Downstairs Monday nights

The Monday night series at The Cellar continues to get better and better. I've already mentioned the opening night with the Gord Grdina Trio.


Next up was the Aeroplane Trio. JP Carter is one of my favourite trumpeters in town, the antithesis of a stereotypical swaggering big band lead player. I've often seen him play with very introspective extended technique, and with Aeroplane, he has a chance to demonstrate a greater breadth of his range, not to mention a bone-dry wit. Russell Sholberg simply gets better every time I hear him, which has been fairly frequently lately. And Skye Brooks is totally solid on drums, unpredictable and supportive.



I've taken a fair number of pictures of these guys in the past, but I am particularly partial to this one of Skye.



Last week was the evening for Stefan Smulovitz and Viviane Houle. They have been working together as a duo for a few years now and it definitely shows. Viviane has always been a captivating singer, continuously refining her unique and very personal approach. They premiered an improvised song cycle, and I was suprised to find out after the fact that she had not let Stefan as much as look at the text, let alone rehearse it, until just before they performed. Could have fooled me, and it did, as I was sure that they had worked out a few sections in advance. That's just a real indication as to how close there musical and personal connections are, and it's certainly how free improvisation can be really elevated. Both of them have the confidence and faith in each other to leap into the abyss and know that the other will be there to support them.


I have to mention that I was really impressed with Stefan's continued evolution with his Kenaxis software, which he developed for laptop. In the wrong hands, and usually at the wrong volume, a laptop can totally usurp a musical performance with a barrage of samples and cliched processing - if I hear one more piece end with a sampled loop being speeded up and shifted higher in pitch, I will puke. Not to fear with Stefan at the controls though - he was always the height of sensitivity and musicality. I would go as far to say that he proved that in the proper hands, a Kenaxis-driven laptop in no longer technology, it is a musical instrument.


Next up, the inimitable Lisa Miller with her group edgeeffect. There is a greater compositional component than with our collaboration in ion Zoo. With Ron Samorth, Jeremy Berkman and Jesse Zubot on the bandstand, more great music can be expected this coming Monday evening.


For more info visit the NOW website.