Shows
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastLab Dog: Melanie Kaplan's Book on Using Canines in Medical ResearchMelanie D.G. Kaplan talks to Jim Motavalli about her book Lab Dog: A Beagle and his Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research. She explores the ethics and future of animal experimentation through the story of her rescued beagle, Hammy.
2026-02-1316 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastThe Musical Alchemy of Iron & WineJim Motavalli talked to Sam Beam, a/k/a Iron & Wine, a master of brilliant, hushed Americana music and a collaborator par excellence (particularly with amazing women). In the interview, we talk about Beam's work with Fiona Apple, Jesca Hoop, I'm With Her and others, and also about his new album Hen's Teeth (2026).
2026-02-1317 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastAlex ManosAlex Manos says he's the country's number one buyer of classic cars. He buys European and American cars nationwide, and would love to talk about buying your old vehicle.
2026-01-1909 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastTwo Crows for Comfort Comes Close Two Crows for Comfort is a Canadian folk and Americana duo based out of Manitoba, composed of Erin Corbin and Cory Sulyma. Known for their rich harmonies and poignant storytelling, they have been a full-time touring act since early 2020, living on the road in an 18-foot camper with their rescue dog, Elliot. They talked to Jim Motavalli for WPKN
2026-01-1914 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastEmily Masser: The Jazz is in the FamilyBritish jazz singer Emily Masser is only 21, but shows a mature command of her art, inspired by her saxophonist father, Dean Masser. Pianist Horace Silver wrote the beautiful "Song For My Father," but Masser made a whole album called Songs With my Father (with dad playing his horn).
2026-01-1919 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastJohn Gennari: In the Jazz BarnJohn Gennari's profusely illustrated book The Jazz Barn (Brandeis University Press) traces the history of a short-lived but vital institution in the history of music. Music Inn, in Lenox, Massachusetts near Tanglewood, took jazz seriously and brought musicians to a bucolic setting for teaching, concerts and building bridges to what eventually became the classical-jazz fusion known as Third Stream. With many photographs by Holocaust survivor Clemens Kalischer.
2026-01-1923 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastFrander: Trad Folk Meets Progressive Rock in This Swedish SwirlEncountered recently at the Scandinavian Club in Fairfield, Connecticut, Sweden's Frander combines roots in traditional Swedish folk with an ear to progressive rock--but all with acoustic instruments.
2026-01-1925 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastThe Weary Ramblers: An Americana Wealth of Experience Iowa-based Americana duo, Weary Ramblers bring years of experience to the stage with award-winning songwriting and chemistry. Chad Elliott (Woody Guthrie Song Contest & Kerrville Finalist) and Kathryn Severing Fox (DownBeat winner & international touring artist) showcase multi-instrumental performances with tight harmonies and great storytelling. Fox has played, toured or recorded with George Benson, The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Pharrell Williams, Gloria Estefan, Natalie Cole, Osmond Brothers, Gloria Gaynor, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Loggins, The Marley Family, Mark O’Connor, Ryan Montbleau, Seth Walker, Ben Sollee, Edgar Meyer and Joshua Bell. Chad Elliott, known as "Iowa's Renaissance Man," has written 2,000 son...
2026-01-1915 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastEric O'Neill Wants to Help Secure Your Online LifeEric O'Neill, a former FBI agent who led the capture of notorious spy-for-Russia Robert Hanssen, is the author Spies, Lies, and Cybercrime. It's focus: teaching readers how to defend against digital threats like hackers and scammers, blending thrilling anecdotes with practical advice. The book details tactics used by adversaries and provides actionable steps (Prepare, Assess, Investigate, Decide) for personal digital safety.
2026-01-1928 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastGann Brewer: A Mississippi Highway LullabyAmericana singer-songwriter Gann Brewer doesn't seek the shiny neo-retro town malls where the selfie slick hipsters air their spanking new tattoos but rather, it's the half spaces, the unremarkable edges of town, where he finds those nuggets of truth--or at least enough gas to get to the next town. From the liner notes to Brewer's fourth album, Highway Lullaby, under discussion with Jim Motavalli on this podcast.
2026-01-1914 min
Kilowatt: A Podcast about Electric VehiclesVerge Motorcycle and Donut Lab at CES 2026Description:In this CES 2026 special, we explore cutting-edge innovations redefining electric mobility. Spencer Cutlan, International Sales Manager at Verge Motorcycles, joins us to unveil Verge’s newest electric motorcycle continuing their bold legacy of futuristic, hubless design. We also speak with Donut Lab Co-founder and CTO Ville Piippo about their game-changing solid-state battery and hubless motor system, both aimed at delivering a joyful and compact EV experience. Steve and Allison Sheridan interviewed Donut Lab CEO Marko Lehtimaki. From battery breakthroughs to radical rethinks of vehicle architecture, this episode delivers a firsthand look at the EVs shaking up th...
