Recording: Holy Oak Family Singers

Artist: Holy Oak Family Singers feat. Ryan Driver / Alex Lukashevsky / Dorothea Paas / Luka Kuplowsky

Songs: Picture a World / Bein' Green / The First Time It Happens / Everybody Eats [all composed by Joe Raposo]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Tribute to Joe Raposo), July 3, 2024.

Holy Oak Family Singers feat. Ryan Driver - Picture a World

Holy Oak Family Singers feat. Alex Lukashevsky - Bein' Green

Holy Oak Family Singers feat. Dorothea Paas - The First Time It Happens

Holy Oak Family Singers feat. Luka Kuplowsky - Everybody Eats

The name Joe Raposo might not ring a bell, but chances are good you've got some of his songs lodged in your brain. One of the key writers in the classic Sesame Street/Muppets era, he not only composed the Sesame Street theme, but piles of instantly-familiar tunes, including "C is for Cookie", "Doin' the Pigeon", "Would You Like to Buy an O?", and "Sing" — as well as a fair few other TV themes. That meant there was plenty of material for the usual mix'n'match insta-ensembles at H.O.F.S.' regular night of musical tribute. The best results came when the singers mined the vein of bummed-out melancholy that's just below the surface of many of these songs — but the bursts of pure ebullience worked pretty swell too (Alex Lukashevsky tackling the Three's Company theme was everything you could hope for).

[Do note that H.O.F.S. are taking August off! You'll find them back in the Southern Cross on the first Wednesday in September.]

Recording: Kristina Warren & Karen Ng

Artist: Kristina Warren & Karen Ng

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #93), July 2, 2024.

Kristina Warren & Karen Ng - [excerpt]

A very cool pairing here with Providence, Rhode Island-based sound artist Kristina Warren joining up with local saxophonist Karen Ng. Warren managed to create a number of electroacoustic zones with a variety of expected and unexpected sounds (shoes tromping, laughter, percussive spatter and other radio sputters) suggesting scenes for Ng to embellish.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend will be back on Wenona next week (Tuesday, August 6th), featuring sets from Dangertown (New York's Dafna Naphtali and Hans Tammen, fresh from Electric Eclectics) and Eye_Duh Kho.]

Recording: Without a Single Green Feather

Artist: Without a Single Green Feather

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #93), July 2, 2024.

Without a Single Green Feather - [excerpt]

This was another set that came about from me inviting Patrick O'Reilly to bring along some musicians who might not (yet!) be familiar to me, and he obliged by putting together this trio with Sam Laramee and Ezra Schell. Answering the musical question, "what would happen if we attached a fax machine to the rock tumbler?" there was a radiophonic workshop's worth of ingenuity here as the sounds moved from "relaxed drift" to "OS error message".

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend will be back on Wenona next week (Tuesday, August 6th), featuring sets from Dangertown (New York's Dafna Naphtali and Hans Tammen, fresh from Electric Eclectics) and Eye_Duh Kho.]

Monday Roundup #185

Concert announcements:

Labyrinth presents Modal Music (feat. Labyrinth Ensemble) / Toronto Railway Museum 2024-08-05 (Monday – 12:30 p.m. & 2:00 p.m.). $free, outdoors, family-friendly. [FB event]

Habari Africa Festival (feat. Hassan El Hadi / Sia Tolno / Emmanuel Jal) / Harbourfront Centre 2024-08-09 (Friday). $free, outdoors, all-ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Musica Universalis (feat. I Have Eaten The City [Colin Fisher/Nick Storring/Brandon Valdivia]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-09 (Friday). $pwyc, suggested donation $10

Blunt Object ["performing the weird and wonderful music of Carla Bley"] [Jay Hay/Ben Dietschi/Gordon Hyland/Jesse Malone/Teppei Kamei/Heather Saumer/Robin Jessome/Josh Bird/Tania Gill/Phil Albert/Nico Dann) / The Rex 2024-08-10 (Saturday – 2 p.m.). $10/$15. [FB event]

