Artist: Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman
Song: Egg Yolk Slime
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), August 11, 2024.
Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman - Egg Yolk Slime
Further refinements to the latest additions to the songbook in this duo set, this time with Kurt Newman on electric six-string.
[Ayal Senior & Friends returns to the Southern Cross with performances by Senior & Newman, Greydini, Nick Flanagan and an unnamed "special guest" next Sunday (September 8th).]
Artist: The Sympathetic String Band
Song: [second piece]
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), August 11, 2024.
The Sympathetic String Band - [second piece]
Previously seen performing as a duo, this drifting enterprise from Harrison Forman and Patrick Lefler was expended to a quartet this time around, adding small-scale percussion (and additional sympathetic strings) for some peaceful meditations.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Ayal Senior & Friends returns to the Southern Cross with performances by Senior & Newman, Greydini, Nick Flanagan and an unnamed "special guest" next Sunday (September 8th).]
Artist: David Sait
Song: [second piece]
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), August 11, 2024.
David Sait's guzheng complemented the other sets' sounds in this afternoon of gentle string excursions. This piece in particular features some work with santur mallets, giving a subtle variation to the sonic attack.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Davis Sait will be performing at the next instalment of the Liquid Architecture series at Mischief Makers on Saturday, September 14th. Ayal Senior & Friends returns to the Southern Cross with performances by Senior & Newman, Greydini, Nick Flanagan and an unnamed "special guest" next Sunday (September 8th).]
Artist: Ayal Senior/Harrison Forman/Patrick Lefler
Song: [excerpt]
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), August 11, 2024.
Ayal Senior/Harrison Forman/Patrick Lefler - [excerpt]
This afternoon of musical exploration lead off with this impromptu improvisation, centred around Senior's percussion work, and specifically centred around his tongue drum. That gave a gentle impetus to Forman's guitar explorations, and the vibe was completed when Patrick Lefler joined in on piano. Some rumours say that the trio's true name is Alpaca Spice Traders.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Ayal Senior & Friends returns to the Southern Cross with performances by Senior & Newman, Greydini, Nick Flanagan and an unnamed "special guest" next Sunday (September 8th).]
Artist: Dangertown
Song: [excerpt]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #94), August 6, 2024.
Stopping in on their way back down from an appearance at Electric Eclectics, Brooklyn’s Dafna Naphtali and Hans Tammen brought some cool synths that operated on uncertainty and unrepeatability, giving them an unstable platform for in-the-moment improvisations. Though not eschewing new gear, their key instruments included several vintage handmade synths (some formerly belonging to Michael Evans), lending the set the air of a celebratory living memorial.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona next week (Tuesday, September 3rd) with sets from Cory Harper-Latkovich's Royal Jelly (including Germaine Liu, Kurt Newman, Allison Cameron and Sara Constant) and Turtle Pleasure.]
Artist: Eye_Duh Kho & Alejandro Franco Briones
Song: [excerpt]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #94), August 6, 2024.
Eye_Duh Kho & Alejandro Franco Briones - [excerpt]
A cool collaboration here, with Kho providing sounds via modular synth, and Briones using those sounds as triggers for live-coded interactive visuals in Hydra.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona next week (Tuesday, September 3rd) with sets from Cory Harper-Latkovich's Royal Jelly (including Germaine Liu, Kurt Newman, Allison Cameron and Sara Constant) and Turtle Pleasure.]
