Recording: Sandro Perri

Artist: Sandro Perri

Songs: Black Bush [Aaron Freeman cover] + [instrumental #4]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), July 19, 2024.

Sandro Perri - Black Bush

Sandro Perri - [instrumental #4]

Part of an ongoing series of quarterly shows at The Tranzac, this night saw Sandro Perri backed by a full coterie of longtime collaborators, packing in the Southern Cross "stage" area as much as the rest of the room. That gave a chance to workshop some new material (such as the previously-discovered "Elegant Solution", as well as one called "Morning Shake") but also a chance to stretch out in some different directions, such as the cover heard here and a series of instrumental pieces.

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: 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: Isla Craig + band

Artist: Isla Craig + band

Song: Moon

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (Joe's 50th Birthday), April 25, 2024.

Isla Craig + band - Moon

Sometimes, when a Big Event beckons, you just have to seize the initiative and throw the party that you want to be a part of. Hence this little shindig, with a pretty fabulous lineup of local luminaries and a room full of well-wishers — what more could you ask for?

Isla Craig started off the night with a group of frequent collaborators (Mike Smith, bass; Phil Melanson, drums; Ted Crosby, sax; Vic Cheong, backing vox) that moved quickly from simmering grooves to full-on rocking out — the secret ingredient here was Alex Lukashevsky on guitar, and what a treat it was to see him in rock action mode. (The Jennifer Castle cover was also a treat!)

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

Recording: Many People

Artist: Many People

Song: [set 1 excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 15, 2023.

Many People - [set 1 excerpt]

Many People is another of Karen Ng's occasional concepts-not-bands, and while I've associated this one with a room-full-of-horns soundbath, the concept is plainly more malleable than that. That said, there was a formidable (fourmidable?) wind quartet up front, with Ng joined by Nic Dourado (a.k.a. bUDi), Nirvana Sagar, and Ted Crosby. But this time there was an equal presence of non-horn players, including Kieran Maraj (bass), fuZzy (guitar), %%30%30 (found percussion) and Jaz Tsui (percussion and melodica). Especially with the latter pair, that meant the means of propulsion was less magic capret ride and more clattering wagon, as the ebb and flow of the horns was bumped along by the other elements.

Recording: Holy Oak Family Singers

Artist: Justin Orok & Maggie Keogh / Holy Oak Family Singers

Songs: Summer's End [John Prine cover] + Ever New [Beverly Glenn-Copeland cover]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), August 2, 2023.

Justin Orok & Maggie Keogh - Summer's End

Holy Oak Family Singers - Ever New

Celebrating "The Songs of Summer", this evening with the rotating cast of H.O.F.S. guests and regulars essayed, as usual, a mix of hits and deep cuts, stripping things back to their essential songerwriterly cores. (And proving, once more, that no songs are too uncool to be reclaimed, as Ben Gunning showed on an astoundingly-refreshing take on Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer".) Nursing a broken arm and unable to play guitar, host Luke Kuplowsky played some one-handed piano in a spare setting of the McGarrigle's "Saratoga Summer Song", but also pulled together an impromptu ensemble for a couple set-closing pieces, including this Beverly Glenn-Copeland song with backing from Evan Cartwright, Justin Orok and Ted Crosby.

[Maggie Keogh and Justin Orok are half of Andrew Downing's Utopia Ontario, who will be playing The Rex next Monday (August 28th). The Holy Oak Family Singers will be back on at the Tranzac on Wednesday, September 6th.]

Recording: Many People

Artist: Many People

Songs: [two excerpts]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Karen Ng's Monthly), April 18, 2023.

Many People - [excerpt 1]

Many People - [excerpt 2]

A return apearance from this... well, call it more of a "concept" than a "band", with Karen Ng gathering together as many horn players as can be wrangled. The twist here was some extra spacialization, with the crew (on this night: Ng plus Leland Whitty, Kae Murphy, Brodie West, Jay Hay and Ted Crosby) spreading along the length of the room, giving some incredible in-person surround-sound vibes. (The stereoification on the recording here can only give a taste of how lovely it was!)

