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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Dig Deeper

• Visit Glenn Dickson at GlennDicksonMusic.com and follow him on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook
• Follow Bob Familiar on Bandcamp, Instagram, and Facebook
• Purchase All the Light of Our Sphere from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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

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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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Dig Deeper

Artist and Album:

• Visit Gustavo Cortiñas at gustavocortinasmusic.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase The Crisis Knows No Borders from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Gustavo Cortiñas discography and bio

Climate and Environmental Context:

• Climate change and migration - UN perspective on crisis themes
• Environmental justice movement - Social context for album's message

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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

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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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Dig Deeper

• Visit Kim Perlak at kimperlak.com and follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Kim Perlak & Francisco Mela's Spaces from Sacred Black Records or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Meet Dr. Kim Perlak, Chair of Guitar at Berklee College of Music
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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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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Dig Deeper

• Check out Terence Hannum's visual art at terencehannum.com and his solo music on Bandcamp
• Purchase Locrian’s The Crystal World from Utech Records, Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Follow Locrian on Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram
• The Horror Tree Presents… An Interview with Terence Hannum
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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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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Dig Deeper

• Visit Knox Chandler at knoxchandlermusic.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Knox Chandler's The Sound book/album from Blue Elastic or Bandcamp and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• “I was playing a gig at CBGB’s Canteen, and Cyndi showed up. She heckled me throughout the show”
• Guitar, Technology, and Nature Converge in Knox Chandler’s Solo Debut
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

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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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Dig Deeper

• Visit The Black Watch at their Facebook page
• Explore The Black Watch's discography on Bandcamp
• John Andrew Fredrick's author page and novels at Verse Chorus Press
• Shimmering & Shining with The Black Watch
• Out of My Tree: An Interview with the Black Watch’s John Andrew Fredrick
• Pennyblackmusic: Interview with John Andrew Fredrick
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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Dig Deeper

• Visit Ingrid Laubrock at ingridlaubrock.com and follow her on Bluesky, Facebook and YouTube
• Purchase Purposing the Air from Pyroclastic Records, Bandcamp, or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Deeper

• Artist and Album:

• Visit Kinan Azmeh at kinanazmeh.com and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Purchase Kinan Azmeh and CityBand’s Live in Berlin from Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice
• Kinan Azmeh: Berlin and Beyond

• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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Dig Deeper

• Visit Tal Yahalom at talyahalom.com and follow him on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and SoundCloud
• Tal Yahalom’s Mirror Image is out now on Adhyâropa Records. Purchase the album from Bandcamp or Qobuz and listen on your streaming platform of choice.
• Tal Yahalom Quintet - "Tri-Tonal" (Live at The Jazz Gallery)
• KADAWA (Tal’s ‘post-rock’ trio)
• Dig into this episode's complete show notes at spotlightonpodcast.com

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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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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Dig Deeper

• 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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• 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 new online magazine, The Tonearm! → thetonearm.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.