Bellbird formed during pandemic park jams and has since become one of the more compelling voices in Canada's avant-garde jazz scene. The quartet consists of Claire Devlin on tenor sax, Allison Burik on alto sax and bass clarinet, Eli Davidovici on bass, and Mili Hong on drums. No guitar, no piano, just three mostly single-note instruments and a drum kit, which turns out to be more than enough. Their debut, Root in Tandem, earned serious praise. Their second album, The Call, came out on February 6th on Constellation Records. It was built from bird sound transcriptions, Mary Oliver poems, and sessions in the countryside, and it doesn't sound like anything else on that storied label's roster.

Two members of the collective, Claire Devlin and Eli Davidovici, are here to take us through the story.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Bellbird's album The Call)

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Dig Deeper

• Artist and Album:

• Visit Bellbird at bellbird.band and follow them on Instagram and YouTube
• Purchase Bellbird's The Call from Constellation Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz, and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Visit Bellbird's page at Constellation Records

• Individual Members:

• Claire Devlin — tenor saxophone; follow her on Instagram
• Eli Davidovici — bass
• Allison Burik — alto saxophone and bass clarinet; follow them on Instagram
• Mili Hong — drums; follow her on Instagram

• Label:

• Constellation Records — Montréal's celebrated independent label, home to Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Matana Roberts, Sam Shalabi's Land of Kush, and more

• Recording and Compositional Context:

• Hotel2Tango — the Montréal studio where The Call was recorded
• Orford Musique — the Quebec residency center where Bellbird developed the album's material

• Musical References and Inspiration:

• White Bellbird (Procnias albus) — the Amazonian bird whose recorded call Allison Burik transcribed and analyzed as the foundation for the title track
• Mary Oliver, "Wild Geese" — the poem that inspired the track "Soft Animal," published in House of Light (Beacon Press, 1990)

• Montréal Scene:

• Casa del Popolo — Montréal venue and community hub
• Suoni Per Il Popolo — Montréal's annual festival of experimental music, free jazz, and improvisation, presented at Casa del Popolo and La Sala Rossa

• Previous Release:

• Root in Tandem (2023) — Bellbird's self-released debut

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Wenc is a Philadelphia-based artist who has spent nearly a decade building one of the more distinctive bodies of work in American experimental music, mostly under the name Post Moves.

Now he's released his first album under his own name. It's called Language at an Angle, and it came out on Lobby Art Editions in January. The record grew out of a year of live performances—from Philadelphia to Japan—and it captures Sam doing something specific with pedal steel guitar: striking it, bowing it, treating it as both a sound source and a physical object. The result sits somewhere between drone, jazz, and a kind of American folk music you can't quite place.

Sam's here to walk us through the record, his move to Philadelphia, and what it means to finally put his own name on the work.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sam Wenc's Language at an Angle)

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Dig Deeper

• Artist and Album:

• Visit Sam Wenc at samwenc.com and follow him on Instagram
• Purchase Sam Wenc's album Language at an Angle from Bandcamp or Qobuz, and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Lobby Art Editions — Sam Wenc's label, releasing Language at an Angle and his previous catalog

• Susan Alcorn:

• Susan Alcorn — official website of the pedal steel pioneer to whom Language at an Angle is dedicated
• And I Await the Resurrection of the Pedal Steel Guitar — Alcorn's landmark 2007 solo album
• Susan Alcorn: Revolutionary Voice of the Pedal Steel Guitar — The Tonearm's tribute, including a full conversation with Alcorn on her album CANTO
• Susan Alcorn obituary — WRTI

• Collaborators:

• Sam Yulsman — pianist on Language at an Angle; studied with George Lewis at Columbia
• Bark Culture — the Philadelphia trio of Victor Vieira-Branco (vibraphone), John Moran (bass), and Joey Sullivan (drums); members appear in Wenc's live band
• Victor Vieira-Branco — vibraphonist and Bark Culture leader
• Bark Culture — Warm Wisdom — the trio's 2024 debut album

• Venues:

• Roulette Intermedium — Brooklyn venue where Wenc held his album release show
• The Stone — New York experimental music venue referenced in the episode

• Musical References and Influences:

• George Lewis — composer, trombonist, and Columbia University professor; Sam Yulsman trained with him
• Okkyung Lee — South Korean cellist and improviser; Wenc cites Alcorn's improvisations with her as influential
• Marshall Allen / Sun Ra Arkestra — Marshall Allen, still active in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood, is mentioned by Wenc as part of the city's deep musical lineage
• Olivier Messiaen — composer whose work Susan Alcorn famously transposed for pedal steel
• Víctor Jara — Chilean singer-songwriter; Alcorn covered his songs

• Additional Context:

• Mississippi Records — the independent archival label Wenc manages alongside his own music work
• Sam Wenc — Post Moves: Heart Music — released on Where to Now? Records, representative of his work under the Post Moves alias

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Zeena has spent four decades dismantling what the harp can do: through electronics, object preparations, and a series of custom electric instruments she built herself, she's turned a concert hall fixture into something alive and unpredictable.

Her collaborators range from Björk to John Zorn to Pauline Oliveros. Last year, she released two records paying tribute to her years teaching at Mills College before its closure: Modesty of the Magic Thing and Lament of the Maker. And she's performing this spring at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville. She's also a Guggenheim Fellow and a three-time Bessie Award winner for her work composing for dance.

We cover all of it: her instruments, her process, and what it means to make music at the edge of what's possible.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Zeena Parkins' album Lament of the Maker)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Recordings

• Visit Zeena Parkins at zeenaparkins.com and follow her on Instagram and Bandcamp
• Purchase Lament for the Maker (Relative Pitch Records, 2025) from Bandcamp or Qobuz, and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Purchase Modesty of the Magic Thing (Tzadik, 2025) from Qobuz or Squidco, and listen on your streaming platform of choice

Collaborators Mentioned

• William Winant — percussionist and longtime collaborator; Parkins discusses finding Lou Harrison instruments in his studio and performing Modesty of the Magic Thing with him
• Fred Frith — guitarist and composer; Parkins replaced him at Mills and performed with him in Skeleton Crew
• Laetitia Sonami — sound artist and Mills colleague; composed "She is a Butcher in My Dreams" for Lament for the Maker
• James Fei — composer and Mills colleague; composed "In Such Circumstances of Miscalculations" for Lament for the Maker
• Jennifer Monson — choreographer; one of Parkins's most significant long-term dance collaborators
• Chris Cutler — drummer; encountered Parkins in Europe and brought her into News from Babel
• Nayland Blake — artist who curated the San Francisco gallery show where Parkins gave her first solo concert

Ensembles and Projects

• Skeleton Crew — experimental rock trio with Fred Frith and Tom Cora
• News from Babel — group with Chris Cutler, Lindsay Cooper, and Dagmar Krause; Parkins discusses joining after meeting Cutler in Europe
• Table of the Elements — American experimental music label; released Parkins's first solo record
• Roulette Intermedium — Brooklyn venue where Parkins and Winant perform Modesty of the Magic Thing just before Big Ears

Artists and Figures Discussed

• Jay DeFeo — Bay Area visual artist whose work, particularly The Rose and the Seven Pillars of Voice series, inspired Modesty of the Magic Thing
• The Rose at the Whitney Museum — DeFeo's monumental painting, now in the Whitney's permanent collection
• Lou Harrison — American composer whose handmade instruments, bequeathed to William Winant, are central to Modesty of the Magic Thing
• Daphne Oram — British electronic music pioneer who worked at the BBC; Parkins mentions her as inspiration for an upcoming electric harp record

Festivals

• Big Ears Festival — Knoxville, Tennessee; March 26–29, 2026; Parkins performs Modesty of the Magic Thing with William Winant
• Other Minds Festival — San Francisco; site of the West Coast premiere of Modesty of the Magic Thing

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Michael's work is restoration as archaeology—pulling performances off deteriorating tapes, damaged acetates, and obsolete formats, then deciding how much intervention is too much. He's done this for recordings by Hank Williams, Aretha Franklin, Stax songwriters, and field recordings from Cambodia, Sudan, and Mississippi. His most recent Grammy came in 2024 for Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos.

The deeper question his work raises is curatorial: where does restoration end and revisionism begin? What gets rescued, and what stays buried?

—

Dig Deeper

• Michael Graves and Osiris Studio:

• Visit Michael Graves at osirisstudio.com and follow Osiris Studio on Instagram
• Michael Graves — Osiris Studio: About
• Michael Graves (sound engineer) — Wikipedia

• Key Projects Discussed:

• Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos — 7-CD box set on Craft Recordings (2023), Grammy Award for Best Historical Album (2024)
• Blondie: Against the Odds: 1974–1982 — box set via Numero Group and UMe (2022)
• Chris Bell: I Am the Cosmos — definitive reissue on Omnivore Recordings (2017)
• Chris Bell: The Complete Chris Bell — 6-LP box set, Omnivore Recordings (2017)

• Labels:

• Omnivore Recordings
• Numero Group
• Dust-to-Digital
• Analog Africa
• Craft Recordings
• Rhino Records

• Artists and People Referenced:

• Chris Bell — Big Star co-founder; I Am the Cosmos recorded in the mid-1970s
• Big Star — Memphis power pop band co-founded by Chris Bell and Alex Chilton
• Geoff Emerick — engineer and producer; produced and recorded Chris Bell's post-Big Star sessions
• Eddie Floyd — Stax recording artist and songwriter; known for "Knock on Wood"
• Johnny Mercer — American lyricist, songwriter, and Capitol Records co-founder; his archive is held at Georgia State University
• Leonard Cohen — Canadian singer-songwriter; Graves worked on his personal archive

• Institutional Archives and Collections:

• Johnny Mercer Collection — Georgia State University
• Alan Lomax and George Pullen Jackson Collection of Sacred Harp Music (1942) — Library of Congress
• Sacred Harp singing — Wikipedia
• Stax Records — Wikipedia
• Stax Museum of American Soul Music

• Professional Organizations:

• The Recording Academy
• Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC)
• Audio Engineering Society (AES)
• The Dust-to-Digital Foundation (Graves is a board member and technical advisor)

• Other References:

• Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi) — audiophile reissue label referenced in the source tape discussion
• The Sacred Harp Publishing Company
• Grammy Award for Best Historical Album

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Based in Michigan, Erik Hall has spent the last five years doing something that sounds simple but definitely is not: recording landmark works of contemporary classical music entirely on his own.

