2025 Big Ears Festival, Day 3: Saturday, March 29

 

By Sarah Grosser

Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith at the Bijou Theatre 

 

 

Vijay Iyer and Wadada Leo Smith

Vijay Iyer- keyboards

Wadada Leo Smith- trumpet

The Bijou Theatre is full to the brim once again. The sardines are packed in; ushers find and fill every seat as Vijay rumbles away on some deep low notes on piano. Wadada expresses a breezy slow passage. Finally, after five minutes, most of the distracting noises of cans opening, rustling patrons finding seats, and coughing have died down. Vijay gets some faint ambient electronics going and Wadada lets rip with some sharp shrill stabs. The ambient fuzz adds a constant underlying tension, a bit like the pop and crackle of an unclean vinyl album in motion. It's like a breathing whirr; like the lungs of the piece, there is an air of suspense and focus. The reverberant Fender Rhodes produces sounds similar to that on the 2023 album Love in Exile (Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily).

Wadada's trumpet is distant and lonely, as if crying in a vast open plane. Vijay provides the base through his melody, Wadada infuses it with windy emotion. The chords are relatable and familiar, soulful, and vaguely hopeful. This is a deep and earnest performance.

The floor on the Bijou Theatre balcony is creaky wood and anytime someone leaves, it’s like a herd of elephants. It is difficult, but one must become hardened to it, and attempt to appreciate the ambient music. I want to stab everyone who interrupts it with their noisiness. EVERYONE!

Joyful Noise presents Greg Saunier, Kramer, Shahzad Ismaily, Thor Harris, Wendy Eisenberg, and friends at Pretentious Brewing Company. 

 

Joyful Noise

Wendy Eisenberg- guitar

Greg Saunier- drums

Tall Tall Trees- banjo

Kramer- guitar

Thor Harris- clarinet

Macie Stewart- violin

Shahzad Ismaily- bass synthesizer

Hope Littwin- vocals

“You should be here - Greg [Saunier] is the best drummer at this festival!” – Friends summoned me away from the Bijou Theatre to the Pretentious Brewing jam session featuring a kaleidoscope of colourful, free-spirited musicians. This jam truly lived up to the record label name presenting it, as everyone on stage could be seen euphorically engaging in their array of instruments. Thor’s keyboard was gaffer-taped to a plastic children’s basketball hoop. Someone (probably Shahzad) had placed a shoe on Greg’s snare. The little beer garden was bursting with spectators, even the perimeter of the fence was speckled with people who had climbed up from the other side to watch. At one point, a pair of identical twin brothers appeared, adding to the surreal, Lynchian vibe of the show. Bright, swirling melodies launched rainbows of colour into the overcast sky. In spite of the very name of the brewery, it is all carefree and ironically unpretentious. It’s contagious watching musicians who are clearly enjoying themselves. It’s like a playground up there. At one point Shahzad jumps up, zipping his onesie over his face, holding his Palestine t-shirt in protest. Soon after he is draping socks and other material over Thor’s instruments while he is playing them. Kramer is keeping a glue-like bassline going while Hope occasionally chimes in with her almost spiritual cries. Macie’s violin sets the tone, while Greg flails madly around in his “SUPER ME” crop top, which looks ab-solutely adorable. (Is he the best drummer at the festival? It’s a hard choice between him, Tyshawn, Sanchez, Wollesen, Waits, … how can one possibly choose?) Suddenly out of nowhere, Shahzad starts singing “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac. One by one, the spectators start to look at each other and laugh and smile. The jam has accidentally turned into a live remix, never once reaching the word "raining." Everyone just keeps singing in a loop: “Thunder only happens when it’s / thunder only happens when it’s…” The joyful noise continues until it doesn’t anymore, and the band bows and collects itself on the side of the stage for a group photo. Everyone looks so happy to be there.

After the conclusion of the performance Shahzad grabs a mic. “Fleetwood Mac! What the FUCK!” Everyone cheers. He goes on to make an announcement that if people have time and are interested, they should absolutely check out an Indonesian artist named Peni Candra Rini at 7:30. It’s a good thing he mentioned it too, because this performance ended up being an incredibly moving standout. But more on that show to come...

Sylvie Courvoisier: Chimaera at the Bijou Theatre

 

Sylvie Courvoisier. Photo by Ashli Linkou

Sylvie Courvoisier- piano

Ikue Mori- computer

Wadada Leo Smith- trumpet

Nate Wooley- trumpet

Kenny Wollesen- vibraphone, drums

Drew Gress- double bass

Nasheet Waits- drums

I must have looked like I was having trouble deciding where to sit, as one of the friendly ushers asked me if I needed some help. They asked if I would like to go and sit in the opera boxes next to the stage, as these were open for anyone. I’d never been up in one of those before, so I gleefully accepted the novel suggestion. The sound quality from the opera box was still perfect. Only the vision was slightly obscured due to the speakers. I had to stand up if I wanted to see Ikue Mori and Nasheet Waits, but I had a wonderful, uninterrupted view of Ms. Maestro at her piano.

It's a completely different sound hearing the band without the ambient warmth of Fennesz's guitar but today Ikue Mori is filling in on computer and effects. She is sparkly and shimmery over Sylvie's glittery arpeggios. Wadada's trumpet is shiny while Nate Wooley's is matte. Nate's solo is so squelchy and textured that it's almost percussive, while being totally original. Wadada's solo is the polar opposite: austere, long muted notes, shrill and emotional.

Sylvie – looking ravishing as ever in her new black dress – plucks along the inside of the grand piano, while Kenny Wollesen taps gently on the vibraphone. Ikue's electronics flitter around like electrical glowing insects. Drew Gress and Nasheet Waits keep the soulful groove flowing with its sultry, slinky vibe.