Habari Africa Festival (feat. Kalimba Village with Njacko Backo / Mzee Watmon Amone & MC Ojegele / Balafon Village with Adama Daou / Melat Mengesha / Gye Nyame / Empress Nyiringango / Teranga Senegal) / Harbourfront Centre 2024-08-10 (Saturday). $free, outdoors, all-ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Audiopollination presents (feat. The Side Eye [Kayla Milmine/Mike Lynn/Em] / Unihorn [Andrew & Jonathan Kay] / %%30%30/Rod Campbell/Gladys) / Annette Studios 2024-08-10 (Saturday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]

Habari Africa Festival (feat. Balafon Village with Adama Daou / Mabinty Sylla & Lanaya / Les Frères Cissoko: Noumoucounda, Sadio & Fa / Kunle / Rumba: Soul of Congo / Sadaka) / Harbourfront Centre 2024-08-11 (Sunday). $free, outdoors, all-ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Theo Vandenhoff (Amery / Bingo Day) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-16 (Friday). $14.50, 19+. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

The Nilan Perera Sextet [Ian de Souza/Alex Fournier/Jason Massey/Nilan Perera/Matt Poon/Rick Sacks] / Array Space 2024-07-30 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Lina Allemano Four / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-30 (Tuesday) [FB event]

Morten Larsen/Doug Tielli/Florian Fischer/Nicola Miller feat. Karen Ng / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-31 (Wednesday – early) [more info]

Brittany Pitt presents (feat. Reverie [Brittany Pitt/Dan Pitt/Caleb Klager/Stefan Hegerat]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-31 (Wednesday) [more info]

ZONES / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-01 (Thursday). $18.92, 19+. [FB event]

Banananananana (Free Play Angel / jaL / Tommy Tone) / Ted's Collision 2024-08-01 (Thursday). $pwyc, 19+

Beams (Summer Like The Season / Essie Watts) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-02 (Friday). $15, 19+. [FB event]

Aniqa Dear (Joyshape / Snake of Rhyme) / Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory 2024-08-03 (Saturday – 1 p.m.). $12 advance/$15 door, all-ages sober event. [more info]

BLOOP! / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-03 (Saturday) [FB event]

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-08-04 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Utopia Ontario [Andrew Downing/Kevin Turcotte/Justin Orock/Ian McGimsey/Maggie Keogh]) / Hirut Café 2024-08-04 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

Joseph Allred (Hieronymus Harry / Marilyn Yogarajah) / Annette Studios 2024-08-04 (Sunday). $15. [FB event]

---

It happened this week...

• ...on July 31, 2013 at Clinton's Tavern.

The Magic - There You Are

• ...on August 2, 2013 at Izakaya Sushi House.

Tess Parks - Life Is But A Dream

• ...on August 3, 2013 at The Silver Dollar Room.

Cartoons - Bug Eyed

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV

Songs: 100,000,000,000,000.1 Neutrinos [excerpt] + Elegy for Monstera [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), June 30, 2023.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV - 100,000,000,000,000.1 Neutrinos [excerpt]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV - Elegy for Monstera [excerpt]

Once again, the Cosmic Homeostasis crew gathered on a fifth Sunday of the month for some expansive space-drift. Playing on an unusual Canada Day long weekend, when the city felt a little emptied-out, saw a slightly smaller than usual crew in attendance — but with ten performers on hand, "small" is relative, and there was still plenty of sounds and plenty of spaces between sounds.

The performers this time around were:

• Phil Johnston - tape loop + 1-string guitar, namer-of-things
• Jonny Luke - cornet
• Michael Lynn - bass/clarinet
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Sterling McPhedran - guitar
• Ian McPhedran - uke/banjo
• Eric Cinnesealach - clarinets/percussion
• Scott M2 - Animoog
• Jon Kereliuk - piano
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Medo + Bastl synths

As always, the full session is available as a name-your price album on Bandcamp:

Plus, you can also check out both sets (and some informative space facts) over on youtube:

Recording: Knots

Artist:

Songs: #1 [composer: Patrick Booth] + Sunrise [composer: Joe Sorbara]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Furniture Music presents), June 30, 2024.

Knots - #1

Knots - Sunrise

This set was presented under the auspices of the Furniture Music composition workshop, which turned out to be wholly appropriate as it was a space for the musicians to share their pieces and work out some approaches on the fly. The first of a three-show mini-tour, although all the members of this group had played with some of the others, this was their first time convening as a quartet — and, in fact, Michigan-based saxophonist Patrick Booth and drummer Joe Sorbara were meeting for the first time as they set up to play. Guitarist Patrick O'Reilly and double bassist Phil Albert rounded out the unit, and all four contributed pieces to be explored over two sets.

