The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey

This very special episode of The Baton attempts to right a very major wrong from episode 54 of the podcast, which featured a robust discussion of the score for The Empire Strikes Back. In that episode, co-hosts Jeff Commings and Jim Nova neglected to mention the 15-minute Hoth battle sequence. On this episode, the two spend almost the entire time breaking down that sequence's music, from its similarities to Richard Strauss' tone poems to the use of 26 percussion instruments as John Williams flexed his musical muscles once again. Enjoy this detailed analysis of the music for one of the best action sequences put on film.

Steven Spielberg convinced semi-retired John Williams to write the film score for his new science-fiction epic about alien visitations called Disclosure Day. The result is a "restrained" score that lacks the thematic richness we have come to expect from Williams. But the score, as host Jeff Commings details, is one of the best Williams has written in the 21st century.

Join this episode to hear music from the score, including a brooding first cue, an intensely scored cue for a car chase that doesn't focus on the car chase, and a lovely end credits cue that takes variations of a melody that is sparsely used throughout the film.

The fifth Indiana Jones movie brought 79-year-old Harrison Ford back into the old fedora for another adventure involving a precious artifact that could spell doom if put into the wrong hands. Along for the ride was 91-year-old John Williams, who completed his 43-year association with Indy with a score that features callbacks to moments from previous Indiana Jones films and a lack of a major theme that had the potential to make the score a major standout. Host Jeff Commings details some of the highlights of the score on this latest episode of 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..