The Honest Broker

Ted Gioia writes The Honest Broker from the odd vantage point of a jazz historian who also tracks Spotify's numbers closely. He covers music and culture, but the real hook is his running argument that streaming and algorithmic recommendation are quietly wrecking how art gets made and discovered.

Expect long essays rather than quick hits — pieces on forgotten musicians, industry economics, or why a particular art form is dying, each backed by more historical detail than a typical culture newsletter bothers with. It's opinionated and sometimes contrarian, which is part of the appeal for readers tired of consensus takes.