Recording: Ayal Senior

Artist: Ayal Senior

Song: Shredder Orpheus

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), June 9, 2024.

Ayal Senior - Shredder Orpheus

Playing solo this time out, Ayal Senior worked through the next set of pages in his notebook, sharing the working versions of a new batch of tunes, exploring how the music can be accented by effects and refining the arrangements.

[Ayal will be away, but Ayal Senior & Friends will be back in the Southern Cross on Sunday, July 14th, guest hosted by yours truly and featuring comedy from Nick Flanagan plus music from Jane Inc and You're Steel on My Mind (Joe Strutt & Kurt Newman).]

Recording: Drew Smith

Artist: Drew Smith

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), June 9, 2024.

Drew Smith - unknown

Sometimes he's known as Dr. Ew, and sometimes the driving force of Bunny, but here it was just Drew Smith, voice and guitar. One of the city's finest tunesmiths, there was nothing more than those delicate strums required to delight with a short set of old and new songs.

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

[Ayal will be away, but Ayal Senior & Friends will be back in the Southern Cross on Sunday, July 14th, guest hosted by yours truly and featuring comedy from Nick Flanagan plus music from Jane Inc and You're Steel on My Mind (Joe Strutt & Kurt Newman).]

Recording: Nocturnes

Artist: Nocturnes

Song: [2nd piece]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ayal Senior & Friends), June 9, 2024.

Nocturnes - [2nd piece]

This project is a new duo of Ayal Senior and Michelle Breslin, pairing the former's lilting 12-string psych jams supported by the latter's atmospherics.

You can check out both pieces that the pair essayed over on youtube:

[Ayal will be away, but Ayal Senior & Friends will be back in the Southern Cross on Sunday, July 14th, guest hosted by yours truly and featuring comedy from Nick Flanagan plus music from Jane Inc and You're Steel on My Mind (Joe Strutt & Kurt Newman).]

Monday Roundup #180

---

Concert announcements:

A-Minor presents (feat. Psychic Weapons / Artificial Light / Timehole) / Sneaky Dee's 2024-07-05 (Friday). $16.48, 19+. [FB event]

Lina Allemano Four / Hirut Café 2024-07-13 (Saturday). $20. [FB event]

Ayal Senior and Friends presents (feat. Nick Flanagan / Jane Inc / You're Steel on My Mind [Joe Strutt & Kurt Newman]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-07-14 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Aline's Étoile Magique / Toronto Jazz Fest — Village Stage 2024-06-24 (Monday). $free, all-ages, outdoors. [more info]

Solitary Shrew presents (feat. Mira Martin-Gray / Molly McGregor's Pageant puppet play) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-25 (Tuesday – early). $pwyc, suggested $10. [FB event]

Brian Ruryk (Super Kill Me Now / Plastic Heart Surgery / Toller) / See-Scape 2024-06-25 (Tuesday). $pwyc

Nick Fraser presents (feat. Zoe Pia / BLOOP! / Twins [John Oswald/Karen Ng/Rob Clutton/Christopher A. Williams]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-25 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Andy Haas & Mike Milligan / Sellers & Newel 2024-06-26 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Jennarie (Kae Murphy Quintet) / Toronto Jazz Fest — Village Stage 2024-06-26 (Wednesday). $free, all-ages, outdoors. [FB event]

TONE Festival (feat. Wolf Eyes with Anthony Braxton) / The Great Hall 2024-06-26 (Wednesday) – POSTPONED. $35 advance. [FB event]

Lipliners 4th Wednesday of the month residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-26 (Wednesday) [FB event]

CCMC [Paul Dutton/John Oswald/Casey Sokol/Al Mattes with special guest Rick Sacks] / Array Space 2024-06-27 (Thursday). $pwyw, livestream available

Karen Ng Presents (feat. Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson/Karen Ng / Swanherds [Rebecca Bruton/Zoë Alexis-Abrams/Felicity Williams/Ryan Driver/Kurt Newman/Pete Johnston/D. Alex Meeks]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-27 (Thursday)

All-Set! Presents (feat. Molehill) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-28 (Friday – early). $pwyc. [more info]

Exit Points #50 (feat. Nirvana Sagar/Alexis Dionne/Hymns57/Donovan Locke/Jackie Leung / Wendelin Bartley/Sarah Belle Reid/El Mahboob/Stephanie Chua/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups!) / Array Space 2024-06-28 (Friday). $20 advance/$25 door. [FB event]

Ryan Driver Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-28 (Friday)

Okavango African Orchestra / Harbourfront Centre – Concert Stage 2024-06-29 (Saturday – 6 p.m.). $free, outdoors, family-friendly. [more info]

Lewdline: Latineo (feat. Bruno Capinan) / Toronto Pride – Wellesley Stage 2024-06-29 (Saturday) [more info]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-30 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Alternaqueer: Planet Künst (feat. E-prime / Künst Kids / Sydney Quest / Alexandher Brandy / Kanna Worm / Milkshook / Craven Blood / Anne Alien / Halal Bae / Slash Need / Myst Milano) / Toronto Pride – South Stage 2024-06-30 (Sunday). [more info]

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Rex 2024-06-30&2024-07-01 (Sunday & Monday). $20. [FB event]

Recording: Tom Richards

Artist: Tom Richards

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #92), June 4, 2024.

Tom Richards - [excerpt]

Tom Richards was most recently spotted at TCB last fall, playing trombone as part of the excitement at the Bata Shoe Museum. But in the longer view, this was more of a piece with some drones Richards made at TCB back in 2017. Seizing the opportunity to make a TCB set a true tightrope walk, this featured some experimentally-deployed noisification pedals warping synth sounds, as well as field recordings, resulting both in pleasing drift and what-happens-when-I-turn-this-knob revelations.

You can check out some the full set over on youtube:

[Track Could bend is back at Wenona on July 2nd, with sets from Kristina Warren & Karen Ng and Without a Single Green Feather.]

Recording: Duo Cichorium

Artist: Duo Cichorium

Song: [1st piece, excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #92), June 4, 2024.

Duo Cichorium - [1st piece, excerpt]

Nominally a percussion duo, this partnership of Jasmine Tsui and Louis Pino was more electronically-inclined for this set, showcasing some homemade instruments. Those included an arduino synth box as well as an amplified paintbrush, picking up sounds as it swept over a canvas. (This set was literally a dry run for this new innovation, with actual live painting being the next step.) Moving from honk-squawk lurches to music box whispers, there were a variety of noise lullabies shared.

You can check out some the full set over on youtube:

[Track Could bend is back at Wenona on July 2nd, with sets from Kristina Warren & Karen Ng and Without a Single Green Feather. Duo Cichorium can be seen mixing various sounds at their People Soup residency at The Tranzac on the third Tuesday of every month.]

Monday Roundup #179

Community notes:

• I know I've said it before, but local critic Carl Wilson was a huge formative influence on what this place has evolved into. Zoilus, his old blog, introduced me to heaps of strange local sounds and the places you could hear them. At a time before I was really even going to those spots and those shows, that sense of familiarization made it easier to make the bold move to check them out — I can only hope I've made such things even a teensy bit more approachable for other folks. In any case, it was sweet to see a nod towards MFS in Wilson's latest substack dispatch talking about "weird-music season in TO", and it occurs to me I should mention to anyone reading this that y'all should be subscribed to his new-ish newsletter 'Crritic!', which takes a more expansive view on musical happenings, locally and internationally.

• And meanwhile, just a head's-up that Audiopollination's new sign up sheet for the Fall is ready, and filling in fast — so put your name down and go make sounds with some friendly strangers!

---

Concert announcements:

Solitary Shrew presents (feat. Mira Martin-Gray / Molly McGregor's Pageant puppet play) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-25 (Tuesday – early). $pwyc, suggested $10. [FB event]

Nick Fraser presents (feat. BLOOP! / Twins [John Oswald/Karen Ng/Christopher A. Williams/Rob Clutton]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-25 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [more info]

Karen Ng Presents (feat. Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson/Karen Ng / Swanherds [Rebecca Bruton/Zoë Alexis-Abrams/Felicity Williams/Ryan Driver/Kurt Newman/Pete Johnston/D. Alex Meeks]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-27 (Thursday)

All-Set! Presents (feat. Molehill) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-28 (Friday – early). $pwyc. [more info]

Okavango African Orchestra / Harbourfront Centre – Concert Stage 2024-06-29 (Saturday – 6 p.m.). $free, outdoors, family-friendly. [more info]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXIV / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-30 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Track Could Bend #93 (feat. Without a Single Green Feather [Sam Laramee/Ezra Schell/Patrick O’Reilly] / Kristina Warren & Karen Ng) / Wenona Lodge 2024-07-02 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Beams (Summer Like The Season / Essie Watts) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-02 (Friday). $15, 19+. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Chris Brokaw (Picastro) / The Baby G 2024-06-17 (Monday). $23.57, 19+. [FB event]

Luka Kuplowsky & The Ryōkan Band [How Can I Possibly Sleep When There Is Music double LP release celebration!] (The Heart of Going La [Fan Wu & Thom Gill]) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-06-18 (Tuesday). $22.63 advance/$25 door. [FB event]

Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Rob Clutton Trio with Kurt Newman) / Wenona Lodge 2024-06-18 (Tuesday). $10/pwyc

Freesound presents Vortex Temporum [works by Gérard Grisey and Wesley Shen] (feat. Freesound Ensemble) / Array Space 2024-06-20&21 (Thursday & Friday) [FB event]

You In Mind (feat. ÏÏÏ / Khôra) / The Music Gallery 2024-06-21 (Friday). $10 MG Members; Pay What You Can Afford $10-$20. [FB event]

Aline's Etoile Magique [Aline Homzy/Michael Davidson/Dan Fortin/Thom Gill/Fabio Ragnelli] / Hirut Café 2024-06-21 (Friday). $20. [more info]

Masahiro Takahashi presents Cha-no-yu (feat. New Chance / Masahiro Takahashi with Brodie West and Blake Howard) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-21 (Friday) [more info]

Batuki Music Society presents Alkebulan: A Musical African Tale (feat. Djely Tapa/Seydina Ndiaye/Mambo Chivero/Memory Makuri/Fantahun Shewankochew/Melat Mengesha/Adama Daou/Aboulaye Koné/Salif Lasso/Zal Sissokho) / Theatre Passe Muraille 2024-06-22 (Saturday). $23 advance / $25 door. [FB event]

coexisDance #105 (feat. Tara Kannangara/Aisha Sasha John/Nick Dourado/Zoe Houpt/T3N1/Bill Gilliam/Matt Morales/Dora/Ian M Chow/Janel Jones/Cotee Harper/Jen Hum) / Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre 2024-06-22 (Saturday). $15 (sliding)

Labyrinth Musical Workshop Ontario & East End Arts present: Figure Drawing and Makam Music (feat. Isaiah Farahbakhsh & Saghi Faraijani with Evan K. Webb) / Riverdale Park 2024-06-23 (Sunday – noon). $free to listen, $20 will get you a drawing spot, and an extra $4 will get you some drawing paper (bring your own pencils). [FB event]

---

It happened this week...

• ...on June 17, 2011 at The Horseshoe Tavern (NXNE 2011)

OFF! - Broken + Blast

• ...on June 18, 2011 at Comfort Zone (NXNE 2011).

catl - Church on Time

[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.]

Recording: Jake Laur Trio

Artist: Jake Laur Trio

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Dock Ellis' No-No Room (Gabe Girard presents), May 26, 2024.

Jake Laur Trio - unknown

This trio (with pianist Jake Laur joined by double bassist Yoshi Wall and drummer Ezra Schell) closed out a night of experimental and improvised sounds in the basement of The Dock Ellis. Clearly a keen student of syncopation, Laur led his crew through a continuous medley of pieces and strode through several eras of jazzy exploration.

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

Recording: Nobody Waved Goodbye

Artist: Nobody Waved Goodbye

Song: Slow Dance for Edgar Sibble [part 2]

Recorded at The Dock Ellis' No-No Room (Gabe Girard presents), May 26, 2024.

Nobody Waved Goodbye - Slow Dance for Edgar Sibble [part 2]

A recasting of a show originally slated for the (now-shuttered) Bar Orwell, this night brought some improvised sounds to the basement at sports bar The Dock Ellis. The No-Ro Room (as that basement space is known) has a bit of a rep as an occasional spot for punk-leaning shows, so this was a bit of an experiment in itself, with hopefully more to follow.

As for this set, this was a flowering of a grouping first tentatively explored a little while back, with Gabe Girard's percussion and Mike Lynn's bass interrupted by Joe Strutt's synths/samples/loops — and now augmented with trumpet from Marilyn Yogarajah and moral support from a companionable octopus. Taking their name from a classic slice of Toronto's cinematic history, there were some atmospheric explorations and mysterious sonics at play here.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield

Artist: Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield

Songs: [two excerpts from a suite]^*

Recorded at Standard Time (TONE presents), May 17, 2024.

Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield - [excerpt 1]

Nate Wooley's Columbia Icefield - [excerpt 2]

My understanding is that this tour from trumpeter Nate Wooley’s quartet was partially to roadtest a new suite of compositions before recording. A tribute to Wooley's mentors and collaborators Ron Miles and Fred Hess, the pieces (incorporating some of Miles' phrases) were introduced as a way of "mourning loudly and softly". With Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar), Ava Mendoza (guitar), and Ryan Sawyer (drums) on board, there was room for a wide sonic range, with solo spots for everyone segueing into quiet reflections, jaunty tunes, and driving rockers.

^* Not sure if the individual segments have separate titles, but this will be updated in the future when at least the full piece's name is known.

Recording: Rob Clutton Trio with Kurt Newman

Artist: Rob Clutton Trio with Kurt Newman

Song: [1st piece, excerpt]

Recorded at Standard Time (TONE presents), May 17, 2024.

Rob Clutton Trio with Kurt Newman - [1st piece, excerpt]

Opening things up at this pre-festival night from the TONE team was this sort of Rat-Drifting all-star combo crew, with Kurt Newman (on pedal steel) augmenting bassist Rob Clutton's trio (including Karen Ng on sax and Nick Fraser on drums). Besides the immedediate differences from having Newman on board, the room (a pleasingly loft-like space a bit reminiscent of the Jam Factory, perfectly suited for seeing a Tad Michalak-curated show) also provided some different sonics, with the well-mic'ed band having a beefier sound than you might get at the Southern Cross — and keeping Clutton's bass from getting buried under other sounds. Newman used his pedalboard to find sounds that moved beyond trad pedal steel, sometimes doubling the sax and sometimes merging into Clutton's arco work.

[This quartet will be back in action at Karen Ng's monthly night at Wenona Lodge on Tuesday, June 18th.]

Monday Roundup #178

Community notes:

• The big event this week is the Western and World Symposium being put on by Labyrinth Ontario (and co-presented with The Music Gallery and TONE Festival) at 918 Bathurst from Wednesday through Saturday. Except for two paid-attendance concerts on Thursday and Saturday evening, the whole thing is free to attend (registration encouraged) and features Toronto kulintang heroes Pantayo and a music group workshop led by Kelly Thoma, as well as many other roundtables, performances, amd workshops.

---

Concert announcements:

Aline's Étoile Magique / Toronto Jazz Fest – Village Stage 2024-06-24 (Monday). $free, all-ages, outdoors. [more info]

Jennarie (Kae Murphy Quintet) / Toronto Jazz Fest – Village Stage 2024-06-26 (Wednesday). $free, all-ages, outdoors. [FB event]

Bruno Capinan / Toronto Jazz Fest – Main Stage 2024-06-27 (Thursday). $free, all-ages, outdoors. [more info]

Exit Points #50 (feat. Nirvana Sagar/Alexis Dionne/Hymns57/Donovan Locke/Jackie Leung / Wendelin Bartley/Sarah Belle Reid/El Mahboob/Stephanie Chua/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups!) / Array Space 2024-06-28 (Friday). $20 advance/$25 door. [FB event]

Lewdline: Latineo (feat. Bruno Capinan ) / Toronto Pride – Wellesley Stage 2024-06-29 (Saturday) [more info]

Alternaqueer: Planet Künst (feat. E-prime / Künst Kids / Sydney Quest / Alexandher Brandy / Kanna Worm / Milkshook / Craven Blood / Anne Alien / Halal Bae / Slash Need / Myst Milano) / Toronto Pride – South Stage 2024-06-30 (Sunday) [more info]

Slutcode (Jazz Dads / Hex-A-Decimal) / See-Scape 2024-07-04 (Thursday). $10/pwyc. [FB event]

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. Lucas Abela / Brian Ruryk / Deprivation Tactics / Mira Martin-Gray) / See-Scape 2024-07-24 (Wednesday). $17.52 advance/$20 door, 19+. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

---

Shows this week:

Cowbird Composer Collective Tranzac Residency Concert #2 (feat. Paul Newman/Brian Abbott / Sallow [Naomi McCarroll-Butler]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-10 (Monday) [FB event]

Not Dead Yet (feat. io & Colin Fisher / Pet Retina / Measure) / Seescape 2024-06-11 (Tuesday). $15, notaflof

Ghostgirl residency (feat. Aline Homzy & co.) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-11 (Tuesday) [more info]

Josh Cole presents (feat. Josh Cole & friends with John Oswald) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-11 (Tuesday)

Brodie West Presents (feat. The Brodie West Quintet) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-12 (Wewdnesday)

