Spotlight On
329 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★★ - 14 ratingsCreative people drive our culture. Host Lawrence Peryer has revealing talks with the people shaping the past, present, and future of culture, media, and entertainment. Hear discussions with musicians, writers, thinkers, pioneers, innovators and more.
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Episodes
Hainbach: crafting soundscapes from forgotten relics
April 25, 2024 07:03 - 1 hour - 83.8 MBToday, 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 equipment, and other industrial machinery. A particular highlight of his work is his YouTube channel,...
Kevin Sun: emotion, technique, and the language of jazz
April 18, 2024 07:03 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBToday, 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 ensemble most Tuesday nights at Lowlands Bar and appears regularly at Bar Bayeux and Ornitholog...
Will Barnes: jazz impressions of the Welsh landscape
April 11, 2024 07:03 - 40 minutes - 75.9 MBToday, 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 hand-marbled papers as a palette to create collages that evoke the Mid-Wales landscape in which the ...
Lucky Lo: Swedish pop music with a twist
April 04, 2024 07:03 - 31 minutes - 55.9 MBToday, 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, Chappell Roan, Fuera, Ella More, Chagall, and most recently PEPTALK. As an international contributor,...
Chalk: a relentless and genre-busting band from Belfast
March 28, 2024 07:03 - 53 minutes - 103 MBToday, 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 what they do. This is the second of two episodes I recorded on-site, in my hotel room/recording ...
Sui Zhen: Sleepless at SXSW
March 21, 2024 07:03 - 53 minutes - 102 MBToday, 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 programming segments throughout, and the reactions — including withdrawals from and boycotts of the ...
Nic Dembling: recalling new wave New York with Comateens
March 14, 2024 07:03 - 35 minutes - 66 MBToday, 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 East Side. Philip Glass and the minimalists were premiering new works and way up in the Bronx, hip...
Phil Haynes: a renowned jazz drummer chases the masters
March 07, 2024 08:03 - 55 minutes - 103 MBToday, 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 Liebman, and Paul Smoker, as well as his own poetry, musical analysis, philosophical musings, and ...
Dave Wish (Music Will): The Kids Are Alright … With Music Education
February 29, 2024 08:03 - 1 hour - 115 MBToday, 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 friends and hitting area flea markets for deals. From there, he began offering free guitar lessons ...
Daniel Ögren: Nordic Psychedelia & Global Beats
February 22, 2024 08:03 - 36 minutes - 66 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On musician and producer Daniel Ögren. Daniel is one of the artists propelling Sweden’s contemporary new music scene. He has an extensive body of work as a solo artist and as a member of Sven Wunder, The Greys, and, most notably, Dina Ögon. He also works as a producer and musician for other artists. Daniel joined us upon the release of his album Fastingen-92 on the Mr Bongo label. The record “draws from Daniels's love of South American folk music, soul, Nordic f...
Mareike Wiening: 'Reveal' Offers Jazz Rhythms of Hope
February 15, 2024 08:03 - 35 minutes - 65.4 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Mareike Wiening. Mareike is a drummer and composer who joined us on the occasion of the release of her third record as bandleader, Reveal, out on Greenleaf Music. Featuring her long-time group: tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, pianist Glenn Zaleski, guitarist Alex Goodman, and bassist Johannes Felscher, the band is joined on three tracks by trumpeter and Greenleaf founder Dave Douglas. After several years in New York City, Mareike is now based in Cologne, in her...
Jonathan Shank of Terrapin Station Ent.: from Mickey Hart to Peppa Pig
February 08, 2024 08:03 - 48 minutes - 92.2 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On music impresario Jonathan Shank, the CEO and Founder of Terrapin Station Entertainment. Jonathan is known for his instincts and successes in sniffing out unique opportunities in under-served spaces in the live entertainment industry, creating business successes in categories and markets often overlooked by the large corporations that dominate so much of the entertainment sector today. Jonathan has developed projects for names as disparate as the Bob Marley Es...
