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Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on drummer Phil Haynes.
Since moving to New York from Oregon in 1983, Phil's played on scores of recordings with artists like Anthony Braxton and David Liebman. Phil has joined me once already, in March 2024, to discuss his memoir, Chasing the Masters: First Takes of a Modernist Drumming Artist.
Phil’s with me today to discuss his band Free Country, which takes American roots music and runs it through their particular jazz lens, using cello, guitar, bass, and drums to create something called "jazz-grass."
Their new album Liberty Now! did not set out to be political. Phil planned for the group to record original compositions, a departure from their previous work. But then the last US Presidential election happened. And then the band got word of the passing of their trumpeter, Herb Robertson, as they walked into the studio. The music and the plan changed. Phil paired the new recordings with songs from Free Country's catalog into a double album that runs from Revolutionary War tunes to "What a Wonderful World."
Phil's here to talk about grief, protest, making art when the ground shifts under you, and one of my favorite topics: the role of music in addressing contemporary political and social challenges.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Phil Haynes & Free Country's album Liberty Now! )
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• Artist and Album:
• Free Country Band Members:
• Free Country Discography:
• Herb Robertson:
• Influences and Mentors:
• Historical and Musical References:
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Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com
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Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on violinist and composer Bryan Senti.
Bryan Senti won a BAFTA for scoring the BBC series Mood. He's composed for films since 2015 and worked with artists like Regina Spektor and Mark Ronson. But his new album La Marea tells a different story—his father's story.
La Marea takes Cuban migration and turns it into sound. His previous album, Manu, honored his Colombian mother through short violin pieces. This time, Bryan recorded with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra. The result mixes classical precision with Latin American folk traditions and ambient textures. He recorded it specifically for Dolby Atmos. 800 tracks of strings, all acoustic, creating what he calls the feeling of being adrift at sea.
In this conversation, I talk with Bryan about rediscovering the violin as an adult, how techno influenced a string orchestra album, and what it means to honor family stories through music.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Bryan Senti's album La Marea)
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Our recent episode featuring Wilco and creative music guitarist Nels Cline has proven to be a listener-favorite. This holiday season, we thought it might be fun to give you even more of what we know you love. So … we are excited to bring you another conversation with Nels, this one from the Wilco Will Love You Podcast.
Wilco Will Love You is hosted by two fans who cover the music and influence of the Chicago band. The podcast is co-hosted by Mary MacLane Mellas and The Tonearm’s contributing writer Meredith Hobbs Coons.
If you’ve listened our episode with Nels, you know what a warm and generous interview subject he is. Listening to this conversation, I really enjoyed hearing how the different perspective the hosts brought highlighted the enthusiasm for making and talking about music Nels has. It was also clear how much the fans mean to him.
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Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Graham St John, a cultural anthropologist and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Huddersfield in the UK.
Graham has spent decades studying transformational events, psychedelic culture, and electronic dance music scenes. He's written ten books, and his latest is Strange Attractor: The Hallucinatory Life of Terence McKenna, published by MIT Press. McKenna was the 20th century's psychedelic renaissance man, a stand-up philosopher who became a sampled voice on rave tracks and a herald of consciousness expansion.
Graham spent years tracking down letters, interviewing over 80 people, and sifting through archives to capture McKenna's life, not to canonize or condemn him, but to understand how this rogue scholar became both hero and controversy in equal measure.
We talk about the challenge of writing a biography when your subject was known for embellishing stories, and why distinguishing fact from fiction in McKenna's "hallucinatory life" matters.
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Today, we’re putting The Tonearm’s needle on guitarist Nels Cline.
Most people know Nels Cline as Wilco's guitarist for the past two decades. But his range goes far beyond indie rock. He's spent forty-plus years moving between jazz clubs, punk venues, and studios where the rules get bent or thrown out entirely. Rolling Stone put him on their list of the top 100 guitarists of all time, but that tells you nothing about how he actually plays.
His current project, Trio of Bloom, pairs him with keyboardist Craig Taborn and drummer Marcus Gilmore on Pyroclastic Records. The three had never played together before producer David Breskin brought them into the studio in November 2024. What came out sounds like a band that's been working together for years, full of ambient drift and barbed funk that explores the outer edges of dub.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Trio of Bloom's self-titled album)
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Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on pianist Marcus Roberts.