Queer Pride: QSO 10 Year Anniversary Show (feat. Queer Songbook Orchestra with Alanna Stuart, Alex Samaras, Lydia Persaud, Matt Nethersole, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff & Thom Gill) / Buddies in Bad Times 2024-06-12 (Wednesday). $30-$45. [more info]

Kelly Elizabeth (Westelaken / Brock Mattson) / The Dakota Tavern 2024-06-12 (Wednesday). $13.54 advance/$15 door. [more info]

Titanium Riot / The Emmet Ray 2024-06-12 (Wednesday). $10-$15 [FB event]

TONE Festival (feat. Fred Moten & Brandon Lopez / Lee & Gamble Unlimited / Roa Lee) / The Music Gallery 2024-06-13 (Thursday). $20 advance, all ages. [FB event]

Tranzac Fundraiser II (feat. US Girls / Eucalyptus / Cots) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-06-14 (Friday). $20 adv, $25 door, 19+

Audiopollination (Diane Roblin/Jamie Eriksen/Anne Amores / Laura Swankey/Nilan Perera/Tliman Lewis / Patrick O’Reilly/Connor Bennett/Afraaz Adam Mulji/Patrick Booth / Stik Sharpi/Uisill Galar/Bri Clarke) / Array Space 2024-06-14 (Friday). $10 or PWYC (cash or card). [FB event]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Tyvek / XV) / Monarch Tavern 2024-06-14 (Friday). $21.41, 19+. [more info]

Musica Universalis (feat. Colin Fisher / Andrew Furlong / William Hunt / Mark Hundevad) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-06-14 (Friday)

Ross Daly's This Tale of Ours Ensemble / The Music Gallery 2024-06-15 (Saturday). $25 general admission; $15 or more Pay What You Can Afford admission; $15 MG members. [FB event]

TONE Festival (feat. Mas Aya [Coming And Going record release] / Colin Fisher [Suns of the Heart record release) / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2024-06-16 (Sunday). $20 advance, $25 door, all ages. [FB event]

---

It happened this week...

With the news Sunday of the fiery descruction of St. Anne's Anglican Church, regular calandar-based introspection is postponed to remember some sounds heard within those walls:

• ...on April 11, 2013 at St. Anne's Anglican Church (Images Festival Opening Night Gala).

Tim Hecker - [excerpt]

• ...on April 20, 2013 at St. Anne's Anglican Church.

Hamid Drake & David Mott - Corredor [opening sequence]

• ...on June 18, 2019 at St. Anne's Anglican Church (Invocation Presents).

Lubomyr Melnyk - Butterfly [excerpt]

Recording: Kind Mind

Artist: Kind Mind

Song: The Bar

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Josh Cole Presents), May 14, 2024.

Kind Mind - The Bar

Interesting work here from Josh Cole's Kind Mind, this time with Ted Crosby holding down the sax chair. His effects rig added some additional textures to the proceeding, like the ones you can hear in the intro to this piece.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

[Josh Cole will be back at The Tranzac on Tuesday (June 11th), presenting music from Josh Cole and Friends, including John Oswald.]

Recording: Homzy/Mackie/Davidson

Artist: Aline Homzy/Allan Mackie/Michael Davidson

Songs: Ghosts [composer: Albert Ayler] + Hanakotoba^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ghostgirl residency), May 14, 2024.

Aline Homzy/Allan Mackie/Michael Davidson - Ghosts

Aline Homzy/Allan Mackie/Michael Davidson - Hanakotoba

Although staying busy with her étoile magique ensemble, violinist Aline Homzy is making time for other musical investigations, including this newly-launched Tranzac residency. The goal here is to not only stretch out as a writer and storyteller — a pair of ghost stories were shared in this set — but also to investigate the many ways that ghost stories and spirits intersect with music. Homzy's gusto suggests that there's a lot of material to be investigated in the months ahead.

[Ghostgirl will be back at the Tranzac next Tuesday (June 11th), while Etoile Magique will be at Hirut Café on Friday, June 21st.]

^* Do note that this is a different composition — albeit with the same title — as the piece on Homzy's étoile magique album.

Recording: Michael Davidson

Artist: Michael Davidson

Song: The Search [composer: David Friedman]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Ghostgirl residency), May 14, 2024.

Michael Davidson - The Search

A surprise opening set at this first instalment of Aline Homzy's Ghostgirl residency saw Michael Davidson in solo mode — and also in a reflective frame of mind. Playing some of his older compositions, as well as influential pieces like this, was a pleasing glimpse into what-makes-you-tick territory.