In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, Bellbird's Claire Devlin and Eli Davidovici describe how exhaustion midway through a residency led the quartet away from intensive rehearsal and toward a different kind of music-making—one that began with a poem and ended with one of the most…
In this clip from The Tonearm Podcast, Bellbird's Claire Devlin and Eli Davidovici discuss the egalitarian process behind the Montreal jazz quartet, where decisions about instrumentation—including suggestions to the drummer about which cymbal to use—are open to anyone in the group. Don't miss the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/bellbird-montreals-jazz-collective-heeds-the-call/ #Shorts #Bellbird #AvantJazz…
In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, Bellbird's Eli Davidovici recounts how he first connected with Claire Devlin shortly after moving to Montreal, recruiting her through a roommate's recommendation to rehearse and play a gig at Resonance Cafe. Don't miss the full conversation on The Tonearm…
Claire Devlin and Eli Davidovici of Bellbird talk about the bird whose recorded cry became the foundation of 'The Call', the chordless sound that defines the quartet, and the political commitments embedded in the music. ------------------ Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on the Montreal jazz collective Bellbird. Bellbird formed…
In this excerpt from The Tonearm Podcast, pedal steel guitarist Sam Wenc recalls advice from Susan Alcorn about not skipping over traditional music, and describes how Alcorn effortlessly moved between country-western gigs, Berlin jazz festivals, and New York improv shows. Hear more on our latest episode: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/sam-wenc-the-experimental-language-of-the-pedal-steel-guitar/ #Shorts #SamWenc #PedalSteel…
In this clip from The Tonearm Podcast, pedal steel guitarist Sam Wenc describes his physical relationship with his instrument's horizontal setup, explaining how he "steps into" the pedal steel apparatus. Don't miss the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/sam-wenc-the-experimental-language-of-the-pedal-steel-guitar/ #Shorts #SamWenc #PedalSteel #ExperimentalMusic #SusanAlcorn #PostMoves #Philadelphia #TheTonearm #AvantGarde #Improvisation #LanguageAtAnAngle #Podcast #short
In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, pedal steel guitarist Sam Wenc describes rubbing an inverted eight-inch cymbal against the strings to produce a positive feedback cycle that blooms into complex overtones on his track "Limitless of Blue." Don't miss the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/sam-wenc-the-experimental-language-of-the-pedal-steel-guitar/ #Shorts #SamWenc…
The Philadelphia-based pedal steel player discusses ‘Language at an Angle’, his debut under his own name, and what Susan Alcorn taught him about tradition, freedom, and the instrument she loved. ------------------ Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on guitarist and composer Sam Wenc. Went is a Philadelphia-based artist who has…
In this excerpt from The Tonearm Podcast, harpist and composer Zeena Parkins recalls first encountering a harp with no preconceived ideas, surprised by the pedals and complex coordination that appealed to her as a trained dancer. Don't miss more of the conversation on our latest episode: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/zeena-parkins-invention-loss-and-the-living-harp-mills-college/ #Shorts #ZeenaParkins #ExperimentalMusic…
In this clip from The Tonearm Podcast, harpist and composer Zeena Parkins describes turning down a full-time teaching position, a choice quickly validated when an email from Björk led to three or four years of recording and touring. Don't miss the full conversation on the latest episode of our podcast:…
In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, harpist and composer Zeena Parkins recalls her first solo electric harp concert in San Francisco, where someone in the packed crowd offered to release her debut record on his new label, Table of the Elements. Tune in to the…
From a Detroit high school full of concert grand harps to the experimental clubs of the East Village, Parkins traces the unlikely path that made her one of the most restless instrumentalists in contemporary music. ------------------ Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Zeena Parkins, composer, improviser, and one of…
In this excerpt from our podcast, Grammy-winning mastering engineer Michael Graves describes repairing what sounded like a tape crinkle on Chris Bell's "I Am the Cosmos," only to learn it was a splice made by Beatles producer Geoff Emerick. Don't miss the full conversation on the latest episode of The…