Brendan Grey (Super Duty Tough Work): hip-hop's liberation through hedonism
February 01, 2024 08:03 - 48 minutes - 91.2 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator, and performer Brendan Grey of the Canadian hip-hop group Super Duty Tough Work. In addition to his duties as MC, drummer, and band leader, Brendan has become a sought-after performance, session, and touring drummer. We spoke back in the autumn of 2023 for a conversation that still sticks with me. I look forward to hearing what you think. (all musical excerpts heard in the interview are taken from the album Paradigm ...
Susan Alcorn: Nueva Canción on Pedal Steel
January 25, 2024 08:03 - 40 minutes - 73.5 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On the innovative pedal steel guitar player Susan Alcorn. While Susan got her start playing in country & western bands in Texas, she has taken the pedal steel into new and uncharted territories, exploring 20th-century classical music, improvisational jazz, and various world musics. On her latest project, CANTO, Susan explored Chilean folk music and nueva canción, which translates as “new song” and refers to an intertwined musical and leftist social movement so ...
Kris Davis: defining jazz's vanguard
January 18, 2024 08:03 - 47 minutes - 86.9 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Grammy-winning pianist and composer Kris Davis. Kris joined us in the wake of the September 2023 release of her album Live at the Village Vanguard, out on her own Pyroclastic Records label. Live at the Village Vanguard is the second release from her band Diatom Ribbons, an adventurous quintet featuring drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, turntablist and electronic musician Val Jeanty, bassist Trevor Dunn – and new addition guitarist Julian Lage. In addition to ta...
Angelica Sanchez: jazz keys and nighttime creatures
January 11, 2024 08:03 - 45 minutes - 84.2 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On pianist and composer Angelica Sanchez, who joined us late last year to discuss her latest record, Nighttime Creatures, out on Pyroclastic Records. Since moving to New York from Arizona in 1994, Angelica has collaborated with artists including Wadada Leo Smith, Paul Motian, Richard Davis, Tim Berne, Ben Monder, and many others. On Nighttime Creatures, Angelica leads a nonet through material she composed while living in a secluded cabin in Upstate New York. The...
Adam Rudolph: conjuring music’s global essence
January 04, 2024 08:03 - 1 hour - 132 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On composer, improviser, and master percussionist Adam Rudolph. A global performer - and global citizen - Adam has been called "a pioneer in world music" by the New York Times. With dozens of recordings to his credit, he joined us upon the release of Timeless from his percussion group, Hu: Vibrational, on his own Meta Records. Adam has worked with artists including Don Cherry, Jon Hassell, Sam Rivers, Pharaoh Sanders, and many others but had a particularly exten...
Ibrahim Maalouf: a conversation on harmony, heritage, and hope
December 28, 2023 08:03 - 53 minutes - 74 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On trumpet virtuoso and international superstar Ibrahim Maalouf. Ibrahim is exactly the type of artist we love hosting - sensitive, open and unwilling to be limited by genre or expectations. His work mixes jazz, pop, classical, electronic, Middle Eastern, and African influences into a cosmopolitan sound all his own. Ibrahim and his family fled the civil war in Beirut when he was still a child, settling in France, where his musical education and accomplishments t...
Roberto Di Gioia + Max Herre: Web Web’s experiments in electronic jazz
December 21, 2023 08:03 - 48 minutes - 66.1 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Roberto Di Gioia of the German Jazz supergroup Web Web and his group’s collaborator, the songwriter and producer Max Herre. WEB WEB’s fifth album is also their second with Max, appropriately titled, WEB MAX II, out now on Compost Records. This is an exciting, genre-bending album that includes appearances from Los Angeles-born percussionist and producer Carlos Gabriel Niño, hot on the heels of his own work on the new Andre 3000 album… This record is the compl...
James McKeown: Hawksmoor’s kosimiche hauntology
December 14, 2023 08:03 - 50 minutes - 69 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On James McKeown, the Bristol, UK-based artist who releases music under the name Hawksmoor. James first created Hawksmoor five years ago, inspired by the six 18th-century churches in London designed by architect Nicholas Hawksmoor. Described as ‘English Baroque’ in style, these buildings are large, foreboding, and even Gothic in nature. Imagine the music inspired by such things, and you have Hawksmoor. Each Hawksmoor album features unique themes and inspiratio...
