Episodes

The mastermind behind 'The Whole of the Moon' discusses his four-year journey writing and recording an ambitious musical biography that chronicles Hopper's artistic triumphs, spectacular flameouts, and ultimate redemption.

Craig Mod, author of Things Become Other Things, explains how his love of independent publishing remains uncompromised despite a book deal with Random House and why books represent the perfect focused technology in an age of constant digital distraction.

In the second part of our conversation, Tamiko Thiel discusses Beyond Manzanar, her collaboration with artist Zara Houshmand, where viewers confront the history of Japanese-American internment while drawing connections to contemporary persecution.

In part one of an extended conversation, the pioneering media artist discusses designing the Connection Machine, working with Richard Feynman, and how her Japanese-American heritage shapes her revolutionary approach to making technology beautiful.

With his innovative "In a Landscape" series, pianist Hunter Noack hauls a concert-quality Steinway to remote locations, inviting audiences to wander through nature while intimate piano sounds fill their wireless headphones.

Boston-based saxophonist Noah Preminger discusses his surprising compositional preferences, his challenging education under Dave Liebman, and why his latest album, ‘Ballads,' might be his most accessible work yet.

Swiss pianist Courvoisier and American guitarist Halvorson discuss their third album 'Bone Bells,' reflecting on the value of risk-taking and the slow-burning development of a creative partnership that continues to yield fascinating results.

Brooklyn pianist Phillip Golub splits the traditional octave into 22 notes for his innovative composition 'Loop 7,' demonstrating how microtonality can create mathematical precision on top of profound emotional resonance.

Austin-based ambient artist TJ Dumser shares how his decade of sobriety, move from New York, and love of vintage synthesizers shaped his meditative project Six Missing and its emotional new EP 'Gentle Breath.'

Violinist Jenny Scheinman's double album 'All Species Parade' draws from her childhood on California's remote Lost Coast, crafting a musical celebration that honors the land, its people, and the wild diversity of nature.

Through a hundred interviews and decades of observation, Baker's busking chronicle, Down on the Corner, reveals how the distance between Grammy-winning stages and subway platforms may be shorter than we imagine.

The founder of City Winery and Knitting Factory discusses his journey from Milwaukee to Manhattan and how his Carnegie Hall tribute series has raised millions for music education while celebrating icons like Patti Smith.

After decades of making alternative rock with Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom, Greg Lisher took piano lessons, learned synthesis, and created 'Underwater Detection Method,’ an album that merges human performance with digital precision.

As ETHEL prepares for their first Carnegie Hall performance, Dorothy Lawson reflects on decades of mixing classical precision with popular music's spirit.

Through her latest project with Septet+, the accomplished flutist transforms works by Adrienne Rich, Naomi Shihab Nye, and other poets into conversations between words and improvised music.

Fresh from a three-week European tour with Quartetinho, the accomplished clarinetist discusses how she transforms everything from Thelonious Monk to Brazilian choro into her own musical language.

The acclaimed pianist discusses her musical evolution from Barcelona to New Orleans, where she recorded her latest album on Ellis Marsalis's personal piano at his namesake center.

The music scholar and author discusses Jazz Revolutionary, his groundbreaking biography of Eric Dolphy, and how the revolutionary multi-instrumentalist navigated artistic boundaries from 1940s Los Angeles to the avant-garde jazz scene of the early 1960s.

Percussionist and digital innovator Lisa Pegher discusses her mission to modernize classical music through AI technology while preserving the deep emotional core of human artistic expression.

The acclaimed jazz critic discusses his updated biography of Marian McPartland, revealing how the Piano Jazz host's complex personality and vast musical connections created both challenges and opportunities in documenting her remarkable life.

The Philadelphia-based hip-hop artist and classically-trained harpist discuss how they're bridging musical worlds and bringing healing performances to communities from urban yoga studios to the Alaskan wilderness.

The veteran music journalist joins the podcast to discuss his book Neu Klang: The Definitive History of Krautrock and how a disparate group of musicians shaped a distinctly German sound in the shadow of World War II.

Innovative bassist and composer joins us to discuss his album 'Bab Bhar,' which deftly puts Arabic rhythms and Tunisian musical traditions into the hands of a contemporary jazz quartet.

The acclaimed mandolinist and composer joins the podcast to discuss the history of his chosen instrument, the philosophy behind his Adhyâropa Records imprint, and the radical chamber music of his ensemble 9 Horses.