Best Steven Goldman Podcasts (2025)

1
2025.03.24 Vijay Iyer on Randy Weston - 3 of 3 1:06:55

6h ago1:06:55

1:06:55

It's impossible to distinguish between Randy Weston's musical innovations and his conception of the world he was born into. To say that the roots of jazz are in West Africa is hardly a groundbreaking statement nowadays, but it was a mostly unfamiliar notion when he started to say it in the 1950's. It's easy to hear it now, especially when you liste…

1
Infinite Inning 327: Moon, Sheriff, Dutch, and the Mighty Quinn 53:52

7h ago53:52

53:52

We begin with two players who would have been crowded off of modern rosters, and also couldn’t have made the 1970s Oakland A’s due to the owner’s insistence on carrying two pinch-runners at once. Then we travel to Philadelphia and visit two pitchers seemingly on parallel tracks, one who might pitch forever as the other confronts a life-threatening …

1
2025.03.24 Vijay Iyer on Randy Weston - 2 of 3 1:04:58

7d ago1:04:58

1:04:58

It's impossible to distinguish between Randy Weston's musical innovations and his conception of the world he was born into. To say that the roots of jazz are in West Africa is hardly a groundbreaking statement nowadays, but it was a mostly unfamiliar notion when he started to say it in the 1950's. It's easy to hear it now, especially when you liste…

1
Infinite Inning 326: The Cult of Pennant Park 47:23

8d ago47:23

47:23

We visit the high-flying world of Florida real estate speculation 100 years ago with the volatile manager of the New York Giants John J. McGraw. When the bubble burst, would it be a case of murder? The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman discusses the game’s present, past, and future with forays outside th…

1
2025.03.24 Vijay Iyer on Randy Weston - 1 of 3 1:02:21

14d ago1:02:21

1:02:21

It's impossible to distinguish between Randy Weston's musical innovations and his conception of the world he was born into. To say that the roots of jazz are in West Africa is hardly a groundbreaking statement nowadays, but it was a mostly unfamiliar notion when he started to say it in the 1950's. It's easy to hear it now, especially when you liste…

1
Infinite Inning 325: No Dead Man Should Have a Watch This Nice 46:57

15d ago46:57

46:57

We examine the Los Angeles Angels’ hot start in light of the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers’ hot start and what happened afterwards, and stumble across a writer saying inappropriate things about Spike Owen and Teddy Higuera. Then we talk about the tragic loss of Octavio Dotel, “The Pitt,” and Philadelphia’s 1903 “Black Saturday.” Trigger Warning: There’s n…

1
2013.11.18 Jack DeSalvo on Ronald Shannon Jackson - 1 of 3 1:28:12

21d ago1:28:12

1:28:12

Ronald Shannon Jackson's music was open source. It was not possible to play it correctly without bringing your own voice to it: your background, your proclivities, your vocabulary. And if you didn't have it to bring, the music wasn't going to make it off the stage. Jack DeSalvo brought a musical lexicon to the Decoding Society that was unmatched. W…

1
Infinite Inning 324: The Way We Live Now (Again) 46:10

22d ago46:10

46:10

Infinite Inning 324: The Way We Live Now (Again) In a largely improvised episode we reexperience current events through the lens of Joe DiMaggio’s 1941 hitting streak, counting the days while the war stays away, while once again a government effort requires us to rally ‘round Jackie Robinson—and Abraham Lincoln too, and we do so while checking in o…

1
(32) A Peek Into the Hasidic World … with Frieda Vizel 25:15

24d ago25:15

25:15

Frieda Vizel was raised in the Satmar Hasidic community. At age 25, she left that community and pursued higher education, culminating in a master’s degree at Sarah Lawrence College. Since 2013, she has been offering walking tours of Hasidic Williamsburg. Her tours provide insights into the community's traditions and daily life, and are noted for th…

1
2025.02.17 Steven Bernstein on The Don Cherry Tapes part 2 - 3 of 3 1:12:14

28d ago1:12:14

1:12:14

This Monday's (2/17) Deep Focus is on trumpeter Don Cherry, a wonderful and deeply missed friend of WKCR. Back in the Eighties, Don was a frequent guest on Mitch Goldman's show. Don would guest DJ, talk to the audience, bring guests... It was an ongoing Eighties NYC Don Cherry party. And if there was a blank cassette handy, Mitch would make a recor…