Erik’s 2020 solo reconstruction of Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians won the Libera Award for Best Classical Record. Reich wrote to tell him he'd reinvented the piece. A 2023 interpretation of Simeon ten Holt's Canto Ostinato followed, and now Hall has completed the trilogy. Solo Three came out in January on Western Vinyl, and it takes on works by Glenn Branca, Charlemagne Palestine, Laurie Spiegel, and Reich again—every note performed and recorded by Hall himself, no loops, no sequencers.

Erik is here to walk us through the project and the thinking behind it. Enjoy.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Erik Hall’s Solo Three) 

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Albums

• Visit Erik Hall at erikhall.net and follow him on Instagram, Bluesky, and Facebook.
• Purchase Erik Hall’s album Solo Three from Western Vinyl, Bandcamp , or Qobuz, and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Listen to and purchase Music for 18 Musicians (Steve Reich) — Erik Hall's first volume — on Bandcamp
• Listen to and purchase Canto Ostinato (Simeon ten Holt) — Erik Hall's second volume — on Bandcamp
• Erik Hall's catalog at Western Vinyl

Composers Featured on Solo Three

• Steve Reich — composer of Music for a Large Ensemble and Music for 18 Musicians
• Steve Reich — "Music for a Large Ensemble"
• Steve Reich — Octet / Music for a Large Ensemble / Violin Phase 
• Glenn Branca — composer of "The Temple of Venus Pt. 1"
• Charlemagne Palestine — composer of "Strumming Music"
• Strumming Music (original 1974 Shandar recording)
• Laurie Spiegel — composer of "A Folk Study"
• The Expanding Universe on Bandcamp — the album containing "A Folk Study"
• Bandcamp Daily — Laurie Spiegel feature — background on Spiegel's influence, relevant to Hall's treatment of her work

Earlier Composer in the Trilogy

• Simeon ten Holt — Dutch composer of Canto Ostinato, subject of Hall's second volume
• The Minimalist Composer Who Keeps Getting Left Out — article on Simeon ten Holt, minimalism, and Erik Hall’s solo recording 

Steve Reich — Referenced Works

• Steve Reich — "Come Out" (1966) — early tape piece Hall encountered in his university musicology course
• Steve Reich — Music for 18 Musicians — the composition that set Hall's course

Collaborators

• Aaron Lowell Denton — designer of all three trilogy album covers; follow on Instagram
• Natalie Bergman — artist with whom Hall toured as drummer around the time of Solo Three's completion
• Brian Deck — producer and engineer at Narwhal Studio, Chicago; mixed Music for 18 Musicians with Hall
• Warren Defever — mastering engineer at Third Man Mastering, Detroit; mastered all three volumes

---

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Patrick has become a key player in the city's creative music scene. His new album, Words Underlined, came out in December on Lit Soc Records. It's the first release from the new label started by Sellers & Newell, a Toronto bookstore that moonlights as a music venue. Patrick recorded there with guitarist Dan Pitt and drummer Lowell Whitty. The trio plays without a bass, and the album alternates between composed pieces and full improvisations.

A few episodes back, we featured a talk with Noah Franche-Nolan, who also collaborated with Dan Pitt. A link to that, and my November 2024 conversation with Dan, are both in the show notes.

Patrick's here to talk about making music in the trio format, the Toronto scene, and why a bookstore was the right place to record.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from the album Words Underlined by The Patrick Smith Words Trio)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album:

• Visit Patrick Smith at patricksmithsax.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook
• Purchase The Patrick Smith Words Trio's Words Underlined from Lit Soc Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Listen to Patrick's fusion project Pangea: Rebirth on Bandcamp

Sellers & Newell and Lit Soc Records:

• Sellers & Newel Secondhand Books — Toronto's beloved College Street bookstore and performance space
• Lit Soc Records on Bandcamp
• Why this Toronto bookstore is starting its own record label — Toronto Today, November 2025
• Toronto bookstore is moonlighting as an underground live music venue — BlogTO, September 2021

The Musicians:

• Dan Pitt — guitarist and composer, Toronto
• Between the Lines of Dan Pitt's 'Horizontal Depths' - The Tonearm, November 2024
• Lowell Whitty — drummer and founding member of the Heavyweights Brass Band

Mentors and Influences:

• Mark Shim — saxophonist; Patrick's primary teacher in New York
• Mark Shim at Manhattan School of Music
• Dave Young — Order of Canada recipient; Oscar Peterson's longtime bassist, now based in Toronto
• David Liebman — saxophonist, educator, and major post-Coltrane voice
• Developing a Personal Saxophone Sound by David Liebman — available via J.W. Pepper
• Jeff Coffin — saxophonist; source of the Sonny Rollins quote relayed in the episode

Musical References:

• Paul Motian — the drummer whose bassless trio recordings were the direct inspiration for this project
• Paul Motian Trio — It Should've Happened a Long Time Ago (ECM, 1985) — with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano
• Paul Motian Trio — Time and Time Again (ECM, 2007) — with Bill Frisell and Joe Lovano
• Johnny Cash — My Mother's Hymn Book — the stripped-down solo Cash record Patrick cites as a model for songwriting
• Sonny Rollins — saxophone icon; his advice about creativity as resistance runs through the episode
• From Sacred Space to Silent Film — Noah Franche-Nolan Serves the Music - The Tonearm, February 2026 - Noah also collaborates with guitarist Dan Pitt

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Stephen is an electronic musician and media artist. His sound installations are in the permanent collections of MoMA, the Whitney, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon. He's worked with Pauline Oliveros, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Joan Jonas. By day, he teaches Kinetic Imaging at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Stephen’s latest project is Trinity, a collaborative album with Lawrence English, who you heard on last week's show. Each of Trinity's five tracks brings in a different third musician: Brendan Canty from Fugazi, Chris Abrahams from The Necks, Marina Rosenfeld, Aki Onda, and the late Steve Roden. The album came out last November.

Stephen shares how this project came together, what it's like to work with each of these artists, and how he's built a career turning everyday sounds into sonic experiences.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Lawrence English & Stephen Vitiello’s album Trinity)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Stephen Vitiello at stephenvitiello.com and follow him on Soundcloud, Instagram, and Bandcamp
• Purchase Lawrence English & Stephen Vitiello’s Trinity from American Dreams, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Previous collaborations: Acute Inbetweens (2011) and Fable (2014) with Lawrence English
• Stephen Vitiello & Brendan Canty: Second (with Hahn Rowe)

Trinity Collaborators

• Lawrence English and Room40 Records
• Brendan Canty - drummer (Fugazi, The Messthetics)
• Chris Abrahams - pianist (The Necks)
• Marina Rosenfeld - turntablist and composer
• Aki Onda - electronic musician and sound artist
• Steve Roden - late sound artist and visual artist

World Trade Center Project

• World Trade Center Artist Residency - Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
• World Trade Center Recordings: Winds After Hurricane Floyd (1999)
• Bright and Dusty Things - album featuring WTC recordings
• Stephen Vitiello: Listening With Intent - documentary by ABC-TV Australia

Educational Institution

• VCU Kinetic Imaging - Virginia Commonwealth University
• Kinetic Imaging Graduate Program at VCU

Influences and Collaborators Mentioned

• Nam June Paik - video art pioneer
• Pauline Oliveros - composer and accordionist
• Ryuichi Sakamoto - composer and musician
• Fred Frith - guitarist and composer
• Ikue Mori - drummer and electronic musician (DNA)
• Maryanne Amacher - sound artist and composer
• R. Murray Schafer - composer and writer on acoustic ecology
• Robin Rimbaud (Scanner) - electronic musician
• Colin Newman - Wire guitarist and vocalist
• Taylor Deupree - 12k Records founder

Key Venues and Institutions

• The Kitchen - New York performance space
• Electronic Arts Intermix - video art distributor
• Anthology Film Archives - New York cinema
• MASS MoCA - Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art
• The High Line - New York elevated park
• Whitney Museum of American Art - 2002 Biennial
• Museum of Modern Art - Soundings exhibition (2013)

Punk and No Wave References

• Fugazi - influential post-hardcore band
• DNA - no wave band
• The Clash
• No Wave movement - late 1970s NYC

Music Theory and Practice

• Fluxus movement - experimental art movement
• John Cage and prepared piano
• Ambisonic audio - spatial sound format
• Dolby Atmos - immersive audio format

Articles and Interviews

• Steve Roden and Stephen Vitiello conversation in Bomb magazine
• The Collaborative Recent History of Stephen Vitiello - Fluid Radio interview

-

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Australian composer Lawrence English has spent over two decades treating sound as something that occupies your body, not just your ears. Putting The Tonearm's needle on Lawrence English means entering a sonic world where you're never quite sure what you're hearing or where it's coming from, and if you are a listener like our host, that will suit you just fine.

Lawrence’s recent album Trinity pairs him with Stephen Vitiello and guests like Brendan Canty from Fugazi and Chris Abrahams from The Necks. Each track builds what English calls "impossible trios," turning geographic and other constraints into creative fuel.

