If Jim Caruso’s name sounds familiar, that’s not surprising. Jim is also host of the wildly popular “Cast Party” which has been a Manhattan mainstay for more than two decades at the iconic Birdland Jazz Club.

In 2011, this irrepressible, affable, and talented singer recorded and released an album titled, “The Swing Set,” which he calls a true labor of love. It’s a smart and sophisticated romp through the Great American Songbook. In it, Jim was joined by special musical guests including the late guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli, jazz violin sensation Aaron Weinstein, pianist and singer Billy Stritch, music phenom Michael Feinstein and Tony Award-winning Broadway leading lady Stephanie J. Block.

Fast forward to 2025 and this album has now been given a new life and has a new label behind it called Club 44 Records. The album has been remastered and re-released as the Swing Set-Deluxe Edition. As Caruso says about the recording..“But wait – there’s more, this Deluxe Edition comes with two surprise additions: a hilariously fun new track featuring my musical partner-in-crime Billy Stritch at the piano, and a fresh take on an old recording with the divine Jane Monheit.

While the album released in streaming and digital formats last spring, it took us until now to nail him down for a conversation. So on that note, enjoy my conversation with the delightful man of the hour himself...Jim Caruso.

Jazz Vocalist Andy James has just released her eighth studio album. It’s on Le Coq Records which is an independent label started by James and her husband Piero Pata, not only as a vehicle for releasing her music but also to work with acclaimed veteran jazz musicians including John Patitucci, Nate Smith, Terell Stafford, Alex Acuna, Rick Margitza, Chico Pinheiro, and many more.

This latest recording is a fusion of jazz and flamenco music called, “Happy People.” You might ask why the blend of jazz and flamenco? Here’s where the story gets really interesting.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Andy heard both jazz and flamenco music at home. Her mother was a jazz vocalist and her father an aficionado of Flamenco music. At a young age, she fell in love with dancing, and particularly flamenco, but instructors were scarce in Australia. In order to pursue her passion, Andy moved to Spain to study flamenco and went on to become a world acclaimed flamenco dancer.

So, what influenced her to take a 180° career turn move to United States to become a jazz vocalist? That’s where we pick up the rest of this story in our conversation.