Anya M. Wassenberg's Blog: Art & Culture Maven, page 123
October 6, 2014
Canadian Stage brings the cutting edge production Helen Lawrence to Toronto October 12 to November 2, 2014
From a media release:
Canadian Stage brings the cutting edge production Helen Lawrence to Toronto
October 12 to November 2, 2014
• Buy Tickets
After opening in Vancouver and traveling to Munich and Edinburgh, international tour of new Canadian production comes home
Toronto, ON – After opening in Vancouver in March 2014, and setting off on an international tour with stops in Germany and Scotland, Helen Lawrence lands at Canadian Stage with performances at the Bluma
Appel Theatre (27 Front St. E), Oct. 12 to Nov. 2. The theatrical debut for world-renowned visual artist Stan Douglas and award-winning screenwriter Chris Haddock, Helen Lawrence is produced by Canadian Stage with co-producers Arts Club Theatre Company (Vancouver) and The Banff Centre (Alberta). Set in 1948 Vancouver, this ground-breaking work intertwines theatre, visual art and film and mixed-media, to create a production at the frontier of new media use in performance.
“It is exhilarating to be involved of such a special, large-scale Canadian creation,” said Matthew Jocelyn artistic & general director of Canadian Stage. “This project has been developed over a three-year period, bringing together exceptionally talented Canadian artists to create both a technology and a type of theatre never before seen. Canadian Stage is committed to putting Canadian talent on the international stage, and after hugely successful runs in Vancouver, Munich and at the Edinburgh International Festival, we are delighted to present this unique work to our audiences in Toronto.”
Inspired by post-war film noir, Helen Lawrence sets the scene in a bustling metropolis struggling to reorganize itself after World War II. An intriguing, hard-boiled tale of loyalty and power, the story reflects Vancouver’s political landscape in 1948, during a time of historic upheaval.
Featured prominently in Helen Lawrence is a blue-screen enclosed stage on which the play itself is performed. This allows for the actor’s images to be shown alongside computer generated 3-D buildings that are recreations of Vancouver’s skyline from 1948. Filmed and live images of the actors are projected into detailed and fully furnished virtual spaces with the story unfolding simultaneously as both a film and a play.
“In Helen Lawrence, there are typically two ideas in play at the same time—one derived from the literal reality on stage, and the other from the images projected on screen,” said Douglas. “The images are fundamentally unstable and depict relationships that could change at any moment. As such, these visuals are much like the futures the characters are trying to forge for themselves in the story.”
Based on a concept developed by Douglas and Haddock, Helen Lawrence is written by Haddock. Douglas and associate director Sarah Garton Stanley direct a stellar cast: Crystal Balint, Greg Ellwand, Ryan Hollyman, Sterling Jarvis, Nicholas Lea, Allan Louis, Ava Jane Markus, Hrothgar Mathews, Haley McGee, Emily Piggford, Lisa Ryder, and Adam Kenneth Wilson.
Stan Douglas is an internationally acclaimed Vancouver-based visual artist. Douglas’ work has been included at some of the art world’s premier exhibitions and is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Gallery, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Vancouver Art Gallery, among many others. Chris Haddock is an award-winning Canadian screenwriter, director, and producer. His television projects include Da Vinci’s Inquest, Da Vinci’s City Hall, and, most recently, Intelligence. In addition to his own series, Haddock has contributed writing to various shows, including HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. He is the recipient of 35 Gemini nominations, and has won 15.
On Oct. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m., Canadian Stage debuts a new curated series called Face to Face with Canadian Stage at the Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley St.). The first installment of three planned events, dubbed CREATE, invites guests to join the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Media Lab for a hands-on exploration of new media and creative processes, inspired by new technologies used in stage works like Helen Lawrence. Hosted by Jocelyn, the event will include a panel with Ana Serrano, director of CFC Media Lab, and Tom Barker, chair of the Digital Futures Initiative at OCADU. A $75 pass admits two guests for the full series, and each event includes a panel discussion, mingling, and refreshments. Future Face to Face events will explore ideas in Canadian Stage productions The Other Place and Spotlight South Africa.
Helen Lawrence will be on stage at Canadian Stage’s Bluma Appel Theatre (27 Front St. E). Performances run Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with a 7 p.m. performance on Friday and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets from $30 to $99 are available online, by phone at 416.368.3110 or in person at the box office. For details visit www.canadianstage.com.
Facebook:Canadian Stage
Twitter:@CanadianStage
Twitter Hashtag:#csHelenLawrence
From the Edinburgh run:
Canadian Stage brings the cutting edge production Helen Lawrence to Toronto
October 12 to November 2, 2014
• Buy Tickets
After opening in Vancouver and traveling to Munich and Edinburgh, international tour of new Canadian production comes home
Toronto, ON – After opening in Vancouver in March 2014, and setting off on an international tour with stops in Germany and Scotland, Helen Lawrence lands at Canadian Stage with performances at the Bluma
Appel Theatre (27 Front St. E), Oct. 12 to Nov. 2. The theatrical debut for world-renowned visual artist Stan Douglas and award-winning screenwriter Chris Haddock, Helen Lawrence is produced by Canadian Stage with co-producers Arts Club Theatre Company (Vancouver) and The Banff Centre (Alberta). Set in 1948 Vancouver, this ground-breaking work intertwines theatre, visual art and film and mixed-media, to create a production at the frontier of new media use in performance.“It is exhilarating to be involved of such a special, large-scale Canadian creation,” said Matthew Jocelyn artistic & general director of Canadian Stage. “This project has been developed over a three-year period, bringing together exceptionally talented Canadian artists to create both a technology and a type of theatre never before seen. Canadian Stage is committed to putting Canadian talent on the international stage, and after hugely successful runs in Vancouver, Munich and at the Edinburgh International Festival, we are delighted to present this unique work to our audiences in Toronto.”
Inspired by post-war film noir, Helen Lawrence sets the scene in a bustling metropolis struggling to reorganize itself after World War II. An intriguing, hard-boiled tale of loyalty and power, the story reflects Vancouver’s political landscape in 1948, during a time of historic upheaval.
Featured prominently in Helen Lawrence is a blue-screen enclosed stage on which the play itself is performed. This allows for the actor’s images to be shown alongside computer generated 3-D buildings that are recreations of Vancouver’s skyline from 1948. Filmed and live images of the actors are projected into detailed and fully furnished virtual spaces with the story unfolding simultaneously as both a film and a play.“In Helen Lawrence, there are typically two ideas in play at the same time—one derived from the literal reality on stage, and the other from the images projected on screen,” said Douglas. “The images are fundamentally unstable and depict relationships that could change at any moment. As such, these visuals are much like the futures the characters are trying to forge for themselves in the story.”
Based on a concept developed by Douglas and Haddock, Helen Lawrence is written by Haddock. Douglas and associate director Sarah Garton Stanley direct a stellar cast: Crystal Balint, Greg Ellwand, Ryan Hollyman, Sterling Jarvis, Nicholas Lea, Allan Louis, Ava Jane Markus, Hrothgar Mathews, Haley McGee, Emily Piggford, Lisa Ryder, and Adam Kenneth Wilson.
