I wish I could rate this podcast 10 stars. Jeff Commings is so knowledgeable and listening to him talk about John Williams musical career is just lovely. I’m a John Williams fan, and have been for years. It’s been so great listening and learning about John Williams’ development and career. I want to go see ALL of these movies again (or the first time) :) If you’re looking for your new favorite podcast (whether you play an instrument or not) this is the podcast for you! This is my favorite podcast and I listen every single day.

John Williams’ music for film is always a narrative journey in its own right, and this excellent podcast details the composer’s own development via detailing every single film project he’s ever scored. Host Jeff Commings is full of observations, biographical, historical and production data plus joy and appreciation of the maestro’s work, and always with an eye for a good anecdote. Hugely enjoyable.

Jeff has created the quintessential John Williams podcast. This podcast is detailed and thoughtful. Jeff takes us through all of John Williams musical writing as a young man in television and film. John Williams made an impression on many people all over the world throughout the years and if you thought you were a fan, you might learn a thing or two through this podcast. Jeff is a honest dealer with his openness about his musical training. And Jeff is honestly a little too hard on himself, he is more knowledgeable than he may like to admit. I learned so much more about John Williams than I thought I knew, and it’s all due to Jeff and this beautiful podcast.

This is such fun to listen to. My only critique is that there’s too much talking and not enough listening to and discussing actual John Williams tracks. For example for Star Wars (1977) 70% of the episode is spent getting to know some random guest host. We only get around to discussing the Star Wars main title. The rebel theme is touched on. I don’t think the force theme or Leia’s theme get any real discussion or focus. No mention of the imperial theme, final battle, or throne room march. :( Rather disappointing when this happens.

I really enjoy this podcast! I’ve been gradually making my way through allllll the episodes (currently in the mid-1990’s!) and it’s been so interesting to hear every single one of John Williams’ scores, and to get a sense of his absolutely epic journey in music (and his inspiringly consistent professionalism). I’m a full-time musician / arranger / composer myself and I also enjoy Jeff’s perspective, as he may not be formally trained in music but he pays very close attention and is a huge music fan; his generosity with creating this podcast is much appreciated. Highly recommended and thank you Jeff!

Really look forward to getting the podcasts. Excellent commentary and always fun to learn something new. Thanks, Dr. GC I am not a musician but really appreciate the podcasts. Thankful for you. GC Very interesting and easy to learn new things about a favorite composers. Thanks. GC Interesting insights into well loved music. Thanks for sharing your wonderful message. Carol Really interesting program. One of my “must get to listen to” favorites. Thanks, Dr. GC This is so entertaining. Host is real and doesn’t seem like a music snob. Shares his enjoyment of this well loved music. Thanks again. Carol Super fun, well done. Thanks again. Carol One of my favorite podcasts. He doesn’t interrupt his guests and seems genuinely interested in hearing/ learning from guests. Jeff is a delightful host. Thanks, Carol As a high school music teacher trying to motivate my students as we work virtually I offer them extra credit to listen and review The Baton. Most students are excited about this opportunity. Have received many interesting insights from these young people. Expanding their lives and enriching our shared experience is rewarding for us all. Thanks, Dr. GC

Jeff’s podcast is amazing. It gives you insight to so much of the musical process and John Williams’ journey to becoming the idol that he has been to me my whole life, even when I didn’t know him by name. The downsides are few and very far between, but there are some episodes (possible only 1 or 2) where his analysis of motifs in a score are a little weird or he misses some major musical motifs. BUT!!!! Jeff isn’t a musical genius or a music theory guru, and music is extremely subjective, so it really doesn’t matter.

Jeff has created an exhaustive, well-researched and thoroughly enjoyable journey through John William’s career - and filled a significant gap in the published history of film in the process. Other reviewers are correct - music theory and analysis is kept at a high level - but the format is both engaging and informative including notes on each film’s journey to the screen and how Mr. Williams came to compose the score. In addition, some guests make for utterly fascinating listening (check out The Phantom Menace episode to hear what it’s like for an LSO musician to be conducted by JW). Jeff’s obvious respect for the man and love of his music shines through. Highly recommended.

Those who love film music will surely enjoy this podcast. Imagine sitting down with a friend to discuss a shared passion for cinema over a cup of coffee and that’s what you get with host Jeff Commings’ approach! It’s thoughtful, deliberate, and well constructed.

I can’t even express in words how amazing I think this podcast is. Jeff is able to provide a balanced analysis of the music and the plot of each movie very well and every week I look forward to hearing new episodes and learning more about the genius of John Williams. 10/10 would DEFINITELY recommend

A remarkable effort. It’s so interesting to follow the development in a chronological order. Great mix of music, analysis, anecdotes, and guests.