1
Infinite Inning 323: I Fought the Law 44:17

30d ago44:17

44:17

We debate whether a victim of the First World War and the 1918 influenza pandemic was the heretofore unidentifiable Greatest Lost Prospect, we make a quick stop to compare takes on the 1915 World Series to Social Darwinism, and rediscover a dirty owners’ trick after a pitcher gathers up all his many girlfriends and drives into a wall. The Infinite …

1
(31) Orthodox Divorces: Why? Why? Why? … with Betzalel Rothstein 32:01

1M ago32:01

32:01

Betzalel Rothstein is a Certified Divorce Coach and Mediator who is highly regarded and has been involved in hundreds of divorce cases over the past 10 years either as Mediator, Coach, Parenting Coordinator or Consultant. He has extensive experience in dealing with difficult topics such as parental alienation, blended families, relocation, and what…

1
2025.02.17 Steven Bernstein on The Don Cherry Tapes part 2 - 2 of 3 54:08

1M ago54:08

54:08

This Monday's (2/17) Deep Focus is on trumpeter Don Cherry, a wonderful and deeply missed friend of WKCR. Back in the Eighties, Don was a frequent guest on Mitch Goldman's show. Don would guest DJ, talk to the audience, bring guests... It was an ongoing Eighties NYC Don Cherry party. And if there was a blank cassette handy, Mitch would make a recor…

1
Infinite Inning 322: Hollywood Crossed with Uz 1:05:04

1M ago1:05:04

1:05:04

A pitcher reaching a breaking point with his creator sends us scurrying back to the Old Testament for guidance, and then we unpack the stories behind Steve’s Baseball Prospectus column this week, a reaction to the Department of Defense labeling Jackie Robinson as “deisports.” Should you wish to read the column, it’s available free (no paywall) at B…

1
2025.02.17 Steven Bernstein on The Don Cherry Tapes part 2 - 1 of 3 1:10:11

1M ago1:10:11

1:10:11

This Monday's (2/17) Deep Focus is on trumpeter Don Cherry, a wonderful and deeply missed friend of WKCR. Back in the Eighties, Don was a frequent guest on Mitch Goldman's show. Don would guest DJ, talk to the audience, bring guests... It was an ongoing Eighties NYC Don Cherry party. And if there was a blank cassette handy, Mitch would make a recor…

1
Infinite Inning 321: Man's Life's a Gamble 56:19

1M ago56:19

56:19

Casey Stengel (our mascot, hero, and deity) steals a couple of uniforms and feels bad about it, and then a successful manager of the Red Sox is fired under dubious circumstances, and then virtually everyone in the story catches tuberculosis. Trigger Warning: There are a couple of fleeting mentions of self-harm in the second act of the show. The Inf…

1
(30) Rabbi Steven Gotlib: A Thoughtful and Bold Voice for Our Complicated Times 29:47

2M ago29:47

29:47

In this episode, we have a wide-ranging discussion, touching on such topics as: • Significant differences between US and Canadian Jewry/Orthodoxy • Interactions and public conversations across among various denominations • The evolving role of women in Modern Orthodoxy • Has politics become a “Jewish issue” (and/or divisive), including attitudes to…

1
2025.02.01 Eric Person on Arthur Blythe - 3 of 3 57:32

2M ago57:32

57:32

On our previous Deep Focus, host Mitch Goldman and his guest, saxophonist Eric Person explored the work of the David Murray Octet of the 1980s. Here was an ensemble that punched far above its weight, with swinging horn parts like a Thirties big band as well eyeball-to-eyeball improvisation like a small ensemble. They had the storytelling of a tradi…

1
Infinite Inning 320: The Fatal Bellow of the Man They Called Horse 55:14

2M ago55:14

55:14

A sportswriter faces his own irrelevance on the morning after Pearl Harbor and finds a way back to baseball, and then a pitcher loses it and reignites a brawl that had already ended—featuring more future Hall of Famers than wound up in the Hall of Fame. Yes, it all makes sense in the end. The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state o…

1
2025.02.01 Eric Person on Arthur Blythe - 2 of 3 54:49

2M ago54:49

54:49

On our previous Deep Focus, host Mitch Goldman and his guest, saxophonist Eric Person explored the work of the David Murray Octet of the 1980s. Here was an ensemble that punched far above its weight, with swinging horn parts like a Thirties big band as well eyeball-to-eyeball improvisation like a small ensemble. They had the storytelling of a tradi…

