Elijah Wells’ Late Development and City Winery NYC present Jimmy Jam: Jamz & Conversation - Part Two on Thursday, January 15 at 7:30pm.
This is an intimate, interactive night of untold raw and unfiltered stories behind the hits to the timeless grooves that shaped generations.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of legacy, sound, and soul with the legendary hitmaker who with his creative partner Terry Lewis have produced so many #1 hits with the likes of Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Babyface, Usher, Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson, Prince, Mary J Blige, New Edition, and more.
Late Development's CEO and Founder Elijah Wells came up with the idea and hosts the legacy celebration.
This exclusive evening blends up-close conversation, unfiltered storytelling, live piano performances, sing-alongs, and meet and greet opportunities.
Jimmy Jam, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and 5-time Grammy-winning music producer, spoke to WBGO's Doug Doyle about the exciting event.
"I like to call it an informed listening experience. If you've heard "Just Be Good to Me" by the S.O.S. Band a million times, if I tell you the story about how that record happened the same night Prince fired us, then all of a sudden you're hearing that song in a different context. So it's almost like hearing songs you've heard before but hearing them in a new and fresh way. That's the fun part about doing it."
Jimmy Jam says he and Terry Lewis were able to create a new sound for superstar Janet Jackson. Their iconic work on albums like Control and Rhythm Nation 1814 contributed significantly to Jackson's Grammy wins and nominations.
"There would be no "Control", "Nasty" or "What Have You Done for Me Lately" which happened on the first album we worked with her, because those changes were very intentional. I thought her first two albums were really good. But I thought they didn't have that attitude she had when she was a kid. She had a feisty attitude. So Terry and I thought if we could make tracks that have that a feisty attitude and were aggressive, then we could also create lyrics that mean something to her. At that point in time, she was moving out of her house. She was going to go on her own. When we had discussions about it, we figured whatever we discussed, let's put it into the songs."
Jimmy James says mentors like Quincy Jones and Clarence Avant were instrumental in his growth in many ways, especially when it comes to making a difference in the world.
With that in mind, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis recently produced "The Next Verse", a global music initiative spearheaded by Tony Robbins to combat world hunger.
Inspired by the iconic "We Are the World" song, this is an interactive, open-source project inviting artists and fans to contribute verses to a song. The first track "Someday Has Begun, Pt 1" was released this year, featuring stars like Stevie Wonder, H.E.R., and Dr. Dre. The proceeds support the 100 Billion Meals Challenge.
"I just did an event last night with 500 kids and they were all singing this song. There was something so magical about it. The parents were there also. Afterwards, the parents were thankful that the seeds of giving were being planted in their kids so that they knew how music could make a difference and that you don't have to wait until you're grown up to do it."
You can SEE Doug Doyle's entire interview with Jimmy Jam below:
