Monday Roundup #289

Community notes:

• Shout out to Chris Banks, who is taking over as the booker at The Rex. One of the friendliest folks around, Chris can be found in all kinds of jazz scenarios, from the more straight-up trad stuff, to kickin' it with the weirdos — which should bode well for his new role.

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Concert announcements:

Justin Orok presents (feat. Simone Hope with Anna Atkinson/Tiffany Wu/Audrey Mae/Ryan Dugre/Justin Orok) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-04 (Tuesday – early). [more info]

Blank Hellscape (CUTE / not a band / Greydini) / Osler Records 2026-08-04 (Tuesday). $15.37, all ages. [tickets + more info]

Peripheral Vision (The Adjacence [Karen Ng/Lina Allemano/Nick Fraser plus special guest Brodie West]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-04 (Tuesday). [more info]

Free Improvisation Thursdays (feat. Brent Tanemura/Max Stover/Andrew Frost/Nick Fraser) / Water to Wine 2026-08-06 (Thursday). $PWYC. [more info]

More Noise Please x Coward Patrol present: A Fundraiser for Severe Exposure (feat. Secrétaire Particulière / Fossils / Twin Mask / Iradiated Sac / Harmpit / Miracle Blade) / BSMT254 2026-08-06 (Thursday). $17.31. [tickets + more info]

Batuki Music presents: Habari Africa Festival (feat. Sounds of the Maghreb [Maryem Tollar/Hassan El Hadi/Fethi Nadjem/Naghmeh Farahmand] / Lorraine Klaasen / Indanga Dance / Rhythm Section) / Harbourfront Centre 2026-08-07 (Friday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Oval Window Records: Dual Album Release Celebration (feat. Steve Sladkowski & Joe Sorbara / NOPE [Richard Marsella & Joe Sorbara] / The Lollipop People) / The Rex 2026-08-07 (Friday – 11 p.m.)

Batuki Music presents: Habari Africa Festival (feat. Aron Nitunga / Girma Woldemichael feat. Melat Mengesha / Boblée Cirque Danse / Jonathan Nvita / ILAM / ZahraMoves / Keïla) / Harbourfront Centre 2026-08-08 (Saturday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-09 (Sunday – noon). [more info]

Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Nick Flanagan / Del Stephen / Jessie Ecklerlin / Harold's Snack Shack) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-09 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). [FB event]

Batuki Music presents: Habari Africa Festival (feat. Toronto Burundi Drummers / Boblée Danse Cirque / Soul, Folk & Sun feat. Kunle, Ṣẹwà, Dipo / Zale Seck) / Harbourfront Centre 2026-08-09 (Sunday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Diane Roblin’s Life Force [Diane Roblin/George Koller/Tim Shia/John Johnson/Alex Dean/John MacLeod] / The Rex 2026-08-15 (Saturday – 2 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]

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

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Shows this week:

Jazz Rat Mondays (feat. Patrick Smith/Anthony D'Allesandro/Max Simpson/Ernesto Cervini) / Dina's Tavern 2026-07-27 (Monday). $pwyc

Colin Fisher/George Koller/Jeff Luciani/Diane Roblin / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-27 (Monday). [FB event]

Solitary Shrew Presents: A fundraiser for Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction (feat. Ever Since We Met / Public Library) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-28 (Tuesday – early). $20/pwyc. [more info]

Agnes [live studio recording!] [Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski] / Annette Studios 2026-07-28 (Tuesday). $20 or pwyc

Zevon (Blunderspublik / Dorky & Best [Germaine Liu feat. Karen Ng/Heather Saumer/Mark Zurawinski]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-29 (Wednesday – early). $pwyc. [more info]

Madeleine Ertel/Dan Fortin/Juliuss Jahn/Nick Fraser / The Emmet Ray 2025-07-29 (Wednesday)

Kathryn Merriam with Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Heather Saumer) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-29 (Wednesday). [more info]

Summer Music in the Garden ["a program of 16th and 17th century music"] (feat. Arparla and Elixir Baroque Ensemble) / Toronto Music Garden 2025-07-30 (Thursday). $free, outdoors, all ages + family-friendly. [more info]

Ghost Quartet [Brent Tanemura/Brodie West/Reg Schwager] / Water to Wine 2025-07-30 (Thursday). $pwyc, 19+. [more info]

lightsweetcrude presents: An Evening of Visual Music (feat. David Sait / Del Stephen / Jason Steidman) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $pwyc. [more info]