Lawrence is here to discuss collaboration, the art of curation, and what it means to make meaningful work in an age drowning in content.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Lawrence English & Stephen Vitiello's album Trinity)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Lawrence English at lawrenceenglish.com and follow him on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp
• Purchase Lawrence English & Stephen Vitiello's Trinity from American Dreams, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Learn more about Room40, Lawrence English's label celebrating its 25th anniversary

Collaborators on 'Trinity'

• Chris Abrahams (The Necks) - pianist
• Stephen Vitiello - sound artist and composer
• Aki Onda - multidisciplinary artist
• Marina Rosenfeld - turntablist and composer
• Brendan Canty (Fugazi, The Messthetics) - drummer
• The late Steve Roden - artist and lowercase musician

Books and Theory

• Peter Szendy - 'Listen: A History of Our Ears'
• Neil Postman - 'Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business'
• Lauren Berlant - Cruel Optimism theory
• Mark Fisher - cultural theorist

Places and Concepts

• Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) - abandoned coal mining island off Nagasaki
• Hashima Island history - most densely populated place in history
• Japanese Metabolist architecture - architectural movement English researched
• Art Gallery of New South Wales - collected English's bell work

Musical Groups and Ensembles

• The Necks - Chris Abrahams' improvisational jazz trio
• Tenniscoats - Japanese duo Saya and Takashi Ueno

Academic and Philosophical Concepts

• Relational listening - English's PhD theory on reconciling psychological and technological audition
• Acid nostalgia - English's working concept on how contemporary nostalgia corrodes the past
• Natsukashii - Japanese concept of longing for a time/place you were never part of
• Tsundoku - Japanese word for collecting books you don't read
• Ma - Japanese concept of the space between elements

Related Works

• Lawrence English - 'Cruel Optimism' (Room40)
• Lawrence English - 'Wilderness of Mirrors' (Room40, 2014)
• Chris Abrahams - 'Thrown' (Room40)
• Chris Abrahams - 'Appearance' (Room40, 2020)

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Noah's latest album, Rose-Anna, is named after his Acadian great-grandmother, a church organist from Grand Falls, New Brunswick. The Acadians are French-speaking people with deep roots in Canada's Maritime provinces. The Acadians were expelled from their land by the British in the late 1700s and many of them migrated south to Louisiana where they became known by their more famous name, the Cajuns. Noah’s family connection runs deep through the record and he even plays organ on two tracks, honoring the woman who sparked his musical heritage.

The album pairs him with bassist Jodi Proznick and drummer Nicholas Bracewell in a trio that displays deftness with groove-driven chops, tender hymns and free exploration. The music conjures thoughts of home, family, and what gets passed down through generations.

Noah's also one half of Arid Landscapes, an ambient electroacoustic project with guitarist Dan Pitt, that takes a totally different approach—live looping, processing, and soundscapes that feel vast and open. My November 2024 talk with Dan for The Tonearm is linked in the show notes.

Noah and I talk about both projects, his work as a church music director in Vancouver, and what it means to make music that honors the past while pushing into new territory.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Noah Franche-Nolan's album Rose-Anna)

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Dig Deeper

• Artist and Albums:

• Visit Noah Franche-Nolan at noahfranche-nolanmusic.com and follow him on Instagram
• Purchase Noah Franche-Nolan's Rose-Anna from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Noah Franche-Nolan on All About Jazz
• Vancouver Guardian profile

• Arid Landscapes (duo with Dan Pitt):

• Arid Landscapes released September 2025, available on Bandcamp
• Dan Pitt — official site
• Dan Pitt on Bandcamp
• Between the Lines of Dan Pitt's 'Horizontal Depths' (The Tonearm)

• Collaborators and Ensembles:

• Jodi Proznick — bassist, Noah Franche-Nolan Trio
• Nicholas Bracewell — drummer, Noah Franche-Nolan Trio
• Raagaverse — JUNO-nominated Indo-jazz fusion quartet led by Shruti Ramani
• Shruti Ramani — vocalist and bandleader, Raagaverse
• Jaya (Raagaverse debut album) on Bandcamp
• Nick Fraser — Toronto drummer and University of Toronto faculty; Noah's former teacher

• Recording Labels:

• Cellar Music Group — Vancouver label founded by Cory Weeds; 2023 Grammy Award winner
• Cory Weeds — Cellar Music Group founder and artistic director
• Frankie's Jazz Club — Vancouver jazz venue run by Cory Weeds (Rose-Anna release show venue)

• Film Scoring:

• Häxan (1922) — Swedish-Danish silent horror essay film directed by Benjamin Christensen
• The Cinematheque — Vancouver independent film institute that commissioned Noah's live score for Häxan

• Educational Institutions:

• Vancouver Community College (VCC) — where Noah teaches jazz piano
• VSO School of Music — Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's school; Noah teaches in Jazz and Classical Theory/Composition
• University of Toronto, Faculty of Music — where Noah and Dan Pitt studied jazz

• Venues and Spaces:

• The Tranzac — Toronto's not-for-profit community arts venue; central to the city's improvised music scene
• Brentwood Presbyterian Church — Burnaby; where Noah serves as coordinator of musicking and where Arid Landscapes was partly recorded

–

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Michel has spent the last two decades applying behavioral science to real-world problems at the Behavioural Insights Team. He's held positions at Princeton, Columbia, Imperial College London, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Michael's new book, The Hypocrisy Trap, takes on something we all recognize instantly but rarely understand: why we're so quick to spot hypocrisy in others yet are blind to it in ourselves. He shows how our hunt for inconsistency has become a weapon in politics and daily life, one that actually breeds more of what it tries to eliminate. The book reveals why some hypocrisy might be unavoidable in functioning democracies, and how our relentless attacks on it can backfire in dangerous ways.

We talk about double standards, the psychology behind moral accusations, and why the most authentic-seeming politicians might be the most deceptive. Michael explains how we can tell the difference between hypocrisy that harms society and the everyday compromises that allow us to function together.

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Dig Deeper

Guest and Books

• Visit Michael Hallsworth at michaelhallsworth.com
• Purchase Michael Hallsworth's The Hypocrisy Trap: How Changing What We Criticize Can Improve Our Lives from MIT Press, Penguin Random House, Bookshop, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon
• Michael Hallsworth and Elspeth Kirkman's Behavioral Insights from MIT Press
• Connect with Michael Hallsworth on LinkedIn
• Behavioral Scientist column by Michael Hallsworth

Organizations and Institutions

• The Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) - World-leading organization applying behavioral science in support of social purpose goals
• Dr. Michael Hallsworth at BIT
• Master of Behavioral and Decision Sciences Program at University of Pennsylvania
• Imperial College London
• Columbia University
• Princeton University

Key Concepts and Research

• Behavioral economics and public policy - Michael Hallsworth's Google Scholar profile
• Nature Human Behaviour - Journal featuring Hallsworth's research
• Journal of Public Economics
• The Lancet

Historical and Philosophical References

• Hannah Arendt's On Revolution - Analysis of the French and American Revolutions
• Hannah Arendt on hypocrisy and the Reign of Terror - "Robespierre's war upon hypocrisy transformed the 'despotism of liberty' into the Reign of Terror"
• The French Revolution Reign of Terror - Historical context
• Maximilien Robespierre - Key figure in the French Revolution

Political Examples Discussed

• Boris Johnson's COVID-19 party scandal - The "Partygate" scandal discussed in the episode
• Brexit and UK politics

Related Reading

• "Our Hypocrisy Blind Spot" by Michael Hallsworth - Essay in Behavioral Scientist
• "The Future of Behavioral Insights Demands Human-Centered Design" - Hallsworth and Kirkman on behavioral science
• Hannah Arendt quotes on hypocrisy - "What makes it so plausible to assume that hypocrisy is the vice of vices is that integrity can indeed exist under the cover of all other vices except this one"

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• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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NAMM is the trade association for the music, sound, and event industries. Basically, NAMM represents the companies that make the tools your favorite music artists use to create their work.

John has spent years at Hal Leonard and PreSonus Audio, where music education meets technology. He built curricula, managed platforms, and taught teachers how to use tech in their classrooms.

Now he runs an organization that's rethinking what a trade show means when the music industry has gone digital. NAMM just celebrated its 125th anniversary, but John isn't interested in nostalgia. He's asking harder questions about how people discover instruments, how they learn to play them, and why gathering in person still matters when you can order anything online. The NAMM Show draws tens of thousands of people to Anaheim every January (this January 20 - 24, to be exact), and the numbers behind those crowds tell a story about content, influence, and how musicians connect with gear today.

We talk about John’s shift from teaching in Louisiana to shaping industry strategy, why music advocacy needs to be offensive rather than defensive, and what happens when trade shows have to prove their value in real time.

–

Dig Deeper

Guest and Organization:

• Visit NAMM at namm.org and follow on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn
• John Mlynczak's NAMM Profile
• The NAMM Show 2026 - January 23-25, Anaheim, California
• NAMM Show Registration and App Information

Educational Background and Previous Roles:

• Virginia Commonwealth University - Bachelor of Music Education
• Louisiana State University - Master's degrees in Music Performance and Education Leadership
• Hal Leonard - Music publishing and education
• PreSonus Audio - Audio technology and recording equipment
• Noteflight - Online music notation software

Music Education Organizations:

• Technology Institute for Music Educators (TI:ME)
• Massachusetts Music Educators Association (MMEA)
• NAMM Foundation
• SupportMusic Coalition
• NAfME (National Association for Music Education)

Music Technology Tools Mentioned:

• GarageBand - Apple's music creation software
• Cubase - Digital audio workstation
• Essential Elements Interactive - Music education platform

NAMM Events and Awards:

• She Rocks Awards - Celebrating women in music
• Parnelli Awards - Honoring live event professionals
• NAMM U - Educational programming and resources

Performance Groups:

• MetWinds - John's current performance ensemble

Musical Reference:

• Alexander Arutiunian Trumpet Concerto - The piece John performed as a cocky freshman

Industry Research and Reports:

• NAMM Industry Insights - Music products industry data
• Trade Show Executive - Conference John mentioned attending

–

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Patricia’s latest album, Of The Near And Far, takes constellations from the summer sky and turns them into music. She superimposes the circle of fifths over star patterns to generate pitches, then turns them into compositions that reflect a voice as unique as the compositional approach. 

