Each year at the end of March, Knoxville, Tennessee is taken over by hundreds of musicians from every corner of the world for the Big Ears Festival, widely considered the most diverse music festival in the country, and most likely the world. For its 12th festival, Big Ears expertly presented nearly two hundred acts across 18 perfectly suited venues, from the intimate Jig & Reel to the majestic Tennessee Theater.  This live broadcast from Overlook Mountain will recap some of the music host Rob Saffer experienced when he attended Big Ears 12, as well as some sets he didn’t make, showcasing the festival’s breadth from avant garde jazz and through-composed extended pieces, to minimalism-infused bagpipes and fully-produced theatrical, operatic sets. The festival featured peerless sound and patient, rapt and knowledgeable audiences. At one of the final shows of the festival, when saxophonist Steve Lehman announced the  playing of a rare Anthony Braxton piece, the weary but enthusiastic audience knowingly clapped. Stunned, Lehman, said, “For real?” An audience member answered, "It’s Big Ears, dude!” This pre-recorded program is the second of two shows focused on Big Ears 12, and it mirrors days three and four of the 2025 festival. The first part aired April 22, 2025.

Playlist:


Vitus Labrusca (“Overlooked” theme) - Ben LaMar Gay

Subtones - Kris Davis

Whistle from Above - David Grubbs

Thought Sectors (excerpt) - Sarah Hennies, Steven Schick

an opening - tilt

Unknown Rivers - Luke Stewart Silt Trio

Prelude: Survival - Wadada Leo Smith, Vijay Iyer

Partout des prunelles flamboient - Sylvie Courvoisier 

Aey Nehin - Arrooj Aftab

Meratus - Peni Candra Riini 

Beatline (excerpt) - Tyshawn Sorey Trio

The Holy Liftoff (excerpt) - Terry Riley, Claire Chase

All Species Parade - Jenny Scheinman

It is What It is - Dan Weiss

What is Not Strange? - Tashi Wada

Pedernal - Susan Alcorn 

Rai - Fieldwork (Sorey, Iyer, Lehman)

Bright Eyes - Anoushka Shankar

23c - Steve Lehman 

Surplus - Nels Cline 

After the news at noon, “Overlooked” is a show focusing on overlooked and under-heard jazz, improvisational, and other fringe music, from early roots to contemporary experiments, a mix of familiar to rare, classic to weird. Live fromOverlook Mountain in Ulster County.

Host Rob Saffer is the former Executive Director and Producer of the Creative Music Foundation. While living in Brooklyn for 25 years, he served on advisory boards for Celebrate Brooklyn and Symphony Space. He also curated the Brooklyn Museum’s summer jazz series and helped found The Mingus Big Band.