Best Vibraphone Podcasts (2025)

1
Sasha Berliner at SFJAZZ: A Homecoming That Charts the Future of the Vibraphone 36:51

Play Pause

3d ago36:51

36:51

Episode: Sasha Berliner at SFJAZZ — Recontextualizing the Vibraphone In this episode, we welcome San Francisco native Sasha Berliner, a vibraphonist, composer, and producer whose work serves as a spectral map of contemporary music. Berliner has emerged as a primary voice in the New York scene by deconstructing the traditional boundaries of her inst…

1
Adam Shulman: A Charlie Brown Christmas & Beyond 29:42

12d ago29:42

29:42

Episode Summary In this festive episode, Steve Roby chats with acclaimed pianist, composer, and educator Adam Shulman, a key figure in the San Francisco jazz scene since 2002. Known for his work as a sideman with artists like Paula West, Stefon Harris, and Miguel Zenón, as well as for his own original albums, Adam shares insights into his musical j…

1
Michael Mayo: Grammy Nominations, "Fly" (Deluxe), and the Architecture of Voice 21:02

12d ago21:02

21:02

Episode Summary: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby sits down with vocalist and composer Michael Mayo to discuss his whirlwind year. Fresh off two Grammy nominations—Best Jazz Vocal Album for Fly and Best Jazz Performance for "Four"—Michael opens up about the surreal moment he got the news in Paris. We dive into his viral NPR Ti…

1
Episode 38. Christmas Special - Ian Shaw & Trudy Kerr 26:38

12d ago26:38

26:38

Geoff closes the year with a Christmas ‘session’ that blends memory, humour, and unapologetic swing, featuring the brilliant Ian Shaw and the incomparable Trudy Kerr. From the first count-in you can feel the band's pocket and the playful way we shape tradition: ‘God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen’ settles into a medium swing, ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ nod…

1
Sachal Vasandani: Best Life Now, Stripped Back 20:34

22d ago20:34

20:34

Episode Description: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steven Roby sits down with vocalist and songwriter Sachal Vasandani. Known for a voice that critics call "transfixing," Sachal has collaborated with everyone from Wynton Marsalis to Bobby McFerrin. Sachal discusses his latest project, Best Life Now, and the surprising journey of takin…

1
Episode 37. Norma Winstone (Vocals) - 'Joy Spring' 41:32

27d ago41:32

41:32

Geoff is in the coastal town of Deal in Kent to meet with the wonderful jazz singer and lyricist Norma Winstone. A childhood steeped in radio, a cinema crush on Lena Horne, and a record collection that swung from Ella and Louis to Sinatra’s ‘Only The Lonely’—Norma charts how a voice finds its own gravity. We talk about the hinge moments that redire…

1
The Klezmatics: 40 Years of Revolutionary Joy 30:18

24d ago30:18

30:18

Episode Description: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steven Roby sits down with Frank London, trumpeter and founding member of the Grammy Award-winning band The Klezmatics. For four decades, The Klezmatics have been the world’s leading voice in blending traditional Yiddish roots with the energy of punk, jazz, and gospel. Frank shares st…

1
Anat Cohen’s Musical Evolution & 50th Birthday Celebration 29:29

28d ago29:29

29:29

Episode Summary: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, Steven Roby sits down with Grammy-nominated clarinetist and saxophonist Anat Cohen. Known for her expressive virtuosity and infectious charisma, Anat is bringing a massive milestone celebration to San Francisco. We discuss her upcoming "50th Birthday Celebration" at SFJAZZ (December 11-12), a …

1
Mads Tolling: Nordic Folklore Meets American Jazz 23:39

29d ago23:39

23:39

Episode Summary: This week on Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby welcomes two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist Mads Tolling. Known for his work with the Turtle Island Quartet, Stanley Clarke, and Bob Weir, Mads is shifting gears this season to share a piece of his Danish childhood in San Francisco. Mads takes us inside his project, Cool Yule: A…

1
Stefon Harris on Soul, Sound, and Harmony in Motion 26:34

1M ago26:34

26:34

Episode Summary: Vibraphonist, composer, and educator Stefon Harris joins Backstage Bay Area before his November 29 double bill with trumpeter Theo Croker at SFJAZZ’s Miner Auditorium. Harris discusses the spiritual roots of his sound, the ideas behind his new album Sonic Creed Volume Two: Life Signs, and why he believes harmony can be felt as vivi…

