EP 079 – Content Creator Roundtable #1
Here at Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast, we’re not just Billy Joel fans. We’re also fans of other podcasts. Since setting up shop in early 2020, we’ve connected with other podcasters with shows about music. Some of them have had us on as guests, and now we’re happy to return the favor. […]
EP 076 – Behind The Nylon Curtain (with Brad Leigh & Larry Franke)
The Nylon Curtain turned 40 last September, and we can’t help but take one last look at it as we start the new year. Back in September, we did our album spotlight where we discussed the history and making of the album along with our track-by-track commentary. This time, we’re speaking with two […]
EP 075 – 2022 Odds & Ends (with Steve Cohen, Jon Small, & Brad Leigh)
Sometimes the best part of a big meal is the leftovers. There’s nothing like taking a little bit of everything from the night before, heating it up, and settling in for a second round. And, for the second year in a row, just in time for the holidays, that’s what we’re doing here at Glass […]
EP 074 – Remembering Jim Boyer (with Brad Leigh & Larry Franke)
There are more than just musicians behind a great-sounding album. No matter how well they play, or how good the songs are, it doesn’t mean much if the recording doesn’t capture them the right way. And, when it came to many of Billy Joel’s most iconic albums, the person responsible for shaping much […]
EP 073 – Glass Houses Playlist #6 – Thundercats (Larry & Anthony’s Song)
Did you know there’s a connection between Billy Joel and one of the most popular cartoons of the 1980s? We didn’t know either until a few weeks ago. Recently, Michael and I interviewed Larry Franke, who was second engineer on Songs in the Attic and the Nylon Curtain. During the conversation, Larry mentioned that, after […]
EP 071 – Michael & Jack Meet + Conversation with Russell Javors & Dan Orlando
This episode is all about meeting new people in the Billy Joel world. First, we’re telling the story of when we, your hosts, finally met after recording virtually for nearly three years. We’ve hinted at it online and some listeners asked about it. So, we thought we’d tell the story here along with our […]
EP 070 – Concert Classics: Roxy Theatre – Northampton, PA – November 28, 1973
There are make-or-break moments in every successful musician’s career. Sometimes they’re huge, cataclysmic events. Other times, they’re subtle nods that point a performer in the right direction. For Billy Joel, a pair of shows in November of 1973 was the latter. And, we have the tapes to prove it. Piano Man had just been released, […]
EP 066 – Billy Joel Live At Yankee Stadium (with Steve Cohen & Jon Small)
This fall, an often-overlooked live Billy Joel release is getting a second lease on life. The 1990 video release Live At Yankee Stadium is getting a makeover with remixed and remastered sound, an extra song, and a brand new edit. And, after a limited run in theaters, it’ll be available on Blu-ray along with […]
EP 056 – Reimagining The Nylon Curtain with Johnny Lied
The Covid-19 pandemic and quarantines of 2020 caused disruptions in the music industry that we’re still feeling a few years later. But while we’re fortunate that the lack of live music will fade into memory, the releases of quarantine albums may very well add up to an interesting reflection of these unprecedented times. With no […]
EP 052 – In Conversation with Billy Joel Art Director Edward O’Dowd
If you’ve gone to one of Billy Joel’s Madison Square Garden residency shows, saw one of his concerts near your hometown, or picked up any of his reissues or box sets over the past decade plus, then you’re familiar with the work of Edward O’Dowd. Since 2008, the graphic designer and art director has created […]
EP 050 – Havana Jam ’79 (with documentarian Ernesto Juan)
Spread over three days in Cuba, the Havana Jam ‘79 featured Columbia recording artists alongside native musicians and bands. It was a monumental, historic event that hardly anyone knows about anymore. But Ernesto Juan knows the story. And, he’s been trying to tell it for the past decade. The Cuban-born journalist, documentarian and […]
EP 049 – 2021 Odds & Ends (with Liberty DeVitto & Jesse Javors)
Sometimes the best part about the holidays are the leftovers. Picking at the feast you just enjoyed the day before can taste better than when it was just cooked. And, as the 2021 holiday season wraps up, we’re bringing you a second helping of Glass Houses – A Billy Joel Podcast. It’s been […]
