Best Redbone Podcasts (2025)

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Martha Redbone: Blending Afro-Indigenous Identity and Appalachian Traditions Through Bold Creative Projects 1:15:47

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16d ago1:15:47

1:15:47

Martha Redbone is acclaimed for her powerful performances as a singer, as well as her prize-winning song-writing, composition and arranging. For over 30 years she’s been in a successful collaboration with her partner Aaron Whitby and we talked about some of their new theatrical projects including Black Mountain Women, The Sex Variants of 1941, and …

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Ross Halperin: Bear Witness 1:06:00

16h ago1:06:00

1:06:00

A gang in a mountain barrio in Honduras terrorized the people there for years. The police claimed that their hands were tired because witnesses refused to testify. An American sociologist and a Honduran schoolteacher devised a plan to protect their neighbors by taking matters into their own hands. Author Ross Halperin tells me the story in his book…

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Clay Zeller-Townson of Ruckus Early Music 1:18:27

2d ago1:18:27

1:18:27

I have become a big fan of Ruckus, a dynamic Early Music ensemble, and I so enjoyed this uplifting conversation with Clay Zeller-Townson, their Artistic Director and bassoonist. ou’ll be hearing clips from The Edinburgh Rollick with music from the Niel Gow collection, featuring the violinist Keir GoGwilt, and because this music is very much at the …

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Michael Beach Nichols: Perfect Wife 1:03:52

8d ago1:03:52

1:03:52

Most of us have heard about Sherri Papini. She’s the woman who faked her own kidnapping in 2016, which terrified her husband and soon sparked outrage in her Northern California community. Michael Beach Nichols is the director and producer of the Hulu series, “Perfect Wife: The Mysterious Disappearance of Sherri Papini.” He tells US about his experi…

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Leif Karlstrom's Volcano Listening Project: A Unique Fusion of Science and Music 1:02:37

9d ago1:02:37

1:02:37

Join me in getting to know the fascinating world of Leif Karlstrom, a musician and scientist who combines data sonification in his outstanding collaborative exploration, The Volcano Listening Project. Leif is an Earth scientist at the University of Oregon who studies fluid motions in and on volcanoes and glaciers, landscape evolution, and geodynami…

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Bryan Burrough: The Gunfighters 50:22

14d ago50:22

50:22

We’ve heard from my buddy Bryan Burrough before for one of his Audible books based on a true crime story. His new book is very different. It’s called The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild. Enough said. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/4gF2K18 See more information on my boo…

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James Polchin: Shadow Men 59:21

22d ago59:21

59:21

Our story this week is set in the 1920s in Westchester County, New York…it’s a Jazz Age mystery. A young ex-sailor is found dead on a desolate road. A suspect from a wealthy family admits to the murder, but he claims that he was trying to protect a dangerous secret. Author James Polchin’s book, Shadow Men unravels a mystery more than a century old.…

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Tammy Takaishi on Music Therapy, Creative Careers & Hosting Creative Peacemeal Podcast 1:09:23

22d ago1:09:23

1:09:23

Tammy Takaishi is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Podcaster and writer based in New York. We talked about her podcast Creative Peacemeal, her meaningful and multi-faceted career as a Music Therapist, and her full creative life including her writing. If music therapy is a career you’re curious about, you’ll be inspired by her stories and insights…

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Dan Slater: The Incorruptibles 59:01

29d ago59:01

59:01

New York in the early 1900s was filled with people trying to make their lives better. But for many, the rise of organized crime kept them in constant fear. On the Lower East Side, Jewish criminals from Eastern Europe formed crime syndicates. There were gangs of horse poisoners, casino owners, thieves and thugs. But then a group of Jewish uptowners …

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Carla Patullo: GRAMMY-Winning Composer on her album Nomadica, Grief, LGBTQ+ Mentorship & Healing 1:08:40

1M ago1:08:40

1:08:40

Welcome to Conversations with Musicians with Leah Roseman with powerful, in-depth conversations with a fascinating diversity of musical guests wordwide. In this moving episode, I sit down with GRAMMY-winning composer Carla Patullo. Carla shares her deeply personal journey as well as audio clips from Nomadica, her gorgeous new album born from grief,…

