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Posted

Anyone at (or ever been to) this festival? It's one of the more interesting lineups I've seen anywhere. A wide variety of music centered in downtown Knoxville, TN. I'm seriously thinking of going next year. 

Big Ears

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Posted

I'm here and it's great! Came to U-Tenn to give a talk and stayed for this. Best performance so far (although there are way too many to see, and the quality is extraordinary) has been Frederic Rzewski doing "The People United Shall Never Be Defeated." Sat on the floor right next to the piano's open lid and it was mind-blowing. I hope to come back next year.

Posted

I don't have a lot of experience with big festivals but this was my 3rd year at Big Ears and I plan to keep going as long as possible. I went to at least 20 shows this time, including Carla Bley twice, Gavin Bryars twice, M.E.V., Hans Joachim Roedelius, etc. Would have put a few more on my list before the drive home (Rangda, Henry Threadgill, and a Norweigian fiddle player whose name escapes me)  but by the middle of day 4 it takes a real toll on the legs.

Posted

Any comments on the logistics of this festival? Can you walk from venue to venue or do you need a car to get around? How are the venues? Good sound? Are they overcrowded? Is admission smooth and easy?

Posted

They were all within walking distance, maximum 15-20 minutes apart (at a leisurely pace). I found it all very smooth and well-organized. Not every venue chosen was perfect for every act (sometimes a bit too much ambient noise in the Mill & Mine venue specifically) but for the most part the venues were great. No monster crowds, which was really refreshing. Artists were super accessible too, and just a good vibe overall.

  • 6 months later...
Posted

The 2018 lineup was announced this morning,  and it's pretty strong from a jazz point of view.

Abigail Washburn & Wu Fei
Aine O'Dwyer performs William Eggleston's Musik
Algiers
Anna & Elizabeth
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: "In the Light of Air" performed by International Contemporary Ensemble
Anoushka Shankar: "Land of Gold"
Arto Lindsay
Bang on a Can All Stars celebrate their 30th anniversary with works by David Lang, Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe
Bang on a Can All Stars perform Julia Wolfe's "Anthracite Fields"
Bang on a Can All Stars "Field Recordings"
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Béla Fleck & Brooklyn Rider
Bonnie "Prince" Billy
Brimstone & Glory live score performed by Nief-Norf and Wordless Music
Brooklyn Rider
Cleek Schrey & David Behrman
Craig Taborn Quartet
Cyro Baptista & the Banquet of the Spirits
Cyro Baptista presents "Vira Loucos"
Diamanda Galás
Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel
Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble
Four Tet
Gas
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Innov Gnawa
International Contemporary Ensemble
Jaga Jazzist
Jaga Jazzist featuring Ståle Storløkken & Jon Balke
Jason Moran Duo with Milford Graves
Jason Moran presents Fats Waller Dance Party
Bangs (Jason Moran, Mary Halvorson and Ron Miles)
Jenny Hval
Jenny Scheinman presents "Kannapolis: A Moving Portrait"
Jenny Scheinman's "Mischief & Mayhem" with Nels Cline & Scott Amendola
Juana Molina
Julie Byrne
Kelly Lee Owens
Kid Koala (DJ Set)
Kid Koala's "Satellite" Turntable Orchestra
Knoxville Symphony Strings performs "Were You There" with baritone Davoné Tines
Laurel Halo (DJ Set)
Laurel Halo (Live with Eli Keszler)
Lightning Bolt
Lucius
Medeski Martin & Wood
Milford Graves
Nels Cline: "Lovers" with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra and guests
Peter Evans Ensemble
Rocket Science (Peter Evans, Sam Pluta, Craig Taborn, Evan Parker)
Roscoe Mitchell Trios
Rostam
Rova: "The Sound in Space Project"
Rova Channeling Coltrane: "Electric Ascension"
Sam Amidon
Steve Gunn
Steve Gunn & the Black Twig Pickers
Susanna
"Go Dig My Grave" featuring Giovanna Pessi, Frode Haltli, Cheyenne Mize and Susanna
Suuns
Tal National
The Black Twig Pickers
The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda performed by the Sai Anantam Ashram Singers
The Jerry Douglas Band
The Thing
Tyshawn Sorey Trio

 

Posted

My closest friend and oldest musical partner, Rob Rushin, wrote a piece about last year's festival for the wonderful online magazine The Bitter Southerner.

