SILKROAD AND OTHER TREASURES
BIG EARS 2024 CONTINUES TO EXPAND
Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens: American Railroad
Silkroad’s newest program, American Railroad, illuminates the impact of African American, Chinese, Irish, and other immigrant communities on the creation of the US Transcontinental Railroad and connecting railways in North America, and the indigenous communities impacted the most by the construction of the rails through their lands. Silkroad’s American Railroad seeks to right these past wrongs by highlighting untold stories and amplifying unheard voices from these communities, painting a more accurate picture of the global diasporic origin of the American Empire. Led by artistic director Rhiannon Giddens, this show will contextualize — or rather re-contextualize — the railroad through music.
Christian McBride with Rhiannon Giddens & Francesco Turrisi
Christian McBride, the driving force behind this spectacular trio, is a jazz polymath whose current projects range from big-band modern jazz to high-energy contemporary funk and the left-field piano-free quartet New Jawn. His walking bass lines, slurs, and strums meld with pianist Franceso Turrisi’s delicate improvisation as Rhiannon Giddens’ classical vocal style, though dotted with other influences, sensuously stretches above the noise. The trio had what was only their second gig in July at London’s Wigmore Hall. We’re thrilled to host them for their first North American performance.
JJJJJerome Ellis
Through music, text, performance, video, and photography JJJJJerome Ellis researches relationships among blackness, disabled speech, divinity, nature, sound, and time.
Nadah El Shazly
Using voice, field recordings and instruments, Nadah el Shazly creates haunting sound pieces and songforms that hijack the perception of time with their complex layers and dynamic structure.
Resavoir
Resavoir, Will Miller’s collaborative jazz project, interweaves modern-day soul-jazz with bedroom beats, synth serenades and twilight sonatas.
Myriam Gendron
Myriam Gendron transforms long-past art into her own present-tense vision of stunningly beautiful folk music.