Ikue leads the intro of the next song and the performance is capitulating and beautiful. Perhaps fittingly so, no solo is as engaging as Sylvie's. Her presence at the helm is commanding, but not dominant. She is the one in control, and the piano leads. Kenny has switched to a second drum kit and he and Nasheet battle it out in a thunderous, unfeasibly intense drum duet which comes seemingly out of nowhere, like a random hurricane. Sylvie is enjoying it. It's rather mighty.

Sylvie gives a speech about words recently banned by the US government. She is filled with disgust at the "orange moron" and stands for empathy, compassion, and transparency. The applause that follows is one of the loudest of the festival so far.

Peni Candra Rini at the Point

 

Peni Candra Rini

Rini's voice is absolutely outstanding. It's a crime that she and Arooj Aftab, the Grammy-nominated Pakistani vocalist were performing at the same time. Despite this unfortunate direct competition, the modest church is generously full. Her shadow puppet visuals, sparkling sequin outfit, and delicate traditional dance movements are the perfect accompaniment to her jaw-dropping unamplified vocal performance of traditional Indonesian music with impressive operatic elements. Her vibrato is so controlled and comes directly from her heart. Just like the very slightest variation in her voice, the most delicate hand movements and choreography is executed with an equally controlled finesse.

Two of her Indonesian friends are controlling the puppets and adding additional traditional Asian instruments. She also uses objects as part of her dance- a human heart statue, a piece of firefly-inspired art by a fourteen-year-old. Dr. Andy McGraw and Shahzad Ismaily (again) accompany on traditional Indonesian instruments, and bass/Moog, respectively.

The shadow boxes tell a story from Peni’s childhood, in written English text which is manually rotated to reveal each next chapter. This ensures that no expression is lost in translation through Peni’s more simple spoken English, which she also naturally speaks with a slight accent. It also adds to a style of storytelling which transports the viewer into a familiar cocoon; homey, comfortable, and as enchanting as having storybooks read to you out loud as a child. These words and the shadow puppet imagery that accompany it conjure tangible fantasies, brought to life through Peni’s incredible voice. She sways between more traditionally nasal asian folk singing and a more westernised operatic vocal approach, which makes for an extraordinary range of dynamics. Beyond that, her peaceful compositions range from soft ballads through to more pulsing dance numbers. She never ventures into kitsch territory. At one point Shahzad is resting his head on his bass and just watching up at the silent shadow puppets. It’s such a relaxing space to be in.

Towards the end of the show, the shadow puppets are revealed from behind the screen and they are gold and colourful, like giant autumn leaves. Having only seen them in shadow form and therefore only black, this comes as a bright and magical twist. One puppeteer remains behind the screen while the other controls the coloured puppets in front of the screen. There are layers of animation now, and with Peni the star, dancing and singing out in front, I can feel my waterline beginning to flood. It is without question that the church rises to a standing ovation at the conclusion – a very long one, which clearly takes Peni by pleasant surprise. Later on, via Instagram she posts a photo of her Big Ears “Artist” wristband and writes: “Many thanks for the incessant standing ovation.”

أحمد [Ahmed] at Regas Square 

أحمد [Ahmed]

Pat Thomas- piano
Joel Grip- double bass
Antonin Gerbal- drums
Seymour Wright- alto saxophone

 

Having already played the night before to raving reviews the [Ahmed] Quartet returned to Regas Square for another frenzied round of their signature endurance-jazz. Talk about exhilarating. One of the most polarising acts in the jazz world today, this is the band all the elitists seem to love-to-hate. The general noisiness of the whole project is an acquired taste, as is Seymour Wright’s sax tone.

The [Ahmed] sound wall is dense and meditative. The speed at which the musicians play is a test of physical stamina, so too for the audience to listen to it. It’s totally extreme, and utterly relentless in the best possible way. As Homer Simpson once said: “Nobody snuggles with Max Power, you strap yourself in and feel the G’s!”

Blink-and-you’ll-miss-it changes in variation on drums are seamlessly woven in amongst chaotic bass and piano, while the honky sax creates a sound reminiscent of an alarm going off, repeatedly. At some points it feels closer to noise music than jazz music, and that’s truly a compliment to the innovation of the project. How often can one say that they have come across something in jazz which is *this* original? The closest musical comparison I can think of would possibly be the band Swans, whereby after a while, one begins to hear new sounds amidst the intensity, and the density. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Earlier in the day, via a chance meeting at Starbucks, Joel Grip showed me his calloused, bruised hands, totally wrecked from thrashing the ever-loving shit out of his double bass at breakneck pace. Developing a thick skin has always been a necessity in jazz, this only proved it to also be physically true.

To put the speed into perspective, and to paraphrase Edward George’s liner notes from their 2024 album Wood Blues: “I think [Ahmed] can be said to rate as highly as Atomic on the Bassie Swing Metric […] almost breaking our measuring equipment.”

I have been told that the performance culminated in a full-house standing ovation, which I (criminally) missed seeing. The only thing that could possibly drag one away from the unstoppable quartet would be a personal invitation from Sylvie Courvoisier to join her on a walk downtown to see…

Jenny Scheinman's All Species Parade at the Bijou Theatre 

 

Jenny Scheinman's All Species Parade

Jenny Scheinman- violin
Bill Frisell- guitar

Julian Lage- guitar

Nels Cline- guitar
Carmen Staaf- piano
Tony Scherr- bass

Kenny Wollesen- drums
Julianna Cressman- dance

Jenny smiles as she sways her violin in her floaty, floral pantsuit. There’– so much character and individuality between the three. It’s a gift to be able to watch each trade a solo one after the other, really showcasing the diversity of the instrument: Julian with his understated, brilliant virtuosity, Bill with his familiar, sensitive master’s voice, and Nels with his almost punkish, effect-driven punches. But it feels almost rude to single out anyone from this obviously legendary lineup. Julianna Cressman also captivated with her contemporary dance, slinking and folding her body aesthetically around to the music in a white, earthy modern outfit.
s not a spare seat in the theatre and there’s a line outside to get in. She is joined onstage on what can only be described as a frickin' powerhouse of a guitar trio: BIll Frisell, Julian Lage, and Nels Cline
From wafting swing ballads through to more upbeat blues, Jenny’s alluring violin-led tunes were an excellently curated collection, providing just the right party atmosphere for one of the final sets of the day.