And I've got to put in a plug for perhaps the most obscure ensemble on the bill - Atlanta's Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel. The group is just what the name says it is, and they are pretty far from jazz, if that matters. "Ambient" would be their category, I guess. Scott Burland and Frank Schultz improvise long, atmospheric pieces in which it is seldom clear who is making what sound. They are almost always magical.

Sometimes I think, "I've heard them so many times - do I really need to hear them again?" And I'm always glad I did.

 

  • 2 months later...
Posted

I just ordered day pass tickets for Friday and Saturday.  My Friday priority list

Evan Parker Solo

Rocket Science with Evan Parker

Trio Five with Roscoe Mitchell

Milford Graves

Jason Moran (Fats Waller Dance Party)

The Thing

Rova

Half a dozen others.

 

For Saturday

Evan Parker Electro Acoustic Ensemble

Roscoe Mitchell Trios

Jason Moran and Milford Graves

Peter Evans (if I like him on Friday)

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog.

 

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Here's a venue map, I hope it isn't shrunken too much to be readable.

Big Ears Venues

My Friday looks like:

Roscoe Mitchell kicks off Friday at Noon at the Standard

Rova

Either Ikue Mori or Milford Graves knowing I will have to leave early.

Rocket Science - Evan Parker, Peter Evans, Craig Taborn

Some combination of

Jenny Scheinman with Nels Cline, Bela Fleck and/or Medeski Martin and Wood

The Thing

Jason Moran

Saturday

Scheinman

Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic

end of Bela Fleck

beginning of Peter Evans

All of Jason Moran - Milford Graves

End of Marc Ribot

Evan Parker Solo

Most of Roscoe Mitchell Trios

If not ready to crash then probably more Rova

wow!

 

 

Big_Ears_venues4.png

Posted

I am working on my plan still. At present it is:

Thursday: Jaga Jazzist; Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel; Okkyung Lee

Friday: Roscoe Mitchell Trio Five; Rova, The Sound in Space Project; Milford Graves; Jenny Scheinman Mischief and Mayhem; TAL National; Jason Moran Fats Waller Dance Party.

Saturday: Wu Fei; Cyro Baptista and Banquet of the Spirits; Jason Moran and Milford Graves; Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog; Roscoe Mitchell Trios; Rova, Chanelling Coltrane Electric Ascension.

Sunday: Julie Byrne.

Unfortunately, I have to leave Sunday afternoon so I will miss Bangs. But, Roscoe Mitchell at noon, that is cool. And on the same day, TAL National from Niger.

Posted
On 2/8/2018 at 8:20 PM, kh1958 said:

I am working on my plan still. At present it is:

Thursday: Jaga Jazzist; Duet for Theremin and Lap Steel; Okkyung Lee

Friday: Roscoe Mitchell Trio Five; Rova, The Sound in Space Project; Milford Graves; Jenny Scheinman Mischief and Mayhem; TAL National; Jason Moran Fats Waller Dance Party.

Saturday: Wu Fei; Cyro Baptista and Banquet of the Spirits; Jason Moran and Milford Graves; Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog; Roscoe Mitchell Trios; Rova, Chanelling Coltrane Electric Ascension.

Sunday: Julie Byrne.

Unfortunately, I have to leave Sunday afternoon so I will miss Bangs. But, Roscoe Mitchell at noon, that is cool. And on the same day, TAL National from Niger.

That looks good! I haven't tackled the schedule yet. I'm sure it will be challenging.

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