Roberts plays jazz piano like he's lived through its entire history. His style pulls from Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller as much as it does from bebop. He spent years in Wynton Marsalis's band, has performed piano concertos with Seiji Ozawa, and today leads The Modern Jazz Generation, a 12-piece ensemble encompassing three decades of musicians.
Roberts is here today to talk about something beyond performance. He's one of twenty artists awarded a grant from the Doris Duke Foundation's Performing Arts Technologies Lab. His project tackles a technical problem that's plagued remote music collaboration: latency. He's working to get the delay below 40 milliseconds so musicians in different cities can actually play together in real time.
Roberts has been blind since age five, and he's used technology his whole life to access music and create it. From Braille music notation to AI-powered tools, he shows us how tech can serve artists rather than replace them. And that’s just a hint of where this conversation goes.
(The first two musical excerpts heard in the interview are from a Marcus Roberts live performance, Jazz in Marciac 2024)
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• Visit Marcus Roberts at marcusroberts.com
• Check out Marcus Roberts' music on Qobuz
• Marcus Roberts on Wikipedia • Marcus Roberts - 60 Minutes Profile "The Virtuoso" (2014)
• Jason Marsalis - drummer in Marcus Roberts Trio and The Modern Jazz Generation
• Rodney Jordan - bassist in Marcus Roberts Trio
• The Modern Jazz Generation - Roberts' 12-piece ensemble founded in 2012
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com
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Ned Rothenberg just released his first solo album in thirteen years, Looms & Legends, and it shows why he's been called America's most intimate composer and improviser. Ned’s improvisations and compositions display his use of extended techniques like circular breathing and multiphonics, while others tell stories through melody. He calls it music for an imaginary culture - sounds that feel indigenous to a place that doesn't exist yet.
Ned shared his views on the nature of experimental music, discussions about the role of art in society, the importance of personal artistic expression, and Ned's interest in exploring what goes on between jazz musicians during the act of creation. And this summary barely scratches the surface.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ned Rothenberg's album Looms & Legends)
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Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón.
A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim recipient, and Grammy winner, Miguel has spent over two decades creating music that connects jazz tradition with Puerto Rican rhythms and modern composition.
He's here to talk about his latest release, Vanguardia Subterránea - his quartet's first live album, captured at the Village Vanguard with musicians he's played with for twenty years. Miguel and I first spoke in 2011 about his role as both an artist and an educator. Now, fourteen years later, we pick up that conversation as he reflects on what it means to document this long-running musical partnership in one of jazz's most sacred spaces.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Miguel Zenón’s album Vanguardia Subterránea)
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Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh.
Linda's a Grammy winner who's recorded with Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, and Joe Lovano. She was even the model for the bassist character in Pixar's 'Soul.' But it's her own work that brings us together.
Her latest album, Strange Heaven, explores why we choose familiar hells over strange heavens—why we stick with what we know even when change might save us. It's a question that cuts through everything from personal relationships to political choices.
Linda approaches her albums like journals, each one capturing where she is as an artist and a person. Since becoming a mother, she says her music has become more direct, more distilled—less about ego and more about emotional truth.
She's here to discuss creative honesty, her work promoting women composers in jazz through the New Standards project, and why making music with emotional directness matters more than ever.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Linda May Han Oh’s album Strange Heaven)
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Today on The Tonearm, we're celebrating the inaugural Jazz Forward Award winners from All About Jazz. Since 1995, All About Jazz has been a driving force for jazz discovery. Now they're recognizing industry trailblazers who actively promote jazz awareness and culture.
We'll hear from four organizations reshaping how jazz connects with audiences worldwide. Ed Trefzger from JazzWeek tracks radio airplay across North America, giving artists and their teams vital exposure data. Jesus Perezagua's Oh! Jazz streams live performances from clubs globally, bringing the world's jazz rooms to your screen of choice. Thomas Marriott's Seattle Jazz Fellowship revives local jazz culture through community-focused programming. And Eddie Lee's Sligo Jazz Project transforms an Irish town into Europe's most inclusive jazz education festival each summer.
Each organization tackles different challenges, from measuring impact to building community to educating the next generation. Together, they show how jazz thrives through innovation and dedication.
