The Tonearm is putting a needle on the cultural wax. Check it out.

Season 2025

Feb. 20, 2025

Greg Lisher: From Camper Van to Circuitry Man

After decades of making alternative rock with Camper Van Beethoven and Monks of Doom, Greg Lisher took piano lessons, learned synthesis, and created 'Underwater Detection Method,’ an album that merges human performance with …
Feb. 13, 2025

Dorothy Lawson: ETHEL's String Theory for Quartets

As ETHEL prepares for their first Carnegie Hall performance, Dorothy Lawson reflects on decades of mixing classical precision with popular music's spirit.
Feb. 6, 2025

Jamie Baum: a flutist sets poetry in motion

Through her latest project with Septet+, the accomplished flutist transforms works by Adrienne Rich, Naomi Shihab Nye, and other poets into conversations between words and improvised music.
Guest: Jamie Baum
Jan. 30, 2025

Anat Cohen: Clarinet in Full Bloom

Fresh from a three-week European tour with Quartetinho, the accomplished clarinetist discusses how she transforms everything from Thelonious Monk to Brazilian choro into her own musical language.
Guest: Anat Cohen
Jan. 23, 2025

Marina Albero: from pianist to nomad of sound

The acclaimed pianist discusses her musical evolution from Barcelona to New Orleans, where she recorded her latest album on Ellis Marsalis's personal piano at his namesake center.
Guest: Marina Albero
Jan. 9, 2025

Lisa Pegher: Rhythms, Circuits, & Artificial Intelligence

Percussionist and digital innovator Lisa Pegher discusses her mission to modernize classical music through AI technology while preserving the deep emotional core of human artistic expression.
Guest: Lisa Pegher
Jan. 2, 2025

Paul de Barros: chronicling Marian McPartland's life in jazz

The acclaimed jazz critic discusses his updated biography of Marian McPartland, revealing how the Piano Jazz host's complex personality and vast musical connections created both challenges and opportunities in documenting he…
Guest: Paul