Concert announcements:
Track Could Bend #95 (feat. Royal Jelly [Cory Harper-Latkovich/Germaine Liu/Kurt Newman/Allison Cameron/Sara Constant] / Turtle Pleasure) / Wenona Lodge 2024-09-03 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Art Spin Bike Tour & Wet Sounds ["gathering a large audience on bicycles to visit the multidisciplinary installations and performances in a one-of-a-kind event"/"a sound installation in a swimming pool led by UK-based artist Joel Cahen"] (feat. Neil Lordson / Moraa Stump / Joel Cahen (performing as PlutonOvarian) / Mira Martin-Gray & Olivia Shortt / Heidi Chan & Prince Nifty) / Earlscourt Park Gazebo/Giovanni Caboto Pool 2024-09-07 (Saturday). $27 [Bike Tour & Wet Sounds, afternoon show], $22 [Wet Sounds only, evening show]. [more info]
Batuki Music Society presents: Renaissance CD Release Concert (feat. Mis Blandine & Caza Jazz Band / Pecosse Animation) / Alliance Française Toronto 2024-09-07 (Saturday). $15 (advance), $20 (door). [tickets + more info]
undercommons collective #1 (feat. Holger Schoorl & Kayla Milmine / Victor O & friends / the rest [Joe Sorbara & Jonathan Kay]) / Annette Studios 2024-09-07 (Saturday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]
Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Senior & Newman / Greydini / Nick Flanagan / "special guest") / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-08 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]
Cowbird Composer Collective Meta-Residency ["new chamber music composed by Brian Abbott"] (feat. Michael Palumbo [solo modular synth] / Ryan Kinney & Meghan Cheng / Manuel Morales / Naomi McCarroll-Butler) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-09 (Monday) [FB event]
Liquid Architecture (feat. David Sait / Jonny Luke / Yasmine / Ryan Kinney) / Mischief Makers 2024-09-14 (Saturday). $10 (adv. tickets or cash at door), $12 (card at door). [FB event]
Mike Donovan (New Orthodox / The JDAC) / The Baby G 2024-09-16 (Monday). $23.57 advance, 19+. [FB event]
Tilman Lewis/Nilan Perera/Laura Swankey / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-20 (Friday – early). $pwyc. [FB event]
Dance Inside Autumn Leaves (feat. Shahriyar Jamshidi) / Canadian Music Centre 2024-09-27 (Friday). $22.63. [more info]
Andy Haas & Mike Milligan (Max Donaldson) / Sellers & Newel 2024-11-24 (Sunday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Shows this week:
Greydini (Dame Cook / Escote / Tommy Tone) / Low Bar 2024-08-27 (Tuesday). $10, 19+. [more info]
Solitary Shrew (feat. Owen & Liz / Public Library [Liz Anthonisen/Patrick O'Reilly/Owen Bulger/Mira Riselli/Alison Kerfoot]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-27 (Tuesday – early). $pwyc ($10 suggested) [more info]
Potions [Ben Rositsan/Steven Noronha/Josh Sparks/Aidan McConnell] (Karen Ng & Charles Spearin) / Burdock Music Hall 2024-08-27 (Tuesday). $15. [more info]
Nick Fraser Presents: music of Duke Ellington (feat. Nick Fraser and Myk Freedman) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-27 (Tuesday)
Trapezoid [Karen Ng/Kurt Newman/Nick Fraser/Rob Clutton] / The Emmett Ray 2024-08-28 (Wednesday – 6 p.m.). $15/$10
Siren Recordings Presents: Four generations of sonic poetry (feat. The Toronto Experimental Translation Collective / Gary Barwin / Paul Dutton / Andrew Whiteman's Poet's Workout Soundsystem) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-08-28 (Wednesday). $pwyc/$5. [more info]
Uma Nota Culture presents (feat. John Kameel Farah / Animal Party) / BSMT254 2024-08-29 (Thursday). $22.63. [FB event]
Exit Points #52 (feat. Keisha Bell/Janel Jones/Ryan Kinney/Lex Feathers/Ambrose Pottie / MAYSUN/Sihwa Park/Danika Lorèn/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups!) / Array Space 2024-08-30 (Friday). $25 ($20 advance). [FB event]
A Ryan Driver Quintet [Ryan Driver/Rob Clutton/Brodie West/Blake Howard/Tania Gill] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-30 (Friday). $pwyw. [FB event]
Cosmic Homeostasis / Bloor Annex BIA Stage – Bloor and Brunswick 2024-09-01 (Sunday – noon to 2 p.m.). $free, outdoors, family-friendly. [FB event]
It happened this week...
[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.]
Artist: Joseph Allred
Songs: The Groundhog + unknown*
Recorded at Annette Studios, August 4, 2024.
