Recording: Carolina Lopez

Artist: Carolina Lopez

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), May 25, 2025.

Carolina Lopez - unknown

This opening set from Carolina Lopez put her songs and her voice at the centre of things, presented with atmospheric (but uncluttered) arrangements courtesy of a band with definite ties to the widescreen improvisation collective that would be following them. Samuel Laramee, who I've previously seen in action as a synth wiz, impressed on guitar here, adding both drift and frisson to the anchoring forces of Ambrose Veno (drums) and Bjorn Kriel (bass). There's an EP of tunes available on bandcamp, and, we were told, more (like this one) in the can.

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

Recording: Carded Ensemble

Artist: Carded Ensemble

Songs: [two excerpts]

Recorded at Walter Hall, February 24, 2025.

Carded Ensemble - [excerpt 1]

Carded Ensemble - [excerpt 2]

"Carded", Patrick O'Reilly's ongoing compositional project, has been a work-in-progress for a few years now, taking blank playing cards and turning them into handmade improvisational cues. The cards can be dispatched in various ways, from dealing performers a hand, to (as was the case here) giving each player a full custom deck with the instruction to turn over and interpret a new card every minute.

That, with the addition of timed solo spots for each of the participants, gave enough structure to keep a nine-piece ensemble from tripping into chaos and too-muchness. It also fosters a genuine sense of play, both in the novel interpretations required and in the act of occasionally passing cards around to share a cue. This particular incarnation of Carded was even more deeply collaborative, as the decks of cards used by the nine performers were each made by nine guest "composers".

The ensemble for this performance was:

• Patrick O'Reilly: guitar and pedals
• Samuel Little, double bass
• amiel ang: vibes, gong, music stand
• Samuel Laramee: synths and piano
• Omar Yazaw: saxophone
• Leah Reavster: saxophone
• Brendan Beaton: trumpet
• %%30%30: percussion
• Annie Elgie: balloons, voice