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New York State of Mind : The Making Of

In the mid 1970's, when New York City was on the verge of economic collapse, one might have expected an artist to write a song about the once-great city’s imminent demise. Instead, Billy Joel wrote "New York State of Mind," a love letter expressing his passion for the city. In this equally challenging time, we realized that this song was precisely the rally cry that New York needs. And so, with Billy’s support and approval, we set out to create an all-new recording and music video that we hope will inspire, lift the spirits of New Yorkers, and motivate them toward civic action.

    Interviews

    Sara Bareilles

    Cautious Clay

    Mark Rivera

    Jerry Dixon & Mario Cantone

    Tom Kitt

    Peppermint

    The Klezmatics

    Chloe Flower

    Kelli O'Hara

    Vicki Clark

    Joseph Joubert

    David Rosenthal

    Brian Stokes Mitchell

    Joan Osborne

    Bobby Sanabria

    Brian Newman & Angie Pontani

    Anais Reno

    The Locations

    Birdland

    The Steinway Factory

    Coney Island Pier

    Birdland Jazz Club, named after iconic saxophone player Charlie “Bird” Parker, opened its doors in 1949. In its many decades of operation, Birdland has been home to iconic headliners including Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and Quincy Jones. Birdland remains one of the most famous jazz clubs in the world.

    Coney Island Pier

    The Steinway Factory

    Coney Island Pier

    Coney Island was a farming community until the 1880's when developers envisioned a seaside resort and hotels were built. Soon, railroads connected the area to the City and beyond with the idea that this could become a posh summer resort like Saratoga, with race courses, fancy hotels and restaurants. Needless to say, it has changed quite a bit over time to be a world-famous amusement park with The Cyclone, the world's first rollercoaster still fully functioning today. And of course the iconic Wonder Wheel, designed and built by by Charles Hermann in 1920, designated an official New York City landmark in 1989, and still as popular as ever today.


    The Steinway Factory

    The Steinway Factory

    The Steinway Factory

    Steinway & Sons was founded in 1853 by German immigrant Henry Engelhard Steinway in a Manhattan loft on Varick Street. Eventually, they moved the factory from Manhattan to Queens Astoria Queens to an area which came to be known as "Steinway Village." Every single piano made in the Steinway Factory is hand crafted and takes at least 9 months.The STEINWAY has become the choice of ninety-eight percent of concert pianists, none of whom are compensated to endorse the instrument. 

    Russ & Daughters

    Russ & Daughters

    The Steinway Factory

    For over 100 years, Russ & Daughters has been an integral part of the history of New York City and Jewish food. Joel Russ, an immigrant from Poland, opened the store in 1914 on Orchard Street, but moved to its current location on Houston Street in 1920. Having no sons, Joel Russ required his three lovely daughters — Hattie, Ida, and Anne — to work in the store from the time they were teenagers. In 1935, he made his daughters full partners and changed the name to Russ & Daughters, a bold and controversial move. Russ & Daughters expanded with the opening of a store in The Jewish Museum in 2015 , and in Brooklyn at the Navy Yard in 2019. Visit their site to learn more.

    Brooklyn Museum

    Russ & Daughters

    Brooklyn Museum

    With roots extending back to 1823, the Brooklyn Museum is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States with an encyclopedic collection representing more than 5,500 years of artistic creativity. The Brooklyn Museum is both a leading cultural institution and a community museum dedicated to serving a wide-ranging audience. Located in the heart of Brooklyn, the Museum welcomes and celebrates the diversity of its home borough and city.

    Red Hook Winery

    Russ & Daughters

    Brooklyn Museum

    Founded in 2008 by Mark Snyder, The Red Hook Winery aims to uncover and highlight the best vineyard sites in New York state. All Red Hook Wine is produced from grape to bottle at our winery on Pier 41. Winemaker Christopher Nicolson and consulting winemakers Robert Foley and Abe Schoener aim to produce wines that reflect the climate, geology, and viticulture that make New York unlike any other growing region in the world. The Tasting Room at The Red Hook Winery boasts amazing views of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan across the sparkling East River and offers all 150 labels of Red Hook Wine as well as by the glass and tasting flights. Visit their site for more info.

    Ed Sullivan Theater

    Maimonides Park/Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium

    La Casita De Chema / Rincon Criollo

    The Ed Sullivan Theater has been used as a venue for live and taped CBS broadcasts since 1936. It is historically known as the home of The Ed Sullivan Show and the The Beatles' debut performance in the United States.Since 1993, it has been home to CBS' late night talk show, The Late Show. CBS began using the theater during David Letterman's tenure as host, and Stephen Colbert retained it when he took over the show in 2015. It is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the interior has been designated a landmark by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission.