Diana Pasulka: a religious study of UFOs and nonhuman intelligences
December 07, 2023 08:03 - 52 minutes - 72 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Diana Pasulka, religious studies professor and the author of two books I have really enjoyed in the last few years: 2019’s American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology and Encounters: Experiences with Non-Human Intelligences, released in November 2023. As Diana points out in her work and in our discussion, religious studies is not about the veracity of any particular religion or religious claim, instead, it is about the implications of belief on the believers a...
Eric Hilton: from Thievery Corporation to Corazón Kintsugi
November 30, 2023 08:03 - 36 minutes - 50.4 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On downtempo electronic music godfather and Thievery Corporation co-founder Eric Hilton. Eric joined us a few weeks after the September release of Corazón Kintsugi, his album with longtime Thievery vocal collaborator Natalia Clavier. Eric produced, arranged, and played the majority of the instruments on the 9-track album, which fuses elements of dub, trip-hop, Bossa nova, vintage film music, and electronica with Natalia’s emotive Spanish and Portuguese vocals. ...
Javon Jackson gives Peter Bradley's art a swinging soundtrack
November 23, 2023 08:03 - 58 minutes - 80.4 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composer Javon Jackson. Javon sat with us in early October to talk about his film score for the art-world documentary With Peter Bradley, music which came out back in June 2023 on the saxophonist's Solid Jackson Records. Peter Bradley has had a 50-year career as an abstract artist, but one that saw him getting little acclaim until the last few years. In addition to his work as an artist, the daily practice of which is documented in the film, ...
Tea Krulos explores hidden subcultures in American society
November 16, 2023 08:03 - 46 minutes - 63.8 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On freelance journalist and author Tea Krulos. Tea wrote two books that I enjoyed this year: Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement from 2013 and 2020’s American Madness: The Story of the Phantom Patriot and How Conspiracy Theories Hijacked American Consciousness. Both of those works take the reader deep into parts of contemporary American society that are not often explored and if they are, it is usually done with ridicule or scorn. Tea t...
Benjamin Koppel plays jazz with a novelist's narrative
November 09, 2023 08:03 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Danish saxophonist, composer, and best-selling author Benjamin Koppel. Benjamin joined us to discuss his July 2023 release Perspective, the latest work from KCB Collective, a trio that, in addition to Koppel, includes Scott Colley on bass and Brian Blade on drums. It looks great on paper and sounds even better. Benjamin is the grandson of Danish classical composer Herman D. Koppel, while his father, Anders Koppel, is a renowned Hammond organ player and a comp...
On Minimalism: Kerry O'Brien and William Robin in conversation
November 02, 2023 07:03 - 48 minutes - 66.9 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Kerry O’Brien and William Robin, co-authors of the book On Minimalism: Documenting a Musical Movement from University of California Press. Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley and LaMonte Young are stereotypically described as the “Big Four” of minimalism in music. While On Minimalism does nothing to undermine or belittle their pioneering and important contributions to the form, the authors widen the aperture to show a broader scope to the music, from its be...
Simon Berz creates art with drums, sound, and trash
October 26, 2023 07:03 - 54 minutes - 74.4 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On drummer and sound artist Simon Berz. The impetus for our conversation was the release of Simon’s collaboration with American bassist and sonic wizard Bill Laswell and the Japanese avant garde trumpeter Toshinori Kondo. While Kondo passed away in October of 2020, this work, Breath versus Beats, was not released until August 2023. Simon is a prolific artist across multiple forms and media. His perspective on creativity, process, collaboration and sound resulte...