Hailing from Crawford, Tennessee, Joseph Allred works in the realm of American Primitive guitar (or whatever we're call it these days), nible fingers coaxing a river of notes from his instruments — sometimes a rushing run through rapids, sometimes a meandering dirge. Asking big questions, getting down among the critters, and pausing to reflect while rubbing his eye, there was a lot of ground covered in this set, all beautifully played.
* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!
Artist: Marilyn Yogarajah
Songs: [solo excerpt] + [group excerpt]
Recorded at Annette Studios, August 4, 2024.
Marilyn Yogarajah - [solo excerpt]
Marilyn Yogarajah - [group excerpt]
This was nominally a solo set for Marilyn Yogarajah (who has recently added saxophone to their musical arsenal), but this community-minded icon tends to draw in collaborators at every possible turn, so it was no surprise that the night's other musicians — Harrison Forman and Patrick Lefler plus Joseph Allred — ended up on stage, and no surprise that the audience was encouraged to add such sounds as they saw fit.
Artist: Hieronymous Harry
Songs: two unknown songs*
Recorded at Annette Studios, August 4, 2024.
Hieronymous Harry - unknown #1
Hieronymous Harry - unknown #2
Harrison Forman's work as Hieronymus Harry is more "ye olde" than "old-timey", drawing from the deep bogs of British Isles folk laced with pagan psychedelia. The Incredible String Band is an easy point of reference, and a cover tune of note in this set was from John Dowling. Forman was mostly tackling new songs here, some solo on 6- and 12-strings, but several also with regular collaborator Patrick Lefler in tow. The second piece here also includes some trumpet from Marilyn Yogarajah, who was next up in the evening's programme.
* Does anyone know the titles to these? Please leave a comment!
Artist: Mountain Movers
Songs: My Holy Shrine + unknown*
Recorded at Monarch Tavern, July 25, 2024.
Mountain Movers - My Holy Shrine
This New Haven-based quartet might sprawl out a bit on their latest album, but they kept things fairly succinct on stage with a half-hour set keeping Dan Greene and Kryssi Battalene's guitars sparking off each other through rave-ups and dirges.
Artist: Stonegrass
Song: [track 1]
Recorded at Monarch Tavern, July 25, 2024.
A real joy to see Matt "Doc" Dunn back on a local stage. This set was nominally a rather belated celebration of the Stonegrass record, although that was more of a starting point. On wax a duo between Dunn and drummer Jay Anderson (who have a long history of playing together), this was transformed into a quartet with "Hieronymous" Harry Forman on bass and Asher Gould-Murtagh on tape echo unit. (The latter did a great job on keeping those very particular wobbulations floating just below the mix.)
Artist: Emily Robb
Song: unknown*
Recorded at Monarch Tavern, July 25, 2024.
Emily Robb - unknownEmily Robb led off this night of psych-rockin' goodness with a short solo set that started out sounding like variations on "Run Run Run", before getting percussive with some bowing action.
* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!
Community notes:
Concert announcements:
Greydini (Dame Cook / Escote / Tommy Tone) / Low Bar 2024-08-27 (Tuesday). $10, 19+. [more info]
Uma Nota Culture presents (feat. John Kameel Farah / Animal Party) / BSMT254 2024-08-29 (Thursday). $22.63. [FB event]
A Ryan Driver Quintet [Ryan Driver/Rob Clutton/Brodie West/Blake Howard/Tania Gill] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-30 (Friday). $pwyw. [FB event]
Cosmic Homeostasis / Bloor Annex BIA Stage – Bloor and Brunswick 2024-09-01 (Sunday – noon to 2 p.m.). $free, outdoors, family-friendly. [FB event]
Audiopollination (feat. Dan Pitt/Brittany Pitt/Laura Swankey / Matt Collins/Andrew Finlay Stewart/Bri Clarke / Nano Valverde/Tomasz Krakowiak/Nilan Perera / A Hibernating Animal [Aisha Sasha John/Raph Roter/Bea Labikova/MKL32]) / Array Space 2024-09-13 (Friday). $10 [card or cash], livestream available. [FB event]
Second Fridays [new series curated by Josh Cole!] (feat. Phillipe Lauzier's Splendide Abysse / Nick Fraser/Tony Malaby/Josh Cole/Rob Clutton) / Canadian Music Centre 2024-09-13 (Friday). $25 ($20 students). [FB event]
