Needle Drops
From AI-inspired large ensembles to midnight Tokyo sessions, this week's electronic explorations chart new territories in sound, featuring fresh works by Jon Irabagon, Tim Hecker, Oksana Linde, and Benjamin Fulwood.
Mehmet Ali Sanlikol Brings Jazz's Ottoman Roots to the Stage
The Grammy-nominated composer and New England Conservatory faculty member unites Turkish mehter bands with American jazz, revealing centuries-old connections between two musical traditions. Soon, he will present these connections on stage at Boston's Jordan Hall.
ETHEL's Dorothy Lawson — From Downtown Streets to Uptown Symphonies
The co-founder of string quartet ETHEL discusses Carnegie Hall, Ron Carter, and why classical music needs to shed its sacred robes and return to its role as cultural glue. Her journey through New York City's musical landscape mirrors the evolution of contemporary classical music itself.
Spotlight On Podcast — Looking Back at Year Two (2021)
As Spotlight On marks its fifth year, we revisit 2021's remarkable guests, including James Felice (Felice Brothers), Jack Casady (Hot Tuna), and Gerald Casale (DEVO), whose stories of resilience and reinvention defined a transformative year.
At the Edge with Dave Brown and Adam Gołębiewski
The Australian guitarist and Polish percussionist reveal how their shared obsession with minimal sources and maximum sound led to 'Dog's Light,' an unorthodox album that erases the lines between composition and improvisation.
Verse Into Music — Jamie Baum's Fluent Jazz
A conversation with the renowned flutist about her latest album, 'What Times Are These,' and the creative process of reimagining verses from Adrienne Rich, Tracy K. Smith, and others through contemporary jazz.
Needle Drops
A cosmic journey through the latest, most compelling underground releases reveals unexpected collaborations and sonic discoveries, including Wolf Eyes meeting Anthony Braxton and Animal Collective's Geologist transforming Instagram clips into experimental gold.
Spotlight On Podcast — Looking Back at Year One (2020)
At the five-year mark, we revisit our most-listened-to episodes from 2020, featuring Joe Satriani speaking candidly from his home studio, Jorma and Vanessa Kaukonen re-imagining music community, and eight other stories that set the blueprint for the hundreds that followed.
Cry for Revolution — The Transformative Pedal Steel of Susan Alcorn
From her roots in country music to her embrace of avant-garde experimentation, Susan Alcorn transformed the pedal steel guitar into a voice of revolution and possibility. Her passing leaves behind a legacy that changed how we think about the instrument's role in modern music.
From Boardrooms to Jazz Clubs — Franco Ambrosetti's Business of Bebop
Most musicians choose between art and commerce, but this Swiss trumpeter refused. For six decades, Franco Ambrosetti ran a manufacturing empire while performing alongside jazz legends from Dexter Gordon to Geri Allen.
A Whisper to a Scream — The Clarinet Languages of Anat Cohen
Born in Tel Aviv and shaped by Brazilian choro, Anat Cohen has turned the clarinet into an instrument of possibility. Whether leading her acclaimed Tentet or exploring intimate spaces with Quartetinho, she creates music where different cultures dance together in perfect time.
Inside Brüder Selke & Midori Hirano's Musical Laboratory
Three Berlin-based artists strip music down to its essence, working across studios to transform single notes into rich, evolving soundscapes on their new album 'Split Scale.'