Essential Tremors

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Matthew Shipp (Big Ears Festival Performer) Oct 18, 2026

Show notes

Pianist and composer Matthew Shipp has developed a musical language of his own, one that can be dense and forceful, spare and questioning, and sometimes all of those things within the same performance. Widely known through his work in saxophonist David S. Ware’s quartet, one of the defining groups in the New York free-jazz scene of the 1990s where, alongside bassist William Parker, he helped give that group both its foundation and much of its restless movement. His own recordings, whether for solo piano, a trio, or other combinations of musicians, have built an equally substantial body of work. In this episode, hear how songs by McCoy Tyner, Duke Ellington, and Albert Ayler influenced him. Shipp will perform at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN in April of 2027.

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Nigel Godrich Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

While not necessarily a household name for those outside of certain music circles, there’s a good chance you know what Nigel Godrich’s work sounds like. As a producer and recording engineer, he’s helped make some of the most distinctive records of the past three decades—often with musicians interested in moving beyond whatever worked the last time. His relationship with Radiohead began as an engineer on their second album, The Bends. He went on to co-produce OK Computer, beginning a collaboration that continued through the band’s increasingly adventurous subsequent records, including Kid A (2000), Amnesiac (2001), Hail to the Thief (2003), In Rainbows (2007), The King of Limbs (2011), A Moon Shaped Pool. He also produced Beck’s Mutations and Sea Change, Pavement’s Terror Twilight, and Paul McCartney’s Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, and is a musician himself, too, in Atoms for Peace with Thom Yorke, and in the trio Ultraísta with Laura Bettinson and Joey Waronker. He has a new record with Dhani Harrison titled Dragonflies, which was released September 18, 2026. Hear how songs by The Beatles, Grace Jones, and Public Enemy formed him.

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Joe Westerlund (Big Ears Festival performer) Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Although a drummer by trade and training, Joe Westerlund’s creative output isn’t limited to just that instrument, with a more accurate description being "Percussionist/Improviser/Composer." Initially a member of DeYarmond Edison with Justin Vernon and brothers Brad and Phil Cook, followed by Megafaun after that, Westerlund has since gone on to release multiple solo records, co-founded Setting, a trio with Nathan Bowles and Jaime Fennelly, and record a forthcoming record with Nicole Mitchell called Written in the Universe. We spoke to him live at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN, in March of 2026, where he spoke about how pieces by Milford Graves, Akron/Family, and Olaibe shaped his sensibiities. He'll also be performing at the next Big Ears Festival, taking place on April 1-4, 2027.

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Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie, The Microphones) (Guest Host: Bob Keal) Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Through his work in Mount Eerie and The Microphones, Phil Elverum’s deeply personal, human, and intimate songwriting has left a deep imprint on American underground music over the last 20-plus years. Over 30-odd releases, he has established a literary voice that is both nakedly honest but approachable and that draws the listener in even whilr covering emotionally difficult terrain. Hear how songs by The Ronettes, Julie Doiron, and Popol Vuh shaped his sensibilities. His most recent work, Night Palace, was released under the Mount Eerie imprimatur in November of 2024.

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Brian Harnetty Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Columbus, OH-based composer Brian Harnetty describes himself as an “interdisciplinary artist using sound and listening to foster social change.” While the meaning of such a description may not be immediately apparent, Harnetty’s approach becomes clearer when reading through his CV: he frequently uses archival material such as field and historic recordings to create sound collages, capturing the essence of a subject from the fragments of it he’s collected. Some specific examples of his work in this area are recording projects with the Appalachian Sound Archives in Kentucky, the Sun Ra/El Saturn Creative Audio Archive in Chicago, and the Anne Grimes Collection in the Library of Congress. Harnetty’s work has garnered acclaim from publications ranging from The Wire, to Mojo, to Aquarium Drunkard, all three of which honored his 2022 release Words and Silences, a sonic portrait of the Trappist monk and writer Thomas Merton, on their “year-end best” lists. Here how works/performances by Igor Stravinsky, Frederic Rzewski, and Addie Graham informed his creative development.

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Maria Chavez (Live at Big Ears Festival) Jul 17, 2026

Show notes

Although turntablist Maria Chavez’s work is often performed in contemporary art museums and other rarefied locations, she herself doesn’t come from a place of abstraction or the aloofness that’s sometimes associated with such venues. On paper a deeply experimental artist, her work comes from a place of pure emotion rather than an ideological stance, and embraces the possibilities of the creative accident. A native of Lima, Peru, but raised in the United States, Chavez’s use of broken vinyl and semi-destroyed record needles have set her apart from other practitioners in her field. In addition to her solo work, she is also a member of The Turntable Trio along with Victoria Shen (previous show guest Evicshen) and Mariam Rezaei. Hear how works by Robert Wyatt, Hector Lavoe, and Autechre guided her path. We spoke to her live at the 2026 Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN.

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Sir Richard Bishop (Sun City Girls) Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Over a career spanning almost five full decades, Sir Richard Bishop has carved out a lasting legacy for himself as a singular, prolific voice. In the early 1980’s he founded Sun City Girls with his brother, Alan, and subsequently released 50 full length albums, 20 hour-long cassettes and 12 7” records. He’s also a co-founder of the far-reaching Sublime Frequencies label. Hear how songs by Hoyt Curtin, Farid Al-Atrash, and Sandy Bull guided him creatively. His newest record, Hillbilly Ragas, was released by Drag City in 2025.

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Tom Skinner (The Smile, Sons of Kemet) (Live at Big Ears 2026) Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

In his work with Sons of Kemet, and then in The Smile with Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood, and as a sought after jazz and session drummer, Tom Skinner is very much a known quantity in music circles in the UK and internationally. Also a solo artist, his newest album, Kaleidoscopic Visions, was released by International Anthem in September 2025. Hear how songs by Ornette Coleman, Federico Mompou, and Sam Gendel shaped him. We spoke to him live at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN in March of 2026.

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Shahzad Ismaily (w/guest host Fred Frith) (Live at Big Ears 2026) Apr 29, 2026

Show notes

To try to list all the projects, both solo and group, that Shahzad Ismaily has been a part of would take much more time than we have available, even in this notoriously long-winded medium. Instead, it might be better to offer a small sampling of those with whom he’s collaborated (Sam Smith, Mike Doughty; Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Marc Ribot), and then offer the description of him as a bass player and multi-instrumentalist who’s equally comfortable in the jazz, pop, and experimental idioms, as well as a soulful, generous player and collaborator. Hear him discuss how pieces by U2, Thomas Koner, and Ida change his creative course. Special guest host and previous guest Fred Frith conducted this interview of Ismaily at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN in March of 2026.

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