DIG presents (feat. CDSM [Celebrity Death Slot Machine] / Not A Band) / Houndstooth 2024-09-25 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Ace Of Wands (Not A Band / Waxlimbs) / The Baby G 2024-11-02 (Saturday). $23.57, 19+. [FB event]
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Shows this week:
The AMBiENT PiNG's 25th Anniversary (feat. Wally Jericho / Planet of the Loops / dreamSTATE with Kurt Swinghammer) / Handlebar 2024-08-19 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Myk Freedman & Karen Ng / Colin Fisher & Jeff Luciani) / Wenona Lodge 2024-08-20 (Tuesday). $pwyc
People Soup: Paint Water (feat. Charlee Wielgoz / Rod Campbell / Trevor Flemings / Duo Cichorium) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-20 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]
Ducks Ltd. (The Crime Family / Triples) / Longboat Hall 2024-08-22 (Thursday). $29.10, 19+. [FB event]
Joe Pernice (Liam Jaeger) / Brockton Cyclery 2024-08-22 (Thursday). $25. [more info]
Everyday Ago + Karen Ng present: Don't Forget Me Tape Launch (feat. Jean Néant [a.k.a. Joni Void ] / Karen Ng & Charles Spearin) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-22 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Flake (Gold Watch / So Tired) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-23 (Friday). $10, 19+. [FB event]
The New Pornographers / CNE Bandshell 2024-08-24 (Saturday). $free with admission to The Ex, all-ages, family-friendly, outdoors. [more info]
Artist: Lucas Abela
Song: [excerpt]
Recorded at See-Scape (Burn Down The Capital presents), July 24, 2024.
This noise night at See-Scape (which has been a hub for this scene for a little while now) felt like a classic "Tad" night — intriguing visitors, well-chosen locals, and a robust crowd. The night's headlining Australian experimentalist sported a unique setup, with a suitcase modular rig processing sounds that were produced by a contact mic'd pice of glass held against his mouth. That piece of glass would end up getting smashed, natch, but enroute helped to produce driving, distorted noise and jagged percussive explosions.
Artist: Deprivation Tactics
Song: [1st section]
Recorded at See-Scape (Burn Down The Capital presents), July 24, 2024.
Deprivation Tactics - [1st section]
This noise night at See-Scape (which has been a hub for this scene for a little while now) felt like a classic "Tad" night — intriguing visitors, well-chosen locals, and a robust crowd. Classic harsh noise signifiers — chainmail coif, amplified table abuse, switchblade stabbing at the mixer — lead to satisfying results here, ritualized violence hinting at danger and chaos.
Artist: Mira Martin-Gray
Song: [track 3]
Recorded at See-Scape (Burn Down The Capital presents), July 24, 2024.
This noise night at See-Scape (which has been a hub for this scene for a little while now) felt like a classic "Tad" night — intriguing visitors, well-chosen locals, and a robust crowd. Mira Martin-Gray opened up the night, and although using the same laptop setup as seen recently on a more meditative, poetry-reciting set, this hewed to noisier terrain.
Artist: Masahiro Takahashi with Karen Ng & Sandro Perri
Song: unknown*
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Cha-no-yu), July 19, 2024.
Masahiro Takahashi with Karen Ng & Sandro Perri - unknownCha-no-yu, Masahiro Takahashi's "bedroom producer" residency, is named after the Japanese tea ceremony, although the show is more of a friendly meeting than a formal ritual. The shows bring in fellow-travelling guest performers to open, but also give Takahashi an opportunity to expand the instrumental palette of his own material by inviting in local improvisers to add some different vibes. This night saw Karen Ng (saxophone) and Sendro Perri (guitar) on board, the former adding sympathetic warbles while the latter added subtle swells and chimes.
[Cha-no-yu will be back in the Southern Cross tonight (Friday, August 16th), with Masahiro Takahashi being joined by Ryan Driver and Grace Scheele as well as an opening set from Slow Attack Ensemble.]
* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!
Artist: Emissive
Song: unknown*
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Cha-no-yu), July 19, 2024.
Emissive - unknownEvan Vincent (also known for his DJ work) can rock some beats when the situation requires, but in opening things up for Masahiro Takahashi's "bedroom producer" series kept things on the more sedate side. This piece in particular exhibited some pleasingly-woozy Boards of Canada-style instability.
[Emissive will be pewrforming at BSMT254 on Friday, October 4th as part of the Project Nowhere Festival. Cha-no-yu will be back in the Southern Cross tonight (Friday, August 16th), with Masahiro Takahashi being joined by Ryan Driver and Grace Scheele as well as an opening set from Slow Attack Ensemble.]
* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!
Artist: Sandro Perri
Songs: Black Bush [Aaron Freeman cover] + [instrumental #4]
Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), July 19, 2024.
Sandro Perri - [instrumental #4]
Part of an ongoing series of quarterly shows at The Tranzac, this night saw Sandro Perri backed by a full coterie of longtime collaborators, packing in the Southern Cross "stage" area as much as the rest of the room. That gave a chance to workshop some new material (such as the previously-discovered "Elegant Solution", as well as one called "Morning Shake") but also a chance to stretch out in some different directions, such as the cover heard here and a series of instrumental pieces.
Artist: Alex Lukashevsky
Song: unknown*
Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), July 19, 2024.
Alex Lukashevsky - unknownOpening things up for Sandro Perri and band, Alex Lukashevsky brought a solo set filled with new material, filled with off-kilter wit and wisdom and simultaneously seemingly tossed off and filled with the most meticulous craft.
* Does anyone know the title to this one? Please leave a comment!
Artist: Patrick O'Reilly
Song: [first section]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos), July 16, 2024.
Patrick O'Reilly - [first section]
It turns out that the use case Patrick O'Reilly has found for his microtonal guitar is slow-moving and swelling, inspired by gnawa music. Coming from another angle, this piece was also inspired by Albert Ayler, whose voice is heard in the repeated interview fragment.
You can check out some more from this set (and the rest of the evening's second half) over on youtube:
Artist: Dan Pitt
Song: [3rd piece]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos), July 16, 2024.
Dan Pitt brought some delicately-spacious pieces for his set, exploring some terrain similar to his solo compositions.
You can check out some more from this set (and the rest of the evening's second half) over on youtube:
Artist: Kayla Milmine
Song: [first section]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos), July 16, 2024.
Kayla Milmine - [first section]
There were no unorthodox mouth-tubes or other alterations to Kayla Milmine's soprano sax this time out, but being the lone non-guitar player for the evening made her sounds more than distinctive enough.
You can check out some more from this set (and the rest of the evening's second half) over on youtube:
Community notes:
Concert announcements:
The AMBiENT PiNG's 25th Anniversary (feat. Wally Jericho / Planet of the Loops / dreamSTATE with Kurt Swinghammer) / Handlebar 2024-08-19 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Exit Points #52 (feat. Keisha Bell/Janel Jones/Ryan Kinney/Lex Feathers/Ambrose Pottie / MAYSUN/Sihwa Park/Danika Lorèn/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups!) / Array Space 2024-08-30 (Friday). $25 ($20 advance). [FB event]
Ghostlight Residency: Fall Equinox (feat. Ghostlight) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-04 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]
Venus Fest & Not Dead Yet present (feat. Claire Rousay / rEmPiT g0dDe$$ / Karen Ng) / Monarch Tavern 2024-09-27 (Thursday). $25.26, 19+. [more info]
Venus Fest presents (feat. evicshen / Ahya Simone / Kat Estacio) / It’s OK* Studios 2024-09-28 (Friday). $20-$30 sliding scale, all ages. [more info]
Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!
Shows this week:
Cowbird Composer Collective Residency: Improv Night! (feat. Paul Newman/Sara Constant/Brian Abbott/Chris Adriaanse/Patrick Smith/Manuel Morales) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-12 (Monday) [FB event]
Never Was [Brandon Davis/Racha Moukalled/Patrick O’Reilly/Joe Sorbara] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-14 (Wednesday). $pwyc.