 

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Read: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

 

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2025 Big Ears Festival Day 2: Friday, March 28

 

By Sarah Grosser 

Eno (film)

 

To Brian Eno, there seems to be an eternal sense of wonder about the world. An artist without even trying to be one, it's just something he was born to do. And a relatable artist at that. The packed cinema enjoyed frequent outbursts of laughter watching the famous innovator swearing "Fuck off" at YouTube while waiting for the ads to end. This generative film can be viewed over and over again as the segments are randomly selected for each individual screening. Some folks who viewed both screenings of Eno at Big Ears estimated that around 50% of the movie was different in the second version- a section about Eno's love of the omnichord was not in the first showing, for example. Another fan was overheard saying that the version they saw last year had a stronger focus on Roxy Music and vintage Eno.

Oblique Strategies are a deck of cards developed by Peter Schmidt and Eno, designed to prompt new, creative solutions to artistic conundrums. As a proud owner of my own deck, (fifth edition 2001), I was pleased to see the cards appearing in different segments. Learning that Eno and David Bowie used to take a card each and not tell each other its contents, and then try work on the same track in secret resulted in some terrifically creative dichotomies, especially when both cards worked in polar opposition to each other. These small vignettes were a joy to experience. I could have kept watching all day.

Nels Cline Singers at the Mill & Mine

 

Nels Cline

 

Nels Cline- guitar

Skerik- saxophone

Trevor Dunn- bass

Scott Amendola- drums

Cyro Baptista- percussion

A little sunburn was a small price to pay for a front row spot on the railing for Nels's spectacular experimental band. Not that there was any shortage of talent onstage. Keyboard player Brian Marsella was notably absent, but becoming a first-time father is a legitimate excuse. The crowd cheered when Nels announced this happy news. This psychedelic group explored a range of props and accessories with their instruments, resulting in an array of unique textural squonks amongst the grooves. Me and my friends had fun dancing and imitating the different wah-wah's, click-clacks, and more. Cyro Baptista was blowing into a tiny whistle, clanging one of his many gongs, rustling handmade shakers, or providing odd vocal accompaniment. His bag of bizarre percussive tricks seemed infinite. He was endlessly entertaining and brought a fun, trippy spice to the already eclectic group. Frontman Nels was just as fun to watch, cycling through different effects and jamming out on his git. Some passionate moments saw him go momentarily punk, ripping at his axe dramatically, as if momentarily possessed. Watching Nels's wild flashes was exciting. The sound in the front row was difficult and it was almost impossible to hear Skerik’s saxophone. It's a strange thing to be two meters away from a wailing sax and not to hear it. Thankfully there were a few quieter moments where the sax could be made out. I'm sure it sounded fantastic everywhere else in the hall. But standing directly under the truss speakers, for a great live view, I suppose this is the unfortunate price to pay.

Jeff Parker ETA IVtet at the Bijou Theatre

 

Jeff Parker - Bijou. Photo by Taryn Ferro

Jeff Parker- guitar

Josh Johnson- saxophone

Anna Butterss- bass

Jay Bellerose- drums

I only managed to catch a few songs from this set, but I really enjoyed Jeff Parker’s smooth, easy guitar grooves. After the busy freak-out with Nels, a funky loop with a minimalist vibe was the perfect way to calm back down and ease into the rest of the day. The infectious repetitions of “Freakadelic” had the audience grooving away, their heads nodding along to the beat in the darkness. Unpretentious, understated, and really easy to enjoy. I hadn’t previously heard the long jams from their 2024 release “The Way Out of Easy” but I can see this becoming my soundtrack to a hot, loungey summer’s day.

I had heard, however, great things about Australian bass player Anna Butterss, and they did not disappoint with their soulful approach to the upright bass (and super cool pink buzz-cut.) A true original in the scene today and – after a quick chat after the show – a lovely person too.

Thor Harris at the First Presbyterian Sanctuary

 

Thor Harris

Thor has his little keyboard right up front in the middle, in contrast to Kramer and Shahzad who were hidden behind the grand piano, stage left. I can't tell if its little speaker is busted or if it's meant to be subtly distorted like that. The slight buzzing is a little off-putting against the angel clarity of the keys. When Thor comes in on an equally bright and clear clarinet, the buzzing continues. I've come to the conclusion that it was just an added effect by choice, as it did fade out over time. The toy piano sound is much more pleasant. I'm not sure what I expected from a former Swans percussionist, but certainly a toy piano looped with live clarinet was not on my radar. Even though his live playing kept it interesting, for me the loops are a little repetitive. For others this is surely entrancing.

"What an honor to play in the best festival in the United States!" Thor seems like a really positive person, shouting out friends in the audience, giving people big warm hugs. He seems genuinely nice. It's hardly any wonder he has seven musician friends to invite, joining him for an ensemble piece. The band is Water Damage and they play a soft looping piece which is mellow, calm, and subtly evolving. The numerous stringed instruments swirl around each other as the plinky toy piano descends like tiny snowflakes. Thor joins in on a melodica, and adds a bassline. This time, when the loops are played by musicians, it has a less mechanical feel to it.

The jam eventually begins to lift into a crescendo which is quite loud. Several people in the audience are nodding along with the musicians. The intensity is welcomed after the long start. At the conclusion of the show, one man launches to his feet, clapping maniacally into the sky with pure elation.

In between shows our crew heads over to Good Golly Tamale for vegan tamales which we then took over to eat at Pretentious Beer Co. – perhaps the most creative brewery in town, widely known for their unbeatable selection of delicious and inventive craft beers. As an Australian based in Bavaria, the opportunity for me to experience a real Tamale had not yet presented itself in this lifetime, so I was thrilled to be experiencing one for the first time. Scrumptious, and highly recommended!

