Best Scheffer Podcasts (2025)

1
Jlin's Percussive-Driven, Math-Loving, Adventurous Electronic Music, In-Studio 36:35

2d ago36:35

36:35

The artist, producer, and educator Jlin, born Jerrilynn Patton, first came out of the electronic dance music scene – specifically, the Chicago style of house music known as footwork. But she’s also become a sought-after composer, and one of her works was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her collaborators include Icelandic pop star Bjork, composer…

1
Chicago-Based Composer Macie Stewart Makes Music Out of the Spaces In-Between 36:43

7d ago36:43

36:43

Macie Stewart is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who’s been a key player in the Chicago music scene, and a go-to collaborator for her string arrangements for pop stars like SZA, or playing with leading improvisers like Makaya McCraven or touring with Japanese Breakfast. Her current project is an album called When Distance Is Blue, ful…

1
A New York Evening with Anoushka Shankar 46:07

9d ago46:07

46:07

Because she is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, perhaps the most famous Indian classical musician of the past century, Anoushka Shankar is associated with that style of music. But though she plays the sitar, and does indeed play Indian ragas in the style of her illustrious dad, she has also drawn on jazz, flamenco, various world and electronic music t…

1
Fiddlers Mark and Maggie O’Connor Connect Chamber Music and Bluegrass, In-Studio 38:26

13d ago38:26

38:26

The fiddler Mark O’Connor is probably best known for his million-selling Appalachian Waltz project – a kind of chamber/folk album with famed cellist Yo Yo Ma and bassist Edgar Meyer. Mark has also written string quartets, concertos, and orchestral pieces – and they all come from the same place as his solo fiddle sets – everything is rooted in the s…

1
Revisiting Mike Peters of The Alarm, In-Studio (Archives) 37:03

16d ago37:03

37:03

Since 1981, Welsh musician Mike Peters has been the voice of the hit-making British band The Alarm. After the band split up in 1991, Peters wrote and released solo work, before reconstituting The Alarm in 2000, (Wikipedia.) Since being diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia in 2005 (he is also co-founder of the Love Hope Strength Foundation), Mike …

1
King Hannah's Fuzzy-Jangly Charged Romanticism, In-Studio 41:27

20d ago41:27

41:27

King Hannah is an indie-rock duo from Liverpool consisting of singer and songwriter Hannah Merrick and guitarist Craig Whittle. Their latest album, Big Swimmer, seems to be the result of Merrick’s observations after touring around the United States, where it wasn’t the big cities or expansive vistas that inspired her songs, but the little moments a…

1
Ancient-to-Future Hot Psychedelic Gnawa Blues from Bab L' Bluz, In-Studio 36:17

23d ago36:17

36:17

Bab L’ Bluz is a French-Moroccan band playing a distinctive band of rock, one that’s built on the sounds of North and West African music, and on the Blues. The band was born from the dream of propelling Guembri (the Gnawa's guitar) on the international music scene of contemporary music, and has expanded to include electric mandole and electric riba…

1
Marlon Williams Connects With His Maori Roots, In-Studio 25:36

27d ago25:36

25:36

Aotearoa singer/songwriter Marlon Williams’(Kāi Tahu, Ngāi Tai) is a singer and songwriter from Lyttleton, New Zealand. He’s spent this past decade creating a personal blend of country, indie, and folk music; and he’s been an actor, and makes an appearance in the film A Star Is Born. But his new album is something different – maybe not musically, b…

1
Immersion and SUSS: Rhythm and Synths Meet Ambient Country, In-Studio 40:56

30d ago40:56

40:56

Immersion consists of the husband and wife team of Colin Newman, who you may know from the veteran English rock band Wire, and Malka Spigel from the band Minimal Compact. And Nanocluster is the name of a series of collaborations between the Immersion and various guests (Laetitia Sadier, German post-rock duo Tarwater, electronic musicians Ulrich Sch…

1
All the Flavors of the Rainbow of Cello by Peter Gregson, In-Studio 42:10

1M ago42:10

42:10

The British cellist, producer, and composer Peter Gregson has collaborated with some of the biggest names in contemporary music, including Max Richter, Gabriel Prokofiev and Jóhann Jóhannsson. His own work includes soundtracks for film and TV, electroacoustic works, and a series of string quartets. Daringly, he has also “recomposed” J.S. Bach’s six…