Sloan / CNE Bandshell 2024-08-16 (Friday). $free with admission to The Ex, all-ages, family-friendly, outdoors. [more info]
Theo Vandenhoff (Amery / Bingo Day) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-16 (Friday). $14.50, 19+. [FB event]
Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-08-18 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]
It happened this week...
Karen Ng - [solo sax improvisation]
Dorothea Paas - Anything Can't Happen
[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.]
Artist: Christine Bougie
Song: [2nd piece]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos), July 16, 2024.
Christine Bougie - [2nd piece]
Some characteristically-excellent work from Christine Bougie here, both on a beatifully-tender ballad for electric guitar and this bit of gorgeousness for lap steel.
You can check out some more from this set (and the rest of the evening's first half) over on youtube:
Artist: Thom Gill
Song: [3rd piece]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos), July 16, 2024.
It's a rarity to get to see Thom Gill playing solo improvised guitar — and perhaps unprecidented to see him jamming on the Casio DG-10, gleefully shredding with several synthesized tones, including (as heard here) the GLOCKEN setting.
You can check out some more from this set (and the rest of the evening's first half) over on youtube:
Artist: Kurt Newman
Song: [1st piece]
Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Kurt Newman presents: an evening of cool solos), July 16, 2024.
Kurt Newman assembled this night of short solo sets, mostly for guitar, and lead off with some of his own concepts, including this piece exploring contrary motion.
You can check out some more from this set (and the rest of the evening's first half) over on youtube:
Artist: You're Steel on My Mind
Song: Requiem for Tom T. Hall
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), July 14, 2024.
You're Steel on My Mind - Requiem for Tom T. Hall
Guest-hosting Ayal Senior's monthly, I decided to exercise the host's prerogative and perform in a set. It seemed natural to invite along series regular Kurt Newman — but rather than engaging in some Parmenides Obtuse-style abstraction, this set was focused on some more song-like spaces. Playing lap steel (and buoyed up by Newman's pedal steel), some folk and country standards were rubbed against — or, in the case of this piece, refracted at a slight remove. An empty bottle, a broken heart, and you're steel on my mind.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Kurt Newman will be playing some "Clarence White instrumentals and general bluegrassness" alongside Karsten Stryker in a laid-back, 2-guitar version of The Sorry Brothers at The Tranzac tonight (August 8th). Ayal Senior & Friends will be back at The Tranzac on Sunday (August 11th) with the man himself back in charge and playing with Kurt Newman, alongside sets from David Sait, The Sympathetic String Band, and Nick Flanagan.]
Artist: Jane Inc
Song: An Ordinary Thing
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), July 14, 2024.
Guest-hosting Ayal Senior's monthly, I was searching for a performer that I'd like to see more of in a "Tranzac" context — and after some pondering, it seemed obvious that Carlyn Bezic was a perfect candidate. Although often seen performing as a guitar hero or bass monsta, her recent work as Jane Inc has dared to soften the edges a bit and get a little personal, songwriting-wise, so it suited the material to bring it to a stripped down/sitting down context. Accompanied by Edwin de Goeij on keys, the songs (and some sterling fingerpicking on acoustic guitar) really stood out, epecially on some newer, more experimental pieces that will surely gain some extra layers in studio versions.
You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:
[Ayal Senior & Friends will be back at The Tranzac on Sunday (August 11th) with the man himself back in charge and playing with Kurt Newman, alongside sets from David Sait, The Sympathetic String Band, and Nick Flanagan.]
Artist: The Adjacence
Song: [1st piece, excerpt]
Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), July 11, 2024.
The Adjacence - [1st piece, excerpt]
Another realignment of familiar faces, this unit saw Karen Ng (alto sax) and Lina Allemano (trumpet) backed by Nick Fraser (drumkit) and Ryan Driver (street-sweeper bristle bass). Heard with The Titillators and sundry other projects, Driver's bristle bass really stood out here for its musicality, while the horns explored further afield in realms of skronk-honk and sputter-whisper.
You can check out the full set over on youtube:
Posts
All Comments