    La Casita De Chema / Rincon Criollo

    Maimonides Park/Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium

    La Casita De Chema / Rincon Criollo

    La Casita de Chema, officially known as the Centro Cultural Rincón Criollo, on Brook Ave. at 157th St., is one of the oldest casitas in the city. For two generations, La Casita de Chema has been a breeding ground for Puerto Rican musicians and a place for community members to practice and share in the music.


    Maimonides Park/Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium

    Maimonides Park/Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium

    Maimonides Park/Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium

    The stadium opened in 2001 with a capacity of 6,500. The opening of the park, and the Cyclones' permanent move there from their prior temporary home in Queens, marked the return of professional baseball to Brooklyn for the first time since MLB's Brooklyn Dodgers had played their last game at Ebbets Field in 1957 before moving to California. Demand for Cyclones tickets was so great that the team added 1,000 seats in a right-field bleacher pavilion within three weeks after the park opened. 

    Open Jar Studios

    Columbia University

    Maimonides Park/Brooklyn Cyclones Stadium

    Open Jar Studios is home to the largest studios in New York City, for rehearsals, auditions, classes and support offices for theatre, dance, and film productions of all sizes. 21 column-free rehearsal studios overlook Times Square across two full floors located on the corner of Broadway and 48th Street. In addition to rehearsal space, Open Jar Studios is home to The Open Jar Institute. The institute is now in its 17th year, providing training and instruction for aspiring artists and professionals. Visit their site to learn more.


    Columbia University

    Columbia University

    Columbia University

    Columbia University is one of the world's most distinguished schools and center of research. Located in Manhattan, the University capitalizes on its NYC location by connecting its research and teaching to the vast resources of the city. The University draws students and faculty from around the world creating a diverse environment and strategic relationships with countries at all over the world.Visit their site to learn more.


    Grand Army Plaza

    Columbia University

    Columbia University

    Grand Army Plaza, located in Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux as a grand entrance to the Prospect Park. In 1926, the plaza, previously known as Prospect Park Plaza, was renamed Grand Army Plaza to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the foundation of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army and other military services who served in the American Civil War. Today, it is a central NYC subway station stop and is home to one of the city's largest farmer's markets.


    Tom's Restaurant

    Times Square/Midtown

    Times Square/Midtown

    Tom’s Restaurant is a family-owned restaurant that has been proudly serving since the 1940s located on the corner of Broadway and West 112th Street in New York. The restaurant inspired Suzanne Vega’s 1987 song "Tom’s Diner," and reached iconic status when the exterior of the building was used in "Seinfeld" to establish the local diner where Jerry and friends regularly met.

    Times Square/Midtown

    Times Square/Midtown

    Times Square/Midtown

    Spanning from West 42nd Street to West 47th Street, Times Square is a major tourist and commercial destination in midtown Manhattan. Times Square is the center of NYC’s Theatre District, and is home to 39 Broadway theatres. Approximately 50 million people visit Times Square every year. 

