The opening four minutes of Toronto drummer and composer Nick Fraser’s new disc consists almost entirely of long astringent tones that seem simultaneously on the brink of decay and of gathering momentum. This impression is compounded by Fraser’s brittle, skittering accompaniment of his bandmates. When cellist Andrew Downing and saxophonist Tony Malaby eventually arrive atContinue reading “Nick Fraser. Is Life Long?”
Genre Archives
2017 Guelph Jazz Festival
Striding confidently towards its 2018 silver anniversary, the Guelph Jazz Festival was invigorated this year with choice concerts from U.S. and European artists—but nonetheless, two of the most notable performances were from Canadian bands. Montreal trio Jane and the Magic Banana found that sweet spot where punk attitude, tremolo oscillations, and free experimentation lock together.Continue reading “2017 Guelph Jazz Festival”
Something Else! Festival of Creative Music
The rough, faded industrial city of Hamilton, Ontario, might seem an unlikely setting for a top-notch festival of creative music, but thanks to the efforts of Cem [pronounced Jem] Zafir, the artistic director of Something Else!, the city proved a perfect little world for the musicians and music lovers on hand for the fourth edition.Continue reading “Something Else! Festival of Creative Music”
Harris Eisenstadt Canada Day. On Parade in Parede; Harris Eisenstadt. Recent Developments.
Having reached a comfortable maturity in his playing and composing, Toronto-born, Brooklyn-based percussionist Harris Eisenstadt isn’t averse to showcasing his talents in varied settings. With On Parade in Parede, the drummer has created a spirited post-bop session with his Canada Day quartet. Meanwhile, his Recent Developments CD is a spiky recasting of composed chamber jazz played by aContinue reading “Harris Eisenstadt Canada Day. On Parade in Parede; Harris Eisenstadt. Recent Developments.”
The Aural Perspectives of Brodie West
People love a good Jekyll-and-Hyde story, and when it comes to artists, the extreme disparities between their personal and creative lives offer endless fascination. These supposed paradoxes affirm the specious belief that artistic expression magically transcends selfhood. They’re also the pillars of personality cults, painting artists as fundamentally complicated and misunderstood people—exceptional beings occupying theirContinue reading “The Aural Perspectives of Brodie West”
OBEY Convention X.
“In New York, there would be twelve people here,” venerable Halifax percussionist and mentor Jerry Granelli declares. “Here we are in Halifax, and tons of people are coming out to hear weird music!” OBEY is weird. Its programming is marked by an aesthetic of eclecticism that reflects the diversity of contemporary expressive music. (“Experimental” andContinue reading “OBEY Convention X.”
Lisa Cay Miller. 682/681
Recorded in one day-long session, this CD has Vancouver composer and pianist Lisa Cay Miller matching tones and techniques with ten Amsterdam-based improvisers in duo or trio configurations. Although the twenty-two [!] meetings confirm her ability and adaptability, the few extended tracks provide more musical nourishment than do the briefer foretastes. For instance, the concludingContinue reading “Lisa Cay Miller. 682/681”
Jim Denley & Éric Normand. Plant.
Working the sweet spot where noise communication decisively rubs up against textural experimentation are the verdant improvisations that make up Plant, the new LP from Rimouski-based electric bassist Éric Normand and Australian alto saxophonist and bass flautist Jim Denley. Don’t be fooled by the title, though. Nothing here is the aural equivalent of a pastoralContinue reading “Jim Denley & Éric Normand. Plant.”
Musicworks’ 2017 Summer Festival Preview
Some of my most cherished experiences happened at summer music festivals—from scanning the schedules and planning the road trips to meeting new friends and, of course, identifying new musicians and artists. Here at Musicworks, we’re discovering more must-see festivals and events every day, and are inspired by the organizations dedicated to bringing artists and listenersContinue reading “Musicworks’ 2017 Summer Festival Preview”
Roscoe Mitchell and the Montreal-Toronto Art Orchestra
The year 2017 is being widely celebrated as the centenary of jazz, marked by the hundredth anniversary of the music’s first recordings, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band’s “Livery Stable Blues” and “Dixie Jass Band One Step.” Jazz began as a spontaneous, improvised music of syncopated rhythms and bent notes so creatively assembled that it defiedContinue reading “Roscoe Mitchell and the Montreal-Toronto Art Orchestra”