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Tanya Talaga: The Knowing 56:48

1M ago56:48

56:48

If you’ve ever dug deep into your family history, you know that there are sometimes surprises. Author Tanya Talaga discovered that the life of her great-great grandmother Annie Carpenter was mostly unknown because she was Indigenous. It’s a struggle that many Indigenous people in Canada have: how do you learn about your family’s past without crucia…

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Acoustic Legend Darol Anger: ‘Diary of a Fiddler 2’ Preview + Reflections on a Life in Music 1:25:21

1M ago1:25:21

1:25:21

Darol Anger is an acoustic music legend known as much for his innovative fiddle style beyond Bluegrass and Jazz traditions, and his teaching. Darol has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his involvement with numerous pathbreaking ensembles such as the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, and his c…

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Alex Eliseev: Cold Case Confession 56:51

1M ago56:51

56:51

This week on Wicked Words on Exactly Right: in 1999, a woman named Betty Ketani went missing in Johannesburg, South Africa. She just vanished from the restaurant where she was working. Then a letter found 13 years later changed everything. Author Alex Eliseev tells me about his book Cold Case Confession—a real Agatha Christie story. Support this po…

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Electric Strings, Classical Roots: Tracy Silverman on Turtle Island, Strum Bowing, and Creative Freedom (re-release) 2:07:20

1M ago2:07:20

2:07:20

Originally released in 2022: Tracy Silverman is truly an inspiring musician in every respect and it was such an honour to meet him and be able to record this memorable episode! This interview is also available as a video; the transcript is also linked on my website We talked about his classical roots, studying with legendary teachers Lewis Kaplan a…

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Megan Abbott: El Dorado Drive 58:40

2M ago58:40

58:40

New York Times’ best-selling author Megan Abbott often uses true crime stories as a jumping off point for her wildly popular novels. Now she has a new book out called El Dorado Drive. It’s about three sisters who become entangled in a pyramid scheme that turns very dark. The real story behind the novel is so strange, it’s hard to know what really h…

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Derek Gripper: Guitar, Kora, and the Art of Listening (re-release) 1:22:16

2M ago1:22:16

1:22:16

This was originally released in 2022. The internationally renowned South African guitarist Derek Gripper is famous for his groundbreaking technique for evoking the West African kora on the guitar. During this episode you’ll get to hear Derek play quite a bit and you will hear his wonderful insights on how we listen to and learn music, the influence…

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Caroline Fraser: Murderland 53:12

2M ago53:12

53:12

This week’s author grew up in the Pacific Northwest with the memories of notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy and the Green River Killer, who also lived there. But the region wasn’t just home to those two murderers: there were many more. Was there a connection between the Pacific Northwest’s most infamous killers…and its incredible amounts of po…

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Collected Strands Improvising Ensemble and Weaver Maryanne Moodie (re-release) 1:08:57

2M ago1:08:57

1:08:57

I'm re-releasing this episode, because my improvising ensemble Collected Strands have just released our second album, Volume 2, also with beautiful cover art by Maryanne Moodie. This is a special episode of my podcast, celebrating Volume 1 with my improvising ensemble Collected Strands. The other musicians in the group have all been featured previo…

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Maya Youssef: Teaching Arabic Music, Overcoming Challenges, and her Creative Life Through the Qanun 1:16:01

2M ago1:16:01

1:16:01

I’m delighted to welcome Maya Youssef, the world-renowned "Queen of the qanun" and innovative British-Syrian educator .You can also watch on YouTube, and the transcript is linked as well to my website: Maya shares with us how her frustrations with the traditional teaching of Arabic music led her to develop her unique system for teaching musicians a…

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Matthew McGough + Rick Jackson: Black Tunnel White Magic 1:03:43

2M ago1:03:43

1:03:43

In 1990, a UCLA student was found murdered in a tunnel in LA. Detective Rick Jackson and his partner were assigned to the complicated case. Who had a motive to stab Ronald Baker? Was the pentagram pendant around his neck a clue? Author Matthew McGough and Detective Rick Jackson tell the story in their book, Black Tunnel White Magic: A Murder, a Det…