Ian Sinclair Quartet [Ian Sinclair/Harley Card/Mark Godfrey/Nick Fraser with special guest Alex Samaras] / The Emmet Ray 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $15. [more info]

Body Help [Colin Fisher/Josh Cole/Kieran Adams with special guest Hugh Marsh] / Dina's Tavern 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $10. [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Stephen Parkinson/Allison Cameron/Karen Ng / Owen Kurtz & Callon Murphy) / United Unlimited 2026-07-30 (Thursday). $pwyc

Patrick Smith Quartet [Patrick Smith/Jen Lo/Julian Anderson Bowes/Angelica Zavala] / The Rex 2026-07-31 (Friday – 5 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]

Imaginary Lines Quartet [Walter Gershon/Jonathan Kay/Brandon Davis/Joe Sorbara] (Walter Gershon & Reagan Mitchell) / The Emmet Ray 2026-07-31 (Friday – 7 p.m.). $15. [more info]

All-Set! Presents (feat. Tania Gill/Jake Oelrichs/Mike Smith) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-31 (Friday – early). [more info]

Exit Points #74 (feat. Ankita/Turk Himself/Adam Dilouya/Brianna Maltais / MJ C./R Grunwald/Connor Kurtz/Stefanie Proulx / "switchemups") / Array Space 2026-07-31 (Friday). $20 (advance)/$25 (door). [more info]

The Ryan Driver Sextet With Thom Gill As Ryan Driver [Thom Gill/Martin Arnold/Rob Clutton/Nick Fraser/Brodie West/Michael Davidson] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-07-31 (Friday). [more info]

The Passport Sessions (feat. K2 [Kayla Milmine & Jonathan Kay] / Imaginary Lines Quartet [Walter Gershon/Joe Sorbara/Jonathan Kay/Brandon Davis) / Gerrard Art Space 2026-08-01 (Saturday). $20/pwyc (snacks included). [FB event]

C'est la fête [album release show!with special guests special guests Bill Bisset, Karen Ng and Mark Hundevad] / The Tranzac (Main Hall) 2025-08-01 (Saturday). $25/pwyw. [more info]

Dave Clark presents (feat. Eiyn Sof / Jessica Spurrell) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-02 (Sunday – early). [more info]

Adjacent Spheres (feat. Michael Davidson/Angelica Zavala/Michael Herring/Miles Cakebread-Kraus) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-08-02 (Sunday). [more info]

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It happened this week...

• ...on Recorded on July 27, 2023, at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng's Monthly).

Karen Ng/Philippe Melanson/Joe Moffett/Sandy Ewen - [1st piece, excerpt 1]

• ... on July 30, 2023 at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge).

Jim Lewis/Jean Martin/Andrew Downing - [1st piece, excerpt]

[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: C'est la fête Large Ensemble

Artist: C'est la fête Large Ensemble

Song: [set 1 excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Musica Universalis), May 6, 2026.

C'est la fête Large Ensemble - [set 1 excerpt]

Noting that their earliest phase was as a trio, one could note that C'est la fête has been slowly expanding, up to its current five-piece formation with the incorporation of saxophonists Maxwell Stover and Colin Fisher; this show pushed further in that direction by bringing in a pair of guests (Karen Ng and Mark Hundevad) familiar to all involved. That left opportunities for plenty of honkin', but some of the maximalist tendencies were reined in by Fisher's compositional fragments, and a willingness by the players to let things drop down to occasional duos and trios. All of that's in play in the piece excerpted here, which drifts along at the start while the players look in real time for directions to move together — and then gets real inneresting.

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

[Musica Universalis will be back in the Southern Cross with more music from Colin Fisher & friends on June 19th.]

Recording: Gill/Homzy/Ng/Pitt/Riselli

Artist: Tania Gill/Aline Homzy/Karen Ng/Brittany Pitt/Mira Riselli

Songs: Blue Nile [composer: Alice Coltraine] + Lament [composer: Mira Riselli]

Recorded at Sellers & Newel (International Women's Day), March 8, 2026.