Bill Frisell "In My Dreams" at the Tennessee Theatre

 

Bill Frisell's In My Dreams. Photo by Eli Johnson

Bill Frisell- guitar

Jenny Scheinman- violin

Eyvind Kang- viola

Hank Roberts- cello

Tony Scherr- bass

Rudy Royston- drums

Greg Tardy- clarinet and tenor saxophone

Despite having six friends on stage alongside, Bill is given all the sonic space he needs to stand out as the feature of this very listenable ensemble. The addition of strings makes it magical. They take a good thing and make it even better. The songs waft along like a warm spring breeze- the ideal accompaniment to the unusually hot weather outside. Bill is all smiles jamming with this group: the groove is smooth and elite. It's classy.

Rudy Royston's drum solo is a dynamic feast. Bill is clearly ecstatic at Rudy's immaculate demonstration and the joy is contagious. People are clapping before it's even over. Granted, it's after 8 pm on a Friday and beers are flowing. Everyone in the audience is loving it. Solo after solo elicits joyful applause. The composition has taken a turn for the ballad, and everyone is down for the ride.

The pieces are quite long, and have a typical Frisell groove to them, but they meander along with a relaxing, but not chill vibe- there is plenty of tension and suspense, but it's universally enjoyable.

(Turntable Trio) Miriam Rezaei, Maria Chàvez, Victoria Shen (aka Evicshen) at the Standard

 

Victoria Shen

The only downside to this incredible, provocative, electrifying performance is that there are no deck-cams to observe all the exciting, busy creativity happening atop the tables. A heavily male-dominated instrument, this all-female turntable noise trio is a miracle to behold. Maria to the right providing ambience and effects, physically dropping crumbled vinyl onto the deck to produce loud booms and manipulating her own voice via microphone. Miriam in the middle conjuring incredibly choppy beats and lightning-fast scratches and manipulations with speed and precision. And then there is Victoria Shen (Evicshen), unquestionably having the hottest theatrics of the festival, combined with a dominant stage outfit, and a mad-scientist’s collection of homemade noise instruments and devices. When she began combing her hair with a comb microphone, producing a loud gritty distortion, the guy next to me must have been tripping balls because he absolutely lost his shit. Contorting her body, using her mouth, nails, legs, squatting over her homemade turntable with a small trumpet, and finally cracking an actual whip, she had the enthralled audience in the palm of her hand. Or rather, under the heel of her boot. Exceptional.

Together, the three digital sirens interacted with each other, sometimes swapping places, constantly experimenting. The drum 'n' bass finale saw Maria excitedly jumping and smiling- in exuberance. It was contagious.

When the show ended, a man called out, "That's how you do it!" which I'm sure was meant well, but left me thinking, "Male confirmation not required." They clearly already know how it's done. 

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Read: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

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2025 Big Ears Festival, Day 1: Thursday, March 27

By Sarah Grosser

It is said that if you look up FOMO (noun: “The fear of missing out”) in the dictionary, there is a logo of the Big Ears Festival right next to it. The most commonly recurring topic of conversation amongst festival attendees is that there are simply too many fantastic options, and each choice results in missing out on not just one equally fantastic show, but multiple. Over 200 performances are scheduled over four days, along with movies, talks, gallery exhibits, secret shows, late night jams, and more. The music performances generally start around noon, while the ancillary activity happens in the morning.

With judicious planning, it is reasonably easy to see five to six full performances per day with brief breaks for food. If you are willing to duck out early and/or arrive late, then you can pack in much, much more. There are always multiple performances overlapping, so the real difficulty is deciding what shows to miss. This year was no different, as I had to skip many shows that would have been "must see" at most any other festival. Among the more well-known artists: Beth Gibbons (singer from Portishead), Beak> (the rest of the band Portishead), Anohni, Tindersticks, Sun Ra Arkestra, and Arooj Aftab, to name just a few.

The musical performances happen in about fifteen venues spread out in downtown Knoxville, with the furthest travel times being about twenty-five minutes on foot, or only a few minutes by electric scooter. Amongst these are plenty of excellent food options and breweries to keep the concert-goer fueled up. There are so many possibilities that wait times for food or drink is rarely an issue, unless you’re going for the local handmade biscuits at Matt’s. Having said that, the 1.5 hour wait was worth it for the gorgeously melty chipotle cream cheese on a delicious garlic and cheddar biscuit.

Before seeing any music, we trekked over to the Knoxville Museum of Art for Pangrok Sulap Live Printmaking. A large intricate wood-cut was resting on the table, inked up, and ready to go. A team carried the plate onto the ground, gently rolling out curtain material over the top, onto which the print would be printed. Guests were invited to take off their shoes and dance over the covered surface, directing their energy into the artwork and creating the pressure required for a nice, dark print. This dancing was accompanied by guitar and singing/chanting, and folks of all ages removed their shoes and had a go. The only rule was "no pirouettes!" When the song was complete, the print was lifted to reveal a wonderful detailed landscape with fun little creatures and symbols amongst the linework. There were also some hidden icons like the Big Ears logo. A fun, original way to get into the communal spirit of the festival.

Kramer at the First Presbyterian Church Sanctuary 

 

Kramer. Photo by Taryn Ferro.

The lights are dimmed, illuminating stained glass windows. Kramer comes out in a HOWL cap and starts tremoloing the piano, craned over it. The reverberations create a drone-like effect with a darkly ethereal quality. There is a pleasant intensity to Kramer's persistent melody. It sounds like he is using a looper or some kind of heavy delay. It's quite pretty, and the cathedral is a wonderful setting for this ambient, beatless soundscape.

The first two pews are dedicated VIP seats but people are coming and going throughout the show, so it's not always favorable to sit right up front if you plan on skipping the end of the show to catch the start of another. This coming-and-going sounds annoying on paper, but you get used to it as it occurs at almost every show, and it never seems to phase the musicians, who understand the necessity of the frequent shuffling.