In this clip from The Tonearm Podcast, Grammy-winning mastering engineer Michael Graves explains how restoration starts before digital tools touch the material, describing Stax Records tapes with tire marks, plaster, and mold that required cleaning and careful repair. Don't miss the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/michael-graves-the-patient-philosophy-of-audio-restoration-osiris-studio/ #Shorts #AudioRestoration #MichaelGraves #OsirisStudio #MasteringEngineer #StaxRecords…
In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, Grammy-winning mastering engineer Michael Graves describes how his career began accidentally in 1998 with a $400 CD recorder, and how he learned early on that restoration can easily go too far. Don't miss the fascinating conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/michael-graves-the-patient-philosophy-of-audio-restoration-osiris-studio/ #Shorts #AudioRestoration…
Five Grammys and a working museum of tape machines later, Osiris Studio's Michael Graves reflects on the ethics of restoration, the problem of artist intent, and why the work never stops surprising him. ------------------ Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Michael Graves, a five-time Grammy-winning mastering engineer and the…
In this excerpt from The Tonearm Podcast, musician Erik Hall recalls receiving an unexpected congratulatory email from Steve Reich after releasing his first album, 'Music for 18 Musicians.' Don't miss the full conversation on the latest episode of our podcast: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/erik-hall-multitracking-the-minimalist-aesthetic/ #Shorts #ErikHall #SoloThree #SteveReich #MinimalistMusic #ContemporaryClassical #MusicFor18Musicians #CantoOstinato #GlennBranca…
In this clip from The Tonearm Podcast, musician Erik Hall explains his approach on 'Solo Three,' describing how he reassigned Steve Reich's ensemble parts to instruments he could play in his studio for a faithful, note-for-note performance. Don't miss the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/erik-hall-multitracking-the-minimalist-aesthetic/ #Shorts #ErikHall #SoloThree #SteveReich #MinimalistMusic #ContemporaryClassical #MusicFor18Musicians…
In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, musician Erik Hall describes discovering Steve Reich's 'Music for 18 Musicians' in college, calling the experience "like an awakening" that opened his ears to American minimalist contemporary music. Tune in to the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/erik-hall-multitracking-the-minimalist-aesthetic/ #Shorts #ErikHall #SoloThree #SteveReich…
The Michigan-based composer and multi-instrumentalist discusses Solo Three, his trilogy-closing collection of solo reinterpretations of works by Steve Reich, Glenn Branca, Charlemagne Palestine, and Laurie Spiegel. ------------------ Today we’re putting The Tonearm's needle on musician and composer Erik Hall. Based in Michigan, Erik Hall has spent the last five years…
In this excerpt from The Tonearm Podcast, saxophonist Patrick Smith shares advice attributed to Sonny Rollins: that continuing to create is an act of rebellion against forces that try to squash creativity. Don't miss our latest episode for the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/patrick-smith-toronto-saxophone-bebop-brass-bands-and-a-bookstore/ #Shorts #PatrickSmith #WordsUnderlined #LitSocRecords #TorontoJazz #FreeJazz #SellersAndNewell #JazzSaxophone…
In this clip from our latest podcast episode, saxophonist Patrick Smith discusses his trio album 'Words Underlined,' describing the group as "technicians of tone" rather than players focused on chops. Don't miss the full conversation on The Tonearm Podcast: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/patrick-smith-toronto-saxophone-bebop-brass-bands-and-a-bookstore/ #Shorts #PatrickSmith #WordsUnderlined #LitSocRecords #TorontoJazz #FreeJazz #SellersAndNewell #JazzSaxophone #ImprovMusic #DanPitt…
In this excerpt from the new episode of The Tonearm Podcast, saxophonist Patrick Smith explains why guitarist Dan Pitt is central to his album 'Words Underlined,' describing how recording the guitar in stereo with a chorus effect dramatically expanded the sound. Don't miss the full conversation: https://podcast.thetonearm.com/patrick-smith-toronto-saxophone-bebop-brass-bands-and-a-bookstore/ #Shorts #PatrickSmith #WordsUnderlined…
With ‘Words Underlined’ out now on Lit Soc Records, saxophonist Patrick Smith talks about the trio format's peculiar difficulty, what he learned from Mark Shim in New York, and why Toronto lets him play everything. ------------------ Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Toronto saxophonist Patrick Smith. Patrick has become…