Recording: Fourier-Moneo-Zurawinski

Artist: Kristian Fourier/Nelson Moneo/Mark Zurawinski

Songs: [first set excerpt, in two parts] + [second set, second piece excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), June 19, 2019.

Kristian Fourier/Nelson Moneo/Mark Zurawinski - [first set excerpt, part 1]

Kristian Fourier/Nelson Moneo/Mark Zurawinski - [first set excerpt, part 2]

Kristian Fourier/Nelson Moneo/Mark Zurawinski - [second set, second piece excerpt]

More improvisations from Kristian Fourier (piano, pedals) and Nelson Moneo (viola), this time alongside percussionist Mark Zurawinski, each of whom were using effects to broaden their personal vocabularies. Fourier's echoes, nudged into staticbursts, drove the trio's animated buzzing sputters — and there were some sweetly melodic moments as well, such as the resolution of the final selection here.

Recording: Kerhachne

Artist: Kerhachne

Songs: [1st piece, in two parts]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #50), May 7, 2019.

Kerhachne - [1st piece, part 1]

Kerhachne - [1st piece, part 2]

I was adequately moved by this ensemble the first time I saw them to book 'em on the spot for TCB. Somewhere on the way to the basement, they acquired a name, but otherwise the mix of strings (from Nelson Moneo's viola and Cheryl O's cello) and interference (Kristian Fourier's piano and electronics), held together by Harry Vetro's percussion, continued the spell of swells and crashes that convinced me the first time.

[Track Could Bend is back in Wenona's basement on Tuesday, August 6th with performances from Hiroki Tanaka, Del Stephen's Today Versions and Liz Lima.]

Recording: The Search For Eternal Happiness Pt. 4

Artist: The Search For Eternal Happiness Pt. 4

Song: [excerpt from first piece, in two parts]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Music by Harry and Furlong S1E5), February 27, 2019.

The Search For Eternal Happiness Pt. 4 - [excerpt from first piece, part 1]

The Search For Eternal Happiness Pt. 4 - [excerpt from first piece, part 2]

"The Search For Eternal Happiness" seems to be drummer Harry Vetro's catch-all for ad hoc ensembles brought together to explore new works or new sounds. This iteration brought together Kristian Fourier (piano/electronics), Nelson Moneo (viola) and Cheryl O (cello) to mix some sweepingly romantic sounds (flowing strings'll do that) with occasional jagged edges (delay pedals and feedback'll do that). Really lovely stuff — at set's end, I booked the band to play another one.

[That reprise will see the group — now re-christened "Kerhachne" — play Track Could Bend at Wenona on Tuesday, May 7th. Meanwhile, the next manifestation of Vetro's Search For Eternal Happiness will unfold tonight (April 24th) at The Tranzac, where he'll be joined by Ben Frost, Karen Ng, and Patrick O'Reilly.]

Recording: Nelson Moneo & Andrew Furlong

Artist: Nelson Moneo & Andrew Furlong

Song: [edited excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Music By Harry and Furlong, S1E3), November 28, 2018.

Nelson Moneo & Andrew Furlong - [edited excerpt]

This "episode" of this new-ish Tranzac residency delivered exactly what its title promised: music curated and performed by Harry Vetro and Andrew Furlong. After a day's work at a jobbing gig playing christmas music, it looked like the latter was in the mood to throw away tonality and just tear at his bass strings a little. Violist Nelson Moneo jumped right into the same headspace for some bow-shredding skronk as the pair flipped between quieter explorations and drumstick-jamming noisebursts.

[Music By Harry and Furlong continues at The Tranzac on Wednesday, January 23rd, with a new The Search For Eternal Happiness configuration (with Harry Vetro plus saxophonist Harrison Argatoff as well as dancers Alison Keery and Mateo Gilando) plus a duo set from Patrick Smith and Mike Gennaro.]

Recording: Go:Organic

Artist: Go:Organic

Song: Dastgah [2nd set excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at The Music Gallery @ 918 Bathurst, November 17, 2018.

