From Janelle Monae to Bjork, Yannick Nezet-Seguin's Top Pop Picks

This Saturday, Jill Scott headlines the Philadelphia Orchestra's 157th Academy Ball, with the R & B soul diva from North Philadelphia joining Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as Robert Glasper, the Bacon Brothers and Stewart Goodyear on the stage of the Academy of Music for the Orchestra's annual fundrasing party / society gathering.

During a break from rehearsals for Dvorak's opera Rusalka at the Metropolitan Opera in New York (which opens tomorrow with Super Bowl "Star Spangled Banner" singing soprano Renee Fleming in the title role), I talked to Nezet-Seguin for a story that ran in this Sunday Inquirer A & E section. (Punch in code H38G and read it here.)

The 38 year old French-Canadian conductor waxes poetic about Scott, who he's been a big fan of since before coming to Philadelphia to take his place at the podium full time in 2012.

She is "the whole package," he says. "The way she has her own words, the poetry. The sincerity of the person. She's always herself. This is a value that's very important to me as an artist, and as a human being. And I think that's also a symbol of Philadelphia. That's something that's struck me about the city: People are themselves, and they don't feel the need to act a certain way. They are."

Nezet-Seguin also praised Esperanza Spalding, who the Orchestra would have performed with at Carnegie Hall last October had there not been a stage hands strike. "We had rehearsed with her, and it was amazing. It made it even more disappointing that we couldn't perform. But maybe she'll be the next guest at the ball, we'll see."

Talking about Spalding led Nezet-Seguin to another favorite subject: Funktastic genre-blending android-obsessed pop star Janelle Monae, who featured Spalding on "Dorothy Dandridge Eyes," on her album The Electric Lady.

When then asked to name five favorites, he starts with Monae. "I would say that she's my Goddess. Janelle comes very high there."

Scott ranks second. "Jill, I would say, for the R & B in a different kind of style."

"After that, there are two obvious choices - obvious, for me, that is. I would say Radiohead because of the progressive attitude towards music that they've had over the years. And Bjork as well, because she's such a crazy genius."

That's four. Give us one more, please.

"I will go back to someone who is no longer with us to one of the great jazz divas, and say Sarah Vaughan."

Nice list, Maestro.

Video clips of each of Nezet-Seguin's top five are below. The Academy Ball is Saturday night. Tickets are available here.

Previously:  Springsteen and Fallon's "Traffic Jam" Follow In the Mix on Twitter