The Tonearm

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Claire Cope . This British composer crafts music that combines the freedom of jazz with the precision of classical music, drawing inspiration from women whose stories are often overlooked in history books. Caire’s new album  Every Journey  dropped in March to coincide with International Women's Day. On it, she expanded her original septet to an 11-pie...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Mike Scott , founder of  The Waterboys . In 2014, Mike stumbled upon Dennis Hopper’s photography in a London gallery and fell into a rabbit hole that led to  Life, Death and Dennis Hopper , a bold concept album that tells the story of the  Easy Rider  star from childhood to beyond the grave. It's a sonic movie with guest turns from Bruce Spr...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Craig Mod , a writer, photographer, and walker who's spent the last 20 years making Japan his home. Random House has just released  Things Become Other Things , a walking memoir that traces his 300-mile journey along ancient pilgrimage paths in rural Japan. The book blends sharp prose with striking photography, capturing conversations with aging fishermen,...

Today, the Spotlight again shines on media artist  Tamiko Thiel , in the second of our two-part conversation. In our first talk, we explored Tamiko's journey from designing the world's first AI supercomputer in the eighties to becoming a pioneering media artist. Today, we dive deeper into her groundbreaking work in virtual reality and other philosophical matters. Tamiko's been creating immers...

Today, the Spotlight shines On digital media artist Tamiko Thiel . To mark our special milestone of 250 episodes, we are kicking off a two-part conversation with media artist Tamiko Thiel. Tamiko has lived at the crossroads of art and technology for over 40 years. She designed the Connection Machine, the first commercial AI supercomputer that now sits in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. She's work...

Today, the Spotlight shines On naturalist and classical pianist  Hunter Noack . Redefining what a concert hall can be, Hunter Noack hauls a nine-foot Steinway grand piano to mountaintops, forests, and beaches for his series "In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild." Hunter grew up in Central Oregon, where his love for music and nature took root. His concert series gives audiences wireless...

Today, the Spotlight shines On renowned saxophonist  Noah Preminger . Boston-based saxophonist Noah Preminger has spent years pushing jazz into new territories before focusing on one of the art form's most enduring traditions. He’s just released  Ballads , a collection that finds this restless musical explorer settling into the quiet power of beautiful melodies. Noah's built his reputati...

Today, the Spotlight shines On two artists who've taken the piano-guitar duo to bold new places.  Sylvie Courvoisier  and  Mary Halvorson  have just released  Bone Bells , their third album, and a fresh showcase of their uncanny musical connection. These two players come from different worlds: Sylvie from European classical traditions and Mary from experimental jazz guitar...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Phillip Golub , a Brooklyn pianist taking his music in bold new directions. Phillip's new project,  Loop 7 , is a set of minimalist compositions performed on a piano tuned to 22 notes per octave instead of the usual 12. Working with producer Joseph Branciforte, he's created something that lives between acoustic chamber music and studio art. It's a groundbr...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Six Missing , the musical project of ambient artist  TJ Dumser , who creates music that helps us connect with the present moment in ways we often forget. After encountering an intense phase of burnout, TJ turned his mental health struggles into  Gentle Breath , a dark, lush EP that marks a new direction for this Austin-based artist. It's music that ex...

Today, the Spotlight shines On violinist and composer  Jenny Scheinman . Jenny Scheinman grew up on California's remote Lost Coast, and now she brings us music that captures the wild beauty of her roots. Her double album  All Species Parade  brings together jazz and folk to create something wholly original that feels like the natural world itself. With a dream team of collaborators...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Cary Baker , author of  Down on the Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music . The music you hear on street corners and subway platforms has its untold history, and at age 16, Cary Baker followed a slide guitar's haunting melody through Chicago’s Maxwell Street Market to find himself face-to-face with bluesman Blind Arvella Gray. That chance encounte...

Today, the Spotlight shines On New York live music and venue impresario  Michael Dorf . In addition to founding  The Knitting Factory  and  City Winery , Michael has brought legendary artists together at Carnegie Hall for over twenty years, raising millions for music education while creating unforgettable tribute nights. He launched his first tribute show in 2004 after seeing h...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Greg Lisher , a guitarist best known for alternative rock who has leaned hard into electronic music. Greg made his name playing with Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom, but during the pandemic, he sat down at a keyboard and started exploring new sonic territory. The result is  Underwater Detection Method , a collection of instrumental pieces that blend...