You can also check out some footage of the (nearly) full set from Many Penguins People over on youtube (though do note it was impossible to get more than half the group in the frame at any given time!):

Recording: Isla Craig

Artist: Isla Craig

Songs: Spirit + Now Westlin Winds [with Andrew Patten & Ivy Mairi] [trad. arr. Dick Gaughan, from a poem by Robert Burns]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), November 15, 2022.

Isla Craig - Spirit

Isla Craig with Andrew Patten & Ivy Mairi - Now Westlin Winds

Although there have been some airings-out of the new Echo's Reach material, this definitely felt like a special occasion, with a full band (Mike Smith, bass; Ian Daniel Kehoe, drums; Ted Crosby, sax) as well as vocal support from Vic Cheong and Ivy Mairi. (Plus frequent collaborator Jonathan Adjemian guesting on piano on the set's last track presented here.) In a nod to her roots, there was also a pause in the middle for a folky excursion, with Andrew Patten adding some acoustic guitar.

It seems like yesterday and forever ago that folks last gathered to celebrate an album release by Isla Craig in The Tranzac's big room. That made it felt like an event, one where old circles intersect — with faces you might've once seen at a Healing Power party, or on a beach on the Island. May the spirit be with you.

Recording: Many People

Artist: Many People

Songs: [excerpts from two sets]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), October 27, 2022.

Many People - [set 1 excerpt]

Many People - [set 2 excerpt]

I think "Many People" was at first merely meant as a description of this agglomeration of friends assembled by Karen Ng, but we might as well treat it as a de facto band name. (It turns out that every once in a while, everyone you invite out for a gig is able to make it, when you were only expecting some fraction of them to be able!)

With eight (and later nine) musicians playing, it was unsurprising that there were some crowded honk'n'squeak blastoffs, but for the most part, folks gave each other space, stepping back to let shifting smaller sub-groups stand out and letting the ensemble sections work as texture-knitting rather than volume competition.

The full group consisted of:

• Mark Ballyk - drums
• Ted Crosby - reeds
• Madeleine Ertel - trumpet
• Colin Fisher - guitar
• Andrew Furlong - double bass
• Naomi McCarroll-Butler - sax/flute
• Kaelin Murphy - trumpet/contra-alto clarinet
• Karen Ng - reeds
• Jay Hay - sax/flute (2nd set)

Recording: Isla Craig

Artist: Isla Craig

Song: Song for Boots

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), September 22, 2022.

Isla Craig - Song for Boots

A perfect night out on the equinox, Karen Ng turned her Tranzac residency slot over to a pair of singer-songwriters who were both exploring some autumnal renewal. Playing her first band show since the beforetimes, Isla Craig brought some of the players who back her on the forthcoming Echo's Reach, including continental drifter Mike Smith on bass and Ted Crosby on sax as well as Ian Daniel Kehoe on drums. Given that gap in presenting new music, it was no surpise to even hear a couple newer-than-the-album songs in the set, which closed with this piano meditation for a lost companion.

Recording: Dun-Dun Band

Artist: Dun-Dun Band

Song: Triplet C

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Josh Cole presents), September 21, 2022

Dun-Dun Band - Triplet C

There are visible signs of forward progress with Craig Dunsmuir's beloved precision groove bigglyup band — rumours of intense rehearsal schedules, plus whispers of recording and mixing sessions — all of which has culminated in a three-month takeover of Josh Cole's Tranzac residency. This night saw a possibly-unprecedented turonout (on stage) with ten musicians on hand. (There's a certain flexibility in the lineup given that any of these busy musicians could be unavailable on any given day.) There's also a sense that the jams are being formalized into "songs" — where once they were identified by strings of numbered fragments, now titles are taking their place (even if some are perhaps still just placeholders, often taking a name from the venue where the piece was first performed).

The full lineup for this night was:

• Craig Dunsmuir
• Mike Smith
• Blake Howard
• Jay Anderson
• Josh Cole
• Kurt Newman
• Ted Crosby
• Karen Ng
• Colin Fisher
• Brodie West

[The Dun-Dun Band will be completing their three-month stay at The Tranzac next Wednesday (October 19th) in the late slot.]