1
Tabla Master Zakir Hussain and Santoor Player Rahul Sharma, In-Studio 42:47

1M ago42:47

42:47

The Indian-born tabla player and composer, teacher, and advocate Zakir Hussain, son of Ustad Alla Rahka, who passed away in December of 2024, wasn’t just a virtuoso improviser - he was one of the world’s exceptional percussionists, working in many genres, and was the world’s preeminent tabla master. Zakir Hussain enjoyed the different challenges th…

1
Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 Ignite an Afrobeat Dance Party, In-Studio 44:06

1M ago44:06

44:06

The Nigerian singer, songwriter and bandleader and Seun Kuti keeps alive the Afrobeat tradition founded by his legendary father, Fela Kuti, back in the 1970s. In fact, when Fela died in 1997, it was Seun, his youngest son, who took over the band, now called Egypt 80. Like his late father, Seun Kuti takes on topics like government corruption and cor…

1
The Punchy Groove of Baroque Ensemble Ruckus, In-Studio 34:28

2M ago34:28

34:28

New York-based Ruckus is an early music ensemble that plays with the energy of a rock band. Most early music groups feature instruments like the harpsichord and the viola da gamba, and Ruckus does too, but you’ll also hear synthesizer, guitar, bassoon, bass, and near Eastern frame drums. And on their new album, The Edinburgh Rollick, they focus on …

1
CocoRosie's Theatrical Baroque Electro-Pop, In-Studio 53:27

2M ago53:27

53:27

CocoRosie -the band founded by the sisters Sierra and Bianca Casady – blends elements of pop, freak folk and electronic music into a distinctly personal, idiosyncratic sound. The sisters use their voices, electronics, and found sounds – usually the sounds of toys – to make songs that can be whimsical, provocative, haunted, beautiful - sometimes all…

1
The Quartet Sissoko-Segal-Parisien-Peirani Wanders Across Cultures and Genres 33:20

2M ago33:20

33:20

In 2010, we first fell under the spell of an extraordinary duo: Ballaké Sissoko, master of the West African harp or kora, and Vincent Segal, the French cellist. After a couple of albums together they added another duo, accordion virtuoso Vincent Peirani and sax player Emile Parisien, and that quartet has released an album called Les Egarés – thos…

1
Harpist Ashley Jackson Takes Us To The Water 29:08

2M ago29:08

29:08

Harpist, soloist, collaborator (Harlem Chamber Players), educator, and arranger Ashley Jackson’s brand new album is called Take Me To The Water. In the American spiritual tradition, water is a powerful metaphor for freedom and for moving from this life to the next. Jackson’s record takes listeners on a watery journey through works by Debussy, the j…

1
Rafiq Bhatia and Chris Pattishall Sculpt Electroacoustic Works, In-Studio 41:16

2M ago41:16

41:16

New York composer and guitarist Rafiq Bhatia is part of the art rock band Son Lux, the experimental trio best-known for scoring the film Everything Everywhere All At Once. His new EP – his first new solo project in 5 years - features pianist and improviser Chris Pattishall and is called Each Dream, A Melting Door. In their electro-acoustic songs, R…

1
Berlin-Based Techno/Electro-Musician Jan Blomqvist Considers Silence and Connectivity 30:10

2M ago30:10

30:10

Jan Blomqvist is part of the legendary electronic music scene in Berlin – but he’s also a singer and producer, so his take on techno and house music is more song-oriented than many of his fellow DJs. One thing that sets Blomqvist apart is that he makes music in the studio with an eye towards live performance, earning him a description of “concert t…

1
Aukai's Electroacoustic Music for a Timeless State (Archives) 26:57

2M ago26:57

26:57

German producer & multi-instrumentalist Aukai, aka Markus Sieber, grew up in the former East Germany, but his travels have taken him through Latin America, and he is now based in Colorado. "Aukai" is a Hawaiian term for a seafaring traveler, and on 2018 record, Branches of Sun, he has captured a certain nomadic wanderlust which might connect a list…

