The Tonearm

Today, the Spotlight shines On pianist and composer  Satoko Fujii , an incredibly unique and prolific artist. Satoko works at the intersection of jazz, contemporary classical, rock, and traditional Japanese music, composing for ensembles of many sizes and configurations. However, she is especially adept with the jazz orchestra format. For all of her efforts, Satoko is widely decorated as an i...

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 Spotlight On producer Michael Donaldson, who filled in for me for this and another spe...

Today, the Spotlight was meant to shine On drummer, percussionist, and composer  Ches Smith , whose album  Laugh Ash  was released earlier this year on  Pyroclastic Records . As we arranged to get together, Ches suggested we include  Shara Lunon , the transdisciplinary poet, vocalist, composer, and improviser featured on the album. Laugh Ash  is one of the most intrig...

Today’s episode is a recording of our recent live event, which took place at The Royal Room in Seattle, WA, on June 22, 2024. The event, Improvisation in Music and Life , featured me in conversation with and performances by James Falzone’s Division Ensemble . The Division Ensemble is a group of master improvisers that includes James Falzone on clarinet, Ray Larsen on trumpet, Wayne Horvitz on pian...

Today, the Spotlight shines On Modena, Italy-based sound artist and percussionist  Riccardo La Foresta . Riccardo has spent the last several years exploring the Drummophone—an array of bass drums that create sound by being confronted with compressed air and which, in turn, produce complex acoustic drones. By combining the Drummophone with other electro-acoustic devices and changes in the air...

Today, the Spotlight shines On Berlin-based drummer, composer, and producer  Janek van Laak . Janek grew up in post-reunification Berlin which gave birth to a vibrant culture of music and art. He joined me earlier this year, around the  Sonar Kollektiv  release of his debut solo album,  Circle Of Madness , a work that makes me glad I do not own a record store because I have no...

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 Award, the website All About Jazz’s celebration of the funniest jazz artists. We get to that and his satirical essay, “Careers in Ja...

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, Subduing the Silence, out through Orchard of Pomeg...

Today, the Spotlight shines On singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Paul Chastain . Paul is one half of the duo The Small Square , with drummer, percussionist, and vocalist John Louis Richardson. He is also a songwriter for and co-founder of the group Velvet Crush and has worked with Matthew Sweet, Roger McGuinn, Susanna Hoffs, the late Tommy Keene, and many others. Paul and John released...

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 traveled quite an interesting road from his roots in the mid-80s post-punk world to rubbing shoulders an...

Today, the Spotlight shines On bassist and vocalist Katie Ernst . In addition to many other things, Katie is one half of the duo Wayfaring with last week’s guest James Falzone. Katie is also co-leader of the Chicago-based jazz trio Twin Talk , and the indie rock band Edith Judith , and has garnered much acclaim for her Dorothy Parker poetry song cycle Little Words, which premiered at the Kennedy C...

Today, the Spotlight shines on clarinetist, penny whistle player, composer, improviser, and educator James Falzone . James and I have been collaborating on an upcoming live event, Improvisation in Music and Life , taking place on June 22 at the Royal Room in Seattle. This will be a unique program of performance and conversation between me and the five-piece James Falzone Division Ensemble. We will...

Today, the Spotlight shines on jazz pianist, composer, and educator Francesco Crosara . Francesco was born and raised in Rome, Italy, where both jazz and classical music came into his life early on, particularly through his mother, the influential jazz singer, broadcaster, and educator Lilian Terry. Lilian presented many of the most important names in American jazz, and some—like Max Roach, Abbey...

Today, the Spotlight shines On award-winning vocalist, composer, ethnomusicology researcher, and educator Kavita Shah . Kavita’s work sits at the intersection of modern jazz, new creative music, and world traditions. The impetus for her visit today was her 2023 tribute to African legend Cesária Évora, Cape Verdean Blues (2023). We discuss that music as well as her personal experiences as a lifelon...

Today, the Spotlight shines On legendary writer, vocalist and digital culture commentator, Ken Goffman, better known as R.U. Sirius . Most will know R.U. from his time as co-publisher and editor-in-chief of the 1990s cyberpunk magazine MONDO 2000 . MONDO covered topics like transhumanism, virtual reality and smart drugs at a time when these things offered hope for a better or at least more interes...

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 his electric touch guitar. Those recordings were turned over to mixer Stefano Ca...

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 include not only vintage and rare modular synthesizers but also tape machines, test equip...

Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist/composer Kevin Sun . Kevin joined us to discuss, among other things, his dramatic double album from 2023, The Depths of Memory , which was released in two halves: From All This Stillness in July of that year and The Depths in Slow Motion in October of that year. Kevin’s an intense yet accessible player and composer—and a true working musician. He leads an...

Today, the Spotlight shines On Will Barnes , leader of the Will Barnes Quartet , who joins me to talk about his life in music and, specifically, his ongoing collaboration with landscape artist Erin Hughes . Their first album together, Source of the Severn , is a 21st-century take on classic bebop-era sounds. Erin’s nine original works of art respond to Will and the Quartet’s music, using her own h...

Today, the Spotlight shines On in a much different way than usual, as I am turning the microphone over to guest host Miriam Boulos . Miriam has been a guest contributor to Bonus Tracks , the official blog of Spotlight On, since August 2023. Miriam publishes with us frequently, and her work has included interviews with and essays about a diverse array of artists like James Walsh of Starsailor, Chap...

Today, the Spotlight shines On the Belfast, Ireland, band Chalk . Chalk is Ross Cullen on vocals, Ben Goddard on guitar, and Luke Niblock on drums. They cook up a pretty stunning racket with a unique sound that is nonetheless recognizable in its post-punk, dance, and industrial lineages. If that makes sense to you, you will love Chalk. If it does not, give them a listen. Chances are you will dig w...

Today, the Spotlight shines On Chinese-Malaysian Australian artist, musician and creative producer, Sui Zhen . This is the first of two episodes I recorded on-site at the SXSW Conference and Festival in Austin, Texas. This year’s edition of South By Southwest has been the subject of controversy related to event’s work with the US Army and several weapons manufacturers as sponsors for various progr...

Today, the Spotlight shines On musician and songwriter Nicholas Dembling , aka Nic North, aka Nic West, of seminal New York CIty New Wave Pop band, Comateens . The New York that birthed Comateens was in the midst of a particularly vibrant musical moment. There was new music everywhere. Jazz cats were staging loft concerts in pre-glitz SOHO. The punks and no wavers were holding court on the Lower E...

Today, the Spotlight shines On drummer, composer, and improviser Phil Haynes . Phil published a unique memoir last November, which includes not only his reflections on a life in and of music but also stands as an important document of nearly 40 years of music in New York City and beyond. Phil delivers plenty of inside observations of his work with figures like Lee Konitz, Anthony Braxton, Dave Lie...

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 lack of music programming in his school. He started by borrowing instruments from fr...