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Big Ears Festival 2019
Knoxville, TN
March 21-24, 2019
The major focus of this year's Big Ears Festival was a celebration of ECM Records' 50th anniversary, which included a number of live performances (representing both the main label and the classical music imprint ECM New Series) as well as a panel discussion "ECM @ 50" (covered in a separate article here). There were about 20 concerts, the largest group of ECM artists under one banner in the United States (and one of the largest in the world) during this celebratory 50th year.
Even if he did not receive the traditional "composer in residence" title, ambient music pioneer
March 21, 2019 (Thursday)
Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan/Mathias Eick Quintet/Tim Story Presents The Roedelius CellsGuitarist
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
Thomas Morgan
bass, acoustic
Thelonious Monk
piano1917 - 1982
Billy Strayhorn
piano1915 - 1967
Norwegian trumpeter/composer/vocalist/keyboardist
Mathias Eick
trumpetb.1979
Hakon Aase
violin
Arve Henriksen
trumpetb.1968
"Friends" moved firmly into a
Miles Davis
trumpet1926 - 1991
Torstein Lofthus
drumsBill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
"Roedelius Cells" is a sound installation by composer/musician Tim Story which draws from the work of German electronic music pioneer Hans-Joachim Roedelius (known for his work with Cluster, Harmonia and
Brian Eno
synthesizerb.1948
March 22, 2019 (Friday)
Joan La Barbara, Alvin Lucier & The Ever Present Orchestra/Mary Halvorson's Code Girl/Ralph Towner/Abs?nt (Aurora Nealand, Tim Berne, Bill Frisell & David Torn)/David TornVeteran experimental composer Alvin Lucier is best known for his membership in the Sonic Arts Union (with fellow composer/performers Robert Ashley, " data-original-title="" title="">David Behrman, and Gordon Mumma). His work has investigated physical properties of sound, such as phase interference between closely tuned pitches and the resonance of spaces, both well represented in this program. Legendary avant-garde vocalist " data-original-title="" title="">Joan La Barbara opened the concert with "Double Rainbow," a very minimal piece in which her long-tone singing produced beating effects against an electronic drone.
"Braid" brought on The Ever Present Orchestra, initially only electronics and three saxophones, which produced a denser web of difference tones. "Two Circles" added four violins and a piano to the mix, producing a shifting, slow-moving timbre which also utilized spatial elements as the sound moved from one side of the stage to the other. "Tilted Arc" featured a bowed xylophone with the strings and horns (plus the ever-present electronic drones): an interesting timbral shift. How ever minimal the music was, the programming still kept it from becoming completely static. There was a brief intermission, which unfortunately signaled a significant audience exit. Lucier himself came onstage and performed his 1969 minimalist classic "I am sitting in a room." The piece consists of a short recitation which is recorded and played back. That playback is recorded again. The process is repeated until the recording has taken on the resonant frequencies of the room, the words completely obliterated. It is a simple process, but one which is still fascinating and surprising in action.
Guitarist/composer
Mary Halvorson
guitar
Amirtha Kidambi
drums
Ambrose Akinmusire
trumpetb.1982
Michael Formanek
bass, acousticb.1958
Tomas Fujiwara
drums
Thumbscrew
band / ensemble / orchestraHalvorson opened the set unaccompanied, soloing with the electronics that characterize her style. The set wasn't long enough to play the entire album, but it opened with the same song: "My Mind I Find in Time." Kidambi's electrifying vocal was followed by a guitar/trumpet duet, then by the first of many powerful Akinmusire trumpet solos. Over the course of the set there was slide guitar, free playing, and falsetto vocal shrieks in addition to Kidambi's serpentine singing (which was frequently doubled on guitar). The instrumental "Off The Record" had an extended unaccompanied double bass introduction from Formanek, an especially fleet guitar solo with whammy pedal (a particular Halvorson trademark), and a trumpet solo that morphed into a strong swing feel.
"Deepest Similar" was the ballad of the set, with arco double bass, and an especially acrobatic unaccompanied trumpet solo. "Possibility of Lightning" broke the pattern of the album tracks—second on the album, moved to the end of the live set. "Drop The Needle" was the concluding song in both, though. It featured a woodblock pulse; a fast, lyrical guitar solo with echo; trumpet and double bass solos; and a full stop before the vocals reentered. A fitting conclusion, spotlighting the band both individually and collectively.
