PODCAST · education
Deep Focus
by Small Media Large
Host Mitch Goldman and his musician-guest explore rare archival recordings of one of the guest’s favorite artists.
Episodes
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2026.08.31 Eric Person on Jackie McLean - 3 of 3
When we were coming up, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the main cats. He, along with friends like Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Art Taylor, had emerged in New York City revering Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, yet he discovered his own unique sound. We hunted for his well-worn Blue...
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2026.08.31 Eric Person on Jackie McLean - 2 of 3
When we were coming up, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the main cats. He, along with friends like Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Art Taylor, had emerged in New York City revering Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, yet he discovered his own unique sound. We hunted for his well-worn Blue...
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2026.08.31 Eric Person on Jackie McLean - 1 of 3
When we were coming up, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the main cats. He, along with friends like Sonny Rollins, Max Roach, and Art Taylor, had emerged in New York City revering Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, yet he discovered his own unique sound. We hunted for his well-worn Blue...
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2026.08.17 Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum on the Don Cherry tapes 3 - 3 of 3
This Monday's (8/17) Deep Focus is on pocket trumpeter and global troubadour Don Cherry, a dear, 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…
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2026.08.17 Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum on the Don Cherry tapes 3 - 2 of 3
This Monday's (8/17) Deep Focus is on pocket trumpeter and global troubadour Don Cherry, a dear, 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…
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2026.08.17 Steven Bernstein and Peter Apfelbaum on the Don Cherry tapes 3 - 1 of 3
This Monday's (8/17) Deep Focus is on pocket trumpeter and global troubadour Don Cherry, a dear, 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…
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2017.05.01 Vernon Reid, Chris Buono, David Gilmore on Allen Holdsworth - 3 of 3
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…
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2017.05.01 Vernon Reid, Chris Buono, David Gilmore on Allen Holdsworth - 2 of 3
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…
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2017.05.01 Vernon Reid, Chris Buono, David Gilmore on Allen Holdsworth - 1 of 3
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…
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2019.06.25 Brian Charette on Duke Ellington - incomplete - 1 of 1
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...
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2026.07.06 Vernon Reid on James Blood Ulmer 2 - 3 of 3
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...
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2026.07.06 Vernon Reid on James Blood Ulmer 2 - 2 of 3
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...
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2026.07.08 Vernon Reid on James Blood Ulmer 2 - 1 of 3
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...
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2026.06.08 Vijay Iyer on Alice Coltrane - 3 of 3
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...
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2026.06.08 Vijay Iyer on Alice Coltrane - 2 of 3
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...
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2026.06.08 Vijay Iyer on Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda- 1 of 3
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...
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2026.05.25 Michael Veal on Miles Davis - 3 of 3
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...
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2026.05.25 Michael Veal on Miles Davis - 2 of 3
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...
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2026.05.25 Michael Veal on Miles Davis - 1 of 3
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...
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2026.04.27 Melvin Gibbs on Fela Kuti - 3 of 3
Fela Kuti has been the subject of at least half a dozen documentaries, a Broadway play, a shelf of books, and at least one richly lauded podcast series. It's hard to imagine a time when Fela would have been considered an obscure musician from a largely unknown continent. But that was very much…
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2026.04.27 Melvin Gibbs on Fela Kuti - 2 of 3
Fela Kuti has been the subject of at least half a dozen documentaries, a Broadway play, a shelf of books, and at least one richly lauded podcast series. It's hard to imagine a time when Fela would have been considered an obscure musician from a largely unknown continent. But that was very much…
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2026.04.27 Melvin Gibbs on Fela Kuti - 1 of 3
Fela Kuti has been the subject of at least half a dozen documentaries, a Broadway play, a shelf of books, and at least one richly lauded podcast series. It's hard to imagine a time when Fela would have been considered an obscure musician from a largely unknown continent. But that was very much…
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2026.03.16 William Hooker and Ahmed Abdullah on Old and New Dreams - 3 of 3
Throw away the map. Now, how are you going to find your way to your destination? You will probably find many more answers than you may have thought you'd find when you were looking at that folded-up piece of paper. The band Old and New Dreams didn't have to follow chord changes, disregarded time...
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2026.03.16 William Hooker and Ahmed Abdullah on Old and New Dreams - 2 of 3
Throw away the map. Now, how are you going to find your way to your destination? You will probably find many more answers than you may have thought you'd find when you were looking at that folded-up piece of paper. The band Old and New Dreams didn't have to follow chord changes, disregarded time...
