Articles by Todd Steed
Vance Thompson's Reinvention
by Todd Steed
Vance Thompson wears a lot of impressive hats: composer, arranger, professor at the University of Tennessee, and founder of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra. His main instrument was trumpet until a medical setback forced him to reinvent himself as a vibraphonist. This transformation is documented on his new album, “Lost and Found," featuring a high caliber quintet that can do just about anything it wants, from cooking on Thompson's original compositions to brilliant takes on music from Chick Corea ...
Continue ReadingBig Ears Gets Bigger: A Personal Perspective
by Todd Steed
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 try to control your own festival experience, you will fail gloriously. Big Ears, it seems, has other plans for you. Forget FOMO. There is ...
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