1 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,640 Welcome to Big Ears conversations about music. 2 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,600 I'm your host Sarah Gilletti. This week, journalist and author 3 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,160 Marcus J Moore sits down with the formidable LA based 4 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:25,720 saxophonist and composer Josh Johnson. 5 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,880 He's ubiquitous in today's new jazz scene and Gray star stages. 6 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,280 Last year, multiple times in Knoxville, Big Year's founder 7 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,160 Ashley Capps was so taken by Johnson's performances, he asked 8 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:46,640 him to curate a series of seven concerts at our 2026 festival. 9 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,960 He'll join Ashley on a future podcast to talk about that. 10 00:00:50,480 --> 00:00:54,040 But today we take a deeper look into the artistry of Josh 11 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:57,000 Johnson and his genre agnostic sound. 12 00:00:57,440 --> 00:01:00,520 He speaks about his influences, digs into his critically 13 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,239 acclaimed records Freedom Exercise and Unusual Object, 14 00:01:04,599 --> 00:01:07,920 which he says was partially inspired by his collaborations 15 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,600 with Michelle and Degiocello, and discuss his various 16 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,280 collaborations with Jeff Parker and others. 17 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:20,000 Lastly, we get a hint of what he'll be exploring at our 18 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:23,880 upcoming festival, including the quintet, FML, Allman, Johnson 19 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,120 Wilkes and Openness Trio. Let's listen in. 20 00:01:33,370 --> 00:01:35,290 Hello, my name is Marcus J Moore. 21 00:01:35,290 --> 00:01:38,650 I'm an author, music journalist covering jazz and experimental 22 00:01:38,650 --> 00:01:41,610 music at the New York Times and other places. 23 00:01:42,290 --> 00:01:46,170 I'm having a conversation today with a super dope musician. 24 00:01:46,290 --> 00:01:51,280 He's on every project that's out right now, it seems, so it's 25 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,520 always good to talk to the good brother, Josh Johnson, thank you 26 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:56,640 for taking the time and I appreciate you. 27 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,680 Yeah, thanks for having me. I guess I, you know, want to 28 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:03,240 start from the beginning. At what point did you land on 29 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:06,680 music as your creative outlet? So I. 30 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:12,600 Got an older brother who's seven years older than me and he was 31 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,760 like taking piano lessons. And I think I first got into it, 32 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,760 you know, from that age where you're trying to like imitate 33 00:02:19,760 --> 00:02:22,360 your, your siblings, you know, that was me. 34 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:24,040 Like he was playing piano. So I was like, I got to play 35 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,920 piano. I really loved playing piano, 36 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:29,080 but I really didn't like taking lessons. 37 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,120 So I did a few years of lessons and kind of stopped, but kept 38 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:34,240 playing. But we just kind of like teach 39 00:02:34,240 --> 00:02:37,880 myself, kind of play along the recordings, try to figure stuff 40 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:44,680 out at home later, maybe like 10 or 11 got the saxophone, was 41 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,400 still playing piano, but it took a few years before it kind of 42 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:50,720 like clicked that like, oh, this is like, you know, this is my 43 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,320 Ave. of expression. So what was it about the 44 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,160 saxophone though? I think there was like an 45 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,040 initial connection just of like curiosity about the instrument 46 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,720 and then a few years into it, honestly it was hearing some 47 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:09,360 recordings. I remember asking my parents 48 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,840 just for like some C DS. They're big music fans, but not 49 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:17,920 too specifically into jazz. So they kind of went out and 50 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,200 bought like four or five different things. 51 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,280 A bunch didn't really click. But the two that did was one of 52 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:28,120 those Monk compilations, like Genius of Our Music and this 53 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:30,800 Lester Young compilation. There was something about 54 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,160 Lester's playing that was just like he was speaking. 55 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,760 I feel like I was hearing somebody talk directly to me. 56 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:05,600 What was your role then, from discovery of the saxophone to 57 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,600 your journey through music and learning how to play the 58 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:11,760 saxophone? I was just playing in like 59 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:15,040 school as I got a little bit more serious, that kind of 60 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:16,360 encouraged me. They're like, you know, you 61 00:04:16,360 --> 00:04:18,279 should, you should really think about taking lessons. 62 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:23,560 There wasn't really a jazz saxophone teacher. 