You can check out the full performance over on youtube:

Monday Roundup #184

Community notes:

• The call is out for The Tranzac's next round of performance residencies (October 2024 to March 2025). A great space to work on ideas/explore sounds! More info can be found here.

• "Long Winter is seeking new Board members to serve for two years (renewable) starting August/September 2024. The Long Winter Board is an engaged group of volunteers who support the programming and operating collective and shape the strategic directions of the project." More info here.

---

Concert announcements:

Tania Gill presents (feat. Tania Gill Quartet [Tania Gill / Lina Allemano/Rob Clutton/Nico Dann]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-07 (Wednesday – early). $pwyc. [FB event]

Ichi-Bons [two sets, with special guest Andrew Moljgun on saxophone] / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-09 (Friday). $21, 19+. [FB event]

Labyrinth x Dastgah Concert ["a multi-disciplinary collaboration between musicians of the Labyrinth Ensemble and Mani and Sanaz Mazinani's larger-than-life stringed installation, Dastgah"] (feat. Araz Salek/Sadaf Amini/Naomi McCarroll-Butler/Yang Chen/Roa Lee/Sasan Salaseli) / North Pavilion, Evergreen Brick Works 2024-08-10 (Saturday). $free, family-friendly

Sloan / CNE Bandshell 2024-08-16 (Friday). $free with admission to The Ex, all-ages, family-friendly, outdoors. [more info]

The New Pornographers / CNE Bandshell 2024-08-24 (Saturday). $free with admission to The Ex, all-ages, family-friendly, outdoors. [more info]

Richard Laviolette's Band [performing the songs from his last album All Wild Things Are Shy, with guest vocalists Abigail Lapell, Jiaqing Wilson Yang, Tamara Lindeman, Terra Lightfoot, José Contreras, Peter Demakos, Cormac Culkeen, and Geordie Gordon] (Abigail Lapell) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-09-06 (Friday). $22.63. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Holger Schoorl & Mark Zurawinski (Kayla Milmine/Isaiah Farahbakhsh/Anita Katakkar) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-24 (Wednesday – early) [FB event]

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Lucas Abela / Brian Ruryk / Deprivation Tactics / Mira Martin-Gray) / See-Scape 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $17.52 advance/$20 door, 19+. [FB event]

Greg Freeman (Westelaken) / The Baby G 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $28.40, 19+. [FB event]

Ronley Teper & the Lipliners / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [more info]

Tommy Tone (Flake / Little Window) / Linsmore Tavern 2024-07-25 (Thursday – 7:30 p.m.). $5, 19+. [more info]

Mountain Movers (Stonegrass [Jay Anderson/Matthew "Doc" Dunn] / Emily Robb) / Monarch Tavern 2024-07-25 (Thursday). $17.50, 19+. [FB event]

All-Set! presents (feat. Cloud Mushroom Music [Mike Smith/Isla Craig/Jay Hay/Rebecca Hennessy/Jake Oelrichs]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-26 (Friday – early)

Exit Points #51 (feat. Zoma/uh...no!/Raf Wilcot/Owen Kurtz/Chas Lawther / Talia Fuchs/Nilan Perera/Laura Barrett/Aline Homzy/Michael Palumbo) / Array Space 2024-07-26 (Friday). $20. [FB event]

The Ryan Driver Sextet [Ryan Driver/Martin Arnold/Rob Clutton/Nick Fraser/Michael Davidson with special guest Kevin Turcotte] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-26 (Friday). $pwyw. [FB event]

Cowbird Composers Collective Meta Residency: Growth and Decay (Array Workshop #1) ["open to any musicians that show up with instruments and want to play"] / Array Space 2024-07-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-07-28 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Bloom [Dan Rooke/Kevin Breit/Dave Piltch]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-28 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

---

It happened this week...

• ...on July 23, 2011 at The Garrison.

EMA - Butterfly Knife

• ...on July 24, 2011 at David Pecault Square (Bana Y'Afrique Festival).

