Recording: Ken McDonald 4

Artist: Ken McDonald 4

Song: Once I Loved [composer: Antônio Carlos Jobim]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), August 21, 2018.

Ken McDonald 4 - Once I Loved

Although there's a certain amount of fluidity for both performers and audiences, there's definitely a separation between the local "jazz" and "free improv" scenes. I hew to the latter, so there's a whole cadre of musicians that I don't tend to see as much. I was actually most familiar with bassist Ken McDonald as someone I'd see slipping into the Southern Comfort towards the end of the night, checking out more music after whatever gig he was playing wrapped up. Guitarist Don Scott is a little familiar to me from Peripheral Vision and FOG, but drummer Tim Shia and trombonist Karl Silveira were new discoveries for me — there's always more amazing stuff just out of our regular comfort zones. The group played a tasty set of standards, and though there's a bit of chatter from the table behind me on this song [what is this, The Rex? shakes fist] this soothingly melancholy bossa breeze stuck with me the most.

Recording: FOG

Artist: FOG

Song: Snag

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), July 16, 2017.

FOG - Snag

More than just a blast-it-out-by-the-numbers New Orleans jazz band, Rebecca Hennessy's FOG manages to bring together several strands, mixing slow'n'low N.O. flow with pieces that more directly show off her composerly skills, and all filtered through her love of nature (especially fishing). This evening was a celebration of the release of the band's new Two Calls album, with the whole crew offering some righteous simmering grooves.

Recording: FOG

Artist: FOG

Song: Inertia [part 1]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Somewhere There Creative Music Festival – Show 4), February 28, 2016.

FOG - Inertia [part 1]

If you look up trumpeter Rebecca Hennessy's FOG, you might come across something that plays up the New Orleans brass band angle. And while that's one stream in the quintet's music — especially in its more ebullient moments with trombonist Tom Richards blasting away — there's a lot more going on here. There's hints of the sophisticated pop that Hennessy played as part of Hobson's Choice, for one thing, as well as some left-turns into abstraction from guitarist Don Scott. Oh, and some fishing references too.

Recording: Peripheral Vision

Artist: Peripheral Vision

Song: Mutual Humiliation Society

Recorded at The Tranzac – Main Hall ("Somewhere There Creative Music Festival" – Show 5), February 22, 2015.

Peripheral Vision - Mutual Humiliation Society

The festival closed out with an outing from this quartet, offering a solid dose of forward-looking jazz. Michael Herring (double bass) and Don Scott (guitar) provided alternating compositions, several of which were newer than their most recent album. Trevor Hogg (tenor sax) and Nick Fraser (drums) rounded out the lineup. The group can be found monthly at the Tranzac on the first Tuesday of every month.