63 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:30,400 So the teacher that I had at that time was just like, I think 64 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:33,280 you should buy the omnibook. Here's some recordings of 65 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:38,680 Charlie Parker when I didn't have really any like formal 66 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:41,720 instruction in that until I went to college, basically. 67 00:04:42,520 --> 00:04:45,120 When you had that mentor that you know, introduced you to 68 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,720 Charlie Parker, what were the challenges of learning how to 69 00:04:48,720 --> 00:04:53,320 play certain arrangements? I mean, like from the jump, 70 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:56,000 there's just there was like the technical, like there's, there's 71 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:00,920 a, there's a clear like gap between where I am, you know, 72 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,960 and like what is possible. But even, I think I learned a 73 00:05:03,960 --> 00:05:07,520 lot from the approximation, you know, like trying to get as 74 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:10,040 close as I can with the knowledge that I, I, I can't get 75 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:13,760 all the way there. It wasn't overly analytical. 76 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:21,000 It was like, listen, you know, absorb this and like use your 77 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:23,040 ears to try to get closer to this. 78 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:52,480 How did you discover your sound in those moments? 79 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:56,040 Even someone like a Marshall Allen, who's 101, he's still 80 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:57,800 searching. And do you find that you're 81 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:02,160 still searching for your sound? And in those early days, how did 82 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,880 the rigorous study help you develop your own voice? 83 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:15,320 I'm definitely always searching. As I get older, I understand 84 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:16,960 that. Like, your sound continues to 85 00:06:16,960 --> 00:06:22,080 change, right? I think I struggled with music 86 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,280 school. There's so much to take in, 87 00:06:24,280 --> 00:06:26,160 right? There's so many opinions, 88 00:06:26,160 --> 00:06:28,960 there's so much guidance. What speaks to me, what's 89 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,360 relevant to me, everybody's journey is their own. 90 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:35,320 And I feel like, you know, I don't mind it taking a little 91 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:37,760 bit longer if it gets to something that belongs to me. 92 00:06:38,360 --> 00:06:41,680 When I listen back to things that, you know, are very far 93 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,080 from me now, I'm like, I mean, that still sounds like me. 94 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,280 There's sort of like a core stuff that's that's always 95 00:06:48,280 --> 00:06:50,080 there, even if I feel very far from it. 96 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:54,760 When you become a creative person, you may have these 97 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,640 outside opinions or these teachers that are telling, you 98 00:06:57,640 --> 00:06:59,480 know, you need to sound like this or sound like that. 99 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:02,640 And what I appreciate about your work is that to me at least, it 100 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:06,160 sounds like a person who's very comfortable doing his own thing. 101 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,200 And it's the same advice that I give a lot of people. 102 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:13,080 And for you, it's worked. Your name is all over the place 103 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:15,680 right now. We're on a Big Ears podcast. 104 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,480 You were all over Big Ears. I feel like you were in every 105 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,320 venue. So your work is definitely an 106 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,280 exercise in believing in your creative voice. 107 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,600 And it'll come back around to you. 108 00:07:55,400 --> 00:08:03,280 The I didn't even realize this. You were a musical director for 109 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:07,160 Leon Bridges. I was for about four, 4 1/2 110 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:09,240 years. It kind of came about initially 111 00:08:09,240 --> 00:08:11,680 through my homie who I improvised a lot with. 112 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:19,320 And so, yeah, I've been living in LA and playing with my friend 113 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:24,400 Nate Mercero, great producer and multi instrumentalist. 114 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,640 He'd written a lot of music with Leon and that crew. 115 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:29,640 He was like, you know, they mentioned that they're trying to 116 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,720 change things up with the bands. He's like, I think you'd be a 117 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:35,280 good fit. He kind of put me in touch with 118 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:40,440 Leon's management and we had a few conversations about it. 119 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,600 And part of this is like arranging, you know, part of 120 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,000 this is like rehearsing. Part of this is kind of like 121 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:50,240 feels connected to teaching, like understanding how people 122 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:51,760 feel comfortable and do their best. 123 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,920 Part of it's like producing. And so I've done all the things 124 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,640 involved with this, never organized under this kind of 125 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:02,040 banner. But anyway, so all that to say, 126 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,680 it kind of came about initially through like, yeah, through 127 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:08,240 through my homie who I improvised a lot with. 128 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,280 Now your first record was Freedom Exercise. 