Recording: Segger/Tillotson/Ng

Artist: Mark Segger/Aretha Tillotson/Karen Ng

Songs: [except from an improvisation] + Flare [composer: Aretha Tillotson]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), July 31, 2022.

Mark Segger/Aretha Tillotson/Karen Ng - [1st set, except from 1st piece]

Mark Segger/Aretha Tillotson/Karen Ng - Flare

It's been a while since catching percussionist Mark Segger dropping into town, so this Sunday lunchtime special at The Tranzac was a good chance to get re-acquainted. He brought along fellow traveller Aretha Tillotson on electric bass, and the pair were joined by Karen Ng on sax. A good reminder that as a player, Segger can bring some clamour, which he did here, establishing a noisy/groovy space that the trio inhabited. Leading off the second set, Tillotson offered a composition that formalized the excursions into some similar territory.

Recording: Cameron/Oswald/Pencer/Segger/Buligan

Artist: Allison Cameron/John Oswald/Dan Pencer/Mark Segger/Nicholas Buligan

Song: [third piece] [edit]

Recorded at Array Space (Acoustic Laptop Music), February 16, 2016.

Allison Cameron/John Oswald/Dan Pencer/Mark Segger/Nicholas Buligan - [third piece] [edit]

This night's somewhat-counterintuitive title represents a new experiment from Mark Segger to deploy computers for improvisers not for music-making per se but as a communication tool. Plugged into a LAN hub together, each of the musicians has access to a MAX patch that allows them not only to exchange messages, but also to vote on a temporary leader for the ensemble who can send one-way directives to the players. That makes it a little easier for a larger group to stay on the same page, figure out sonic shifts on the fly, and to know when to end. It's an interestingly transparent tool, as how that plays out depends very much on the personalities of the players.

The first of the evening's two quintets settled into a relatively-spare musical space, exploring subtle textures while exchanging blats and honks that were occasionally sewn together by Allison Cameron's quiet feedback squeals.

Recording: The Thing Is + GREX

Artist: The Thing Is + GREX (feat. Jane Bunnett)

Song: Borders of One^*

Recorded at The Music Gallery, March 14, 2015.

The Thing Is + GREX - Borders of One

As the artist designation above implies, this performance was a collaborative affair, put together to present Tova Kardonne's "Lanka Suite", a set of compositions reflecting on her outsider's observations of a trip to Sri Lanka. The music has evolved for a while now (a streamlined version was workshopped a year ago), but this full-on presentation united two of Kardonne's projects, including The Thing is, her the large-format jazz ensemble as well as Alex Samaras' avant-vocal group GREX. The night also included some atmospheric, abstract visuals from Nilan Perera that evoked a sense of travel and elsewhereness. The net effect was to create a form of musical tourism that isn't reliant on mere appropriation — a reflection of Kardonne's experiences without a usurpation of Sri Lankan tropes.

^* Thanks to Ali for passing along the title to this one.

Recording: Mark Segger Sextet

Artist: Mark Segger Sextet

Song: P.F.D.

Recorded at Array Space, January 12, 2015.

Mark Segger Sextet - P.F.D.

Before heading out west for a tour with the Kyle Brenders Quartet, Mark Segger took a few days to gather many of his T.O.-based projects together for a series of shows. I could only make this one, an hour-long set of compositions for his sextet, on which he drums and is joined by Rob Clutton (bass), Tania Gill (piano), Jim Lewis (trumpet), Peter Lutek (woodwinds) and Heather Segger (trombone). There was a bunch of newer material here, much of which (including "Wallpaper Music II" and "Only One Note") felt more "game"-based, executing a series of rules more than focusing on a tune (I could glimpse the score for the latter, and it looked like a page from someone's geometry homework). This one cuts the difference a little, going back and forth with darting little stabs (some of which came from Lutek alternating blats on clarinet and sax) before opening up a little toward the end.

Recording: Bateman-Miller-Segger-Duncan

Artist: Victor Bateman/Matt Miller/Mark Segger/Christine Duncan

Song: "Playdate" [excerpt from an improvization]^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), October 28, 2014.

Bateman-Miller-Segger-Duncan - Playdate

Victor Bateman (electric bass), Matt Miller (laptop) and Mark Segger (percussion) have played together a bit as a trio and at this Tranzac outing they were joined for much of the set by vocalist Christine Duncan. Duncan can captivate even when performing on her own, but the band's textures — touching on noise, ambient and glitch-groove — were a worthy foil. At some points they even approached a sort of no wave "Don't Worry, Kyoko" vibe which was very tasty. No word if these particular players will find themselves in the same room again any time soon, but you can catch them individually around town on the regular.

[You can see Christine Duncan, alongside veteran vocal improviser/sound poet Paul Dutton, at Audiopollination's special Long Winter event tomorrow (December 12).]

^* I'm not sure if this is a straight-up improvisation or if Duncan is working with prepared material here — I'm sure I've heard her riffing about playdates before, so she might have been a loose gameplan coming in. I'm throwing that up as a provisional title, but if anyone can clarify/confirm, please leave a comment!

