Operating in self-imposed exile, Colin Self turned night into studio and meditation into medium, emerging with 'r∞L4nGc'—an album that speaks in secret tongues to commune with departed souls.
The co-founder of string quartet ETHEL discusses Carnegie Hall, Ron Carter, and why classical music needs to shed its sacred robes and return to its role as cultural glue. Her journey through New York City's musical landscape mirrors the evolution of contemporary classical music itself.
On his sophomore album 'Silêncio,' the São Paulo producer decodes nature's symphonies through vintage gear and collaborates with Brazilian legend Arthur Verocai, creating a psychedelic meditation on what happens when we finally stop to listen.
The Australian guitarist and Polish percussionist reveal how their shared obsession with minimal sources and maximum sound led to 'Dog's Light,' an unorthodox album that erases the lines between composition and improvisation.
A conversation with the renowned flutist about her latest album, 'What Times Are These,' and the creative process of reimagining verses from Adrienne Rich, Tracy K. Smith, and others through contemporary jazz.
From AI-inspired large ensembles to midnight Tokyo sessions, this week's electronic explorations chart new territories in sound, featuring fresh works by Jon Irabagon, Tim Hecker, Oksana Linde, and Benjamin Fulwood.
The Neapolitan bassist and composer discusses how volcanic landscapes, artistic heritage, and the conscious abandonment of structure shaped his daring latest album.
The Grammy-nominated composer and New England Conservatory faculty member unites Turkish mehter bands with American jazz, revealing centuries-old connections between two musical traditions. Soon, he will present these connections on stage at Boston's Jordan Hall.
As Spotlight On marks its fifth year, we revisit 2021's remarkable guests, including James Felice (Felice Brothers), Jack Casady (Hot Tuna), and Gerald Casale (DEVO), whose stories of resilience and reinvention defined a transformative year.
Mondo 2000 founder R.U. Sirius unpacks Bowie's remarkable evolution from hippie fellow traveler to critical observer, tracking the artist's fifty-year dialogue with American counterculture.
From Tupac's fear of reincarnation to Buddhist concepts of suffering, Kendrick Lamar weaves together hip-hop history and religious philosophy to examine what it means to return to life eternally — and whether such return might be the Devil's own prison.
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.
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.
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.
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.
From his early days with Ray Brown to leading Newport Jazz Festival, the master bassist reflects on jazz education, the power of mentorship, and why being uncomfortable might be the best way to learn.
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.
From Peterborough's vibrant arts scene to Toronto's jazz world, bassist Daniel Fortin has always followed his musical instincts. His new album reveals what happens when an artist lets go of preconceptions and allows collaborators to help shape the sound.
A masterful investigation of blotter art weaves together tales of DEA agents, underground artists, and Grateful Dead shows. Davis's 'Blotter' examines how a simple delivery method evolved into a democratic art form that continues to elude mainstream acceptance.
Toronto guitarist Dan Pitt returns this fall with Horizontal Depths, an album that pays tribute to Canadian jazz legend Phil Nimmons while charting bold new territory in contemporary jazz.
Since 2007, Michel Gentile, Daniel Kelly, and Rob Garcia have done far more than practice. Their new album 'Scouring For The Elements' reveals how life, art, and community shaped their distinctive jazz sound.
Exploring the Seattle composer's unique vision of music as a continuous spectrum, where the boundaries between improvisation and composition disappear.