Patricia’s ten-piece ensemble features a jazz quintet, a string quartet, and an electronic musician, all conducted by Eli Greenhoe. 

Hot on the heels of her 2024 release, Breaking Stretch, which won Album of the Year and Vibraphonist of the Year in the DownBeat Critics Poll, Patricia's here to talk about finding symmetry between the cosmos and composition, why she carries a telescope wherever she goes, and how ancient myths and modern astronomy shape her work.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Patricia Brennan's album Of The Near And Far)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Patricia Brennan at patriciabrennanvibes.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Patricia Brennan's Of The Near And Far from Pyroclastic Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Patricia Brennan's acclaimed 2024 album Breaking Stretch on Pyroclastic Records

Educational Institutions

• Curtis Institute of Music – Philadelphia conservatory where Patricia studied classical percussion
• Youth Orchestra of the Americas – Continental ensemble Patricia joined at age seventeen

Collaborators and Ensemble Members

• Sylvie Courvoisier, pianist
• Miles Okazaki, guitarist
• Kim Cass, bassist
• John Hollenbeck, drummer and composer
• Kyle Armbrust, violist
• Arktureye (Noel Brennan) – Electronic musician and Patricia's duo partner in MOCH
• Eli Greenhoe, conductor

Musical Influences and References

• Keiko Abe – Japanese marimbist who transformed the instrument
• Radiohead – In Rainbows
• Erik Satie – "Gnossienne No. 1"
• Glenn Gould performing Bach
• Philip Glass – String Quartets
• György Ligeti – Atmosphères
• Grachan Moncur III – Evolution featuring Bobby Hutcherson
• Kid Koala – Canadian turntablist
• Eighth Blackbird – Contemporary chamber music ensemble
• Fania All-Stars – Legendary salsa supergroup

Composers Mentioned

• Tōru Takemitsu – Japanese composer
• Iannis Xenakis – Greek-French composer
• Karlheinz Stockhausen – German composer
• Edgard Varèse – French-American composer
• John Cage – American experimental composer
• Steve Reich – American minimalist composer
• David Lang – Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Bang on a Can co-founder

Astronomical References

• Andromeda Galaxy (M31) – Nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way
• Circle of fifths – Music theory concept used in Patricia's compositional system
• Constellation guide – Reference for the star patterns inspiring the album
• NASA's Sounds of Space – Astronomical recordings translated into audio

–

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn. • Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Since moving to New York from Oregon in 1983, Phil's played on scores of recordings with artists like Anthony Braxton and David Liebman. Phil has joined me once already, in March 2024, to discuss his memoir, Chasing the Masters: First Takes of a Modernist Drumming Artist.

Phil’s with me today to discuss his band Free Country, which takes American roots music and runs it through their particular jazz lens, using cello, guitar, bass, and drums to create something called "jazz-grass."

Their new album Liberty Now! did not set out to be political. Phil planned for the group to record original compositions, a departure from their previous work. But then the last US Presidential election happened. And then the band got word of the passing of their trumpeter, Herb Robertson, as they walked into the studio. The music and the plan changed. Phil paired the new recordings with songs from Free Country's catalog into a double album that runs from Revolutionary War tunes to "What a Wonderful World."

Phil's here to talk about grief, protest, making art when the ground shifts under you, and one of my favorite topics: the role of music in addressing contemporary political and social challenges.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Phil Haynes & Free Country's album Liberty Now! )

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Dig Deeper

• Artist and Album:

• Visit Phil Haynes at philhaynes.com and on Bandcamp
• Purchase Phil Haynes & Free Country's Liberty Now! from Corner Store Jazz or Bandcamp
• Phil Haynes' memoir: Chasing the Masters: First Takes of a Modern Drumming Artist
• Phil Haynes' March 2024 appearance on The Tonearm Podcast

• Free Country Band Members:

• Hank Roberts, cellist/vocalist
• Drew Gress, bassist
• Jim Yanda, guitarist

• Free Country Discography:

• Shenandoah (1997) - pre-1900 American music
• Way the West Was Won (2002) - early 20th century Americana
• '60/'69: My Favorite Things (2014) - music of the 1960s
• Something Beatles (2013) - live Beatles covers

• Herb Robertson:

• Herb Robertson tribute
• Phil Haynes & Herb Robertson: Ritual (2000)
• herbrobertson.com

• Influences and Mentors:

• Paul Smoker, trumpeter
• David Liebman, saxophonist
• Elvin Jones - Merry-Go-Round album

• Historical and Musical References:

• Max Roach - We Insist! Freedom Now Suite (1960)
• Max Roach Freedom Now Suite analysis
• John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (recorded December 9, 1964)
• Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer - The Goat Rodeo Sessions

–

Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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Bryan Senti won a BAFTA for scoring the BBC series Mood. He's composed for films since 2015 and worked with artists like Regina Spektor and Mark Ronson. But his new album La Marea tells a different story—his father's story.

La Marea takes Cuban migration and turns it into sound. His previous album, Manu, honored his Colombian mother through short violin pieces. This time, Bryan recorded with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. The result mixes classical precision with Latin American folk traditions and ambient textures. He recorded it specifically for Dolby Atmos. 800 tracks of strings, all acoustic, creating what he calls the feeling of being adrift at sea.

In this conversation, I talk with Bryan about rediscovering the violin as an adult, how techno influenced a string orchestra album, and what it means to honor family stories through music.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Bryan Senti's album La Marea)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Bryan Senti at bryansenti.com
• Follow Bryan Senti on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and YouTube
• Purchase Bryan Senti's La Marea from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Bryan Senti's previous album Manu
• Dustin O'Halloran - composer and collaborator
• Francesco Donadello - mixer, Synecdoche Music Research
• Justin Moshkevich - co-producer, Igloo Music
• Spencer Zahn - bassist, 'Quiet in a World Full of Noise'
• Noah Hoffeld - cellist
• Rrose - techno artist
• Czech National Symphony Orchestra
• Andrea Franco - video director
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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Wilco Will Love You is hosted by two fans who cover the music and influence of the Chicago band. The podcast is co-hosted by Mary MacLane Mellas and The Tonearm’s contributing writer Meredith Hobbs Coons.

If you’ve listened our episode with Nels, you know what a warm and generous interview subject he is. Listening to this conversation, I really enjoyed hearing how the different perspective the hosts brought highlighted the enthusiasm for making and talking about music Nels has. It was also clear how much the fans mean to him.

–

Dig Deeper

Artist

• Listen to The Tonearm Podcast with Nels Cline at thetonearm.com and wherever you get your podcasts
• Visit Nels Cline at nelscline.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook

Podcast and Hosts

• Get more episodes of Wilco Will Love You here and your podcast platform of choice
• Find Mary MacLane Mellas on Instagram and Meredith Hobbs Coons on her website

Key Groups and Projects Mentioned

• Wilco - Nels Cline has been guitarist since 2004
• The Nels Cline Singers - long-running experimental project
• Nels Cline 4 - featuring Julian Lage, Scott Colley, and Tom Rainey
• Consentrik Quartet - with Ingrid Laubrock, Chris Lightcap, and Tom Rainey on Blue Note Records

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Graham has spent decades studying transformational events, psychedelic culture, and electronic dance music scenes. He's written ten books, and his latest is Strange Attractor: The Hallucinatory Life of Terence McKenna, published by MIT Press. McKenna was the 20th century's psychedelic renaissance man, a stand-up philosopher who became a sampled voice on rave tracks and a herald of consciousness expansion.

Graham spent years tracking down letters, interviewing over 80 people, and sifting through archives to capture McKenna's life, not to canonize or condemn him, but to understand how this rogue scholar became both hero and controversy in equal measure.

We talk about the challenge of writing a biography when your subject was known for embellishing stories, and why distinguishing fact from fiction in McKenna's "hallucinatory life" matters.

–

Dig Deeper

• Visit Graham St. John's website at Edgecentral
• Graham St. John - Senior Research Fellow at University of Huddersfield
• Purchase Strange Attractor: The Hallucinatory Life of Terence McKenna from MIT Press or Bookshop
• Los Angeles Review of Books review of Strange Attractor
• Lucid News review - "Genius and Delusion in Terence McKenna's Life"
• McKenna Academy of Natural Philosophy - Founded and led by Dennis McKenna
• Purdue University - Betsy Gordon Psychoactive Substances Research Collection - Contains McKenna archive materials donated by Dennis McKenna in 2013
• Klea McKenna's archival project at TerenceMcKenna.com
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Most people know Nels Cline as Wilco's guitarist for the past two decades. But his range goes far beyond indie rock. He's spent forty-plus years moving between jazz clubs, punk venues, and studios where the rules get bent or thrown out entirely. Rolling Stone put him on their list of the top 100 guitarists of all time, but that tells you nothing about how he actually plays.

