Big Ears 2023

It's on:

https://bigearsfestival.org/

Big Ears, celebrating 10 years as “one of the world’s greatest music bashes” (The New York Times) when it returns March 30 - April 2, 2023, has announced the first wave of programs scheduled for that special weekend, with full festival weekend passes going on sale Wednesday, September 14, at 9am EST.

Once again, Big Ears offers a bold, head-spinning kaleidoscope of multi-genre, multi-generational musical adventure. Jazz legends like saxophonist Charles Lloyd, Christian McBride, and William Parker share the line up with banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, beloved chanteuse Rickie Lee Jones, and Latin rock legends Los Lobos, along with a gathering of beloved alt-folk rockers like Iron & Wine, Andrew Bird, The Mountain Goats, Devendra Banhart, Bonny Light Horseman, Kevin Morby, Son Lux, The Weather Station, and more.

Other highlights on tap for 2023 include bassist Pino Palladino’s collaboration with songwriter/producer Blake Mills, along with Sam Gendel; composer/bass virtuoso Edgar Meyer’s dazzling “Trios” with violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Joshua Roman; composer/bandleader/drummer extraordinaire Makaya McCraven’s opus In These Times; Scottish harp virtuoso Maeve Gilchrest’s The Harpweaver, with the Aizuri string quartet; and Love in Exile, a collaboration between Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab, pianist Vijay Iyer, and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily.

Big Ears will present the North American premiere of guitarist Bill Frisell and his trio with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, with arrangements by Michael Gibbs.

A series of special concerts will highlight the iconoclastic, groundbreaking work of composers Éliane Radigue and Annea Lockwood, along with relative newcomer Catherine Lamb, in a series of concerts performed by Nate Wooley, Yarn/Wire, and the JACK Quartet. In addition, the Mivos Quartet will perform a concert of Steve Reich’s complete string quartets, including Different Trains.

After a thrilling and exuberant nine-show marathon in 2022, iconoclastic composer John Zorn will celebrate his 70th birthday with eight new programs, including a rare appearance by the explosive Painkiller, his trio with bassist/producer Bill Laswell and ex-Slayer drum maestro Dave Lombardo, and culminating with an all-star realization of Zorn’s classic game piece, Cobra.

Painkiller!

I may miss this one, the big performer lineup looks Mojo-ey, and there's just not enough I'm willing to travel to see. Not ever been a Zorn fan, really. What's the deal with having a Zorn minifestival two years in a row?

Zorn did a stint out here at the Chapel and I caught the Terry Riley/Zorn/Laurie Anderson combination -- and I mean, with that in my brain, any other performance might just seem secondary. (As it is the timing is always wrong for this for me so I'll have to ponder from afar.)

I think the back-to-back Zorn feature is just that he had a great time last year and really wanted to come back and do something as part of his 70th birthday plans.

Besides Zorn stuff I’m super psyched for the Vijay Iyer combos, William Parker, James Blood Ulmer, Kali Malone. And then some people like Los Lobos and Rickie Lee Jones, who are obviously on the Mojo end of things, sure, but I’ve never seen so I’ll be happy to.

If I lived closer to Knoxville I’d do it no doubt, I’d be interested in the Elaine Radigue and Annea Lockwood stuff for sure.

I’m so incredibly psyched already

This awesome looking fest always takes place during our spring break, so I can never make it. Sigh.

I still think that this years + last years lineups is missing something more harsh.

Altered Beast, produced by Richard Dashut, is kind of his grunge Rumours – check out the bgd vic on “Time Capsule.” “Someone to Pull the Trigger” may be his most moving song.

Besides Zorn stuff I’m super psyched for the Vijay Iyer combos, William Parker, James Blood Ulmer, Kali Malone. And then some people like Los Lobos and Rickie Lee Jones, who are obviously on the Mojo end of things, sure, but I’ve never seen so I’ll be happy to.

ok I see it now

Also, hooray for zombie Zing posts.

Arkestra and Subotnik... Lineup got insane

https://bigearsfestival.org/surprise-new-artist-additions/

also psyched about Beth Orton and Kae Tempest

think i'm finally going to this.