129 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,160 Like, what was the creative intent behind that record? 130 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:17,960 What did you want to convey with that music? 131 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,600 Started as I didn't really know I was making a record. 132 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,160 I feel like I was asking myself a lot of questions. 133 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,680 I think I I had been making music before that more in touch 134 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:31,520 with like the modern jazz world that was happening at that time. 135 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:36,480 And I found myself just personally being like, this 136 00:09:36,480 --> 00:09:42,080 doesn't feel like me. I'm not sure that this is the 137 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:46,240 music I want to make basically. So it started as like just a 138 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,800 couple ideas that I was like my friend Paul who who produced 139 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:53,040 that record with me. It's like, why don't you just 140 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,960 come into the studio? Let's see, let's just see. 141 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,320 The Freedom Exercise is kind of an encouragement or an 142 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,240 invitation to other people. But it's also very much about 143 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:03,840 for myself to kind of go back into the foundation in question, 144 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:08,040 which things belong to me? You know, which things have I 145 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:09,600 been carrying that belong to somebody else? 146 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,040 You know, where does the saxophone fit? 147 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,960 Where else can it go? What happens if it's not just 148 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,160 saxophone foreground, everything else background. 149 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:23,080 What's it like to like explore some of the different techniques 150 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:26,280 that I that I'm interested in? I had a friend that they 151 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,120 described something as a freedom exercise, something that you do 152 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:35,200 for yourself to break free of some things that almost that 153 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,560 you're allowing to restrict yourself. 154 00:10:37,560 --> 00:10:40,680 You know whether you understand that you are the one allowing 155 00:10:40,680 --> 00:10:43,320 them, allowing that, or creating that restriction. 156 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,280 As you were completing the record, was there any sort of 157 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,400 catharsis that came through before it came out, before you 158 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,720 put the record out? I think, I think there was some 159 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:28,800 catharsis later part of finding one's voices like authenticity 160 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:32,880 to like being honest about what it is that moves you, you know, 161 00:11:32,920 --> 00:11:35,760 what compels you, what speaks to you, Because I think we often 162 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,400 talk about finding the voices like this, like this labour. 163 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,120 I got to push through all the, you know, I gritting my teeth 164 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:47,920 and I'm finding this thing. And I think my experience is 165 00:11:47,920 --> 00:11:51,640 like, oh, maybe it's like, it's not that, you know, like, like 166 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,600 it's actually stepping back and like looking at this larger 167 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,160 picture and being like, well, what, what's important to me, 168 00:11:58,160 --> 00:11:59,320 you know, what do I care about? What? 169 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,640 What am I curious about? What if I allow all that into 170 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:11,040 the process, you know? What was the difference in with 171 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:14,840 the project unusual object? Yeah, that was big, big 172 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:16,240 difference. Yeah. 173 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,000 I'd always been interested in the kind of incorporating 174 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:22,760 electronics, manipulating sound in a lot of different ways, like 175 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,520 making electronic music. It's like different doorways to 176 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:30,920 the same place. So in that realm, there have 177 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:35,200 been a lot of kind of ideas that had been developed for me 178 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:38,400 through improvisations, specifically with Jeff Parker's 179 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:45,000 Quartet. That group kind of found its own 180 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,080 kind of language. There was a lot of like kind of 181 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:53,800 Sonic experimentation and, and ideas that developed over those 182 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:56,640 years for me. And I think so partly with 183 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,200 unusual objects. Part of the question for that 184 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:03,360 record for me was like what's it like to kind of try to create 185 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:06,560 the context as well? Like you mentioned, I had been a 186 00:13:06,600 --> 00:13:12,120 musical director and decided to step away from that. 187 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,760 I'm going to do something pretty much by myself. 