Needle Drops
Musical paths cross in surprising ways this week—classical training meets electronic innovation, everyday objects transform into instruments, and a beloved album emerges from obscurity with its forward-thinking vision intact.
Jonathon Grasse and the Enduring Echo of Eric Dolphy
The biography 'Jazz Revolutionary' illuminates the complex world of Eric Dolphy through meticulous research and fresh interviews. Grasse discusses his decade-long quest to understand one of jazz's most enigmatic voices.
Needle Drops
From Alex Ross's expansive classical music history to Justin Walter's Lynchian trumpet notes, this week's picks traverse genres and decades with unexpected connections and revelations.
Lisa Pegher's Digital Reboot for Classical Percussion
Through projects like 'Circuits & Skins' and A.I.RE, Pegher demonstrates how classical percussion can speak to modern audiences. Her instruments become both timekeeper and time machine, connecting orchestra halls to electronic festivals.
How Paul de Barros Revealed the Story of the Woman Behind 'Piano Jazz'
Marian McPartland kept her personal truth locked away as tightly as her prized recordings, but through patience and persistence, Paul de Barros gained her trust and brought her full story to light.
Needle Drops
Free jazz meets mysticism, Fourth World aesthetics find new disciples, and forgotten shoegaze gets its due. Welcome to 2025's inaugural collection of essential listening.
The Healing Hip-Hop of Küf Knotz & Christine Elise
Inside Philadelphia's vibrant music scene, an unexpected duo redefines the intersection of performance and therapy. On 'Hypnagogia,' their visionary sound effortlessly merges classical refinement and the soul tradition with hip-hop's raw energy and verbal play.
From Zero They Built a Future — The Birth of Krautrock's 'Neu Klang'
The sonic landscape of modern electronic music owes an immense debt to the German experimentalists who refused to accept their inheritance. Author Christoph Dallach uncovers how a generation's quest for identity birthed an entirely new sonic vocabulary.
Through The Gateway with Marwan Allam's 'Bab Bhar'
The Tunisian-born jazz bassist's debut album unites Arabic maqams with modern improvisation, interpreted by an artist who speaks in many musical tongues.
How Joe Brent and 9 Horses are Redefining Chamber Music
Armed with deep historical knowledge and a revolutionary spirit, mandolin virtuoso Joe Brent and his chamber ensemble 9 Horses craft music where classical, folk, and jazz traditions dissolve into something entirely new.
Needle Drops
A quartet channeling New Orleans' experimental spirit, German electronic artists carrying the kosmische torch, a formidable Brooklyn jazz ensemble, and meditative shakuhachi explorations lead this week's essential releases.
Round Room Live Reveals the Magic Behind Your Kid's Favorite Stage Show
A conversation with Round Room co-presidents Stephen Shaw and Jonathan Linden about family entertainment, intellectual property, and creating experiences that connect.