Musician Isaiah J. Thompson sat down with us fresh off the release of The Power of the Spirit, his soulful live album recorded in front of a rapturous crowd at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club. Isaiah opens up about the long road to becoming a musician, the mentors and heroes he still carries with him on stage, and the powerful truth at the heart of jazz itself: it's really an act of deep listening — to your bandmates, to the room, to yourself. A warm, groove-filled conversation for anyone who's ever wondered what musicians hear that the rest of us miss. For an extension of the topics in this conversation, check out Isaiah's most recent album, The Book of Isaiah: Modern Jazz Ministry.

What happens when listening becomes more than hearing?

The Listening Salon brings together musicians, educators, writers, spiritual leaders, and creative thinkers for conversations about the many ways listening shapes our lives. Across each episode, our guests share stories, insights, and moments that reveal listening as a creative practice, a form of care, and a way of making sense of the world.

Whether we're talking about jazz, leadership, healing, grief, or the future, every conversation is an invitation to slow down, tune in, and discover what becomes possible when we truly listen.