Today, the Spotlight shines On freelance journalist and author Tea Krulos. Tea wrote two books that I enjoyed this year: Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement from 2013 and 2020’s American Madness: The Story of the Phantom Patriot and How Conspiracy Theories Hijacked American Consciousness. Both…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Diana Pasulka, religious studies professor and the author of two books I have really enjoyed in the last few years: 2019’s American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology and Encounters: Experiences with Non-Human Intelligences, released in November 2023. As Diana points out in her work and in…
In this excerpt from the new episode of Spotlight On, author Paul de Barros shares his experiences writing about pianist Marian McPartland, highlighting her jazz advocacy, personal archive, and the challenges of working with her closely. Be sure to check out more of this conversation on the Spotlight On podcast:…
Today, the Spotlight shines On musician, songwriter, journalist, and returning guest, Jeff Slate. Jeff joined us about two years ago and while that discussion was more focused on his work as a writer and cultural observer, this talk focuses on his music career. Based in New York City, Jeff has…
What can be scarier than Halloween ghouls? How about a trip through the LSD underground? Today, the Spotlight shines On Erik Davis, and this trip is no bummer. Erik is an author, award-winning journalist, and teacher in San Francisco. He is the author, most recently, of Blotter: The Untold Story…
Today, the Spotlight shines On David Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and Executive Producer at NJPAC - the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. David works in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and has led a fascinating life in the performing arts. He was a full-time musician on the road with…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Cat Henry, the Brooklyn, NY-based Executive Director for Live Music Society, a philanthropic foundation whose mission is to recognize and protect small music venues and listening rooms across the U.S. so that live music remains accessible to all. Before LMS, Cat served as Vice President,…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Dave Wish, founder and Chief Vision Officer for Music Will. This nonprofit organization funds and runs one of the largest instrumental and vocal music programs in US public schools. Dave, a former Palo Alto, California school teacher, launched Music Will due to frustration with the…
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. ------------------ Today, the Spotlight shines On award-winning jazz critic and author Paul de Barros. Throughout his storied…
Today, the Spotlight shines On returning guest, the innovative musician and composer Markus Reuter. Markus originally joined us for Episode 130 back in November 2022. He joins us now to discuss his project Sea of Hopeless Angels (Unsung Records), which began as several unedited studio solo improvisations by Markus on…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Josh Johnson, the Los Angeles-based saxophonist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and Grammy Award-winning producer. Josh joined me earlier this year to talk about his second solo album, Unusual Object, which came out this past April on Northern Spy Records. Equal parts futuristic jazz and modern composition, Josh…
Today, the Spotlight shines On musician and producer Daniel Ögren. Daniel is one of the artists propelling Sweden’s contemporary new music scene. He has an extensive body of work as a solo artist and as a member of Sven Wunder, The Greys, and, most notably, Dina Ögon. He also works…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Brad Mindich, an entrepreneur who works directly with artists, athletes, and others in music, culture, and sports to expand their legacies and create powerful connections with their fans. Brad currently does this work as the founder and CEO of Inveniem/Definitive Authentic, which helps its clients…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Berlin-based electronic music composer and performer Hainbach. I have come to view Hainbach as much an archeologist or audio specimen collector as he is a musician. While he makes beautiful music and soundscapes, they are often showcase pieces for the devices he works on, which…
Today, the Spotlight shines On the musician and producer David John Haskins, better known to the world as David J, bassist and co-founder of both post-punk goth band Bauhaus and, subsequently, Love and Rockets. As if having such a luminary visiting our podcast isn’t enough, today’s talk is guest-hosted by…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Andy McCluskey, the singer, songwriter, musician, and producer best known as the lead singer and bass guitarist of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (also known as OMD). Andy joined Spotlight On producer and guest host Michael Donaldson to discuss topics as varied as the political…
Today, the Spotlight shines On Seattle pianist and composer Bill Anschell. We’ve had award winners of all types on the podcast, but as far as I can remember, Bill is the first to have won an award for humor: in 2014, Bill was the winner of the inaugural Paul Desmond…
Today, the Spotlight shines On vocalist, composer, and improviser 王睿琪 Ruiqi Wang (pronounced as “Ray-Chee Wong”). Ruiqi Wang creates stunning experimental music, combining influences from jazz, contemporary Euro-classical music, and traditional Chinese music. Ruiqi Wang joined me earlier this year on the heels of the release of her debut album,…
Today, the Spotlight shines On David Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and Executive Producer at NJPAC - the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. David works in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and has led a fascinating life in the performing arts. He was a full-time musician on the road with…
Today, the Spotlight shines On the innovative pedal steel guitar player Susan Alcorn. While Susan got her start playing in country & western bands in Texas, she has taken the pedal steel into new and uncharted territories, exploring 20th-century classical music, improvisational jazz, and various world musics. On her latest…
In this clip from Spotlight On, Philadelphia musicians Küf Knotz and Christine Elise discuss their enchanting three-week residency at Washington state's Bloedel Reserve, where they filmed a music video and experienced nature's mysterious beauty. Don't miss the full conversation on the latest episode of the Spotlight On podcast: https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com/kuf-knotz-christine-elise-when-hip-hop-meets-harp-philadelphia/ #Shorts…
In this excerpt from the Spotlight On podcast, musicians Küf Knotz and Christine Elise discuss the magic of musical experiences in building trust and sharing, and explain the grounding importance of their pre-show mantra inspired by yoga practices. Listen to the entire conversation with Küf Knotz and Christine Elise on…
In the excerpt from the new episode of Spotlight On, Küf Knotz discusses his early career as a musician in Philadelphia and his shift from rock and hip hop bands to neo-soul while harpist/collaborator Christine Elise recalls her first performance. Don't miss these two amazing music-makers on the Spotlight On…
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. ------------------ Today, the Spotlight shines On the duo of songwriter, producer, and MC Küf Knotz and harpist, vocalist, and music therapist Christine Elise.…