Big Ears Festival bills itself as “a dynamic, interactive experience that explores connections between musicians and artists, crossing all musical genres while interfacing with film, performance and the visual arts.” In other words, it is one of the more experimental festivals on the circuit and its lineup is appropriately eclectic.
Launched in 2009, Big Ears has made a name for itself as an “avant garde throwdown,” according to Rolling Stone. Headlining this year, March 22-25, are: Medeski Martin & Wood, The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Anoushka Shankar, Roscoe Mitchell Trios, Bang on a Can All Stars, and Nels Cline to name a few. Also on tap are: Kid Koala, Meshell Ndegeocello, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Jaga Jazzist, GAS (Wolfgang Voigt), Diamanda Galás, Arto Lindsay, The Thing, Laurel Halo (DJ), Kelly Lee Owens, and Four Tet.
Additionally, the festival will also be focusing on the folk culture of its Tennessee roots. “Perhaps most importantly is a very dynamic interaction between the global – the internationally acclaimed artists – and the local – our own indigenous culture and sense of place and community. That’s especially exciting to me,” said Ashley Capps, Big Ears founder, in a statement. Speaking to the festival’s inclusive approach, Capps also said, “Here, we want to put things in a different type of juxtaposition. I think Béla Fleck fans should listen to Roscoe Mitchell and Roscoe Mitchell fans should listen to Béla Fleck.”
Thursday, March 22
Nels Cline: ‘Lovers’ with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra and Guests
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
David Hidalgo & Marc Ribot
Anna Thorvaldsdottir: ‘In the Light of Air’ Performed by International Contemporary Ensemble
Kid Koala’s ‘Satellite’ Turntable Orchestra
Jaga Jazzist Featuring Ståle Storløkken & Jon Balke
Meshell Ndegeocello
Susanna
Brooklyn Rider
Jenny Hval
Kid Koala (DJ)
Duet for Theremin & Pedal Steel
Susan Alcorn
Friday, March 23
Medeski Martin & Wood
Bang on a Can All Stars: Field Recordings
GAS (Wolfgang Voigt)
Milford Graves
Jason Moran presents ‘Fats Waller Dance Party’
Béla Fleck & Brooklyn Rider
Jon Gibson’s ‘Visitations’
Susanna feat. Giovanni Pessi, Frode Haltli & Cheyenne Mize
Trio Five feat. Roscoe Mitchell, Junius Paul, & Vincent Davis
International Contemporary Ensemble
nief norf & Wordless Music: Brimstone & Glory Live Score
Arto Lindsay
Rocket Science (Evan Parker, Peter Evans, Craig Taborn, Sam Pluta)
Kid Koala’s ‘Satellite’ Turntable Orchestra
Cyro Baptista Presents ‘Vira Loucos’
Evan Parker
Rova: The ‘Sound in Space’ Project
The Thing
Tal National
Steve Gunn
Algiers
Jenny Scheinman ‘Mischief & Mayhem’ with Nels Cline and Scott Amendola
Aine O’Dwyer
Jaga Jazzist
Innov Gnawa
The Black Twig Pickers
Okkyung Lee
Ned Rothenberg
Yuka C. Honda ‘Eucademix’
Ikue Mori
Laurel Halo (DJ)
Jon Balke
Saturday, March 24
Anoushka Shankar ‘Land of Gold’
Roscoe Mitchell Trios
Bang on a Can All-Stars: Julia Wolfe’s ‘Anthracite Fields’
Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda: The Ashram Experience
Diamanda Galás
Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Rova Channeling Coltrane: ‘Electric Ascension’
Four Tet
Jon Gibson
Aine O’Dwyer Performs William Eggleston’s ‘Musik’
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog
Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble
Laurel Halo Live with Eli Keszler
The Jerry Douglas Band
Jason Moran & Milford Graves
Cyro Baptista and Banquet of the Spirits
Jenny Scheinman Presents ‘Kannapolis: A Moving Portrait’
Kid Koala’s ‘Satellite’ Turntable Orchestra
Arto Lindsay & Paal Nilssen-Love
Steve Gunn & the Black Twig Pickers
Kelly Lee Owens
John Medeski
Wu Fei & Friends: Improv Game
Peter Evans
Billy Martin
Cleek Schrey & David Behrman
Johnny Gandelsman plays Bach
Anna & Elizabeth
Sunday, March 25
Bang on a Can All Stars: 30 Years
Bangs (Jason Moran, Mary Halvorson, and Ron Miles)
Craig Taborn Daylight Ghosts
Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda: The Ashram Experience
Lightning Bolt
Knoxville Symphony Strings Performs ‘Were You There’ with Baritone Davóne Tines
Abigail Washburn & Wu Fei
Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Peter Evans Ensemble
Lucius
Mats Gustafsson & Kieran Hebden
Suuns
Rostam
Julie Byrne
Cleek Schrey
St. John’s Passion: A Meditation on Suffering