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2026.03.16 William Hooker and Ahmed Abdullah on Old and New Dreams - 1 of 3
Throw away the map. Now, how are you going to find your way to your destination? You will probably find many more answers than you may have thought you'd find when you were looking at that folded-up piece of paper. The band Old and New Dreams didn't have to follow chord changes, disregarded time...
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2026.03.02 Eric Person on Eddie Harris - part 2 with Ethan Singer - 3 of 3
This episode of Deep Focus has been decades in the making. Deep Focus host Mitch Goldman started DJing Monday nights at WKCR in 1985. At that time, he alternated Mondays with fellow WKCR programmer Ethan Singer. Mitch and Ethan soon discovered that they both loved a lot of the same music and both...
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2026.03.02 Eric Person on Eddie Harris - part 2 with Ethan Singer - 2 of 3
This episode of Deep Focus has been decades in the making. Deep Focus host Mitch Goldman started DJing Monday nights at WKCR in 1985. At that time, he alternated Mondays with fellow WKCR programmer Ethan Singer. Mitch and Ethan soon discovered that they both loved a lot of the same music and both...
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2026.03.02 Eric Person on Eddie Harris - part 2 with Ethan Singer - 1 of 3
This episode of Deep Focus has been decades in the making. Deep Focus host Mitch Goldman started DJing Monday nights at WKCR in 1985. At that time, he alternated Mondays with fellow WKCR programmer Ethan Singer. Mitch and Ethan soon discovered that they both loved a lot of the same music and both...
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2026.02.16 Steve Slagle on Charlie Haden - 3 of 3
The music, the people playing it, and the audience are all in a state of total oneness. It's a spontaneous improvisation as delicate as an eggshell. You're almost afraid to breathe lest this moment dissolve, and we are all dropped back to the cold earth. Then you open your eyes to see that the...
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2026.02.16 Steve Slagle on Charlie Haden - 2 of 3
The music, the people playing it, and the audience are all in a state of total oneness. It's a spontaneous improvisation as delicate as an eggshell. You're almost afraid to breathe lest this moment dissolve, and we are all dropped back to the cold earth. Then you open your eyes to see that the...
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2026.02.16 Steve Slagle on Charlie Haden - 1 of 3
The music, the people playing it, and the audience are all in a state of total oneness. It's a spontaneous improvisation as delicate as an eggshell. You're almost afraid to breathe lest this moment dissolve, and we are all dropped back to the cold earth. Then you open your eyes to see that the...
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2026.01.19 Mazz Swift on Butch Morris - 3 of 3
Improvisation is considered a high art form for an instrumentalist, but what about for a composer? Is it even possible to create a piece of music for an ensemble, and to hear it performed in real time? How would you go about that? You would have to have an entire group imagining together.…
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2026.01.19 Mazz Swift on Butch Morris - 2 of 3
Improvisation is considered a high art form for an instrumentalist, but what about for a composer? Is it even possible to create a piece of music for an ensemble, and to hear it performed in real time? How would you go about that? You would have to have an entire group imagining together.…
more -
2026.01.19 Mazz Swift on Butch Morris - 2 of 3
Improvisation is considered a high art form for an instrumentalist, but what about for a composer? Is it even possible to create a piece of music for an ensemble, and to hear it performed in real time? How would you go about that? You would have to have an entire group imagining together.…
more -
2026.01.19 Mazz Swift on Butch Morris - 1 of 3
Improvisation is considered a high art form for an instrumentalist, but what about for a composer? Is it even possible to create a piece of music for an ensemble, and to hear it performed in real time? How would you go about that? You would have to have an entire group imagining together.…
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2026.01.05 Jay Rodriguez on Jim Pepper - 3 of 3
Meet me at Edge City. Isn't that place where worlds collide the only one where new ideas are ever generated? Saxophonist Jim Pepper knew all about these cultural collisions. His band Free Spirits was arguably the first to combine rock and jazz elements, and his oft-covered song Witchitai-To is...
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2026.01.05 Jay Rodriguez on Jim Pepper - 2 of 3
Meet me at Edge City. Isn't that place where worlds collide the only one where new ideas are ever generated? Saxophonist Jim Pepper knew all about these cultural collisions. His band Free Spirits was arguably the first to combine rock and jazz elements, and his oft-covered song Witchitai-To is...
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2026.01.05 Jay Rodriguez on Jim Pepper - 1 of 3
Meet me at Edge City. Isn't that place where worlds collide the only one where new ideas are ever generated? Saxophonist Jim Pepper knew all about these cultural collisions. His band Free Spirits was arguably the first to combine rock and jazz elements, and his oft-covered song Witchitai-To is...