1
Songs By Ken Pomeroy to Not Feel Alone, In-Studio 34:39

2M ago34:39

34:39

With her clever guitar playing and powerful stories, Oklahoma-based Cherokee singer and songwriter Ken Pomeroy draws on brutal honesty and the songwriting skills she has honed since she was 11 years old. She’s already found herself on the big screen and small when her song “Wall of Death” made its way onto the Twisters soundtrack, while Hulu’s Rese…

1
Kinan Azmeh and CityBand Mix East and West, In-Studio 39:13

3M ago39:13

39:13

Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh has been based here in New York for many years. His music is an organic mix of East and West, of classical composition, jazzy improvisation, and Near Eastern music traditions. He’s played with the Silk Road Ensemble and lots of other groups large and small, but the one we see him with most often is his Ar…

1
The War And Treaty Blends Country, Soul, and the Blues, In-Studio 39:39

3M ago39:39

39:39

The War And Treaty is built around the husband and wife team of Michael and Tanya Trotter, who’ve spent the past decade honing their own, often jubilant blend of country and soul. Their new album is called Plus One, and features touches of jazz, bluegrass, blues, even a nod or two to hip hop. There are some songs involving whiskey, a few nods to Ra…

1
Third Coast Percussion Plays New Work by Zakir Hussain, In-Studio 40:56

3M ago40:56

40:56

Third Coast Percussion is a Grammy-winning classical quartet based in Chicago. They’re all composers themselves, but they’ve also worked with a wide variety of other composers, including Philip Glass and the late great tabla player Zakir Hussain. Their new EP, Murmurs In Time, features Zakir’s work of that name, and he was supposed to join Third Co…

1
The Warmth and Soulful Groove of Sachal Vasandani, In-Studio 32:49

3M ago32:49

32:49

The singer Sachal Vasandani has become known for his distinctive takes on jazz standards, and for his wide ranging covers, from Bob Dylan to Billie Eilish. But Sachal is also a songwriter himself, and his new album, Best Life Now, is largely a collection of original songs musing on stories of sensuality, heartbreak, and other love struggles. Sachal…

1
Singer-Songwriter Victoria Canal, In-Studio 35:08

3M ago35:08

35:08

Spanish singer and songwriter Victoria Canal mixes pop styles, from bangers to weighty tunes with thoughtful, often probing, occasionally flirty lyrics, which revolve around her own complicated identity. She won two of Britain’s prestigious Ivor Novello Awards, famously sang with Coldplay at last year’s Glastonbury Festival, and had released a pair…

1
The Resilience, Wisdom, and Hope in Brother Ali's Hip Hop, In-Studio 36:06

3M ago36:06

36:06

The rapper and songwriter Brother Ali has been releasing his distinctive brand of hip hop since the turn of the century – music that combines pointed social commentary, nerdy music references, and the veteran producer Ant’s maximalist, often playful beats. Brother Ali’s brand new LP is called Satisfied Soul, and on it, there is wisdom, self-reflect…

1
Intertwining Melodies From American Rock Band, Horsegirl 27:33

3M ago27:33

27:33

The band Horsegirl is three best friends from Chicago who began playing together while still in high school. But their 2022 debut album, Versions of Modern Performance, showed a band that already had a distinctive sound that showed that DIY didn’t necessarily mean simple. With two of the three musicians now attending NYU, the band has moved here to…

1
Sam Amidon Recasts and Expands Folk Songs, In-Studio 33:38

3M ago33:38

33:38

Sam Amidon is a folk fiddler, multi-instrumentalist, and singer from New England who now lives in Old England. He's become known for his inventive and often surprising arrangements of folk songs from both sides of the Atlantic. But he’s also someone who refuses to stay in his lane. So you could call his new album, Salt River, a collection of folk s…

1
Afrobeat From Amayo Blends Nigerian Heritage and Kung Fu Teachings, In-Studio 33:56

3M ago33:56

33:56

Amayo is the Nigerian-born, Atlanta-based singer and songwriter who was the longtime front-person for the band Antibalas. Now out on his own, Amayo continues to create his own distinctive take on the Afrobeat sound pioneered in the 1970s by the legendary Fela Kuti. But Amayo’s songwriting and his live performances are also deeply affected by his lo…

1
Cellist Abel Selaocoe On Finding Things That Bind Us Together 35:46

4M ago35:46

35:46

The South African-born, UK-based cellist Abel Selaocoe doesn’t really cross musical boundaries – he ignores them entirely. He’ll play Bach cello suites, but he also writes music that draws on the throat singing and instinctive vocalizations of his South African heritage, as well as works with electronics, cello preparations, and site-specific sound…

