Articles by Lawrence Peryer
Marcus Roberts: Jazz Piano And Technology's Promise
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on pianist Marcus Roberts. Roberts plays jazz piano like he's lived through its entire history. His style pulls from Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller as much as it does from bebop. He spent years in Wynton Marsalis' band, has performed piano concertos with Seiji Ozawa, and today leads The Modern Jazz Generation, a 12-piece ensemble encompassing three decades of musicians. Roberts is here today to talk about something beyond ...
Continue ReadingNed Rothenberg: Solo Improvisation In Bizarre Times
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, The Tonearm's needle lands on composer and improviser Ned Rothenberg. Ned's first solo album in thirteen years, Looms & Legends (Pyroclastic Records), shows why he's been called America's most intimate composer and improviser. Ned's improvisations and compositions showcase his use of extended techniques such as circular breathing and multiphonics, while others tell stories through melody. He calls it music for an imaginary culture, sounds that feel indigenous to a place that doesn't exist yet. Ned ...
Continue ReadingMiguel Zenón: Vanguardia Subterránea And The Sound Of Sanctuary
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on saxophonist and composer Miguel Zenón.A MacArthur Fellow, Guggenheim recipient, and Grammy winner, Miguel has spent over two decades creating music that connects jazz tradition with Puerto Rican rhythms and modern composition.He's here to talk about his latest release, Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard (Miel Music), his quartet's first live album, captured at the Village Vanguard with musicians he's played with for twenty years. Miguel and I first ...
Continue ReadingLinda May Han Oh: In Search Of Strange Heavens
by Lawrence Peryer
Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh. Linda's a Grammy winner who's recorded with Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, and Joe Lovano. She was even the model for the bassist character in Pixar's Soul. But it's her own work that brings us together. Her latest album, Strange Heaven (Biophilia Records, 2025), explores why we choose familiar hells over strange heavens--why we stick with what we know even when change might ...
Continue ReadingThe Inaugural Jazz Forward Award Winners
by Lawrence Peryer
Today on The Tonearm, we're celebrating the inaugural Jazz Forward Award winners from All About Jazz. We hear from four organizations reshaping how jazz connects with audiences worldwide. Ed Trefzger from JazzWeek tracks radio airplay across North America, giving artists and their teams vital exposure data. Jesus Perezagua's Oh! Jazz streams live performances from clubs globally, bringing the world's jazz rooms to your screen of choice. Thomas Marriott's Seattle Jazz Fellowship revives local jazz culture through community-focused programming. ...
Continue ReadingPeter Knight: Hand To Earth's Sonic Homecoming
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines on composer, trumpeter, and producer Peter Knight.Peter Knight has spent decades working in the spaces between genres and cultures. His latest project brings together 40,000-year-old Indigenous Australian songs with contemporary electroacoustic music through Hand to Earth's new album, the title of which translates as “the scent of home." The record finds Peter collaborating with Indigenous songkeepers David and Daniel Wilfred alongside Korean vocalist Sunny Kim, creating music that honors ancient traditions while pushing into ...
Continue ReadingDavid Harrington Of Kronos Quartet: The Musician Listens
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines on violinist and visionary David Harrington, founder of Kronos Quartet.For fifty years, David has led one of the most adventurous musical ensembles on the planet. Kronos has commissioned over 1,100 works, collaborated with everyone from Philip Glass to Nine Inch Nails, and earned three Grammys along the way. Their recent “Hard Rain" project brought together nearly fifty artists worldwide to reimagine Bob Dylan's nuclear-age anthem, while the Library of Congress has just acquired David's ...
Continue ReadingJeff Parker: The Return Of The New Breed
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines on guitarist, composer, and producer Jeff Parker.For nearly three decades, Jeff has balanced solo work with his role in the post-rock band Tortoise. His 2016 album The New Breed (International Anthem Recording Company, 2016) takes hip-hop beats and puts them in the hands of live musicians. Named after his late father's clothing store, the album just got the deluxe reissue treatment from International Anthem Recording Company.He's here to discuss how moving to ...
Continue ReadingHampus Lindwall: Blizzard Of Organ
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines on organist, composer, and sound artist Hampus Lindwall. Hampus started as a guitarist who cut his teeth copying Steve Vai solos but who now sits behind a 78-stop church organ. He has been the organist at Saint-Esprit in Paris since 2005. His album, Brace for Impact (Ideologic Organ), throws tradition out the window. Recorded on a massive organ in Dusseldorf with guitarist Stephen O'Malley, this music draws on everything from experimental music pioneer Xenakis ...
Continue ReadingChris O'Leary: Rebel Rebel - Blogger, Author
by Lawrence Peryer
Today, the Spotlight shines on writer Chris O'Leary.Chris has spent over a decade and a half writing what's become the definitive study of David Bowie's songbook. His blog, Pushing Ahead of the Dame, covers every song on every album in Bowie's extensive canon. The first post from 2009 covers David's first single, 1964's “Liza Jane," and the most recent is about Chris's latest work, a newly revised edition of Rebel Rebel (Penguin Random House), a collection of his ...
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