Stan Douglas is an internationally acclaimed Vancouver-based visual artist. Douglas’ work has been included at some of the art world’s premier exhibitions and is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate Gallery, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Vancouver Art Gallery, among many others. Chris Haddock is an award-winning Canadian screenwriter, director, and producer. His television projects include Da Vinci’s Inquest, Da Vinci’s City Hall, and, most recently, Intelligence. In addition to his own series, Haddock has contributed writing to various shows, including HBO’s Boardwalk Empire. He is the recipient of 35 Gemini nominations, and has won 15.On Oct. 6 from 7 to 9 p.m., Canadian Stage debuts a new curated series called Face to Face with Canadian Stage at the Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley St.). The first installment of three planned events, dubbed CREATE, invites guests to join the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Media Lab for a hands-on exploration of new media and creative processes, inspired by new technologies used in stage works like Helen Lawrence. Hosted by Jocelyn, the event will include a panel with Ana Serrano, director of CFC Media Lab, and Tom Barker, chair of the Digital Futures Initiative at OCADU. A $75 pass admits two guests for the full series, and each event includes a panel discussion, mingling, and refreshments. Future Face to Face events will explore ideas in Canadian Stage productions The Other Place and Spotlight South Africa.
Helen Lawrence will be on stage at Canadian Stage’s Bluma Appel Theatre (27 Front St. E). Performances run Tuesday through Thursday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with a 7 p.m. performance on Friday and matinees on Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. The performance runs approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Tickets from $30 to $99 are available online, by phone at 416.368.3110 or in person at the box office. For details visit www.canadianstage.com.
Facebook:Canadian Stage
Twitter:@CanadianStage
Twitter Hashtag:#csHelenLawrence
From the Edinburgh run:
October 2, 2014
Celebrate Mexico Now Festival - October 28 to November 1 2014 in New York City
From a media release
New York, NY: October 28-November 1 2014:
Celebrate Mexico Now Festival
Schedule:
10/28/14, 7:00 PM - LA TACOPEDIA, Book signing
10/29/14, 7:30 PM - DEL SALÓN AL DANZÓN!, Concert
10/30/14, 6:00 PM - XIMENA PEREZ GROBET, Artist Books (Art Exhibit)
10/31/14, 7:00 PM - 11th MORELIA INT'L FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS
11/01/14, 8:00 PM - ALONDRA DE LA PARRA, Concert
• More at http://mexiconowfestival.org/
The young female conductor who brought some of the America’s forgotten orchestral gems to the world. A historian who knows all the ins and outs of the humble taco. A book artist, who turned the act of printing and creating into a powerful visual and conceptual statement.
There are all Mexican artists, and their contemporary visions honor roots while leaping into the world conversation in their creative fields.
Now in its second decade, Celebrate Mexico Now brings together the performers and creators, the makers and chroniclers to show how vibrant and thrilling the country’s arts scene is. From October 28 to November 1, 2014, Mexico’s many regional and cultural identities will shine at events around the city, that stimulate all the senses.
“As a festival, we focus on iconic sounds, sights, and tastes,” explains Festival Director Claudia Norman, “while highlighting how fluid these roots are, and how tuned in to international conversations and scenes Mexican artists are.”
This year’s edition showcases Mexican musicians’ current fascination with the wealth of 20th century orchestral works and pop songwriting, by the composers who often drew heavily on traditional musical forms. Pianist Cesar Reyes had dedicated years to finding and performing long-lost piano arrangements of Latin American composers. He presents an evening of favorites at Del Salón al Danzón! (October 29).
For the festival’s grand finale Day of the Dead (November 1) concert at Town Hall, Alondra de la Parra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas will return to the festival that gave the dynamic young conductor her start. The program will pay tribute to Mexican composers unknown to U.S. audiences, including songwriting legend Agustín Lara, with help from Latin pop darling Natalia Lafourcade.
A retrospective that pays tribute to a Mexican artist of a very different kind, Ximena Perez Grobet, will open October 30. Grobet’s artist books—the distillation of her interventions and installations in book form—engage viewers with the nuances of book as object, in ways both playful and thought provoking.
In an ongoing tradition, the festival will present winning shorts from the Morelia International Film Festival (October 31), including a documentary about rural Atoyac women in Guerrero State coping with the loss of their husbands and sons to the suppression of revolutionary Lucio Cabañas’ guerillas in the 1970s. (Director Anaïs Pareto Onghena will be available at the screening for a Q&A)
Sometimes humble forms gain international acclaim and are then elevated to high art. Such is the tale of the taco, as told in La Tacopedia (October 28), a new work of social history and culinary savor by writer and visual artist Alejandro Escalante (pictured left). Festival goers will get a chance to savor this history--as well as other culinary pleasures from Mexico’s varied cuisine--thanks to Taste of Mexico Now, a special initiative uniting Mexican chefs around New York. Taco aficionados can download a map to taco bliss at the festival website, which will lead them to festival-themed specials at Bar Bruno, Café Frida, Hecho en Dumbo, La Palapa, El Mitote, Papatzul, Sembrado en NY, Toloache, Tacuba, Los Tacos No. 1 and Taquería Nixtamalito.
New York, NY: October 28-November 1 2014:
Celebrate Mexico Now Festival
Schedule:
10/28/14, 7:00 PM - LA TACOPEDIA, Book signing
10/29/14, 7:30 PM - DEL SALÓN AL DANZÓN!, Concert
10/30/14, 6:00 PM - XIMENA PEREZ GROBET, Artist Books (Art Exhibit)
10/31/14, 7:00 PM - 11th MORELIA INT'L FILM FESTIVAL WINNERS
11/01/14, 8:00 PM - ALONDRA DE LA PARRA, Concert
• More at http://mexiconowfestival.org/
The young female conductor who brought some of the America’s forgotten orchestral gems to the world. A historian who knows all the ins and outs of the humble taco. A book artist, who turned the act of printing and creating into a powerful visual and conceptual statement.
There are all Mexican artists, and their contemporary visions honor roots while leaping into the world conversation in their creative fields.
Now in its second decade, Celebrate Mexico Now brings together the performers and creators, the makers and chroniclers to show how vibrant and thrilling the country’s arts scene is. From October 28 to November 1, 2014, Mexico’s many regional and cultural identities will shine at events around the city, that stimulate all the senses.“As a festival, we focus on iconic sounds, sights, and tastes,” explains Festival Director Claudia Norman, “while highlighting how fluid these roots are, and how tuned in to international conversations and scenes Mexican artists are.”
This year’s edition showcases Mexican musicians’ current fascination with the wealth of 20th century orchestral works and pop songwriting, by the composers who often drew heavily on traditional musical forms. Pianist Cesar Reyes had dedicated years to finding and performing long-lost piano arrangements of Latin American composers. He presents an evening of favorites at Del Salón al Danzón! (October 29).
