The Terry Callier Wave and Filming Content for Jazz Worldwide in Montreal

As this newsletter hits your inbox, I am in my favorite place in the world: the Montreal Jazz Festival. For over 15 years, I have had the incredible honor of coming to Quebec to broadcast live interviews and music for SiriusXM’s Real Jazz (Channel 67) from what the Guinness Book of World Records officially recognizes as the world’s largest jazz festival.

Next week’s issue will be a full visual and audio recap of My Jazz Life in this great city. But today, something groundbreaking is happening, and I am using this dispatch to unveil two high-end, deeply personal projects I have been working on for a very long time.

Consider this your formal invitation. I am asking you to upgrade your subscription and join me backstage. By becoming a paid subscriber, you aren’t just reading about high art - you are getting a front-row seat to how it is built from the ground up.

Here is what we are building….

This first project is a direct result of my five years as a judge on the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors. Believe it or not, before joining that distinguished body, I had never listened to a podcast. By the end of my first term in 2021, my creative drive overflowed; I knew I had to produce one.

As a producer, concepts come easy to me, and I rushed headlong into it. Thankfully, my two youngest sons stepped in and slowed me down, insisting we build a proper infrastructure first. We have been shaping the nest for so long, but the ideas are finally hatching.

We are currently in Montreal shooting the principal photography for the first four episodes, and our pilot episode features arguably the biggest star at this year’s Montreal Jazz Festival.

Before we go fully public, upgraded subscribers will receive the “first looks,” exclusive video content, and privileged access to the production process.

This second project is even more ambitious. If you are a fan of the late cult-legend singer Terry Callier, contemporary crooner Allan Harris, or any of the 18 albums I’ve produced in my career, you will want to be a part of this.

For decades, my devotion to Callier has been woven into My Jazz Life. An article I wrote for Jazzusa.com at the turn of the millennium is cited on his Wikipedia page and was recently included in the liner notes for the archival release Live at the Earl of Old Town. The Callier renaissance is real another UK label is dropping Live at the Jazz Café on vinyl in Q4.

The Terry Callier Wave
Rolls Out in 2027
With Elevated Content
Dedicated to His Legacy

The Allan Harris Sessions

This record is already recorded - with a title that will be unveiled soon. Allan Harris is singing Callier’s classics and deep cuts, backed by a few massive jazz stars. I’ve personally invested about five figures and countless hours to get it tracked. Now, we need mastering, artwork, a distributor, and a promoter. This Summer, upgraded subscribers will get to watch this record cross the finish line with exclusive leaks and behind-the-scenes.

Allan and I will tackle some of Terry’s larger, more complex pieces. We are adding an African choir and locking in some heavy-hitting, unsigned guest stars. Checkout our post below from December 2025 about these great sessions.

Forty Hours Jammin’ in New Orleans

·

December 29, 2025

Primarily, the reason I was in the “Crescent City” this past fall was to continue work on an extensive tribute to the great singer, songwriter, and raconteur Terry Callier. I went there to document a master storyteller—a griot.

The Great Grail

This one is bone-chilling. I have spent a long time securing the rights to three sets of pristine, live Terry Callier performances from the early 2000’s - some recorded beautifully by Terry himself on Pro Tools. I wouldn’t be talking about them if I didn’t finally have the rights. When I first heard this audio, I cried. True fans will do the same when it drops early next year as well.