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Posted

My early thoughts


Thursday
Allison Russell 6-7:15
Bill Frisell 7:30 - leaving early
Joe Lovano w Marilyn Crispell 8:30- 9:30
Los Lobos 9:35 if I can get in leaving early
Vijay Iyer 10:30 - 11:45

Friday
Greg Tardy 1:00 - 2:15
Antonio Sanchez 2:20 Leaving early 
Mary Halvorson Amaryllis & Belladonna 3-5
Arooj Aftab - Vijay Iyer 5 leaving early
Ava Mendoza 5:45
Maybe end of Tyshawn Sorey 6:50 - 7:15
William Parker 8:45 - 9:45
Ned Rothenberg 10 leaving early
Tarbaby w David Murray 11-12:15

Saturday
Zorn 12 leaving early
Christian McBride 1-2:15
Charles Lloyd 4- leaving early
William Parker 4:30 - 5:30
Trio Imagination 5:35 in progress
Sun Ra Arkestra 7-8:15
Rickie Lee Jones 8:20 if I can get in.
Blood Ulmer 9-10
Maybe end of Zoh Amba
Cecile McLorin Salvant 10:45 - 12

Sunday
Zorn 12
Wadada 2:15
James Brandon Lewis 3:15
Bill Frisell 4:15
Sona Jobarteh 5:30
Zorn or C McBride 7
Shara Nova 8
Maybe Zorn 10

Posted (edited)

My  plan has a lot in common but I avoid partial sets.

March 30:

Allison Russell (Bijou)

Joe Lovano Trio (Bijou)

Vijay Iyer/Linda Oh/Tyshawn Sorey (Bijou)

March 31:

Gregory Tardy (Old City PAC)

Mary Halvorson Amaryllis (Bijou)

Mary Halvorson Belladonna (Bijou)

Tyshawn Sorey Trio (Bijou)

Gyan Riley (St. John's)

William Parker In Order to Survive (Bijou)

Tarbaby with David Murray  (Bijou)

April 1:

Bassekou Kouyate (Mill & Mine)

Zorn Suite for Piano (Tennessee Theater)

Charles Lloyd (Knoxville Civic Auditorium)

Etran De L'air (Jackson Terminal) 

Sun Ra Arkestra (Mill & Mine)

James Blood Ulmer (Standard)

Cecile McLoren Salvant (Bijou)

April 2:

Theon Cross (Jackson Terminal)

Wadada Leo Smith (Bijou)

Bill Frisell Four (Bijou)

Sona Jobarteh (Standard)

Aurora Nealand Monocle (Old City PAC).

Marc Ribot Y Los Cubano Postizos (Mill and Mine)

 

 

Edited by kh1958
Posted (edited)
13 hours ago, BFrank said:

You guys are WAY ahead of me. I just took a quick look at the schedule. Saturday looks like there will be LOTS of conflicts and tough decisions.

Saturday is especially loaded.

There's something that is just wrong about the Sun Ra Arkestra led by 98 year old Marshall Allen being in the worst venue, the Mill & Mine, while John Zorn is in the opulent Tennesse Theater.

 

Edited by kh1958
Posted
10 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Saturday is especially loaded.

There's something that is just wrong about the Sun Ra Arkestra led by 98 year old Marshall Allen being in the worst venue, the Mill & Mine, while John Zorn is in the opulent Tennesse Theater.

 

And Zorn doesn't even like playing in "large venues." I remember reading about that last year. BE had to push him to play at the Bijou.

  • 5 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

My fourth Big Ears Festival was once again a wonderful experience. Twenty concerts in 3 and a half days. The first two days I mostly was at the Bijou Theater, which is one of the best concert venues I've ever been to.

Thursday evening:

Allison Russell: I  enjoyed this set--a soulful and expressive singer/songwriter.

Joe Lovano Trio: Marilyn Crispel on piano was the clear highlight of this set.

Vijay Iyer/Linda Oh/Tyshawn Sorey: A quite excellent piano trio. Favorite set of the first day.

Friday:

Gregory Tardy: Composition based on A Pilgrim's Progress for a ten piece group. 

Mary Halvorson, Amaryllis. Vibes player Patricia Brennan was terrific.

Mary Halvorson, Belladonna. Guitar and string quartet.

Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano and Tyshawn Sorey. I'm not the biggest fan of the first two, but Tyshawn is fantastic and this set exceeded expectations.

William Parker, In Order to Survive: The instrumentalists (William Parker, Gerald Cleaver, Rob Brown plus cornet) were good but I absolutely hated the two vocalists. Ruined the set for me.

Makaya McCraven, In These Times: with a twelve piece band, including Brandee Younger and Joel Ross and a string quartet, in the lavish Tennessee Theater. Thrilling and majestic. Definitively my favorite set of the day and perhaps the festival.

Saturday:

Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba: In an earlier festival, I was thinking to myself, I can't believe I'm going to see Roscoe Mitchell at noon. Same thought today for Mali's ngoni ba griot. Just two ngoni ba players, two percussionists, and a vocalist. A fantastic set that was not hampered by the lousy venue (the Mill and the Mine).

John Zorn, Suite for Piano (Brian Marsella on piano, Ches Smith on drums): A pleasing piano trio set.

Charles Lloyd Chapel Trio: With Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan: This was a truly beautiful concert.

Trio Imagination (David Virelles, Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille): It was a long walk from the Knoxville Civic Auditorium to the Point, so I only heard the last half of this concert, but I was glad I did. Reggie Workman (85) and Andrew Cyrille (83) both still sound great.

Vinicius Cantuaria: Some gentle Jobim-like samba mixed with Brazilian jazz.  A strong quartet. I really liked this set.

James Blood Ulmer: An overly crowded venue with not the best sound, (the Standard) but it was great to hear James Blood Ulmer live again. The jagged instrumentals were the best for me. The 83 year old guitarist still sounded in prime form.

Favorite sets of the day: Bassekou Kouyate, Charles Lloyd and Vinicius Cantuaria.

Sunday:

John Zorn, Gnostic Trio (Bill Frisell, Kenny Wolleson (vibes), Carol Emmanuel (harp): Quiet chamber jazz which was pleasing to hear.

Wadada Leo Smith (with piano, cello and Pheroan Aklaff on drums). Very good.

James Brandon Lewis Trio: Loud and a bit too aggressive, but I do like the saxophonist, and he settled down in the last half of the set.

Sona Jobarteh: Transcendent and spiritually uplifting set from the Gambian kora griot and band.

Aurora Nealand The Monocle: A theatrical set, not a jazz set, where she plays accordion instead of the usual soprano saxophone and clarinet.

Favorite sets of the day: Wadada Leo Smith and Sona Jobarteh.

 

Edited by kh1958
Posted
4 hours ago, kh1958 said:

Makaya McCraven, In These Times: with a twelve piece band, including Brandee Younger and Joel Ross and a string quartet, in the lavish Tennessee Theater. Thrilling and majestic. Definitively my favorite set of the day and perhaps the festival.

Would've killed to see this one, especially given that configuration.  Caught McCraven here in Bloomington several years ago in a small-group context and it was outstanding.

Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Dub Modal said:

Were any of these recorded by chance? And was Dezron Douglas playing bass with the McCraven/Younger band? 

No, it was not Dezron Douglas. I didn't recognize the bassist. Unfortunately, I missed Brandee Younger's own set, so I don't know who she had on bass. If anything was being recorded at the festival, it was not announced.

26 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Would've killed to see this one, especially given that configuration.  Caught McCraven here in Bloomington several years ago in a small-group context and it was outstanding.

Yes, I had seen him twice before; this was the best concert of his I have heard so far.

23 minutes ago, Chuck Nessa said:

Thanks for the reports. Sad to have missed this year.

Hopefully next year. On the plus side, they have added three pretty good new venues in the last two years: Old City PAC, the Point (a church), and the Knoxville Civic Auditorium.