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2025.12.22 Will Calhoun on Jack DeJohnette - 3 of 3
Plate tectonics, this idea that the very surface of the earth is not an unyielding solid, but a set of independent segments in a constant state of flow, was not always accepted as truth. It was only developed in 1967, but once geophysicists saw how accurately it described familiar phenomena…
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2025.12.22 Will Calhoun on Jack DeJohnette - 2 of 3
Plate tectonics, this idea that the very surface of the earth is not an unyielding solid, but a set of independent segments in a constant state of flow, was not always accepted as truth. It was only developed in 1967, but once geophysicists saw how accurately it described familiar phenomena…
more -
2025.12.22 Will Calhoun on Jack DeJohnette - 1 of 3
Plate tectonics, this idea that the very surface of the earth is not an unyielding solid, but a set of independent segments in a constant state of flow, was not always accepted as truth. It was only developed in 1967, but once geophysicists saw how accurately it described familiar phenomena…
more -
2025.11.24 Henry Threadgill on Ahmad Jamal - 3 of 3
Listen to Henry Threadgill's music. What a phantasmagoria of splendors and esoterica must animate his mind! Don't you just want to go to that place? Maybe for a night out on the town? Or a picnic in The Secret Garden? Aren't you curious about where his inspiration comes from? You could read his...
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2025.11.24 Henry Threadgill on Ahmad Jamal - 2 of 3
Listen to Henry Threadgill's music. What a phantasmagoria of splendors and esoterica must animate his mind! Don't you just want to go to that place? Maybe for a night out on the town? Or a picnic in The Secret Garden? Aren't you curious about where his inspiration comes from? You could read his...
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2025.11.24 Henry Threadgill on Ahmad Jamal - 1 of 3
Listen to Henry Threadgill's music. What a phantasmagoria of splendors and esoterica must animate his mind! Don't you just want to go to that place? Maybe for a night out on the town? Or a picnic in The Secret Garden? Aren't you curious about where his inspiration comes from? You could read his...
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2025.11.10 Craig Harris on David Murray - 3 of 3
Breaking new ground requires a willingness to plunge into the unknown. You don't know what terrors and wonders you might find there. The risks are concealed until it's too late to turn back. That's one thing when it's your pursuit. What about when it's someone else's vision, and you need to lead...
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2025.11.10 Craig Harris on David Murray - 2 of 3
Breaking new ground requires a willingness to plunge into the unknown. You don't know what terrors and wonders you might find there. The risks are concealed until it's too late to turn back. That's one thing when it's your pursuit. What about when it's someone else's vision, and you need to lead...
-
2025.11.10 Craig Harris on David Murray - 1 of 3
Breaking new ground requires a willingness to plunge into the unknown. You don't know what terrors and wonders you might find there. The risks are concealed until it's too late to turn back. That's one thing when it's your pursuit. What about when it's someone else's vision, and you need to lead...
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2025.10.27 Brian Charette on Larry Young - 3 of 3
If you want to change the game, first you need to master the game. Coming up in Newark in the fifties was the exact right place and time for Larry Young to learn the idiom of the Hammond B-3 organ, and he learned his lessons well. His early records embody the soul-jazz organ trio sound made…
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2025.10.27 Brian Charette on Larry Young - 2 of 3
If you want to change the game, first you need to master the game. Coming up in Newark in the fifties was the exact right place and time for Larry Young to learn the idiom of the Hammond B-3 organ, and he learned his lessons well. His early records embody the soul-jazz organ trio sound made…
more -
2025.10.27 Brian Charette on Larry Young - 1 of 3
If you want to change the game, first you need to master the game. Coming up in Newark in the fifties was the exact right place and time for Larry Young to learn the idiom of the Hammond B-3 organ, and he learned his lessons well. His early records embody the soul-jazz organ trio sound made…
more
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Host Mitch Goldman and his musician-guest explore rare archival recordings of one of the guest’s favorite artists.
HOSTED BY
Small Media Large
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Deep Focus have?
Deep Focus currently has 200 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Deep Focus about?
Host Mitch Goldman and his musician-guest explore rare archival recordings of one of the guest’s favorite artists.
How often does Deep Focus release new episodes?
Deep Focus publishes regularly with 200 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Deep Focus?
You can listen to Deep Focus on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Deep Focus?
Deep Focus is created and hosted by Small Media Large.
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