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Big Ears 2018: More jazz, more bluegrass, more Knoxville

Big Ears Festival's 2018 was announced Wednesday. Along with some old favorites it'll include more offerings of jazz and bluegrass.

Big Ears, Knoxville's funky four-day kaleidoscope of a music festival, is bringing back some past favorites and expanding its bluegrass and jazz offerings.

The March 22-25, 2018 lineup was announced in November. Tickets can be found here.

Knoxville music champion and festival founder Ashley Capps said in a news release that a "deeply spiritual thread" emerged during planning for next year's event.

"Perhaps most importantly is a very dynamic interaction between the global – the internationally acclaimed artists – and the local – our own indigenous culture and sense of place and community. That’s especially exciting to me," his statement reads.

More: Big Ears brings big bucks

Capps said the character and culture of Knoxville - and East Tennessee - also will be on prominent display next year.

The festival, launched in 2009, tends to draw an international crowd of critics and fans.

Jazz and bluegrass will have a higher profile. Artists will include Medeski, Martin & Wood, frequent Knoxville visitors.

Other artists include Milford Graves, Roscoe Mitchell and Nels Cline, the Wilco guitarist who performed in 2017.

Bluegrass acts set to perform include Bela Fleck, also a frequent Knoxville visitor, and Jerry Douglas, who has played at the Tennessee Theatre with Alison Krauss and Union Station.

Downtown venues that will host Big Ears include the Tennessee Theatre, the Bijou, the Mill and Mine and the Standard.

Here's a look at the announced 2018 lineup and some events:

Abigail Washburn & Wu Fei

Aine O'Dwyer performs William Eggleston’s “Musik”

Algiers

Anna & Elizabeth

Anna Thorvaldsdottir: “In The Light Of Air” performed by International Contemporary Ensemble

Anoushka Shankar: “Land of Gold”

Arto Lindsay

Bang on a Can All Stars celebrate their 30th anniversary with works by David Lang, Michael Gordon and Julia Wolfe

Bang on a Can All Stars perform Julia Wolfe's "Anthracite Fields"

Bang on a Can All Stars “Field Recordings”

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Béla Fleck & Brooklyn Rider

Bonnie “Prince” Billy

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