Big Ears: Conversations About Music

Curious Listening In the Streaming Era

What does it mean to be a curious listener? In this episode, recorded live at Big Ears 2026, author and music journalist Liz Pelly joins legendary WNYC radio host John Schaefer to explore the art of curious listening — and what we risk losing in the age of algorithmic recommendations. Alongside guitarist Yasmin Williams, saxophonist Patrick Shiroishi, and musician/podcaster Bob Holmes, they unpack how streaming services reduce listeners to data profiles, and why the music that changes your life rarely comes from a playlist built for you. From Guitar Hero to Tokyo listening bars, vinyl collections to trusted curators, these five share habits, communities, and happy accidents that shaped their musical lives. In the process, they make the case that real discovery requires friction, surprise, and a willingness to sit with something you don't always immediately like or understand.

“He Made the World Bigger”: John Zorn’s Musical Universe

John Zorn’s musical world resists any sort of tidy summation. A constellation of projects that refuse genre’s pull, a deeply-embedded philosophy of artistic risk, and an appetite for assembling untested combinations. Recorded during Big Ears 2026, this panel of Zorn collaborators assembled by journalist Hank Shteamer, on the 10 year anniversary of an article he published in Rolling Stone exploring Zorn’s explorations into metal and heavy rock. In that article, vocalist and Mr. Bungle/Fantomas founder Mike Patton says Zorn “made the world bigger,” through endless curiosity and a constant desire to expand his own musical world, while also expanding the musical horizons of his collaborators and the audience. Classical soprano Barbara Hannigan recalls a lunch in New York after which a forbiddingly difficult score landed in her inbox, a test that reshaped her craft over several years. Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo remembers meeting Zorn at Slim’s and being coaxed from metal’s strictures into the wild freedoms of Cobra and Xu Fang. John Medeski tells of an early ’90s organ‑trio experiment that began with curiosity and, after years away, turned into a sustained collaboration. And bassist Jorge Roeder describes a meeting in a Thai restaurant that led to an ongoing series of projects in which he found himself handpicked for myriad sonic constellations. Listening to each of these musician’s stories, one begins to appreciate the care John Zorn takes in shaping his world as a laboratory for experimentation. Where music serves as an ongoing experiment in attention, courage, and the ever‑expanding possibility of sound.

Festival Culture: Joe Boyd, Ashley Capps & Robert Gordon

At Big Ears 2026, legendary producer Joe Boyd sat down with Big Ears & Bonnaroo founder Ashley Capps and filmmaker Robert Gordon for a conversation around festival culture, prompted by Gordon’s documentary Newport and the Great Folk Dream, which centers on the night Bob Dylan went electric at Newport in 1965. Boyd, who was production manager at Newport that summer at age 22, offers a firsthand account of the moment he calls the birth of a genre. He recalls the fracture that follows. Their conversation doubles as a tribute to Newport Jazz & Folk and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest founder George Wein, who is responsible for the American music festival itself, a template for all others that would follow. Gordon connects his own festival education directly to Wein’s curatorial legacy, while Capps traces his path from hearing music on records from Newport in his childhood home to founding numerous festivals. Meanwhile, Boyd closes the loop, observing that the intimacy of Big Ears feels, to him, like a full circle moment, hearkening back to the spirit of what Newport felt like back in those early days.

Talking Curation (Josh Johnson with Ashley Capps)

In this episode of Big Ears: Conversations About Music, Big Ears founder Ashley Capps sits down with saxophonist, composer, and producer Josh Johnson to explore his inspired guest curation for this year’s festival. Josh and Ashley dig into their feelings on context, discovery and the irreplaceable human element of curation. They discuss the constellation of creative artists Johnson describes as “exceeding the frame,” refusing to be contained by genre or expectation — including Cleo Reed, Qur’an Shaheed, Will Graefe, Chicago Underground Duo, Marquis Hill, Twin Talk, and DeAntoni Parks. This intimate talk reveals some of the secret sauce behind Big Ears' curation and how deep listening is at the heart of everything we do.

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Kaoru Watanabe's Bloodlines Interwoven

Flutist and taiko drummer Kaoru Watanabe discusses Bloodlines Interwoven, a multi-year project exploring heritage, immigration, and diaspora through music and storytelling. The son of Japanese immigrants and symphonic musicians, Watanabe’s path has included formative time on a remote Japanese island, years touring with the taiko ensemble Kodo, and collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Laurie Anderson, Jason Moran, André 3000, and the Silkroad Ensemble. Launched in 2024 with support from the Mellon Foundation, Loghaven Artist Residency, and the Aslan Foundation, Bloodlines Interwoven brings together musicians and storytellers to transform family histories into shared creative work. At Big Ears 2026, the project unfolds across three performances at venues throughout downtown Knoxville. Journalist and music critic Larry Blumenfeld has followed the project since its inception. He joins Watanabe for a conversation about its origins, and how it will comes to life at Big Ears.

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Pat Metheny

Today we have an incredibly rare interview with NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny, who appears for the first time ever at Big Ears 2026 with his Side-Eye project. One of the most prolific and influential guitarists, bandleaders and composers, Metheny has spent the last 50 years making music with the likes of Gary Burton, Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Antonio Carlos Jobim, John Zorn and Meshell Ndegeocello. Here we present him in conversation with WRTI's Nate Chinen. The 20-time Grammy winner is a lyrical and versatile musician who has seemingly played with almost everyone. In this insider's interview, Pat discusses his collaborations with legends of yesteryear: Burton, Jaco Pastorius, Jack DeJohnette, and Roy Haynes. He discusses his contemporary tribe including Brad Mehldau, Antonio Sanchez and Christian McBride; and a new generation of players, particularly drummers, Joe Dyson and Marcus Gilmore. Metheny reflects on the recent growth of his band-leading concept, his admiration for sincerity in music and how truly difficult it is to write one good song. He also opines about Big Ears as a world-renowned pilgrimage destination for serious music heads.

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Marc Ribot

Guitar legend Marc Ribot in dialogue with guest host, cultural critic Larry Blumenfeld (WSJ, The Nation). A true original, Ribot has always gone his own way, recording over two dozen records as a leader, while appearing on an estimated 600 or so albums by others - from Tom Waits’ singular Rain Dogs to Alison Krauss & Robert Plant’s Raising Sand; plus the likes of Elvis Costello, Henry Grimes, John Zorn, Wilson Pickett and Marianne Faithfull. Here, Marc reflects on his early experiences on the New York music scene and his singular evolution as an artist; shares thoughts about the three projects he’s bringing to Big Ears 2026, and discusses his activism, specifically the challenges facing musicians in an age of streaming and AI, and what it means to create—and organize—in ever-changing times.

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12 Highlights of 2025: A 2026 Big Ears Preview

In this special edition of Big Ears: Conversations About Music, four deeply engaged listeners -Ayana Contreras, Piotr Orlov, Liz Pelly, and Steve Smith - survey the sounds that moved them in 2025—offering a preview of just a few of the highlights in store for Big Ears 2026. The conversation encompasses a fiercely prolific Downtown innovator (John Zorn), a wide embrace of the contemporary classical landscape (JACK Quartet, Hania Rani); fiercely independent rock bands (Deerhoof, YHWH Nailgun); folk music deeply rooted in history and identity (Haley Heynderickx, Ryan Davis & The Roadhouse Band) gospel music ripe for the dance floor (Annie & The Caldwells), two vastly different fusions of electronics and improvisation (Patricia Brennan & Flying Lotus) and two trumpeters from Baltimore & Chicago whose sound is deeply informed by local community and collaborators (Brandon Woody & Marquis Hill). This episode offers the kind of snapshot of outsider music scenes that only Big Ears can offer. Explore the common and contrasting musical DNA that defines our ethos. Give it a listen! Tracks Played in this Episode: Annie & the Caldwells I Made It Don’t You Hear Me Calling Marquis Hill I Promise to Listen The Cool Brandon Woody Real Love, Pt. I We, Ota Benga John Zorn (Masada / related works) Jachin (Masada Quartet – Live at Tonic 2001) Sacred Beasts (John Zorn & Dave Lombardo – Memories, Dreams & Reflections) JACK Quartet Conjurations (from Necronomicon, Complete String Quartets) Spectral Waves (from Waves & Particles) Hania Rani Chilling Bambino (from Ghosts) Piano Concerto “Non-Fiction”: I YHWH Nailgun Penetrator Castrato Raw (Fullback) Flying Lotus Ingo Swann Arkestry Patricia Brennan Palo de Oros (Suit of Coins) Antilia Deerhoof Kingtoe Haley Heynderickx Song for Alicia This Morning I Am Born Again Ryan Davis & the Roadhouse Band New Threats From the Soul (Studio) New Threats From the Soul (Live in Cambridge)

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Josh Johnson

On this episode of Big Ears: Conversations About Music, journalist and author Marcus J. Moore sits down with the formidable LA-based saxophonist, composer and producer Josh Johnson, a ubiquitous presence in today’s jazz scene. Big Ears' Ashley Capps was so taken by Johnson’s many performances at Big Ears 2025 that he asked him to curate a series of seven concerts at our 2026 festival. He’ll join Ashley on a future podcast to talk about his curation. Meanwhile, here we shine a light on his warm exploratory sound, often enhanced by electronics. The conversation moves from his early influences, digs into his critically-acclaimed solo records Freedom Exercise and Unusual Object, and discusses his collaborations with Leon Bridges, Jeff Parker and producing Me'shell Ndegeocello's GRAMMY-winning The Omnichord Real Book. Lastly, we hear about the origins of his collaboration with Carlos Niño and Nate Mercereau on Openness Trio, his experience at Big Ears 2025 and how his curiosity has evolved over the years.

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Wild Up Celebrate Julius Eastman & Arthur Russell

Wild Up makes their Big Ears debut as one of the most innovative forces in contemporary music. Led by artistic director Christopher Rountree, the Los Angeles-based ensemble has spent more than a decade reshaping the possibilities of classical performance—merging composed and improvised music, conceptual art, minimalism, and audience-focused experimentation. Violinist-vocalist Darian Donovan Thomas and the group’s many composer-performers help shape projects that feel communal and alive. Here joined by veteran critic Peter Margasak, Rountree and Thomas focus on their history as an ensemble and aligning their creative energies towards two groundbreaking American artists: Julius Eastman and Arthur Russell. Their Eastman projects including "Femenine," developed over more than a decade—channel the music’s intensity, freedom, and disruption, creating performances that feel both fiercely present and deeply vulnerable. Their Arthur Russell work, the 90-minute dance-floor experience, “24→24 Music,” celebrates Russell’s emotional clarity and experimental spirit. Expect aural catharsis, vivid imagination, and boundary-breaking music-making from one of today’s most electrifying new music ensembles.

Reconsidering Americana: Hayden Pedigo & S.G. Goodman

In this episode, journalist and author Liz Pelly (Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist) brings together two singular songwriters — Hayden Pedigo and S.G. Goodman — for a candid exploration of songwriting, place, and authenticity. From the wide-open stillness of West Texas, where Pegido draws inspiration from Sacred Harp singing and the power of silence, to Kentucky’s storytelling traditions that infuse S.G.’s gritty, heartfelt lyrics, these two artists trace the threads between "country" and modern experimentation. Along the way, they talk about how humor, vulnerability, and real life people shape their art — and what it means to stay true to yourself in a noisy, judgmental world.

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Songs & Symphonics: Celebrating Moondog at Big Ears

Journalist Piotr Orlov (of Dada Strain) speaks with Brian Carpenter of Ghost Train Orchestra and collaborator Joan Wasser (a.k.a. Joan As Police Woman) about interpreting the works of Moondog—the blind composer, poet, and New York street icon whose rhythmic inventions, unforgettable melodies, and striking persona (not to mention an iconic Viking costume) made him an underground legend of 20th-century music. Hear this exciting project at Big Ears 2026.

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Lisa Bielawa on Knoxville Broadcast

Composer, vocalist, and project-maker Lisa Bielawa joins renowned classical and new music journalist Steve Smith to discuss her extraordinary Broadcast works, with a spotlight on Knoxville Broadcast, a large-scale site-specific “spatial symphony” commissioned by Big Ears Festival. The project gathers Appalachian musicians, choirs, orchestras, and community ensembles who gradually expand outward in waves of sound, transforming the landscape into an immersive sonic experience. Bielawa also reflects on the origins of Broadcast, community participation, and her wide-ranging career.