2026-01-1655 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastBryce Edwards' Turn-of-the-Century MusicBryce Edwards is a musician and cabaret artist reviving traditional jazz and popular music from the early 20th century. A vaudevillian troubadour, Edwards is a unique vocalist that takes equal cues from the crooners and soft singers of the late 1920s and early 30s and from the bombastic voices of the acoustic phonograph era, as well as an instrumentalist who plays banjo, ukulele, tenor guitar, and mandolin in the modernistic jazz idiom. Leading a hot combination featuring the talents of extraordinary jazzman Scott Ricketts (cornet) and Grammy award winner Conal Fowkes (piano, upright bass), Edwards revels in the idiosyncrasies...
2025-12-0923 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastThe Big Musical World of Sam AmidonSinger, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sam Amidon comes from a New England family deeply involved in old-time music, and he remains devoted to that form--but fused with just about everything else, including jazz and avant-garde music. Amidon, who began playing fiddle at age 3, has recorded in Iceland collaborated with artists as diverse as drummer Milford Graves and guitarist Bill Frisell. As a sideman, he's appeared on albums by Tune-Yards, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The National, and many more. In talking to WPKN December 8, 2025 the talk was about his latest album, Salt River, which contains a take on Ornette Coleman's "...
2025-12-0918 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastIf They Build Super-Intelligent AI, Will We All Die?This broadcast features the first half hour of an interview with Nate Soares, executive director of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), conducted by Alice Horrigan and Jim Motavalli on October 16, 2025 and aired on WPKN-FM. The conversation explores the safety limits of current AI engineering and the broader implications for humanity’s future. For the full hour, watch the video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u-22jwE4GZU . Also, read Alice Horrigan’s accompanying book review in The Berkshire Edge: “If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: When the AI Engineers Are in Over Their Heads”
2025-10-2429 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastS.G. Goodman's Music: Grounded in KentuckyS.G. Goodman lives in rural Kentucky farm country, and grew up attending church three times a week, with limited exposure to secular music. That experience colors her deeply grounded (in place and time) new album, Planting by the Signs. Fellow Kentuckian Bonnie Prince Billy is featured in this richly evocative collection.
2025-10-1528 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastCrime Writer and TV Producer George PelecanosGeorge Pelecanos is the author of 20 crime novels, and a regular writing collaborator with David Simon on projects, including The Wire and Treme. Pelecanos' books ofteh catch Washington, D.C.'s denizens at the moment they hover between a life of crime and straight society. They are moral tales, as well as fast-paced thrillers.
2025-09-0230 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastMaria MuldaurMaria Muldaur discusses her storied career and new album, One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey, released on July 11th, 2025, on Nola Blue Records. The album is a tribute to the legendary blues singer Victoria Spivey, who was a mentor to Muldaur. It features collaborations with Taj Mahal, Elvin Bishop, and Tuba Skinny.
2025-07-3037 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastJerusalem Peace Builders Students with Dr. Danna KurtinJerusalem Peace Builders Students visit the Bridgeport, CT area and discuss their trip and community engagement activities with Dr. Danna Kurtin.
2025-07-3015 min
The Art Bell ArchiveMarch 6, 2004: Global Warming and Climate Change - Jim MotavelliEnvironmental journalist Jim Motavalli discusses the science and consequences of global warming, highlighting key climate trends, policy responses, and the role of individual action.
2025-07-302h 52
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastSpeed the Plough...Rock with Harpsichord!Speed the Plough, a New Jersey rock group from the Hoboken/Maxwell's scene that produced The Feelies and Yo La Tengo, has a serendipitous encounter with an Italian harpsichord professor. And the result is beautiful music.
2025-06-1620 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastHarry Freedman: Bob Dylan's Jewish RootsHarry Freedman, based in England, has previously explored the Jewish roots of Leonard Cohen, but here he takes on Bob Dylan, who was wont to deny those roots--at least early on in his career.
2025-06-1315 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastTessa Souter: The Jazz Singer Takes on Erik SatieTessa Souter is a jazz singer, originally from England but living in New York, who likes ambitious projects. And adapting and writing lyrics for the music of Erik Satie (who died 100 years ago in 2025) is just the latest one.
