Sessa Finds São Paulo's Rhythm in the Cosmic Ordinary
Three years of sessions in São Paulo yielded 'Pequena Vertigem de Amor,' an album born from the submarine days of early fatherhood and the vertigo between extraordinary love and ordinary routine.
Cross-Cultural
Peter Knight and Hand to Earth — Drawn Together by a Thread
The Australian trumpeter discusses 'Ŋurru Wäŋa', the concept of raki that underpins his quintet's practice, and what he learned from his musical relationship with Wágilak song keepers Daniel and David Wilfred.
Gamelan Dreaming — The Surreal World of Bill Brennan and Andy McNeill
The Canadian composers discuss 'Dreaming In Gamelan,' an album twenty-five years in the making that honors West Javanese traditions while exploring ambient textures, electronic processing, and the emotional ambiguity of hand-forged bronze instruments.
John McLaughlin's Shakti Legacy — From Zakir Hussain to 'Mind Explosion'
The legendary guitarist explores Shakti's unique synthesis of Western harmony and Indian improvisation, from their groundbreaking early albums to their poignant final statement honoring Zakir Hussain's musical genius.
Brothers in Folk and Fire — Sturle Dagsland's Norwegian Soundworld
The Norwegian sibling duo behind 'Dreams and Conjurations' discusses their Sámi roots, their growing collection of foreign instruments, and what it's like to conduct a two-hundred-dog choir in Greenland.
Borrowed Voices, Borrowed Time — SANAM's Infinite Fire
The Lebanese sextet's second album 'Sametou Sawtan' transforms twelfth-century poetry and contemporary texts into experimental rock that captures both the intensity of their cult-like recording sessions and the existential weight of living under constant threat.
Kinan Azmeh Takes the Sound of Syria's Streets on a World Tour
The Damascus-born clarinetist discusses his philosophy of musical freedom, the power of long-term collaboration, and how his latest release, 'Live in Berlin,' captures nearly two decades of creative partnership with his CityBand quartet.
Disappearing Act — Tal Yahalom's Generous Guitar Moves
The composer behind 'Mirror Image' talks about challenging guitar-hero expectations, finding inspiration in Argentine rhythms, and why the best band leaders sometimes disappear into the music.
The Beautiful Debris of Sam Sadigursky's 'The Solomon Diaries'
With clarinet and accordion, Sam Sadigursky and Nathan Koci transform the ghostly silence of Borscht Belt ruins into a meditation on memory and absence.
Bomba Meets Bebop — The Afro-Puerto Rican Fusion of Alex ‘Apolo' Ayala
After a decade of musical soul-searching in New York, the Puerto Rican bassist found his voice by embracing his cultural roots and the jazz tradition. His sophomore album reveals an artist now "unapologetic" about his musical message.
From Lagos to Bogotá — La BOA's Rhythmic Dialogue with Tony Allen
Colombian ten-piece La BOA used recordings from 2011 to create an innovative posthumous collaboration with Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen. Producer Daniel Michel discusses how they transformed drum tracks into a transcontinental musical conversation.