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Hi, this is Lawrence Peryer with a quick update about some exciting changes coming to our show. Spotlight On is now The Tonearm—same name as our online magazine at thetonearm.com. Same conversations with the people and ideas moving culture forward, just a new name and a fresh look. The timing works out: this week marks one year since we launched The Tonearm online.
We're also shifting from Thursday to Sunday episode releases. Why Sundays? Thursdays have gotten crowded—it seems like everyone drops new episodes that day. Sundays give us room to breathe, and we like letting our conversations really develop. Sunday feels right for that, when you can actually sit with our guests and let these talks unspool at their own pace.
Our first episode as The Tonearm drops this Sunday. After nearly 300 episodes, we're not changing what we do—we're just refining as we go. We've got another surprise in store too. That one you'll hear on Sunday.
There's nothing you need to do. New episodes will continue showing up however you're listening now. See you Sunday at The Tonearm, or wherever you like to listen. And as always, thanks for listening. Be safe and stay in touch.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On composer, trumpeter, and producer Peter Knight.
Peter Knight has spent decades working in the spaces between genres and cultures. His latest project brings together 40,000-year-old Indigenous Australian songs with contemporary electroacoustic music through Hand to Earth's new album, the title of which translates as "the scent of home." The record finds Peter collaborating with Indigenous songkeepers Daniel and David Wilfred alongside Korean vocalist Sunny Kim, creating music that honors ancient traditions while pushing into new sonic territory.
He's here to walk us through this remarkable collaboration and share how his work with the Australian Art Orchestra shaped his understanding of music as a bridge between worlds.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hand to Earth's album Ŋurru Wäŋa)
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• Hand to Earth - Contemporary Australian ensemble
• Ŋurru Wäŋa (The Scent of Home) - Latest album
• MOKUY - Previous Hand to Earth album (2023)
• Peter Knight - Official Website: peterknightmusic.com
• Lawrence English's A Young Person's Guide to Hustling in the Arts
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com
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Today, the Spotlight shines On David Harrington, founder and violinist of Kronos Quartet.
For fifty years, David has led one of the most adventurous musical ensembles on the planet. Kronos has commissioned over 1,100 works, collaborated with everyone from Philip Glass to Nine Inch Nails, and earned three Grammys along the way. Their recent "Hard Rain" project brought together nearly fifty artists worldwide to reimagine Bob Dylan's nuclear-age anthem, while the Library of Congress has just acquired David’s archive.
David shares stories from five decades of musical exploration and why he believes musicians must listen to the world and respond with purpose.
If you enjoyed this episode, check out my discussions with Dorothy Lawson, Philip Golub, and Lisa Pegher. All three are available on spotlightonpodcast.com.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s Hard Rain EP)
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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist, composer, and producer Jeff Parker.
For nearly three decades, Jeff has balanced solo work with his role in the post-rock band Tortoise. His 2016 album The New Breedtakes hip-hop beats and puts them in the hands of live musicians. Named after his late father's clothing store, the album just got the deluxe reissue treatment from International Anthem.
He's here to discuss how moving to Los Angeles shaped his sound, why making "identifiably human-made music" matters more than ever, and what it's like transitioning from being the youngest musician in the room to becoming a mentor.
If you enjoy this episode, check out our discussions with Josh Johnson, Gordon Grdina, or Daniel Ögren. All are available on spotlightonpodcast.com.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Jeff Parker’s album The New Breed)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On organist, composer, and sound artist Hampus Lindwall.
Hampus started as a guitarist who cut his teeth copying Steve Vai solos but who now sits behind a 78-stop church organ. He has been the organist at Saint-Esprit in Paris since 2005, but his latest album, Brace for Impact, throws tradition out the window. Recorded on a massive organ in Düsseldorf with guitarist Stephen O'Malley, this music draws on everything from experimental music pioneer Xenakis to heavy metal and more.
Hampus takes us through this remarkable project, sharing how a Swedish metalhead became one of the most adventurous voices in contemporary organ music.
If you enjoyed this episode, check out our discussion with Terence Hannum from earlier this year, or our 2024 interview with Hainbach, or even 2023’s with Brandon Seabrook, all available on spotlightonpodcast.com.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hampus Lindwall’s new album Brace for Impact)
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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On writer Chris O'Leary.
