Born into a scientific family, music technologist Don Slepian showed both musical and technical talent early in life. He was a tester on the early internet as a member of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Synthesizer Soloist with the Honolulu Symphony and Musical Director of the Honolulu Theater…
Back in the early 70s, drummer Mike Clark and bassist Paul Jackson were best friends living in East Oakland, playing flatbed gigs at Black Panther rallies, and generally raising hell. Cooking was not their forte, so the barbecue joint next door became a hangout. Mrs. Jones (of Everett and Jones)…
Writer John Barry joins us on the podcast to talk his new book, "Levon Helm: Rock, Roll & Ramble—The Inside Story of the Man, the Music and the Midnight Ramble." Ringo wrote the foreword, and Roger Waters, Graham Nash and Warren Haynes are among those interviewed. Larry Campbell, who served…
The prolific music producer talks about his influences, growing up in Washington, D.C., and his stunning collaborations with vocalist Natalia Clavier. ------------------ The Spotlight shines On downtempo electronic music godfather and Thievery Corporation co-founder Eric Hilton. Eric joined us a few weeks after the September release of Corazón Kintsugi, his…
Nicholas Berkeley Mason, CBE (born 27 January 1944) is an English drummer and founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd. He is the only member to feature on every Pink Floyd album, and the only constant member since its formation in 1965. He co-wrote Pink Floyd compositions such…
Based in the musical hotbed of Marin County, California, Grahame Lesh is a guitar player and singer-songwriter for Midnight North, Phil Lesh & Friends, & the Terrapin Family Band. A mainstay in the scene centered around Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, Grahame has joined such luminaries as The Mother Hips,…
Duncan Chapman is a composer/musician based in Lincolnshire, UK. Much of his work involves collaborations with a wide range of people creating performances, installations & recordings. Recent projects include online live-streaming events, curating a concert for the Aural Diversity project, and performing morning music with Supriya Nagarajan at the Jaipur…
Markus Reuter is a music producer, composer, performer, and creative educator with international credentials and a vast discography. Reuter's work as a recording artist, solo performer, and collaborator spans (and frequently fuses) electrophonic loop music, contemporary classical music, progressive and art rock, industrial music, world jazz, jazz fusion, pop songs,…
The celebrated saxophonist talks about his place in the jazz tradition, playing with masters of the genre, and his soundtrack for the documentary With Peter Bradley. ------------------ Today, the Spotlight shines On saxophonist and composer Javon Jackson. Javon sat with us in early October to talk about his film score…
Saxophonist-composer Jeremy Rose leads a multi-dimensional career spanning a dozen releases of original music with collaborative and solo projects across the world, including The Earshift Orchestra, Jeremy Rose Quartet, and The Vampires. Rose is the founder and director of the Earshift Music record label and festival. Rose has performed at…
Brigadoon is a global affairs news and information platform for founders + thought leaders with global ambition. Brigadoon curates the emerging issues and the independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture. Brigadoon sees this curation as global street smarts. The conversation covers the history of technology and innovation in creative fields…
Today, the spotlight shines on the wildly influential post-punk group, That Petrol Emotion. Guitarist and songwriter Raymond Gorman and lead singer Steve Mack joined Spotlight On host Lawrence Peryer to mark the release of the band’s career-spanning box set, Every Beginning Has a Future: An Anthology 1984-1994. Spawned from the…
Today, the spotlight shines on author and educator Michael Kuelker, here to talk about his recent book, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils On Record: A Narrative Discography. Michae is a teacher, writer, and reggae radio DJ in St. Louis, Missouri. The Ozark Mountain Daredevils are an American rock group who first…
Today, the spotlight shines on musicians Bart Wirtz and Emiel van Rijthoven who perform and record together under the name WAAN (Dutch for ‘Craze’). WAAN have a new record, Echo Echo, out on February 24 through the Sonar Kollektiv label. As of this recording three tracks have already appeared on…
The author grapples with the unknown and the extraordinary in his many books, which include Heroes In The Night, American Madness, and Monster Hunters. ------------------ Tea wrote two books that I enjoyed this year: Heroes in the Night: Inside the Real Life Superhero Movement from 2013 and 2020’s American Madness:…
Today, the spotlight shines on two companies doing interesting work at the crossroads of music and technology. In our first segment, we talk to Adam Hasslert, CEO of online digital audio workstation and beatmaking platform Soundation. Every month, Soundation’s online music studio is used by over 100,000 creatives who produce…
Today, the spotlight shines on Janishia Jones, CEO & Founder of Fresh 'N Sassy Productions, a holding company whose mission is to empower and create an ecosystem of safe spaces for women of color in the music industry. Janishia had four main initiatives to tell us about: The Pub Royalty…
Today, the spotlight shines on the German electronic jazz collective Conic Rose. Their new, self-released debut album Heller Tag (or, Bright Day, in English), is out tomorrow, February 17, worldwide. Members of the group who joined our talk included Trumpeter Konstantin Döben, keyboardist Johannes Arzberger, bassist Franziska Aller and guitarist…
Today’s episode is a live recording of a conversation Spotlight On host Lawrence Peryer had in Santa Barbara, at the FestForums conference, with American musical treasure, Jesse Colin Young. Jesse Colin Young has been a pioneer of American roots music for more than half a century and has left his…
This week we’re coming to you live from the NIVA conference in Cleveland, sharing a keynote conversation between LP and Shahida Mausi, President/CEO of the Right Productions. Shahida Mausi has built a career in cultural and entertainment programming designed to serve the public. In 1996 she formed The Right Productions,…
Saxophonist Benjamin Koppel talks about Perspective, his latest album with KCB Collective, and how his collaborators in jazz are part of a family. 🎷 ------------------ The Spotlight shines On Danish saxophonist, composer, and best-selling author Benjamin Koppel. Benjamin joined us to discuss his July 2023 release Perspective, the latest work…
Steve Kimock talking about the new Zero reissue of “Naught Again” and finding the Grateful Dead scene https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com/steve-kimock/
Today, the Spotlight shines On rising electro soul artist, Nick Locke, who performs under the name Phyphr. A songwriter and producer, Phyphr combines his own live guitar playing with electronic elements to create a unique, vibrant twist on electronic funk, soul and blues. https://www.spotlightonpodcast.com/phyphr/
Today, the Spotlight shines On Australian jazz heavyweight Christopher Hale. Christopher has been called “one of the most unique and respected musicians in Australia” (Glam Adelaide) and an “unconventional virtuoso of the bass guitar” (The Age). His new release, Ritual Diamonds, came out on March 3 through Earshift Music. The…