Recorded

Afrafranto - Agoro

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Ng/Crosby/Melanson/Meeks

Artist: Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson with special guest D. Alex Meeks

Song: Untitled [composer: Karen Ng]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), June 25, 2024.

Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson with special guest D. Alex Meeks - Untitled

This trio set saw Karen Ng and Ted Crosby (both on sax and clarinet) and percussionist Phil Melanson tackling some compositions (from Ng and Crosby, as well as some Paul Motian) and also transformed into a mini-version of Ng's "double teams" concept with pairs of paired instruments when D. Alex Meeks was called up for the last couple pieces.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Swanherds

Artist: Swanherds

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), June 25, 2024.

Swanherds - unknown

The last time rebecca bruton was in these parts was to record with her Swanherds band, which also resulted in a solo show. This visit brought with it a full group performance, pulling in vocalists Zoë Alexis-Abrams and Felicity Williams, pianist Ryan Driver, percussionist D. Alex Meeks, guitarist Kurt Newman, and double bassist Pete Johnston. There was, of course, whistling from several of those conspirators as they went on some dreamy journeys down dusty Albertan backroads and headed for stranger destinations.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

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

Recording: Non-Twins

Artist: Non-Twins

Song: [1st piece, excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Nick Fraser presents), June 25, 2024.

Non-Twins - [1st piece, excerpt]

Originally devised by John Oswald as "Twins", a set for two saxophones and two double basses, the set lost some conceptual elegance with bassist Rob Clutton being unable to make the gig. Improvising, percussionist D. Alex Meeks (in town for a different show a couple days later) was pulled from the crowd to round out the ensemble, which, with Oswald and Karen Ng on horns alongside visiting double bassist Christopher A. Williams, hewed closer to a traditional ensemble format. That didn't lead to many traiditional sounds, however, with the group preferring more off kilter explorations. (Williams contributed to this with his idiosyncratic approach to his instrument, which he played more like a de gamba while using his bow has much as a preparation as for regular arco work.)

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube, including an extended guest appearance from clarinetist Zoe Pia:

Recording: Zoe Pia

Artist: Zoe Pia

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Nick Fraser presents), June 25, 2024.

Zoe Pia - [excerpt]

Visiting from Italy, Pia brought some improvisations for clarinet (as well as the launeddas), deftly deploying some loops and effects as well as sundry percussive elements.

Recording: BLOOP

Artist: BLOOP

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Nick Fraser presents), June 25, 2024.

BLOOP - [excerpt]

Though this Tuesday evening show was nominally taking place in Nick Fraser's timeslot, it looked like Lina Allemano was temporarily in charge, and she lead off a night hosting some international guests with a short set of bloopage alongside Mike Smith. With some bleed from a raucous fundraiser in the Main Hall, Allemano augmented her trumpet blasts with chimes and clonkin' cowbell, all whipped into impressionistic backgrounds by Smith's processing.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

Recording: Mira Martin-Gray

Artist: Mira Martin-Gray

Song: The First Time I Got an Endoscopy

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Solitary Shrew presents), June 25, 2024.

Mira Martin-Gray - The First Time I Got an Endoscopy

This set from Mira Martin-Gray juxtaposed some spoken poems with musical pieces. The latter were laptop compositions — generative pieces in Ableton with the software "improvising" on musical stems within directed parameters so that no two performances would be precisely alike, a new direction in Martin-Gray's sonic explorations was first hinted at in last fall's Different Parts of the Same Dream album. Echoing the poems they accompanied, the sounds ranged from the clanging musique concrète of the charivari march to the post-anesthesia glides heard here and beyond.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Each installment of Solitary Shrew features two performances led by women and gender non-conforming artists spanning an array of genres and artistic disciplines. Shows are on the last Tuesday of the month. The next show will be at The Tranzac on Tuesday, July 30th.]

Recording: Aline's étoile magique

Artist: Aline's étoile magique

Song: Blue Ghost Firefly

Recorded at Toronto Jazz Fest — Village Stage, June 24, 2024.

Aline's étoile magique - Blue Ghost Firefly

I'm not, admittedly, usually bowled over by the offerings at the local Corporate Jazz Fest, but generally speaking they do manage to spotlight some corners of cool local talent every year. (This set, in fact, was a re-booking of a cancelled set from last year, when forest fire smoke was choking the city, so kudos to the festival for making good with the artists.) In any case, it was absoloutely delightful to take in some sounds in Village of Yorkville Park, with shady trees overhead and the occasional rumble of the subway underfoot.

The generous set from violinist Aline Homzy's group mixed album tracks with newer material (including some pieces that have had their debuts at Homzy's Ghostgirl residency at The Tranzac) as well as reinterpreting works from composers like Carla Bley and Fats Waller. The sound on-site was unexpectedly excellently rendered, giving clarity to the group's sounds as well as solo spots from Michael Davidson (vibes), Marito Marques (drums), Dan Fortin (bass), and Thom Gill (guitar).

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

Monday Roundup #183

Concert announcements:

Holger Schoorl & Mark Zurawinski (Kayla Milmine/Isaiah Farahbakhsh/Anita Katakkar) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-24 (Wednesday – early) [FB event]

Tommy Tone (Flake / Little Window) / Linsmore Tavern 2024-07-25 (Thursday – 7:30 p.m.). $5, 19+. [more info]

All-Set! presents (feat. Cloud Mushroom Music [Mike Smith/Isla Craig/Jay Hay/Rebecca Hennessy/Jake Oelrichs]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-26 (Friday – early)

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-07-28 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

Brittany Pitt presents (feat. Reverie [Brittany Pitt/Dan Pitt/Caleb Klager/Stefan Hegerat]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-31 (Wednesday) [more info]

ZONES / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-01 (Thursday). $18.92, 19+. [FB event]

Banananananana (Free Play Angel / jaL / Tommy Tone) / Ted's Collision 2024-08-01 (Thursday). $pwyc, 19+

Aniqa Dear (Joyshape / Snake of Rhyme) / Allan Gardens Children's Conservatory 2024-08-03 (Saturday – 1 p.m.). $12 advance/$15 door, all-ages sober event. [more info]

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-08-04 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-08-11 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-08-18 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

Carolyn Mark / Sellers & Newel 2024-10-29 (Tuesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

The Max Donaldson Trio [Max Donaldson/Ian Afif/Mateos Labbe-Phelan] / Sellers & Newel 2024-11-15 (Friday). $15 minimum donation. [more info]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos (feat. Christine Bougie / Kayla Milmine / Dan Pitt / Patrick O'Reilly / Thom Gill / Kurt Newman) / Wenona Lodge 2024-07-16 (Tuesday)

People Soup presents: Stuffed Felt Soup [puppets + improvised music] (feat. Cheyenne McLean/Mark Terrett/Yang Chen/Connor Crone/Trevor Flemings/Duo Cichorium) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-16 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario presents: Makam Nights (feat. Anas Raslan / Majd Sukar) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2024-07-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Sandro Perri & Friends [Sandro Perri/Blake Howard/Josh Cole/Thomas Hammerton/Nick Zubeck/Ryan Driver/John Jowett/Ted Crosby] (Alex Lukashevsky) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-19 (Friday – early). $20/pwyc. [FB event]

Masahiro Takahashi presents Cha-no-yu (feat. Emissive / Masahiro Takahashi with Germaine Liu/Karen Ng/Sandro Perri) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-19 (Friday). $pwyc. [more info]

---

It happened this week...

• ...on July 15, 2012 at Polyhaus (Feast in the East 15).

Zacht Automaat - unknown

Absolutely Free - unknown

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Luka Kuplowsky & The Ryōkan Band

Artist: Luka Kuplowsky & The Ryōkan Band

Songs: How Can I Possibly Sleep When There is Music + I Knew it Would Be You! [from a poem by Ryōkan Taigu]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), June 18, 2024.

Luka Kuplowsky & The Ryōkan Band - How Can I Possibly Sleep When There is Music

Luka Kuplowsky & The Ryōkan Band - I Knew it Would Be You!

Luke Kuplowsky has been developing his book of songs from and inspired by poets for a few years now, so it was a delight to see it come to a culmination with the release of the double album How Can I Possibly Sleep When There is Music. For the release celebration, the full band presented the album in order, accompanied by some gorgeous visuals, including on-screen footage of a dancer (Noriko Yamamato) who then appeared in the flesh onstage — a perfect encapsulation of these songs breathing life into centuries-old poems and making them viscerally present in the here-and-now.

Recording: The Heart of Going La

Artist: The Heart of Going La

Song: Conniptions

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), June 18, 2024.

The Heart of Going La - Conniptions

This group is a union of three musicians exploring a mutual interest in the repetition of mantra. Fan Wu, Thom Gill & Christopher Willes (later also incorporating Felicity Williams, Evan Cartwright and Luke Kuplowsky from the evening's headliners) mixed spiritual abstractions with a few more earthly concerns (and even some hocketing bells) in a playfully epigrammic set.

Recording: Mas Aya

Artist: Mas Aya

Song: Tú y Yo

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (TONE Festival), June 16, 2024.

Mas Aya - Tú y Yo

This night out at the TONE Festival reached back for some strong Healing Power vibes: not only had that scene/label issued some essential music (together and individually) from the night's co-headliners, but it was also a treat to hear HP co-principal DJ SlightBreezy (aka Wolf Nessel) slingin' and manipulating tunes between sets.

And as with his co-headliner, Brandon Valdivia's "solo" spotlight was anything but, bringing in family and friends to celebrate the sounds of Coming And Going. Leaning less on popsong frameworks than vibe-heavy compositional savvy, Valdicia served as the director on stage, co-ordinating the sonic inputs from rhythm compadres Reimundo Sosa (percussion) and Josh Cole (double bass, electric bass, bass synth) plus rotating guests including Colin Fisher and Isla Craig. And most heartwarming was the family band angle that saw vocals from Lido Pimienta (highlighted on this track) as well as the pair's daughter Martina Valdivia, whose presence was a joyful highlight.

Recording: Colin Fisher

Artist: Colin Fisher

Song: Deus Absconditus

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (TONE Festival), June 16, 2024.

Colin Fisher - Deus Absconditus

This night out at the TONE Festival reached back for some strong Healing Power vibes: not only had that scene/label issued some essential music (together and individually) from the night's co-headliners, but it was also a treat to hear HP co-principal DJ SlightBreezy (aka Wolf Nessel) slingin' and manipulating tunes between sets.

A "solo album" is rarely a one-person endeavour, so it made sense to see Colin Fisher celebrating the release of Suns of the Heart alongside key collaborator David Psutka who helped use the recording process to elaborate upon Fisher's realtime propensity for building and manipulating layers of sound. That meant the first half of the set was in duo mode, nudging up against some of the album's textures before closing out with an extended solo improvisation for guitar and sax.

Recording: Xicada

Artist: Xicada

Song: [last section]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (TONE Festival), June 16, 2024.

Xicada - [last section]

This night out at the TONE Festival reached back for some strong Healing Power vibes: not only had that scene/label issued some essential music (together and individually) from the night's co-headliners, but it was also a treat to hear HP co-principal DJ SlightBreezy (aka Wolf Nessel) slingin' and manipulating tunes between sets.

And manipulating sounds on stage, Ilyse Krivel lead off the night mixing harsher textures and spattered samples in a customarily-succinct set.

Monday Roundup #182

---

Concert announcements:

Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos (feat. Christine Bougie / Kayla Milmine / Dan Pitt / Patrick O'Reilly / Thom Gill / Kurt Newman) / Wenona Lodge 2024-07-16 (Tuesday)

The Harley Card Quintet with special guest Alex Samaras [Harley Card/Alex Samaras/David French/Matt Newton/Jon Maharaj/Ethan Ardelli] / The Rex 2024-07-17–2024-07-20 (Wednesday–Saturday). $16 and up. [FB event]

Exit Points #51 (feat. Zoma/uh...no!/Raf Wilcot/Owen Kurtz/Chas Lawther / Talia Fuchs/Nilan Perera/Laura Barrett/Aline Homzy/Michael Palumbo) / Array Space 2024-07-26 (Friday). $20. [FB event]

Cowbird Composers Collective Meta Residency: Growth and Decay (Array Workshop #1) ["open to any musicians that show up with instruments and want to play"] / Array Space 2024-07-27 (Saturday) [FB event]

Track Could Bend #94 (feat. Dangertown [Dafna Naphtali & Hans Tammen] / Eye_Duh Kho) / Wenona Lodge 2024-08-06 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic / Handlebar 2024-07-08 (Monday)

