Paradigms

Gordie Tentrees has just released his eighth album Mean Old World , a collection of songs about Gordie’s real life experiences, his favorite song-writing topic. Living in the Yukon in Canada, where music is a part of the social fabric, Gordie and three of his friends, Bob & Patrick Hamilton, and Jaxon Haldane , have made a record with poignant lyrics, rockin’ bluesy bluegrassy tune...

In 2012 Alison Perry envisioned Central Oregon Veteran’s Ranch to be “a working ranch that restores purpose and spirit to veterans of all ages.”  Nine years later the ranch exists just north of Bend in Central Oregon; 19 acres of homestead and land where veterans are working together, practicing regenerative agriculture in the context of non-residential community. Alison returns...

Si Kahn is a folk musician and writer whose music and books depict human stories that support and inspire participation in making things better for everyone. Si is a person of conscience, so for 50+ years all causes of liberation and justice have been his causes.  His songs are about worker’s rights, women’s rights, anti racism, protecting the Earth; you name it, he’s probably wr...

Roddy Ellias has released a new record Not This Room . With his gentle guitar, the powerful lyrics of Sandra Nicholls, and the excellent musicianship of the players, this record is an exploration and expression of life during Covid. This music, these songs, give the listener time and space to process within themselves.  It’s a gift! Roddy and Baruch discuss the music, the times, inspiration,...

Lisa Ann Wright hails from northern Virginia where she grew up listening to all the music she could from punk to the singer/songwriters of the 1970’s and the country music of the time. So far she’s released a full album and an EP. Lisa’s songs are fun and topical and moving. Lisa brings light to hard topics without losing gravitas. She brings together excellent musicians to perfo...

Lili Haydn and Itai Disraeli of Opium Moon return to Paradigms , this time with bandmates Hamid Saeidi and MB Gordy , to talk about their new album Night + Day . Opium Moon’s self titled first album won a Grammy in 2018.  This episode was recorded the day before the 2022 Grammy nominations came out. Congratulations Opium Moon on having your new double album Night + Day nominated for a Grammy...

Mary Lou Fulton has released her first record. All the songs are originals except for one cover of an old Leadbelly song. Mary Lou has been a journalist at the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Her new record We’ll Tell Stories is another way for Mary Lou to tell stories. “This album is about family, both my own kin and our American family that’s struggling so much right...

George Mann has been playing music for most of his life.  You might remember him from his Hail to the Thief days! He’s also been a  journalist and a union organizer. His latest records are A World Like This and its predecessor and companion The Coronavirus Sessions .  Mostly original songs, with a few covers of well loved songs, these records both feel like the great singer/songwriter albums...

Laura Love has just made this beautiful record Uppity .  With a sweet and kind voice, and beautiful instrumentation, Love sings to us of heartbreak and the need for justice, of the pain that racism brings and the need for healing.  This record is balm for a wound that afflicts us as individuals, as families, communities, countries; our world. Laura and Baruch’s discussion, sparked by the son...

Patricia Wixon has been a poet since childhood. Now in her 80’s Wixon lives in her native Oregon with husband Vince where they curate the legacy of Oregon Poet Laureate William Stafford. In her latest book The Great Hunt and Other Poems Wixon explores personal themes that span a lifetime, from childhood to being a grandmother. Patricia Wixon and her husband Vince have been mentoring poets fo...

Sundar Viswanathan returns to Paradigms to share the new record Worldview , which will be released October 29, 2021.  With his band Avataar , Sundar has crafted a set of 8 songs honoring and proclaiming/calling for better care and consideration for the children of the world. Inspired by recent tragedies affecting children , the music is beautiful, melodic, complex, even lofty at times.  It’s...

Sonia Aimy has a new record out, Reconnect , as part of her creative response to Covid. Nigerian born, Sonia Aimy has lived in Europe and is currently in Canada.  She has graced stages around the world with her conscious upbeat music and message. The new record is about Sonia’s own reconnection as much as it’s about all of our reconnections, focusing especially on the lives and experie...