EP 047 – Russell Javors Part 2 (in conversation with Russell Javors)
Welcome back to our two-part series on Russell Javors. As the rhythm guitarist for Billy Joel, Russell was a fixture in Billy’s band on record and on stage for much of their storied run from 1976’s Turnstiles through 1986’s The Bridge. His playing was always understated and in service to the song, but at […]
EP 045 – In Conversation with Mike Delguidice
Billy Joel’s monthly residency at Madison Square Garden resumes on November 5th after nearly a year and a half off due to the pandemic. In the leadup to the show, we sat down with guitarist Mike DelGuidice to talk about what he’s been up to during that time. Even with the Garden shows […]
EP 044 – Russell Javors Part 1 (with special guests)
Probably the last thing you think of when it comes to Billy Joel’s music is reggae but that influence is there. And if it’s subtle, it’s because it comes from arguably the most understated member of the classic Lords of 52nd Street, Russell Javors. In a band where the spotlight is squarely on the […]
EP 041 – In Conversation with Richie Cannata
Here’s an interview with Richie Cannata. That’s it. No great fanfare, no big intro. We just had a blast talking with Billy Joel’s longtime sax, organ, flute, accordion, and piano player, and we’re sharing that conversation with you. There’s a lot of great stuff here: Deep trivia about Billy Joel tracks and live performances, […]
EP 032 – Interpreting Billy Part 2 (with Hyung-ki Joo)
What changes when other piano players perform Billy Joel’s music? What elements shine through? What’s it like to be tasked with performing music written by one of the most popular recording artists of the 20th century? This is the second installment of our two-part series where we talk with piano players who have been […]
EP 031 – Awards Show Appearances Part 1 + Conversation with Evan Toth
Billy Joel is no stranger to awards shows and other accolades. Following 1977’s The Stranger, he’s won a handful of industry awards, was nominated for plenty more, and gave a few memorable — and in, one case, literally show stopping — performances. And, when you’re tracking award show appearances over three decades, you also start […]
EP 030 – Interpreting Billy Part 1 (with Michael Cavanaugh)
After 1993’s River of Dreams, fans waited and wondered if Billy Joel would ever release another pop album. The answer, as we know now, turned out to be no. But, nearly a decade after that release, we saw a new development for Billy’s music. The first years of the new century saw three new […]
EP 026 – Superfan Round Table #1
This may be the beginning of 2021, but this installment marks the end of our first 12 months of episodes. So, we decided to do something special for the occasion. We’re hosting a round table with some of the biggest Billy Joel fans we know. It’s an opportunity for us all to chat about […]
EP 024 – Looking Forward & Looking Back (with Love Raptor & Bradshaw Leigh)
We’re kicking off 2021 with a look back and a look forward at Billy Joel’s work, his fans, and the music industry in general. This episode features two sets of interviews. The first is with Mikhail Pivovarov and Billy Ruegger from the online music collective Love Raptor. We’ll go behind the scenes of their funk […]
EP 023 – Phil Ramone (with Bradshaw Leigh & Russell Javors)
When it comes to Billy Joel’s most successful run of albums, you can’t talk about the man behind the piano without also talking about the man behind the board: Phil Ramone. By the time Phil and Billy teamed up, Ramone was already a renowned engineer and innovator in the recording studio. His discography included landmark […]
EP 012 – In Conversation with drummer Liberty DeVitto
Liberty DeVitto is the drummer that Billy Joel chose to record those unforgettable albums and memorable tours between 1975 and 2005. Michael & Jack discuss his brand new autobiography Liberty: Life, Billy and the Pursuit of Happiness which is out now from Hudson Music. Join us for a special candid conversation with Liberty DeVitto as […]
EP 010 – Doug Stegmeyer (with special guests)
On this episode, Michael & Jack celebrate the life and music of Billy Joel bassist Doug Stegmeyer. Known as The Sergeant, Doug played bass in the Billy Joel band from 1975 which he joined for the Streetlife Serenader tour and continued on through the end of The Bridge Tour in 1988. We discuss many of […]