Vance Thompson is the founder/music director/arranger of the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra, a professional big band, nonprofit organization based in Tennessee that produces dozens of concerts annually, has performed internationally, released acclaimed recordings, and collaborated with guests such as Monty Alexander, Hank Jones, Eric Reed, Michael Dease, Donald Brown, Carmen Bradford, Gregory Tardy, John Clayton, Stefon Harris and many others. Recent milestones include Thompson’s Grammy-nominated performance on trumpet (What If, Jerry Douglas Band), arranging for the 2023 Grammy-winning (Best Large Ensemble) Count Basie Orchestra album, Basie Swings the Blues and celebrating 25 years as a professor of Jazz Trumpet at the University of Tennessee’s College of Music.