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Jean Ritchie & The Beauty of Kentucky

A couple years ago, I started to play old-time music casually, at the start playing guitar, while eventually learning mandolin and singing as well. There is little else that feels […]

July 3, 2022

Paying Attention to Library Music

For a while now, I’ve had a fascination with music you’re expected to ignore, i.e. Muzak, easy listening, and stock music. It began when I read this fascinating article from […]

June 26, 2022

In the Improvisational Moment: An Interview with Alex Cunningham

Tomorrow evening, Torn Light Records is thrilled to host a performance by solo violinist, improviser, and visual artist Alex Cunningham from St. Louis. We are big fans of Alex’s work […]

June 16, 2022

Off The Wall 1: Sam Rivers, Talking Heads, Diamanda Galás, & Lords of the Underground

This week, I am starting a new, periodic series for the Torn Light blog, ‘Off The Wall.’ For each entry in this series, I’ll talk about a handful of our […]

June 12, 2022

Jazz’s New Direction with Black Jazz Records in the 1970s

Probably like many who listen to the twenty offerings from Black Jazz Records, the Oakland-based jazz label from the seventies, my first encounter with their catalog was with co-founder Gene […]

June 5, 2022

Torn Light Archives 6: The Independent Eye

Click images to enlarge Delicate flowers drawn near the margins. Handcrafted ads for psychedelic rock shows, hippie gift shops, and esoteric bookstores that once sat on street corners I walk […]

May 29, 2022

The “Original Rude Boy”: Behind the Cult Classic, ‘The Harder They Come’

“There’s something about Jamaican youth, there’s something about Jamaican culture, and there’s something about what Jamaica represents, that’s really worth projecting to the world” – Perry Henzell In anticipation of […]

May 22, 2022

How Laurie Spiegel Expanded the Universe of Computer Music

In 2022, anyone with access to a computer has the opportunity to create computer music. I learned how to use GarageBand at a camp as a teenager, and later was […]

May 15, 2022

The Story of The Finest In Jazz: Blue Note Records From 1939 To Today

It is impossible to imagine a history of jazz without Blue Note Records. Hip and innovative, Blue Note’s slogan of “the finest in jazz since 1939” has rang true across […]

May 6, 2022