2025-06-1313 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastAsteroid Mining: Matt Gialich and Astroforge Make it RealAstroforge is going after rare metals like platinum on near-Earth asteroids, hitching rides on the Falcon 9 and other rockets.
2025-06-1315 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastRichard Cortez: Jazz Singer for the LGTBQ Community--And EveryoneRichard Cortez, from Florida originally, had a circuitous route to his role as an emerging jazz singer in New York. He was a confessional Americana singer with messages for his community, did sex work, and stripped in some of the same gay bars where he now performs his beautiful jazz music.
2025-06-1321 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastBrad Kolodner: Secrets of the Gourd BanjoBrad Kolodner is an acclaimed clawhammer banjo player who performs with the chart-topping Irish, Old-Time, bluegrass fusion quartet Charm City Junction. He’s recorded four albums of Old-Time and original music with his father Ken under the name Ken & Brad Kolodner including their latest Billboard-charting release Stony Run (2020). His new album of solo gourd banjo music is called Old Growth.
2025-05-2625 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastJim Kweskin: Living the Jug Band LifeJim Kweskin founded the legendary 1960s Jim Kweskin Jug Band with Fritz Richmond, Geoff Muldaur, Maria Muldaur, Mel Lyman and Bruno Wolfe. During the five years they were together, they successfully transformed the sounds of pre-World War II rural music into a springboard for their good-humored performances. And Kweskin is still at it, with a new album called Doing Things Right, out from Jalopy Records on April 25, 2025.
2025-05-2627 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastBefore Elvis: Preston Lauterbach Talks About the King's African-American InfluencesPreston Lauterbach is the author of the book Before Elvis: The African-American Musicians Who Made the King, a book that examines the careers of Big Mama Thornton, Little Junior Parker (author of "Mystery Train"), Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and both Calvin and Phineas Newborn, Jr. He talks to WPKN about how Elvis absorbed their music and stage moves, and sometimes even acknowledged their help.
2025-05-2625 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastMark Weinstein: Restoring Our Sanity OnlineMark Weinstein's new book is Restoring Our Sanity Online: A Revolutionary Social Framework, published by Wiley. Here, he dissects Web 1, until 2001, Web 2--our current state of "Surveillance Capitalism" with dominance by Facebook and Google--and the hopefully more enlightened and less privacy-invading states of Web 3 and Web 4.
2025-03-1918 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastJazz Singer Stacey Kent Takes on an All-Jobim ProgramA subtle and exquisite jazz vocalist, Stacey Kent has long had a love affair with the music of Brazil, and especially that of Antonio Carlos Jobim. On April 12 she joins with Danilo Caymmi (long a member of Jobim's band) for a tribute to bossa nova's greatest composer.
2025-03-1920 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastColin Newman (ex-Wire) and Malka Spigel (ex-Githead) Talk about their Immersion Performance at the 2025 Big Ears FestivalColin Newman of Wire fame and Malka Spigel of Githead first recorded their electronic music as Immersion for the Oscillating album in 1994. They're set to play the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 27. Here they talk to Jim Motavalli from Little Rock, Arkansas.
2025-03-1821 min
Sustain What?Assessing the Dangerous Trump / Musk Effect on Aviation and Highway Safety“Elon Musk can declare, properly, every Starship explosion as a step forward because you have to try lots of things until you see what works. You can't do that with commercial airlines.” - James Fallows Here’s the webcast / podcast version of my Sustain What transportation conversation with longtime journalists James Fallows, David Kerley and Jim Motavalli. All the details and relevant links are in the “curtain raiser”:Sustain What is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Fallows we...
2025-03-0455 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastDerek and Hannah Jeter Talk Family--and CarsDerek and Hannah Jeter were interviewed in upstate New York on the set of a commercial they were making for the Jeep Grand Wagoneer Obsidian Edition. They talked about family, and cars.
2025-02-2630 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastPhoebe White: African-American Country YodelerPhoebe White is an accomplished yodeler, and demonstrates her skills in this WPKN interview. Her album is Cowgirl's Delight, and it includes appearances from Riders in the Sky and Suzy Bogguss. Six of the 10 tunes are her own. White could be said to part of the movement that includes Rhiannon Giddens and is not only reclaiming the African-American heritage in country music, but blazing her own path in forming its future.
2025-02-2610 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastRoots Music Exemplar Miss Tess in LouisianaMiss Tess, one of our most talented roots singers, songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, has just put out Cher Rêve, an album dedicated to exploring Louisiana's southern Acadiana region and in specific the "magical" city of Lafayette, home of the Blackpot Festival (about music and food). Instead of the Big Easy, Lafayette is the sleepy "Little Easier."
