Noah Schaffer
Over four days of listening (and walking), we found that the 13th Big Ears reaffirmed its reputation for daring curation—fostering a community of eager listeners always ready to discover something new.
Two good reads: Boston harmonica player Jerry Portnoy’s memoir is an unflinching look at life as a sideman musician; the other is a history that shows how, without the Black stars he heard in Memphis, there would have been no Elvis or rock ‘n roll as we know it.
For fans of guitar music, two excellent new documentaries offer plenty of insight into impressive musical accomplishments as well as some memorable playing.
This year’s Chicago Blues Festival provided plenty of hope for the blues.
Despite — or maybe because of — all the global turmoil, an awful lot of compelling music was heard at Big Ears.
If there’s a documentary on this list that you want to see and it isn’t readily available, I’d suggest following it on social media or checking if its website has an email list that will announce future screenings or streamings.
The band’s potent, percussive sound was years ahead of its time, as proven by today’s red hot London jazz scene, whose biggest stars are audibly influenced by Cymande.
Swanky Kitchen Band is single-handedly carrying on the venerable, but little known, Afro/Celtic/Caribbean tradition of fiddle-led dance bands in the Cayman Islands.
“Billy Ruane built a legacy, and 14 years after his death you can still feel his presence in local clubs. He fermented a scene that still lives on today.”
‘More than cool’ was the defining ethos at this year’s Big Ears, a sprawling, sold-out festival that finds a dozen venues running concurrently over four days and nights.
Recent Comments