Guitarist/composer
Ralph Towner
guitarb.1940
Oregon
band / ensemble / orchestra
Bill Evans
piano1929 - 1980
Towner's solo playing has only deepened over the years: he has never sounded better.
The big draw of Abs?nt was the first meeting of experimental guitarists
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
David Torn
guitar, electricb.1953
Tim Berne
saxophone, altob.1954
Aurora Nealand
saxophoneThere was a cool down about 25 minutes in, with the saxophone and accordion going into a new melodic and harmonic territory. Five minutes later there were fast overlapping guitars. And five minutes after that there was group cacophony. Guitar-based chordal patterns moved into some extreme whammy gestures from Torn, which in turn led into gentle loops, and a saxophone melody. After a brief distorted Torn eruption there were drones, saxophone pedal tones, and a series of glissandos from David Torn to end. Quite a racket! It will be interesting to see what these players do if they meet again.
David Torn
guitar, electricb.1953
There was still time for more textural contrast: the density was pared back to a short guitar loop, which he then added straight-toned guitar arpeggios to, preparing the way for a frenetic noise solo. At this point Torn achieved Abs?nt-level density all by himself. After building up to a crescendo (including distorted guitar with pitch-shifting), he brought the performance to an end with a rising glissando employing a high, resonant sound that did not much resemble a guitar. Torn's looping employs much more radical real-time processing than average: his technique is about virtuosic sound engineering as much as trademark guitar solos that alternately purr, buzz and soar. Anything can happen, and usually does.
March 23, 2019 (Saturday)
Bill Frisell "Sound & Silence"/Matt Wilson's Honey and Salt/Avishai Cohen Quartet/Tim Berne's Snakeoil/DeJohnette Coltrane Garrison/Harold Budd & ACME/Bill Frisell & The Mesmerists and Bill Morrison FilmsBanjoist/vocalist " data-original-title="" title="">Abigail Washburn hosted two "Sound & Silence" events at the festival. The description reads: "In this 50 minute experience, there is arrival, the sound of a bell, silence, music, silence, the sound of a bell, departure." So it was essentially a musical meditation. For this first event organizers were surprised by the turnout, but they managed to fit everyone in to the dance studio space.
How silent can a building in downtown Knoxville get? Not very: in this case the sound of footsteps on the floor above were very audible (although under normal circumstances they wouldn't be). Guitarist
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
Washburn invited audience members who wanted to talk about the experience to stay, so the "departure" part wasn't written in stone. The opportunity to slow down in the midst of a sometimes frenetic festival experience was a common observation. At the urging of Béla Fleck, Frisell spoke briefly about his experience. He said it was nice to just play his guitar without audience expectations—he hadn't even been introduced at the beginning of the event—and that was how he always tried to approach his performances. It was a very enjoyable experience, which hopefully will be repeated in future.
Drummer/composer
Matt Wilson
drumsb.1964
Nadje Noordhuis
trumpet
Jeff Lederer
woodwinds
Martin Wind
bass, acousticb.1968
"Soup" was the jubilant opener, as it was on the album. Thomson took a rocking guitar solo (with a bit of outside playing for spice). After "Anywhere and Everywhere People" and the ballad "Stars, Songs, Faces" Wilson paused for announcements. He said he was from Knoxville...Illinois, and joked they had "small ears" festivals (as in corn). Journalist Nate Chinen came onstage as the first guest narrator for "We Must Be Polite," a humorous poem about meeting a gorilla, set to a
Bo Diddley
guitar1928 - 2008
"Fog" uses a recorded Sandburg recitation with drum accompaniment. "It's fun to blow with Carl,' Wilson commented. Sandburg was a jazz fan, so it certainly feels right. "Choose" is set to a military march, lustily sung by the whole band (later joined by the audience). Wilson's drum solo included a fun bit of stage business where he removed his hi-hat cymbals from the stand and played them like marching cymbals, one in each hand.
