Sand Enigma is a vision. Not in the sense of a future or even a past, but of a roiling, tempestuous, and contradictory present. Composer and bandleader Sam Shalabi has created a movie—and without trotting out the cinematic tropes, this release has a comprehensive narrative, one that has as much to do with Guillermo deContinue reading “Land of Kush. Sand Enigma.”
Genre Archives
Nick Fraser, Kris Davis, Tony Malaby. Zoning.
On half of Zoning’s six tracks, Toronto drummer Nick Fraser, Canadian-in-Brooklyn pianist Kris Davis, and New York saxophonist Tony Malaby are joined by German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and Toronto-Berlin trumpeter Lina Allemano. This Toronto-recorded session is effective with both configurations. On the trio’s performance of Davis’s composition “Events,” the exposition is pulled out to aContinue reading “Nick Fraser, Kris Davis, Tony Malaby. Zoning.”
Eric Lewis. Intents & Purposes.
Are John Coltrane’s out versions of “My Favorite Things” valid representations of the original Rodgers and Hammerstein song from The Sound of Music? What are the similarities and differences between fully scored and freely improvised music? More generally, how best conceive of musical works vis à vis musical performances, and why are these concepts importantContinue reading “Eric Lewis. Intents & Purposes.”
Lori Freedman. Solor.
The title of Montrealer Lori Freedman’s latest disc, Solor, could be a play on solo and Lor(i), but based on the recording’s explosive music, it could also be referring to the volcanic island of Indonesia of the same name. The seven works include five Freedman compositions, written between 2002 and 2018, and two improvised works.Continue reading “Lori Freedman. Solor.”
Harris Eisenstadt. Old Growth Forest II; The Fictive Five. Anything is Possible.
Creative and cooperative (or should we just say, Canadian?), Toronto-born, Brooklyn-based drummer Harris Eisenstadt has, for the past fifteen years, attracted attention as a sophisticated bandleader and band member. On his latest recording, the disciplined Old Growth Forest II, Eisenstadt’s balanced compositions utilize a quartet’s strong points. Another recent release, Anything is Possible, which isContinue reading “Harris Eisenstadt. Old Growth Forest II; The Fictive Five. Anything is Possible.”
Mystery & Wonder Records: Extending the Sound
A striking musical and visual aesthetic distinguishes Mystery & Wonder Records from other artist-curated labels. The recordings are concise yet complete musical statements. High-definition sound with a lively, in-your-face feel results from microphones placed very close to the instruments. Releases are downloadable from the label’s Website but are more fully appreciated on vinyl or CD,Continue reading “Mystery & Wonder Records: Extending the Sound”
Suoni per il Popolo Festival, 19th Edition.
Spread across four main halls and seven auxiliary venues, the sprawling 2019 Suoni per il Popolo Festival encompassed close to two hundred acts covering the musical spectrum, including electronic, jazz, rock, and the less easily classifiable. The festival is breathtaking in its scope, and—with most evenings presenting four or more simultaneous concerts—impossible to exhaustively cover.Continue reading “Suoni per il Popolo Festival, 19th Edition.”
Strangewaves V: Mother Nature.
On the last day of Strangewaves V, we drove onto the festival’s site at the fairgrounds in Paris, Ontario, a little after 2 p.m, when Myriam Gendron—a singer and guitarist best known for her 2014 release Not So Deep As A Well, which sets Dorothy Parker poems to fragile folk melodies—was scheduled to perform. ImagineContinue reading “Strangewaves V: Mother Nature.”
Webber/Morris Big Band
On a cold January evening in 2019, Angela Morris approaches the bandstand of Manhattan’s Jazz Gallery and announces that she will be able to conduct her piece that night. A few days ago it was still uncertain. Weeks earlier, on Christmas Eve, she broke her shoulder, making the arm movements required to lead the bandContinue reading “Webber/Morris Big Band”
Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, 35th Edition.
There has always been something slightly enchanted about FIMAV’s existence. Sheltered in a small city between Montreal and Quebec City, Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville is devoted to musique actuelle (music of the moment), which embraces improvised music, free jazz, avant-rock, electronica, harsh noise, folkloric projects, and uncategorizable sonic eruptions from around theContinue reading “Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, 35th Edition.”