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Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist and composer Rez 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 in jazz, blending his Pakistani roots with American musical traditions. Sound Remains, dedicated to his late mother, finds Rez returning to acoustic intimacy while furthering his exploration of mindfulness through music.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sound Remains by the Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quintet)
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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 called Creative Leadership. There, he interviews figures from the worlds of music, sports, business, and more to discuss their work in applying creativity to realms that are not often thought of as creative fields. I liked the idea and asked him to run his format on me. What follows is that talk.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composer Sean 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 releases Communal 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 joined me to discuss this ambitious project and share how he has created what he calls "identifiably human-made music" in an increasingly digital world.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sean Imboden Large Ensemble’s album Communal Heart)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On clarinetist Glenn Dickson and electronic musician Bob 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 album All the Light of Our Sphere layers acoustic clarinet with synthesizers and loop devices to create what they describe as orchestral ambient music. The tracks were recorded live with no overdubs, no click tracks, just two musicians finding their way through inspired improvisations.
Glenn brings decades of experience from klezmer to microtonal jazz, while Bob's electronic landscapes draw from science fiction and years in Boston's rock scene. Together, they're creating something that sits between Brian Eno and Eastern European folk traditions.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Dickson and Familiar’s album All the Light of Our Sphere)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On drummer and composer Gustavo Cortiñas
Gustavo'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 social commentary, and this new project feels especially timely as we face a world where environmental challenges refuse to respect any boundaries.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Gustavo Cortiñas’s album The Crisis Knows No Borders)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist and composer Kim 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 works to embracing improvisation and collaborative music-making. Recorded live in a single afternoon at a studio overlooking New Hampshire's Squam Lake, Spaces reveals Kim’s deep connection to the natural world and her belief in creating musical environments where artists can truly listen to each other.
Kim is here to share the story behind this unique project and discuss how creating space—both musical and personal—has shaped her approach to teaching and performing.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Kim Perlak & Francisco Mela’s album Spaces)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On Terence Hannum.
Terence wears many hats. He is a visual artist, professor, and one-third of the experimental trio Locrian. It's the 15th anniversary reissue of Locrian's The Crystal World that 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 by crystalline forces. Terence and his bandmates created their version of that suspended, transformative world through layers of drone, metal, and ambient sound.
Terence's here to discuss this landmark release and share how his background in religious studies and visual art continues to shape his approach to making music.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Locrian’s album The Crystal World)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist Knox 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 an artistic revelation. His new project, The Sound, is a collection of guitar-driven soundscapes and a book of paintings, photographs, and written meditations, all capturing his rediscovery of the Long Island Sound shoreline where he grew up. It's part memoir, part nature journal, and completely unlike anything else you'll hear this year.
Knox is here to walk us through this ambitious multimedia project and share how returning home can lead to your most honest and creative work.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Knox Chandler’s album The Sound)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On John Andrew Fredrick of The 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 talked with me about his philosophy of creative doubt, his daily ritual of playing guitar, and why staying uncertain after all these years keeps the music feeling alive.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Black Watch’s album For All the World)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composer Ingrid Laubrock.
Ingrid's just released Purposing The Air, a double album that sets 60 brief poems by Erica Hunt to 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 and immediately connected with the poet's work. What started as writing for one duo became something much larger: a collection where poems float through musical space, each tailored for specific performers, such as Fay Victor and Mariel Roberts, or Theo Bleckmann and Ben Monder.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ingrid Laubrock’s album Purposing the Air)
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Today, the Spotlight shines on clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh.
Earlier this year, Kinan released Live 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, and countless others.
What makes this release particularly powerful is its timing. As Syrians celebrate newfound freedom after years of struggle, Kinan's music—born from grief and anger—now carries notes of hope. We spoke about these deeply personal compositions and how his twenty-year collaboration with CityBand has evolved into music that encompasses classical, jazz, and Arabic influences.
A technical note: Kinan joined me from Beirut, Lebanon, and although I couldn’t tell while we were recording, I later discovered that our internet connection was not always stable. There are some dropouts and garbles in this episode that we have done our best to clean up; however, even with those, we thought this conversation was worth sharing with you. I know you will agree.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from the album Live in Berlin by Kinan Azmeh and CityBand)
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• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com
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Today, the Spotlight shines On guitarist and composer Tal Yahalom.
Tal has built a reputation in New York's creative music scene for weaving post-bop, classical, and South American influences into a unique sound all his own. On his latest album, Mirror Image, Tal brings together a chamber quintet that puts his guitar in conversation with strings, woodwinds, and percussion, creating music that shifts between meditative reflection and striking exploration.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Tal Yahalom’s album Mirror Image)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On Claire Cope. This British composer crafts music that combines the freedom of jazz with the precision of classical music, drawing inspiration from women whose stories are often overlooked in history books.
Caire’s new album Every Journey dropped in March to coincide with International Women's Day. On it, she expanded her original septet to an 11-piece band, giving her more colors to paint with as she tells stories of female explorers and their brave first steps.