188 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,760 You know, I would say it's fully reactionary, but kind of like I 189 00:13:19,760 --> 00:13:23,760 haven't done that. I'm curious to see what happens 190 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:28,200 if I extend my imagination, you know, beyond just, like, being 191 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,680 the saxophone player. You know, one of the things that 192 00:13:31,680 --> 00:13:36,240 happened over the life of that gig with Jeff was like, it felt 193 00:13:36,240 --> 00:13:39,080 less like, OK, I'm putting an effect on the saxophone and more 194 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,360 like, OK, this is now part of the way I imagine. 195 00:13:42,160 --> 00:13:45,920 Can your oral imagination be extended to, like, the way you 196 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:49,240 affect the sound, the way the filter interacts with pitch? 197 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:52,240 Can I imagine that the same way I try to hear an F# or 198 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,160 something? You know the imagination is the 199 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,360 instrument. You know the saxophone. 200 00:13:57,360 --> 00:14:00,760 It's the most comfortable device for expression for me. 201 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:05,360 But I stay preaching that the imagination is the instrument. 202 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:44,120 You produced Michelle and Diclo Cello's Omni Accord Real book, 203 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:48,240 and I remember speaking to her for the profile I did at the 204 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:52,440 Washington Post, and she immediately sang your praises. 205 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,800 She was like, no, like, you know, she was talking you up. 206 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,720 Did you have to contort yourself to produce Michelle's album? 207 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:03,640 What kinds of approaches did you bring to working with her? 208 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:08,040 I don't feel that I had to contort at all. 209 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,160 I learned so much from just being near Michelle, getting a 210 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:16,320 glimpse into what her creative process looks like. 211 00:15:16,640 --> 00:15:20,560 And honestly, the experience of Michelle kind of illuminated a 212 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,360 few things for me. You know, there's, there's being 213 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:26,960 in a space as like a person who does a role, right? 214 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:29,800 Like we need a saxophone player. We need a producer, I need a 215 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:33,840 writer, you know, And then there's like, like, no, we need 216 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,480 you. We want you specifically for not 217 00:15:37,480 --> 00:15:40,360 just the thing that you do, but your perspective. 218 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:45,040 I really felt not just allowed, but encouraged to show up just 219 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:50,000 fully, you know, with, with me as I am, you know, I was, I'm 220 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,760 not gonna lie, I was intimidated. 221 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:59,320 I was so surprised and honoured for them to think of me to 222 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,880 produce the record. You know, there was doubt, you 223 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,080 know, of like what? Like what am I going to tell 224 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,040 you? Like, you know, like, like what? 225 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:15,520 What idea do I have that you, you know, But yeah, I often 226 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:20,040 describe it as like, you know, I received an education. 227 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:23,600 Michelle is just to the point of imagination. 228 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,880 Like I think, imagine so vividly. 229 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:37,760 I think my experience producing Michelle's record kind of opened 230 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:42,200 me up to welcome more influence, just ways of approaching making 231 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,320 things. You know, if it's music that you 232 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:47,320 care about, if it's if it's art that touches you, like, why not 233 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,600 allow all of that into the process of making? 234 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:51,640 And I think Michelle's a master of that. 235 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,160 There's a synthesis that is very inspiring. 236 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,640 I didn't really hear a lot of jazz on it, and that I don't 237 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,440 mean that as a flight. Like I heard some folk on there, 238 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:16,400 I heard some souls, some funk, I heard everything. 239 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:18,599 When I hear your music, it's the same thing. 240 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:20,960 It doesn't sound like one thing in particular. 241 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,520 Another record that's coming out sooner than later, The Openness 242 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,880 Trio Project. What can you tell me about how 243 00:17:27,880 --> 00:17:30,360 that came together? It's you, Nate Mercer or Carlos 244 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:33,240 Nino albums coming out on Blue Note Records. 245 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:39,840 We actually played up together during the pandemic and some of 246 00:17:39,840 --> 00:17:42,960 the first kind of musical experiences I had with people 247 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:46,320 after things being locked down with the two of them because we 248 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:50,640 would, we would meet somewhere outside and improvise and record 249 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:54,080 it, you know, And I think there was a real like gratitude and 250 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:58,400 sense of trust with each other. That's where the music is coming 251 00:17:58,400 --> 00:18:01,120 from emotionally. That's how it's how I ended up 252 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,280 kind of getting connected with with Leon Bridges. 