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Lily Henley: Sephardic Identity, Ladino Language and Songwriting 59:47

2M ago59:47

59:47

The wonderful singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and scholar Lily Henley sings in the endangered language Ladino and during this podcast you’ll hear clips from her album Oras Dezaoradas. Blending her roots in American and Celtic music, Lily creates powerful original music that honours centuries of Sephardic women’s voices. These songs tell t…

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Elon Green: The Man Nobody Killed 48:29

2M ago48:29

48:29

We’ve had journalist Elon Green on before to talk about his fantastic book Last Call. His new book is about an inspiring young Black artist in 1980s New York. Michael Stewart ended up dead after encountering a Transit Authority police officer at a 14th Street subway station late one night. Witnesses say that police beat him to death, and it made na…

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Exploring Global Soundscapes with Karen Power: Arctic Ice, Namibian Bats & Inclusive Music-Making 1:12:31

2M ago1:12:31

1:12:31

Karen Power is an Irish composer who uses environmental sounds in her intriguing work. She is a master field recordist who has recorded sounds in some of the worlds most isolated and challenging locations including The Arctic, Amazon, and Namib Desert. You'll hear clips of her work including The Bats of Namibia, Frogs of Angor Wat, fascinating bog …

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Jonquilyn Hill: Through the Cracks 52:19

3M ago52:19

52:19

When an 8-year-old disappeared from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. in 2014, nobody noticed for 18 days, even her family. Seven years later, Relisha Rudd has never been found. The Through the Cracks podcast investigates gaps in our society and the people who fall through them. Host Jonquilyn Hill asks what could have been done to find Relish…

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Teagan Faran: Exploring Contemporary Violin, Electroacoustic Sound, Tango Traditions & Teaching Philosophy 1:02:44

3M ago1:02:44

1:02:44

Teagan Faran is a remarkable violinist known for her versatility as a performer, composer, and improviser. In this episode, you’ll hear selections from her album Middle Child—a compelling and genre-spanning musical journey featuring works by acclaimed contemporary composers, as well as Tegan’s own reimagining of Brahms’ beloved Intermezzo. A Fulbri…

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Mary Kay McBrayer: Madame Queen 47:02

3M ago47:02

47:02

This week on Wicked Words we’re traveling back to 1923 Harlem and its seedy world of gambling and racketeering. Author Mary Kay McBrayer tells me about Stephanie St. Clair. She was one of the only female crime bosses in the city. Madame Queen was also a Black, self-made businesswoman. And a legend. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponso…

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Olcay Bayir on Alevi Roots, Anatolian Folk & Her Album Tu Gul î 50:09

3M ago50:09

50:09

I’m joined by the extraordinary Olcay Bayir, a British singer-songwriter of Kurdish Alevi origin, originally from Turkey. Olcay opens up about the challenges of immigrating as a teenager, her classical training in opera, and how she has forged her own unique musical path. You’ll hear clips from her 2024 album Tu Gulî, along with selections from her…

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Joel Styzens: Relax Your Ears: Joel Styzens on Hearing Damage & Musical Recovery 1:00:23

3M ago1:00:23

1:00:23

Joel Styzens is a composer and multi-instrumentalist whose career as a drummer was transformed due to sudden hearing damage. He talked to me about dealing with the physical and psychological effets of hyper acusis and tinnitus, the beauty of hammered dulcimer, and you’ll hear clips from his first 2 albums Relax Your Ears and Resonance. He’s a music…

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Duncan McCue: Kuper Island 1:02:41

3M ago1:02:41

1:02:41

Kuper Island is a remarkable podcast, an investigation into one of Canada’s most notorious so called Indian residential schools. Journalist Duncan McCue explores the unsolved death of a student, a tragedy that sheds light on rampant abuse and exposes the trauma of three survivors. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promot…

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Healing Through Music: Amanda Martinez on Grief, Mental Health & Her Album Recuerdo 1:14:17

3M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

Amanda Martinez writes and records mostly in Spanish, the language of her Mexican dad who biked all the way from Mexico to Canada, and you’ll learn how Amanda’s recent album Recuerdo helped her process her grief going through the illness and death of her father. Amanda is also an actor, and you’ll hear about some of her experiences acting, includin…

