In this September 2017 conversation with Ken Vandermark, Ballake Sissoko & Nicole Mitchell discuss early experiences with music, improvising across musical traditions, and working in different languages.

In this June 2017 conversation with Seth Kim-Cohen, Lou Mallozzi improvises his way through an intertwined performance and interview.

In this September 2021 conversation with Andrew Clinkman, Jessica Ackerley talks about playing clean electric guitar, the role of enjoyment in playing music and collaborating with Shane Parish in Hawai'i.

In this August 2020 conversation with Ken Vandermark, Magda Mayas talks about her early musical influences from her family and seeing Cecil Taylor, shares her experience being a student of Misha Mengelberg, and discusses her techniques working with a prepared piano.

This week's Option Talks podcast episode features pianist and composer Mabel Kwan. In this conversation from 2019, Mabel talks with Tim Daisy about who and what influences her music, and how she works at the intersection of multiple musical genres.

In this October 2015 conversation with Ken Vandermark, Terrie Ex and Andy Moor discuss the several social, political and creative scenes in Amsterdam that shaped them, the longevity of The EX, and shines light on the bureaucracy of international artists to be in the United States to share their music.

In this March 2021 conversation with Ken Vandermark, Jim O'Rourke talks about 1980s and '90s Chicago music, the impact of studying on creativity, and his move to Japan. This episode features a playlist assembled by Jim.

In this November 2021 conversation with Andrew Clinkman, Karen Ng talks about her technical exploration as a saxophonist, her ups and downs of her musical education, and they both discuss the similarities and differences of the Chicago v. Toronto scenes.