Tania Gill/Aline Homzy/Karen Ng/Brittany Pitt/Mira Riselli - Blue Nile

Tania Gill/Aline Homzy/Karen Ng/Brittany Pitt/Mira Riselli - Lament

This special IWD quintet was convened, I am given to understand, by saxophonist Brittany Pitt and saw her joined by Tania Gill (piano), Aline Homzy (violin), Karen Ng (alto sax), and Mira Riselli (double bass). No mere blowing session, this was a chance to hear some ad hoc arrangements of pieces by all the players, as well as works by Alice Coletrane and Carla Bley.

[I, myself, have been remiss in not hitherto taking in any of the fine shows put on at Sellers & Newel. Many of the this blog's faves are doing cozy gigs in the space and you should attend some! Keep an eye on their list of shows, or sign up for their email list.]

Recording: Stover/Labbé-Phelan/Furlong/Ng

Artist: Max Stover/Mateos Labbé-Phelan/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng

Song: [1st set, last section]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Music Hosted by Karen Ng), February 17, 2026.

Max Stover/Mateos Labbé-Phelan/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng - [1st set, last section]

Excellent two-sax action here from Karen Ng and Max Stover, moving from a frenzied gallop to some quiet exchanges with Mateos Labbé-Phelan (drums) and Andrew Furlong (double bass) pushing/pulling along the way.

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

[Karen Ng will be hosting more music at Wenona on Tuesday (March 17th) where she'll be joined by visitor Bill Harris plus locals Colin Fisher and Raf Wilcot — plus an opening duo from fossa/Bibibi.]

Recording: The Ryan Driver Quintet

Artist: The Ryan Driver Quintet

Song: Feeling Good [composed by Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 23, 2025.

The Ryan Driver Quintet - Feeling Good

It's a fascinating phenomenon: Ryan Driver's longstanding standards quartet/sextet is a wonderful thing to behold, and a lot of that is owing to the near-telepathic bond that the members share as they explore the standards with languid intensity. But being embedded in the music community that they are, when the call goes out for reinforcements, there are some very special guests that can step into this very particular mindset. This pre-xmas night of the residence saw Driver and bassist Rob Clutton on stage, but they were joined by frequent guest Blake Howard (covering for Nick Fraser on drums) as well as Karen Ng (filling in on sax) and Thom Gill (on synth, filling in the spaces that might usually be taken up by vibes or guitar). Gill was (as always!) a delight here, sometimes choosing the most counterintuitive sounds that somehow fit into the tunes quite perfectly. The setlist took the usual amble through Ryan Driver's collection of "standards", moving from Donovan to Noël Coward, along with this Nina Simone sizzler.

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

[The next instalment of the residency (Friday, January 30th), is a special occasion, celebrating the release of Moon, an album recorded in live performance last year (and sure to be a vital document of of one of the city's great bands).]

Recording: Ballyk/Davis/Elrod/Hunt/Ng

Artist: Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng

Song: [1st set excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), December 23, 2025.

Mark Ballyk/Brandon Davis/Kayla Elrod/Will Hunt/Karen Ng - [1st set excerpt]

Some very cool improvisations with some Berlin-based guests, including Toronto expat percussionist Mark Ballyk. Brandon Davis (double bass), Will Hunt (keybs), and Karen Ng (sax) represented the local side, while it was Kayla Elrod who surprised the most. Her bespoke rig featured Freddy Krueger-esque "fingernails" each with a contact mic (and each with its own channel on the mixer from her spaghetti bundle of cables) that could be run over any surface, creating mostly-crinkly texture sounds. Carpet, walls, windows and Ballyk's drumkit were in in play for tapping and scratching. That didn't lead to indiscriminate noise, however, as there were some some excellent mellow passages over these two sets.

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

Recording: McConnell/Ng/Russouw

Artist: Aidan McConnell/Karen Ng/Adrian Russouw

Song: [2nd set, 1st section]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), October 14, 2025.

Aidan McConnell/Karen Ng/Adrian Russouw - [2nd set, 1st section]

Called together to share some music as well as some post-Thanksgiving pie, this trio saw Karen Ng (alto sax) joined by Aidan McConnell (percussion) and Adrian Russouw (double bass). Launching into a warbling groove, the trio went on some tasty-as-pie excursions over a couple sets.

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

Monday Roundup #247

Community notes:

• Toronto venue watch: The Imperial Pub is closing next month, set to be replaced by student housing. Besides being a proper old-fashioned bar/hangout, the small backroom was a really cosy spot to see a gig, and a place that I'd always wished was home to more shows. As it was, I saw some cool stuff there, and (thanks to Karen Ng and Somewhere There) put on one of the first shows I curated there.

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Concert announcements:

Karen Ng Presents (feat. Aidan McConnell/Karen Ng/Adrian Russouw) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-14 (Tuesday). [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario's Makam Nights (feat. Christos Barbas & Araz Salek) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2025-10-16 (Thursday). [FB event]

Joan Shelley / Monarch Tavern 2025-10-16 (Thursday). $28.98, 19+. [FB event]

BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Bob Vespaziani / Jonathan Huard / Martian Crisis Fragment / Nikki Huang / VV) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-17 (Friday). $pwyc. [more info]

Glory of the English Anthem (feat. The Tallis Choir) / St. Patrick's Church 2025-10-18 (Saturday). $35 general, $30 seniors, $15 students. [FB event]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Jaap Blonk (with and without Mike Gennaro) / T.D. / qeTTe fossa) / The Jama 2025-10-18 (Saturday). $15 advance, $20 door.

Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. Alex Lukashevsky [solo] / Karen Ng/Allison Cameron/Stephen Parkinson) / Wenona Lodge 2025-10-21 (Tuesday). [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario presents (feat. Labyrinth Ensemble with Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma) / Aga Khan Museum 2025-11-08 (Saturday). $50. [FB event]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Slash Need [Sit & Grin record release] / HRT / Doctor Cement) / St. Stephen-In-The-Fields 2025-11-15 (Saturday). $24.94, all ages. [FB event]

Future, Past, They Disappear [works by Hannah Ishizaki, Angélica Negrón, Rebecca Bruton, and Ann Southam] (feat. The Array Ensemble) / Array Space 2025-11-22 (Saturday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]

Jane Inc. [A Rupture, A Canyon, A Birth album release celebration] (Aisha Sasha John) / The Baby G 2025-12-12 (Friday). $23.87, 19+. [FB event]

Playscape Emporium: Theatrics (feat. Duo Cichorium / Hee-Soo Yoon / Toronto Saxophone Collective / Trevor Flemings / Domenic Clarke) / Array Space 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]

Behaviours:Data (feat. Anando Gabo / Marelena Pellegrino / Technology of Creative Consciousness) / Array Space 2026-02-19 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]

Playscape Emporium: Paint, Play (feat. Duo Cichorium / Constant Yen / Rowan Campbell / Charli/Fahmid/Joe/Mira) / Array Space 2026-05-21 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]

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

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Shows this week:

Justin Orok presents (feat. Micaela Rae, accompanied by Alyson Mcnamara/Anh Phung/Thom Gill/Justin Orok/Michael Davidson/Abby David/Ian Wright) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-07 (Tuesday) [more info]

Track Could Bend #109 (feat. BLACK GALAXIE / O'Reilly/Strutt/Pitt / Brandon Auger & Deniz Tafaghodi) / Wenona Lodge 2024-10-07 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Brodie West Quintet [Brodie West/Aidan McConnell/Tania Gill/Josh Cole/Nick Fraser] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-08 (Wednesday)

Patrick O'Reilly & Phil Albert [record release] / Sellers and Newel 2025-10-08 (Wednesday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

Wednesdays in October Residency (feat. Ronley Teper's Lipliners) / Drom Taberna 2025-10-08 (Wednesday). $10 suggested donation. [more info]

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / Jazz Bistro 2025-10-08 (Wednesday). $20. [FB event]

Ladyfinger [Diane Roblin & Kayla Milmine wsg Mark Zurawinski] / The Emmet Ray 2025-10-09 (Thursday – 6:30). $15. [more info]

Ace Of Wands (Praises / Flake) / Monarch Tavern 2025-10-09 (Thursday). $16 (advance), 19+. [FB event]

Sub-Sessions #12 (feat. C'est la fête / MOMxWYFE / Output 1:1:1 / Bike Bike) / BSMT 254 2025-10-09 (Thursday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]

Ian Sinclair Quintet [Ian Sinclair/Allison Au/Jim Lewis/Mark Godfrey/Nick Fraser] / The Emmet Ray 2025-10-09 (Thursday). $15. [more info]

Audiopollination (feat. Matt Collins/Hannahxyx/Liz Anthonisen / Mira Riselli/Sophia Laur/Janel Jones / Ryan Kinney/Raymond Carruthers/Emma Tzi / teething) / Array Space 2025-10-10 (Friday) [FB event]

John Russon Quartet [John Russon/Rebecca Hennessy/Ian Sinclair/Mike Milligan/Nick Fraser] / The Emmet Ray 2025-10-10 (Friday). $12. [more info]

Project Nowhere presents (feat. Kontravoid / Doctor Cement) / Nineteen Seventy Eight 2025-10-10 (Friday). $30.55, 19+. [FB event]

Musica Universalis (feat. C'est la fête) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-10 (Friday) [more info]

Ishq Festival (feat. Pandit Budhaditya Mukherjee & Soumen Nandy / Arnab Chakrabarty & Ustad Sukhvinder Singh Pinky) / Trinity St. Paul's Centre 2025-10-11 (Saturday). $49.79. [more info]

Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Ayal Senior & Kurt Newman / Destroya / Nick Flanagan / The Dolphin Foundation) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-10-12 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on October 6, 2015 at Dundas Video (Track Could Bend #7).

Karen Ng + Sexy Merlin - [excerpt from first piece, part 2]

• ...on October 11, 2015 at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge).

Lina Allemano/Nico Dann/Rob Clutton/Karen Ng - [first set, last piece]

[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: Mustafa Rafiq & Friends

Artist: Mustafa Rafiq & Friends

Song: [excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Music Hosted by Karen Ng), August 19, 2025.

Mustafa Rafiq & Friends - [excerpt, part 1]

Mustafa Rafiq & Friends - [excerpt, part 2]

Visiting from Edmonton, Mustafa Rafiq set the stage for this group encounter with some tasty Tuareg-inspired guitar work, that infinite moving-but-staying-put melodic sensibility creating space for the local musicians to swirl around. (Those Toronto connections were: Sara Constant, flutes; Marilyn Yogarajah, trumpet and kalimba; Karen Ng, saxophone and percussion; and Lenny, voice and percussion.)

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Sara Constant & Karen Ng

Artist: Sara Constant & Karen Ng

Song: [improvisation]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Music Hosted by Karen Ng), August 19, 2025.

Sara Constant & Karen Ng - [improvisation]

This show collected together some of Edmonton experimentalist Mustafa Rafiq's Toronto connections; the whole group would play a set together, but the evening started with solo, duo, and trio mini-sets. This pairing saw Sara Constant (flutes) and host Karen Ng (saxophone) join together for a short excursion that closed with a burst of joyful laughter.

You can check out some more from the first half's mini-sets over on youtube:

Recording: Ng/Ting/Liu

Artist: Karen Ng/Leslie Ting/Germaine Liu

Song: [1st piece, excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Music Hosted by Karen Ng), May 20, 2025.

Karen Ng/Leslie Ting/Germaine Liu - [1st piece, excerpt]

Bringing together some longtime friends who were playing together as a trio for the first time, this grouping found the beauty in some satisfying sputters, skrunks and scrapes and managed to move in sync to satisfying conclusions on both the pieces they essayed.

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

[Karen Ng will be hosting a trio alongside Aidan McConnell & Adrian Russouw at Wenona on Tuesday (June 17th), with an opening solo set from Arie Verheul van de Ven.]

Recording: Many People

Artist: Many People

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Music Hosted by Karen Ng: A fundraiser show for Earlobe), February 18, 2025.

Many People - [excerpt]

This musical concept from Karen Ng continues to evolve from its origins as a massive horn section — though that's still at the heart of it, percussion and other noises are now increasingly incorporated, making the performances more akin to swelling jams than lingering zones. This particular instance of the group was convened to celebrate the launch of Earlobe, the new website/mailing list "listing experimental music and sound art events happening in Toronto", three of whose organizers were performing. The full ensemble was:

• Karen Ng - alto sax
• Maxwell Stover - tenor sax
• Marilyn Yogarajah - trumpet
• Heather Saumer - trombone
• Fahmid Nibesh - guitar
• Heraclitus Akimbo - electronics
• Kieran Maraj - bass
• %%30%30 - percussion
• Germaine Liu - percussion
• Mark Zurawinsky - percussion

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

Recording: Kuplowsky/Ng/Davison

Artist: Luka Kuplowsky/Karen Ng/William Davison

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at 918 Bathurst (Track Could Bend #100), February 16, 2025.

