Joe Boyd at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN
Mar 27–30 • Knoxville, TN: Big Ears Festival (Various Venues)
Legendary producer and author Joe Boyd returns to Knoxville for a four-day residency at the 2026 Big Ears Festival. Drawing from his monumental history of global music, And the Roots of Rhythm Remain, Boyd leads a curated series of film screenings, panel discussions, and a definitive two-part audio-visual presentation of his musical magnum opus.
Film Screening: Newport & The Great Folk Dream (2026)
Introduction by Joe Boyd; Q&A to follow with Robert Gordon and Joe Lauro.
Thursday, March 26, 11:00 AM • Regal Riviera Cinema 1
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/newport-the-great-folk-dream-2026/
Panel: Festival Culture: Music in America Post-1965
Joe Boyd, Robert Gordon, and Ashley Capps reflect on the forces that have shaped music and festival life in America across six decades.
Thursday, March 26, 2:30 PM • PostModern Sound Exchange
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/festival-culture-music-in-america-post-1965/
Joe Boyd: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain (Audio-visual Part 1)
Joe Boyd presents the first installment of his acclaimed audiovisual tour, weaving rare film clips and recordings to trace the global debt of Western music.
Friday, March 27, 10:00 AM • The Blackbox
Film Screening: Newport & The Great Folk Dream (2026)
Joe Boyd hosts a Q&A with director Robert Gordon following the morning screening.
Friday, March 27, 1:00 PM (following 11:00 AM screening) • Regal Riviera Cinema 2
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/newport-the-great-folk-dream-2026/
Joe Boyd: And the Roots of Rhythm Remain (Audio-visual Part 2)
The residency continues with the second part of Boyd's deep dive into the histories and controversies that shaped global music.
Saturday, March 28, 10:00 AM • The Blackbox https://bigearsfestival.org/event/joe-boyd-and-the-roots-of-rhythm-remain-an-audio-visual-continuation-part-2/
Film Screening: Ethiopiques: Revolt of the Soul (2017)
Introduction by Joe Boyd; Q&A following with producer Francis Falceto.
Saturday, March 28, 12:15 PM • Regal Riviera Cinema 1
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/ethiopiques-revolt-of-the-soul-2017/
Film Screening: Roaring Abyss (2015)
A sound journey through the diverse music styles of Ethiopia. Introduction by Joe Boyd.
Sunday, March 29, 9:00 AM • Regal Riviera Cinema 1
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/roaring-abyss-2015/
Conversation: Éthiopiques: The Last Music to Reach Our Shores
Joe Boyd, Francis Falceto, and Russ Gershon discuss the extraordinary legacy of Ethiopia's Golden Age music.
Sunday, March 29, 11:00 AM • The Blackbox
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/ethiopiques-the-last-music-to-reach-our-shores/
Concert: Either/Orchestra Plays Ethiopiques
Introduction by Joe Boyd and Francis Falceto.
Sunday, March 29, 4:45 PM • Bijou Theatre
https://bigearsfestival.org/event/either-orchestra-ethiopiques/
About the Book
“You haven’t heard this before!" the accordion flourish seemed to proclaim. Paul Simon told Joe Boyd that he immediately knew it would open Graceland, the multi-platinum album that helped usher in the 1980s “world music” boom. Yet that movement had roots extending back through the decades and across continents.
In this sweeping history compiled from more than a decade of travel, research, and deep listening, Boyd explores the backstories to these sounds. He shows how personalities and politics in Havana, Lagos, Budapest, and Kingston are as momentous as anything in New Orleans or Liverpool. The result is And the Roots of Rhythm Remain: a glorious celebration of the music that shapes our world.
About the Author
Joe Boyd is a record producer and writer known for his memoir, White Bicycles. He has produced artists including Nick Drake, R.E.M., Pink Floyd, and Toots and the Maytals. After serving as production manager for the historic 1965 Newport Folk Festival, he moved to London to start the UFO club. In 1979 he launched Hannibal Records, bringing global artists to Western audiences. His film credits include Amazing Grace and Jimi Hendrix.
About the Venue
For more information on And The Roots Of Rhythm Remain*, please reach out to Matt Hanks (mhanks@shorefire.com), Chris Taillie (ctaillie@shorefire.com), and Henry Thomas (hthomas@shorefire.com) at Shore Fire Media.*
Winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Book Award in Pop Music
From the legendary producer of Nick Drake, R.E.M., Toots and the Maytals, and Pink Floyd and author of White Bicycles: Making Music in the 1960s comes a riveting, world-spanning tour de force illuminating the artists, histories, controversies, and collaborations that shaped global music.
Hardcover Release: Sep 24, 2024
Hardcover ISBN: 9798988670025 • 960 pages • two 16-page full-color photo inserts
Paperback Release: Apr 1, 2025
Paperback ISBN: 9798988670056 • 968 pages • two 16-page full-color photo inserts
Audiobook release: Jan 6, 2025 • Purchase at Audible