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Cécile McLorin Salvant

Two time GRAMMY winner, vocalist and MacArthur Fellow Cécile McLorin Salvant joins critic Natalie Weiner to unpack what it means to be called a jazz singer. Salvant reflects on her musical upbringing in both classical and jazz traditions, contrasting the discipline of one with the freedom of the other. She also shares her excitement about moving beyond "jazz," previewing her brand new Nonesuch Records album Oh, Snap , on which she layers dance grooves into daring audio collages. The conversation touches on her interpretation of the John Henry legend, and her blossoming practice in the visual arts, partly inspired by her mother and grandmother. It’s a revelatory portrait of an artist who remains rooted in song, while constantly expanding her palette as a multimedia post-genre artist. Here’s their conversation.

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Big Ears 2026 Lineup Reveal

Big Ears Festival founder Ashley Capps joins NPR Music critic Ann Powers (a longtime friend of the festival and fellow Tennessee resident) to discuss the recent unveiling of the 2026 festival lineup. From legends like David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn and Pat Metheny to trailblazers like Flying Lotus, Marc Ribot, Wild Up, and Hania Rani, along with a smorgasbord of today’s most compelling artists across genres. Their conversation reveals a behind-the-scenes look at curatorial vision and execution, nurturing community, and encouraging musical discovery.

1965: Sound, Fire & Revolution (Nels Cline, Melvin Gibbs, Chad Taylor) Live at Big Ears 2025

Hear a panel discussion from Big Ears 2025 titled 1965: Sound, Fire & Revolution, where guitarist Nels Cline, bassist Melvin Gibbs, and drummer Chad Taylor, join critic and author Nate Chinen to reflect on a landmark year in music and culture. 1965 gave us works like A Love Supreme, Complete Communion, and Fire Music—that reshaped jazz and echoed broader upheaval. Sixty years later, these artists revisit that seismic moment, revealing how its sounds and struggles still resonate powerfully in our present.

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ganavya, Carlos Niño, Alabaster DePlume with Ann Powers: Live at Big Ears 2025

Hear a deep and searching live conversation from Big Ears 2025 between NPR Music critic and author Ann Powers and three remarkable artists whose practices reach far beyond the boundaries of genre — vocalist, double bassist and composer ganavya, multi-instrumentalist and scene-connector Carlos Niño, and British poet, saxophonist and troubadour Alabaster DePlume. In this wide-ranging interview, they explore themes of interdependence, the evolving meaning of “community,” and the porous line between art and everyday life. They challenge the language we use to describe music and the commodification of creative labor, while offering alternative frameworks grounded in love, joy, ancestry, and intuition.

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Joe Boyd with Ann Powers: Live at Big Ears 2025

At our 2025 festival, NPR critic and author Ann Powers sat down with legendary producer and music historian Joe Boyd for a wide-ranging conversation about his life in music. Boyd reflects on his recently published opus The Roots of Rhythm Remain, and a life at the intersection of sound and history in this intimate and revealing podcast episode.

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Charles Lloyd with Don Was: Live at Big Ears 2025

On this episode, we listen in on a rare exchange between Charles Lloyd — the legendary saxophonist, bandleader, composer, and NEA Jazz Master — and Don Was — President of Blue Note Records — recorded live at the Blue Note Lounge in Jackson Terminal during Big Ears 2025.

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Critics Reflection on Big Ears 2025

Three sharp-eared critics who attended Big Ears 2025—Bill Pearis (BrooklynVegan), Jennie Punter (Musicworks Magazine), and Natalie Weiner (Don't Rock the Inbox)—gather to reflect on the vast sonic and interdisciplinary arts landscape they encountered. From singular encounters to shared moments of awe, they explore the music, the food and the spirit of Knoxville. This talk reveals how Big Ears offers not one experience, but countless parallel journeys that may touch, or never overlap at all. We also pay tribute to the late Michael Hurley. Music featured in this episode: Terry Riley - “In C” Eiko Ishibashi - “Evil Does Not Exist” Hu Vibrational - “Calling to the Water Goddess” Tindersticks - “Don’t Walk, Run” Immersion - “State of Motion” Immanuel Wilkins - “MOSHPIT” Susan Alcorn - “Pedernal” Fieldwork - “Bend” Ambrose Akinmusire - “To: Taymoor” Michael Hurley - “Hog of the Forsaken”

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