Big Ears 2019 Festival

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   Review of the weekends festivities
Day 1
Got up early to fly to Charlotte and drive in to Knoxville, got in around 2.30 with first band up at 4.
Peter Gregson - solo cello, I usually like this stuff but there was to much backing tracks so left after 10 minutes
Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan - noodly jazz guitar and cello, venue was packed, not really my thing, left after 3 tracks
Kukangendia - Japanese trio playing minimalist brutal jazz with heavy focus on single repeated notes, really excellent
Matthias Eick Quintet - Jaga Jazzist trumpeter with a good modern jazz band, really good, best of the day
Yunohana Variations - Trio of two percussionists and a sound sculptor, really interesting improv with lots of movement.
Mercury Rev- NY based cult band who sounded like bad Marillion to me, left after 2 songs.

Day 2
Alvin Lucier - super low key minimalist vocals and the sax, didn't stay for the 3rd piece
Mary Halvoson Code Girl - modern jazz with good vocals, rather good
Carl Stone - laptop electronica, stayed 30 minutes, enjoyable
The Comet Is Coming - stunningly good heavy electronic funky jazz with superb sax player, best gig of the festival so far
Absint - Torn, Frisell, Berne, Nealand, avant noisy experimental jazz, not really for me
Spiritualize - 80's moody indie rock with lovelorn songs, not bad stayed for half the show
Fire! - swedish heavy squonky modern jazz that grooved, loads of fun

Day 3
Columbia Icefield - experimental ambient noisy jazz with Nate Wooley and Mary Halvorson, very good
Matt Wilsons Honey & Salt, americana jazz with fun songs, fun show
KTL - heavy dark drone from laptop and guitar, very good in a crushing way
Thumbscrew - modern jazz trio with Mary Halvorson, excellent
Carla Bley Trio - solid jazz trio with Andy Sheppard on sax, very nice
The Messthetics - hard rocking instrumental trio with ex Fugazi rhythm section and experimental jazz guitarist Anthony Pirog, superb
This Is Not This Heat- post punk noise rock with an excellent vibe, best show of the day
Sons Of Kemet - bouncy danceable jazz with tuba and oustanding sax player, lasted 3 songs as I was beat and went to bed

Day 4 have to admit to exhaustion starting to set in due to pure quantity
Richard Thompson with string ensemble - bleak songs about WW1, moving and dark but glad I saw it 
Nik Bartsch Ronin - minimalist modern jazz that grooves and grooves, utterly fantastic as usual, loads of stunned faces on way out, best of the day
Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider - iranian music played with string quartet, suffered from being straight after Ronin, sure it was excellent 
Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet stars jazz trio, did stay too long as needed a break, seemed good
Art Ensemble Of Chicago - big band playing composed vocal jazz and cacophonous improv, not normally my thing but pretty enjoyable, huge crowd.

Highlights for me

This Is Not This Heat
Nik Bartsch Ronin
The Comet Is Coming
Matthias Eick Quintet
The Messthetics
Code Girl

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Nogbad_The_Bad Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team Joined: March 16 2007 Location: Boston Status: Offline Points: 20843	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Big Ears 2019 Festival Posted: March 25 2019 at 19:32
	Review of the weekends festivities Day 1 Got up early to fly to Charlotte and drive in to Knoxville, got in around 2.30 with first band up at 4. Peter Gregson - solo cello, I usually like this stuff but there was to much backing tracks so left after 10 minutes Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan - noodly jazz guitar and cello, venue was packed, not really my thing, left after 3 tracks Kukangendia - Japanese trio playing minimalist brutal jazz with heavy focus on single repeated notes, really excellent Matthias Eick Quintet - Jaga Jazzist trumpeter with a good modern jazz band, really good, best of the day Yunohana Variations - Trio of two percussionists and a sound sculptor, really interesting improv with lots of movement. Mercury Rev- NY based cult band who sounded like bad Marillion to me, left after 2 songs. Day 2 Alvin Lucier - super low key minimalist vocals and the sax, didn't stay for the 3rd piece Mary Halvoson Code Girl - modern jazz with good vocals, rather good Carl Stone - laptop electronica, stayed 30 minutes, enjoyable The Comet Is Coming - stunningly good heavy electronic funky jazz with superb sax player, best gig of the festival so far Absint - Torn, Frisell, Berne, Nealand, avant noisy experimental jazz, not really for me Spiritualize - 80's moody indie rock with lovelorn songs, not bad stayed for half the show Fire! - swedish heavy squonky modern jazz that grooved, loads of fun Day 3 Columbia Icefield - experimental ambient noisy jazz with Nate Wooley and Mary Halvorson, very good Matt Wilsons Honey & Salt, americana jazz with fun songs, fun show KTL - heavy dark drone from laptop and guitar, very good in a crushing way Thumbscrew - modern jazz trio with Mary Halvorson, excellent Carla Bley Trio - solid jazz trio with Andy Sheppard on sax, very nice The Messthetics - hard rocking instrumental trio with ex Fugazi rhythm section and experimental jazz guitarist Anthony Pirog, superb This Is Not This Heat- post punk noise rock with an excellent vibe, best show of the day Sons Of Kemet - bouncy danceable jazz with tuba and oustanding sax player, lasted 3 songs as I was beat and went to bed Day 4 have to admit to exhaustion starting to set in due to pure quantity Richard Thompson with string ensemble - bleak songs about WW1, moving and dark but glad I saw it Nik Bartsch Ronin - minimalist modern jazz that grooves and grooves, utterly fantastic as usual, loads of stunned faces on way out, best of the day Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider - iranian music played with string quartet, suffered from being straight after Ronin, sure it was excellent Wadada Leo Smith - trumpet stars jazz trio, did stay too long as needed a break, seemed good Art Ensemble Of Chicago - big band playing composed vocal jazz and cacophonous improv, not normally my thing but pretty enjoyable, huge crowd. Highlights for me This Is Not This Heat Nik Bartsch Ronin The Comet Is Coming Matthias Eick Quintet The Messthetics Code Girl
	Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/

Nogbad_The_Bad Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum & Site Admin Group RIO/Avant/Zeuhl & Eclectic Team Joined: March 16 2007 Location: Boston Status: Offline Points: 20843	Post Options Post Reply Quote Nogbad_The_Bad Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: November 13 2018 at 18:18
	Big Ears festival is scheduled for March 21st to 24th in Knoxville with its usual very eclectic line-up. Too many acts to list but here are the initial ones I'm looking forward too:- Nik Bartsch Ronin Fire! Thumbscrew The Art Ensemble Of Chicago Bill Frisell Brooklyn Rider Carla Bley Carla Kihlstedt Harold Budd The Messthetics Code Girl Richard Thompson Punch Brothers Sun Of Goldfinger This Is Not This Heat Vijay Iyer & Craig Taborn Wadada Leo Smith
	Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/