253 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:07,320 But like, I think we've always connected in being people who 254 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,120 have a lot of different interests and then always and 255 00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:13,080 who are always kind of interested in, like, evolving 256 00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:14,640 and finding different ways of expression. 257 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,000 I don't know that any of us would have imagined music like 258 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,400 this coming out on a blue note, you know? 259 00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:25,080 But it's exciting. And yeah. 260 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,760 I feel like everybody has a big year story. 261 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:10,400 So I'm curious, you know, as a person who was, like I said, all 262 00:19:10,400 --> 00:19:12,360 over big years, you were doing all the things. 263 00:19:12,640 --> 00:19:14,800 What was your big years like this past March? 264 00:19:15,040 --> 00:19:19,000 How was that? It was beautiful, you know, it 265 00:19:19,000 --> 00:19:23,880 was, it was, it was busy for me hopping between a number of 266 00:19:23,880 --> 00:19:26,040 different things, but it was really magical. 267 00:19:26,240 --> 00:19:29,080 I don't know, it's very special, you know, like, like walking 268 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:31,480 down the street and running into people I hadn't seen in 10 269 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,480 years, you know, and like all these different people kind of 270 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:39,480 coming together. You know, I have a memory of I 271 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:41,360 was like walking with my stuff. I was going to go drop it at the 272 00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,800 hotel. But then like just sort of 273 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:46,240 coalesced on the street corner, like a whole bunch of different 274 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:48,440 people coming from different gigs, musicians all kind of 275 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,360 running into each other. And then it's like we are 276 00:19:50,360 --> 00:19:54,520 hanging here for two hours, you know, like very just like 277 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,400 beautiful, spontaneous. Yeah. 278 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,400 Connection in that way. That's one of the biggest 279 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:05,520 memories in my mind is just like, yeah, that that sort of 280 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,840 connection in different worlds colliding, you know, different 281 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,040 scenes. People who've been meaning to 282 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:11,640 meet each other, who who admire each other's work, all kind of 283 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:15,280 just like getting to be together in that way. 284 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:19,920 Macy Stewart's set, which really blew me away. 285 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:27,400 Kind of micro tonal 3 parts. String piece particularly, 286 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:32,400 there's this one particular moment that's that's stuck with 287 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,520 me. They're sort of playing these 33 288 00:20:36,520 --> 00:20:41,360 voices of a chord, but it's sort of slowly slides down and pitch 289 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:46,720 micro tonally in a way that like everybody in the room, like you 290 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:49,680 saw everybody move. It was incredible to to observe 291 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:54,000 everybody in the room sort of like have a physical reaction in 292 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,160 the same way. And I really appreciate your 293 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,360 time. I just got one more question for 294 00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:02,240 you. I wrestle with my own evolution 295 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:06,200 as a writer, and I always like talking to fascinating, creative 296 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:08,520 people like yourself about your own evolution. 297 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:11,640 So how would you say you've evolved over the years 298 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:17,480 creatively? I would say my mind is much more 299 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:26,240 open. I would say yeah, I'm a lot more 300 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:32,360 curious. And I think I understand 301 00:21:32,360 --> 00:21:38,240 curiosity as one of the most important things to evolution, 302 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:41,400 trying to pay attention to which things are like Sparky and my 303 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:43,440 curiosity. And like, if it's doing that, 304 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,240 let me go there. Let me go explore. 305 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:05,480 Big Ears Conversations about Music is a production of Big 306 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,520 Ears Festival. The show is produced by Matt 307 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:12,200 Marowitz. Ashley Capps is the executive 308 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:13,960 and artistic director of Big Ears. 309 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:19,600 Big Ears 2026 will take place March 26th through 29th, 2026 in 310 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,280 Knoxville, TN. Full schedules by day and venue 311 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:26,280 are now available online. For more information and 312 00:22:26,280 --> 00:22:29,040 updates, visit bigearsfestival.org. 313 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:34,240 Thanks for listening and until next time, keep those ears wide 314 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:34,600 open.