His current project, Trio of Bloom, pairs him with keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Marcus Gilmore on Pyroclastic Records. The three had never played together before producer David Breskin brought them into the studio in November 2024. What came out sounds like a band that's been working together for years, full of ambient drift and barbed funk that explores the outer edges of dub.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Trio of Bloom's self-titled album)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Nels Cline at nelscline.com and follow him on Instagram and Facebook
• Visit Craig Taborn at craigtaborn.com and follow him on Instagram
• Visit Marcus Gilmore at drummerslams.com and follow him on Instagram
• Purchase Trio of Bloom from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Trio of Bloom on Pyroclastic Records

Collaborators and Producer

• David Breskin - producer, poet, and creative catalyst
• Kris Davis - founder of Pyroclastic Records
• Pyroclastic Records - independent label supporting creative music

Key Groups and Projects Mentioned

• Wilco - Nels Cline has been guitarist since 2004
• The Nels Cline Singers - long-running experimental project
• Nels Cline 4 - featuring Julian Lage, Scott Colley, and Tom Rainey
• Consentrik Quartet - with Ingrid Laubrock, Chris Lightcap, and Tom Rainey on Blue Note Records

Cover Songs Referenced

• Terje Rypdal - What Comes After (ECM, 1974) - source of "Bend It"
• Wayne Shorter & Milton Nascimento - Native Dancer (Columbia, 1975) - source of "Diana"
• Ronald Shannon Jackson & Decoding Society - Eye On You (About Time, 1980) - source of "Nightwhistlers"

Original Compositions Referenced

• Initiate by Nels Cline Singers (Cryptogramophone, 2010) - source of "Forge" and "King Queen" (which became "Queen King")
• Marcus Gilmore - "Breath"
• Craig Taborn - "Unreal Light" and "Why Canada"
• Nels Cline - "Eye Shadow Eye," "Gone Bust"
• Free improvisation - "Bloomers"

Visual Art

• Sharon Core - painter whose flower series adorns the album
• Irving Penn - photographer whose 1980 'Flowers' series inspired Core's paintings
• Yancey Richardson Gallery - representing Sharon Core

Historical References

• Power Tools - Bill Frisell, Melvin Gibbs, Ronald Shannon Jackson trio produced by David Breskin (1987)
• John Zorn's Cobra - game piece and performance system
• The Knitting Factory (original NYC venue) - seminal downtown jazz and experimental music venue

NYC Venues Mentioned

• The Stone - John Zorn's performance space
• Roulette - experimental music venue in Brooklyn
• Village Vanguard - legendary jazz club
• Littlefield - Brooklyn venue (now closed)
• The Bellhouse - Brooklyn music venue
• iBeam Music Brooklyn - performance space

Get More

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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Roberts plays jazz piano like he's lived through its entire history. His style pulls from Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller as much as it does from bebop. He spent years in Wynton Marsalis's band, has performed piano concertos with Seiji Ozawa, and today leads The Modern Jazz Generation, a 12-piece ensemble encompassing three decades of musicians.

Roberts is here today to talk about something beyond performance. He's one of twenty artists awarded a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation's Performing Arts Technologies Lab. His project tackles a technical problem that's plagued remote music collaboration: latency. He's working to get the delay below 40 milliseconds so musicians in different cities can actually play together in real time.

Roberts has been blind since age five, and he's used technology his whole life to access music and create it. From Braille music notation to AI-powered tools, he shows us how tech can serve artists rather than replace them. And that’s just a hint of where this conversation goes.

(The first two musical excerpts heard in the interview are from a Marcus Roberts live performance, Jazz in Marciac 2024)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Marcus Roberts at marcusroberts.com

• Check out Marcus Roberts' music on Qobuz

• Marcus Roberts on Wikipedia • Marcus Roberts - 60 Minutes Profile "The Virtuoso" (2014)

• Jason Marsalis - drummer in Marcus Roberts Trio and The Modern Jazz Generation

• Rodney Jordan - bassist in Marcus Roberts Trio

• The Modern Jazz Generation - Roberts' 12-piece ensemble founded in 2012

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Ned Rothenberg just released his first solo album in thirteen years, Looms & Legends, and it shows why he's been called America's most intimate composer and improviser. Ned’s improvisations and compositions display his use of extended techniques like circular breathing and multiphonics, while others tell stories through melody. He calls it music for an imaginary culture - sounds that feel indigenous to a place that doesn't exist yet.

Ned shared his views on the nature of experimental music, discussions about the role of art in society, the importance of personal artistic expression, and Ned's interest in exploring what goes on between jazz musicians during the act of creation. And this summary barely scratches the surface.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ned Rothenberg's album Looms & Legends)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Ned Rothenberg at nedrothenberg.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp
• Purchase Ned Rothenberg's Looms & Legends from Pyroclastic Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Ned Rothenberg - Extended Biography
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim recipient, and Grammy winner, Miguel has spent over two decades creating music that connects jazz tradition with Puerto Rican rhythms and modern composition.

He's here to talk about his latest release, Vanguardia Subterránea - his quartet's first live album, captured at the Village Vanguard with musicians he's played with for twenty years. Miguel and I first spoke in 2011 about his role as both an artist and an educator. Now, fourteen years later, we pick up that conversation as he reflects on what it means to document this long-running musical partnership in one of jazz's most sacred spaces.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Miguel Zenón’s album Vanguardia Subterránea)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album

• Visit Miguel Zenón at miguelzenon.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Bandcamp
• Purchase Miguel Zenón Quartet's Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice

Miguel Zenón Quartet Members

• Luis Perdomo (piano) - Visit luisperdomojazz.com
• Hans Glawischnig (bass) - Visit hansglawischnig.com
• Henry Cole (drums) - Visit henry-cole.com

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Linda's a Grammy winner who's recorded with Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, and Joe Lovano. She was even the model for the bassist character in Pixar's 'Soul.' But it's her own work that brings us together.

Her latest album, Strange Heaven, explores why we choose familiar hells over strange heavens—why we stick with what we know even when change might save us. It's a question that cuts through everything from personal relationships to political choices.

Linda approaches her albums like journals, each one capturing where she is as an artist and a person. Since becoming a mother, she says her music has become more direct, more distilled—less about ego and more about emotional truth.

She's here to discuss creative honesty, her work promoting women composers in jazz through the New Standards project, and why making music with emotional directness matters more than ever.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Linda May Han Oh’s album Strange Heaven)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Linda May Han Oh at lindamayhanoh.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and Bandcamp
• Purchase Linda May Han Oh's Strange Heavens from Biophilia Recordings, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Linda May Han Oh: Tiny Desk Concert
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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We'll hear from four organizations reshaping how jazz connects with audiences worldwide. Ed Trefzger from JazzWeek tracks radio airplay across North America, giving artists and their teams vital exposure data. Jesus Perezagua's Oh! Jazz streams live performances from clubs globally, bringing the world's jazz rooms to your screen of choice. Thomas Marriott's Seattle Jazz Fellowship revives local jazz culture through community-focused programming. And Eddie Lee's Sligo Jazz Project transforms an Irish town into Europe's most inclusive jazz education festival each summer.

Each organization tackles different challenges, from measuring impact to building community to educating the next generation. Together, they show how jazz thrives through innovation and dedication.

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Featured Organizations and Award Information

• Jazz Forward Award Program - All About Jazz recognition of industry trailblazers promoting jazz awareness and culture
• JazzWeek - jazzweek.com - Radio airplay tracking for jazz recordings across North America
• Oh! Jazz - ohjazz.com - Live and on-demand streaming platform featuring jazz clubs worldwide
• Seattle Jazz Fellowship - seattlejazzfellowship.org - Nonprofit venue presenting live jazz in Seattle's Pioneer Square
• Sligo Jazz Project - sligojazz.ie - Annual summer school and festival in Sligo, Ireland
• Sligo Jazz YouTube Channel - YouTube - Concert footage and festival highlights
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com

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We're also shifting from Thursday to Sunday episode releases. Why Sundays? Thursdays have gotten crowded—it seems like everyone drops new episodes that day. Sundays give us room to breathe, and we like letting our conversations really develop. Sunday feels right for that, when you can actually sit with our guests and let these talks unspool at their own pace.

Our first episode as The Tonearm drops this Sunday. After nearly 300 episodes, we're not changing what we do—we're just refining as we go. We've got another surprise in store too. That one you'll hear on Sunday.

There's nothing you need to do. New episodes will continue showing up however you're listening now. See you Sunday at The Tonearm, or wherever you like to listen. And as always, thanks for listening. Be safe and stay in touch.

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Peter Knight has spent decades working in the spaces between genres and cultures. His latest project brings together 40,000-year-old Indigenous Australian songs with contemporary electroacoustic music through Hand to Earth's new album, the title of which translates as "the scent of home." The record finds Peter collaborating with Indigenous songkeepers Daniel and David Wilfred alongside Korean vocalist Sunny Kim, creating music that honors ancient traditions while pushing into new sonic territory.

He's here to walk us through this remarkable collaboration and share how his work with the Australian Art Orchestra shaped his understanding of music as a bridge between worlds.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hand to Earth's album Ŋurru Wäŋa)

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Dig Deeper

• Hand to Earth - Contemporary Australian ensemble

• Hand to Earth on Peter Knight's website
• Hand to Earth page on Australian Art Orchestra site

• Ŋurru Wäŋa (The Scent of Home) - Latest album

• Album on Room40 Bandcamp
• Album info on Room40 website

• MOKUY - Previous Hand to Earth album (2023)

• Album on Room40 Bandcamp
• Album info on Room40 website

• Peter Knight - Official Website: peterknightmusic.com

• Lawrence English's A Young Person's Guide to Hustling in the Arts

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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For fifty years, David has led one of the most adventurous musical ensembles on the planet. Kronos has commissioned over 1,100 works, collaborated with everyone from Philip Glass to Nine Inch Nails, and earned three Grammys along the way. Their recent "Hard Rain" project brought together nearly fifty artists worldwide to reimagine Bob Dylan's nuclear-age anthem, while the Library of Congress has just acquired David’s archive.

David shares stories from five decades of musical exploration and why he believes musicians must listen to the world and respond with purpose.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out my discussions with Dorothy Lawson, Philip Golub, and Lisa Pegher. All three are available on spotlightonpodcast.com.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s Hard Rain EP)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Kronos Quartet at kronosquartet.org and follow them Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s Hard Rain EP from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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For nearly three decades, Jeff has balanced solo work with his role in the post-rock band Tortoise. His 2016 album The New Breedtakes hip-hop beats and puts them in the hands of live musicians. Named after his late father's clothing store, the album just got the deluxe reissue treatment from International Anthem.

He's here to discuss how moving to Los Angeles shaped his sound, why making "identifiably human-made music" matters more than ever, and what it's like transitioning from being the youngest musician in the room to becoming a mentor.