Lederer took many memorable solos, but his tenor saxophone on "Paper 1" was especially intense. "As Wave Follows Wave" was moved from the beginning of the program (on the album) to near the end. Wind began with a lovely unaccompanied bass solo, joined by Noordhuis' flugelhorn. Wilson's recitation was echoed at the end by Thomson and Lederer to haunting effect. He dedicated "To Know Silence Perfectly" to saxophonist
Dewey Redman
saxophone, tenorb.1931
Charlie Haden
bass, acoustic1937 - 2014
A special ending to a truly joyous concert: easily a festival highlight. Rarely is such musical excellence coupled with such a team spirit.
Trumpeter/composer
Avishai Cohen
bassb.1970
Marcus Gilmore
drumsb.1986
Barak Mori
bass, acousticThe band played one unrecorded tune: "Departure" was a musical setting of an untitled poem by Israeli poet Zelda. Cohen recited the poem (which he had translated into English), with accompaniment from the rest of the band. Pianist
Fabian Almazan
pianob.1984
Alto saxophonist/composer
Tim Berne
saxophone, altob.1954
Matt Mitchell
pianob.1975
Oscar Noriega
clarinetOscar Noriega
clarinet
Ornette Coleman
saxophone, alto1930 - 2015
"Third Option" was announced as being from their new album...that came out last week (which goes along with his statement that if everyone bought the band's CDs after the show it's entirely possible that they would be re-signed). The trick of putting a water bottle in the saxophone bell made a return, and Smith played his drum kit with his hands before switching to congas (as well as playing vibes). The final piece ended with solo saxophone soloing over the rhythm section, before being joined by the clarinet for a long-line theme. A very cohesive band, with a remarkable balance between Berne's compositions and improvisation.
Drummer
Jack DeJohnette
drumsb.1942
Ravi Coltrane
saxophone, tenorb.1965
Matt Garrison
saxophoneThe band came out of that into a new groove, and Coltrane blew an absolutely scorching soprano saxophone solo. Garrison followed with a bass solo using echo, including two-handed tapping of arpeggios. In short, everyone was on form, and there was no question about the young players' ability to hold their own with DeJohnette. This long improvisation was followed by a version of the
John Coltrane
saxophone1926 - 1967
For his second concert of the festival legendary ambient composer " data-original-title="" title="">Harold Budd was joined by ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble) and keyboardist Tim Story for a performance of old and new work. Budd has rejected the "ambient" label—his own term is "soft pedal"— but it is undeniably minimalist. This was very well demonstrated by the opening solo gong piece (perhaps a relatively brief version of his early composition "Lirio") which consisted of about 12 minutes of a percussionist exploring the possibilities of a single gong, first using his fingers, then beaters, exploring the possible sounds over the entire surface. The rest of ACME came onstage, in the form of a string quartet. Story played a synthesizer pad, and Budd himself contributed sparse piano. The next several pieces were built around the strings, probably including music from the Budd album Avalon Sutra (Samadhi Sound, 2005). Beautiful, still musical moments, each just a few minutes long. The string writing was not merely a series of long tones and chords: there were distinct melodies as well, even call and response passages.
Story and Budd switched off at one point, and the composer spent most of the set adding synthesizer to the string music. Sounds like ghostly overtones, or glockenspiel-like bell tones. For the final selections Budd moved to a Fender Rhodes electric piano and the strings were joined by the percussionist, this time playing tubular chimes. Adding more instruments does not necessarily result in denser textures in Budd's music: there was added timbral color, but no reduction in the silences.
This was a rare opportunity to hear Budd's music in performance, and it did not disappoint.
Guitarist/composer
Bill Frisell
guitar, electricb.1951
Tony Scherr
bass
Kenny Wollesen
drumsThe trio music flowed easily from scene to scene—there were monitors on stage so the musicians could track the film progress—stopping periodically for dramatic scene changes. There were too many charts visible for it to have been significantly improvised. But it certainly often sounded like that, due to the long playing history of this trio. There were places where the music clearly took its cue from the visuals: a railway scene was given rhythmic treatment in parallel, with a neat little repeating coda to end on time with the film sequence.