1
Episode 36. Charlie Wood (Vocals) - 'Bye Bye Blackbird' 41:07

1M ago41:07

41:07

Geoff is back in Bedford, England to sit down with the highly-acclaimed American singer, songwriter and keyboardist Charlie Wood. A voice steeped in Memphis and refined in London, Charlie Wood’s conversation moves from Beale Street grind to big-band elegance. We start with origins: a home filled with Charlie Parker records, classical lessons, and t…

1
Ben Folds on Keeping Art Alive and SFJAZZ holiday shows 30:23

1M ago30:23

30:23

In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby interviews Ben Folds, the pianist, songwriter, and arts advocate who has spent three decades balancing sharp, story-driven pop songs with orchestral ambition. Fresh off the release of Ben Folds Live with the National Symphony Orchestra and deep into his work on the new holiday album Sleigher, F…

1
Episode 35. Jacqui Dankworth (Vocals) - 'The Man I Love' 37:44

1M ago37:44

37:44

This week Geoff is in Bedford, England to meet with one of the most highly regarded British jazz singers Jacqui Dankworth MBE – daughter of singer Cleo Laine and musician John Dankworth. A song can carry a family. This episode begins with Stephen Sondheim and a daughter finding strength after losing her mother, the incomparable Cleo Laine. From the…

1
Three Visitors Trio Debuts New Album 29:02

2M ago29:02

29:02

Show Description: In this episode of Backstage Bay Area, host Steve Roby interviews pianist and composer Edward Simon to discuss the trio Three Visitors, a deeply collaborative project with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade. This trio consists of three composers writing for one another, built on a long history, shared language, and delib…

1
Sarah Wilson Brings Incandescence to Berkeley 26:58

2M ago26:58

26:58

Episode Description In this episode, Steven Roby talks with Bay Area trumpeter and composer Sarah Wilson about her luminous new album Incandescence and the creative path that led her from political puppet theater to leading an all-woman horn line in a brass-forward Bay Area ensemble. Wilson explains how visual art, community-based performance, and …

1
Episode 34. Dave Green (Bass) - 'Autumn Leaves' 43:01

2M ago43:01

43:01

Geoff is in Ruislip, West London at the home of the legendary jazz bassist Dave Green. A soft case in an aircraft hold, a school-grade rental at a major festival, and the quiet conviction that your sound should survive all of it—Dave takes us through a bassist's life built on time, touch, and taste. From tea chest beginnings with next‑door neighbou…

1
RJAM: New Visions at the Lab 34:14

2M ago34:14

34:14

Episode Summary Executive Director and co‑founder of SFCM’s Roots, Jazz & American Music (RJAM) program, Jason Hainsworth, joins Steve to talk about how the Side‑By‑Side model turns the Joe Henderson Lab into a working classroom. We explore mentorship in real time, why original student music matters, and what audiences can expect from RJAM’s *Side‑…

1
SFJAZZ Collective: Native Dancer Preview 20:10

2M ago20:10

20:10

Episode summary Music Director and saxophonist Chris Potter joins Backstage Bay Area to preview the SFJAZZ Collective’s tribute to Wayne Shorter’s Native Dancer. We talk about why this album matters, how the Collective reimagined its songs for today’s band, Potter’s personal encounter with Shorter, and what new music is on deck. What you’ll hear • …

1
Gerald Albright: Groove, Melody, Momentum Ahead 20:59

2M ago20:59

20:59

Episode logline: Saxophonist—and bassist—Gerald Albright talks origin stories, the punch and polish behind “Living My Best Life,” why the title cut “Full Throttle” opens up onstage, and what listeners can expect when his band hits Oakland. About our guest A pillar of contemporary jazz with decades of touring and studio work, Gerald Albright writes …

1
Caity Gyorgy Brings Strings to Swing 20:43

2M ago20:43

20:43

Canadian vocalist-composer Caity Gyorgy joins Steve for a conversation about craft, collaboration, and why swing still feels newly minted when the writing is sharp and the band listens hard. Known for quicksilver phrasing and original tunes that travel between club intimacy and orchestral sheen, Gyorgy traces the path from early influences to her n…