2025-02-2618 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastIrish Singer Karan Casey's World ViewThe Irish singer Karan Casey's most recent album is Nine Apples of Gold. She tours regularly in the US, where Irish music has a huge audience. Casey was a member of the popular band Solas, and is a founder of Fairplé, which works to achieve fairness and gender balance for female performers in Irish traditional music.
2025-02-2621 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastSyrian Clarinetist Kinan Azmeh Blends Jazz, World and Classical MusicThe Syrian-born master clarinet player is now based in Brooklyn, and making his hard-to-characterize music--a meld of jazz, Middle Eastern and classical influences--with the CityBand. His latest album was recorded live in Berlin.
2025-02-2616 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastThe Chatham Rabbits: Americana Down on the Family FarmThe Chatham Rabbits, Austin and Sarah McCombie, live on a working farm in rural North Carolina. Their original songs reflect their dedication to the land, and to each other. Be Real With Me is their latest album, evenly split between her songs and his songs.
2025-02-2613 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastJim White and Trey Blake: The Haunted Face of Country MusicJim White is an outsider Americana artist, who uses country music as a jumping off point to explore the psyche in ways that sometimes recall the author Cormac McCarthy. He found a kindred spirit in Trey Blake, an autistic poet he met while on tour in England. He encouraged her singing, and the resulting songs (realized initially by a member of Stereolab) are memorable and deeply probing. This was Blake's very first interview.
2025-02-2624 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastGuitarist Bill Frisell on his Jazz-Meets-Country SynthesisOne of the most admired guitarists in jazz, Bill Frisell has never recognized boundaries and his music--while always remaining jazz--reflects his deep study of Americana and country music's roots. He spoke in advance of a 2024 gig in Fairfield, CT.
2024-12-1721 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastNicole Glover: Modern Giant of the Tenor SaxophoneTenor saxophonist Nicole Glover is currently dividing her time between the all-female Artemis band, a new ensemble from bassist Christian McBride, Ursa Major, and her solo projects--sometimes a trio without a net. She's a fully committed player, and here she talks about coming up on the Portland, OR scene and making the all-important move to NYC.
2024-12-1738 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastThe Many Worlds of David AmramDavid Amram is a true musical omnivore, with deep roots in jazz (bringing the French horn into the mix), classical and folk music. He virtually invented jazz poetry with Jack Kerouac in the 1950s, worked with Leonard Bernstein and composed symphonic works, and was a friend of Rambling Jack Elliot and Woody Guthrie. Here, at 94, he talks about the musical lessons he's learned.
2024-12-1735 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastAuthor Robert Rubin Talks about His Deep Dive into the film Vanishing PointRobert Rubin is the author Vanishing Point Forever, the ultimate and exhaustive take on the filming and meaning of the semi-existential 1970s road movie Vanishing Point. Who was Barry Newman? Listen and find out.
2024-11-0815 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastKrissy Nagy and the Kranks Celebrate the Jazz StandardsKrissie Nagy is a major new new discovery in jazz singing, making the Great American Songbook come alive with verve and panache. Her self-titled album as Krissie and the Kranks is out now.
2024-11-0812 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastMatthew Herd of Britain-based Seafarers on New Album Another StateSeafarers specializes in highly literate, gorgeous pop music that's hard to slot into an easy category.
2024-11-0823 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastSinger-Songwriter Jenny Owen Youngs Talks "Avalanche"The Maine-based singer-songwriter, most famous for asking, "What was I thinking?" talks about her album "Avalanche," her new book, and her hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer podcast.
2024-11-0823 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastAuthor Graeme Thomson on the Engigmatic Kate BushBritish author Graeme Thomson talks about the flamboyant but also press-shy superstar Kate Bush, the subject of the recent update of his incisive biography of her.
2024-11-0821 min
The Jim Motavalli Interview PodcastBilly HarperBilly Harper is a impassioned progressive jazz saxophonist. He is "one of a generation of Coltrane-influenced tenor saxophonists" with a distinctively stern, hard-as-nails sound on his instrument. He was interviewed by Jim Motavalli for WPKN and New York City Jazz Record.
2024-09-2037 min
WPKN Music, Arts, and Culture PodcastLarry Campbell and Teresa Williams interviewed by WPKN's Jim MotavalliAmericana/folk duo Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams chat with Jim Motavalli ahead of their 2024 CT Folk Fest appearance Saturday, September 7th, at New Haven's Edgerton Park.