If you enjoy this episode, check out our discussions with Josh Johnson, Gordon Grdina, or Daniel Ögren. All are available on spotlightonpodcast.com.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Jeff Parker’s album The New Breed)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Jeff Parker at jeffparkersounds.com
• Purchase The New Breed (IA11 Edition) from International Anthem, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Jeff Parker's discography on Bandcamp
• Tortoise - official website and Bandcamp
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Hampus started as a guitarist who cut his teeth copying Steve Vai solos but who now sits behind a 78-stop church organ. He has been the organist at Saint-Esprit in Paris since 2005, but his latest album, Brace for Impact, throws tradition out the window. Recorded on a massive organ in Düsseldorf with guitarist Stephen O'Malley, this music draws on everything from experimental music pioneer Xenakis to heavy metal and more.

Hampus takes us through this remarkable project, sharing how a Swedish metalhead became one of the most adventurous voices in contemporary organ music.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our discussion with Terence Hannum from earlier this year, or our 2024 interview with Hainbach, or even 2023’s with Brandon Seabrook, all available on spotlightonpodcast.com.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hampus Lindwall’s new album Brace for Impact)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Hampus Lindwall at hampuslindwall.com and follow him on Instagram and Bluesky
• Purchase Hampus Lindwall's Brace for Impact from Ideologic Organ, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Chris has spent over a decade and a half writing what's become the definitive study of David Bowie's songbook. His blog, Pushing Ahead of the Dame, covers every song on every album in Bowie’s extensive canon. The first post from 2009 covers David’s first single, 1964’s “Liza Jane”, and the most recent is about Chris’s latest work, a newly revised edition of Rebel Rebel, a collection of his writings on Bowie songs from 1963 - 1976. Chris has written for Pitchfork, Slate, and Billboard, and he's currently working on an online project called 64 Quartets, a series exploring musical quartets across genres.

I previously booked Chris back in 2021 to speak at the Bowie 75 pop-up I produced in New York City. There, he presented on Bowie and Brian Eno's 1995 album Outside.

Chris is here to discuss his updated book, what new archival releases have taught us about Bowie's creative process, and why he chose the blog format to tackle one of music's most ambitious projects.

If you are interested in more of our episodes touching on the life and work of David Bowie, check out last week’s episode with Donny McCaslin, 2022’s episode with Chris Duffy, or 2021’s episode with David Whitehead.

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Dig Deeper

• Chris O'Leary's blog "Pushing Ahead of the Dame"
• Rebel Rebel: The Songs of David Bowie, 1963-1976 (revised edition, July 2025)
• Ashes to Ashes: The Songs of David Bowie, 1976-2016
• Repeater Books
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Donny's new album, Lullaby for the Lost, arrives September 26th on Edition Records, and what a record it is. It’s Donny’s saxophone with guitar-driven rock energy, drawing from influences like Neil Young and Nine Inch Nails, resulting in what Donny calls his most personal music to date.

You might know Donny from his pivotal role on David Bowie's final album ★ (pronounced Blackstar). His latest work demonstrates what may have drawn Bowie to him in the first place: an artist always willing to push into uncharted territory.

Donny is also bringing the Blackstar Symphony to stages across the US and Europe, reimagining Bowie's masterwork with a full orchestra.

I previously spoke with Donny in January 2022 in front of a live audience in New York City. That conversation, which goes much deeper into Donny’s early life as well as his work with David, is available on the official David Bowie YouTube channel, with a link in our show notes.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Donny McCaslin’s album Lullaby for the Lost)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Donny McCaslin at donnymccaslin.com and follow him on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Lullaby for the Lost from Edition Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Lawrence Peryer Interviews Donny McCaslin Live From Bowie75
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Rain Parade helped define LA's Paisley Underground scene in the early '80s, creating music with psychedelic textures with punk energy. Their 1983 debut Emergency Third Rail Power Trip remains a touchstone album of the era, cited as an influence by everyone from My Bloody Valentine to the Stone Roses.

Now Matt and the band are revisiting their catalog with deluxe reissues, including the newly expanded Crashing Dream, their so-called "lost double album" from 1985. It's part of an ongoing project that's given Matt a fresh perspective on work that continues to find new audiences decades later.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Rain Parade’s album Crashing Dream)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Rain Parade at rainparadeofficial.com
• Purchase Rain Parade's Crashing Dream Deluxe Edition from Label 51 Recordings, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Also be sure to check out these other Rain Parade albums: Last Rays of a Dying Sun (2023) and Emergency Third Rail Power Trip(deluxe edition)
• Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate on the Spotlight On podcast
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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These two musicians have been creating music together for the better part of two decades. Their new album, Reno, out September 12, captures something rare: the kind of musical conversation that happens when two artists know each other's musical language inside and out. Robin's songs draw from American folk traditions while her piano work moves into territories that feel both classical and completely free. Peggy brings a cello sound that's equally at home with composed melodies and total improvisation.

Their collaboration encompasses everything from Robin's early song cycles about utopian communities in the Pacific Northwest to pieces that came from her work on the Donner Party saga. It's music that's hard to categorize, which makes it all the more worth your time.

This conversation in the Fall of 2024, off-hours and in person at Seattle music venue The Royal Room.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Robin Holcomb and Peggy Lee’s album Reno)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Robin Holcomb at robinholcomb.com and follow her on Instagram and Facebook
• Visit cellist Peggy Lee online
• Purchase Robin Holcomb and Peggy Lee’s Reno from Songlines or Qobuz, and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Wayne Horvitz - Robin's partner, frequent collaborator, and producer of Reno

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Larry's latest book, The Jazzmen, tells the story of how Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie transformed America. But this isn't just another music biography. Larry explores nearly every aspect of the lives and music of these men and demonstrates how their artistry helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement.

This is Larry's ninth book, following acclaimed biographies of figures like Bobby Kennedy, Joe McCarthy, and Satchel Paige. As a former Boston Globe reporter who now runs Harvard's Health Coverage Fellowship, he's spent decades making complex stories accessible to all of us.

Larry's here to share how three jazz masters changed more than music—they changed America itself.

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Dig Deeper

Author and Book:

• Visit Larry Tye at larrytye.com
• Purchase Larry Tye's The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America from Bookshopor other online retailers
• Larry Tye author page at HarperCollins

Featured Musicians:

• Duke Ellington - Official website and musical legacy
• Louis Armstrong - Louis Armstrong House Museum
• Count Basie - Count Basie Theatre and legacy resources

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• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

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Rico's new album BloodLines captures something you don't hear much anymore—a live recording that feels like a complete story. Recorded at Brooklyn's Ornithology, it's five original compositions that explore his multicultural heritage, from his Indigenous and Latino roots to his deep connection with Black American musical traditions.

Based in Harlem, Rico's already performed with Esperanza Spalding at the Blue Note and co-led the first all-Indigenous big band. His approach to jazz honors the past while pushing forward, whether he's working with veterans like Joe Martin and Nasheet Waits or mentoring students in Jersey City.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Rico Jones’s album BloodLines)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Rico Jones at ricojonesmusician.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Rico Jones's Bloodlines album is out now on Giant Step Arts and can be purchased from Bandcamp or Qobuz, and you can listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Joe Martin, bassist - One of NYC's most sought-after bassists
• Nasheet Waits, drummer - Veteran drummer and Giant Step Arts co-curator
• Max Light, guitarist - Rising star in contemporary jazz guitar
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Aqeel's got deep roots in Philadelphia's music scene—his grandfather was a jazz musician who gifted him his first guitar. That foundation led him from Princeton's computer science and music programs to a five-year stint at Google, and eventually to creating his own company, Aqeel Aadam Sound.

His plug-ins aim to bring the magic of hardware synthesizers and modular workflows into the digital realm. His latest release, Waymaker, ties together his entire ecosystem of products in what he calls "an expansive, inspirational environment to get lost in." Aqeel's here to walk us through this unique approach to music technology and share how he's democratizing complex modular synthesis for producers everywhere.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Aqeel Aadam album Swim, Simian)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Aqeel Aadam Sound at aqeelaadamsound.com
• Follow Aqeel on Instagram and Aqeel Aadam Sound Instagram
• Listen to Aqeel's music on Bandcamp and visit his personal site at aqeelaadam.com
• Watch Aqeel's videos on YouTube
• Waymaker - MIDI sequencer plugin on KVR Audio
• Weeping Wall - Microlooper effect discussion on KVR
• Ridgewalk - Granular looper (part of AAS ecosystem)
• Mystery Circles - Record label that released Aqeel's albums
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Rez's new album with his Acoustic Quintet, Sound Remains, puts steel-string acoustic guitar at the center of a deeply personal meditation on presence and impermanence. The album adds master percussionist Hasan Bakr to Rez's long-standing quartet with Bill Ware, Stephan Crump, and Eric McPherson, creating what Rez calls music where "often the only thing that remains is sound."

The 2021 Guggenheim Fellow has spent decades finding his voice in jazz, blending his Pakistani roots with American musical traditions. Sound Remains, dedicated to his late mother, finds Rez returning to acoustic intimacy while furthering his exploration of mindfulness through music.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sound Remains by the Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quintet)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Rez Abbasi at reztone.com and follow him on Instagram and YouTube
• Purchase Rez Abbasi's Sound Remains from Whirlwind Recordings, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Rez Abbasi: Top 5 Must-Hear Picks
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Over the years, we have periodically turned the tables by having friends and colleagues interview me, most notably in episode 100, or by airing talks and interviews I have done in other forums.

Today is a little different. My longtime friend and colleague Jeremy Sirota is hosting a livestream series on LinkedIn called Creative Leadership. There, he interviews figures from the worlds of music, sports, business, and more to discuss their work in applying creativity to realms that are not often thought of as creative fields. I liked the idea and asked him to run his format on me. What follows is that talk.