For the festival’s grand finale Day of the Dead (November 1) concert at Town Hall, Alondra de la Parra and the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Americas will return to the festival that gave the dynamic young conductor her start. The program will pay tribute to Mexican composers unknown to U.S. audiences, including songwriting legend Agustín Lara, with help from Latin pop darling Natalia Lafourcade.
A retrospective that pays tribute to a Mexican artist of a very different kind, Ximena Perez Grobet, will open October 30. Grobet’s artist books—the distillation of her interventions and installations in book form—engage viewers with the nuances of book as object, in ways both playful and thought provoking.
In an ongoing tradition, the festival will present winning shorts from the Morelia International Film Festival (October 31), including a documentary about rural Atoyac women in Guerrero State coping with the loss of their husbands and sons to the suppression of revolutionary Lucio Cabañas’ guerillas in the 1970s. (Director Anaïs Pareto Onghena will be available at the screening for a Q&A)
Sometimes humble forms gain international acclaim and are then elevated to high art. Such is the tale of the taco, as told in La Tacopedia (October 28), a new work of social history and culinary savor by writer and visual artist Alejandro Escalante (pictured left). Festival goers will get a chance to savor this history--as well as other culinary pleasures from Mexico’s varied cuisine--thanks to Taste of Mexico Now, a special initiative uniting Mexican chefs around New York. Taco aficionados can download a map to taco bliss at the festival website, which will lead them to festival-themed specials at Bar Bruno, Café Frida, Hecho en Dumbo, La Palapa, El Mitote, Papatzul, Sembrado en NY, Toloache, Tacuba, Los Tacos No. 1 and Taquería Nixtamalito.
Drink with Death A Morbid Cabaret October 23 to 30, 2014 in Toronto
From a media release:
Romana Soutus and Christopher Weatherstone present
Drink with Death
A Morbid Cabaret
October 23 to 30, 2014
The Cameron House - Toronto
• For tickets, visit drinkwithdeath.com
Toronto, October 2, 2014 - Following a wildly successful run at the renowned La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City in February, director Romana Soutus is teaming up with Juno-nominated musician Christopher Weatherstone to present Drink With Death, a morbid cabaret where the dead rise
again to tell the stories of their untimely ends through song. Featuring the best and brightest of Toronto's vibrant indie folk scene, this unexpectedly humorous and beautiful show runs October 23-30 (Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm) at the legendary downtown Toronto venue, The Cameron House.
In Drink with Death, see how the other side lives as the Back Room of The Cameron House becomes a portal into the afterlife, a speakeasy in purgatory. There will be no boundary between performers and patrons as the cast recount their tragic tales throughout eternity amidst the audience to explore the mysterious "other side." Who knows who might be sitting beside you? Seize the opportunity to share a drink with the dearly departed. Break down the walls between ourselves and our mortality. Experience the humour, tragedy, pain and beauty behind humanity's greatest fear.
Far from your usual cabaret performance, Drink with Death features countless unexpected twists and turns throughout the evening with original music written by the performers themselves. The cast is filled with luminaries of Toronto's urban folk scene, including three members of the explosive Lemon Bucket Orkestra:Christopher Weatherstone (nominated for a Juno award, four Canadian Folk Music awards, and a SiriusXM Indie award), Michael Louis Johnson (legendary as the singing barkeep at The Communist's Daughter and NOW's Best Bartender in 2013) and Jaash Singh (darbouka player specializing in Middle-Eastern, Eastern European, Spanish and Roma traditional folk music styles). Joining them areAda Dahli (former mortician turned musician and front person of Ada Dahli & The Pallbearers), Freeman Dre (voted NOW's best songwriter of 2010 and nominated in 2012), Darren Eedens (banjo/guitar picker who has opened for comedian Louis CK and Rural Alberta Advantage) and different special guests nightly.
Romana Soutus is a New York based actress, director and producer. Her engagement in the Toronto theatre scene began in 2013 when she helped to produce Midwinter Night with Yara Arts Group, a resident theatre company at La MaMa ETC in New York, at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. Her work has been produced at the experimental theatre institution La MaMa ETC in New York City. In the summer of 2014, she traveled with La MaMa to Spoleto, Italy for La MaMa's International Director's Symposium where she worked with Belarus Free Theatre, Theatre MOTUS, Dijana Milo_evi_ of DAH Theatre and playwright Catherine Filloux. Soutus's next project, Hyena- a solo performance written and performed by Soutus herself - premiere in the fall of 2015 at La MaMa in New York.
Christopher Weatherstone is one of Toronto's hottest up-and-coming musicians, active in no less than six musical projects and a constant fixture in the city's music scene, performing with acts including The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, indie weirdoes The Holy Gasp, the sea shantymen Pressgang Mutiny and the soon-to-be-legendary Jazz Money. He has been nominated for a Juno award, four Canadian Folk Music awards, and a SiriusXM Indie award. He attended the renowned Humber College Jazz program and has studied with Roma musicians in Eastern Europe.
Romana Soutus and Christopher Weatherstone present
Drink With Death
A Morbid Cabaret
Directed by Romana Soutus
Musical Director Christopher Weatherstone
Starring Ada Dahli, Freeman Dre, Darren Eedens,
Michael Louis Johnson, Jaash Singh, Christopher Weatherstone. - Featuring Special Guests nightly.
October 23-30, 2014
Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm
The Back Room of The Cameron House, 408 Queen Street West, Toronto
Tickets: $18 regular, $10 students (Children under 13 will not be admitted due to mature content.)
For tickets, visit drinkwithdeath.com
Romana Soutus and Christopher Weatherstone present
Drink with Death
A Morbid Cabaret
October 23 to 30, 2014
The Cameron House - Toronto
• For tickets, visit drinkwithdeath.com
Toronto, October 2, 2014 - Following a wildly successful run at the renowned La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City in February, director Romana Soutus is teaming up with Juno-nominated musician Christopher Weatherstone to present Drink With Death, a morbid cabaret where the dead rise
again to tell the stories of their untimely ends through song. Featuring the best and brightest of Toronto's vibrant indie folk scene, this unexpectedly humorous and beautiful show runs October 23-30 (Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8pm) at the legendary downtown Toronto venue, The Cameron House.In Drink with Death, see how the other side lives as the Back Room of The Cameron House becomes a portal into the afterlife, a speakeasy in purgatory. There will be no boundary between performers and patrons as the cast recount their tragic tales throughout eternity amidst the audience to explore the mysterious "other side." Who knows who might be sitting beside you? Seize the opportunity to share a drink with the dearly departed. Break down the walls between ourselves and our mortality. Experience the humour, tragedy, pain and beauty behind humanity's greatest fear.