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Thomas Maier: The Invisible Spy 1:00:08

4M ago1:00:08

1:00:08

I love a good spy story. We’ve talked about spies embedded with the American government. We’ve discussed librarians and academics researching in the basement of the Library of Congress during World War II. And now we’re talking with Thomas Maier about a very unlikely spy, a former football player turned spy for Churchill. It’s all in his book, The …

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Heather Taves: her Beethoven Journey, Fascinating Research, Developing Creativity 1:19:17

4M ago1:19:17

1:19:17

Heather Taves is an acclaimed Canadian pianist, also a composer, improviser, educator and writer. She spoke to me about her unique and inspiring Beethoven Journey, her popular weekly blog which she started in 2023 , paired with performances of all of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas. We talked about getting to know Beethoven as a person and her fascina…

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Virginia Feito: Victorian Psycho 49:49

4M ago49:49

49:49

Occasionally we interview fiction authors who use true crime stories as jumping off points for their novels. Virginia Feito wrote a book called “Victorian Psycho.” And it’s based on several cases you’ve likely heard of. There’s a lecherous head of house, a jealous wife…and a violent governess. Very violent. Feito uses gallows humor to take real sto…

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Renée Yoxon: Trans Voice Teacher, Jazz and Disability Rights (re-release) 1:24:32

4M ago1:24:32

1:24:32

Archive highlight, originally released in 2023: Renée Yoxon is a trans non-binary singer, songwriter, jazz musician, and trans voice teacher. Renee shares some beautiful and inspiring performances from their albums, as well as stories from life as a disabled person and how their disability and chronic pain has guided the direction of their career. …

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Claire St. Amant: Killer Story 59:39

4M ago59:39

59:39

I’m so excited about this interview. It’s with Claire St. Amant. She’s a journalist and an author. And she was a TV producer for 48 Hours and 60 Minutes. Now she’s pulling back the curtain on true crime television. I learned a lot from her. She’s talking about her memoir: Killer Story. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and p…

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Ceara Conway: Irish vocalist and Visual Artist (re-release) 1:22:01

4M ago1:22:01

1:22:01

This was originally aired in 2023. Ceara Conway is an Irish contemporary vocalist and visual artist, and this episode features music from her album CAOIN as well as excerpts from some of her other projects. I find Ceara’s curiosity about so many important topics around arts and culture really inspiring and this conversation circled around to her ex…

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Destiny Muhammad: Jazz Harpist Her Inspiring Personal Journey (re-release) 1:33:28

4M ago1:33:28

1:33:28

This week's episode is a highlight from the archive, originally aired in 2023: I was so honoured to have this opportunity to talk with the inspiring Destiny Muhammad, who is a California-based jazz harpist and composer. You’ll get to hear inspiring stories from her life as well as her music. She had a dream to play the harp but didn’t have the oppo…

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Gilbert King: Bone Valley 1:04:29

4M ago1:04:29

1:04:29

We might have our first Pulitzer Prize winner on our show. Author Gilbert King digs into cases of wrongful conviction. Today, we’re talking about his outstanding podcast, Bone Valley Season 2. Gilbert explores the 1987 murder of Michelle Schofield in Florida. It’s a story of justice, forgiveness, and the possibility of redemption. Support this podc…

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Bente Illevold: Euphonium Virtuoso 1:36:06

4M ago1:36:06

1:36:06

I’m excited to feature Bente Illevold, the internationally renowned Norwegian euphonium player who has carved out a unique career path as a euphonium virtuoso. During this podcast, you’ll be hearing clips from some of her albums and live performances, and in the complete show notes on my website you’ll find the links to these specific albums and vi…

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Christopher Goffard: Crimes of the Times 44:46

5M ago44:46

44:46

LA Times reporter Christopher Goffard was the voice behind the hit podcast “Dirty John.” And now he has a new podcast that covers crimes in Los Angeles that made headlines, stories like the murder of actress Rebecca Schaeffer at the hands of a stalker. He tells me about his show, “Crimes of the Times.” Support this podcast by shopping our latest sp…