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Jeremy Sirota at jeremysirota.com and connect with him on LinkedIn
• Visit Lawrence Peryer at lawrenceperyer.com and connect with him on LinkedIn
• Merlin - Digital rights music licensing partner for independent record labels
• Jazz Journalist Association - Professional organization for jazz writers and critics
• Lateral Thinking - Edward de Bono's problem-solving methodology
• Brian Eno Against Interpretation - The source of the quote that Jeremy references
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Sean spent years touring with Broadway shows and working as a sideman, but something was missing. He stepped away from a lucrative career path and took a leap, returning to Indianapolis, where he ultimately formed his 17-piece orchestra. Now that ensemble releases Communal Heart, an album that captures the community spirit Sean has built around his music, as well as his transformation from comfortable sideman to big band leader.

Sean joined me to discuss this ambitious project and share how he has created what he calls "identifiably human-made music" in an increasingly digital world.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sean Imboden Large Ensemble’s album Communal Heart)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album:

• Visit Sean Imboden at seanimboden.com and follow him on Instagram and YouTube
• Purchase Communal Heart by Sean Imboden Large Ensemble from Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Sean Imboden’s ‘Communal Heart’: A Quiet Subversion of the Big Band Canon

Collaborators and Producers:

• Steve Allee - producer and Indianapolis jazz veteran
• Rich Dole - producer and bass trombonist
• Tucker Brothers - Indianapolis quartet featuring Sean
• John Raymond - trumpeter featured on the album

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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When a cutting-edge klezmer artist meets a former rock synthesist, you might expect creative tension. Instead, Glenn and Bob found something else entirely—a shared language that turns clarinet and electronics into the most unlikely yet inspired pairings.

Their new album All the Light of Our Sphere layers acoustic clarinet with synthesizers and loop devices to create what they describe as orchestral ambient music. The tracks were recorded live with no overdubs, no click tracks, just two musicians finding their way through inspired improvisations.

Glenn brings decades of experience from klezmer to microtonal jazz, while Bob's electronic landscapes draw from science fiction and years in Boston's rock scene. Together, they're creating something that sits between Brian Eno and Eastern European folk traditions.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Dickson and Familiar’s album All the Light of Our Sphere)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Glenn Dickson at GlennDicksonMusic.com and follow him on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook
• Follow Bob Familiar on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook
• Purchase All the Light of Our Sphere from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Gustavo's latest album, The Crisis Knows No Borders, tackles climate change head-on through music that's both urgent and beautiful. Working with guitarist Dave Miller, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, and violinist Mark Feldman, he's created compositions that explore how global warming sparks conflicts, drives migration, and connects us all, whether we like it or not.

The Chicago-based artist has built a career using jazz as a medium for social commentary, and this new project feels especially timely as we face a world where environmental challenges refuse to respect any boundaries.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Gustavo Cortiñas’s album The Crisis Knows No Borders)

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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album:

• Visit Gustavo Cortiñas at gustavocortinasmusic.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase The Crisis Knows No Borders from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Gustavo Cortiñas discography and bio

Climate and Environmental Context:

• Climate change and migration - UN perspective on crisis themes
• Environmental justice movement - Social context for album's message

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Kim chairs the guitar department at Berklee College of Music, where she's spent over a decade expanding from classical performance into composition and improvisation. Her new album, Spaces, is a collaboration with percussionist Francisco Mela. The record captures four nature-inspired suites that obliterate the lines between written music and spontaneous creation.

The project shows how Kim moved from performing exclusively new classical works to embracing improvisation and collaborative music-making. Recorded live in a single afternoon at a studio overlooking New Hampshire's Squam Lake, Spaces reveals Kim’s deep connection to the natural world and her belief in creating musical environments where artists can truly listen to each other.

Kim is here to share the story behind this unique project and discuss how creating space—both musical and personal—has shaped her approach to teaching and performing.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Kim Perlak & Francisco Mela’s album Spaces)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Kim Perlak at kimperlak.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Kim Perlak & Francisco Mela's Spaces from Sacred Black Records or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Meet Dr. Kim Perlak, Chair of Guitar at Berklee College of Music
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Terence wears many hats. He is a visual artist, professor, and one-third of the experimental trio Locrian. It's the 15th anniversary reissue of Locrian's The Crystal World that brings us together today. This album marked a turning point for the band, transforming them from a duo into a full trio and giving structure to their sprawling sonic explorations.

The record takes its name and inspiration from J.G. Ballard's 1966 novel, which is about a jungle consumed by crystalline forces. Terence and his bandmates created their version of that suspended, transformative world through layers of drone, metal, and ambient sound.

Terence's here to discuss this landmark release and share how his background in religious studies and visual art continues to shape his approach to making music.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Locrian’s album The Crystal World)

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Dig Deeper

• Check out Terence Hannum's visual art at terencehannum.com and his solo music on Bandcamp
• Purchase Locrian’s The Crystal World from Utech Records, Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Locrian on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram
• The Horror Tree Presents… An Interview with Terence Hannum
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Knox's name might ring a bell from his work with The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie and the Banshees, or maybe from his string arrangements on Depeche Mode's Exciter. However, his latest project takes an entirely different turn. After decades in the music business bouncing between New York, Berlin, and stages around the world, Knox found himself back in his Connecticut hometown caring for his aging mother.

What started as a personal necessity became an artistic revelation. His new project, The Sound, is a collection of guitar-driven soundscapes and a book of paintings, photographs, and written meditations, all capturing his rediscovery of the Long Island Sound shoreline where he grew up. It's part memoir, part nature journal, and completely unlike anything else you'll hear this year.

Knox is here to walk us through this ambitious multimedia project and share how returning home can lead to your most honest and creative work.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Knox Chandler’s album The Sound)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Knox Chandler at knoxchandlermusic.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Knox Chandler's The Sound book/album from Blue Elastic or Bandcamp and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• “I was playing a gig at CBGB’s Canteen, and Cyndi showed up. She heckled me throughout the show”
• Guitar, Technology, and Nature Converge in Knox Chandler’s Solo Debut
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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After thirty-seven years of making indie rock, the band’s latest album, For All the World, boasts an energy and vitality that surprises even John. John’s a great guest: His creative process remains rooted in uncertainty, he reads more about music than he listens to it, he draws inspiration from everything from Dostoyevsky to David Bowie, and believes the best songwriting comes from not knowing too much about where you're headed.

John talked with me about his philosophy of creative doubt, his daily ritual of playing guitar, and why staying uncertain after all these years keeps the music feeling alive.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Black Watch’s album For All the World)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit The Black Watch at their Facebook page
• Explore The Black Watch's discography on Bandcamp
• John Andrew Fredrick's author page and novels at Verse Chorus Press
• Shimmering & Shining with The Black Watch
• Out of My Tree: An Interview with the Black Watch’s John Andrew Fredrick
• Pennyblackmusic: Interview with John Andrew Fredrick
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Ingrid's just released Purposing The Air, a double album that sets 60 brief poems by Erica Hunt to music through four different vocal-instrumental duos. It's an ambitious project that transforms Hunt's emotionally sharp koans into what Ingrid calls "a library of moods”—each piece capturing a different feeling, from the everyday to the searching.

The project began during Ingrid’s master's studies, when she met Hunt through a friend and immediately connected with the poet's work. What started as writing for one duo became something much larger: a collection where poems float through musical space, each tailored for specific performers, such as Fay Victor and Mariel Roberts, or Theo Bleckmann and Ben Monder.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ingrid Laubrock’s album Purposing the Air)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Ingrid Laubrock at ingridlaubrock.com and follow her on Bluesky, Facebook and YouTube
• Purchase Purposing the Air from Pyroclastic Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Earlier this year, Kinan released Live in Berlin, his fourteenth album with his CityBand quartet. The album captures music he wrote during Syria's 2011 uprising—pieces that carry the weight of watching your homeland torn apart from thousands of miles away. Born in Damascus and now based in Brooklyn, Kinan has spent decades crossing the world with his clarinet, performing with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, the New York Philharmonic, and countless others.

What makes this release particularly powerful is its timing. As Syrians celebrate newfound freedom after years of struggle, Kinan's music—born from grief and anger—now carries notes of hope. We spoke about these deeply personal compositions and how his twenty-year collaboration with CityBand has evolved into music that encompasses classical, jazz, and Arabic influences.

A technical note: Kinan joined me from Beirut, Lebanon, and although I couldn’t tell while we were recording, I later discovered that our internet connection was not always stable. There are some dropouts and garbles in this episode that we have done our best to clean up; however, even with those, we thought this conversation was worth sharing with you. I know you will agree.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from the album Live in Berlin by Kinan Azmeh and CityBand)

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Dig Deeper

• Artist and Album:

• Visit Kinan Azmeh at kinanazmeh.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Kinan Azmeh and CityBand’s Live in Berlin from Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Kinan Azmeh: Berlin and Beyond

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tal has built a reputation in New York's creative music scene for weaving post-bop, classical, and South American influences into a unique sound all his own. On his latest album, Mirror Image, Tal brings together a chamber quintet that puts his guitar in conversation with strings, woodwinds, and percussion, creating music that shifts between meditative reflection and striking exploration.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Tal Yahalom’s album Mirror Image)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Tal Yahalom at talyahalom.com and follow him on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and SoundCloud
• Tal Yahalom’s Mirror Image is out now on Adhyâropa Records. Purchase the album from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Tal Yahalom Quintet - "Tri-Tonal" (Live at The Jazz Gallery)
• KADAWA (Tal’s ‘post-rock’ trio)
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Caire’s new album Every Journey dropped in March to coincide with International Women's Day. On it, she expanded her original septet to an 11-piece band, giving her more colors to paint with as she tells stories of female explorers and their brave first steps.