Seth Godin and The Song of Significance
October 19, 2023 07:03 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On author, entrepreneur, and teacher Seth Godin. I recently watched an interview with Seth wherein he was describing a discussion he had with someone asking him for career advice and he remarked, “I was not always Seth Godin”. For some of us, that is hard to believe. While his thinking and teachings have, of course, grown and expanded over the years, it seems like there has always been a Seth Godin and that he’s been Seth Godin that whole time. I grew up as pa...
Dengue Fever’s Ting Mong might be our album of the year
October 12, 2023 07:03 - 32 minutes - 45.3 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Chhom Nimol and Ethan Holtzman, vocalist and keyboardist, respectively, of the band Dengue Fever. This episode is a little bit different. Dengue Fever was in the midst of a run of shows up the West Coast of the US in support of their new record Ting Mong, which is on my shortlist for Album of the Year. Their team suggested I meet the band in person instead of recording over Zoom, the way most of our recent episodes have come together. As a result, this talk t...
Gabriel Kennedy leads us into the Chapel Perilous
October 05, 2023 07:03 - 1 hour - 127 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Gabriel Kennedy, the author of the forthcoming biography Chapel Perilous: The Life and Thought Crimes of Robert Anton Wilson, which hits shelves in February 2024 from Strange Attractor/ MIT Press. The subject of that book, Robert Anton Wilson, wrote 35 books and over 1,500 published articles. His more well-known works include The Illuminatus! Trilogy, co-authored with Robert Shea, The Schrödinger’s Cat Trilogy, The Cosmic Trigger Trilogy, Prometheus Rising, Q...
Aline Homzy plays violin in the cosmos with étoile magique
September 28, 2023 07:03 - 50 minutes - 94.3 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On award-winning violinist and composer Aline Homzy. Aline joins us on the occasion of the release of her first solo record, Éclipse, which is also the debut album with her group ‘Aline’s étoile magique’. Aline is known as one of Canada’s finest jazz violinists. Her music has been performed by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Swedish guitarist Mikko Hilden, and South Korean bassist Yongwon Cho. She is also interested in and committed to the cause of economic just...
Cat Henry of Live Music Society champions small venues
September 21, 2023 07:03 - 49 minutes - 91.8 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Cat Henry, the Brooklyn, NY-based Executive Director for Live Music Society, a philanthropic foundation whose mission is to recognize and protect small music venues and listening rooms across the U.S. so that live music remains accessible to all. Before LMS, Cat served as Vice President, Concerts & Touring, for Jazz at Lincoln Center and is currently curator of jazz programs for Hudson Hall, in Hudson, New York; Cat is also talent buyer for Bethel Woods Cente...
Joe Mills (Aver) of Move 78 decodes jazz from the algorithms
September 14, 2023 07:03 - 54 minutes - 106 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Joe Mills, a musician and producer who performs under the name ‘Aver’ in the Berlin-based band Move 78. Move 78’s music sits at the intersection of improvised jazz and programmed hip-hop. Their music is crafted from hours of studio improvisations that have been chopped-up, rearranged, and layered with live instrumentation provided by the band members.In this chat, Aver explains their technique and process as well as how it extends to their live performances. I...
Steven Milne of The Little Kicks writes songs from the heart
September 07, 2023 07:03 - 50 minutes - 95.6 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Steven Milne, singer, songwriter, keyboardist and vocalist in the Aberdeen, Scotland-based band The Little Kicks. The Little Kicks make sophisticated pop music, with three of the members providing vocal harmonies, over songs with enticing guitar hooks, and featuring the seductive sound of analogue synthesizers. The band is still supporting their most recent record, People Need Love, which was released back in September 2022. Look for it or link to it through ...
EMBER are a jazz trio with a collective mindset
August 31, 2023 07:03 - 44 minutes - 81 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On EMBER, a trio featuring saxophonist and trumpeter Caleb Wheeler Curtis, bassist Noah Garabedian and drummer Vincent Sperrazza. Their latest album, August in March, came out August 11, 2023 on Imani Records and is “a vivid representation of the musical, interpersonal and community-oriented ideas that the three forward-thinking musicians that make up EMBER…care deeply about.” Today’s conversation explores the heady thematic elements of EMBER’s music: humanism, c...