Luka Kuplowsky/Karen Ng/William Davison - [excerpt]

Track Could Bend will be having its tenth anniversary in April — although given how time got weird for a while there and the series took fourteen months off, it seems like a slightly ambiguous mark for celebration. This big round number, however, felt like the right opportunity to mark a special occasion. In the beforetimes, TCB marked its anniversaries with special events, gathering the folks who had played over the previous year and drawing names from a hat to construct some spontaneous new combos. I had the notion to scale that up and duly invited back everyone who had ever played the series — over three hundred performers! — for an afternoon and evening of fun.

As fate would have it, the long-planned-for day came with a monumental snowstorm, so the inability to get around kept some folks at home. And yet, this event still saw twenty-one performers take the stage, duly selected from the hat and sorted into seven trios. As is often the case, these instant bands made some gorgeous sounds, showing off the ability of TCB's community to adapt, co-operate and thrive. A fun time had was had by many — a fitting launch to the next ten years.

The day closed out with this strikingly cinematic encounter, with William Davison's (MFS#2, 26, 47, 63) objects and electronics adding an abrasive backdrop to Luka Kuplowsky's (MFS#34) piano and voice and Karen Ng's (MFS# 7, 19, 38, 51, 55, 68, 93) saxophone.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend will be back at Wenona Lodge, its usual home, on April 1st in a special co-presentation with Ministry of Phonic Services presenting sets from Mira Martin-Gray & Sierra Weston and Wilderness Adventure Ride.]

Recording: Foisy/Furlong/Ng/Bennett

Artist: Raphaël Foisy/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng/Ben Bennett

Song: [excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Living Room (f u zZ f es t 2.0), December 12, 2024.

Raphaël Foisy/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng/Ben Bennett - [excerpt, part 1]

Raphaël Foisy/Andrew Furlong/Karen Ng/Ben Bennett - [excerpt, part 2]

A one-off touring-friends-meet-the-locals ensemble, this set featured Montréal's Raphaël Foisy (guitar) and Philadelphia's Ben Bennett (musical saw, floor percussion) joined by Karen Ng (alto sax) and Andrew Furlong (double bass) for some scratchy, crunchy freakouts and rumbly textures.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Masahiro Takahashi with Karen Ng & Sandro Perri

Artist: Masahiro Takahashi with Karen Ng & Sandro Perri

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Cha-no-yu), July 19, 2024.

Masahiro Takahashi with Karen Ng & Sandro Perri - unknown

Cha-no-yu, Masahiro Takahashi's "bedroom producer" residency, is named after the Japanese tea ceremony, although the show is more of a friendly meeting than a formal ritual. The shows bring in fellow-travelling guest performers to open, but also give Takahashi an opportunity to expand the instrumental palette of his own material by inviting in local improvisers to add some different vibes. This night saw Karen Ng (saxophone) and Sendro Perri (guitar) on board, the former adding sympathetic warbles while the latter added subtle swells and chimes.

[Cha-no-yu will be back in the Southern Cross tonight (Friday, August 16th), with Masahiro Takahashi being joined by Ryan Driver and Grace Scheele as well as an opening set from Slow Attack Ensemble.]

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

Monday Roundup #187

Community notes:

• Newsletter alert! Local music writer Stuart Berman has joined substack with stübermania!. "Each week, stübermania will feature a complete transcript of a conversation I had back in the ‘90s and 2000s with a notable alt/indie/rock semi-star, complemented by my current observations on how the interview went, and what I maybe shoulda-woulda-coulda done better. I like to think of this newsletter as my 30th-anniversary box set of greatest hits, complete with updated liner notes... In addition to the main interview, each newsletter will feature an opening act of sorts—i.e., a brief introductory section featuring links to my current writing, other clickable curiosities, and notes on the latest updates to my ever-evolving Best of 2024 playlist."
• Do note that the calendar on The Tranzac's website is suffering from some technical problems, so my t'zac listings for this week are somewhat deficient. Do keep an eye put on their social media for updated info — they tend to get a "This week in the Southern Cross" update on facebook Mondays after this has gone to press.