Far from your usual cabaret performance, Drink with Death features countless unexpected twists and turns throughout the evening with original music written by the performers themselves. The cast is filled with luminaries of Toronto's urban folk scene, including three members of the explosive Lemon Bucket Orkestra:Christopher Weatherstone (nominated for a Juno award, four Canadian Folk Music awards, and a SiriusXM Indie award), Michael Louis Johnson (legendary as the singing barkeep at The Communist's Daughter and NOW's Best Bartender in 2013) and Jaash Singh (darbouka player specializing in Middle-Eastern, Eastern European, Spanish and Roma traditional folk music styles). Joining them areAda Dahli (former mortician turned musician and front person of Ada Dahli & The Pallbearers), Freeman Dre (voted NOW's best songwriter of 2010 and nominated in 2012), Darren Eedens (banjo/guitar picker who has opened for comedian Louis CK and Rural Alberta Advantage) and different special guests nightly.
Romana Soutus is a New York based actress, director and producer. Her engagement in the Toronto theatre scene began in 2013 when she helped to produce Midwinter Night with Yara Arts Group, a resident theatre company at La MaMa ETC in New York, at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre. Her work has been produced at the experimental theatre institution La MaMa ETC in New York City. In the summer of 2014, she traveled with La MaMa to Spoleto, Italy for La MaMa's International Director's Symposium where she worked with Belarus Free Theatre, Theatre MOTUS, Dijana Milo_evi_ of DAH Theatre and playwright Catherine Filloux. Soutus's next project, Hyena- a solo performance written and performed by Soutus herself - premiere in the fall of 2015 at La MaMa in New York.
Christopher Weatherstone is one of Toronto's hottest up-and-coming musicians, active in no less than six musical projects and a constant fixture in the city's music scene, performing with acts including The Lemon Bucket Orkestra, indie weirdoes The Holy Gasp, the sea shantymen Pressgang Mutiny and the soon-to-be-legendary Jazz Money. He has been nominated for a Juno award, four Canadian Folk Music awards, and a SiriusXM Indie award. He attended the renowned Humber College Jazz program and has studied with Roma musicians in Eastern Europe.
Romana Soutus and Christopher Weatherstone presentDrink With Death
A Morbid Cabaret
Directed by Romana Soutus
Musical Director Christopher Weatherstone
Starring Ada Dahli, Freeman Dre, Darren Eedens,
Michael Louis Johnson, Jaash Singh, Christopher Weatherstone. - Featuring Special Guests nightly.
October 23-30, 2014
Wednesday-Saturday at 8pm
The Back Room of The Cameron House, 408 Queen Street West, Toronto
Tickets: $18 regular, $10 students (Children under 13 will not be admitted due to mature content.)
For tickets, visit drinkwithdeath.com
September 22, 2014
New Single: Nadjiwan - Only After (September 23, 2014)
From a release:
New Single:
Nadjiwan - Only After (September 23, 2014)
The first commercial release from NADJIWAN since November 2008 comes out Tuesday September 23rd.
• Check it out/buy it online
Heading North Music will be releasing a NEW single every couple of months from September 2014 to June 2015. June 2015 is the 20th anniversary of the first NADJIWAN release 'Brother'. Keep an eye open for a cross-Canada summer tour!
'Only After', the new single, is a high-energy tune that is reminiscent of old-school 90's rock you would expect from bands like R.E.M.
NADJIWAN's 'Only After' will be available in Canada & the United States Tuesday September 23rd and world-wide in November.
The man behind the NADJIWAN project and the music is Marc Nadjiwan. Born in northern Manitoba and raised in the untamed beauty of Northwestern Ontario, Marc knew from an early age he would perform music.
In addition to five full-length albums and several singles, Marc has contributed music for theatre. Some productions include: New World Brave, Agokwe, Coyote City and Artifacts. Marc currently lives in Toronto, Ontario and although Marc has left the humble and untamed beauty of Northwestern Ontario, he will never forget his roots. The deepening red skies, flourishing forests and fresh running rivers will always remain in his heart, soul and music.
New Single:
Nadjiwan - Only After (September 23, 2014)
The first commercial release from NADJIWAN since November 2008 comes out Tuesday September 23rd.
• Check it out/buy it online
Heading North Music will be releasing a NEW single every couple of months from September 2014 to June 2015. June 2015 is the 20th anniversary of the first NADJIWAN release 'Brother'. Keep an eye open for a cross-Canada summer tour!'Only After', the new single, is a high-energy tune that is reminiscent of old-school 90's rock you would expect from bands like R.E.M.
NADJIWAN's 'Only After' will be available in Canada & the United States Tuesday September 23rd and world-wide in November.The man behind the NADJIWAN project and the music is Marc Nadjiwan. Born in northern Manitoba and raised in the untamed beauty of Northwestern Ontario, Marc knew from an early age he would perform music.
In addition to five full-length albums and several singles, Marc has contributed music for theatre. Some productions include: New World Brave, Agokwe, Coyote City and Artifacts. Marc currently lives in Toronto, Ontario and although Marc has left the humble and untamed beauty of Northwestern Ontario, he will never forget his roots. The deepening red skies, flourishing forests and fresh running rivers will always remain in his heart, soul and music.
September 19, 2014
CD Release: Piers Faccini & Vincent Segal - Songs of Time Lost (October 14, 2014 - Six Degrees Records)
From a media release:
PIERS FACCINI & VINCENT SEGAL ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
SONGS OF TIME LOST – US RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 14, 2014 ON SIX DEGREES RECORDS
• Buy the CD
Piers Faccini and Vincent Segal met in Paris in the late 1980s and have been friends ever since. Songs of Time Lost is their first joint album. Using voice, guitar and cello and a variety of languages (including English, Neapolitan dialect and Creole), the album brings together original compositions, traditional songs and some
covers. “It feels like a reunion,” says Vincent, “even though we never really lost touch over the years.”
At the time of their original meeting, Piers was a painter and student at the Paris Beaux-Arts and Vincent had just left the Conservatoire. Vincent was immediately taken by Piers’ vocals: “I wanted to find ways to support his voice, to envelop his words.” Piers later went on to launch his first solo album in 2004, Leave No Trace, which Vincent produced. His many subsequent solo releases have drawn rave reviews from critics around the world, including his most recent album, Between Dogs and Wolves, which was released in North America by Six Degrees Records in 2013. Meanwhile, Vincent started to develop his band Bumcello, as well as a myriad of other projects, including the popular album, Chamber Music, recorded with kora master Ballaké Sissoko.
Songs of Time Lost weaves together many musical strands, made up of both artists' diverse influences. There is the blues that Piers first heard from Mississippi John Hurt (“Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor”), a composition by Alain Peters from the island of La Réunion (“Mangé pou le coeur”), a country waltz by Townes Van Zandt (“Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria”) and an instrumental theme by the Berlin composer Friedrich Holländer (“Wenn ich mir, was wünschen dürfte”). There are also the melodies of the traditional Neapolitan repertoire, which are favorites of Piers, who is of Anglo-Italian lineage (“Jesce sole,” “Villanella di cenerentola,” “Dicitencello vuje,” “Cicerenella” and the contemporary “Cammina cammina” by Pino Daniele).
