Deep Focus

What makes us love the musicians we love? They do something magical that no one else had ever thought of before. Or the magical thing they do is so outlandishly demanding that, if anyone else had thought of it, they simply would not have been able to execute it. Allan Holdsworth was another of the handful of conjurers who deserves the title, “guitarists’ guitarist.” He passed away at 70 the month...

This is a beautiful episode of Deep Focus, but unfortunately, only the middle portion of it was recorded successfully. If you have the rest of it, please get in touch with us so we can post it. Enjoy! How is it possible that no one has chosen Duke Ellington as a subject for Deep Focus? Maybe because it's just too daunting; no one has matched his brilliance as an orchestrator, his ability to lead...

On Deep Focus this Monday (7/6), a celebration of the life and music of James Blood Ulmer (February 8, 1940 – June 3, 2026), with guest Vernon Reid. Our hearts are heavy, but spirits will be flying. Please join us. Tune in this Monday (7/6) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org. Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at...

On Deep Focus this Monday (7/6), a celebration of the life and music of James Blood Ulmer (February 8, 1940 – June 3, 2026), with guest Vernon Reid. Our hearts are heavy, but spirits will be flying. Please join us. Tune in this Monday (7/6) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org. Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at...

On Deep Focus this Monday (7/6), a celebration of the life and music of James Blood Ulmer (February 8, 1940 – June 3, 2026), with guest Vernon Reid. Our hearts are heavy, but spirits will be flying. Please join us. Tune in this Monday (7/6) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD or wkcr.org. Or join us when it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at...

This episode of Deep Focus does not have a spoken introduction. It starts immediately after the previous episode ends. The moment you invoke the name of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, the widow of John Coltrane, you open a door into other ways of understanding. She was part of her husband's last working band, but after his death, and for the next 40 years, her music became suffused with her...

The moment you invoke the name of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, the widow of John Coltrane, you open a door into other ways of understanding. She was part of her husband's last working band, but after his death, and for the next 40 years, her music became suffused with her spiritual practice and mystical experiences. Her conviction was so thorough that some listeners found it alienating, but...

The moment you invoke the name of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, the widow of John Coltrane, you open a door into other ways of understanding. She was part of her husband's last working band, but after his death, and for the next 40 years, her music became suffused with her spiritual practice and mystical experiences. Her conviction was so thorough that some listeners found it alienating, but...

When they go deep, we go deeper. We have been thinking about Miles Davis in anticipation of his centennial (May 26). How about we explore a dark corner of his vast touring history, his so-called "Lost Quintet"? We have so many questions about it, but who to ask? How about the guy who literally wrote the book on the subject? On this week's Deep Focus, host Mitch Goldman welcomes...

When they go deep, we go deeper. We have been thinking about Miles Davis in anticipation of his centennial (May 26). How about we explore a dark corner of his vast touring history, his so-called "Lost Quintet"? We have so many questions about it, but who to ask? How about the guy who literally wrote the book on the subject? On this week's Deep Focus, host Mitch Goldman welcomes...