Music
A diary of shows attended – good, bad, and indifferent — at this year’s Big Ears Festival, as well as comments on some of the non-musical joys and hassles.
The messaging and its delivery were never self-righteous — Puscifer provoked rather than preached.
This is one of the most welcome, ear-opening recordings I’ve heard in recent years, easily capable of restoring Ferdinand Hiller to the position he once held as the composer of highly accomplished, enjoyable, and intriguing works.
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.
Last Friday night, conductor Andris Nelsons and the musicians came on stage together wearing red carnations as symbols of solidarity. The applause was immediate and fervent.
April Varner, a rising star in this new generation of female jazz singers—which happily seems full of them—pays homage to Ella Fitzgerald; John Pizzarelli’s recording is an early entry in the no-doubt long list of tributes celebrating Tony Bennett’s 100th birthday.
The relaxed intensity of the band was apparent from the get-go.
Strong albums from trios led by pianists Edward Simon and Alfredo Rodríguez.
Though Brian Wilson has left us, his enormous musical legacy lives on through a growing series of posthumous CD and vinyl reissues and books.
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