Pete Josef has a modern take on classic soul
August 24, 2023 07:03 - 1 hour - 124 MBToday, the Spotlight is On singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Pete Josef. The impetus for Pete’s visit was a series of tracks that he has been dropping throughout the Spring and Summer of 2023 - one of which, “Utopia”, you can listen to at the end of this episode. Before we got to his new music, we discussed Pete’s musical upbringing, his connection to classic soul “message music”, and much more. Pete is an artist deeply in tune with his times, which is reflected in the lyrical...
Kirsten Agresta Copely creates New Age harp soundscapes
August 17, 2023 07:03 - 47 minutes - 85.8 MBToday, the Spotlight is On international award-winning harpist and composer, Kirsten Agresta Copely. Kirsten, who is known for her charismatic, telegenic presence on stage, is also the go-to harpist for pop artists including Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Enya, The Roots, Lady Gaga, and many others. Kirsten joins Spotlight On to talk about her recently released New Age album, Aquamarine, which is “Inspired by her deep connection with the ocean and imbued with memories of her late mother, ...
mr. master and his never-ending rap project
August 10, 2023 07:03 - 53 minutes - 98.8 MBToday, the Spotlight is On Gabriel Jacob Luansing, who produces music under the name mr. master. For over six years, Gabriel has been working on an ever-expanding experimental hip-hop project called ‘ultra,’ which, as of this recording, currently spans 138 songs, clocking over six hours of music. ‘ultra’ is a project meant to be dived deep into, and we do, discussing the intention and aims of the project, artistic identity and much more. We would like to encourage listeners to spend som...
Spotlight On Us — the podcast talks to itself
August 03, 2023 07:03 - 48 minutes - 89.3 MBSpotlight On producer and editor Michael Donaldson and host Lawrence Peryer communicate constantly throughout the research and production of each episode, but they rarely actually speak in person. So when Michael suggested they spend time catching up to discuss some topics of shared interest, the pair decided to press ‘record’ and share their discussion with listeners. The two had a freewheeling and sprawling talk which Michael worked his editing magic on in order to bring to you. Enjoy. ...
Brandon Seabrook’s magic clusterf**k of merciless banjo torture
July 27, 2023 07:03 - 50 minutes - 98.1 MBThe Spotlight shines On guitarist and banjoist Brandon Seabrook, hot off the release of his new album brutalovechamp on Pyroclastic Records. Brandon is known for pushing his music past the far reaches of the extreme, fusing elements from punk, jazz, pop, and metal. His music has been called “abrasive” and “angular”, with an intense focus on virtuosity. brutalovechamp covers new ground. With his octet, Epic Proportions, Brandon explores beauty, personal emotion and a lyricism not usually a...
Peter Kruder, Roberto Di Gioia, and the art of sonic synergy
July 20, 2023 07:03 - 44 minutes - 85.6 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Peter Kruder and Roberto Di Gioia, who join us to talk about their new but long-gestating duo project, “--------”. Viennese artist, producer and DJ Peter Kruder is one of the legendary figures in electronic music, known for his pioneering work as a member of Kruder & Dorfmeister. Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after Peter and collaborator Richard Dorfmeister, is an Austrian duo who broke out creating trip hop and downtempo remixes of pop, hip-hop, and drum and...
Dan Mackta — from punk rock to hi-res audio
July 13, 2023 07:03 - 55 minutes - 107 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Dan Mackta, Managing Director of North America and Northern Europe for the high-resolution music service, Qobuz. We get pitched constantly by publicists to have their music business clients on as guests. Long-time listeners have noticed that we host fewer of those types of discussion than in the past but when we do, we aim to feature only the most interesting people, solutions and companies. Dan, his background, and his work at Qobuz check those boxes and m...
