Jimmy Jam, of iconic producer duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, is behind nearly half a century of hit songs—"Control," "Nasty," "What Have You Done for Me Lately" and "That's the Way Love Goes" are just a few of the 9 number ones they've produced for Janet Jackson.
But beyond their 40-year collaboration with Janet, the two have written and produced songs for a dizzying range of artists, from The Human League, to Patti LaBelle, Yolanda Adams, Earth Wind & Fire, and Boyz II Men.
Now, Jimmy Jam is telling the stories behind these songs and the artists who made them famous at Jamz and Conversation, a live event where he'll play stripped-down versions of the song, alongside a DJ, interviewer, and of course, an audience of fans.
"The idea here is to play the songs...but then hear the stories behind the songs and learn some things you don't know," he says. "And a lot of times it's not anything technical. Sometimes it's stories or relationship stories or things that you don't think have anything to do with each other, but somehow they all align into a beautiful story. And hopefully when you hear the song again, you'll hear it in a in a new and different way."
Tickets are on sale now for Jamz & Conversation, Thursday, June 4 at Sony Hall.
Watch Kyla Marshell's full interview with Jimmy Jam on the WBGO YouTube page:
