Recording: Holger Schoorl Ensemble

Artist: Holger Schoorl Ensemble

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Somewhere There Creative Music Festival – Show 5), February 25, 2018.

Holger Schoorl Ensemble - unknown

My previous experience of Holger Schoorl was mostly in the context of seeing him playing some really quiet guitar, so it was quite a revelation to see him performing with a large brass ensemble. (The full group was: Jonnie Bakan, saxophone; Chantal Cornu, tuba; Emily Denison, trumpet; Bea Labikova, soprano saxophone; Paul Newman, tenor saxophone; Patrick O'Reilly, guitar; Heather Saumer, trombone.) The set included a couple instrumentals, like this melancholy opener (complete with jaunty oompah coda), but the real heart of the set were School's darkly-comedic and disarmingly-witty lyrics — "mean-spirited" as he himself admitted. In the grips of a cold at this show and raspier than he wanted to be, I'm certainly waiting for another opportunity to hear that material.

^* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!