John Paul Jones’ Sons of Chipotle Announce First U.S. Show
Hot on the heels of their debut gigs in Tokyo and South Korea last month, Sons of Chipotle, the collaboration between Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones and Finnish cellist Anssi Karttunen, have revealed the location for their first-ever U.S. date.
They'll play the Big Ears Festival, which will be held in Knoxville, Tenn., between March 26 and 29. Jones will play piano and electronics, with Karttunen playing cello and electronics.
Before forming Sons of Chipotle, the two men collaborated with composer Max Lindberg in Tres Coyotes. Like that trio, Sons of Chipotle will most likely take an improvisational route with their music.
“Both musicians are known to be curious minds, always ready to learn and to discover,” the listing on the festival's website reads. “When they improvise, borders disappear, they are free to migrate beyond prejudices, across continents. In a world where walls are being built and people are told where they cannot go, Sons of Chipotle want music to be a place of openness.”
Karttunen's career has taken him around the world as both a chamber musician and as a soloist. He's appeared with orchestras in London, Los Angeles, Munich, Oslo and Philadelphia. He's also had 29 concertos written specifically for him over the years.
The Big Ears festival, which has been around since 2009, bills itself as an "experience that explores connections between musicians and artists, effortlessly crossing the boundaries of musical genres as well as artistic disciplines." Performances are held throughout the city. The weekend is marked by "surprise collaborations and unexpected artistic collisions."