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Dec. 23, 2025
Holiday Bonus: Nels Cline on the Wilco Will Love You Podcast
Our recent episode featuring Wilco and creative music guitarist Nels Cline has proven to be a listener-favorite. This holiday season, we thought it might be fun to give you even more of what we know you love. So … we are exci...
Dec. 21, 2025
Graham St. John: Terence McKenna's Hallucinatory Life
Cultural anthropologist Graham St. John spent ten years assembling McKenna's story, documenting the rogue scholar who argued that interfacing with tryptamines was evolution's missing link and that rave was its modern revival.
Dec. 14, 2025
Nels Cline: Tales of a Daunted Guitarist
Fresh from sessions for Trio of Bloom, the Wilco guitarist reflects on working with Craig Taborn and Marcus Gilmore for the first time, reconciling insecurity with ambition, and why comfort might be creativity's biggest enemy.
Dec. 7, 2025
Marcus Roberts: Jazz Piano and Technology's Promise
The acclaimed blind pianist who honed his craft playing with Wynton Marsalis and Seiji Ozawa now pioneers accessible music technology while leading The Modern Jazz Generation into uncharted creative territory.
Nov. 30, 2025
Ned Rothenberg: Solo Improvisation in Bizarre Times
The veteran woodwind master joins the podcast to discuss 'Looms & Legends,' his approach to making "ugly and out of tune" multiphonics musically useful, and why curiosity remains essential to both artistic practice and human empathy.
Nov. 23, 2025
Miguel Zenón: Vanguardia Subterránea and the Sound of Sanctuary
The alto saxophonist and MacArthur Fellow reflects on his quartet's first live recording, captured at New York's Village Vanguard after two decades of collaboration and hundreds of performances worldwide.
Nov. 16, 2025
Linda May Han Oh: In Search of Strange Heavens
The bassist behind the chordless trio album ‘Strange ‘Heavens reflects on studying Dave Holland's transcriptions, competing as a Thelonious Monk semifinalist, and learning to be comfortable with her own sound rather than imitating her heroes.
Nov. 9, 2025
The Inaugural Jazz Forward Award Winners
The inaugural Jazz Forward Award recognizes JazzWeek's radio charts, Oh! Jazz's global streaming network, Seattle Jazz Fellowship's community revival, and Sligo Jazz Project's inclusive summer school.
Nov. 6, 2025
Spotlight On is now . . . The Tonearm!
Spotlight On is changing its name to The Tonearm, just like our online magazine at thetonearm.com. Same conversations with the people and ideas moving culture forward, just a new name and a fresh look.
Oct. 30, 2025
Peter Knight: Hand to Earth's Sonic Homecoming
From garage bands to the Australian Art Orchestra, Knight traces his path to Hand to Earth, an ensemble whose new album *Ŋurru Wäŋa* honors Indigenous song traditions while exploring electroacoustic possibilities with producer Lawrence English.
Oct. 23, 2025
David Harrington of Kronos Quartet: The Musician Listens
David Harrington reveals the philosophy behind Kronos Quartet's genre-defying repertoire and explains why the ensemble has "barely scratched the surface" after half a century.
Oct. 16, 2025
Jeff Parker: The Return of The New Breed
The guitarist and member of Tortoise discusses how his landmark solo album 'The New Breed' merged jazz improvisation with hip hop production, marking his transition from collaborative work to solo artistry.
Oct. 9, 2025
Hampus Lindwall: Blizzard of Organ
Swedish organist and composer Hampus Lindwall talks about 'Brace for Impact,' his collaboration with Stephen O'Malley, and why treating the pipe organ like a huge mechanical computer opens unexpected compositional possibilities.
Oct. 2, 2025
Chris O'Leary: Rebel Rebel - Blogger, Author
Writer Chris O'Leary discusses his revised book 'Rebel Rebel,' revelations from the past decade of David Bowie archival releases, and why chronicling artists may become impossible for future generations.
Sept. 25, 2025
Donny McCaslin: From Stadium Jazz to Lost Lullabies
The saxophonist behind David Bowie's 'Blackstar' discusses ‘Lullaby for the Lost’, his genre-defying new album, creative partnerships with Tim Lefebvre and David Fridmann, and finding artistic authenticity through controlled chaos.
Sept. 18, 2025
Matt Piucci of Rain Parade: Return to the Paisley Underground
Matt Piucci reflects on the deluxe reissue of 'Crashing Dream,' the value of long-term creative partnerships, and how Rain Parade's influence shaped a generation of musicians from My Bloody Valentine to the Stone Roses.
Sept. 11, 2025
Robin Holcomb & Peggy Lee: Behind the Delicate Sound of 'Reno'
Two distinctive voices in Pacific Northwest creative music discuss their long collaboration, their new album ‘Reno,’ and how geographic community shaped their collaborative mindset to blend composition with improvisation.
Sept. 4, 2025
Larry Tye: The Jazzmen Who Changed American History
The New York Times bestselling author discusses his latest book, 'The Jazzmen,' revealing how Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie became civil rights pioneers who wrote the soundtrack for social change in twentieth-century America.
Aug. 28, 2025
Rico Jones: The Spiritual Sax of BloodLines
Tenor saxophonist Rico Jones explains his concept of creating a 'cinema of sound,' discusses navigating multiple cultural identities in jazz, and reveals how his Indigenous and Hispanic heritage inform his music without constraining it.
Aug. 21, 2025
Aqeel Aadam: Code, Creativity, and Democratization of Sound
The founder of Aqeel Aadam Sound discusses his flagship product 'Waymaker,' why he discourages people from buying modular synthesizers, and how his daily creative practice keeps him connected to the inspiration behind his innovative plugin designs.
Aug. 14, 2025
Rez Abbasi: When Everything Else Fades, Sound Remains
The Pakistani-American guitarist and composer opens up about expanding his long-running acoustic ensemble, the philosophy behind 'Sound Remains,' and finding musical magic through non-attachment.
Aug. 7, 2025
Jeremy Sirota Grills Lawrence Peryer on Creative Leadership
The Merlin CEO has our podcast host explain why he believes in everything and nothing, how to facilitate creative thinking in corporate environments, and what the future holds beyond streaming platforms.
July 31, 2025
Sean Imboden: Into the Heart of Big Band Jazz
The Indianapolis-based saxophonist opens up about his move from Broadway sideman to big band leader, the creative challenges of leading a seventeen-piece jazz ensemble, and the community spirit that shaped his debut album 'Communal Heart.'
July 24, 2025
Glenn Dickson & Bob Familiar: The Clarinet in the Machine
Clarinetist Glenn Dickson and synthesist Bob Familiar discuss their serendipitous meeting, patient creative process, and how they transform studio improvisations into the luminous compositions on 'All the Light of Our Sphere.'