Both musicians also draw from their own repertoires for the album. This includes two songs dating back to 1996, which Piers originally wrote for a film soundtrack (“A Half of Me” and “The Closing of Our Eyes”). There are also two recent compositions by Vincent (“Cradle to the Grave” and “Everyday Away from You”), which Piers added lyrics to. The first has a New Orleans-style riff that would not feel out of place on an old Allen Toussaint record and the latter seems to conjure up the soft refrains of Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá. (L-R: Vincent Segal & Piers Faccini - photo by Payram)
In short, Songs of Time Lost is a fine balance between inspiration and influence. It is the meeting point of the music one inherits from the great masters and the music one writes oneself.
PIERS FACCINI & VINCENT SEGAL ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM
SONGS OF TIME LOST – US RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 14, 2014 ON SIX DEGREES RECORDS
• Buy the CD
Piers Faccini and Vincent Segal met in Paris in the late 1980s and have been friends ever since. Songs of Time Lost is their first joint album. Using voice, guitar and cello and a variety of languages (including English, Neapolitan dialect and Creole), the album brings together original compositions, traditional songs and some
covers. “It feels like a reunion,” says Vincent, “even though we never really lost touch over the years.”At the time of their original meeting, Piers was a painter and student at the Paris Beaux-Arts and Vincent had just left the Conservatoire. Vincent was immediately taken by Piers’ vocals: “I wanted to find ways to support his voice, to envelop his words.” Piers later went on to launch his first solo album in 2004, Leave No Trace, which Vincent produced. His many subsequent solo releases have drawn rave reviews from critics around the world, including his most recent album, Between Dogs and Wolves, which was released in North America by Six Degrees Records in 2013. Meanwhile, Vincent started to develop his band Bumcello, as well as a myriad of other projects, including the popular album, Chamber Music, recorded with kora master Ballaké Sissoko.
Songs of Time Lost weaves together many musical strands, made up of both artists' diverse influences. There is the blues that Piers first heard from Mississippi John Hurt (“Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor”), a composition by Alain Peters from the island of La Réunion (“Mangé pou le coeur”), a country waltz by Townes Van Zandt (“Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria”) and an instrumental theme by the Berlin composer Friedrich Holländer (“Wenn ich mir, was wünschen dürfte”). There are also the melodies of the traditional Neapolitan repertoire, which are favorites of Piers, who is of Anglo-Italian lineage (“Jesce sole,” “Villanella di cenerentola,” “Dicitencello vuje,” “Cicerenella” and the contemporary “Cammina cammina” by Pino Daniele).
Both musicians also draw from their own repertoires for the album. This includes two songs dating back to 1996, which Piers originally wrote for a film soundtrack (“A Half of Me” and “The Closing of Our Eyes”). There are also two recent compositions by Vincent (“Cradle to the Grave” and “Everyday Away from You”), which Piers added lyrics to. The first has a New Orleans-style riff that would not feel out of place on an old Allen Toussaint record and the latter seems to conjure up the soft refrains of Brazilian guitarist Luiz Bonfá. (L-R: Vincent Segal & Piers Faccini - photo by Payram)In short, Songs of Time Lost is a fine balance between inspiration and influence. It is the meeting point of the music one inherits from the great masters and the music one writes oneself.
On the Way to Broadway - N The Queen of Paris World Premiere in Toronto September 24, 2015 - Tix on Sale September 24, 2014
From a media release:
MONLOVE ANNOUNCES
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS
TICKETS FOR WORLD PREMIERE IN TORONTO
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Toronto Run at Elgin Theatre from September 24 through October 11, 2015
Exclusive Moët & Chandon VIP Experiences Available
• • Sample the Music
Toronto, September 16, 2014 – Canadian-based Monlove Enterprises today announced that tickets to the world premiere of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto will go on sale on September 24, 2014. The new musical, which will open exactly one year later, was inspired by the Champagne
atmosphere and rags-to-riches romance of Emile Zola’s classic novel Nana with its gaslight glimpses into the backstage world of Parisian theatres, "Joie de vivre" and courtesans’ salons.
“We are excited to bring audiences into the glamorous and chic world of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS,” said co-directors Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson. “We want those luxurious feelings to extend beyond the stage to every aspect of the viewer’s experience and hope that the audience will feel like they are royalty themselves.”
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS is a spectacular reimagining of Emile Zola’s beloved novel Nana and brings the romance and color of Paris’s 19th-Century theatre world to the 21st-century stage. Tickets will start at $59. In coordination with Moët & Chandon, the Official Champagne of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS, two special VIP experiences are also available.
The Möet & Chandon VIP package, available for $249 per ticket, offers a limited number of guests premium seating with access to the Möet VIP Lounge, two glasses of Möet champagne and light refreshments to enjoy during the show, as well as an exclusive surprise souvenir.
The Möet & Chandon 1880 Ultimate VIP package, available for $1,880 for two tickets, with extremely limited availability, features premium seating in a private section with access to the Möet VIP Lounge. Möet Ultimate VIP package holders will receive a bottle of Grand Vintage Möet champagne, which is unavailable for purchase in North America and has been reserved specifically for N THE QUEEN OF PARIS and imported from France. Möet Ultimate VIP guests will have the option to enjoy the champagne during the show, with private butler service and light refreshments, or have it packaged to take-away.
Canadians Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson, the creative force behind some of the most recent successful touring shows, are co-directing N THE QUEEN OF PARIS and have developed the show’s book, music and lyrics. They have created the Original Concept, Book, Music and Lyrics for 20th Century Fox's billion dollar franchise Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure, which broke attendance records and is touring worldwide; produced, composed music for and contributed to the scores for large-scale projects such as Cirque du Soleil's KÀ in Las Vegas, Zed in Tokyo Disney and the film Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away co-produced by James Cameron; and their music has appeared in multiple blockbuster films, including Avatar.
Joining them on the creative team are choreographer Jean-Jacques Pillet, who was artistic director for the Cirque du Soleil tour of Varekai and has worked on the Hollywood feature film Warm Bodies, as well as for the Paris Opéra Ballet, La Scala in Milan, Stuttgart Ballet, Munich Opéra Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Bayerische Staatsballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal; costume designer Edda Gudmunsdottir, whose clients include Bjork, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer, along with international brands Diane Von Furstenberg, Philosophy, L’Oréal and Converse; Michael Curry, whose spectacular visions have been integral to shows from The Lion King on Broadway to productions at La Scala and the Paris Opéra, will develop painting and designs for the production; and lighting designer Nick Whitehouse, whose credits range from work with West-End theatre to Grammy superstars including Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, Beyonce, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears and Jay Z.
Three initial concert workshops of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS, with approximately 20 Canadian performers, will be held in Montreal at the Gesù Theatre from Sunday, September 21 to Tuesday, September 23, 2014. The cast for the Montreal workshops will include Canadian singers and actors Elise Cormier, Lulu Hughes, baritone Gino Quilico and Yvan Pedneault.
