you’ve seen SPY HUNT, do you agree with Dan or Tom on one? What did you think of this episode, SPY HUNT – 1950 Cold War Espionage Classic Decoded?

Overall, if you hadn’t seen SPY HUNT did this episode encourage you to watch it? If so, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode. Just drop us a note at [email protected]. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.

Webpage: https://bit.ly/3JMn8OO

Next Episode

Chicago 007 Fans May 2024 Meetup - Fan Interviews

Chicago 007 Fans May 2024 Meetup

Dan and Tom held their first Chicago 007 Fans Meetup on May 9, 2024, at Ma O’Brien’s Irish Pub in Chicago.

Part of the event was a James Bond trivia quiz and people from all over the world played, including those in the pub. The questions ranged from fairly easy to "nobody got this one". The winning score was 18 out of 25. Congratulations to William Kanas for the win.

This episode highlights the interviews they streamed of some of the 007 fans in attendance. In fact, one of the fans we talked with, stuntman Ross Scharphorn, placed second in the trivia quiz. He answered the same number of questions as William Kanas, but Kanas answered faster for the win.

In addition to Ross, we interviewed Scott Winterroth and Brandon about their favorite Bond movies, actors, and the direction they would like Eon Productions to take the franchise.

Finally, we talked with Leonard Johnson and Chris MacGregor from the Ian Fleming Foundation. They talked about the foundation, its charity focus, and how they obtain and refurbish James Bond movie vehicles.

We also held a drawing with James Bond tchotchkes awarded to the winners.

A big Thank You goes out to all who attended our Chicago 007 Fans May 2024 Meetup and those who agreed to be interviewed.

What do you think?

What did you think of this episode? Also, please let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and if you want to be notified of our next event. Just drop us a note at [email protected]. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.

Webpage: https://bit.ly/4avMfR0