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Feb. 1, 2026
Noah Franche-Nolan: Music-Making as Spiritual Practice
The JUNO-nominated Vancouver pianist and composer discusses his new trio album Rose-Anna, a record rooted in family, grief, and the quiet power of music passed down through generations.
Jan. 25, 2026
Michael Hallsworth: Escaping the Hypocrisy Trap
From Boris Johnson's pandemic parties to climate change denial, the author of 'The Hypocrisy Trap' traces how exposed inconsistency poisons trust and how societies can balance calling out harmful behavior with tolerating human imperfection.
Jan. 18, 2026
John Mlynczak: Why NAMM Still Matters in 2026
NAMM's president and CEO joins us to discuss the shift from traditional retail to influencer-driven content creation in the music industry and why preparing students to thrive in the future matters more than teaching techniques.
Jan. 11, 2026
Patricia Brennan: Vibraphone Visions of the Universe
From Mexican marimba traditions to astronomy-guided composition, the vibraphonist explains how her album 'Of The Near And Far' maps constellations onto the circle of fifths to generate raw material for genre-defying new work.
Jan. 4, 2026
Phil Haynes: Banging the Drum for Liberty Now
The drummer and composer discusses how Liberty Now!. Free Country's first album in a decade, transformed from celebration into unintentional protest, shaped by Herb Robertson's death and a fracturing democracy.
Dec. 28, 2025
Bryan Senti: Strings, Migration, and Finding Home
Bryan Senti explores the tension between classical's elite associations and his Hispanic upbringing, finding resolution by channeling his family's migration experiences into 'La Marea,' a work that bridges Latin minimalism and experimental composition.
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.