Some of the higher pitched delaying tones become a bit stressful for a delicate sensitive ear and a couple of people bail on the journey. I resorted to concert earplugs to help filter some of the harsher tones, but it does become tinnitus inducing. Shahzad Ismaily materialises out of nowhere in his onesie, carrying two enormous coffees. With his hood pulled up over his head, he sits at the piano with Kramer. They are both deeply entranced. The idea of what they are doing is lovely but the glissandos and arpeggios are swallowed by the piercing frequencies.

Thankfully, this does relent after a while, and gives way to some more gentle droning melodies. Some give a standing ovation and are overheard commenting that the performance was brilliant in the way they manipulated the sound in the whole room. Perhaps I was sitting in a bad spot?

Charles Lloyd: Homage to Zakir Hussain at the Tennessee Theatre

 

Charles Lloyd. Photo by Andy Feliu

Charles Lloyd- saxophone, piano, flute, oboe

Bill Frisell- guitar

Ganavya- vocals

Eric Harland- drums

Harish Raghavan- bass

After a gorgeous little square slice of pizza with succulent peppers and the perfect crispy base, it's off to the Tennessee Theatre for Charles Lloyd's homage to the recently deceased Zakir Hussein. The enormous theatre is spectacularly opulent. Warm lighting highlights the excessive decorations, curtains, lattices, patterns, flags, and giant urns line the walls. The smell of fresh popcorn is wonderfully enticing. From the front row of the balcony, one can peer out and see the people below reviewing their schedules on the Big Ears app.

Grammy Award winning musician Zakir Hussain was an Indiantabla player and composer who tragically succumbed to illness in late 2024 at the age of 73. Hussain was scheduled to perform at this year’s Big Ears with Lloyd as part of the Sangam Trio in a show dedicated to Lloyd’s recently departed musical teacher. His sudden passing was a deep personal loss for Lloyd.

The lights are lowered and the unmistakable sound of Bill Frisell's guitar meets Lloyd's soft saxophone, joined by subtle percussion and the singer Ganavya in traditional Indian attire. Her voice is pure and smooth. Lloyd switches between sax and piano. Behind them, a big screen displays a painting of a fish, a hand, and a fruit bowl with an ancestral linework. It's a contrast to the opulent architecture around it.

The voice and sax are a powerful duet- both mesh together purposefully, as if one was born to perform with the other. It's no wonder that almost every seat was filled. All the while, a constant, light tabla tap pitter-patters away. This is just a subtle nod to Zakir, but it fills the space with his essence. Twenty minutes floats effortlessly by and it feels like five.

Harish Raghavan’s double-bass is bowed along to the second piece which is a more haunting hymn- the singer's deep emotions are on full display. She is fantastic. Lloyd is on instrument number three, a flute. Ravenous Frisell fans can be spotted from a mile away sneaking a little recording on their camera-phones during his solos.

All in all, a sensitive and moving tribute for a fallen friend.

Alan Sparhawk at the Jackson Terminal

 

Alan Sparhawk. Photo by Billie Wheeler

The Jackson Terminal is a typical standing concert shed located up the top end of town. With lovely high ceilings, it has an open feel to it which is nicer than a small club, but still retaining a warm, intimate vibe. For Alan Sparhawk, the venue is half full, but those who are present are deeply engaged. Some people are hugging. If Sparhawk’s name is not immediately familiar, perhaps he is better recognised as the male singer from the band Low. Of course there is a certain unspoken space onstage that was once reserved for the other singer in that band, Sparhawk’s wife, Mimi Parker, who tragically passed away in 2022. Tonight, Sparkhawk would be joined by his son Cyrus Sparhawk on bass, and Fred Pollard on the drums. In true Big Ears tradition, Shahzad Ismaily would also be joining the group on a number of instruments: bass, banjo, and Moog. This would be the second of twelve performances that Ismaily attended all weekend. When asked how he managed to make it to each venue on time he responded: “I ran!… I was running!!”

Sparhawk bared all… in overalls, no shirt, and a shaggy grown out hairdo. A raw, eccentric look for a man with a voice so majestic and deep with feeling. It resonated peacefully through the hall for the more sparse and ethereal songs, but jabbed with spiked anger and disgust during others. The crowd joined him in the final chant of his newest unreleased song: “No more darkness / No more darkness.” With a contented look on his face, Sparhawk blew a kiss to the sky, which was met with a jubilant, enthusiastic cheer.

As the band was leaving the stage and packing up for the next artists, the frontman took an exit down the front stage stairs. A fan with a rather apparent scent of alcohol burst past to greet the singer as he descended. “AYYY! ALAN!!” He went in for the big hug. Alan let him. “Huge fan, man - I loved your new album… yeah… I forgot what it was called.” Sparhawk smiled and thanked him. Obviously the fan had made the decision to approach his hero before he had decided what to say, and with nothing particularly original prepared, he continued. “Wow! … I’m so drunk hey!” Sparhawk smiled and nodded in agreement, allowing the man to keep rambling. “Well!... That was a lot better than I thought it was gonna be!” I couldn’t contain my laughter at this point, and Sparhawk laughed as well, responding: “HAH!... Well - I could say the same!” A couple of fans rushed in for a quick selfie. He smiled at everyone as the little queue began to form.

Axiom 5 at the Bijou Theatre

 

Axiom 5. Photo by Cora Wagoner.

Jon Irabagon- saxophone
Uri Caine- piano
Mark Helias- bass
Barry Altschul- drums

In any other city, the Bijou might be heralded as quite a grande theater, but just down the road from the Tennessee Theatre, this smaller-sized sister can’t really compete with those dangling chandeliers, gold trim, and enormous ceiling. While the venue is somewhat overshadowed by the Spanish-Moorish opulence uptown, it is still highly charming with its Classical-Revival style. A remarkable setting for some far-out free jazz - which, at this point in the evening, this reporter is really itching for! The playhouse is peppered with patrons, which is understandable, given the complexity and busyness of the music. We do love a dose of that squonkiness that not everybody can stand.