Brian McCarthy blends jazz, astronomy, and the AfterLife
July 06, 2023 07:03 - 58 minutes - 110 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Vermont-based saxophonist, composer and arranger Brian McCarthy. Brian joins us on the occasion of his most recent project, AFTER|LIFE released back in late May, just a few days after we recorded this talk. AFTER|LIFE is the second album of Brian’s in the nonet format as well as the second to be brought to fruition through support from the Vermont Community Foundation and the Vermont Arts Council. Chris Pearson in The Times of London wrote, “Imagine John Co...
David Rodriguez talks community, culture, and his work with NJPAC
June 29, 2023 07:03 - 47 minutes - 89.9 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On David Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and Executive Producer at NJPAC - the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. David works in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, and has led a fascinating life in the performing arts. He was a full-time musician on the road with groups ranging from Isaac Hayes to Tito Puente to the Rochester Philharmonic. He studied at Juilliard, the Eastman School of Music, and Mansfield University. He worked at Carnegie Hall, Aaron Davis...
LILAMORS electronically redefine the jazz trio
June 22, 2023 07:03 - 42 minutes - 77.1 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On the Basel-based band LILAMORS, which consists of vocalist Ana Čop, pianist Thilo Seevers, and sound artist Jaka Arh. With their debut album, When I Am Dead, My Dearest, out on June 30th, LILAMORS is taking jazz into new territories of experimental electro-acoustic music, utilizing poetry from the last two centuries as well as original lyrics written by Ana. Theirs is a new sonic identity of surrealist collage featuring stylistic and thematic contrasts througho...
MISS C-LINE makes soulful magic in the studio
June 15, 2023 07:03 - 47 minutes - 81 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On MISS C-LINE, a neo-soul singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Switzerland. Her music blends soul and groove with elements of hip-hop and jazz, resulting in a unique and memorable sound. This conversation is memorable, too, and and it pairs well with the MISS C-LINE track we have for you at the end of this episode, her latest single, “Intimately”. Conversation and song, all taken together, will make a lot of sense. Enjoy. ------------------ ...
Danny Fox loves good jazz and great pizza
June 08, 2023 07:03 - 48 minutes - 92.8 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Brooklyn-based pianist and composer Danny Fox and the latest work from the Danny Fox Trio, Time Took Care of It. Danny’s trio, with bassist Chris van Voorst van Beest and drummer Max Goldman, has been a working group with a consistent lineup since their founding in 2008. Their distinctive sound is a testament not only to their time together but also to their interests in chamber music, bluegrass, and rhythm and blues, all of which they integrate to their speci...
Michael Scott Dawson’s ambient music draws on rural memories
June 01, 2023 07:03 - 41 minutes - 78.4 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Canadian producer and sound artist Michael Scott Dawson. Michael joined us to mark the release of his third solo album, Find Yourself Lost, a collection of country-adjacent, Western-themed ambient recordings issued by Toronto label We Are Busy Bodies. This album is ethereal without being space music and is steeped in melody, tape loops, and Michael’s own field recordings. He has made an emotional, never sterile, ambient work. You can visit this episode’s show ...
Bruno Råberg pushes the boundaries of acoustic bass
May 25, 2023 07:03 - 40 minutes - 76.4 MBIn this episode, the Spotlight shines On internationally-renowned bass player and composer Bruno Råberg. Since coming to the US from his native Sweden in 1981, Bruno has made many recordings as both a leader and sideman — and has performed with an incredible number of world-class artists - including Terri Lyne Carrington, Sam Rivers, Donny McCaslin, Billy Hart, Matt Wilson, and countless others. He currently leads several incarnations of his own Bruno Råberg Trio and the Triloka Ensemble. ...
Marijus Aleksa
May 18, 2023 07:03 - 41 minutes - 80.6 MBToday, the Spotlight shines On Lithuanian drummer and producer Marijus Aleksa. Marijus has worked as a band leader, session musician and solo artist, and in each setting, his sound is his own, reflecting his interests in jazz, world and electronic club music. Marijus spent a decade in London, embedded in the dynamic new jazz scene there. Now back in Lithuania, he recently programmed a small local jazz festival in Vilnius, Tamsta Jazz Weekend. At the same time, he was rolling out his lates...