Claire’s writing has been described as “beautiful and reflective,” earning praise for how she creates space for each musician to shine within these rich musical landscapes.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ensemble C’s album Every Journey)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Claire Cope's official website at clairecopemusic.com

• Listen to Claire Cope's Ensemble C on Bandcamp, Qobuz, and your streaming platform of choice

• Claire's new album Every Journey was released on March 7, 2025 via Adhyâropa Records

• Listen to Michael Brecker's "Wide Angles" album that influenced Claire's approach to ensemble composition

• Follow vocalist Brigitte Beraha, a key collaborator in Ensemble C

• Listen to tenor saxophonist Matt Carmichael's "Dancing with Embers" album that Claire recommends

• Explore composer Mark-Anthony Turnage's "Blood on the Floor", which combines classical and jazz elements

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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In 2014, Mike stumbled upon Dennis Hopper’s photography in a London gallery and fell into a rabbit hole that led to Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, a bold concept album that tells the story of the Easy Rider star from childhood to beyond the grave. It's a sonic movie with guest turns from Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, and Steve Earle that chronicles not just Hopper's journey but the cultural shifts he witnessed and helped create.

This marks a new peak in Mike's ever-changing four-decade career with The Waterboys, from their ‘Big Music’ beginnings to Celtic folk explorations and genre-blending surprises to come.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Waterboys’ album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Mike Scott and The Waterboys at mikescottwaterboys.com
• Purchase The Waterboys’ Life, Death and Dennis Hopper from Sun Records or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow The Waterboys on Patreon, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Dennis Hopper's Lost Album: life both sides of the lens
• The Last Movie: Dennis Hopper’s Curiously Frustrating Experiment
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Random House has just released Things Become Other Things, a walking memoir that traces his 300-mile journey along ancient pilgrimage paths in rural Japan. The book blends sharp prose with striking photography, capturing conversations with aging fishermen, inn owners, and cafe "mamas" while reflecting on friendship, loss, and the disappearing village life of Japan's Kii Peninsula. This is an expanded and reimagined mass market edition of the title Craig issued in a fine art edition directly to his online community of followers.

His previous books include Kissa by Kissa, which explores Japan's old cafe culture, and he reaches some 40,000 readers through his newsletters on photography, literature, and walking. Craig's work sits at a perfect intersection of deep attention and wandering feet.

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Craig Mod at craigmod.com
• Purchase Things Become Other Things from Bookshop.org, Powell’s Books, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Apple Books
• Check out Craig’s self-published books on his online store and learn more about his Special Projects membership
• Craig Mod - The 'Rules' of Walking
• Things Become Other Things (fine art edition)
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first talk, we explored Tamiko's journey from designing the world's first AI supercomputer in the eighties to becoming a pioneering media artist. Today, we dive deeper into her groundbreaking work in virtual reality and other philosophical matters.

Tamiko's been creating immersive digital worlds since the mid-1990s when she worked with Steven Spielberg on a virtual space for seriously ill children. We'll talk about her project, Beyond Manzanar, which became the first VR artwork purchased by a major American museum, and how she uses emerging technologies to address political and environmental issues.

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Tamiko Thiel at tamikothiel.com
• Follow Tamiko Thiel on Bluesky, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Beyond Manzanar
• Beyond Manzanar (demo)
• Starbright – VR Playscape For Hospitalized Kids
• Zara Houshmand
• Japanese Americans at Manzanar
• “Moving a Body through Space”: An Interview with Tamiko Thiel
• AI Causes Real Harm. Let’s Focus on That over the End-of-Humanity Hype
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark our special milestone of 250 episodes, we are kicking off a two-part conversation with media artist Tamiko Thiel.

Tamiko has lived at the crossroads of art and technology for over 40 years. She designed the Connection Machine, the first commercial AI supercomputer that now sits in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. She's worked with everyone from Steven Spielberg to Richard Feynman, and pioneered virtual reality art before most people had heard of VR. Her Connection Machine even inspired Steve Jobs when he built his post-Apple computer, the NeXTcube.

In part one, Tamiko shares her journey from Stanford engineer to acclaimed artist, and how her Japanese-American roots shape her work exploring identity, place, and space. Part two drops next week.

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Tamiko Thiel at tamikothiel.com
• Follow Tamiko Thiel on Bluesky, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Danny Hillis, Richard Feynman, Tamiko Thiel & Colleagues Design the Connection Machine
• The Female Supercomputer Designer Who Inspired Steve Jobs
• CM-1/CM-2 "Feynman" T-shirts
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Redefining what a concert hall can be, Hunter Noack hauls a nine-foot Steinway grand piano to mountaintops, forests, and beaches for his series "In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild."

Hunter grew up in Central Oregon, where his love for music and nature took root. His concert series gives audiences wireless headphones and encourages them to wander through stunning settings while the music plays. It's part performance, part exploration—turning national parks and historic sites into living concert venues.

Since founding the series in 2016, Hunter's brought classical music to over 75,000 people across the American West, many experiencing live classical music for the first time. He's performed in sun, snow, and everything in between—all to break down barriers between listener, music, and landscape.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hunter Noack’s album In a Landscape)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Hunter Noack at hunternoack.com and the In a Landscape project at inalandscape.org
• Purchase Hunter Noack’s In a Landscape from Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Hunter Noack on Facebook and In a Landscape on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Beloved scenic outdoor concert series announces 2025 tour dates for 10th anniversary
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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Boston-based saxophonist Noah Preminger has spent years pushing jazz into new territories before focusing on one of the art form's most enduring traditions. He’s just released Ballads, a collection that finds this restless musical explorer settling into the quiet power of beautiful melodies.

Noah's built his reputation on bold musical choices—from stark Delta blues interpretations to intricate duo sessions with bassist Kim Cass. But with this new record, he's aiming for something different—capturing that feeling when a saxophonist plays "as if it's their last day on earth," as he puts it.

Recorded with pristine clarity for the new Chill Tone label, Ballads features Noah alongside pianist Julian Shore, bassist Kim Cass, and drummer Allan Mednard, creating music that feels both timeless and deeply personal.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Noah Preminger’s album Ballads)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Noah Preminger at noahpreminger.com
• Purchase Noah Preminger’s Ballads from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Noah Preminger on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
• Dave Liebman
• Noah Preminger & Kim Cass - Thunda + The Dank
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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These two players come from different worlds: Sylvie from European classical traditions and Mary from experimental jazz guitar circles. But when they join forces, something magical happens. Their music shifts from delicate to eruptive, structured to spontaneous, with a shared musical language they've built over nearly a decade.

Bone Bells takes its name from a line in Hernan Diaz's Pulitzer-winning novel Trust. It carries that same haunting, enigmatic quality through eight compositions that blend composition and improvisation in ways only these two can pull off.

Our conversation veered from structure to improvisation and led us to interesting places, a fitting companion to the new album.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson’s album Bone Bells)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Sylvie Courvoisier at sylviecourvoisier.com and Mary Halvorson at maryhalvorson.com
• Purchase Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson’s Bone Bells from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Pyroclastic Records
• Defending American arts, culture, and democracy
• Silence is Not an Option: The Call to Action for Artists Under the Trump Administration
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Phillip's new project, Loop 7, is a set of minimalist compositions performed on a piano tuned to 22 notes per octave instead of the usual 12. Working with producer Joseph Branciforte, he's created something that lives between acoustic chamber music and studio art.

It's a groundbreaking approach—Phillip's performance was captured on a special Yamaha piano in a unique way he tells us about. The recordings were then layered with guitar, vibraphone, and subtle electronics to create a technologically advanced and deeply human sound.

Phillip has worked with jazz legend Wayne Shorter and brings that same spirit of innovation to his own music, blending jazz, classical, and experimental sounds in ways you've never heard before.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Phillip Golub’s Loop 7)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Phillip Golub at phillipgolubmusic.com
• Purchase Phillip Golub’s Loop 7 from Grayfade or Bandcamp
• Phillip Golub Experiments with Loops on Mesmerizing LP
• Interview | Phillip Golub | Offerings of Love - 15 questions
• Introduction to EDO tunings
• Beyond the Veil: Behold the Xenharmonic, or, Understanding Microtonal Music
• He Expects You To Read The Tea Leaves: An interview on the past & future of Wayne Shorter's orchestral work
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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After encountering an intense phase of burnout, TJ turned his mental health struggles into Gentle Breath, a dark, lush EP that marks a new direction for this Austin-based artist. It's music that explores uncertainty with stunning depth—think Tangerine Dream meets the cosmic GAS records, but with TJ's distinct voice shining through.

TJ's journey from New York workaholic to finding inner calm through his compositions offers a powerful look at how music can heal. His project name also comes from a supernatural experience at a Revolutionary War battle site …

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Six Missing’s Gentle Breath EP)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Six Missing at sixmissing.com and TJ Dumser at tjdumser.com
• Purchase the Gentle Breath EP by Six Missing from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Six Missing on Instagram, SoundCloud, and YouTube
• Rupert Neve Spotlight: Six Missing
• Six Missing’s Ambient Playlists: Amazon Music + Spotify
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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Jenny Scheinman grew up on California's remote Lost Coast, and now she brings us music that captures the wild beauty of her roots. Her double album All Species Parade brings together jazz and folk to create something wholly original that feels like the natural world itself.

With a dream team of collaborators including Bill Frisell, Nels Cline, and Julian Lage on guitars, Jenny's violin leads us through soundscapes that honor the land, its native peoples, and all living creatures.

Jenny's made a career working with everyone from Lucinda Williams to Lou Reed, but this project takes her back home to create what she calls "nature worship music" that refuses to be domesticated.

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Jenny Scheinman’s album All Species Parade)

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Dig Deeper

• Visit Jenny Scheinman at jennyscheinman.com
• Purchase Jenny Scheinman’s All Species Parade from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Jenny Scheinman on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Jenny Scheinman Finds Her Mojo on Northern California’s Lost Coast with ‘All Species Parade’
• How Jenny Scheinman’s Humboldt roots influenced new music
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.

• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

• Be sure to bookmark our new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.