    Times Square/Midtown

    Credits

    NYCNext Project Credits

    Smartypants Film Credits

    Smartypants Film Credits

    Perry Ascher

    Maryam Banikarim

    Susie Banikarim

    Sydney Berger

    Rachana Bhide

    Quincy Confoy

    Nick DiPillo

    Brian Donovan

    Phoebe Ellman

    Michael Ferguson

    Shannon Fox

    Cathy Gay

    Andrew Golomb

    Jiawei He

    Tom Kitt

    Lori Klamner

    Jesse Kranzler

    Dana Kuznetzoff

    Amanda Lazaro

    Andrew Lerner

    Natasha Lerner 

    Nicky Lerner

    Donna MacPhee

    Catherine McCormack

    Susan McPherson

    Nancy Oda

    Shena Patel

    Abby Raphel

    Jennifer Reingold

    Blake Ross

    Grace Santa Maria

    Robert Sgalambro

    Joshua Seftel

    Alexandra Shapiro

    Uyen Tieu

    Megan Valle

    Marcia Zimmerman

    Smartypants Film Credits

    Smartypants Film Credits

    Smartypants Film Credits

    Joshua Seftel, Director

    Jeremy Mack, Executive Producer

    Anna Bick Rowe, Executive Producer

    Drew Levin, DP

    Jeremy Medoff, Editor

    Lindsay Blatt, Talent Producer

    Sabine Rogers, Field Producer

    Marki Yaccino, Production Manager

    Jacob Breland, Production Manager

    Karl Schroder, Additional cinematography

    Jesse Sanchez-Strauss, Steadicam

    Calvin Falk, Steadicam

    Kevin Jacobsen, Steadicam

    Mike Guaspari, 1st AC

    Sam Tetro, 1st AC

    Adam Roberts, 1st AC

    Bri McCarthy, 2nd AC

    Cal Heller, 2nd AC

    Nada Stjepanovic, 2nd AC / MM

    Bridget McQuillan, 2nd AC / MM

    Ash Bean, 2nd AC

    Julia Gowesky, Gaffer

    Ted Maroney, Gaffer

    Derek Sexton Horani, Gaffer

    Ryan McCluney, Grip

    Nick Pietroniro, Grip

    Kevin Villafuerte, Grip

    Matt Discala, Grip

    Matt Jimney, Sound Mixer

    Josh Heller, Sound Mixer

    Keith Lee, Sound Mixer

    Laura Thomas, BTS

    James Frazier, PA

    Ishmael Green, PA

    Scott Bausemer, PA / Driver

    Anna Beth Riggs, PA

    Jordan Reis Alexander, PA

    Steve Benjamin, Asst Editor

    Nick Cancelliere, Asst Editor

    Melissa Ulrey, Asst Editor

    Sophie Glassman, Intern

    Lily Ross, Intern

    Music Credits

    Smartypants Film Credits

    Music Credits

    Produced by - Scott M. Riesett, Tom Kitt, and David Rosenthal

    Additional Production by - Zane Mark, Brian Usifer, and Darryl Archibald

    Mixed by - Derik Lee

    Orchestrated and Arranged by - Tom Kitt

    Additional Arrangements by - Joseph Joubert

    Additional Orchestrations by - David Rosenthal


    Instrumental Recording Session

    Damien Bassman - Drums & Percussion

    Angie Swan - Guitars
    Joseph Joubert - Piano

    Michael Olatuja - Bass

    Scott M. Riesett - Producer

    Tom Kitt - Producer

    Ian Kagey - Recording Engineer

    Teng Chen - Assistant Engineer

    Recorded at Power Station at BerkleeNYC (New York, NY)


    Mark Rivera - Saxophone

    David Rosenthal - B3 and Strings

    Recorded at Sonic Adventures Studio

    Engineered by - David Rosenthal

    Assistant Engineer - Kaz Fernando


    Crystal Taliefero - Additional Percussion and Percussion Arrangements

    Recorded at CTstudio

    Engineer - Crystal Taliefero & Michael Lattanzi


    Chloe Flower - Additional Piano

    Tom Kitt - Additional Piano
    Bobby Sanabria - Additional Percussion


    Ben Stiller - Voice-Over



    Bobby Sanabria Recording Session

    Bobby Sanabria Recording Session

    Bobby Sanabria Recording Session

    Julian Cornell - Engineer

    Mingyang "Jerry" Xu, David Peck, Michael Matsakis - Assistant Engineer

    Dr. Elise Sobol - Director of Music Education, NYU Steinhardt

    Parichat Songmuang - Manager, Dolan Recording Studio

    Dr. David Schroeder - Chair, NYU Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts Professions

    Bobby Sanabria - Percussion

    Recorded at Dolan Recording Studio at NYU Steinhardt

    Alexa Ray Joel Recording Session

    Bobby Sanabria Recording Session

    Bobby Sanabria Recording Session

    Recorded by Parker S. Lyons at MonkMusic Studios in Easthampton, NY

    Suzanne Vega Recording Session

    Bobby Sanabria Recording Session

    Suzanne Vega Recording Session

     Sound engineer - Colin Mohnacs  

    Voiceover

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    Suzanne Vega Recording Session

    Ben Stiller

    Advertising & PR

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    Our Man In Havana

    Edelman

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    Fiscal Sponsorship

    genEquality

    Sherry Hakimi

    New York Yankees

    New York Yankees

    New York Yankees

    Major League Baseball footage used with permission of Major League Baseball. 

    All rights reserved.

    Partners

    New York Yankees

    New York Yankees

    New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

    Edelman

    MUSE

    NYC & Company

    NuRide Transportation Group

    Our Man In Havana

    Partnership for New York City

    Reed Smith LLP

    SAG-AFTRA

    Smartypants Pictures

    Universal Music



    Legal

    New York Yankees

    Legal

    Randy Friedberg

    Legal



    Special Thanks

    Asif Ahmed, Annaleigh Ashford, Kaitlyn Brennan, Jon Butensky, John Campanelli, Kevin Carey, Brian Cashman, Grace Cashman, Cameron Crowe, Niki Russ Federman, Donna Gryn, Sarah Jeffreys, Billy Joel, Mikael Jorgensen, Emily Lazar, Claire Mercuri, MUSE, Ken Rich, Ben Stiller, Nick Trotta, Josh Russ Tupper, Lia Vollack, Michael Williams, Kim Youngberg and Jason Zillo.


    Birdland Cafe, Deno's Wonderwheel Park, Dennis Vourdetis Maimonides Park, Rincon Criollo / La Casita de Chema, Tom's Restaurant, Columbia University, Open Jar Studios, Russ & Daughters, Madison Square Garden, Times Square Alliance, Brooklyn Museum, Steinway Pianos, Red Hook Winery

    Copyright © 2020 NYCNext - All Rights Reserved.
    NYCNext logo design by Bill Wurtzel

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