1
The Band Wunderhorse, Very Raw, No Frills, In-Studio 26:48

4M ago26:48

26:48

The English band Wunderhorse now have two albums under that name, although the first of them, 2022’s Cub, was essentially a solo album by vocalist and songwriter Jacob Slater. Their latest, called Midas, came out this past fall to rave reviews and is very much a portrait of a band who can capture a visceral feeling in their recorded music that is "…

1
Richard Reed Parry's 'Quiet River of Dust' (Archives) 41:14

4M ago41:14

41:14

Richard Reed Parry is perhaps best known as the really tall, really redheaded guy playing half a dozen instruments in the Grammy-winning band Arcade Fire. But he’s also a founder of the instrumental group Bell Orchestre, and a composer of contemporary classical music. In 2018, he visited the studio with a new project called Quiet River of Dust, and…

1
South African Guitarist Derek Gripper Translates Kora and J.S. Bach, In-Studio 34:39

4M ago34:39

34:39

South African guitar virtuoso Derek Gripper plays music originally meant for the 21 stringed lute-harp, the kora, on his 6-string Segovia-styled guitar and does it so well that the world’s leading guitarists and kora players keep wondering how one even does that. His original music is informed by kora master Toumani Diabaté, Malian singer-songwrite…

1
Enhanced Chamber Music by W4RP Trio and LIKWUID, In-Studio 41:34

4M ago41:34

41:34

Hip hop and classical music come together in the hybrid chamber music of W4RP Trio. The new record, featuring the spoken word artist DJ LiKWUiD, is called Sermon of the MatriarK and it is a celebration of powerful female characters in the African diaspora. But it’s also a celebration of the ways in which artists can move freely across genre lines –…

1
Violinist and Bandleader Jenny Scheinman Stretches Out At Play 44:42

4M ago44:42

44:42

Violinist, composer, and bandleader Jenny Scheinman is a familiar figure to jazz fans, having played for years with Bill Frisell, Allison Miller, and many others. But jazz is just one part of her music. In her own albums and in her work with musicians from Lou Reed to Lucinda Williams to Jason Moran, Scheinman incorporates a wide range of American …

1
Sax Player and Bandleader Lakecia Benjamin Imagines What's Possible 30:33

4M ago30:33

30:33

Sax player, MC, and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin grew up playing salsa and merengue in Washington Heights. She counts jazz greats Terri Lyne Carrington, Gary Bartz, and Clark Terry among her mentors; and her list of collaborators includes Missy Elliott, Stevie Wonder, Lil Wayne, Dianne Reeves, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Brandee Younger, and Jazzmeia Horn…

1
Igmar Thomas’ Revive Big Band, In-Studio 37:39

4M ago37:39

37:39

Trumpeter, bandleader and composer Igmar Thomas has served as music director for Lauryn Hill, the rapper Nas, and the sax player Kamasi Washington, among many others. But for many years he has also been the leader of the Revive Big Band, a group that demonstrates just how closely related jazz and hip hop are. That band has finally released its debu…

1
A Celebration of Folk and Indigenous Music From Jarana Beat 39:25

5M ago39:25

39:25

Jarana Beat is a world music group based here in New York, whose cross cultural celebratory sound is inspired by Mexican folk and Afro-Indigenous music. Using traditional instruments and dance percussion in addition to their voices, Jarana Beat gained wider attention by playing with the star Mexican singer Lila Downs, but they’ve also released a se…

1
Best of the Soundcheck Podcast 2024 58:00

5M ago58:00

58:00

The team behind the Soundcheck podcast series offers their favorite live performances from the WNYC studios this year: including Mexico City-based cellist, producer, and singer Mabe Fratti and her trio; Brazilian composer Amaro Freitas playing the piano's insides; and the soulful mambo of Cuba big band Orquesta Akokán. Plus, Norwegian punk cabaret …

1
Best of Soundcheck 2024, Part 2 36:06

5M ago36:06

36:06

Hear favorite live performances from the WNYC studios this year including Georgia singer, musician, and record label founder Lizz Wright; the soulful mambo of Cuban big band Orquesta Akokán; and the roots music for everyone performer - American singer-songwriter Fantastic Negrito. Also, Brooklyn-based Zelenaya with their Eastern European folk songs…