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Concert announcements:

The AMBiENT PiNG's 25th Anniversary (feat. Wally Jericho / Planet of the Loops / dreamSTATE with Kurt Swinghammer) / Handlebar 2024-08-19 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Exit Points #52 (feat. Keisha Bell/Janel Jones/Ryan Kinney/Lex Feathers/Ambrose Pottie / MAYSUN/Sihwa Park/Danika Lorèn/Michael Palumbo / Switchemups!) / Array Space 2024-08-30 (Friday). $25 ($20 advance). [FB event]

Ghostlight Residency: Fall Equinox (feat. Ghostlight) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-09-04 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Venus Fest & Not Dead Yet present (feat. Claire Rousay / rEmPiT g0dDe$$ / Karen Ng) / Monarch Tavern 2024-09-27 (Thursday). $25.26, 19+. [more info]

Venus Fest presents (feat. evicshen / Ahya Simone / Kat Estacio) / It’s OK* Studios 2024-09-28 (Friday). $20-$30 sliding scale, all ages. [more info]

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

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Shows this week:

Cowbird Composer Collective Residency: Improv Night! (feat. Paul Newman/Sara Constant/Brian Abbott/Chris Adriaanse/Patrick Smith/Manuel Morales) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-12 (Monday) [FB event]

Never Was [Brandon Davis/Racha Moukalled/Patrick O’Reilly/Joe Sorbara] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2024-08-14 (Wednesday). $pwyc.

Sloan / CNE Bandshell 2024-08-16 (Friday). $free with admission to The Ex, all-ages, family-friendly, outdoors. [more info]

Theo Vandenhoff (Amery / Bingo Day) / Monarch Tavern 2024-08-16 (Friday). $14.50, 19+. [FB event]

Forró on Sundays (feat. Maria and The Band) / Drom Taberna 2024-08-18 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10. [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on August 18, 2019 at Tibet Kitchen's back patio (Music at Tibet Kitchen).

Karen Ng - [solo sax improvisation]

Dorothea Paas - Anything Can't Happen

[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: The Adjacence

Artist: The Adjacence

Song: [1st piece, excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), July 11, 2024.

The Adjacence - [1st piece, excerpt]

Another realignment of familiar faces, this unit saw Karen Ng (alto sax) and Lina Allemano (trumpet) backed by Nick Fraser (drumkit) and Ryan Driver (street-sweeper bristle bass). Heard with The Titillators and sundry other projects, Driver's bristle bass really stood out here for its musicality, while the horns explored further afield in realms of skronk-honk and sputter-whisper.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Kristina Warren & Karen Ng

Artist: Kristina Warren & Karen Ng

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #93), July 2, 2024.

Kristina Warren & Karen Ng - [excerpt]

A very cool pairing here with Providence, Rhode Island-based sound artist Kristina Warren joining up with local saxophonist Karen Ng. Warren managed to create a number of electroacoustic zones with a variety of expected and unexpected sounds (shoes tromping, laughter, percussive spatter and other radio sputters) suggesting scenes for Ng to embellish.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

[Track Could Bend will be back on Wenona next week (Tuesday, August 6th), featuring sets from Dangertown (New York's Dafna Naphtali and Hans Tammen, fresh from Electric Eclectics) and Eye_Duh Kho.]

Recording: Ng/Crosby/Melanson/Meeks

Artist: Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson with special guest D. Alex Meeks

Song: Untitled [composer: Karen Ng]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), June 25, 2024.

Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Phil Melanson with special guest D. Alex Meeks - Untitled

This trio set saw Karen Ng and Ted Crosby (both on sax and clarinet) and percussionist Phil Melanson tackling some compositions (from Ng and Crosby, as well as some Paul Motian) and also transformed into a mini-version of Ng's "double teams" concept with pairs of paired instruments when D. Alex Meeks was called up for the last couple pieces.

You can check out the full set over on youtube:

Recording: Non-Twins

Artist: Non-Twins

Song: [1st piece, excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Nick Fraser presents), June 25, 2024.

Non-Twins - [1st piece, excerpt]

Originally devised by John Oswald as "Twins", a set for two saxophones and two double basses, the set lost some conceptual elegance with bassist Rob Clutton being unable to make the gig. Improvising, percussionist D. Alex Meeks (in town for a different show a couple days later) was pulled from the crowd to round out the ensemble, which, with Oswald and Karen Ng on horns alongside visiting double bassist Christopher A. Williams, hewed closer to a traditional ensemble format. That didn't lead to many traiditional sounds, however, with the group preferring more off kilter explorations. (Williams contributed to this with his idiosyncratic approach to his instrument, which he played more like a de gamba while using his bow has much as a preparation as for regular arco work.)

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube, including an extended guest appearance from clarinetist Zoe Pia: