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Article: Radio & Podcasts

Julianna Barwick & Mary Lattimore: Like Tears In Rain

by Lawrence Peryer
April 11, 2026

Today, we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Julianna Barwick and Mary Lattimore. Julianna is a composer, vocalist, and producer whose music is built almost entirely from layered, looped human voices. Mary is a harpist who has spent years pushing that instrument into a vast, exploratory realm. In January 2025, the two flew ...

Article: Journey into Jazz

Big Ears Gets Bigger: A Personal Perspective

by Todd Steed
April 4, 2026

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 26-29, 2026 Big Ears is growing like a well-fed wild beast. At this rate, the festival might need a “Colossal Ears" rebrand in the next few years. The expansion of venues and options can be overwhelming until you learn the festival's most profound lesson: if you ...

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Zeena Parkins: Invention, Loss, And The Living Harp

by Lawrence Peryer
March 21, 2026

Today we're putting The Tonearm's needle on Zeena Parkins, composer, improviser, and one of the most singular forces in experimental music.Zeena has spent four decades dismantling what the harp can do: through electronics, object preparations, and a series of custom electric instruments she built herself, she's turned a concert hall fixture into something alive ...

Article: Interview

Mary Halvorson: About the Ghosts in the Guitar

by Dean Nardi
January 5, 2026

No, guitarheads, recently Mary Halvorson has been inspired to put out records with her Amaryllis sextet more so than some jaggedy, lyrical shredding, but these are pretty darn good jazz records from a tight ensemble consisting of Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), Jacob Garchik (trombone), Patricia Brennan (vibraphone) and a rhythm section of Nick Dunston (bass) and Tomas ...

Article: Interview

Presenting Great Music: Adam Hopkins and Scott Clark of Out of Your Head Records

by Don Ball
November 3, 2025

It is difficult to make a living as a musician, especially as a jazz musician, and even more so as an avant-garde/free jazz musician. Venues are hard to come by, especially outside of major cities. The COVID pandemic made things worse, closing many of the few places that were available for live jazz. Even putting out ...

Article: Live Review

Big Ears Festival 2025

by Mark Sullivan
April 8, 2025

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 27-30, 2025 This year's festival again featured several spotlighted events (but none of them required special ticketing, as was tried last year). “Across the Horizon" was a series of concerts combining Americana and ambient music, curated by Bob Holmes and the band SUSS. “Age ...

Article: Live Review

Big Ears Festival 2024

by Mark Sullivan
April 1, 2024

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 21-24, 2024 After last year's triumphant tenth anniversary, the festival returned with the slogan “The adventure continues." The iconic and influential Nonesuch Records' 60th anniversary was celebrated with performances by Brad Mehldau, Caroline Shaw, Darcy James Argue, Mary Halvorson, Davóne Tines, Sam Amidon, Hurray for the ...

Article: Live Review

The Trio with Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer and Dafnis Prieto at the Jazz Gallery

by Paul Reynolds
March 1, 2024

The Trio with Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer, and Dafnis PrietoJazz Gallery New York, NYFebruary 25, 2024 For a team of titans --two recipients of MacArthur Foundation “genius grants," plus a Pulitzer Prize winner--The Trio keeps a low profile, even within the jazz community. Perennially busy as leaders, authors and educators, Henry ...

Article: Live Review

Big Ears Festival 2023

by Mark Sullivan
April 17, 2023

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, Tennesse March 30-April 2, 2023 The second full edition after the pandemic found the Big Ears Festival still growing in attendance. Organizers responded by increasing the number of venues, including new ones like the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and ones that had not been used for some time, ...

Article: Live Review

Big Ears Festival 2022

by Mark Sullivan
April 5, 2022

Big Ears Festival Knoxville, TN March 24-27, 2022 The Big Ears Festival found ways to continue virtually during the pandemic—most notably by sponsoring the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival—but there is no substitute for the big glorious eclectic event that is the in-person festival. Past festivals have usually opened with a big kickoff ...