1
Best of Soundcheck 2024, Part 1 41:21

5M ago41:21

41:21

Hear favorite live performances from the WNYC studios this year including Mexico City-based cellist, producer, and singer Mabe Fratti; Norwegian punk cabaret sextet Kaizers Orchestra; and an intimate piano and a microphone version of the title track, "Lemons, Limes, and Orchids", from the latest record of the same name by Joan As Police Woman. Plus…

1
Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, In-Studio 35:47

5M ago35:47

35:47

New York-based drummer and educator Matt Wilson has performed with and/or played on many recordings by other musicians - Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, among others - and leads ensembles of his own, but at this time of year, the thing he might be best known for is his Christmas Tree-O. And yes, he went there – putting a pun r…

1
An Original Score From yMusic, In-Studio 33:17

5M ago33:17

33:17

The band yMusic formed as a contemporary classical chamber music ensemble, but you’re more likely to have heard them playing with people like Paul Simon, Bruce Hornsby, Emily King, and John Legend. They’re also the sextet of choice for classical composers like Caroline Shaw and Missy Mazzoli. For 16 years they’ve been gleefully obscuring the line b…

1
Musician, Artist, and Activist Samora Pinderhughes On Love, Grief, and Forgiveness, In-Studio 45:22

5M ago45:22

45:22

Samora Pinderhughes is a singer, composer, filmmaker, and producer who has worked regularly with the rapper Common and scored several award-winning documentaries. His own works includes The Healing Project, a 10-year exploration of the prison system and the racism and violence that feeds it, which led to his official solo debut album Grief in 2022;…

1
Nour Harkati Blends the Traditional and Modern in His Original Songs, In-Studio 29:34

5M ago29:34

29:34

Nour Harkati is a Tunisian musician and songwriter, now based here in New York City. His new album, Moulena, has just come out and it represents Harkati’s musical journey from North Africa to the US, featuring rhythms and instruments from traditional North African music blended with elements of Western pop and rock. The ancient Guembri used in tran…

1
Transcendent Grooves By Jeff Parker ETA IVtet, In-Studio 27:54

5M ago27:54

27:54

Guitarist Jeff Parker is probably best known for his work in the Chicago-based post rock band Tortoise, but he’s had a prolific career as a soloist and a sideman. In the past few years he’s been leading his ETA IVtet, an all-star group of musicians (saxophonist Josh Johnson, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Jay Bellerose) - on the L.A. experiment…

1
Pom Pom Squad Blazes With Punk Attitude and Vulnerability 32:22

6M ago32:22

32:22

Pom Pom Squad is the band led by singer and guitarist Mia Berrin; their debut album, Death of a Cheerleader, offered a gimlet-eyed, often ironic view of pop culture through a queer lens. Now Pom Pom Squad has released its sophomore LP called Mirror Starts Moving Without Me, full of punk attitude and blazing guitars, but also moments of intense vuln…

1
Songwriter Laura Marling Muses on the Mystical, In-Studio 26:27

6M ago26:27

26:27

Grammy and Mercury Nominated and Brit award-winning songwriter Laura Marling has mapped out new musical territories, including chamber pop and electronics. Her latest record, Patterns in Repeat was written following the birth of her daughter in 2023 and contains lovely songs crafted with propulsive riffs in motion, augmented by string arrangements.…

1
Rodney Crowell Makes It Personal 36:38

6M ago36:38

36:38

Mulitple Grammy winning singer, songwriter and producer Rodney Crowell was one of the founders of the style that’s come to be known as alternative country. His career has been marked by notable collaborations, like the one with Emmylou Harris that brought Rodney to our ground floor performance venue The Green Space back in 2013. Now Rodney is back,…

1
The Timeless Original West Georgia Blues of Jontavious Willis 36:44

6M ago36:44

36:44

Jontavious Willis is a blues singer and guitarist from west Georgia, hence the title of his recent album, West Georgia Blues. He’s not even 30, but Willis has an old soul – he loves the blues musicians from the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, and when he writes his own songs they come from deep roots -and might easily be mistaken for music that could be nearl…

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Podcasts Worth a Listen