Paradigms

Accomplished musical masters Sean Harkness , Samite Mulondo , and Shem Guibbory are K U M A R A .  When they play together the musical experience is deeply resonant, transcending emotion, reaching the listener. In conversation with Baruch you can hear the enthusiasm and engage with the intentions these three exude. They have a vision of playing music together in sacred sites around the world to am...

World Beyond War is a non-profit organization dedicated to ending war and violence.  Marc Eliot Stein first volunteered for World Beyond War in 2017 and has since become the Technology Director, managing websites, podcast and other technological aspects of promoting this mission. The organization provides anti-war organizing, workshops, and the podcast World Beyond War . The conversation between M...

Grupo Los Santos is getting ready to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the band!  Their new record is Santos 4 , a lively collaboration between 4 good friends who know each other well enough to be playful and experimental in their music co-creations. Pete Smith, David Ambrosio, Max Pollack, and William “Beaver” Bausch are always working on new music.  If you’re in the New York Ci...

John Reed returns to Paradigms to share his new record Elevation , a group of songs which directly address the current state and activities of humanity.  John pulls no punches in his call for people to see and respond to the world around them. He is joined on this album by Matt Steady and Jo Beth Young , who bring their musicianship, brilliant and haunting. John has chosen to make this album avail...

Galeet Dardashti returns to Paradigms to share her new project Monajat wherein Galeet brings together her love of music, her work as an anthropologist, and her celebration of her grandfather Younes Dardashti who was a famous Persian Jewish singer. In this time of polarization and conflict in the region called “The Middle East” with more horrific violence perpetrated by extremists, Jews...

Alice Howe grew up listening to the singer/songwriters of the 1960’s and 70’s. She started singing at an early age, learned to play the guitar, and now she’s got three records and tours the US and Europe playing her original songs about life, love, and presence. Circumstance is a collection of songs that let us in on Alice’s inner life a bit, her relationships, and her sens...

Heather Luna Spence is a Marine Biologist-Musician-Composer.  Heather takes an holistic approach to her work, inspired by her love of sound and nature. Listening to the oceans from below the surface, Heather studies the impact of human-made sounds on aquatic life, to better understand what humans can do to protect marine life from the disruptive noises humans make with ships, construction, weapons...

Alex Cornelissen is CEO and a ship Captain with Sea Shepherd Global having come up through the ranks, starting out as Chief Cook in 2002 on the good ship Farley Mowat.  Since then Alex has participated in many campaigns to stop illegal fishing and whaling from Europe to Africa to Antarctica. The state of Earth’s oceans is dire. Extraction of fish and other life forms, and pollution, threaten...

Malika Zarra was born in Morocco, raised in France, and got her musical training in Paris and New York. Malika’s new record is RWA (The Essence) a collection of original songs informed by ideas of belonging, community, owning one’s power. Malika is inspired by  her life experiences as an immigrant, as a traveler, as a mother and artist. Malika’s voice is warm and personal and fil...

Many traditions have some form of “a year and a day” for trying a new practice, for breaking a pattern or establishing a new one. Diana Helmuth has written a book The Witching Year – a Memoir of Earnest Fumbling Through Modern Witchcraft wherein she describes her experience of exploring and practicing modern witchcraft for one year. The book is one person’s account of their...

Quinn Sternberg is a bass player and composer, originally from Indiana, now living in North Carolina after years in New Orleans. His life informs the music on his new record Walking on Eggshells . The new record is 8 tracks, all pretty different from each other, a walk through Quinn’s recent life. Quinn is taking this record on the road, performing locally in North Carolina, and also doing s...

Naïssam Jalal has a new album Healing Rituals , 8 rituals that came through her.  Naïssam plays the flute like you have never heard it played before.  This record is an experience.  Seeing and hearing her in person must be sublime! Raised in France, Naïssam has traveled to explore her Syrian ancestry and has just been in India studying North Indian Classical Music. Inspired by healing and music...

Welcome back Grammy Award winners Opium Moon , with your new record  Where We Are Gathered .  This album is luscious.  The synergy these musicians create will resonate deeply in your body and soul, vibrating every part of your being. Lili Haydn, Hamid Saeidi, Itai Disraeli, and MB Gordy come together and make magic.  They gathered together to talk with Baruch about the making of this record, and w...