Recording: Fisher/Cartwright/Crosby

Artist: Colin Fisher/Evan Cartwright/Ted Crosby

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng Presents), January 22, 2020.

Colin Fisher/Evan Cartwright/Ted Crosby - unknown

More action from this trio, who are continuing to refine the pieces I saw them working on a little while back. For those catching up, Ted Crosby is doing the sax work here, with Colin Fisher sticking to guitar — and for fans of his free-flowing improvised work, it's interesting to see him using his tools with measured precision. Pedalheads will take note of his work on the Count to 5 here, with some sweet birdwarbles in this piece.

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

Recording: Fisher/Crosby/Cartwright

Artist: Colin Fisher/Ted Crosby/Evan Cartwright

Song: [set 2, first piece]^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 13, 2019.

Colin Fisher/Ted Crosby/Evan Cartwright - [set 2, first piece]

This trio was testing out the space and structures within some new compositions — this one, I believe, from Colin Fisher, who was on guitar for the set.

[This group will be appearing together again at The Tranzac tonight (Wednesday, January 22nd) alongside a quartet led by bassist Ben Dwyer.]

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

Recording: Dun-Dun Band

Artist: Dun-Dun Band

Song: No. 7 (Nilan)^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 8, 2019.

Dun Dun Band - No. 7 (Nilan)

The Dun-Dun Band ("rapidly becoming the Dun-Dun Symphonetta," commented host Nilan Perera) was rolling nine deep on this night, with composer/caller/guitarist Craig Dunsmuir being joined by a three-piece sax section (Ted Crosby, Karen Ng, and Colin Fisher) and a back-line rhythm factory composed of Mike Smith (synth), Blake Howard (percussion), Jay Anderson (synth percussion), Josh Cole (bass), and Kurt Newman (guitar). As always, the intricate pattern-pieces created a rich stereophonic soundfield and plenty deep groovin'.

^* Title updated! Thanks to Craig!

Recording: Meger/Pencer/Ng/Davidson

Artist: James Meger/Ted Crosby/Karen Ng/Michael Davidson

Song: unknown Misha Mengelberg piece + unknown^*

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), January 20, 2019.

James Meger/Ted Crosby/Karen Ng/Michael Davidson - unknown Misha Mengelberg piece

James Meger/Ted Crosby/Karen Ng/Michael Davidson - unknown

Staying warm during a deep, deep freeze (and ushering the Super Wolf Blood Moon mega-frenzy), locals Ted Crosby (tenor sax/bass clarinet), Karen Ng (alto sax) and Michael Davidson (vibes) welcomed Vancouver's James Meger (double bass) for a couple sets of compositions, surveying works from Mengelberg and Paul Motian as well as some of their own material.

^* Does anyone know the titles to these? Please leave a comment!

Recording: The Revival Ensemble

Artist: The Revival Ensemble

Songs: Amad + Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues) [composers: Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Main Hall (TONE Festival), June 17, 2018.

The Revival Ensemble - Amad

The Revival Ensemble - Blue Pepper (Far East of the Blues)

One of TONE Festival's more ambitious undertakings, this event saw reedist Ted Crosby wrangling a stage full of local improvisers (and incorporating the members of openers Sick Boss Löve) to form a thirteen-member orchestra interpreting (and bursting outward from) Duke Ellington's The Far East Suite. Organized into three "days", these mini-suites stretched out the original themes, deepened the grooves and gave plenty of chances for individual members to shine with solos.

As far as I could tell, the ensemble was:

• Ted Crosby - reeds
• Lisen Rylander Löve - reeds
• Karen Ng - reeds
• Alan Mackie - violin
• Lina Allemano - trumpet
• Rebecca Hennessy - trumpet
• Ryan Brouwer - trumpet
• Michael Davidson - vibraphone
• Scott Thomson - trombone
• Harley Card - guitar
• Cole Schmidt - guitar
• James Meger - bass
• Dan Gaucher - drums

Recording: In Between

Artist: In Between

Songs: Sans Soleil [composer: Karen Ng] + Old Feeling [composer: Ted Crosby]

Recorded at The Emmet Ray, May 21, 2018.