“Esbe is a composer, producer, and vocalist from London. Her music is an eclectic blend of many influences, from her pure classical roots, but uniquely drawing on contemporary, world music and film scoring.” – esbemusic.uk Esbe has a catalog of albums and has just released her seventh Under Cover , a collection of well known songs offered through Esbe’s unique musical sensi...

John Reed and Ali Karim continue their creative friendship with a new record Breathe . This album takes the listener on an elemental journey.  In conversation, John, Ali, and Baruch get into the inspirations and methods that went into this project, describing the process of allowing this musical poetic mentation to be both discovery and prescription. Part of the project is a film made by Ali and J...

Ray Soul is a Jazz Bassist and Composer.  He’s also a person who has experienced some of the challenges life has to offer, and he addresses that through his music.  His latest project explores the issue of suicide through music, images and words.  Seu Aprendiz is the name of the song. Ray is a person who has followed his inspirations even when they seemed hard to reach.  His story  of becomi...

Staci Griesbach returns to Paradigms to share her new record My George Jones Songbook .  Covering songs from the great Country singer/songwriter George Jones, Staci brings this music into the Jazz world with new arrangements, bringing her own emotions and meanings to this iconic material. This is Staci’s third “songbook” album.  First there was My Patsy Cline Songbook   and then...

Long time collaborators and Paradigms alums Katayoun Gardazi and Shujaat Hussein Khan have teamed up with Shaho Andalibi and Shariq Mustafa to bring us the album This Pale , a musical exploration of Rumi as experienced through the lens of modern events. This record was inspired by, and addresses, the polarization and “othering” we see in the human world nowadays.  Rumi is known for poe...

Jef Stott and Mah Ze Tar have created Zikr Project , a 4-EP (so far!) cycle of music that explores inner space, love and connection, through the fusion of Middle Eastern music with modern instruments and arrangements.  The first two EPs are available, Ishq and Dunya . Jef, Mah, and Baruch discuss the origins of this music, the intentions they share as the create and put out this music, and we hear...

Trevor Tchir has just released his first record in 12 years!  It’s called Sun & Moon .  This is a collection of songs that explore very personal themes like the love of one’s children, the loss of a parent, and more.  Trevor has honed his songwriting and guitar playing to a degree of virtuosity that will both soothe and kindly stimulate. Trevor is a Professor of Political Science,...

Wayne Alpern has a new record out called Frankenstein .  This is a follow-up to Skeleton and he’s just completing Bride of Frankenstein.  Yes there is a theme but it’s not what you might think.  Wayne explains in the interview. The new record is a collection of familiar tunes, but reimagined, revivified.  Very enjoyable to listen to. Wayne is an unusual person.  He shares some of his s...

Troy Roberts and Tim Jago have been playing music together since their college days.  They’re both in demand as session players, they both teach, have their own bands, and are part of a group of friends who jam together.  They’ve released a new record, recorded during lockdown in their hometown of Perth, Australia. In these sessions they explore some of the roots of Jazz, not by coveri...

Pete Davis is a writer and civic advocate from Virginia. He is currently working with the Democracy Policy Institute promoting democracy in the United States. Pete’s new book is Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing . The book discusses the pleasures and pains of “infinite browsing,” some of the fears which drive the culture of endless options, and the...

Sarah Aroeste returns to Paradigms to share her current  project. Sarah has been exploring her Sephardic roots for much of her life; the culture, the music and the nearly extinct language Ladino.  In this new record, and the subsequent videos, Sarah has gone to Macedonia, to the town once known as Monastir, to delve into that which survived the genocide of the early/mid 20th century.  While very f...

Richard X Bennett plays the piano.  He’s an extremely intelligent person, with an inquisitive mind, and it comes across in the music.  His new record RXB3 is a collection of pieces mostly written and all recorded during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020.  This music, performed by a trio of piano, bass and drums, offers a substantial meal for your brain, your mind, your senses, your Self. Richard...

Britton Patrick Morgan hails from Eastern Kentucky where his family has lived, worked, and made music for generations. Inspired by the place, the people, and the music he heard, Britton has become a multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter.  He’s just released his second album I Wanna Start a Band which is a collection of songs, recorded during Covid, featuring a group of talented musician fr...