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.
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”
Get ready for Big Ears 2025 with this special roundtable featuring Nate Chinen, Ann Powers, Marcus J. Moore, and Ashley Kahn. Our panel of top critics shares favorite moments, past surprises, must-see picks, and even culinary highlights.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned veteran, this lively, insightful conversation is the perfect aperitif to kick off your festival week with the spirit and euphoria Big Ears always delivers.
Critic and author Nate Chinen speaks with banjo trailblazer Béla Fleck about Big Ears' place in the music scene, his early days in New Grass Revival, taking the leap into new projects, the "ancient tones" of bluegrass and even Charlie Parker. Fleck also picks some of his must-see artists on the Big Ears 2025 lineup. You just might be surprised!
Journalist and music critic Larry Blumenfeld (Wall Street Journal, Chamber Music Magazine) sits down with legendary trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith and genre-defying composer Tyshawn Sorey. The discussion delves into the deep connections between sound and silence, the evolution of “creative music,” and the social and political impact of their work.
Smith reflects on his early influences, his revolutionary compositional language, and the powerful legacy of Ten Freedom Summers, while Sorey shares insights into his Pulitzer-winning compositions and his exploration of spontaneous creation. Together, they discuss their unique approaches to composition, performance, and collaboration.
Music critic and author Ann Powers (NPR Music) sits down with singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins, who appears at Big Ears 2025, for an intimate conversation on storytelling through sound, the interplay of nature and technology in music, and the creative process behind My Light, My Destroyer.
A deep dive into sonic intimacy, collaboration, and the art of drawing from life — Jenkins even shares the story behind "Aurora, IL," a song written while isolating in a hotel room with COVID, grappling with the heartbreak of missing her performance at Big Ears.
For the second episode of Big Ears: Conversations About Music, we convened a group of three writers (Vanessa Ague, Grayson Currin, Peter Margasak) and one broadcaster (J. Greg Bryant) to discuss some creative triumphs of 2024 and what they're looking forward to in 2025, both at Big Ears and beyond.
For the first episode of Big Ears: Conversations About Music, critic Nate Chinen speaks with Big Ears co-founder Ashley Capps to talk about the history of the festival and Ashley's own history as a listener, radio host, and presenter.
We'll also hear from three musicians who are intimately familiar with the vibe of Big Ears: banjoist Béla Fleck, guitarist Bill Frisell, and electronics artist Yuka Honda.
Big Ears: Conversations About Music is a podcast that brings together cutting-edge musicians, journalists, and community leaders in discussions about the creative process, collaboration, and the transformative power of music.
Big Ears: Conversations About Music will offer one-on-one talks between artists, roundtables and interactions with fans offering a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and connections that make Big Ears one of the world’s most unique festival experiences.
