In the underground music scene of New York City, bassist, engineer, educator Kato Hideki is a most crucial participant. Before moving to New York City in 1992 Kato was an original member of Otomo Yoshihide’s Ground Zero. Since arriving in New York, he has worked closely with John Zorn, Ikue Mori, Eyvind Kang, Fred Frith, Marc Ribot and Zeena Parkins among many others. He was born and raised in Nagoya, Japan and has played on many of my favorite records to come out of New York in the last twenty five years. A great talk with a great guy.

Mariel Roberts is a cellist who in recent years has become an essential participant in the international contemporary musical community. Born and raised in Denver CO, she studied at the Manhattan School of Music and leads an incredibly colorful career as a first call interpreter of works by todays most vital composers. She has worked with virtually every ensemble in NYC and continues to push boundaries with a series of solo recordings that push the language of the cello to the edge of insanity. Mariel is a gem and a great conversationalist.

For the past two decades multi-instrumentalist Marcia Bassett has been at the forefront of the underground noise and improv scene. Since her early days with the band Un she has amassed a prolific output with her bands Hototogisu, GHQ, and Double Leopards as well as collaborations with Samara Lubelski, Barry Weisblat and Andrew Lafkas. Under the name Zaïmph, her long-running solo project, she has just released the gorgeous and ambitious double LP “Rhizomatic Gaz” on Drawing Room Records. Marcia is a true underground hero and is a pleasure to speak with.

Drummer/multi-instrumentalist Weasel Walter is an intense and formidable figure in the world of underground music. Active since 1991, he has been touring and recording non-stop, amassing a staggering discography along the way. His long list of collaborators include Damon Smith, Henry Kaiser, Lydia Lunch, Marc Edwards and many many more. Next month Weasel is releasing the first record by his band the Flying Luttenbachers in many years, before taking the new lineup to Europe. Since starting this podcast in 2013, I have received more requests to have Weasel on than any other artist. Here we are.

“Puppet” - Charlie Looker, Simple Answers (2018, Last Things Records)

“One of Six” - Evan Parker, Six of One (1982, Incus Records, re-issue 2002 PSI Records)

“New Dark Ages” - Godflesh, World Lit Only By Fire (2014, Avalanche Recordings)

“Magnificat, Tu es pastor ovium, Canticum et Antiphona” - Benedictine Monks of the Abbey of St. Maurice & St. Maur, Clervaux, 1960

“Fireworks” - John Zorn, Valentine’s Day (2014, Tzadik Records)

“I’ll Remember April” - Andre Previn, King Size! (1958, Contemporary Records)

“Abyss: for Roscoe Mitchell” - Peter Evans, Lifeblood (2016, More is More Recprds)

“In My room” - The Beach Boys, Surfer Girl (1963)

“Voile (1995) for 20 strings” - Iannis Xenakis, Music For Strings (2005, Mode Records)

“Raga Bilaskhani Todi: Alap” - Kala Ramnath, Singing Violin, (1997)

“Bass Lake Run: "Shit, It's Only 11 O'Clock Here." - Hunter S. Thompsn, The Gonzo Tapes: The Life And Work Of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)

“Avignon” - Toby Driver, Madonnawhore, (2017, The Flenser)

“Gated Eclipse” - Mario Diaz de Leon, Enter Houses of (2009, Tzadik Records)

“You Got To My Head” - Lee Konitz, Subconscious-Lee, (1950)

“Organ Solo” - Neil Young, Dead Man (Music from and Inspired By the Motion Picture), (1996 Vapor Records)

“Where The Bad Guys Are Gals” - Jerry Goldmsith, In Like Flint / Our Man Flint (1967)

“The Blind Owl” - Raz Mesinai, Resurrections For Goatskin (2003, Tzadik Records)

“Dimple” - Scott Walker, Bish Bosch, (2012, 4AD)

“Aanandam” - Debashish Bhattacharya, Calcutta Slide-Guitar, (2005, Riverboat Records)

“Vertigo (Prelude / Nightmare)” - Bernard Herrmann, Psycho: The Essential Alfred Hitchcock (1999)

“I'll Close My Eyes” - Blue Mitchell, Blue's Moods (1960, Riverside Records)

“One Eyed Wolf” - Dying Ground, Dying Ground (1998, Avant Records)

“Venus” - John Coltrane, Interstellar Space (1974, Impulse Records)

“Sensi” - Ennio Morricone, Crime and Dissonance (2005, Ipecac Recordings)

“Lonely Woman “ - Horace Silver, Song for My Father (1965, Blue Note recordings)

Eric Wubbels is a a New York based composer and pianist who for the past several years has been co-director of the world renowned Wet Ink Ensemble. His music is intense, meticulous and an utterly thrilling listening experience. Eric has been awarded grants and fellowships from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, Chamber Music America, MATA Festival, Barlow Endowment, Jerome Foundation, New Music USA and others. He is a great cat with a lot of insight.

For episode 192 we are joined by Sarah Hennies, a percussionist and composer born and raised in Louisville KY, now living in Ithaca, NY. Her work is concerned with a variety of musical, sociopolitical, and psychological issues including queer & trans identity, love, intimacy, psychoacoustics, and percussion. She has performed around the world and her recent composition “Contralto” continues to see performances at a variety of venues and festivals including Bent Frequency (Atlanta), La Sobilla (Verona), Monday Evening Concerts (Los Angeles), MOCA Tucson, Time-Based Art (Portland, OR), and the Toronto International Film Festival’s Bell Lightbox Theatre. Sarah is as deep as they come and this is a good talk.

Darcy is composer and bandleader raised in Vancouver, based in Brooklyn NY. He studied with Bob Brookmeyer at the New England Conservatory and since the early 2000s has led his own big band, Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, an eighteen piece ensemble that focuses on his original compositions. The group has released several albums and their 2009 debut “Infernal Machines” was nominated for a grammy. This weekend Secret Society will be doing four sets at the Jazz Gallery in NYC and Darcy stopped by to talk about what he’s been up to.

For our final episode of 2018, the great Nels Cline returns for another go-round on the mics and it’s a home run. A true lifer, Nels is a musician who never sleeps. For our second talk, Nels and I discuss LA, vintage guitars, excess and a whole lot more. A great talk with one of the greatest cats around.

Ka Baird is a uniquely talented multi-instrumentalist from Illinois, now living in Brooklyn NY. A founding member of the avant/psych/folk ensemble Spires That In The Sunset Rise, she has spent the past few years with an intense focus on solo performance, resulting in her most recent release Sapropelic Pycnic. Ka is a true original and a delight to have over for a talk.