2024-08-2919 min
WPKN Music, Arts, and Culture PodcastPatterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers interviewed by WPKN's Jim MotavalliWPKN's Jim Motavalli interviews Patterson Hood of the Drive-By Truckers ahead of their 2024 Rhythm and Roots appearance in Rhode Island and amidst their Southern Rock Opera Revisited Tour.
2024-08-2821 min
WPKN Music, Arts, and Culture PodcastAuthor Erica Gies & Jazz Bassist Stephan Crump interviewed by WPKN's Jim MotavalliThis interview features Erica Gies author of Water Always Wins, Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge (winner of the Rachel Carson Award for Excellence in Environmental Journalism) and jazz bassist Stephan Crump who was inspired by the book to write an 18-part suite called Slow Water. The two are joined by WPKN's Jim Motavalli.
2024-08-2818 min
WPKN Music, Arts, and Culture PodcastCory Younts of Old Crow Medicine Show interviewed by WPKN's Jim MotavalliCory Younts of Old Crow Medicine Show is interviewed by WPKN's Jim Motavalli ahead of the group's 2024 Rhythm and Roots, Rhode Island appearance and a 2024 tour.
2024-08-2813 min
RBR+TVBR InFOCUS PodcastThe InFOCUS Podcast: AM Radio, With Jim MotovalliWhat is the purpose of AM radio? Does it have much of a future, given the rise of the electric vehicle and the removal of AM radio accessibility in several EV models from the likes of Tesla to BMW?Those are just some of the questions RBR+TVBR Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson discussed with automotive technology expert Jim Motavalli in an interview airing on WPKN-FM 89.5 in Bridgeport, Conn., at 9:30pm Eastern on November 22.The full conversation can be heard on WPKN, either live or on demand through the end of 2022. We are pleased to offer excerpts of that conv...
2022-11-2212 min
Loving Liberty Radio Network01-26-2022 Liberty RoundTable with Sam BushmanHour 1
* Journalist Peter Schweizer has a new Book, “Red-handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win. The Biden family received around $31M from individuals linked to the highest levels of Chinese intelligence.
* The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the US’ second largest teachers union, is rolling out a nationwide partnership with a “news literacy tool” called NewsGuard “to protect and champion legitimate journalism and fact-based reporting”.
* Ron Paul: ‘Forget the Russians: It’s the Federal Reserve’ – Whether it’s the mainstream media, the CIA, the FBI, or now the Federal Reserve, more and more Americans are waking up t...
2022-01-271h 49
Futility ClosetAlone in the Wilderness In 1913 outdoorsman Joseph Knowles pledged to spend two months in the woods of northern Maine, naked and alone, fending for himself "without the slightest communication or aid from the outside world." In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Knowles' adventures in the woods and the controversy that followed his return to civilization. We'll also consider the roots of nostalgia and puzzle over some busy brothers. Intro: In 1972, a French physicist discovered a natural uranium reactor operating underground in Gabon. In the 13th century the English...
2017-03-2030 min
Begin A Full Audiobook That Is Simply Best-Selling.High Voltage by Jim MotavalliPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/186339to listen full audiobooks.
Title: High Voltage
Author: Jim Motavalli
Narrator: Brian Troxell
Format: mp3
Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
Release date: 04-09-14
Ratings: 3.5 out of 5 stars, 2 ratings
Genres: Environmental
Publisher's Summary:
2014-04-097h 17
KGNU - How On EarthFuture of Electric Vehicles//Diet and AcneJim Motavalli joins us by phone from his home in Fairfield, Connecticut. Jim is the author of a new book titled “High Voltage: The Fast Track to Plug In the Auto Industry” and helped us sort out some of the issues around EVs. Mr. Motavalli is an auto journalist who writes for the New York Times, Car Talk, the Mother Nature Network and PlugInCars.com. Jim has been covering the emerging electric vehicle industry for the last decade. He reported that if he finds some extra money in his sofa cushions he’ll be buying a Tesla Roadster. Rodale Press has do...
2011-12-0622 min
Go Green RadioHIGH VOLTAGE. The Fast Track to Plug in the Auto IndustryOur guest this week is New York Times auto writer Jim Motavalli's with his new book HIGH VOLTAGE: The Fast Track to Plug in the Auto Industry, published by Rodale Books on Nov. 8, 2011. HIGH VOLTAGE is a behind-the-scenes look at the robustly competitive race to dominate the market for electric cars, the larger-than-life moguls behind them, and the changes that are transforming the auto industry. Jay Leno says of the book, "Electricity has always been the best way to power an automobile. At the dawn of the last century, electric cars were the future, and 100 years later they're the future...
2011-11-1156 min