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Novelist Martha Anne Toll on Music, , Grief & Social Justice | ‘Duet for One’ + ‘Three Muses 1:02:53

5M ago1:02:53

1:02:53

Martha Anne Toll is a novelist and literary and cultural critic, also a violist whose classical music training informs her artistic practice. She recently published her second novel, Duet for One, a beautiful love story based on the lives of musicians.his book is also about the death of a mother, and releasing this conversation on Mother's Day (in …

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Pagan Kennedy: The Secret History of the Rape Kit 51:29

5M ago51:29

51:29

This week on Wicked Words, years ago author Pagan Kennedy wondered about the history of the rape kit, a crucial tool for investigators today. Who designed it? She found out that it was Martha Goddard, a pioneer who wanted to help police catch sexual predators using forensics. But sometime after she made history, Goddard vanished. Listen to Kennedy’…

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Alisa Rose on Creativity, Body Awareness & Her Duo Album "Speranza" with Tristan Scroggins 54:04

5M ago54:04

54:04

Alisa Rose is a multi-style violinist and fiddler, composer and educator, and in this episode we’re shining a light on her wonderful new album with mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, Speranza. You’ll hear about how she found her way to such an interesting and diverse career from learning Old-Time music from retired farmers in Wisconsin as a child to cl…

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Brendan Koerner: The Skies Belong to Us 57:37

5M ago57:37

57:37

Plane hijackings aren’t very common anymore. But in the late 1960s and early 1970s, armed criminals were forcing commercial airliners to divert their flights, oftentimes demanding ransom. Author Brendan Koerner tells the story of an American couple turned hijackers, whose journey ends with some surprising twists. Koerner’s book is called: The Skies…

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Film Composer Christoph Zirngibl (120+ Films, Apple TV's Where’s Wanda) 1:08:12

5M ago1:08:12

1:08:12

Christoph Zirngibl is an award-winning German film composer who has composed music for over 120 films as well as many TV series including the Apple TV+ series Where’s Wanda. It often strikes me that even with something as specific as some of Christoph’s advice about work flow for fellow film composers, that it can apply more broadly to all of us, w…

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Hallie Lieberman: The Devil Went Down to Georgia 53:56

5M ago53:56

53:56

For years, a predator preyed on gay men in Atlanta. He was known as the Handcuff Man. He attacked male sex workers, disfigured them, and then left them for dead. Journalist Hallie Lieberman wrote a fantastic piece for The Atavist Magazine called The Devil Went Down to Georgia. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions…

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Lawrence English 1:37:47

5M ago1:37:47

1:37:47

Lawrence English is a brilliant artist, composer and curator based in Australia. In this wide-ranging interview, Lawrence spoke to me about many topics, touching architecture, philosophy, field recordings, running a record label, and emerging biotech. One of his many projects is the record label Room40, which is celebrating 25 years, and punctuatin…

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Joseph Cox: Dark Wire 1:01:05

6M ago1:01:05

1:01:05

In 2018, the FBI discovered that high level criminals around the world were using encrypted devices to plot intricate crimes. When a powerful, secure new app began courting these syndicates, members of the underworld flocked to it. One problem for the criminals: the app was created by the FBI. Joseph Cox tells us the incredible story from his book,…

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Noam Lemish on Mentors, Bhutan & His Juno-Nominated Album “Twelve” 1:17:58

6M ago1:17:58

1:17:58

How did Noam Lemish’s experience living in Bhutan influence his outlook? A lot of Noam’s creative life is inspired by bridging cultures and being open to possibility, and you’ll be hearing some music from some of his many projects as well as hear his reflections on teaching and learning. It was fascinating to learn about his mentors including Georg…

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Avril Speaks: Uprooted 52:44

6M ago52:44

52:44

In 1986, 17-year-old Keith Warren was found hanging from a tree in Silver Spring, Maryland. His sister wanted answers—how did he die? It was ruled a suicide, but there were so many suspicious things about Keith’s death. I talked to filmmaker Avril Speaks about her docuseries, “Uprooted,” which covers Keith’s case. Support this podcast by shopping o…