A sequence focusing on a romantic relationship got the sly wordplay nod of Frisell's often recorded tune "Strange Meeting." That music transitioned into a fast waltz, but returned to "Strange Meeting" for a final scene showing a couple on screen. Elsewhere there was swing, and some of Frisell's Americana music, which is how the final scene of the film concluded.
An interesting synthesis of music and visuals. The Bill Morrison film was just abstract enough to provide a structure, without dictating the musical content. Frisell and his trio seemed to relish the challenge of accompanying the film, so it really was the best of both worlds.
March 23, 2019 (Sunday)
Vijay Iyer & Craig Taborn/Nik B?rtsch's Ronin/Sun of Goldfinger/Harold Budd & FriendsThe improvisations of pianists
Vijay Iyer
pianob.1971
Craig Taborn
pianob.1970
The set opened with fast runs from both players, followed by a sudden slow down with quiet repeated chordal passages. The music then became increasingly spare, with Taborn playing inside the piano at one point. The second piece was initiated by Iyer's rhythmic figures, answered by Taborn's chords. This built to a Steve Reich-like ostinato, with Iyer muting his piano's bass strings.
At this point they rose, took their bows, and surprised the audience by switching pianos. At the very least this provided a different perspective on the duo for the second half. It began with overlapping Romantic sounding arpeggios, building to a big rumbling climax before calming down again. Taborn introduced a line in more conventional jazz solo style, which he then traded off to Iyer. The final segment featured a great deal of playing inside the piano from both players. Iyer took the bass end, Taborn the treble, producing a variety of thumping, plucking and buzzing sounds. The whole concert came to a gentle close.
The rock concert-style stage fog that greeted the audience promised a different experience, and Swiss composer/pianist
Nik Bärtsch
pianob.1971
Sha
clarinetb.1983
Thomy Jordi
guitar
Kaspar Rast
drumsThe band played a slow, atmospheric open (in the absence of stage announcements, it must surely have been a "Modul," probably "Modul 60") which moved into a repetitive rhythmic pattern. The rubato and the rhythmic alternated, punctuated by an alto saxophone solo and an electric bass solo. At one point the stage lights were synchronized to the rhythmic changes, an effective use of rock-style stagecraft. B?rtsch introduced the band, and noted that their first appearance in the U.S. was at an earlier Big Ears festival (in the Bijou Theatre: they graduated to the larger Tennessee Theatre this year).
"Modul 58" followed, as it had on the album. As on the previous tune, the arrangement was expanded considerably: clearly the group has lived with the material since the original recording. The arrangement was expansive, indeed. After a regular rhythm (established by muting inside the piano) it included rubato interludes, an unaccompanied saxophone solo, a section with piano, bass and drums (sounding like a conventional rhythm section), and a piano/electric bass duet. The tune concluded with a driving rhythm (the leader on electric piano) and a sharp rhythmic end. A terrific concert, and a fine first experience of hearing Ronin live.
Sun of Goldfinger is an improvisational project with guitarist
David Torn
guitar, electricb.1953
Tim Berne
saxophone, altob.1954
Ches Smith
drumsThis set opened with guitar and sax playing lines together. Smith started a sequencer pattern, then kicked in a rock beat. Next: Torn whammy bar guitar craziness, followed by the whole band locking into a groove. Torn accompanied a Berne solo (without percussion) which gradually decreased in volume, before rising again to a full band climax at about halfway into the set.
In the second half there was more Torn whammy bar craziness; Berne making squealing noises with a water bottle in the bell of his saxophone (a recurring motif all weekend); and a big drum climax. The improvisation concluded with guitar and saxophone accompanied by drums and electronics, before a final electronic drum pattern with guitar.
It was a more direct approach than the subtle textures of the album, which doesn't make it better. But it made its point, in a different way.
Harold Budd & Friends
The final " data-original-title="" title="">Harold Budd concert was a long form performance version of Budd's "As Long As I Can Hold My Breath" from Avalon Sutra with Tim Story (keyboard & electronics), Terrence Budd (guitars and keyboards), Sean Connors (percussion), Trenton Takaki (piano) and ACME on strings and reeds. A beautiful, meditative experience, and a fine way to end the festival.
Photo Credit: Mark Sullivan
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