HARVEST TIME AND A FEAST OF OTHER SURPRISES

Have a festive Thanksgiving! Daily line ups, single day passes, and, yes, a few more surprises coming soon after the holiday weekend.

The Harvest Time Project: A Tribute to Pharoah Sanders

Pioneering jazz saxophone icon Pharoah Sanders departed this earthly realm in the fall of 2022, but his luminous and deeply spiritual music lives on. The recent rediscovery of his iconic 1977 recording, 𝓟𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓪𝓱 — thanks to Luaka Bop records — has inspired many and led to The Harvest Time Project, a powerful and vibrant tribute to the master led by Josh Abrams of Natural Information Society, along with Tisiji Muñoz, whose ecstatic guitar fuels the original recording. At Big Ears, they will be joined by a variety of very special guests for what is sure to be a singular, unforgettable, loving tribute to the jazz master, Pharoah Sanders.

Tomas Fujiwara’s 7 Poets Trio

A familiar face behind the drum kit at Big Ears — notably with Mary Halvorson’s bands — Tomás Fujiwara returns this year with his own group, 7 Poets Trio. Initially debuting at a Stone Residency in 2017, Fujiwara is joined by cellist Tomeka Reid and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan to create music that “moves far beyond the jazz realm” (The Guardian), with a palette that recalls spy movie soundtracks, Latin rhythms, meditative minimalism, and urgent Kraftwerk beats. It’s a rare treat to catch 7 Poets Trio live, but Big Ears will be your chance.

Finom

There’s an obvious chemistry emanating throughout Finom’s (formerly known as Ohmme) music that’s so tangible it can only come from a decades-spanning friendship. Songwriters Sima Cunnningham and Macie Stewart formed their unbreakable bond performing throughout the fringes of Chicago’s many interlocking communities, collaborating with titans from the city’s indie rock, hip-hop, and improvised worlds. Together, Finom stretches boundaries and finds enchanting musical discoveries that are sure to surprise and delight the Big Ears audience.

Ahleuchatistas

After nearly two decades as an intense and riveting math rock duo, Ahleuchatistas have a new member in bassist Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Fantomas, John Zorn), who joins founder/guitarist Shane Parish and drummer Danny Piechoki in pushing the stylistic and technical boundaries of what a power trio can do. Meticulously composed and rentlesly paced, Ahleuchatistas never fail to deliver an adrenaline rush that will have your head spinning and your big ears singing.

Secret Chiefs 3: Ishraqiyun

Given the mysterious, shape-shifting musical worlds of Secret Chiefs 3, you had to know that just one version of the band could not possibly be enough for a Big Ears weekend. So…Trey Spruance’s visionary collective will present Ishraqiyun, the most prominent satellite configuration in the swirling Secret Chiefs orbit. As always, expect a potent blend of musical exploration fused with mystical transcendence.