Go:Organic - Dastgah [2nd set excerpt, part 1]

Go:Organic - Dastgah [2nd set excerpt, part 2]

The local manifestation of Adam Rudolph's portable improvising big-band concept a couple years back apparently made a lasting impression on the musicians, especially local tar player Araz Salek, who wondered how it would work to apply Rudolph's m.o. to the modal frameworks of Persian music. The end result of their considerations on the topic was this local remounting, with some adaptations to Rudolph's open-ended scores and a cadre of top-notch local players from Persian traditions in the ensemble. Elaborate preparations not only included what I've heard were some intense rehearsals, but also having the piano specially retuned for the Persian modal scale.

As with the previous organic encounter with Rudoph, the project's biggest achievement remains finding ways to co-ordinate all these musicians while still leaving room for their individual voices to be heard. From designated solos to call-and-response cues to arranged cells, there was a thrilling sense of movement through two sets.

The musicians this time around were:

• Santour: Sadaf Amini
• Kamanche: Hamidreza Khalatbari
• Tar: Araz Salek
• Tuned Piano: Jonathan Adjemian
• Ney: Ernie Tollar
• Violin: Aline Homzy
• Violin: Nelson Moneo
• Double bass: Rob Clutton
• Clarinet: Karen Ng
• Trumpet: Emily Denison
• Bassoon: Peter Lutek
• Saxophone: Jay Hay
• Tombak: Pedram Khavarzamini
• Congas: Ruben Esguerra
• Drums: Nick Fraser

Recording: Emily Denison Septet

Artist: Emily Denison Septet

Songs: Crazy [composer: Willie Nelson] + And So It Goes [composer: Billy Joel]

Recorded at The Emmet Ray, July 29, 2018.

Emily Denison Septet - Crazy

Emily Denison Septet - And So It Goes

Though currently based in Montréal, trumpeter Emily Denison makes fairly frequent forays to her old stomping grounds — and this busy Sunday saw a flurry of activity. This group — a fairly ambitious undertaking for a late afternoon slot at a quiet bar — was probably as much as anything a chance for Denison to flex her muscles as an arranger and have a chance to perform with some old comrades. Bringing soft lushness to both pop and jazz tunes meant that the likes of Sam Amidon and Thelonious Monk were rubbing shoulders and fit in equally in Denison's aesthetic of niceness ("only the most wholesome music that sounds as sweet as honey"). It was also a good opportunity to hear Laura Swankey as a song-singer, given most of the places we cross paths hew towards improvisation. The group also included Nelson Moneo (viola), Beth Silver (cello), Patrick O'Reilly (guitar), Victor Vrankulj (double bass), and Mark Ballyk (drums).

[Emily Denison will be back in town — and back at The Emmet Ray — as part of Nick Fraser's "new(ish)" quartet next week (Monday, September 24th) and the same group will be at The Tranzac the following night.]

Recording: Furlong/Orechin/Liu/Moneo

Artist: Andrew Furlong/Alexei Orechin/Germaine Liu/Nelson Moneo

Songs: Latin Genetics + Una Muy Bonita [composer: Ornette Coleman]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ornate Ornette), February 13, 2018.

Andrew Furlong/Alexei Orechin/Germaine Liu/Nelson Moneo - Latin Genetics

Andrew Furlong/Alexei Orechin/Germaine Liu/Nelson Moneo - Una Muy Bonita

This edition of the "Ornate Ornette" monthly was quarterbacked by double bassist Andrew Furlong, leading a quartet that also included Alexei Orechin on guitar, Nelson Moneo on violin and Germaine Liu on percussion. The music flowed with a free-ranging, funky amble — sort of a Shaggs-meets-Prime Time kinda sound, though the selections essayed reached back to the quartet days as well.

[This was the last show in this series' original incarnation. Now re-branded as Ornate Presents, the focus is shifting from one composer to being "dedicated to creative music steeped in the jazz tradition", curated by Alex Fournier and Phill Albert and holding steady in the second-Tuesday-of-the-month early slot at The Tranzac.]