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PODCAST

Spotlight On

Lawrence Peryer

The musicians, writers, innovators and ideas shaping media, entertainment, and culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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All Episodes

37:20

Jeff Parker: The Return of The New Breed

Spotlight On ·

2025/10/16

Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist, composer, and producerJeff Parker.For nearly three decades, Jeff has balanced solo work with his role in the post-rock band Tortoise. His 2016 albumThe 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

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47:27

Hampus Lindwall: Blizzard of Organ

Spotlight On ·

2025/10/09

Today, the Spotlight shines On organist, composer, and sound artistHampus 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

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57:15

Chris O'Leary: Rebel Rebel - Blogger, Author

Spotlight On ·

2025/10/02

Today, the Spotlight shines On writerChris 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 ofRebel Rebel,a collection of his writings on Bowie songs from 1963 - 1976. Chris has written

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46:30

Donny McCaslin: From Stadium Jazz to Lost Lullabies

Spotlight On ·

2025/09/25

Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonistDonny 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

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49:09

Matt Piucci of Rain Parade: Return to the Paisley...

Spotlight On ·

2025/09/18

Today, the Spotlight shines On Matt Piucci, founding member and principal guitarist ofRain 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

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45:24

Robin Holcomb & Peggy Lee: Behind the Delicate Sound...

Spotlight On ·

2025/09/11

Today, the Spotlight shines On composer and pianistRobin Holcomband cellistPeggy 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

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50:21

Larry Tye: The Jazzmen Who Changed American History

Spotlight On ·

2025/09/04

Today, the Spotlight shines On bestselling author and journalistLarry 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

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53:30

Rico Jones: The Spiritual Sax of BloodLines

Spotlight On ·

2025/08/28

Today, the Spotlight shines On tenor saxophonistRico Jones.Rico's new albumBloodLinescaptures something you don't hear much anymore—a live recording that feels like a complete story. Recorded at Brooklyn's Ornithology, it's five original compositions that explore his multicultural heritage, from his Indigenous and Latino roots to his deep connection with Black American musical traditions.Based in Harlem, Rico's already performed with Esperanza Spalding at the Blue Note and co-led the first

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39:56

Aqeel Aadam: Code, Creativity, and Democratization of...

Spotlight On ·

2025/08/21

Today, the Spotlight shines On musician, software engineer, and plug-in developerAqeel Aadam.Aqeel's got deep roots in Philadelphia's music scene—his grandfather was a jazz musician who gifted him his first guitar. That foundation led him from Princeton's computer science and music programs to a five-year stint at Google, and eventually to creating his own company,Aqeel Aadam Sound.His plug-ins aim to bring the magic of hardware synthesizers and modular workflows into the digital realm. His latest

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51:54

Rez Abbasi: When Everything Else Fades, Sound Remains

Spotlight On ·

2025/08/14

Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist and composerRez Abbasi.Rez's new album with his Acoustic Quintet,Sound Remains, puts steel-string acoustic guitar at the center of a deeply personal meditation on presence and impermanence. The album adds master percussionist Hasan Bakr to Rez's long-standing quartet with Bill Ware, Stephan Crump, and Eric McPherson, creating what Rez calls music where "often the only thing that remains is sound."The 2021 Guggenheim Fellow has spent decades finding his voice

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56:11

Jeremy Sirota Grills Lawrence Peryer on Creative...

Spotlight On ·

2025/08/07

Today, the Spotlight shines On someone we have not spoken to in a while…Over the years, we have periodically turned the tables by having friends and colleagues interview me, most notably in episode 100, or by airing talks and interviews I have done in other forums.Today is a little different. My longtime friend and colleague Jeremy Sirota is hosting a livestream series on LinkedIn calledCreative Leadership. There, he interviews figures from the worlds of music, sports, business, and more to discuss

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56:54

Sean Imboden: Into the Heart of Big Band Jazz

Spotlight On ·

2025/07/31

Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composerSean Imboden.Sean spent years touring with Broadway shows and working as a sideman, but something was missing. He stepped away from a lucrative career path and took a leap, returning to Indianapolis, where he ultimately formed his 17-piece orchestra. Now that ensemble releasesCommunal Heart, an album that captures the community spirit Sean has built around his music, as well as his transformation from comfortable sideman to big band leader.Sean

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42:41

Glenn Dickson & Bob Familiar: The Clarinet in the...

Spotlight On ·

2025/07/24

Today, the Spotlight shines On clarinetistGlenn Dicksonand electronic musicianBob Familiar.When a cutting-edge klezmer artist meets a former rock synthesist, you might expect creative tension. Instead, Glenn and Bob found something else entirely—a shared language that turns clarinet and electronics into the most unlikely yet inspired pairings.Their new albumAll the Light of Our Spherelayers acoustic clarinet with synthesizers and loop devices to create what they describe as orchestral ambient music

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48:37

Gustavo Cortiñas: A Jazz Drummer's Call to Action

Spotlight On ·

2025/07/17

Today, the Spotlight shines On drummer and composerGustavo CortiñasGustavo's latest album,The Crisis Knows No Borders, tackles climate change head-on through music that's both urgent and beautiful. Working with guitarist Dave Miller, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, and violinist Mark Feldman, he's created compositions that explore how global warming sparks conflicts, drives migration, and connects us all, whether we like it or not.The Chicago-based artist has built a career using jazz as a medium for

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1:01:30

Kim Perlak: Guitar, Percussion, and the Space Between

Spotlight On ·

2025/07/10

Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist and composerKim Perlak.Kim chairs the guitar department at Berklee College of Music, where she's spent over a decade expanding from classical performance into composition and improvisation. Her new album,Spaces, is a collaboration with percussionist Francisco Mela. The record captures four nature-inspired suites that obliterate the lines between written music and spontaneous creation.The project shows how Kim moved from performing exclusively new classical

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56:25

Terence Hannum: Revisiting Locrian's The Crystal World

Spotlight On ·

2025/07/03

Today, the Spotlight shines OnTerence Hannum.Terence wears many hats. He is a visual artist, professor, and one-third of the experimental trioLocrian. It's the 15th anniversary reissue of Locrian'sThe Crystal Worldthat brings us together today. This album marked a turning point for the band, transforming them from a duo into a full trio and giving structure to their sprawling sonic explorations.The record takes its name and inspiration from J.G. Ballard's 1966 novel, which is about a jungle consumed

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51:07

Knox Chandler: Exploring the Sound of the Shoreline

Spotlight On ·

2025/06/26

Today, the Spotlight shines On guitaristKnox Chandler.Knox's name might ring a bell from his work with The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie and the Banshees, or maybe from his string arrangements on Depeche Mode's Exciter. However, his latest project takes an entirely different turn. After decades in the music business bouncing between New York, Berlin, and stages around the world, Knox found himself back in his Connecticut hometown caring for his aging mother.What started as a personal necessity became

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1:03:43

John Andrew Fredrick: The Black Watch Abides

Spotlight On ·

2025/06/19

Today, the Spotlight shines OnJohn Andrew FredrickofThe Black Watch.After thirty-seven years of making indie rock, the band’s latest album,For All the World, boasts an energy and vitality that surprises even John. John’s a great guest: His creative process remains rooted in uncertainty, he reads more about music than he listens to it, he draws inspiration from everything from Dostoyevsky to David Bowie, and believes the best songwriting comes from not knowing too much about where you're headed.John

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49:40

Ingrid Laubrock: Purposing the Air with Music and Voices

Spotlight On ·

2025/06/12

Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composerIngrid Laubrock.Ingrid's just releasedPurposing The Air, a double album that sets 60 brief poems byErica Huntto music through four different vocal-instrumental duos. It's an ambitious project that transforms Hunt's emotionally sharp koans into what Ingrid calls "a library of moods”—each piece capturing a different feeling, from the everyday to the searching.The project began during Ingrid’s master's studies, when she met Hunt through a friend

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47:07

Kinan Azmeh: Live in Berlin, Rooted in Damascus

Spotlight On ·

2025/06/05

Today, the Spotlight shines on clarinetist and composerKinan Azmeh.Earlier this year, Kinan releasedLive in Berlin, his fourteenth album with his CityBand quartet. The album captures music he wrote during Syria's 2011 uprising—pieces that carry the weight of watching your homeland torn apart from thousands of miles away. Born in Damascus and now based in Brooklyn, Kinan has spent decades crossing the world with his clarinet, performing with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, the New York Philharmonic,

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275 results

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