It’s a largely improvised set and the crowd is transfixed on the adventurous quartet. Some parts are met with chuckles when interesting musical decisions are made, or comical facial expressions exchanged. The band explores a full spectrum of tempos, moods, experimentations, and grooves: a wild, free-for-all with the occasional quiet passage. For some songs it seemed as if drummer Barry Altschul never wanted it to end, and concluded at least two jams with a drum solo fade-out. Uri Caine, wearing some kind of a poncho, smashed confidently away at the keys of the Steinway with vigour while the equally confident Mark Helias went rogue on upright bass. Filipino-American Jon Irabagon was up front on the sax bringing a wonderful bright tone and energy to complete the solid quartet.

Amidst all of the beauty and prettiness of the first day of the festival, it's so satisfying to soak up some gritty, unfiltered late-night jams, courtesy of a more than capable group of jazz legends, and legends in the making. Pure fun, if you're into this kinda shit.

Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez - BEAT Trio at the Tennessee Theatre

 

BEAT Trio. Photo by Taryn Ferro.

Béla Fleck- banjo

Edmar Castañeda- harp

Antonio Sánchez- drums

This show is packed. I did not get to see very much of this performance as I had already had the great privilege of witnessing the band’s debut performance at The Blue Note in New York, this past autumn. I knew from that experience that this show was going to be well loved, and my colleagues confirmed it to be true. Apparently Antonio Sánchez made a public statement about the current American political situation, which was met with applause. He was not the only artist to stand up for justice this weekend, as a number of artists bravely used their platform to announce their disgust.

This trio of banjo, harp, and drums sounds unconventional on paper, but magical in the real world. Sultry, upbeat, with a strong Latin flair. This music is gloriously joyous. It's such a happy vibe. How can anyone dislike this?

Darkside at the Mill & Mine

 

Darkside. Photo by Andy Feliu

Nicolás Jaar - electronics / vocals
Dave Harrington - guitar / effects

Tlacael Esparza - drums

The final chapter for many is the rave over at Mill & Mine, headlined by DARKSIDE – a live band with an electronic feel. But this is no doof-doof party music. This set is thoughtful and varied, with a twist of psychedelia. The venue is a very large, wide shed complete with rotating ceiling fans that create spinning silhouettes in the dark. Partygoers raise their hands as they dance towards the lights onstage. Although the general demographic of this festival tends towards a more mature audience, the atmosphere is energetic, even though for some of us (my 38 year old self included) 1:30 am is way past our bedtime.

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Read: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

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Sounds of Joy: Bergamo Jazz, 2025

By David Cristol

This 46th edition had US saxman Joe Lovano as guest artistic director again, while festival head Roberto Valentino ensured everything ran smoothly. The “Sounds of Joy” moniker, which audiences heard at the introduction of every concert from MC Lovano, originates from an album title of his. The shows took place in the uptown and downtown parts of the city, connected by seriously inclined cobblestone streets. The spectacular-looking Teatro Donizetti and Teatro Sociale, the great-sounding auditorium on Piazza della Libertà and the smaller-sized Teatro Sant’Andrea, Sala Piatti, Circolino offer varied listening spaces. The schedule had a fair share of forward-looking music on offer, whether composed or improvised, interspersed with mainline acts.

Day 1 

The unavoidable delay when traveling low-cost from Toulouse meant missing the opening concert, a solo by piano great Aruan Ortiz . His work, both as a leader and sideman (in James Brandon Lewis’ Quartet) is among the most exciting on the scene. No Cub(an)ism on arrival then, but the evening started in dolce vita fashion with the sleek jazz of Italian pianist Antonio Faraò, who led a trio consisting of Ameen Saleem on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. They quietly unfolded the repertoire of the Tributes album (Criss Cross Jazz). Faraò aims to bridge the straight-ahead and the open playing, the modern jazz of his influences (Hancock, Solal, Tyner, Evans, Corea) with earlier traditions. He has played with many of US big names, but retains some traits more often associated with European jazz. His every strike is assured yet relaxed, and he enjoys freely hovering over the foundations laid down by his partners. This is comfortable music, impervious to the ills of the world, instead opting to take a stroll through various states of well being, sometimes sparse and dreamy, sometimes animated but rarely losing its temper. Joe Lovano makes a guest musical appearance on soprano, noticeably invigorating the trio and bringing more warmth to the affair.

Day 2 

The music began with quartet La Via del Ferro, whose members come from London, Rome, Paris and New Zealand. Each of them, we’re told, have their own careers as bandleaders, and reconvene occasionally with this project. The band lacks the kind of unity that can only come from steadily sharing the stage. On tenor sax, Alex Hitchcock convincingly navigates a line combining a lightness of touch with an attention-grabbing sound. He’s rather unsuccessfully trying to catch his colleagues’ eyes for interaction. The band often gets tangled up in repeating patterns that are closing possibilities rather than opening them. Most tunes follow a given path without deviation or surprise, and end in predictable overdrive. Drummer Myele Manzanza yields to speed intoxication and endangers the collective balance with his heavy-hitting showiness. Piano and synth player Maria Chiara Argirò seems to come from the pop, soundtrack and classical schools rather than the jazz world. Home embraces rock and a breakbeat-based tune follows. On electric bass, Michelangelo Scandroglio supports the proceedings to the best of his abilities.

Simoni:Teolis

A happy discovery came in the form of Italian duo Simoni:Teolis aka Lorenzo Simoni on alto sax and Iacopo Teolis on trumpet, in the unlikely context of a fully operational chic restaurant. In this perilous instrumental association, the pair simultaneously tackle rhythm and melody, delivering solos and complementing each other. That takes some stamina and surefootedness, considering that the duo setting means a merciless exposure with nowhere to hide. The compositions include a suite recorded on Openings, and total improvisations. The duo resorts to fast, quasi be-bop playing without a rhythm section, makes use of extended techniques the next moment, and digs up a Sam Rivers track. Towards the end they play with more power, with growls on the flugelhorn and vocalizations on the saxophone. Ideas and sounds are well-chosen, not imitative of other players, making for a very satisfying listen.