Today, the Spotlight shines On  Dorothy Lawson , a cellist who's helped redefine what a string quartet can be. Dorothy and the group  ETHEL  have spent years breaking down walls between classical, jazz, rock and world music. On March 13th at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Dorothy teams up with bass legend  Ron Carter  to reimagine his landmark Kronos Quartet recording from 40 y...

Today, the Spotlight shines On flutist Jamie Baum . When COVID hit, Jamie found inspiration and solace in poetry. What started as daily readings of women poets became something much bigger: an album blending jazz and spoken word. As leader of her long-running Septet+ , Jamie has crafted wide-ranging music for over twenty years. She has played everywhere, from major jazz festivals to tiny clubs in...

Today, the Spotlight shines On clarinetist  Anat Cohen . Anat’s been bringing her joyful spirit to jazz venues worldwide for two decades, blending swing, Brazilian rhythms, and melodies from her native Israel. Her 2024 album  Bloom  pairs her musical warmth with that of her quartet  Quartetinho  - Portuguese for "little quartet" - creating intimate conversations between cl...

Today, the Spotlight shines On pianist and composer  Marina Albero . From Barcelona’s vibrant music scene to the heart of New Orleans, Marina keeps finding new ways to push musical boundaries. Her latest album,  A Nomad of Sound , brings together jazz, classical, and world music traditions in a blend all her own. Marina has journeyed across continents and cultures—from her early years st...

Today, the Spotlight shines On author J onathon Grasse . His new book,  Jazz Revolutionary , traces Eric Dolphy’s journey from the clubs of 1940s Los Angeles to his groundbreaking work in New York’s avant-garde jazz scene. Eric Dolphy’s revolutionary voice in jazz was silenced far too soon. He was an artist who pushed the boundaries of what was possible on alto sax, flute, and bass clarinet,...

Today, the Spotlight shines On innovative percussionist and drummer  Lisa Pegher . Lisa turns percussion into something you’ve never heard before. A pioneering artist who moves easily between classical concert halls and electronic music spaces, Lisa wields everything from traditional drums to cutting-edge AI technology. She’s performed with major orchestras worldwide and premiered works by to...

Today, the Spotlight shines On award-winning jazz critic and author  Paul de Barros . Throughout his storied career, Paul was editor and critic at the Seattle Times and has written for Downbeat and Earshot Jazz, amongst other outlets. He is also the author of  Jackson Street After Dark: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle  but today, he joins us to talk about the updated edition of his boo...

Today, the Spotlight shines On the duo of songwriter, producer, and MC  Küf Knotz  and harpist, vocalist, and music therapist  Christine Elise . Küf and Christine have turned the unlikely harp and hip-hop track combo into pure magic with their 2024 album  Hypnagogia . The album explores the space between awake and dreaming, with surreal soundscapes and vivid imagery that pulls...

Today, the Spotlight shines On author  Christoph Dallach , who joins me to discuss his book  Neu Klang: The Definitive History of Krautrock . Christoph has spent years tracking down the pioneers who spent the late 1960s in West Germany’s basements and practice rooms, creating sounds unlike anything else in rock and roll. Through conversations with members of bands like Can, Kraftwerk, an...

Today, the Spotlight shines On bassist and composer  Marwan Allam . Marwan’s debut album,  Bab Bhar , takes Arabic rhythms and Tunisian musical traditions and hands them to a jazz quartet, creating something that feels both ancient and brand new. Marwan tunes and plays his bass to echo the sound of the gimbri, a traditional three-string instrument from his native Tunisia. He’s here to wa...

Today, the Spotlight shines On composer, mandolinist, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and label founder  Joe Brent . Joe has worked with artists ranging from Regina Spektor to the Philip Glass Ensemble, but his collaboration with Grammy-nominated violinist Sara Caswell and bassist Andrew Ryan in 9 Horses was the impetus for our time together. 9 Horses creates music between classical precision...