Claire’s writing has been described as “beautiful and reflective,” earning praise for how she creates space for each musician to shine within these rich musical landscapes.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Ensemble C’s album Every Journey)
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• Visit Claire Cope's official website at clairecopemusic.com
• Listen to Claire Cope's Ensemble C on Bandcamp, Qobuz, and your streaming platform of choice
• Claire's new album Every Journey was released on March 7, 2025 via Adhyâropa Records
• Listen to Michael Brecker's "Wide Angles" album that influenced Claire's approach to ensemble composition
• Follow vocalist Brigitte Beraha, a key collaborator in Ensemble C
• Listen to tenor saxophonist Matt Carmichael's "Dancing with Embers" album that Claire recommends
• Explore composer Mark-Anthony Turnage's "Blood on the Floor", which combines classical and jazz elements
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com
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Today, the Spotlight shines On Mike Scott, founder of The Waterboys.
In 2014, Mike stumbled upon Dennis Hopper’s photography in a London gallery and fell into a rabbit hole that led to Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, a bold concept album that tells the story of the Easy Rider star from childhood to beyond the grave. It's a sonic movie with guest turns from Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, and Steve Earle that chronicles not just Hopper's journey but the cultural shifts he witnessed and helped create.
This marks a new peak in Mike's ever-changing four-decade career with The Waterboys, from their ‘Big Music’ beginnings to Celtic folk explorations and genre-blending surprises to come.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from The Waterboys’ album Life, Death and Dennis Hopper)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On Craig Mod, a writer, photographer, and walker who's spent the last 20 years making Japan his home.
Random House has just released Things Become Other Things, a walking memoir that traces his 300-mile journey along ancient pilgrimage paths in rural Japan. The book blends sharp prose with striking photography, capturing conversations with aging fishermen, inn owners, and cafe "mamas" while reflecting on friendship, loss, and the disappearing village life of Japan's Kii Peninsula. This is an expanded and reimagined mass market edition of the title Craig issued in a fine art edition directly to his online community of followers.
His previous books include Kissa by Kissa, which explores Japan's old cafe culture, and he reaches some 40,000 readers through his newsletters on photography, literature, and walking. Craig's work sits at a perfect intersection of deep attention and wandering feet.
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Today, the Spotlight again shines on media artist Tamiko Thiel, in the second of our two-part conversation.
In our first talk, we explored Tamiko's journey from designing the world's first AI supercomputer in the eighties to becoming a pioneering media artist. Today, we dive deeper into her groundbreaking work in virtual reality and other philosophical matters.
Tamiko's been creating immersive digital worlds since the mid-1990s when she worked with Steven Spielberg on a virtual space for seriously ill children. We'll talk about her project, Beyond Manzanar, which became the first VR artwork purchased by a major American museum, and how she uses emerging technologies to address political and environmental issues.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On digital media artist Tamiko Thiel.
To mark our special milestone of 250 episodes, we are kicking off a two-part conversation with media artist Tamiko Thiel.
Tamiko has lived at the crossroads of art and technology for over 40 years. She designed the Connection Machine, the first commercial AI supercomputer that now sits in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. She's worked with everyone from Steven Spielberg to Richard Feynman, and pioneered virtual reality art before most people had heard of VR. Her Connection Machine even inspired Steve Jobs when he built his post-Apple computer, the NeXTcube.
In part one, Tamiko shares her journey from Stanford engineer to acclaimed artist, and how her Japanese-American roots shape her work exploring identity, place, and space. Part two drops next week.
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Today, the Spotlight shines On naturalist and classical pianist Hunter Noack.
Redefining what a concert hall can be, Hunter Noack hauls a nine-foot Steinway grand piano to mountaintops, forests, and beaches for his series "In a Landscape: Classical Music in the Wild."
Hunter grew up in Central Oregon, where his love for music and nature took root. His concert series gives audiences wireless headphones and encourages them to wander through stunning settings while the music plays. It's part performance, part exploration—turning national parks and historic sites into living concert venues.
Since founding the series in 2016, Hunter's brought classical music to over 75,000 people across the American West, many experiencing live classical music for the first time. He's performed in sun, snow, and everything in between—all to break down barriers between listener, music, and landscape.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Hunter Noack’s album In a Landscape)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On renowned saxophonist Noah Preminger.
Boston-based saxophonist Noah Preminger has spent years pushing jazz into new territories before focusing on one of the art form's most enduring traditions. He’s just released Ballads, a collection that finds this restless musical explorer settling into the quiet power of beautiful melodies.
Noah's built his reputation on bold musical choices—from stark Delta blues interpretations to intricate duo sessions with bassist Kim Cass. But with this new record, he's aiming for something different—capturing that feeling when a saxophonist plays "as if it's their last day on earth," as he puts it.
Recorded with pristine clarity for the new Chill Tone label, Ballads features Noah alongside pianist Julian Shore, bassist Kim Cass, and drummer Allan Mednard, creating music that feels both timeless and deeply personal.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Noah Preminger’s album Ballads)
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Today, the Spotlight shines On two artists who've taken the piano-guitar duo to bold new places. Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson have just released Bone Bells, their third album, and a fresh showcase of their uncanny musical connection.
These two players come from different worlds: Sylvie from European classical traditions and Mary from experimental jazz guitar circles. But when they join forces, something magical happens. Their music shifts from delicate to eruptive, structured to spontaneous, with a shared musical language they've built over nearly a decade.
Bone Bells takes its name from a line in Hernan Diaz's Pulitzer-winning novel Trust. It carries that same haunting, enigmatic quality through eight compositions that blend composition and improvisation in ways only these two can pull off.
Our conversation veered from structure to improvisation and led us to interesting places, a fitting companion to the new album.
(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson’s album Bone Bells)
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