Lux Quartet. Photo by Gianfranco Rota

With powerhouse performer Myra Melford (piano), something is always going to happen. The co-led Lux Quartet (with drummer and longtime Melford colleague Allison Miller) plays the first concert of a mini-tour. The repertoire is culled from 2024’s Tomorrowland (which has Scott Colley on bass instead of Nick Dunston), one piece also appearing on Melford’s 2025 trio album Splash. Multi-sax player Dayna Stephens had previously been spotted in the Billy Hart Quartet. Curiously, he’s the one who seems to improvise the least. He’ll get more assertive on the encore, sporting an abrasive tone for the first time. Dunston’s potent and precise playing works wonders and his commitment to and empathy with the leaders’ compositions are remarkable. Solos are ever woven into the music’s fabric. A succession of eloquent duos and trios make up the bulk of the concert, the full quartet coming together only intermittently. This blend of modern straight-ahead and avant-jazz is met with huge applause from the full 1200-seats Donizetti.

The previous edition saw a trio of Danilo Pérez (piano & synth), John Patitucci (bass) and Adam Cruz (drums) delighting audiences with their playful approach. Two of them are back, this time with drummer Brian Blade, aka the Wayne Shorter Quartet in the genius’ later years. To pay tribute to their mentor, tenor Ravi Coltrane, whose name inevitably suggests a connection to another towering figure, was invited. A long and meandering first track sets the tone: the music spreads out slowly, its shapes blurry rather than clear-cut. Missing are Shorter’s sudden bursts of inspiration which propelled the band and audiences to higher spheres, and much of the set lacks that adventurous spirit – often a curse of supergroups. Lovano joining the band on soprano finally sees the music take off on a glorious version of Witch Hunt, leading Coltrane Jr. to awaken and give his all, his playing much improved. Similarly spurred on, the original trio plays with undeniable fire, making the last thirty minutes the best of an otherwise languishing set.

Day 3

Alexander Hawkins Dialect Quintet. Photo by Gianfranco Rota

Alexander Hawkins (piano) has published record after record of original, mind-boggling music, never repeating a formula and likely never having one. This project is another worthwhile one to add to that list. The Dialect Quintet made its first public performance the year before in Novara, in less than adequate listening conditions. The band is back with a vengeance after that debut gig, this time benefiting from the friendly acoustics of the Città Bassa’s auditorium and able to present the full extent of their music. The quintet is made up of Bergamo-grown drummer Francesca Remigi, plus Camila Nebbia on tenor sax, Giacomo Zanus on electric guitar and Ferdinando Romano on bass. The sound is loud, the bass booming, yet each one is heard clearly. The feel is open and grooving at the same time. The hard-to-pin-down and sometimes befuddling pieces take some getting used to – much like Hawkins’s relationship to Henry Threadgill’s music before he “got” it – as he told us here. The Oxford pianist cultivates the unusual, the jagged and odd, the lesser-traveled roads, which he builds and expands upon. Solutions and resolutions are not the most obvious ones. The unstable compositions include Jason Yarde’s 'Thank you for Today', Jerome Cooper’s 'For the People', Leroy Jenkins’ 'Albert Ayler, his life was too short' and others penned by the leader. A composition shifts to hushed tones, with deliberate small actions from the guitar. It is hard to guess when the band members roam freely and when they reconnect to the script. A previously-heard melody (which you are unlikely to whistle in the shower) re-emerges from Nebbia’s sax, followed by a wayward piano excursion. The last piece remains on the threshold of silence, and Hawkins lets the last key stroke reach the end of its resonance and even allows a minute of silence after it. A brave and successful move that leads the audience to keep quiet and hold their breath.

Reporters are driven through somber, derelict industrial areas of the city to an unlikely venue directly adjacent to a youthful and noisy bar complete with techno music, which sounds hit the audience and band every time the door opens. Remote from the city landmarks, the warehouse is nonetheless full, the festival a major attraction to locals and visitors alike. A classically-shaped quartet (Maniscalco Trioplus Pietro Tonolo on tenor sax) is led by Brescia pianist Emanuele Maniscalco and includes all the elements that have defined jazz for decades. The acoustic combo (with Francesco Bordignon on bass and Oliver Laumann on drums) plays structured tunes, either composed by the pianist or covers ('House Party Starting' by Herbie Nichols, based on the version by Steve Lacy, Misha Mengelberg et al from Change of Season on the invaluable Soul Note label; ' Ad Infinitum' by Carla Bley, 'Stelle' by Roberto Soggetti, 'Reincarnation of a Lovebird' by Charles Mingus).  

Enrico Rava. Photo by Gianfranco Rota

Trumpeter and tonight mostly flugelhorn player Enrico Rava is no stranger to these pages. His name is an important one in European jazz in general and on the ECM label in particular. For the “Fearless Five,” he’s surrounded himself with young blood : Matteo Paggi (trombone), Francesco Diodati (guitar),Francesco Ponticelli (bass),and Evita Polidoro (drums), each oozing talent and ideas. The concert starts off with an electronics-fuelled, abstract, energetic and free romp. In the middle of the storm, Rava’s characteristic lyricism appears as the guiding lighthouse for the music to find its way to the shore. Obviously proud of his trombonist, Rava encourages him to take center stage. By contrast, the next piece exudes a slow and sad mood with a Latin tinge. It sings and successfully integrates the blues to its discourse. Rava excels in rapid flurries as when stating melody. He invites his old pal Lovano and they’re off to a touching flugelhorn/soprano duet, before the whole band joins in, the music then veering into a three-horned, hard-swinging piece. 