Matt Steady is a guitarist, among other things.  He explores genres, from nature-inspired instrumentals to blues. His latest album Presence is a collection of epic sonic poems, instrumental pieces in the “rock” genre, that will transport you. In the conversation with Baruch, Matt talks about his life in England with his family in a big old house in a small town, how his life inspires h...

Shannon Leigh Reynolds is originally from Georgia, now living in the DC area.  Shannon’s debut record Triple Shot combines beloved covers along with original songs, all in the bluegrass genre.  It’s really fun when you find new music that’s as good as the old stuff.  Shannon’s songwriting is personal and she really “gets” bluegrass, plus she can sing!  The music...

Diane Coll has a new EP Into the Fire as a follow-up to her 2022 LP Happy Fish . The music is bright and clear and lovely, even when exploring challenging stuff. Diane is a person who has chosen to move through shyness in order to grow and to share her creativity, which is all oriented towards healing. Isn’t it always though, really?  In her work as a therapist, doing stand-up comedy, and as...

Falú Quilombo of TribalMixtura joins Baruch for a discussion about the music, how he came to be making music with bandmates Claridad Bértola and Sebass Forero . TribalMixtura’s current single is Soy or “I Am” in English.  The song and the video open doors to inner spaces for healing and realization. Falú Quilombo is one of those people who is so excited to be on their journey, it...

James McGowan is a jazz artist; a pianist, composer, band leader, and educator from Ottawa, Canada.  His latest record is Reaching In , the first of a two-part series, the second album due out next year is Reaching Out. This project offers listeners space to reach into themselves, to see and feel and listen to their own emotions and thoughts, while the follow-up Reaching Out will be more about del...

Dan Storper started Putumayo as a shop in 1975, selling crafts and clothing imported during his travels in South and Central America, and eventually India and Asia  It wasn’t too long before one shop became many.  Dan tells us how the craft business led to a partnership with a record label, eventually leading to the creation of Putumayo World Music. With dozens of albums to their credit, Put...

Bob and Sarah Amos are a father daughter musical duo from Vermont.  They’ve released a new record Ever Onward , mostly songs Bob wrote with a couple of traditional covers. It’s bluegrass music, very down home, really lovely. They share some of their musical story and  perform live for us.  We’ll also be listening to songs from the new album. Earlier this month Vermont experienced...

Mr. Chair is a Jazz Quintet out of Madison, Wisconsin. Jason Kutz , pianist, and Mark Hetzler , trombonist, talk about the band, the music, their process, and their new record Better Days . Ben Ferris , drummer, José Guzman , guitarist, and Mike Koszewski, drummer, were not present for the interview. The album is a product of the time leading up to the pandemic and through it. The music is definit...

Andrea Valeri plays guitar with a vigor and passion that come from his aliveness! Listening to his recorded music, or attending one of his performances, the joy and inspiration Andrea gets from playing is infectious. Andrea is working on a new record. His last two records Historia (2020) and Mediteranneo (2016) couldn’t be more different, with one showcasing Andrea’s guitar playing and...

Janice Jo Lee is a folk artist whose work explores themes of gender empowerment, community, climate change, the environment and antiracism. Musician, poet, and playwright, Janice has released her third record Ancestor Song . “I couldn’t be more proud of this record. We captured the Janice Jo Lee sound and I’ve been telling everyone it’s the best thing I’ve ever made.” – Janice Jo Lee J...

Evelie Delfino Solås Posch works with sound in the context of healing, using instruments and voice with individuals, groups, and in community rituals. Evelie explains some of the theoretical and spiritual basis for her work and then takes us through a sound healing experience with various instruments including drum, singing bowls, bells and chimes, guitar, and poetry. We’ll also be listening...

Holly Near is a person who pays attention, who notices and thinks and feels.  Her perceptions and cogitations often become melodies, lyrics, and ideas for making things that inform and inspire. Holly had been a guest on Paradigms twice, in 2009 and again in 2012 . It is a great pleasure to welcome her back! Holly’s most recent project is Because of a Song – A Feminist and Lesbian Music...