In Between - Sans Soleil

In Between - Old Feeling

After a couple sets with magiceyeimage, percussionist Phil Melanson was doing double-duty on this night, joining Josh Cole (on electric bass) as the rhythm section for the horns (and tunes) of Ted Crosby and Karen Ng. It's especially pleasing to see the latter's composition book growing with another chance to hear the Ken Aldcroft-inspired "Mister" as well as several other recent pieces. Even a passing street-sweeper (or some similar contraption) came in right on time at the close of Cole's bass intro to the latter selection here — all elements accidentally right in place.

Recording: Ng/Crosby/Taylor/Spearin/Feist

Artist: Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Paul Taylor/Charles Spearin/Leslie Feist

Songs: [excerpt, in two parts]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), April 18, 2017.

Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Paul Taylor/Charles Spearin/Leslie Feist - [excerpt, part 1]

Karen Ng/Ted Crosby/Paul Taylor/Charles Spearin/Leslie Feist - [excerpt, part 2]

When a musician's sudden unavailability caused a last-minute lineup change and Karen Ng would only say (with a cagey grin and no further details) that she'd found "some friends" to fill in, I knew something was up. And indeed, the old touring pals that came out to jam to a handful of people at The Tranzac were none other than Charles Spearin (armed with keyboard and nyckelharpa) and Leslie Feist. They joined visiting electroacoustic percussionist Paul Taylor as well as Ng and Ted Crosby on reeds for an ephemeral encounter, the sort of one-time-only band that winks into existence in the The Tranzac's protective environment.

After some foraging explorations, the group fell into the rustic soundscape heard here, with Crosby and Ng's clarinets dancing above the others' textures. (Feist showed herself to be a dab hand with her freeze pedal in that regard.) After that, the second set turned out to be an even more informal affair: Spearin had to split, Feist felt like playing the drums, and most of the remaining audience were invited to sit in for some casual meanderings.

Recording: Crosby/Ng/Cole/Cartwright

Artist: Ted Crosby/Karen Ng/Josh Cole/Evan Cartwright

Songs: The Doorman + Albert [composer: Ted Crosby]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), January 31, 2018.

Ted Crosby/Karen Ng/Josh Cole/Evan Cartwright - The Doorman

Ted Crosby/Karen Ng/Josh Cole/Evan Cartwright - Albert

This quartet performance was nominally under the guidance of saxophonist Ted Crosby, and the two sets drew mostly from his compositions. The range within that can be seen in this pairing, with "The Doorman" (with Crosby and Ng both on clarinet) sounding more like a sophisticated arrangement of a lush indie rock tune while "Albert" (named, natch, for Mr. Ayler and seeing both horn players on their saxes) takes a jazzier turn. The group also found time to essay one of those new experimental scores that Karen Ng has been bringing to shows lately — keep an eye out for further developments on that front.

Recording: Nomad Wind Ensemble

Artist: Nomad Wind Ensemble

Song: [last piece]

Recorded at Ratio ("Somewhere There Presents..."), November 26, 2014.

Nomad Wind Ensemble - [last piece, part 1]

Nomad Wind Ensemble - [last piece, part 2]

Nomad Wind Ensemble - [last piece, part 3]

Joining in as out-of-town guests on a night put together by Somewhere There, this quartet for wind instruments is an offshoot of Montréal "emo rock-jazz" combo Nomad, here with Ted Crosby (bass clarinet), Mike Bjella (tenor sax), Simon Millerd (trumpet), and Ben Dwyer (alto sax). Given the interplay and extended tasty gliding, this final excursion from their set is worth hearing in full, but for easier navigation, I've put it up here in parts. [It doesn't look like there's much online to see/hear from the wind side-project, but you can check out Nomad's album here, and you can see these folks (together or separately) down at this end of the 401 fairly regularly.]