 

Edited by kh1958
Posted (edited)

Also my 4th: 26 events. Lots of great music, for sure. Always is.
Favorites in BOLD
*Special shout out for Zorn's Cobra - an INSANE improvised mash-up of noise and fun. He did a similar, but smaller show to end last year's festival, too

THURSDAY                    
Yarn/Wire                    
King Britt - Presents “Moksha Black"    cellist Seth Parker Woods    bassoonist Joy Guidry    Tyshawn Sorey         
Bill Orcutt Guitar Quartet    Ava Mendoza    Shane Parish    Wendy Eisenberg        
Vijay Iyer    Linda May Han Oh    Tyshawn Sorey            
                    
FRIDAY                     
William Parker (Essential Tremors interview)                      
Britt/Sorey discussion                    
Gatos do Sul    Brian Marsella     Cyro Baptista, Tim Keiper, Jon Irabagon    Jorge Roeder, Felipe Hostins, John Lee, Itai Kriss        
Mary Halvorson Amaryllis     trumpeter Adam O’Farrill, drummer Tomas Fujiwara, bassist Nick Dunston, trombonist Jacob Garchik, and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan            
Mary Halvorson Belladonna     Mivos Quartet                
Ava Mendoza    Sue-C (light show)                
Pino Palladino/Blake Mills    Sam Grendel    Abe Rounds            
William Parker - In Order to Survive    Patricia Nicholson    Rob Brown    Cooper-Moore    Gerald Cleaver    Taylor Ho Bayum
                    
SATURDAY                    
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba                    
Jack Quartet - Music of Catherine Lamb                    
Bill Orcutt/Chris Corsano Duo                    
William Parker Mayan Space Station    Ava Mendoza    Gerald Cleaver            
Trio Imagination     Andrew Cyrille    Reggie Workman    David Virelles        
Sun Ra Arkestra    Marshall Allen                
James "Blood" Ulmer    Mark Peterson    Grant Calvin Weston            
Cécile McLorin Salvant    Sullivan Fortner    Marvin Sewell    Keita Ogawa        
                    
SUNDAY                    
Lonnie Holley All-Star Band    James Brandon Lewis    Shahzad Ismaily  [+others]     
Wadada Leo Smith    Ashley Walters, cello    Erika Dohi, piano    Pheeroan akLaff, drums         
James Brandon Lewis Trio    Josh Warner    Chad Taylor            
Justin Adams & Mauro Durante                    
Sona Jobarteh                    
John Zorn: Cobra | 
mary halvorson,wendy eisenberg, will greene - guitar    brian marsella, piano    john medeski, organ    mike nicolas, cello    trevor dunn, acoustic bass    simon hanes, electric bass    sae hashimoto, percussion & vibes    ches smith, aaron edgcomb, kenny wollesen - drums    john zorn, prompter             

Edited by BFrank
  • 1 month later...
  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted (edited)

The initial lineup announcement is out for 2024. Some highlights:

Herbie Hancock

Henry Threadgill

Charles Lloyd

Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dpog

Shabaka Hutchings

Christian McBride

Mary Halvorson

Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters

Julian Lage

Cedric Burnside

Cyro Batista

Dave Holland Quartet

David Virelles

Fatoumata Diawara

Helen Gillet

James Brandon Lewis

Kassa Overall

Kokoroko

Matt Mitchell

Myra Melford

Nic Bartsch's Ronin

Tomeka Reid Quartet

Tord Gustavsen Trio

Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet

Yasmin Williams

Brad Mehldau

Edited by kh1958
Posted

https://bigearsfestival.org/

Rhiannon Giddens is back.  I'm curious about Tyondai Braxton, will check out some streams on Amazon soon.  I'd add Elliiot Sharp and Kirk Knuffke (with John Medeski) to the jazz highlights list. 

No Zorn so far.

Did they hire away a copywriter from Dusty Groove?

Ringdown is the new project of Caroline Shaw and Danni Lee, who between the two of them have a Pulitzer Prize in Music, a handful of Grammys, and a Best Drum Major Award from high school. An electronic cinematic pop duo from Portland, Oregon, their songs float up from the dusty record bin between Brahms and Brandi Carlile. If you took a microscope to the hammers of a 1924 vintage piano, pixelated the image, rendered it in 3D, covered it in sequins, flung it into space, and then called your first love on a rotary telephone, that’s Ringdown.

Posted (edited)

I only see one African artist, but I'm very excited to have the chance to see Mali's Fatoumata Diawara.

And they even have a blues act (for the first time ever?) in the person of Cedric Burnside.

 

Edited by kh1958
Posted
1 hour ago, kh1958 said:

I only see one African artist, but I'm very excited to have the chance to see Mali's Fatoumata Diawara.

And they even have a blues act (for the first time ever?) in the person of Cedric Burnside.

 

There was a VERY bluesy set by James Blood Ulmer this year

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