05-26-20 | Songs for Listening: Big Ears for Thu, Mar. 26 - List #1 | Ashley Capps

As many of you know, I came aboard as managing director of the Big Ears Festival in mid-January and we were forced to cancel the festival roughly 2 weeks ago due to COVID-19.

Festival founder / executive director Ashley Capps has made a pair of the playlists for each day of the festival, which we'll put out in a staggered fashion over the weekend

Here's Ashley's note on this first list:
"Today was to have been the first day of the 2020 Big Ears Festival. We’re going to miss seeing you in person this weekend. In the midst of these strange and sad and challenging circumstances in which we find ourselves — and as we plan for the festival’s future incarnations — we thought we might share some playlists, for each day of the festival, based loosely around that day’s programming. We plan multiple playlists for each day — with each playlist offering a different, possible 'path' through the music that one might have experienced.

This one starts with Arooj Aftab’s beautiful 'Siren Islands' from a couple of years ago, moves into some classic Patti Smith, then Mike Baggetta’s trio with Mike Watt and, in this case, drummer Jim Keltner; a clutch of tunes from Jason Moran transforming Fats Waller, then solo sax from Peter Brotzmann uncharacteristically playing a jazz standard, then Steve Coleman & the Five Elements live in Paris, a section from So Percussion’s 'Amid the Noise', two pieces from Nathalie Joachim and Spektral Quartet’s wonderful 'Femn d’Ayiti', then 75 Dollar Bill, into classic Damo Suzuki era CAN, followed by a section of 'Dust', violinist Daniel Pioro’s collaboration with Valgeir Sigurðsson; concluding with Steve Gunn’s duo with John Truscinski."

‘Island No. 2’ by Arooj Aftab from ‘Siren Islands’
’Birdland’ by Patti Smith from ‘Horses’
’Free Money’ by Patti Smith
’Hospital Song’ by Mike Baggetta, Jim Keltner & Mke Watt
’Put Your Hands On It’ by Jason Moran
’Ain’t Misbehavin’ by Jason Moran
’Lulu’s Back in Town’ by Jason Moran
’I Surrender Dear’ by Peter Brotzmann
’Black Genghis’ by Steve Coleman from ‘Steve Coleman: Live in Paris’
’Work Slow Life’ by So Percussion’ from ‘Amid the Noise’
’Papa Loko’ by Nathalie Joachim & Spektral Quartet from ‘Fanm d’Ayiti’
’Suite pou dantan: I. Prelid’ by Nathalie Joachim & Spektral Quartet
’Oh Yeah’ by CAN from ‘Tago Mago’
’Vitamin C’ by CAN from ‘Ege Bamyasi’
’Dust i. cosmos’ by Daniel Pioro & Valgeir Siguosson
’Seagull for Chuck Berry’ by Gunn-Truscinski Duo from ‘Bay Head’