1
Infinite Inning 319: Songs of Innocence and Experience 52:15

2M ago52:15

52:15

The way we live today prompts a tale of two future Hall of Famers inflicting pain on one another, yet another Hall of Famer, Phil Rizzuto, suffers pain and the host does too, and finally a story of a catcher who decided to engage with a world of corruption and paid a high price. The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. St…

1
(29) Aliza Bulow: Empowering Orthodox Jewish Women & Strengthening Our Homes 29:38

2M ago29:38

29:38

Aliza Bulow is an author, educator and mentor to Jewish women around the world, who founded CORE, an organization that empowers and connects Orthdox Jewish women. Core connects, develops and sustains women who engage in klal (the collective community) work. Core supports women in three main ways: 1) MMC (Mashpia-Mentor-Counselor) Program: Core offe…

1
2025.02.03 Eric Person on Arthur Blythe - 1 of 3 1:08:36

2M ago1:08:36

1:08:36

On our previous Deep Focus, host Mitch Goldman and his guest, saxophonist Eric Person explored the work of the David Murray Octet of the 1980s. Here was an ensemble that punched far above its weight, with swinging horn parts like a Thirties big band, as well eyeball-to-eyeball improvisation like a small ensemble. They had the storytelling of a trad…

1
Infinite Inning 318: A Murder in Albany and Other Tales 53:47

2M ago53:47

53:47

A minor leaguer gets involved with the wrong woman, but who does she get involved with in the aftermath? And why did the pitcher throw the inkstand? Tigger Warning: There is one mild cussword early on, but one supposes there are a few adult matters related to sexuality that come up in passing. You might want to say “La la la” over that if the kids …

1
2008.11.03 Eric Person on Herbie Hancock, Beaver Harris - 1 of 1 1:22:57

2M ago1:22:57

1:22:57

Here is another episode from the Deep Focus "Prodigal Children" series. Mitch Goldman first went on the air at WKCR in 1985 and started Deep Focus in 2008. Since his primary focus during the broadcast is hosting and engineering the show, making these recordings has often had to take a back seat. Add in the fact that WKCR is, in Phil Schaap's words,…

1
Infinite Inning 317: You Can’t Be There If You’re Already Here 44:36

2M ago44:36

44:36

Infinite Inning 317: You Can’t Be There If You’re Already Here The show must go on, and so we begin with Dodgers Hall of Fame manager Walt Alston, the overreach of the man he replaced, Chuck Dressen (and Mrs. Dressen too) and what Walt did to make ends meet, then pause for some ruminations on The Way We Live Now, then visit Opening Day at Yankee St…

1
2025.01.06 Eric Person on David Murray - 3 of 3 1:07:43

3M ago1:07:43

1:07:43

In the early 1980s, when saxophonist Eric Person was coming up, one big question that was being addressed was how to combine the free-swinging improv of the Loft scene with the beauty and power of a large ensemble. Many fascinating strategies would arrive (Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris, we're looking at you!). One of the first and most thrilling c…

1
Infinite Inning 316: Duck, You Roly-Poly Right-Hander 48:22

3M ago48:22

48:22

We begin once more with nice guys who finish last, but we confront the possibility that the qualifier was overstated, segue into the “Window Breakers” Giants of the late 1940s, Octavius Catto and Tommy Henrich, two pitchers who had more than their share of freak injuries, and so much more. Plus some more thoughts on the future of the show. The Infi…

1
(28) Moish’s Believe It or Not! Bet you didn’t know that about Orthodoxy ... 28:21

3M ago28:21

28:21

In this episode we present some surprising facts about Modern Orthodoxy and the Orthodox community as a whole, based upon Nishma Research surveys between 2016 and 2024. We explore the size and growth of the community, religious beliefs and practices, political views, the finances of living an Orthodox Jewish life, the role of women in Modern Orthod…

1
2025.01.06 Eric Person on David Murray - 2 of 3 54:23

3M ago54:23

54:23

In the early 1980s, when saxophonist Eric Person was coming up, one big question that was being addressed was how to combine the free-swinging improv of the Loft scene with the beauty and power of a large ensemble. Many fascinating strategies would arrive (Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris, we're looking at you!). One of the first and most thrilling c…

