The Tonearm

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)–Dig Deeper• 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–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn. • Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Show NotesNed 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)–Dig DeeperArtist and AlbumVisit Ned Rothenberg at nedrothenberg.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and BandcampPurchase Ned Rothenberg's Looms & Legends from Pyroclastic Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceNed Rothenberg - Extended BiographyDig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. • Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice. • Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn. • Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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)–Dig DeeperArtist and AlbumVisit Miguel Zenón at miguelzenon.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and BandcampPurchase Miguel Zenón Quartet's Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceMiguel Zenón Quartet MembersLuis Perdomo (piano) - Visit luisperdomojazz.comHans Glawischnig (bass) - Visit hansglawischnig.comHenry Cole (drums) - Visit henry-cole.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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)–Dig DeeperVisit Linda May Han Oh at lindamayhanoh.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and BandcampPurchase Linda May Han Oh's Strange Heavens from Biophilia Recordings, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choiceLinda May Han Oh: Tiny Desk ConcertDig into this episode's complete show notes at podcast.thetonearm.com–• Did you enjoy this episode? Please share it with a friend! You can also rate The Tonearm ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit podcast.thetonearm.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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.–• Subscribe! Be the first to check out each new episode of The Tonearm in your podcast app of choice.• Looking for more? Visit spotlightonpodcast.com for bonus content, web-only interviews + features, and the Talk Of The Tonearm email newsletter. You can also follow us on Bluesky, Mastodon, YouTube, and LinkedIn.• Be sure to bookmark our online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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)–Dig Deeper• Hand to Earth - Contemporary Australian ensembleHand to Earth on Peter Knight's websiteHand to Earth page on Australian Art Orchestra site• Ŋurru Wäŋa (The Scent of Home) - Latest albumAlbum on Room40 BandcampAlbum info on Room40 website• MOKUY - Previous Hand to Earth album (2023)Album on Room40 BandcampAlbum info on Room40 website• 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–• 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

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)–Dig DeeperVisit Kronos Quartet at kronosquartet.org and follow them Instagram, Facebook, and YouTubePurchase Kronos Quartet + The Hard Rain Collective’s Hard Rain EP from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.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 online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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)–Dig DeeperVisit Jeff Parker at jeffparkersounds.comPurchase The New Breed (IA11 Edition) from International Anthem, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.Jeff Parker's discography on BandcampTortoise - official website and BandcampDig 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 online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com