The latest Zorn is his Hermetic Organ show from last year... What other CDs are Big Ears sets? I know the Body/Head 'No Waves' album was from 2014 and Fennesz/Daniell/Buck was 2009

Jason Moran and Milford Graves

Also email from organizers today report that Amadou and Mariam and Beth Orton have dropped out.

Wadada Leo Smith and Andrew Cyrille added, making my decision to skip this year questionable. Glad I saw them at the Vision Festival last year.

for those NYers not able to make Big Ears, consider Long Play.
$380 for VIP, $200 for base level

https://bangonacan.org/long-play-2023/

Bang on a Can's Long Play festival returns in 2023 with 50+ adventurous concerts over 3-days at 8 venues in downtown Brooklyn. Featuring the Art Ensemble of Chicago, the Philip Glass Ensemble, Meredith Monk and Bang on a Can All-Stars, Caroline Shaw, Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn, Mount Eerie, Tyshawn Sorey, and many more.

A 3-Day Pass includes entry to all 50+ concerts, including Meredith Monk and Bang on a Can All-Stars MEMORY GAME opening night concert, May 5th co-presented by Town Hall at Pioneer Works.

A 3-Day SUPPORTER PASS also includes an exclusive afterparty with Meredith Monk and Bang on a Can in celebration of Meredith's 80th Birthday. Supporter Passes also FULLY subsidize the purchase of one LONG PLAY 2023 day-pass for persons unable to pay for the cost of a full priced ticket. So you'll get to see 50+ great shows and feel the warm glow of buying someone else a ticket too! Supporters will also access festival meet and greets with composers, artists and a celebratory toast with the performers at the culmination of the festival.

Confirmed lineup (with more to come):
75 Dollar Bill Little Big Band, Adam O'Farrill's Stranger Days, Alarm Will Sound, Alvin Singleton, Annea Lockwood, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bang on a Can All-Stars, big dog little dog (Jesse Montgomery + Eleonore Oppenheim), Brandon Lopez and Fred Moten duo, Caroline Shaw, Catherine Lamb, Christopher Otto, Conrad Tao, Dave Liebman + Kenny Werner, David Friend, David Sanford Big Band, David Lang, Doug Perkins, Eliana Glass, Exo-Tech, Ganavya + Shabaka Hutchings, Greg Davis, Gyan Riley + Krishna Bhatt, Harriet Tubman, Ian Chang, Iannis Xenakis, Iva Bittová, JACK Quartet, James Brandon Lewis + Chad Taylor duo, Jessica Moss, Joseph Branciforte + Taylor Deupree, June McDoom, Julia Wolfe, Kalbells, Kalia Vandever Quartet, LITURGY, Lori Goldston, Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, Michael Gordon, Momenta Quartet, Morton Subotnick, Mount Eerie, Nailah Hunter, Nathalie Joachim, Nu Jazz, Philip Glass Ensemble, Quince Ensemble, Sō Percussion, Scarcity, Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn, The Hands Free, Time Wharp, Thumbscrew (Mary Halvorson, Michael Formanek, Tomas Fujiwara), Tyondai Braxton/Jefre Cantu Ledesma/Ben Vida, Tyshawn Sorey, University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble, Vicky Chow, Yarn / Wire

just now planning out my schedule and my god, the choices seem especially impossible this year

I have so many irresolvable conflicts. And even when I resolve them I end up second-guessing. Like I just realized I really can't miss Bill Orcutt Thursday night, which complicates my evening significantly.

prrrrrrrrrrrrobbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbably not going to this one anytime soon lol

but haela ravenna hunt-hendrix apparently is so maybe i'm just chickenshit lol

Another one down

THURSDAY
Jake Smith/Jonathan Keeney duo
Yarn/Wire
Phill Niblock
Los Lobos
Vijay Iyer Trio

FRIDAY
Stephen O’Malley
Kali Malone
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer & Shahzad Ismaily
Tyshawn Sorey Trio
William Parker
Mark Ribot: The Jazz-Bins
Lesley Flanigan

