Spotlight On

Today, the Spotlight shines On Phillip Golub, a Brooklyn pianist taking his music in bold new directions.Phillip's new project, Loop 7, is a set of minimalist compositions performed on a piano tuned to 22 notes per octave instead of the usual 12. Working with producer Joseph Branciforte, he's created something that lives between acoustic chamber music and studio art.It's a groundbreaking approach—Phillip's performance was captured on a special Yamaha piano in a unique way he tells us about. The recordings were then layered with guitar, vibraphone, and subtle electronics to create a technologically advanced and deeply human sound.Phillip has worked with jazz legend Wayne Shorter and brings that same spirit of innovation to his own music, blending jazz, classical, and experimental sounds in ways you've never heard before.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Phillip Golub’s Loop 7)–Dig DeeperVisit Phillip Golub at phillipgolubmusic.comPurchase Phillip Golub’s Loop 7 from Grayfade or BandcampPhillip Golub Experiments with Loops on Mesmerizing LPInterview | Phillip Golub | Offerings of Love - 15 questionsIntroduction to EDO tuningsBeyond the Veil: Behold the Xenharmonic, or, Understanding Microtonal MusicHe Expects You To Read The Tea Leaves: An interview on the past & future of Wayne Shorter's orchestral workDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On Six Missing, the musical project of ambient artist TJ Dumser, who creates music that helps us connect with the present moment in ways we often forget.After encountering an intense phase of burnout, TJ turned his mental health struggles into Gentle Breath, a dark, lush EP that marks a new direction for this Austin-based artist. It's music that explores uncertainty with stunning depth—think Tangerine Dream meets the cosmic GAS records, but with TJ's distinct voice shining through.TJ's journey from New York workaholic to finding inner calm through his compositions offers a powerful look at how music can heal. His project name also comes from a supernatural experience at a Revolutionary War battle site …(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Six Missing’s Gentle Breath EP)–Dig DeeperVisit Six Missing at sixmissing.com and TJ Dumser at tjdumser.comPurchase the Gentle Breath EP by Six Missing from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceFollow Six Missing on Instagram, SoundCloud, and YouTubeRupert Neve Spotlight: Six MissingSix Missing’s Ambient Playlists: Amazon Music + SpotifyDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On Cary Baker, author of Down on the Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music.The music you hear on street corners and subway platforms has its untold history, and at age 16, Cary Baker followed a slide guitar's haunting melody through Chicago’s Maxwell Street Market to find himself face-to-face with bluesman Blind Arvella Gray. That chance encounter sparked a lifelong obsession.Cary's book, Down on the Corner, traces the heritage of street music across 100 years, from blues legends in the 1920s to modern-day buskers armed with QR codes. He's spoken with everyone from Lucinda Williams to Billy Bragg about their days playing for tips, revealing how many music careers began with nothing but an open guitar case.The streets have always been America's most democratic stage, where doo-wop harmonies, folk ballads, and raw blues first reached public ears. Cary's book captures this vital tradition in all its gritty, authentic glory.–Dig DeeperVisit Cary Baker at carybaker.comPurchase Down on the Corner: Adventures in Busking and Street Music from Jawbone Press, Bookshop, Powell’s, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon.Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• Don’t miss our free livestream event with Howie Singer and Bill Rosenblatt, authors of the book Key Changes: The Ten Times Technology Transformed the Music Industry. It happens this Tuesday, March 11, at 3 PM ET. Register here: is.gd/keychanges• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On New York live music and venue impresario Michael Dorf.In addition to founding The Knitting Factory and City Winery, Michael has brought legendary artists together at Carnegie Hall for over twenty years, raising millions for music education while creating unforgettable tribute nights. He launched his first tribute show in 2004 after seeing how school music programs were vanishing.Now, he’s put together what might be his most powerful lineup yet. Michael Stipe, Courtney Barnett, Chrissie Hynde, and others will perform on March 26th to celebrate the music of Patti Smith. The show will raise funds for over a dozen music education programs nationwide.