Cowbird Composer Collective Meta Residency: Four Pieces (feat. Paul Newman / Brian Abbott / Germaine Liu & Cheryl Duvall / Manuel Morales) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-08 (Monday) [FB event]

Ghostgirl Residency (feat. Devon Henderson/Aidan McConnell/Michael Davidson/Steven Noronha/Aline Homzy) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-09 (Tuesday – early)

Josh Cole presents (feat. Josh Cole Quartet + Strings [Aline Homzy/Lina Allemano/Nick Storring/John Oswald/Blake Howard/Josh Cole]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-09 (Tuesday). $10/pwyc. [FB event]

Donna Lee Quartet [Reg Schwager/Josh Cole/Nick Fraser/Brodie West] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-10 (Wednesday – early)

Never Was [Brandon Davis/Racha Moukalled/Patrick O’Reilly/Joe Sorbara] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-10 (Wednesday)

Karen Ng presents (feat. Windscour [Joe Moffett/Zach Rowden] / The Adjacences [Lina Allemano/Ryan Driver/Nick Fraser/Karen Ng] / Shadow Pattern) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-11 (Thursday). $15/pwyc

Musica Universalis (feat. Mark Hundevad & Colin Fisher) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-12 (Friday). $10 suggested donation

Lina Allemano Four / Hirut Café 2024-07-13 (Saturday). $20. [FB event]

Freesound Presents: Mostly Open Scores (feat. Andrew Noseworthy/Amahl Arulanandam/Matti Pulkki/Michael Murphy/Wesley Shen)/ Society Clubhouse 2024-07-13 (Saturday). $17.31. [FB event]

Ayal Senior and Friends presents (feat. Nick Flanagan / Jane Inc / You're Steel on My Mind [Joe Strutt & Kurt Newman]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-14 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Carlton Park Concerts presents (feat. Joseph Shabason / Andre Ethier / Eucalyptus) / Carlton Park 2024-07-14 (Sunday – 4 p.m.). $pwyc, outdoors, kid-friendly

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Aline Homzy's NDG [Aline Homzy/Michael Davidson/Spencer Cole/Jon Maharaj]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-14 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

---

It happened this week...

• ...on July 8, 2017 at Prairie Drive Park (Feast in the East 63).

Saxsyndrum - Maceo

• ...on July 14, 2017 at Gerrard Art Space (Eclec~Tic~Toc Fest, Vol. 1 – Night 1).

Ben Grossman/cheryl o/Barry Prophet - [excerpt]

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: U.S. Girls

Artist: U.S. Girls

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

U.S. Girls - unknown

It had been a hot minute since I had seen Meg Remy in performance, and I was pleased to see that this fundraiser-closing set was with a full band (although the evidence is also that she has been slaying it in duo mode with Geordie Gordon). This turned out to be a shorter but intensely-focused set, with this discofied jam sprawling out for about half of its length. Remy went from having her own private dance party on stage to taking it out among the crowd — I didn't have a great angle to see all the shenanigans, but I am told things got up close and personal. And then, job done, Remy sashayed off the stage, leaving 'em wanting more.

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

Recording: Eucalyptus

Artist: Eucalyptus

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

Eucalyptus - unknown

This set brought a different "look" from Eucalyptus than had been seen in their previous appearance in the Tranzac's Main Hall. Part of that was down to the presence of a couple last-minute fill-ins (Chris Banks on bass and Robin Buckley on percussion), but the biggest shift was hearing Aline Homzy on violin up front, occupying the role of foil and counterpart to Brodie West that has traditionally been filled by Nicole Rampersaud. The difference in timbre was felt in an accentuation of glide over thrust, which especially added an extra sheen of subtle shimmy to the slower numbers like this one.

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

Recording: Cots

Artist: Cots

Song: unknown^* + Pineapple Shoes [John Southworth cover]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Tranzac Fundraiser II), June 14, 2024.

Cots - unknown

Cots - Pineapple Shoes

Steph Yates lead off this second Tranzac fundraiser event in solo mode, just voice and spare guitar presenting some songs from her recordings as well as some newer developments.

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

Recording: Aline Homzy & Co.

Artist: Aline Homzy & Co.

Songs: Sister Mary-Ellen + Weird Nightmare [composer: Charles Mingus]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ghostgirl residency), June 11, 2024.