Following its world premiere in Toronto N THE QUEEN OF PARIS will have its US premiere in Chicago at Broadway In Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre, a Nederlander Company, starting in November 2015 and will then open on Broadway in March 2016.
• For information about the making of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS, please visit www.nthemusical.com and follow N on Twitter: @NtheMusical, Facebook: N The Musical and YouTube: NtheMusical.
Solotech is the official technical partner of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS.
THE STORY OF N THE QUEEN OF PARIS:
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS is based on Emile Zola’s Nana, the ninth installment of the famous and controversial series Les Rougon-Macquart, which portrayed life in France during 1852 to 1870 when the boulevards, cafés and nightlife of modern Paris were just being born. Nana, the main character, is a young, single mother and an aspiring actress, working hard to provide for her child and striving to achieve a successful career. As Nana rises to stardom and becomes an icon known as “the Queen of Paris,” two men—one young bourgeois and the other a middle-aged, wealthy nobleman, fall in love with her. Although she attains more success and wealth than she could have ever dreamed, she does not feel fulfilled and struggles with her desire to love and be loved. Lighthearted but also poignant, N THE QUEEN OF PARIS is a timeless love story that joins the past and the present to bring Zola’s classic story into the 21st century, sharing Nana, who was already a very modern woman for her time, with today’s audiences.
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS
World Premiere
Performances begin September 24, 2015 at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street, Toronto
Ticket prices start at $59 and include two different VIP packages for $249/ticket or $1880 for two Ultimate VIP tickets, and can be purchased in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office, by calling 1.855.622.2787 (ARTS), online at www.ticketmaster.ca. Discounts are available for Groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 647-438-5559 or online at http://thegrouptixcompany.com/
Tickets for the concert workshops in Montreal are $33 ($29 for students) plus service fees, available online at www.legesu.com, by phone at the Gesu at (514) 861-4036 and at the box office (located at 1200 Rue de Bleury, Montréal), or by calling admission (Ticketmaster) at 1-855-790-1245.
About Monlove (Production Company)
Monlove is a Montréal-based entertainment company founded in 2005 by Ella Louise Allaire with Martin Lord Ferguson as partner. It began by providing music production and composition services for large-scale shows such as Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ in Las Vegas and Zed at Tokyo Disney. More recently, it has expanded its activities by creating a division in Europe, Fidelio Entertainment, which provides concepts and services for large-arena shows such as Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure. Monlove also produces shows and develops creative content. Monlove’s clients have included Cirque du Soleil, Stage Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, and APM Music Hollywood.
MONLOVE ANNOUNCES
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS
TICKETS FOR WORLD PREMIERE IN TORONTO
ON SALE SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Toronto Run at Elgin Theatre from September 24 through October 11, 2015
Exclusive Moët & Chandon VIP Experiences Available
• • Sample the Music
Toronto, September 16, 2014 – Canadian-based Monlove Enterprises today announced that tickets to the world premiere of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto will go on sale on September 24, 2014. The new musical, which will open exactly one year later, was inspired by the Champagne
atmosphere and rags-to-riches romance of Emile Zola’s classic novel Nana with its gaslight glimpses into the backstage world of Parisian theatres, "Joie de vivre" and courtesans’ salons. “We are excited to bring audiences into the glamorous and chic world of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS,” said co-directors Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson. “We want those luxurious feelings to extend beyond the stage to every aspect of the viewer’s experience and hope that the audience will feel like they are royalty themselves.”
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS is a spectacular reimagining of Emile Zola’s beloved novel Nana and brings the romance and color of Paris’s 19th-Century theatre world to the 21st-century stage. Tickets will start at $59. In coordination with Moët & Chandon, the Official Champagne of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS, two special VIP experiences are also available.
The Möet & Chandon VIP package, available for $249 per ticket, offers a limited number of guests premium seating with access to the Möet VIP Lounge, two glasses of Möet champagne and light refreshments to enjoy during the show, as well as an exclusive surprise souvenir.
The Möet & Chandon 1880 Ultimate VIP package, available for $1,880 for two tickets, with extremely limited availability, features premium seating in a private section with access to the Möet VIP Lounge. Möet Ultimate VIP package holders will receive a bottle of Grand Vintage Möet champagne, which is unavailable for purchase in North America and has been reserved specifically for N THE QUEEN OF PARIS and imported from France. Möet Ultimate VIP guests will have the option to enjoy the champagne during the show, with private butler service and light refreshments, or have it packaged to take-away. Canadians Ella Louise Allaire and Martin Lord Ferguson, the creative force behind some of the most recent successful touring shows, are co-directing N THE QUEEN OF PARIS and have developed the show’s book, music and lyrics. They have created the Original Concept, Book, Music and Lyrics for 20th Century Fox's billion dollar franchise Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure, which broke attendance records and is touring worldwide; produced, composed music for and contributed to the scores for large-scale projects such as Cirque du Soleil's KÀ in Las Vegas, Zed in Tokyo Disney and the film Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away co-produced by James Cameron; and their music has appeared in multiple blockbuster films, including Avatar.
Joining them on the creative team are choreographer Jean-Jacques Pillet, who was artistic director for the Cirque du Soleil tour of Varekai and has worked on the Hollywood feature film Warm Bodies, as well as for the Paris Opéra Ballet, La Scala in Milan, Stuttgart Ballet, Munich Opéra Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Bayerische Staatsballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal; costume designer Edda Gudmunsdottir, whose clients include Bjork, Christina Aguilera, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey and Diane Sawyer, along with international brands Diane Von Furstenberg, Philosophy, L’Oréal and Converse; Michael Curry, whose spectacular visions have been integral to shows from The Lion King on Broadway to productions at La Scala and the Paris Opéra, will develop painting and designs for the production; and lighting designer Nick Whitehouse, whose credits range from work with West-End theatre to Grammy superstars including Coldplay, Justin Timberlake, Kylie Minogue, Rihanna, Beyonce, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears and Jay Z.
Three initial concert workshops of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS, with approximately 20 Canadian performers, will be held in Montreal at the Gesù Theatre from Sunday, September 21 to Tuesday, September 23, 2014. The cast for the Montreal workshops will include Canadian singers and actors Elise Cormier, Lulu Hughes, baritone Gino Quilico and Yvan Pedneault.Following its world premiere in Toronto N THE QUEEN OF PARIS will have its US premiere in Chicago at Broadway In Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre, a Nederlander Company, starting in November 2015 and will then open on Broadway in March 2016.
• For information about the making of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS, please visit www.nthemusical.com and follow N on Twitter: @NtheMusical, Facebook: N The Musical and YouTube: NtheMusical.
Solotech is the official technical partner of N THE QUEEN OF PARIS.
