The Third Story with Leo Sidran

Adam Dorn, musician, producer and composer, got his start early. Encouraged by his father, legendary record producer Joel Dorn, Adam left his home in Philadelphia when he was still in high school to pursue a life in music. Over the years, he has worked as a session musician on countless records, and as a producer for other artists. His solo project, "Mocean Worker" came about almost by accident, the results of a series of half-serious recording sessions. Since the release of his first album, Home Movies from the Brain Forest, the style has varied from a drum 'n' bass sound to a jazz-oriented dance sound that some call Electro-Swing, incorporating elements of funk, big-band and swing.Earlier this year, along with his partner Charlie Hunter, Dorn launched his own podcast called "Compared to What", which features long form casual conversations with musicians and creative friends. Sound familiar?I suspected we would have a lot in common, and I was eager to sit down with Adam to talk. We agreed to use the conversation as an episode for both podcasts, so in fact the Third Story is a guest on Compared to What, and vice versa. These are exciting times!This was a truly free flowing conversation - at times it behaved like an interview, and at other times more like a chat over coffee…Strong coffee. We covered a lot of ground, including our personal experiences growing up in the shadow of music business fathers, learning how to play and produce, electronic music, music education, and generally "going after" what you love. It's an honor and a pleasure to share this episode. http://comparedtowhatpodcast.comStream it here or download it from the iTunes music store.

Janis Siegel was born in Brooklyn and fell in love with the pop music of her day – doo-wop, pop, girl groups and folk music. She began her professional singing career when she was 12 years old, and was already a seasoned professional by the time she finished high school. Her early career sounds like a movie script: singing back up on pop records when she was a teenager, hanging out on the West Village scene in the late 1960's, dropping out of nursing school… A chance meeting with a singer / New York City taxi driver named Tim Hauser would lead her to join the vocal group The Manhattan Transfer. The group soon became enormously successful, and they still endure today. They've recorded over 20 records, won 10 Grammys, collaborated with some of the most exciting artists around, and influenced generations of new singers. Janis has also maintained a solo career since the early 1980's. Her most recent solo record, "Night Songs" was released in 2013 on Palmetto Records. Here she talks about her career, the importance of following what you're passionate about, and the mysterious qualities of four-part vocal harmony. www.janissiegel.comStream it here or download it from the iTunes music store.

Saxophonist John Eliis grew up in North Carolina, in a family that valued the arts and creativity, but also surrounded by what he refers to as "country people". He attended high school and part of college at an arts academy in North Carolina before moving to New Orleans, and eventually settling in New York city, about 15 years ago.He works regularly as a sideman with other jazz artists including Dr. Lonnie Smith, Miguel Zenon, and Darcie James-Argue. He's the kind of musician who brings real energy and enthusiasm to a project, and also a real sense of his own personal identityJohn has also recorded a number of albums under his own name, and with a project he has called "Double Wide". His most recent solo project, called MOBRO, is a long form narrative collaboration with playwright Andy Bragen, was released earlier this year.Ellis returns again and again to the importance of where he came from, and how the people he saw growing up influenced his values as an artists. He also discusses the advantage of being isolated when he was learning to play, and the importance self study in jazz. In many ways, it seems that being somewhat isolated and finding jazz very much on his own is what helped him to find his own sound and musical voice.www.johnaxsonellis.com

Greg Holden is a Brooklyn based British singer-songwriter. He moved to New York in 2009 and quickly became part of the songwriter scene, appearing regularly at Rockwood Music Hall, and opening for larger artists including Ingrid Michaelson and A Great Big World.Holden's song "Home" was recorded in 2012 by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips and became a huge hit, selling over five million copies and influencing many subsequent songs by other artists. We talked just as Greg was finishing his new solo album, which is set to be released in March, 2015. Here he talks about growing up in England, working dead end jobs and dreaming of America, coming to New York, dealing with failure, confronting success, and ultimately moving forward again. www.gregholdenonline.comStream it here or download it from the iTunes music store.

Michael Hearst is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and writer. He relocated to Brooklyn from Richmond, Virginia in 2001, and quickly became part of a burgeoning creative scene in Park Slope. Since then, Michael has developed a number of intriguing, inspired, curious, and collaborative projects, often with his band One Ring Zero, and more recently as solo endeavors. He often collaborates with unlikely partners, including novelists, chefs, and…ice cream trucks.His most recent release, a book/CD combination called "Songs for Unusual Creatures" features music inspired by some of the world's weirdest animals. Like many of his projects, "Creatures" engages a previous musical masterpiece in a dialogue. In this case he takes his cue from Camille Saint-Saëns' 19th century musical suite "Carnival of the Animals".In our conversation, Hearst speaks candidly about his creative process, his personal path, and his childlike curiosity about almost everything.www.michaelhearst.comStream it here or download it from the iTunes music store.

André De Shields is an actor, dancer and singer with a career spanning over 40 years. He first came to national attention in 1975 when he was cast in the title roll of The Wiz on Broadway (a roll he helped to develop and create). Since then, he's been a mainstay on the Great White Way, as well as in television, film and regional theater. Here, André talks about growing up in Baltimore in the 1950s, coming through the 1960s before settling in New York in the early 1970s. But along the way, he delivers an incredible amount of knowledge, wisdom, history and personal philosophy. We begin the conversation by discussing André's appearance on the front page of the the New York Times Arts section, which happened to have been the day before we sat down to talk.Stream below or download from iTunes.

James Farber is a Grammy Award winning recording and mixing engineer. He started his career in the mid 1970s working at the legendary Power Station studio in New York (now the site of Avatar Studios). After a stint working with Nile Rogers, he went out on his own as a freelance engineer in the 1980s. Since then, he's been one of the most highly respected and in demand engineers in New York, specializing in jazz and improvised music. Although he's made hundreds of records for notable jazz artists, some of longest standing relationships have been with Joe Lovano, Brad Mehldau, John Scofield, Dave Holland, Joshua Redman, and the late Michael Brecker. Here he talks about getting started in the record business, the aesthetic and professional choices he makes, the evolution of recording technology, and much more.

Emma Straub is the author of the novels The Vacationers and Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures, and the short story collection Other People We Married.

Arranger, composer, keyboard player and producer Rob Mounsey has been a steady studio cat since the mid 70s when he was discovered playing in a Boston bar band and invited to move to New York. Since then, he's worked with many of the greatest artists of the time - the list is too long to place here, but suffice it to say that he's worked on a lot of records you've heard. Here he talks about his personal discovery of music as a young man, his career path (or lack thereof) and his general outlook on music and life. He also considers the impact of Zen Buddhism on his process, as well as visual arts, food, and a general sense of compassion - both musical and personal. www.robmounsey.com

Jesse Harris is a singer, songwriter, guitar player and producer who has been walking the line between jazz and pop since he got started in the mid 90’s. While he was on a road trip with a friend, he stopped in Denton, Texas to visit some other musician friends of his, and happened to meet Norah Jones, who was still a student. The two became friends and ended up starting a band together after Norah graduated and moved to New York. That single chance encounter in Texas would prove to be an incredibly important one for both Jones and Harris. Jesse contributed five songs to Norah’s debut album “Come Away With Me” and won a Grammy for his song “Don’t Know Why”. Subsequently, he has released a dozen albums as a solo artist, and produced nearly the same again for other artists. Here he talks about his early musical development, his experience pre and post success, and the state of the business as he sees it today.