1
Infinite Inning 315: Go to College as Stan Musial Did Not 54:12

3M ago54:12

54:12

An embarrassing moment for Johnny Evers as he makes the reacquaintance of a pitcher he dismissed, and a certain town in Pennsylvania suffers a man-made disaster—but which Hall of Famers family lived there? And some questions about the show's next direction. Trigger Warning: This episode contains one solitary cussword at the end of the episode. Save…

1
2025.01.06 Eric Person on David Murray - 1 of 3 1:04:02

3M ago1:04:02

1:04:02

In the early 1980s, when saxophonist Eric Person was coming up, one big question that was being addressed was how to combine the free-swinging improv of the Loft scene with the beauty and power of a large ensemble. Many fascinating strategies would arrive (Henry Threadgill, Butch Morris, we're looking at you!). One of the first and most thrilling c…

1
Infinite Inning 314: Run or Maybe Lie Down 40:06

3M ago40:06

40:06

Four quick tales: Leo Durocher excoriates a baserunner and gives us some quality advice, a college player dies on the field, a player is signed by the Yankees under false pretenses, and a minor league Baltimore Oriole goes into the stands. The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman discusses the game’s presen…

1
2024.12.23 Arturo O'Farrill on Carla Bley - 3 of 3 1:02:21

3M ago1:02:21

1:02:21

Arturo O'Farrill: "Without Carla (Bley)’s influence, I wouldn’t be where I am today; there would be no Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, no Belongó, no Arturo O'Farrill. She is in everything that I do..." Don't you want to hear what happens when WKCR's Mitch Goldman welcomes Arturo into the WKCR archives for a Deep Focus on Carla Bley? We know we do! Game…

1
2024.12.23 Arturo O'Farrill on Carla Bley - 2 of 3 1:01:05

3M ago1:01:05

1:01:05

Arturo O'Farrill: "Without Carla (Bley)’s influence, I wouldn’t be where I am today; there would be no Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, no Belongó, no Arturo O'Farrill. She is in everything that I do..." Don't you want to hear what happens when WKCR's Mitch Goldman welcomes Arturo into the WKCR archives for a Deep Focus on Carla Bley? We know we do! Game…

1
Infinite Inning 313: No-So-Yo Hank 32:33

4M ago32:33

32:33

We begin the new year with two tales of pitchers who could have used a break, one an ancient Cubbie into self-deprecation, another a war-era Cardinal in need of appreciation—from Branch Rickey. pistol_riccochet.ogg by Diboz The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman, discusses the game’s present, past, and fu…

1
(27) Haredi Expert, Researcher and Founder of Mispar.com, Dina Goldman 25:40

4M ago25:40

25:40

Dina Goldman is at the frontier of researching and understanding the Chasidish and Yeshivish communities. She has spent over a decade working in marketing and advertising within the Orthodox Jewish community. Seeing how many businesses really lack solid information that they need, she founded Mispar – The Jewish Community, a Story of Numbers, a com…

1
2024.12.23 Arturo O'Farrill on Carla Bley - 1 of 3 1:04:27

4M ago1:04:27

1:04:27

Arturo O'Farrill: "Without Carla (Bley)’s influence, I wouldn’t be where I am today; there would be no Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, no Belongó, no Arturo O'Farrill. She is in everything that I do..." Don't you want to hear what happens when WKCR's Mitch Goldman welcomes Arturo into the WKCR archives for a Deep Focus on Carla Bley? We know we do! Game…

1
2024.11.25 Leon Gruenbaum on Burnt Sugar - 3 of 3 58:56

4M ago58:56

58:56

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber is renowned for "never playing anything the same way once." Drawing inspiration from Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, Parliament Funkadelic, and The Art Ensemble of Chicago, in the words of founder Greg Tate, "Our player-ranks include known Irish fiddlers, AACM refugees, Afro-punk rejects, unrepentant beboppers, feminist rap…

1
(26) The First-Ever Community Middot Report Card 37:09

4M ago37:09

37:09

Middot (and we’re talking mainly about interpersonal behaviors) are so important, especially in these stressful days. So we are pleased to present this as a dual-platform episode, being released on both Orthonomics and The Franciska Show … both covering important issues in the Orthodox Jewish world, and both available at all podcast platforms. Much…