1
Episode 33. Anthony Kerr (Vibraphone) - 'Bolivia' 31:43

2M ago31:43

31:43

Geoff is in the Hertfordshire town of Watford to chat with the wonderful British jazz vibraphone player Anthony Kerr…digging into practice, reading, and why space shapes sound. A trumpet felt like the wrong clothes. Drums were closer. Then Anthony hit a vibraphone at the Belfast School of Music and everything snapped into place. That moment of fit …

1
Las Cafeteras’ Night of Living Memory 18:37

2M ago18:37

18:37

Episode Summary Hector Flores of Las Cafeteras joins Steve to talk about Hasta La Muerte, the group’s Day of the Dead production arriving at SFJAZZ. He traces the band’s East L.A. activist roots, how son jarocho meets hip-hop and spoken word, and why participation—dancing, singing, dressing up—turns a concert into a communal ritual. Hector shares h…

1
Between Soul and Swing: Nicolas Bearde’s Jarreau, Alive and In Motion 24:58

2M ago24:58

24:58

Podcast: Backstage Bay Area Host: Steve Roby Guests: Nicolas Bearde (vocals) with special guest Tammy L. Hall (piano) Bay Area vocalist Nicolas Bearde joins Backstage Bay Area to talk about his Al Jarreau celebration at the Joe Henderson Lab. We trace his path from early R&B roots and Motown radio to a mature jazz voice shaped onstage with Bobby Mc…

1
Episode 32. Henry Lowther (Trumpet) - 'There Is No Greater Love' 45:11

2M ago45:11

45:11

Geoff is in the North London suburb of Muswell Hill to sit down with the highly acclaimed trumpeter Henry Lowther as he unpacks the sessions, the stories and the systems behind a musician who has been a mainstay of the British jazz scene for over half a century. A trumpet on a cathedral step, a helicopter over Woodstock, and a fixer's phone call th…

1
Freedom, Community, and Jazz: KCSM’s 60 Years on the Air 29:15

2M ago29:15

29:15

Episode overview KCSM 91.1 FM has been a lifeline for Bay Area jazz for six decades. Station Manager Dr. Robert Franklin joins Steve to talk about the station’s live-curated sound, its massive library and preservation work, and the new documentary celebrating KCSM’s history and community impact. Dr. Robert “Bob” Franklin — Station Manager, KCSM 91.…

1
Episode 31. Art Themen (Saxophone) - 'It Could Happen To You' 35:58

3M ago35:58

35:58

Geoff is in the picturesque Oxfordshire town of Henley on Thames to meet with the wonderful saxophonist (and former orthopaedic surgeon) Art Themen. What began with a misassembled clarinet and a missing page turned into a life split between the operating theatre and the bandstand, shaped by New Orleans tone, bebop language, and the stubborn joy of …

1
Amaro Freitas on Enchantment, Ancestry, and the Future of Solo Piano 34:10

3M ago34:10

34:10

Backstage Bay Area – Episode with Amaro Freitas Guest: Amaro Freitas, acclaimed Brazilian jazz pianist and composer Host: Steve Roby Episode Highlights: Introduction to Amaro Freitas, his Afro-Brazilian roots, and his unique approach to jazz piano. Amaro discusses his musical beginnings in Brazil, learning piano in church, and the influence of fami…

1
Lines in Motion: Nicole McCabe’s Groove-Driven Improvisation 20:01

3M ago20:01

20:01

In this episode, host Steve Roby sits down with saxophonist and composer Nicole McCabe, co-leader of the genre-blending project Dolphin Hyperspace. Nicole shares her journey from growing up in Marin County, where she was inspired by both jazz and electronic music, to collaborating with bassist/producer Logan Kane. The conversation covers her musica…

4M ago32:14

32:14

Episode Summary Pianist Eric Lewis (ELEW) joins Backstage Bay Area to trace a path from a five-piano childhood in Camden, New Jersey, to the creation of Rockjazz, a career-shaping stint with {{Elvin Jones}}, and his latest project, ELEW Plays Sting. We explore how he translates songs like “Message in a Bottle” and “Walking on the Moon” for solo pia…