–Dig DeeperVisit Michael Dorf at michaeldorf.comLearn more about People Have the Power: A Celebration of Patti Smith, happening March 26 at Carnegie Hall, at musicof.orgCity WineryIndulge Your Senses: Scaling Intimacy in a Digital World - a book by Michael DorfMichael Dorf Uncorked (email newsletter)Remembering the Original Knitting FactoryMichael Dorf and The Philosophy of IndulgenceShlomo Lipetz'Feedback Howled Every Night': Back to the Knitting Factory on East HoustonFounder Michael Dorf: How City Winery Survived the RecessionDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On Greg Lisher, a guitarist best known for alternative rock who has leaned hard into electronic music.Greg made his name playing with Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom, but during the pandemic, he sat down at a keyboard and started exploring new sonic territory.The result is Underwater Detection Method, a collection of instrumental pieces that blend synthesizers with live strings and drums. It's an album that started as digital sketches and grew into something much more organic as Greg learned to play piano and brought other musicians into the mix.Greg's here to share how stepping outside his comfort zone led to some of his most adventurous music.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Greg Lisher’s album Underwater Detection Method)–Dig DeeperVisit Greg Lisher online at greglisher.comPurchase Greg Lisher’s Underwater Detection Method from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceFollow Greg Lisher on Facebook and BlueskyCamper Van BeethovenMonks of Doom live at Moe's Alley - “Riverbed”Bruce Kaphan | pedal steel guitarGreg Lisher - “Zen and the Art of Long Distance Driving” (Official Video)Santa Cruz Guitarist Greg Lisher Changes KeysDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On Dorothy Lawson, a cellist who's helped redefine what a string quartet can be. Dorothy and the group ETHEL have spent years breaking down walls between classical, jazz, rock and world music.On March 13th at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Dorothy teams up with bass legend Ron Carter to reimagine his landmark Kronos Quartet recording from 40 years ago, featuring arrangements of music by Thelonious Monk.Dorothy shares how ETHEL has evolved through four generations of musicians, their unique residency at the Metropolitan Museum, and why making deeply human music matters now more than ever.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from the album Vigil by ETHEL & Layale Chaker)–Dig DeeperVisit ETHEL at ethelcentral.orgPurchase ETHEL’s music from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceFollow ETHEL on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTubeETHEL Uses Chamber Music to Smash the Status QuoRon Carter & ETHEL: Reflections on Monk & Bach - Carnegie HallThe Met Museum – Balcony Bar Residency - ETHELETHEL, Thomas Dolby, and David Byrne - "(Nothing But) Flowers"Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On flutist Jamie Baum.When COVID hit, Jamie found inspiration and solace in poetry. What started as daily readings of women poets became something much bigger: an album blending jazz and spoken word.As leader of her long-running Septet+, Jamie has crafted wide-ranging music for over twenty years. She has played everywhere, from major jazz festivals to tiny clubs in 35 countries, bringing her distinctive sound to collaborations with artists like Paul Motian, Randy Brecker, and Kenny Barron.Now, she's channeling the power of poetry through her ensemble, creating music that speaks to this moment while honoring timeless artistic traditions. Jamie's here to share how verses and melodies came together to tell these stories.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from the Jamie Baum Septet+’s album What Times Are These)–Dig DeeperVisit Jamie Baum at jamiebaum.comPurchase the Jamie Baum Septet+’s What Times Are These from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceFollow Jamie Baum on Facebook and YouTubeFlutist Jamie Baum Works with Poetry and Dynamic VoiceBill Moyers’ A Poet a DayConcert: Jamie Baum Septet+–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Today, the Spotlight shines On clarinetist Anat Cohen.Anat’s been bringing her joyful spirit to jazz venues worldwide for two decades, blending swing, Brazilian rhythms, and melodies from her native Israel. Her 2024 album Bloom pairs her musical warmth with that of her quartet Quartetinho - Portuguese for "little quartet" - creating intimate conversations between clarinet, piano, bass, and percussion.Anat will mark her 50th birthday this spring with four special nights at Lincoln Center's Appel Room, sharing the stage with her equally talented brothers, Avishai and Yuval Cohen.Today, we'll hear about Anat’s musical journey, from family jam sessions in Tel Aviv to becoming the first Israeli artist to headline the Village Vanguard and plenty of stories in between.(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Anat Cohen’s album with Quartetinho, Bloom)–Dig DeeperVisit Anat Cohen at anatcohen.comPurchase Anat Cohen and Quartetinho’s Bloom from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceFollow Anat Cohen on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubeAnat Cohen: Journeys A 50th Birthday CelebrationAnat Cohen: 'Clarinetwork' At The VanguardAnat Cohen Quartetinho - Live from Jazz St. LouisDig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com–• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com