THE STORY OF N THE QUEEN OF PARIS:N THE QUEEN OF PARIS is based on Emile Zola’s Nana, the ninth installment of the famous and controversial series Les Rougon-Macquart, which portrayed life in France during 1852 to 1870 when the boulevards, cafés and nightlife of modern Paris were just being born. Nana, the main character, is a young, single mother and an aspiring actress, working hard to provide for her child and striving to achieve a successful career. As Nana rises to stardom and becomes an icon known as “the Queen of Paris,” two men—one young bourgeois and the other a middle-aged, wealthy nobleman, fall in love with her. Although she attains more success and wealth than she could have ever dreamed, she does not feel fulfilled and struggles with her desire to love and be loved. Lighthearted but also poignant, N THE QUEEN OF PARIS is a timeless love story that joins the past and the present to bring Zola’s classic story into the 21st century, sharing Nana, who was already a very modern woman for her time, with today’s audiences.
N THE QUEEN OF PARIS
World Premiere
Performances begin September 24, 2015 at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street, Toronto
Ticket prices start at $59 and include two different VIP packages for $249/ticket or $1880 for two Ultimate VIP tickets, and can be purchased in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office, by calling 1.855.622.2787 (ARTS), online at www.ticketmaster.ca. Discounts are available for Groups of 10 or more and can be purchased by calling 647-438-5559 or online at http://thegrouptixcompany.com/
Tickets for the concert workshops in Montreal are $33 ($29 for students) plus service fees, available online at www.legesu.com, by phone at the Gesu at (514) 861-4036 and at the box office (located at 1200 Rue de Bleury, Montréal), or by calling admission (Ticketmaster) at 1-855-790-1245.
About Monlove (Production Company)Monlove is a Montréal-based entertainment company founded in 2005 by Ella Louise Allaire with Martin Lord Ferguson as partner. It began by providing music production and composition services for large-scale shows such as Cirque du Soleil’s KÀ in Las Vegas and Zed at Tokyo Disney. More recently, it has expanded its activities by creating a division in Europe, Fidelio Entertainment, which provides concepts and services for large-arena shows such as Ice Age Live! A Mammoth Adventure. Monlove also produces shows and develops creative content. Monlove’s clients have included Cirque du Soleil, Stage Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, and APM Music Hollywood.
Dance: MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) presents Daina Ashbee’s Unrelated - October 3 & 4 2014
From a media release:
MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) presents
Daina Ashbee’s
Unrelated
Choreographed by Daina Ashbee
Performed by Paige Culley and Areli Moran
Part of the MAI’s new Série Création bourgeonne
Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4, 2014
• Get Tickets
World Premiere!
With a disconcerting lucidity, Unrelated boils with feelings of emptiness, and erupts with violence suggesting the loss of culture, identity and community.
Over 1,200 Aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered in Canada over the past 30 years
MONTREAL, September 2014 – Unrelated is a personal creation that expresses the struggle of Aboriginal women through a reconstruction of their identities. Choreographer Daina Ashbee communicates the cruelty and vulnerability these women are confronted with, while exploring cultural devastation, violence and self-destruction. Presented at the MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) on October 3 and 4.
One of today’s burning issues is the disappearance of Aboriginal women in Canada. According to new police figures, over 1,200 native women and girls have disappeared or been murdered in Canada over the last three decades. The level of violence is striking. While they are only 4 per cent of the population, native women and girls represent 16 per cent of female murder victims and 12 per cent of the country’s missing women and girls. The recent ‘Am I Next’ online campaign was started by Holly Jarrett, a cousin of Loretta Saunders. Jarrett says she hopes those three chilling words will frighten the nation into action: www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/indigenous....
Unrelated is a dark, intense and disturbing work about this heinous reality. With a disconcerting lucidity, the piece unveils the feeling of emptiness; the loss of Aboriginal language and rituals. Ashbee’s dance draws on both the contemporary and traditional- her creations are deliberately vulnerable and often sensual. A study of the subconscious in its corporeality, the choreographer deconstructs and transforms the frames of reference that conditioned her own self-image, incorporating repetition, resistance and falling.
For Ashbee, the art of dance brings her closer to her own body and to the awareness of her own thoughts and processes, “Articulating this awareness through choreography helps to uncover my connection to the environment, the earth and to my ancestors.” She continues, “In a society full of traps to confuse, numb and desensitize, my work uses and acknowledges the density and complexity of the human structure by exploring its innards, its thought processes, its energy and its capacity for life. Blood, water, organs, bones, energy and thought all figure in the creation. I project shapes from within.” Ashbee’s choreography is an investigation of the body in order to address the subconscious. She explains, “My work is a deepening of my own consciousness. My hope is to destroy frameworks that have warped my body and self-image as a way to repair and prepare for a new beginning.”
Choreographer/dancer Daina Ashbee began working on Unrelated in 2012; a compilation of movement and choreography manifested through the research of First Nations women’s issues in Canada. This research leads Ashbee to create a movement score which delves into the bodies of the performers and addresses sexuality and self-identity. Here, struggle and disconnection are common themes that can be seen physically in the performers’ bodies. Unrelated is stunningly interpreted by dancers Areli Moran and Paige Culley. Lighting design is by Timothy Rodrigues, dramaturgy by Su Feh Lee and Lara Kramer.
Unrelated will tour to four Mexican cities in 2015 after its world premiere at the MAI.
To learn more about Daina Ashbee and her projects: www.dainaashbee.com
New this season at the MAI is the Série Création bourgeonne. This latest component of their program presents works from emerging Montreal artists. These interdisciplinary creations offer extraordinary art within the reach of every budget.
Unrelated (2 shows only) October 3 and 4 at 8pm
Daina Ashbee at the MAI
3680 rue Jeanne-Mance
A discussion with dance critic Philip Szporer will follow Friday night’s performance.
Tickets: $18 regular, $15 group (10 or more)
October 3 special: two tickets for $25, available only up to 24 hours prior to the show
Reservations: (514) 982-3386 or online- http://m-a-i.qc.ca/en/index.php?id=418 (+ service charge) www.facebook.com/events/1504375353144692/
UNRELATED (Teaser) from Daina Ashbee on Vimeo.
MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) presents
Daina Ashbee’s
Unrelated
Choreographed by Daina Ashbee
Performed by Paige Culley and Areli Moran
Part of the MAI’s new Série Création bourgeonne
Friday, October 3 and Saturday, October 4, 2014
• Get Tickets
World Premiere!
With a disconcerting lucidity, Unrelated boils with feelings of emptiness, and erupts with violence suggesting the loss of culture, identity and community.
Over 1,200 Aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered in Canada over the past 30 years
MONTREAL, September 2014 – Unrelated is a personal creation that expresses the struggle of Aboriginal women through a reconstruction of their identities. Choreographer Daina Ashbee communicates the cruelty and vulnerability these women are confronted with, while exploring cultural devastation, violence and self-destruction. Presented at the MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) on October 3 and 4.One of today’s burning issues is the disappearance of Aboriginal women in Canada. According to new police figures, over 1,200 native women and girls have disappeared or been murdered in Canada over the last three decades. The level of violence is striking. While they are only 4 per cent of the population, native women and girls represent 16 per cent of female murder victims and 12 per cent of the country’s missing women and girls. The recent ‘Am I Next’ online campaign was started by Holly Jarrett, a cousin of Loretta Saunders. Jarrett says she hopes those three chilling words will frighten the nation into action: www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/indigenous....
