The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey

Looking for something to pass the time as you wait for episode 113 of The Baton? Since the next John Williams film score won't be released until summer 2023, there won't be a new episode of The Baton until then. But host Jeff Commings has another podcast that can help you fill the time with more Hollywood history. This show, called The Best Song Podcast, is perfect for fans of Hollywood history, of music history, of movie songs, and movies in general. You'll go on a 92-episode journey through 90 years of the Academy Award for Best Original Song, featuring all the songs nominated for the big award from 1934 to 2023. Chances are you'll find a new favorite movie song, or learn a bit more about one that is already near to your heart! The show is available on all podcast platforms, and new episodes are released every Monday. Enjoy the show!

Host Jeff Commings is back on The Baton to discuss what might be the final film collaboration between director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. The Fabelmans is Spielberg's semiautobiographical film about his family and the beginnings of his career as a filmmaker. Though the film is 200 minutes long, there is only about 30 minutes of original music from John Williams in it. Commings details a couple of the highlight musical cues, including a now-iconic dance scene with Michelle Williams, and what Williams had been doing in the two years since finishing work on The Rise of Skywalker..

This is the final episode of "The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey," and host Jeff Commings has invited one of the premier analysts of John Williams' music to talk about his extensive catalog for the "Star Wars" and Indiana Jones films. Frank Lehman discusses the genesis of the idea to examine all of the thematic material in both film series, and breaks down two of his favorite themes from the "Star Wars" franchise. It's a fantastic discussion that closes out this extensive podcast series with an over-reaching look at the Maestro's career.

After a mind-boggling span of 42 years, John Williams closed out his involvement with the "Star Wars" film series with the score for "The Rise of Skywalker." Host Jeff Commings and cohost Paulius Eidukas talk about the missteps in director J.J. Abrams' choices visually and musically. The two talk about the four new themes that flow through the score, all four notable because they connect more to a group of people and an idea instead of one person. With the help of Eidukas on the piano, we understand how the new themes connect to previous melodies, and how the finale gave them a "shivers-up-the-spine" feeling with the music. As of this posting, "The Rise of Skywalker" is the final film in the John Williams canon after 60 years of writing the score for 109 films. It is fitting that "The Rise of Skywalker" is the final film in John Williams' career, if the Maestro has indeed retired from film scores.