Recording: The Kyle Brenders Large Ensemble

Artist: The Kyle Brenders Large Ensemble

Songs: Brussels + Clomp

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), June 29, 2014.

The Kyle Brenders Large Ensemble - Brussels

The Kyle Brenders Large Ensemble - Clomp

Full review to follow. Maybe I oughtta be more jaded about it by now, but it still really blows my mind that y'can wander in off the street and — in the most relaxed and casual environment imaginable — watch a superbly-talented group of musicians work on their craft. To give some more textures to his compositions, Kyle Brenders has drafted a formidable chamber ensemble, each of whom I'd be happy to go see play in their other projects. Alongside Brenders' reeds, the group included Ilana Waniuk (violin), Cory Latkovich (cello), Rob Clutton (double bass), Mark Segger (percussion), Heather Segger (trombone), and Nicole Rampersaud (trumpet). The first set essayed a series of shorter pieces (from which we draw a couple contrasting samples here), while the second was given over to a suite entitled "Group Dynamics".

Recording: See Through Four

Artist: See Through Four

Song: Piecing Together That Dream

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), April 13, 2014.

See Through Four - Piecing Together That Dream

Full review to follow. Bassist Pete Johnston (formerly of Muskox, also of Aurochs, and liable to manifest in any number of ad hoc improvisatory groups) has been employing his See Through Trio as a vehicle for his compositions for a while, and now this quartet is working on a parallel path. Pianist Tania Gill is common to both configurations, but the Four also includes Heather and Mark Segger on trombone and drums. The pieces tend to state a theme, pass around a couple solos, then bring everyone in on the action, like a family arguing politics with gusto over Thanksgiving dinner. Satisfying results all around, including in this brand-new selection receiving its debut.

Recording: Mark Segger Sextet

Artist: Mark Segger Sextet

Song: My Dog Has Fleas

Recorded at The Tranzac - Main Hall ("The Second Annual Somewhere There Creative Music Festival" - Show 4), February 23, 2014.

Mark Segger Sextet - My Dog Has Fleas

Full review to follow. Interesting compositions from drummer Mark Segger ranged from stabby to jazzy to skronky, nicely fleshed-out by Rob Clutton (bass), Tania Gill (piano). Jim Lewis (trumpet). Peter Lutek (woodwinds) and Heather Segger (trombone). And a fine end to a very well-executed festival, which should be noted for its community-building, history-respecting yet still right-in-the-moment vibe.

Recording: The Kyle Brenders Quartet

Artist: The Kyle Brenders Quartet

Song: Noir

Recorded at The Tranzac - Main Hall (The Second Annual Somewhere There Creative Music Festival – Show 1), February 21, 2014.

The Kyle Brenders Quartet - Noir

Full review to follow. The reconfigured KBQ continues to build up its songbook with new material, combining serious compositional and musical chops with an off-kilter sense of humour.

Recording: Clutton-Schilt-Segger

Artist: Rob Clutton/Rafi Schilt/Mark Segger

Song: [excerpt from second piece]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), January 28, 2014.

Clutton-Schilt-Segger - [excerpt from second piece]

Full review to follow. The usual early and late sets were blended into one fine triple-header in the Southern Cross on Tuesday, with a couple members of Drumheller taking part in a pair of trios before the night's closing set. Rob Clutton and Mark Segger played hosts to Zurich's Rafi Schilt, the night's musical guest, who played a fine tenor sax.

Recording: Kyle Brenders Quartet

Artist: Kyle Brenders Quartet

Song: Sparrow

Recorded at Array Space, September 25, 2013.

Kyle Brenders Quartet - Sparrow

Full review to follow. Brenders' compositional style might be "quirky and mechanical" (as he jokingly referred to one of his pieces) but they're also bursting with ideas and vitality. This show saw the first performance of his "re-complied quartet", with Heather Segger (trombone) joining alongside Wes Neal (bass) and Mark Segger (drums).

Recording: Clutton/Lassonde/Segger/Segger

Artist: Rob Clutton/Julie Lassonde/Heather Segger/Mark Segger

Song: [excerpt from an improvization]^*

Recorded at Array Space ("Somewhere There Summer Series #10"), August 4, 2013.

Clutton/Lassonde/Segger/Segger - [excerpt from an improvization]

Full review to follow. Credited with "movement", Julie Lassonde was the primary catalyst for the musical trio (Rob Clutton on bass, Heather Segger on trombone, Mark Segger on drums), not only dictating the tempo with her dancing, but also making faces, mockingly sputtering, and occasionally stealing a drumstick or bow — imbuing a playful spirit throughout the entire set.

This was also a graceful high note to close out Somewhere There's summer series at Array Space. Still without a permanent home, the collective has nonetheless promised that there will be more free-spirited music to come, so keep an eye out for further updates.

^* I'm not sure if this piece has a title. Leave a comment if you know!