For any music lover, you have to admire someone who gets to spend their days in full-music submersion. Case in point, Bob Kosovsky. He's the curator of New York Public Library's Rare Books & Manuscripts Music Division. The Music Division is a genre-spanning public library that's home to a music clipping inventory (featuring over 46,000 names), more than 100,000 photographs and access to the papers of innovative artists like John Cage and Meredith Monk plus many more discoveries. The music li...
May 18, 2016•54 min
From the start of her career, Nellie McKay made it abundantly clear that music wouldn't be the only device she'd utilize to be outspoken and provocative. Along with her genre-defying 2004 debut, Get Away From Me , her politics dared you to shy away from her intentions, whether it was for the environment, animal welfare or feminism. In the past dozen years, Nellie released five more eclectic studio albums including last year's My Weekly Reader , an album of 60's covers with themes of drugs and pol...
May 11, 2016•1 hr 22 min
Israeli trio Kadawa have been performing for a little under a year in their current incarnation of Tal Yahalom, Almog Sharvit and Ben Silashi. On guitar, bass and drums respectively, Kadawa's music is a collision of jazz and rock rooted in both mindbending improvisation and original composition elements. Between their organic interplay and prowess, it's hard to imagine that they haven't been playing together for years. This podcast features two songs from Kadawa's debut album which comes out in ...
May 04, 2016•1 hr 2 min
When the title of your first album is i am DAJ , it's a proud mission statement representing both your simplicity and boldness. Born DeShawn Aaron Jenkins, DAJ traversed many journeys and evolutions to produce a full-length project that represents the summation of his hard-won life experiences. The debut release is also a masterclass in perfect album sequencing with songs that explore electronica, acoustic soul and house music with DAJ's vocals as the (un)common denominator. For anyone who claims...
Apr 27, 2016•59 min
From the Czech Republic to New York City, composer/performer Lucie Vítková has blazed a singular path of experimentation and creativity harnessed only by her limitless imagination. Whether it's through her voice, the harmonica, an accordion or even tap dancing, Lucie's music is marked by a sense of adventure found in both her improvised performances and recordings. The current Columbia University Visiting Scholar is completing her next album, Music Domestic , which consists of found sounds disco...
Apr 20, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Artists like Samora Pinderhughes occupy that sliver of real estate which inhabits both talent and that certain something you can't quite name, but you immediately recognize its presence. These visionaries easily set themselves apart from the musical chaff. Pianist. Composer. Bandleader. Singer. Samora is a graduate of Juillard's prestigious Jazz Program where he received his Bachelors of Music degree. The Bay Area-native has shared stages with the likes of Ron Carter, Christian Scott and Branfor...
Apr 11, 2016•46 min
Artists like Samora Pinderhughes occupy that sliver of real estate which inhabits both talent and that certain something you can't quite name, but you immediately recognize its presence. These visionaries easily set themselves apart from the musical chaff. Pianist. Composer. Bandleader. Singer. Samora is a graduate of Juillard's prestigious Jazz Program where he received his Bachelors of Music degree. The Bay Area-native has shared stages with the likes of Ron Carter, Christian Scott and Branfor...
Apr 06, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Singer/Songwriter Paul Weinfield's spiritually-minded essays began as an intersection between music and meditation that happened to garner a sizable Facebook following. The synthesis makes sense considering music has been an integral part of his life including writing songs on his guitar at age nine and meditating helped him cope with both health issues and a 10-year writers' block. On the other side of these past challenges, the New York-native released six albums under his Tam Lin project and a...
Apr 06, 2016•50 min
When a musician claims Prince, Steely Dan and Bob Dylan as a few of their influences, it's quite possible to expect a derivative hodgepodge from said musician's output. In the case of singer/ songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Ryan Thompson, those brilliant touchstones get filtered through a distinctive point of view with Feign Pathos. The enthrallingly-named moniker is Ryan's vehicle to showcase his slinky, soulful voice as it carves out a stirring path regardless of the setting. Whether it's the e...
Mar 22, 2016•1 hr 21 min
Mike Sniper's independent record label, Captured Tracks, was founded with $10k from selling his power-pop record collection and two releases: Dum Dum Girls' 2009 debut and his own project, Blank Dogs (2008). Since then, he's turned the Brooklyn imprint into one of the premier go-to places for exciting new artists and reissues of previously hard-to-find treasures. From homegrown acts like Mac DeMarco and DIIV to career retrospectives from Milk-n-Cookies, the mainly vinyl label continues to expand ...
Mar 15, 2016•1 hr 7 min
Violinist Kelly Hall-Tompkins is one of those fortunate people who knew at an early age what they wanted to do with their life. She discovered her calling when she started playing the violin at age nine. Since then Kelly has hit many career highlights as a soloist and chamber musician including performances with numerous orchestras like the Dallas Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra of New York, over 800,000 YouTube views for her "Imagination" music video album and praise from the New York Times ...
Mar 11, 2016•35 min
You don't get to be on Broadway for nearly eighteen years by pure luck. You could say singer and actress Rema Webb's journey to the Great White Way began at age twelve when she first started singing lessons in our shared hometown of Clairton, PA, a suburb of Pittsburgh. Along the way she participated in choirs and pageants, trained in piano and classical voice, studied her craft at the University of Pittsburgh and in Italy. Rema's consistent work ethic eventually led to a role in Ragtime , her Br...
Mar 08, 2016•1 hr 1 min
In between his travel and style gigs, photographer Nick Onken's musical forays have been quite impressive. He's aimed his camera at Justin Bieber, Usher, Asher Roth and Mary J. Blige, to name a few. As the official photographer for the non-profit Pencils of Promise, Nick utilizes his camera to help provide education to children in the developing world. He's also a successful podcaster with his inspiring SHOPTALKradio that features lively interviews with dynamic creatives from all fields. With Nick ...
Mar 04, 2016•37 min
Electronica producer and artist Praveen Sharma's career is a study in fluidity. He easily moves from duos (Praveen & Benoit and Sepalcure) to his solo project, Braille. Last year, Braille was well-represented with two releases: the Everyone's Crazy EP and the full-length Mute Swan . From mysterious house tracks to brooding mood pieces featuring extraneous vocals, the common threads are innovation and melancholy. Expect a new Sepalcure release from Praveen and musical partner Machinedrum (Trav...
Mar 01, 2016•1 hr 3 min
Is it too soon to call Marcus Paul James' new single "Living in Dreams" the best song you'll hear in 2016? Yes, it might be a tad presumptuous, but I stand behind my prediction that you will play this ballad 10 times in a row. The Brooklyn-native singer/songwriter comes naturally to good music with a successful career performing on Broadway in musicals like RENT and the Heights . More recently he appeared in NBC's the Wiz Live last December. Marcus is currently working on his forthcoming EP tent...
Feb 23, 2016•1 hr
After hearing the eclectic roster of cassette (and some vinyl) label Already Dead Tapes, it's no doubt that you'll be kicking yourself for tossing out that banana-yellow Walkman. It's okay; every ADT release comes with a digital download. But admit it, tapes are way more fun than MP3s. Based in Brooklyn via Chicago, ADT was founded in 2009 by Joshua Tabbia (and Sean Hartman). Since its inception, the label has carved out a respected reputation for its genre-defying list of artists from all over ...
Feb 16, 2016•1 hr 4 min
Meshell Ndegeocello's CV may include collaborations with the eclectic company of Herbie Hancock, Basement Jaxx, Robert Glasper and Madonna, yet with every project she remains resolutely herself. Whether it's through guest spots or her own releases, Meshell's sound has always been her hallmark. In 1993, Madonna's fledgling Maverick Records released Plantation Lullabies , Meshell's debut which perfectly highlighted that sound: dual pleasures of baritone singing and spoken word with her distinctive ...
Feb 13, 2016•35 min
To say that pianist Vijay Iyer covers the musical waterfront is quite possibly an understatement. His expertise finds him comfortably traversing from his namesake jazz trio to a hip-hop-rooted project with poet Mike Ladd to a classical album, Mutations . Vijay's eclecticism has not gone unnoticed. His talent has been praised by the New York Times , Chicago Tribune and Pitchfork . Last year, DownBeat magazine named him their Artist of the Year and in 2013 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellow "Genius ...
Feb 10, 2016•56 min
You've got to hand it to artist manager Marat Berenstein, he knows talent when he sees it. Since 2014, the Marat Berenstein Company has been shepherding the careers of young talent such as music and visual artist Daniel Bázan, Jr. and music supervisor Matt FX ( Broad City , Difficult People ). In addition to managing and developing content with MBC, the New York-based entrepreneur also specializes in music licensing as adjunct faculty at NYU's Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Marat is an ...
Feb 02, 2016•1 hr 15 min
There's a good chance music writer Jesse Jarnow knows more about the Grateful Dead than you ever will. Understandably, he did get a head start when he was in middle school. Since then he's been on a slippery slope that would eventually lead to writing extensively about the iconic jam band. He's penned liner notes for Dave's Picks , the archive series of classic Dead shows; compiled the entire setlist repertoire for the band's 80 disc concert box set, 30 Trips Around the Sun and has a forthcoming...
Jan 26, 2016•1 hr 6 min
As the premier opera music authority, Fred Plotkin possesses the history of Italy at his fingertips. Not by birthright, mind you, but still rooted in his DNA. A racially-diverse Brooklyn rearing included ample time spent in the homes of Italian friends which spawned a love for their rich culture. Fred also grew up on a constant diet of classical music in his own home. His love for all things Italian was set after Fred graduated high school and his mother rented a Tuscany apartment for them to spe...
Jan 22, 2016•1 hr 5 min
Kat Cunning is a star! There...I said it. Now catch up. Actor. Singer. Dancer. Photographer. If I've left out anything, it's only because there's nothing she can't do. Kat deftly moves from strength to strength in everything she touches. Transcendent as the Fairy Godmother in Company XIV's Baroque-Burlesque interpretation of Cinderella . Rapturous at a sold-out Joe's Pub performance in December 2015. The new year ushers in even more abundance of riches with Kat's leap to Broadway in Cirque de So...
Jan 12, 2016•49 min
Drummer. Feminist. Activist. Badass. Kiran Gandhi occupies these labels and also defies and expands them to her liking. Kiran is in constant motion from studying at Georgetown University to obtaining a Harvard MBA while simultaneously touring with M.I.A. to crafting a stint as Interscope Records' first digital analyst. She's also spoken at TEDxBrooklyn on her "Atomic Living" concept of finding multiple pillars that you're passionate about and then choosing the various moments and opportunities that...
Jan 05, 2016•57 min
Music writer Marshall Yarbrough closes out Talk Music Talk's final episode of 2015 with his picks of the year. The Assistant Music Editor of the Brooklyn Rail newspaper explains in detail what albums, books and events in music excited him the most. Visit Marshall Yarbrough at the Brooklyn Rail : http://www.brooklynrail.org/2015/12/music Talk Music Talk Playlist/061: The Best of TMT Music For my final Spotify playlist of the year, I've pulled together the best music of my TMT guests since the podca...
Dec 29, 2015•1 hr 20 min
What's not to admire about music psychotherapist Brian Harris. For over the past 20 years he's dedicated himself to improving the lives of others through music. He's a nationally certified and state licensed therapist with two degrees in music therapy. Brian's innovative analytic and vocal psychotherapy techniques have helped people from all walks of life including trauma survivors, children with developmental disabilities and also, adults dealing with Alzheimer's and related dementia. Brian's as...
Dec 22, 2015•43 min
Multi-woodwind player Yacine Boularès is the bandleader of Ajoyo, which means "celebration" in Yoruba. It's a fitting name for a group whose songs represent a joyous, whirlwind synthesis of jazz, soul and African music. As a Fulbright Laureate, Yacine attended the New School for Jazz, where the French-Tunisian musician first met and collaborated with vocalist/composer Sarah Elizabeth Charles. Ajoyo's self-titled debut features the two-time TMT guest (episodes #21 & #36) on six of the eight tit...
Dec 18, 2015•1 hr 16 min
Singer-Songwriter Steve Garvin first picked up the guitar at age 19 when he was a freshman at Villanova University. After graduation, he landed in Chinatown where his New York-sized bedroom doubles as a DIY recording studio. The result? His recently released EP, Don't Run Away , proves that maybe size really doesn't matter. The sound? A gorgeous rush of '60s- dappled harmonies and classic songwriting dipped in an array of '80s synth influences. The Midwestern transplant is intent on growing as an ...
Dec 14, 2015•56 min
For label head Noah Padawer-Curry, Onamazu represents the rarefied challenge of releasing electronica music that succeeds inside of the club and inside of your flat. The label specializes in Downtempo Bass music with an eclectic roster of artists from all over the world that blow up the definition of the genre. Since its April 2015 conception, Onamazu has achieved eminent signs of a bright future including 2000-plus SoundCloud followers and multiple featured placements on Spotify. For Noah and busi...
Dec 08, 2015•1 hr 12 min
2015 has been an eventful year for pianist/composer/producer Jesse Fischer. He released two records that managed to reveal multiple aspects of his talent. First there was Vein Melter , a collaboration with horn player Sly5thAve, that was a powerful reimagining of Herbie Hancock's 70's fusion masterpiece, Headhunters . Then in September, Jesse returned as a bandleader with the diverse, poignant Day Dreamer that found him adding lyrics to his music for the time. Day Dreamer stars vocalist/composer...
Dec 03, 2015•1 hr 22 min
It's hardly a coincidence that the enthusiasm careening from J. Hoard's earworm of a single "Not So Fast" is an accurate portrait of the artist as a young man. Mildly pretentious James Joyce references aside, one can experience the celebration Jonathan demonstrates in his performances and on his aptly-titled debut EP, Feel Good . The Columbus, OH native currently resides in Brooklyn and is perfecting the upcoming full-length Feel Good album. Jonathan is also busy performing on stages from city t...
Nov 30, 2015•1 hr 2 min
