Jim Caruso Can Really Swing It!

All Photos:  Alan Mercer    Lighting: Eric V.

For the past eight years Jim Caruso has hosted a weekly Monday night show called 'Jim Caruso's Cast Party.'  This brought him a New York Nightlife Award, a MAC Award and a Sydney Meyer Award. 

He made his Broadway debut alongside Liza Minnelli in the smash hit 'Liza's At The Palace!' singing, dancing and celebrating the music and arrangements of the late, great Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers.  The show was honored with a 2009 Tony Award for Best Special Event and the recording was nominated for a Grammy.

For his nightclub work, Jim Caruso has won six MAC Awards and two BackStage Magazine Bistro Awards for sold-out shows at Birdland, Arci’s Place, The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, and The Russian Tea Room.  He has also performed in runs at the Cinegrill and Gardenia in Los Angeles, as well as countless other venues across the country.

Jim guest-hosted "Broadway On Broadway 2000" in Times Square for a crowd of 100,000 theater fans, hosted the 2000 MAC Awards at Town Hall in Manhattan and co-hosted the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 Drama Desk Award webcasts.

Jim’s newest CD on the Yellow Sound Label, “The Swing Set,” is a collection of wryly re-imagined standards and eye-popping new tunes, featuring Michael Feinstein, Bucky Pizzarelli, Hilary Kole, Stephanie J. Block, and Aaron Weinstein, and is available online.

He was featured in a Tribute to Kander & Ebb, backed by the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, and performed a Tribute to Hope & Crosby in an evening hosted by Michael Feinstein at Zankel Hall.

On the small screen, Jim was seen co-starring with Kathie Lee Gifford on Showtime Television in “Personal Assistant,” which was written and directed by Charles Busch.  He also co-starred on the Nostalgia Network variety sitcom, “Café DuArt” for two seasons.

Caruso was the founding member of the nationally acclaimed, award-winning jazz vocal and comedy trio,'Wiseguys.'  After performing in an all-star Inaugural extravaganza, they were invited to sing at President Clinton’s First State Dinner at the White House in an evening hosted by Lauren Bacall.  The trio performed in concert at the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, and in "the big room" with Rosemary Clooney.

As a writer, Jim has contributed to InStyle Magazine, Theatermania and InTheater Magazine  He has produced and booked television talk and entertainment programs like "Jim J. & Tammy Faye" and "Fox After Breakfast," and was a Field Producer for E! Entertainment Television, working on "Celebrity Profiles" and covering the Tony Awards.

Jim Caruso is such a stand out performer and host!  I adore his new album 'The Swing Set' featuring great renditions of some well known and lesser known material.  I have also seen Jim perform a few times and he never disappoints. 

JC:  Alan I love your shot of Tammy Faye!  I worked on that show with Tammy and Jim J. Bullock.  The first time I met her she was wearing all leopard.  A leopard pantsuit, leopard boots and earrings.  I said, "You are Miss Leopard!"  and she said, "Leopard is my favorite color!"

AM:  Well leopard never goes out of style.

JC:  She was very serious about loving leopard. 

AM:  Are you the brain child of 'Cast Party?'

JC:  Well.....yes but I don't think I could have ever done it without unbelievably talented people like Billy Stritch at the piano, Ted Firth who plays a lot of piano, Steve Doyle on bass and a room like Birdland.  They have supported us every single Monday for the past eight years.  I could produce and present as much as I want but if I don't have the support of all the people around me to make it the best that it can be.... 

AM:  Did 'Cast Party' exceed your expectations?

JC:  I never thought I'd be hosting an open mike night for a living and it's kind of what I've ended up doing.  Now we are doing it on the road as we are doing it in LA and Chicago coming up as well as Pittsburg and Austin.  

AM:  Does this give you an opportunity to promote your own work and your new CD?

JC:  It kind of does.  It's an outlet and it puts me in front of amazingly talented people and people who love to watch talented people.  I would say that I spent all those years as a singer hawking my wares but the second I moved the spotlight to other people, they found me a little bit more interesting so I wish someone would have told me that a long time ago. 

AM:  Will you sing a song off your CD at the shows?

JC:  I don't know what we're going to sing until the show but I probably will.  Billy and I always do a big opening number and then I probably will sing something from the album. 

AM:  I love the first cut 'I've Got My Fingers Crossed.'

JC:  That's a real swinger isn't it? 

AM:  You really created a timeless recording here.

JC:  I wanted it to sound like a wonderful Fred Astaire album he did with a very small jazz band.  It sounds off the cuff and natural, like we're overhearing something at a party, just Fred sitting in with a band.  That's the vibe that I wanted.  My producer Aaron Weinstein, who's this brilliant, young jazz violinist really understood that concept.  

AM:  Oh I love the violin song too!

JC:  Oh 'I Love A Violin' that's a song by Kay Thompson.  Billy and I were on the road for three years with Liza celebrating the music and arrangements of Kay Thompson who was Liza's Godmother and Judy Garland's vocal coach. 

AM:  I'm glad you recorded lesser known songs for your CD instead of the same old tired ones that most people do.  Was that on purpose?

JC:  No I really didn't do it like that.  I wouldn't want to perform anything that seems tired.  My taste has always been a little bit off the beaten path.  While I wanted to record a few songs that people know, because it does help sell a record, I didn't want to do something that seemed boring to me. 

AM:  I enjoy learning new songs.

JC:  Me too.  When I go to a show and people sing new songs I'm enthralled for the most part. 

AM:  I love the title of your CD as well.

JC:  I couldn't believe there had never been a 'Swing Set' album title before.  That was a shocker.  I thought of it in the shower and went to google it right away to see how many thousands of albums were called 'The Swing Set' and I couldn't find any!   

AM:  That's awesome!

JC: That was a piece of good luck. 

AM:  You must be happy with the way it turned out.

JC:  I'm just delighted!  I'm thrilled to have a product that people are enjoying.

AM:  Are you going to do more recording?

JC:  I hope so.  I hope it sells to a lot of people.  It's getting some decent press.  It was such a fun project to work with iconic musicians.  Bucky Pizzarelli, who was Sinatra's player, on guitar.  He also played for Rosemary Clooney.  Some of these guys are my heroes and it was thrilling to be in the studio with them. 

AM:  I know you lived in Dallas at the same time I did.  How did you end up in New York?

JC:  I had a vocal group called 'Wiseguys' and we were working a lot in New York.  I finally decided New York is where I gotta be!  I wanted to live in New York since I was a little boy and saw it in the movies. 

AM:  You are a New Yorker even though you weren't born and raised there.

JC:  I think some people are.  I knew where I was before I even knew where I was!  I would get out of the subway and know which way to walk.  I just always had a second sense about the city and it is absolutely where I should be.  I hope I can be there forever. 

AM:  I'm sure you will be, but I hope you comeback to Los Angeles a lot.

JC:  This is the best because we get to celebrate local talent all over the country now.  I feel like Ed Sullivan.

AM: You are enjoying Facebook as well aren't you?

JC:  Facebook has been an amazing selling tool for me.  It absolutely helps.  I don't know what I would have done without it.  I'm trying to get into tweeting but I don't love it yet!!!

To learn more about Jim Caruso check out the website http://jim-caruso.com/ and http://castpartynyc.com/