Recording: Pentchev/Palumbo/Craig

Artist: Dimitar Pentchev/Michael Palumbo/Brittany Craig

Song: [first piece]

Recorded at Array Space (Audiopollination 80), February 8, 2020.

Dimitar Pentchev/Michael Palumbo/Brittany Craig - [first piece]

Another one of those unlikely combinations that Audiopollination is so good at facilitating, this set mixed saxophone and piano with modular synth in a surprisingly-simpatico way. Michael Palumbo is quite interested in using his modular setup as a less-intrusive background element when interacting with acoustic instruments and picks his moments carefully here. Meanwhile, Pentchev's piano work was pleasingly off-kilter — in this segment you can hear one of his ping pong balls bouncing off the piano's strings and tap-tap-tapping as it rolls across the floor.

You can also check out some visual documentation of this set over on the Audiopollination youtube channel:

[Michael Palumbo is exploring some community-friendly electronic vibes at his east-end Exit Points series, which will return to Hirut restaurant on Monday, March 23rd. Audiopollination returns to Array Space on Saturday, March 14th with another self-curated night including sounds from Rick Sacks/John Oswald/David Sait, Nicholas Cooper/Del Stephen/Kalia Lenaghan, Ryan Kinney and Avant-Gardeners, and Tiina Kiik/David Story/styrofoamNosebleedPrincess.]

Recording: Brittany Craig Group

Artist: Brittany Craig Group

Song: Piece 2 [composer: Brittany Craig]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #54), September 3, 2019.

Brittany Craig Group - Piece 2

I first properly encountered saxophonist Brittany Craig at TCB a couple months back in a set organized by pianist Ashley Urquhart and realized I wanted to hear some more, so I asked her to put together a combo of her own. She brought back Urquhart as well as guitarist Dan Pitt, each bringing some of their own compositions to play. This one of Craig's might not have a final title yet, but it manages to evoke a melancholy mood that swirls outward into something like hopefulness.

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona on Tuesday (November 5th) with sets from Naomi McCarroll-Butler & Patrick Smith, Sonja and Joe Sorbara's birthday combo featuring Andrew Furlong, Bea Labikova and Chris Pruden.]

Recording: Ashley Urquhart and Friends

Artist: Ashley Urquhart and Friends

Song: [excerpt from first piece]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #51), June 4, 2019.

Ashley Urquhart and Friends - [excerpt from first piece]

Given the central role she played in bringing a piano down to Wenona's basement, allowing the opportunity to book a wider range of musicians, it felt important to have Ashley Urquhart come and play that piano at TCB. For the occasion, she assembled this trio with Brittany Craig on saxophone and Stefan Hegerat on percussion. Circling around some insistent drone/plunk continua, there were tasty little horn honks and hesitation beats accompanying Urquhart's piano moves.

[Ashley Urquhart's Colour and Noise plays The Rex on Sunday, August 11th — you can also catch her curatorial and performance skills in action at Furniture Music, which presents at Wenona on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Meanwhile, Track Could Bend returns to the cool, comfy basement at Wenona on Tuesday (August 6th) offering sets from Hiroki Tanaka, Del Stephen's Today Versions and Liz Lima.]