Performing is a by-product of making the art. – Abbie Thomas

Abbie Thomas has been writing songs and playing music since she was a child, but in recent years, catalyzed in part by the Covid lockdown, she has been recording and performing her original songs with a band. The new album is Not Gonna Lie and it’s great! The songs are weighty and personal yet relatable, and the music packs a punch with palpable rhythms and bold melodies, all set off by Abbie’s strong vocals.

Abbie is receiving some attention for her music, nominated for 2024 Josie Music Awards Vocalist of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Songwriter Achievement for Crystal Ball.

• Abbie Thomas on YouTube

Music by: Abbie Thomas

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Welcoming back Si Kahn and George Mann to talk about the new album Labor Day. Si has reached 80 years old, and is contemplating and creating his legacy. He’s written thousands of songs, been a Union organizer and activist on the line with workers, and is a Union member himself. Si enlisted fellow organizer, activist and musician George to produce this album.

This is a collection of 21 songs which range from singable rousting action songs to the more personal, performed with a lot of heart by wonderful artists.

Music by: Si Kahn, George Mann, Peggy Seeger, Billy Bragg, John McCutcheon, Tom Chapin and The Chapin Sisters, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer, Kathy Mattea, Michael Johnathon and Odetta, Vivian Nesbitt and John Dillon.

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Richard X Bennett is welcomed back to Paradigms to talk about his new record Scavenger, the film that goes with it, and some personal health challenges experienced during lock down and after.

Richard is an eclectic musician who his own perspective and inspirations to a variety of musical traditions.  His new record, Scavenger, is a collection of pieces, some assembled from musical snippets Richard had made and put aside, some conceived of as whole pieces, but all excursions into and through Richard’s mind, heart, and soul, as he navigated a life threatening illness during this time of Covid.

Richard is a person who finds inspiration all around him. This has resulted in many albums of music that explore rhythms and melodies, poems and experiences, cultures and people’s stories.

• Scavenger in six parts on YouTube

Music by: Richard X Bennett

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Tristan Israel and his band mates of over 30 years Nancy Jephcote and Paul Thurlow have released a new album Snake Hollow, 15 original song poems written By Tristan, exploring themes of home, mortality, and continuity.

Tristan joins Baruch for a conversation about his life experiences, musical inspirations, and active participation in community life and politics in the small town where he resides.

The songs are outstanding, and the music is New England country rock bluegrass funk barn dance, down home good.

• The Tristan Israel Band on YouTube

Music by: The Tristan Israel Band

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Rose Wollman and Dror Baitel have come together, Viola and Piano respectively, to create the new record Breaking Glass Ceilings Music by Unruly Women offering classical compositions from four women spanning the last century or so; Florence Price, Libby Larsen, Rebecca Clarke, and Amy Cheney Beach.

The music is energetic. Both Rose and Dror are Masters at their craft, and bring all of their experience, inspiration, and passion, to this music.

Acknowledging the contributions of women at all levels of all human societies is even more important now as we see an increase in political repression of all “minority” groups (although together those minorities form the majority!) including and especially women.

• Breaking Glass Ceilings on YouTube

Music by: Rose Wollman & Dror Baitel

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Les Arrivants is Abdul-Wahab Kayyali on Oud, Amichai Ben Shalev on Bandoneon, and Hamin Honari on Percussion (Tombak, Daf, Frame Drums). These three men each migrated from a different parts of the world, to Montreal Canada, where they met and make music. Their new record is Towards the Light.

Baruch talks with Abdul and Ben about the record, the inspiration of being migrants, why people move, how duress can force people to leave their homeland, and how the making of this music embodies a process that can be healing in the context of being a person in transition, without a home, needing refuge.

Hamin Honari was not able to join us but he was a guest on Paradigms on June 23, 2024.

Music by: Les Arrivants

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Travis Knapp has just released his 5th album The Same Sun Rises. These are songs that celebrate life, with all it’s ups and downs.

Travis has been making music for most of his life.  He is also a farmer and lover of nature.  Travis lives close to the earth, which informs his world view, and his art.

Travis is a gentle person and it comes through in his music, gentle strong messages of hope and consciousness.

If you listen to all of Travis’ records you can hear his progression as a musician and as a person.  The new record brings in wonderful musicians worth discovering in their own right, Jon Keefner, Kiera Carman, and Annie Sumi.

Music by: Travis Knapp

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Mark S. Winfield has led an interesting life so far, with a career as a CPA behind him he is now spending his time through-hiking, writing, and making music. Mark is also a life-long community volunteer.

Mark is part of The Leopold Trio, a Jazz group, and he’s working on a sequel to his book The Stones of Great Bear Lake.  Mark also has a YouTube Channel where he offers videos about hiking.

The music is delightful, the book is captivating, and the hiking videos are useful and interesting, offering useful advice for experienced and novice hikers alike.

Baruch and Mark had a chance meeting in Ireland, and this episode is the result.

Music by: The Leopold Trio, Grant Green, Julian Lage, Bill Keith and Jim Rooney, and Khruangbin.

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D.D. Jackson is an Emmy Award and Juno Award winning composer and an inspired pianist and educator.  In this new album Poetry Project he has set to music poems from Canadian Poets, adding dimension to the words, creating space for listeners to more deeply experience the words of the Poets.

Bringing together wonderful vocalists and musicians, this record is a journey.  Sit back and listen to the whole thing to fully enjoy the experience. This project offers an opportunity to relax into words and music, to follow your own mind’s meanderings, to see where that leads you.

• D.D. Jackson on YouTube

Music by: D.D. Jackson

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N’Faly Kouyaté, Johnny Khalsi, and Saran (Sandra Werner) of Afro Celt Sound System join Baruch to share the new record OVA and to talk about Simon Emmerson, one of the founders of Afro Celt, who died in 2023.

Afro Celt Sound System has made an indelible mark on the world of music with great songs, massive hits like Release with Sinead O’Connor and When You’re Falling with Peter Gabriel.

OVA is as inspired and powerful as earlier music by this band, with powerful songs driven by experiences of love, loss,and change.

N’Faly and Johnny share stories about Simon and talk about particular songs, which we will hear.

Music by: Afro Celt Sound System

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