1
Infinite Inning 312: A Christman Story for a Christmas Mini-Sode 27:46

4M ago27:46

27:46

A half-length Casey Stengel-centric episode as we all get ready for the big holiday with all its joy and peppermint bark. Includes way too much about pinch-hitting during the Truman administration, if that’s your kind of thing. The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman discusses the game’s present, past, and…

1
2024.11.25 Leon Gruenbaum on Burnt Sugar- 2 of 3 1:02:45

4M ago1:02:45

1:02:45

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber is renowned for "never playing anything the same way once." Drawing inspiration from Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, Parliament Funkadelic, and The Art Ensemble of Chicago, in the words of founder Greg Tate, "Our player-ranks include known Irish fiddlers, AACM refugees, Afro-punk rejects, unrepentant beboppers, feminist rap…

1
Infinite Inning 311: Paradise By the Des Moines Lights 52:21

4M ago52:21

52:21

We begin with a brief threnody on those who would say ballplayers are overpaid, spanning Babe Ruth to Juan Soto and the arbitrary nature of those ‘plaints. We then head into the darkness for the thwarted careers and prematurely-concluded marriages of two 1930s middle infielders and how they reacted to a very specific, cruel form of tragedy. Trigger…

1
2024.11.25 Leon Gruenbaum on Burnt Sugar - 1 of 3 1:01:57

5M ago1:01:57

1:01:57

Burnt Sugar The Arkestra Chamber is renowned for "never playing anything the same way once." Drawing inspiration from Duke Ellington, Sun Ra, Parliament Funkadelic, and The Art Ensemble of Chicago, in the words of founder Greg Tate, "Our player-ranks include known Irish fiddlers, AACM refugees, Afro-punk rejects, unrepentant beboppers, feminist rap…

1
Infinite Inning 310: The Aunt[Censored] 51:10

5M ago51:10

51:10

A manager fails to comfort a nervous rookie pitcher and an outfielder of ancient days ends his career when he overreacts to an unusual family-oriented insult. Trigger Warning: This episode contains one unusual cussword from 1892. Hide the children. The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball but a state of mind. Steven Goldman discusses the game…

1
(25) Author, Educator, Coach, Speaker … Ruchi Koval 26:19

5M ago26:19

26:19

Ruchi Koval is a parenting coach and motivational speaker who has inspired personal transformation in thousands of people. She is the co-founder and Associate Director of JFX (Jewish Family Experience), an innovative community in Cleveland, Ohio. She has been a Jewish educator for two decades, leading self-development groups for adults and teens, a…

1
2017.04.17 Graham Haynes on Roy Haynes with Thelonious Monk - 2 of 2 34:40

5M ago34:40

34:40

The previous time Graham Haynes was the guest on Deep Focus, it was to celebrate his father Roy Haynes’s stunning contributions to Charlie Parker’s performances at Birdland. That alone would have been enough to earn Roy a place in the history books. Now, how about Roy with another wildly different innovator making Jazz history at another musical la…

1
Infinite Inning 309: The Anti-Ohtani and Other Cautionary Tales of Thanksgiving 44:30

5M ago44:30

44:30

On the road to grandmother’s house, we ask whether a 19th-century game purported to be the greatest of all time was any fun, stopping along the way to admire the marital problems of a star second baseman and various other acts of criminality. Plus Walter Johnson avoids comparisons with a young star. The Infinite Inning is not only about baseball bu…

1
A Catch Conversation with Brian Zahnd 37:00

5M ago37:00

37:00

Brian Zahnd is the founder and lead pastor of Word of Life Church, a non-denominational Christian congregation in Saint Joseph, Missouri. Brian and his wife, Peri, founded the church in 1981. Brian is also the author of several books, including, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, Water to Wine, A Farewell To Mars, Beauty Will Save the World, Unc…

1
2017.04.17 Graham Haynes on Roy Haynes with Thelonious Monk - 1 of 2 1:18:01

5M ago1:18:01

1:18:01

The previous time Graham Haynes was the guest on Deep Focus, it was to celebrate his father Roy Haynes’s stunning contributions to Charlie Parker’s performances at Birdland. That alone would have been enough to earn Roy a place in the history books. Now, how about Roy with another wildly different innovator making Jazz history at another musical la…

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