On 'Oneiris,' Chloe Lula Bridges Two Musical Worlds Post feature image

On 'Oneiris,' Chloe Lula Bridges Two Musical Worlds

After trading her conservatory training for Berlin's electronic underground, Lula returns to her first instrument with fresh eyes and ears, marrying her two musical lives in ways she never imagined possible.

Every Sound Has a Season — Anders Koppel at the Keys Post feature image

Every Sound Has a Season — Anders Koppel at the Keys

Through progressive rock (with '69 Newport veterans The Savage Rose), jazz, and classical composition, the Danish musician has built a musical legacy that spans generations. Now in his seventies, he's still discovering new sounds on his beloved Hammond B-3.

Ben Kono Translates His Family's Story Into Song Post feature image

Ben Kono Translates His Family's Story Into Song

A thirteen-year-old's solo journey from Japan inspires a musical documentation of four generations, as the woodwind artist brings together jazz quintet and string quartet on his bold new album 'Voyages.'

The Haunting Echo of Rubén Blades's 'Desapariciones' Post feature image

The Haunting Echo of Rubén Blades's 'Desapariciones'

In 1984, Rubén Blades wrote four stories of everyday people who vanished without explanation. Four decades and countless covers later, their ghostly presence still echoes through Latin American music, memory, and consciousness.

Naomi Moon Siegel — A Wind Player Finds Her Ground Post feature image

Naomi Moon Siegel — A Wind Player Finds Her Ground

Naomi Moon Siegel's trombone compositions merge the musical traditions of urban jazz scenes with lessons learned in rural quiet spaces. Her new album 'Shatter the Glass Sanctuary' captures this musical evolution.

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Dancing About Architecture with Hiruy Tirfe Post feature image

Dancing About Architecture with Hiruy Tirfe

The Philadelphia saxophonist joins us hot on the heels of taking First Place at the 2024 DC JazzPrix Festival

Dancing About Architecture with Jon Gold Post feature image

Dancing About Architecture with Jon Gold

Pianist and Bay Area native Jon Gold joins us to mark his new recordings with Brazil's top players on the album 'Guanabara Eyes'.

Needle Drops Post feature image

Needle Drops

A weekly exploration of essential new music, featuring immigrant stories, ECM piano meditations, and a thirteen-minute psych-rock opus from the heartland.

'The Jazz Omnibus' is Tomorrow's Jazz History, Written Today Post feature image

'The Jazz Omnibus' is Tomorrow's Jazz History, Written Today

From almost 90 contributors and 600 pages emerges 'The Jazz Omnibus,' the most ambitious collection of contemporary jazz journalism and photography assembled this century—rescuing essential perspectives from digital obscurity while documenting how we write about the music today.

Dancing About Architecture with Hiruy Tirfe Post feature image
Dancing About Architecture with Jon Gold Post feature image
Needle Drops Post feature image
'The Jazz Omnibus' is Tomorrow's Jazz History, Written Today Post feature image
The Haunting Echo of Rubén Blades's 'Desapariciones' Post feature image

The Haunting Echo of Rubén Blades's 'Desapariciones'

In 1984, Rubén Blades wrote four stories of everyday people who vanished without explanation. Four decades and countless covers later, their ghostly presence still echoes through Latin American music, memory, and consciousness.

Kendrick Lamar and the Weight of a Hip-Hop Prophet Post feature image

Kendrick Lamar and the Weight of a Hip-Hop Prophet

In "Watch The Party Die," Kendrick grapples with his calling as a musical prophet, torn between peaceful Christian ideals and the violent justice he feels compelled to deliver.

Ray LaMontagne's 'Long Way Home' Live Under the Stars Post feature image

Ray LaMontagne's 'Long Way Home' Live Under the Stars

Ray LaMontagne's intimate winery performance highlights the artist's growth from indie darling to Grammy-winning troubadour.

Raising Hell in the Orchestra Pit Post feature image

Raising Hell in the Orchestra Pit

How Christopher Young Unlocked the Puzzle of a Classic Horror Score on a Shoestring Budget

Lloyd Barnes, Wackie's Studio, and the Legacy of Bronx Reggae Post feature image

Lloyd Barnes, Wackie's Studio, and the Legacy of Bronx Reggae

While cleaning out some old browser bookmarks, I came across and re-read a 2009 New York Times profile of Lloyd Barnes. Barnes, with his Bronx-based studio and record label, Wackie’s, created a hub for Jamaican music in New York and made Barnes a major force in reggae history... 

Latest Posts

Needle Drops Post feature image

Needle Drops

The Tonearm's editors recommend under-the-radar new releases to zoom out of your speakers. Today's most intriguing albums reveal the global scope of contemporary music, from mountain-inspired ambient works to revolutionary jazz interpretations.