Chris has spent over a decade and a half writing what's become the definitive study of David Bowie's songbook. His blog, Pushing Ahead of the Dame, covers every song on every album in Bowie’s extensive canon. The first post from 2009 covers David’s first single, 1964’s “Liza Jane”, and the most recent is about Chris’s latest work, a newly revised edition of Rebel Rebel, a collection of his writings on Bowie songs from 1963 - 1976. Chris has written for Pitchfork, Slate, and Billboard, and he's currently working on an online project called 64 Quartets, a series exploring musical quartets across genres.
I previously booked Chris back in 2021 to speak at the Bowie 75 pop-up I produced in New York City. There, he presented on Bowie and Brian Eno's 1995 album Outside.
Chris is here to discuss his updated book, what new archival releases have taught us about Bowie's creative process, and why he chose the blog format to tackle one of music's most ambitious projects.
If you are interested in more of our episodes touching on the life and work of David Bowie, check out last week’s episode with Donny McCaslin, 2022’s episode with Chris Duffy, or 2021’s episode with David Whitehead.
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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com
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Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist Donny McCaslin.
Donny's new album, Lullaby for the Lost, arrives September 26th on Edition Records, and what a record it is. It’s Donny’s saxophone with guitar-driven rock energy, drawing from influences like Neil Young and Nine Inch Nails, resulting in what Donny calls his most personal music to date.
You might know Donny from his pivotal role on David Bowie's final album ★ (pronounced Blackstar). His latest work demonstrates what may have drawn Bowie to him in the first place: an artist always willing to push into uncharted territory.
Donny is also bringing the Blackstar Symphony to stages across the US and Europe, reimagining Bowie's masterwork with a full orchestra.
I previously spoke with Donny in January 2022 in front of a live audience in New York City. That conversation, which goes much deeper into Donny’s early life as well as his work with David, is available on the official David Bowie YouTube channel, with a link in our show notes.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Donny McCaslin’s album Lullaby for the Lost)
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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On Matt Piucci, founding member and principal guitarist of Rain Parade.
Rain Parade helped define LA's Paisley Underground scene in the early '80s, creating music with psychedelic textures with punk energy. Their 1983 debut Emergency Third Rail Power Trip remains a touchstone album of the era, cited as an influence by everyone from My Bloody Valentine to the Stone Roses.
Now Matt and the band are revisiting their catalog with deluxe reissues, including the newly expanded Crashing Dream, their so-called "lost double album" from 1985. It's part of an ongoing project that's given Matt a fresh perspective on work that continues to find new audiences decades later.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Rain Parade’s album Crashing Dream)
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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
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• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com
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Today, the Spotlight shines On composer and pianist Robin Holcomb and cellist Peggy Lee.
These two musicians have been creating music together for the better part of two decades. Their new album, Reno, out September 12, captures something rare: the kind of musical conversation that happens when two artists know each other's musical language inside and out. Robin's songs draw from American folk traditions while her piano work moves into territories that feel both classical and completely free. Peggy brings a cello sound that's equally at home with composed melodies and total improvisation.
Their collaboration encompasses everything from Robin's early song cycles about utopian communities in the Pacific Northwest to pieces that came from her work on the Donner Party saga. It's music that's hard to categorize, which makes it all the more worth your time.
This conversation in the Fall of 2024, off-hours and in person at Seattle music venue The Royal Room.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Robin Holcomb and Peggy Lee’s album Reno)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On bestselling author and journalist Larry Tye.
Larry's latest book, The Jazzmen, tells the story of how Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie transformed America. But this isn't just another music biography. Larry explores nearly every aspect of the lives and music of these men and demonstrates how their artistry helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights movement.
This is Larry's ninth book, following acclaimed biographies of figures like Bobby Kennedy, Joe McCarthy, and Satchel Paige. As a former Boston Globe reporter who now runs Harvard's Health Coverage Fellowship, he's spent decades making complex stories accessible to all of us.
Larry's here to share how three jazz masters changed more than music—they changed America itself.
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Dig Deeper
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• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate Spotlight On ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of Spotlight On in your podcast app of choice.
• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Spotlight On email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.