I find this podcast truly wonderful. I’ve been a collector of John Williams soundtracks since I saw Jaws as a 12 year old, but I’ve learned so much listening to Jeff. I have gained a completely new appreciation of Williams music. Thanks so much Jeff Btw. On Harry Potter, there’s definitely a Diagon Alley theme

Jeff has done everyone such a service by taking on this challenge and it is spectacular! Such insight and discussion and has made me discover moviies that I never felt obligated to view(namely Conrack and Nixon) and I am so thankful!! Such a pleasure and a weekly journey to the sublime.

I have really enjoyed Jeff Commings’ entertaining and educational podcast: “The Baton”. He has methodically and comprehensively covered every film for which John Williams composed the score— a Herculean task for sure. Every episode contains tidbits for hardcore John Williams fans (like me) and some nuggets about the film or casting or director. It’s clear that Jeff really enjoys and has a broad fund of knowledge. And he has a great voice for podcasting. Highly recommend this enlightening, fun show. Keep up the great work!

in this pandemic times this is a great show about the life and work of John Williams Jeff is a great host, and each episode is and inside of the great composer, keep them coming if you like film music i recommend this 100 percentage Mazaltov

This is a very good and thorough podcast for enthusiasts of John Williams’ movie scores. The episodes are well-researched and there is enough historical context to satisfy any fan of movie soundtracks, particularly those of Williams’. Though Jeff admits being a novice as a musician, some episodes might frustrate listeners who are trained musicians (misidentifying percussion instruments and allowing non-musician guest hosts to pontificate about music theory, for example). That said, he more than makes up for these deficits with an obvious enthusiasm, and he connects the musical cues in a cohesive and enlightening way. I would not hesitate to recommend this podcast.

I’ve been a Williams fan since 1977 and this podcast is a lot of fun. Every episode is thoroughly researched and enthusiastically presented. It’s inspiring me to rewatch some old favorites as well as revisit some films I dismissed. Keep up the good work!

The idea is to give a film-by-film survey of John Williams' career, with side journeys to his major concert and occasional works. A great job of discussing the film music in connection with the films, especially in the less-frequently discussed films. Slight caveat, Mr. Commings has a non-technical approach to musical analysis, and occasionally says things that are silly; these occur less frequently as the episodes progress! He often brings on musical guests who balance this out.

"The Baton" is a terrific and comprehensive examination of John Williams' legendary career. It's a well-produced, well-researched show, with copious selections from the various scores being discussed. I think any fans of Williams (on any level), will be able to get something of value from this.

I appreciate the musical excerpts but the commentary is painfully bad. If you want to listen to someone who obviously knows nothing about music give you his “Williams’s music could have been better” assessments, listen. It makes me cringe. Also the creator mentioned my review and me by name publicly on an episode so don’t criticize him or you will be mentioned on a podcast by name.

I’m grateful to this podcast for introducing me to early and less well-known scores I would have not thought to listen to for a while. If anybody deserves a comprehensive career study, it is John Williams. You can hear his immense dedication to musical craft even in his very first scores. Thank you Jeff for helping familiarize listeners with the large body of work from this beloved musician.

Extremely educational podcast for some of the lesser known JW scores. A very well paced and produced podcast. One of the best.

I’ve started through these podcasts as I’m a big fan of John Williams. I found it interesting though that in the episode on “I Passed for White” there is no mention of the remarkable similarity between John’s theme for Bernice and David Raksin’s theme for Laura, written 15 years earlier.

I thought I knew most of John Williams’ scores. WRONG! There’s so much here to discover. Am enjoying the devotion and enjoyment of each score one by one. Perfect for anyone who loves movies and the music they inspire.

The editing and musical selections are excellent. I’m a lifelong JW fan and I feel like I know his career on a whole new level now thanks to this podcast. Can’t wait for more!

This podcast is absolutely amazing. There really isn’t anything else like it out there. Jeff gives a tour of every John Williams movie score and provides tons of information along the way. I only wish each episode was longer and that we could also hear John Williams’s contributions to radio and TV.

This podcast may not be the most polished one you will hear but Jeff clearly has a love for the music and career of John Williams and that is evident in every episode. He takes the time to explore every film score, even the forgotten ones. He analyzes the music and includes thoughtfully edited music clips and commentary. This podcast definitely fills a void for Williams fans in the podcasting landscape and I cannot wait until future episodes where Williams has become a household name. In a couple of years this podcast will be an invaluable resource for studying the life and career of John Williams!

Awesome podcast, fascinating to go back and hear his early work! Please keep it up Jeff!!

I write this as a non-musician and a casual John Williams fan. The podcast feels like a long-form documentary about the film score career of John Williams — great for casual listening. While it may not be as perfectly polished as other podcasts out there, it is definitely worth a listen! Thanks, Jeff!