SATURDAY
Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba
‘32 Sounds’
Bill Orcutt & Chris Corsano Duo
The Bad Plus
Etran De L’Aïr
John Zorn: Bagatelles Part 2
James “Blood” Ulmer
Tim Gick
John Zorn: Bagatelles Part 1
John Zorn: New Masada Quartet

SUNDAY
Wadada Leo Smith
John Zorn: Bagatelles Part 3
James Brandon Lewis Trio
Rica Chicha
Evan Ziporyn
Peter One
John Zorn with Trevor Dunn & Dave Lombardo
John Zorn: Cobra

but haela ravenna hunt-hendrix apparently is so maybe i'm just chickenshit lol

Liturgy's set was lit, fwiw. I feel like they were a lot more powerful and bottom-heavy this time than when I saw them some years back, but maybe it was just a better sound system. They rocked, in any case. The crowd loved it.

I overlapped with you on some of the jazz, Whiney. I thought the Vijay Iyer Trio the first night was spectacular, even better than I expected. Other favorites of mine: Allison Russell, Irreversible Entanglements, Kali Malone's Living Torch, William Parker's Mayan Space Station, caroline.

Kate NV was great, too, but I had to flee for my ears' sake after a bit.

I needed that life-affirming John Zorn finale - Oneohtrix Point Never was a 75-minute anxiety attack

I needed that life-affirming John Zorn finale - Oneohtrix Point Never was a 75-minute anxiety attack

otm

SOME HIGHLIGHTS
— Best of the fest is probably Etran De L’Aïr, just absolutely electric. There’s at least four or five touring desert rock bands now that are better than any American rock band, it’s crazy
— Cobra with FOUR DRUMMERS was amazing: Wolleson is MVP, bass player from Trigger is the chaos engine. Insane that Wolleson was just smoking these young cats and Dave Lombardo
—Vijay Iyer trio but basically watching Tyshawn Sorey 90% of the time
—Los Lobos, still amazing
— Phill Niblock front row brodown with aerosmith and crüt
—Tupelo Honey chicken and waffles

SOME LOWLIGHTS
—I think they oversold the fest: long lines & rooms hitting capacity. This is my 8th Big Ears and I’ve never heard of the TENNESSEE THEATER (cap 1,645) having to turn people away
—The Bad Plus, who I’ve seen amazing sets by maybe three times, sounded like a jam band
—For some reason I thought I had the right of way while on a Bird scooter, braked to avoid being hit by a car and absolutely ate shit. Flintstone lump on my right knee, scrape on my arm and pain on my left leg.

Another lowlight is knowing that I won’t be able to go to Big Ears 2024 unless I get a job soon

They did raise ticket capacity this year because of adding the Civic Auditorium as a venue. But since the size of the individual venues didn’t change, that definitely meant more people trying to get into the smaller ones (and the larger ones, like the Tennessee Theatre). I was still able to get into everything I wanted, but I did make sure to show up like a half-hour early for anything that was a priority. Of course I had a media pass that let me use the “Premier” lines, was definitely harder on the GA passes.

Liturgy's set was lit, fwiw. I feel like they were a lot more powerful and bottom-heavy this time than when I saw them some years back, but maybe it was just a better sound system.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra)

checks out, us trans women are notorious for all being bottoms :)

lol well she was killin' it.

How was Blood Ulmer? He was maybe the one act I *really* wanted to see this year.

Agree re. Sorey – when I saw him with Iyer and Oh a few years ago he was mesmerizing.

Blood Ulmer was all right. If you don't appreciate slap bass, you might have had a hard time.

I wanted to see him but picked Rickie Lee Jones because I've never seen her and don't when my next chance will be. (She was great, fwiw.)

Slap bass sucks. But Harmolodic Slap Bass is awesome.

Who was in his band? Amin Ali?

Did anyone go to the Eliane Radigue performance? If so, what was it like? I’m assuming she wasn’t personally in attendance, but I was shocked to see how many octogenarians who showed in 2022.

I was there - she was not in attendance. It was supposed to be a performance by Nate Wooley (trumpet) and Carol Robinson (clarinet), who had both been taught their pieces directly by Radigue, but Robinson was unable to attend due to illness, so it ended up being just one solo trumpet piece. I was transfixed though.

Awesome, thanks for the update, crüt