The Cookers. Photo by Gianfranco Rota

The Cookers are Eddie Henderson (tp), David Weiss (tp), Azar Lawrence (tenor sax), Donald Harrison (alto sax), George Cables (piano), Cecil McBee (bass) and Billy Hart (drums). Historically, McBee is heard on much-loved sessions by Alice Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, Charles Lloyd, Andrew Hill, Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers, Charles Tolliver, Sunny Murray, John Tchicai, while Hart and Henderson were part of the most advanced electro-acoustic jazz band of its day (Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi), and Lawrence started out in the fusion era, under his own name, on Miles Davis’ searing Dark Magus and as a regular member of McCoy Tyner’s punchy mid-70s ensembles. Tonight’s music doesn’t hark back to those records at all, instead firmly focusing on the previous decade’s hard-bop, revived as early as the 1980s after the initial free jazz wave receded. 'Peacemaker' sounds familiar… I first heard it on the 1989 Black Saint album Unforeseen Blessings by The Leaders – an altogether different band from The Cookers, with only composer McBee as common denominator. Hart and Henderson would join that group’s last opus in 2006, and soldier on in The Cookers. The square compositions stand the test of time, the playing is strong and precise (with Azar Lawrence’s solos the most original and heartfelt), the septet often sounding like a big band. The well-honed set doesn’t appear as fundamentally different, however, than listening to a record, with everything happening according to plan. Hart is still a joy to watch and listen to, never quite repeating himself. Apart from the Freddie Hubbard-penned C.O.R.E., most the compositions are by Cables. The set represents a branch of the jazz tree that has remained aesthetically unchanged over the years, oblivious to the manifold evolutions of the genre, even while some band members participated in said evolutions.

Day 4

Jordina Millà and Barry Guy. Photo by Gianfranco Rota

The morning concert is by Catalonia’s Jordina Millà (piano) and the UK’s Barry Guy (bass), who published two duet albums including Live in Munich reviewed by Sarah Grosser on this website. Guy moves with the agility of a judoka or dancer, his every gesture proceeding of a choreography that is as graceful as it is spontaneous. Figuratively and literally, he seems capable of flying, whether he throws his arms in the air, grabs objects from a table to use against the wood of the bass, inserts and manipulates metal bars behind the strings, or clowns around with a paintbrush on the grand piano’s lid. Millà is less keen on the pantomime and favors an impressionistic approach at first, before switching to extended techniques, getting up to play inside the piano, blocking the strings and rubbing erasers on them to wonderful result. The conversation proves intense and restrained, deep and light-hearted at the same time, a super sensitiveness at work, the slightest sound weighing in the argument, to the point where the breathing from the audience is louder than the sounds emitted by the artists. Guy’s instrument appears as a bottomless well of sonorous vibrations. For thirty uninterrupted minutes, the musicians are in a trance. After a bit of clapping they’re at it again, in contrasting fashion, the strings attacked with muscle and at breakneck speed. The friction, pinching and slapping are such that we’re clenching teeth and expecting a string to break. After which the duo reverts back to cloudless soundscapes, and, in a last stylistic rollercoaster, utters gurgly sounds on a short encore.

The clockwork piano duo of Tania Giannouli & Nik Bärtsch performs a similar set to their Mannheim’s “Enjoy Jazz” appearance in 2023. Stubborn cadences lock into each other with seemingly innate joint impulses, connections and thoughts transfers that have to come from thorough preparation and a finely tuned conception. It all seems as if the two musicians are extensions of the same mind. The unflinching execution is paramount to the achievement of this music, which, for all its accuracy, isn’t devoid of sentiment or flexibility. Some compositions linger in the mind, one a dark nursery rhyme.  

Marc Ribot’s “Hurry Red Telephone”. Photo by Gianfranco Rota

Guitar player-singer-songwriter Marc Ribot’s “Hurry Red Telephone” project was programmed in Hamburg last year, with a different line-up except from drummer Chad Taylor. Sebastian Steinberg replaces Hilliard Greene on bass, and Ava Mendoza is the guitar sparring-partner instead of Mary Halvorson. Mendoza appears as a better fit for this style, unless it was the sound mixing that had Halvorson seldom heard in Germany. This evening is the last of a 9-dates tour of Europe, before Ribot embarks on another tour to support his new solo album. After a wild entrance, Ribot calls Joe Lovano early on to join the band. The quartet is a tight unit and Lovano struggles to find a place. To his credit, he keeps trying for 30 minutes, much to the surprise of Ava Mendoza. After all, Lovano plays with some out-there cats now and then (earlier that day, he reminisced about playing with Milford Graves) and is as knowledgeable about free form jazz as he is of the more traditional forms. In this case, a common ground with the downtown punks cannot be found. This is sizzling free-rock translating Ayler’s vital scream to this day and age. The intensity never lags, and the best moment has Ribot and Mendoza hurling flashes of electric sounds at each other, in a remake of the current war*. An all-out release of legit anger, attuned to the daily shenanigans of US politics and the overwhelming amount of suffering in the world, with a call to resistance to the fascists-in-charge that is met with overwhelming cheers before Ribot ends the show with a heart-wrenching version of 'Goodbye Beautiful' aka ' Bella Ciao'. Ribot calls to “Resist, resist, resist”, as an answer to the incentive to “Fight, fight, fight” of sinister far-right character Steve Bannon.

The northern Italian city’s residents came out day after day to check the music on display, without prejudices and with an open mind, enjoying it often, other times not so much – the programming having something for everyone. The point and purpose of art is to give food for thought, offer unusual points of view, shake up certainties. While some concerts were on the entertainment side of things or outside of this blog’s subject matter (folk-soul-blues singer Liz Wright, peppy jazz diva Dianne Reeves, prog-noise macho trio Stick Men), the fest’s best acts led eager listeners through paths unknown.

*in the late nineteenth century, electricity pioneers and entrepreneurs Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse raced and fought to win the market to enlighten America and the world, with Nikola Tesla also chiming in.

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