Interview with Mike Matessino | Guest Host Tim Burden

Future Proofing the Music of John Williams

In late November 2017, Mike Matessino was over in London to work on forthcoming John Williams expanded scores (which La La Land have recently hinted at), in addition to hosting a Q&A with Leslie Bricusse. Not Williams related, but the premiere of a new 4K 50th Anniversary remaster of Dr. Dolittle. You can experience this brilliant Q&A with Mike and Leslie in this month’s edition of FSM Online (http://www.FSMOnlinemag.com). As a side note, I did have a chance to speak with Leslie briefly about his clever re-wording of JW’s ‘Can You Read My Mind’ for the Boston Pops tribute to Williams when he stepped down to allow Keith Lockhart take the baton: “An extraordinary honour and I relished the opportunity. Seeing John’s expression when he heard the singers proclaim ‘Johnny T’ was priceless” Leslie told me. The fact that this discussion took place when he asked me where the Gents toilets were in London’s Picturehouse Central cinema makes it all the more surreal. Anyway, I digress.

I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Mike Matessino in the city where so many of our favourite scores were recorded and after lunch, we took a trip to Air-Edel studios. On a typically cold and crisp winter’s day (Mike is used to this as a New Yorker!), we were warmly welcomed by Maggie Rodford and her team and we subsequently spent 3 hours talking about Mike’s work. Primarily his assignments for John Williams and the recent releases of Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. You’ll also hear a bit of Star Wars, Star Trek and Superman too.

Thanks to Tom Bullen, Trevor Best & Maggie Rodford.

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