Aline Homzy & Co. - Sister Mary-Ellen

Aline Homzy & Co. - Weird Nightmare

The second instalment of Aline Homzy's Ghostgirl residency saw her joined again by Michael Davidson on vibes, as well as Julian Anderson-Bowes on double bass and Aidan McConnell on drums. Once more there was a mix of spectral stories and songs — though the first one here is not a ghost story, but rather a fond remembrance of a former neighbour, while the on-point latter selection was also a spotlight for Anderson-Bowes.

[The Ghostgirl residency continues in the Southern Cross on Tuesday, July 9th, this time with Aline Homzy joined by Devon Henderson, Aidan McConnell, Michael Davidson and Steven Noronha.]

Monday Roundup #181

Concert announcements:

Ghostgirl Residency (feat. Devon Henderson/Aidan McConnell/Michael Davidson/Steven Noronha/Aline Homzy) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-09 (Tuesday – early)

Freesound Presents: Mostly Open Scores (feat. Andrew Noseworthy/Amahl Arulanandam/Matti Pulkki/Michael Murphy/Wesley Shen)/ Society Clubhouse 2024-07-13 (Saturday). $17.31. [FB event]

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Aline Homzy's NDG [Aline Homzy/Michael Davidson/Spencer Cole/Jon Maharaj]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-14 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario presents: Makam Nights (feat. Anas Raslan / Majd Sukar) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2024-07-18 (Thursday) [FB event]

Greg Freeman (Westelaken) / The Baby G 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $28.40, 19+. [FB event]

Mountain Movers (Stonegrass [Jay Anderson/Matthew "Doc" Dunn] / Emily Robb) / Monarch Tavern 2024-07-25 (Thursday). $17.50, 19+. [FB event]

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Bloom [Dan Rooke/Kevin Breit/Dave Piltch]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-28 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Utopia Ontario [Andrew Downing/Kevin Turcotte/Justin Orock/Ian McGimsey/Maggie Keogh]) / Hirut Café 2024-08-04 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

Dave Bidini / Sellers & Newel 2024-08-11 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Still House Plants / Only God Forgives) / Standard Time 2024-09-26 (Thursday). $22.89, all ages. [FB event]

Stranger Still [Pete Johnston/Rob Clutton/Mim Adams/Randi Helmers] / Sellers & Newel 2024-10-20 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Rex 2024-06-30&2024-07-01 (Sunday & Monday). $20. [FB event]

Track Could Bend #93 (feat. Without a Single Green Feather [Sam Laramee/Ezra Schell/Patrick O’Reilly] / Kristina Warren & Karen Ng) / Wenona Lodge 2024-07-02 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Peripheral Vision (Tania Gill Trio [Tania Gill/Lina Allemano/Rob Clutton]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-02 (Tuesday)

The Knot [Tilman Lewis & Nick Storring] (Germaine Liu & Mark Zurawinski) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-03 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Slutcode (Jazz Dads / Hex-A-Decimal) / See-Scape 2024-07-04 (Thursday). $10/pwyc. [FB event]

Tania Gill presents (feat. Doug Tielli/Tania Gill/Rob Clutton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-05 (Friday – early). $pwyc.

A-Minor presents (feat. Psychic Weapons / Artificial Light / Timehole) / Sneaky Dee's 2024-07-05 (Friday). $16.48, 19+. [FB event]

MINTCHEV5 feat. Mark Hundevad & Colin Fisher / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-06 (Saturday). $pwyc.

Modern Roots Jazz Americana Summer Series (feat. Jacob's Cattle [Roy Patterson/Mike Ekhert/Aline Homzy/Andrew Downing]) / Hirut Café 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $20, dining available. [more info]

Etran de L'Aïr / Longboat Hall 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $30.52, 19+. [FB event]

Monk's Music presents (feat. Adjacent Spheres) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-07 (Sunday). $pwyc

---

It happened this week...

• ...on July 7, 2016 at Scott Library Collaboratory (Celebrating Jazz at York University Libraries).

Brodie West + Rob Clutton - Meditations on 'Round Midnight [excerpt]

• ...on July 7, 2016 at Array Space (Invocation Presents).

Memorex - Glass Eyes

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]