Unrelated is a dark, intense and disturbing work about this heinous reality. With a disconcerting lucidity, the piece unveils the feeling of emptiness; the loss of Aboriginal language and rituals. Ashbee’s dance draws on both the contemporary and traditional- her creations are deliberately vulnerable and often sensual. A study of the subconscious in its corporeality, the choreographer deconstructs and transforms the frames of reference that conditioned her own self-image, incorporating repetition, resistance and falling.For Ashbee, the art of dance brings her closer to her own body and to the awareness of her own thoughts and processes, “Articulating this awareness through choreography helps to uncover my connection to the environment, the earth and to my ancestors.” She continues, “In a society full of traps to confuse, numb and desensitize, my work uses and acknowledges the density and complexity of the human structure by exploring its innards, its thought processes, its energy and its capacity for life. Blood, water, organs, bones, energy and thought all figure in the creation. I project shapes from within.” Ashbee’s choreography is an investigation of the body in order to address the subconscious. She explains, “My work is a deepening of my own consciousness. My hope is to destroy frameworks that have warped my body and self-image as a way to repair and prepare for a new beginning.”
Choreographer/dancer Daina Ashbee began working on Unrelated in 2012; a compilation of movement and choreography manifested through the research of First Nations women’s issues in Canada. This research leads Ashbee to create a movement score which delves into the bodies of the performers and addresses sexuality and self-identity. Here, struggle and disconnection are common themes that can be seen physically in the performers’ bodies. Unrelated is stunningly interpreted by dancers Areli Moran and Paige Culley. Lighting design is by Timothy Rodrigues, dramaturgy by Su Feh Lee and Lara Kramer.Unrelated will tour to four Mexican cities in 2015 after its world premiere at the MAI.
To learn more about Daina Ashbee and her projects: www.dainaashbee.com
New this season at the MAI is the Série Création bourgeonne. This latest component of their program presents works from emerging Montreal artists. These interdisciplinary creations offer extraordinary art within the reach of every budget.
Unrelated (2 shows only) October 3 and 4 at 8pm
Daina Ashbee at the MAI
3680 rue Jeanne-Mance
A discussion with dance critic Philip Szporer will follow Friday night’s performance.
Tickets: $18 regular, $15 group (10 or more)
October 3 special: two tickets for $25, available only up to 24 hours prior to the show
Reservations: (514) 982-3386 or online- http://m-a-i.qc.ca/en/index.php?id=418 (+ service charge) www.facebook.com/events/1504375353144692/
UNRELATED (Teaser) from Daina Ashbee on Vimeo.
September 16, 2014
Art Toronto International Art Fair to Present Major Works by BGL, Marman & Borins, Amalie Atkins, VSVSVS (Oct 24 to 27 2014)
From a media release:
ART TORONTO TO PRESENT MAJOR WORKS BY BGL, MARMAN & BORINS, AMALIE ATKINS, VSVSVS
October 24 to 27, 2014
• For more information and tickets please visit: ArtToronto.ca
Toronto, ON (September 16, 2014) - Art Toronto is celebrating its 15th anniversary this October 24 – 27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, with a refreshed fair design featuring more than 100 select
galleries, and an ambitious curatorial series that includes large-scale installations by prominent Canadian artists including BGL, Marman & Borins, Amalie Atkins, VSVSVS, and Thrush Holmes. This will be the first time several of these pieces will be shown in Toronto, and in Canada, thanks to the combined efforts of Art Toronto, artists, galleries, and sponsors.
BGL, Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy
Art Toronto is proud to announce the inclusion of a major work by the Québec-based collective BGL, titled Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy, an urban carousel made from steel security fences suspended from a lamp post at this year’s fair. Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy explores the concepts of control and freedom, and invites viewers to break down barriers as they climb on and enjoy the ride. Usually a tool for crowd control, in the hands of the artists the security barrier becomes a symbol of transcendence and creativity. Speaking about the piece, the artists said, “We will transform this object that was intended to reduce delinquency into something that inspires delirium.”
The piece continues BGL’s ongoing investigation of crowd barriers and their relationship with collective values and cultural patterns. With its appearance at Art Toronto, Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy is making a return visit to this city. First conceived for the huge survey exhibition Oh, Canada, held at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts in 2012-2013, the work was assembled at York University, where BGL was the sculptor-in-residence. A team of ten fine arts students helped to finish it.
Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy is sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, and presented by Art Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. BGL is represented by Diaz Contemporary, Toronto (Booth #720), and Parisian Laundry, Montreal (Booth #902).
Jasmin Bilodeau, Sébastien Giguère and Nicolas Laverdière, whose names lend their initials to BGL, have been collaborating for almost twenty years to create ambitious and often humorous works of art. Their elaborate sculptures, installations, and performance works offer an original take on social and political issues, including consumer culture, contemporary values, the art establishment and the environment. Reacting to the increasingly digital age, BGL takes a distinctly DIY approach, tinkering, playing and enjoying the “poetry of materials.”
BGL has participated in numerous solo exhibitions in Canada and around the world. They will be representing Canada at the prestigious 56th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2015 in a presentation organized by the National Gallery of Canada. Marie Fraser, of the Université du Québec à Montréal, is the guest curator. The Venice Biennale is among the most important contemporary art events in the world, and the only international visual arts exhibition to which Canada sends official representation. The Presenting Sponsor of the Canada Pavilion in 2015 is RBC Wealth Management, with major support provided by Aimia.
BGL’s works are included in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and in many private and corporate collections including RBC, Aimia, and The Granite Club.
Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins' Pavilion of the Blind (2013)
Pavilion of the Blind (2013) is a large-scale kinetic installation, featuring a colourful array of window blinds, panels and shades. Pavilion of the Blind arranges and rearranges itself into a series of constantly hanging abstract compositions. Movement is triggered by a motion detector and controlled by a microcomputer housed within the structure. The title of this work is both a visual pun and a reference to H.G. Wells' 1939 text The Country of the Blind, a parable that reflects upon the nature of vision, and how we communicate our visual experience with others. The Pavilion functions as a window into the mind of the artist, running through a seemingly endless series of pictorial themes and variations. The piece is at times opaque and contained, yet the transitions in the position of the components allow for transparency. Pavilion of the Blind plays with the concepts of opacity and transparency, raising questions about changeable reality, barriers to perception, the filtering of information and the mediated experience. Pavilion of the Blind allows for a thoughtful and somewhat paradoxical commentary on artistic practice and the nature of abstraction. This is first time Pavilion of the Blind will be exhibited in Toronto.
Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins (Marman & Borins) have been creating large-format sculpture, installation, mixed media, and electronic art since 2000. They have exhibited nationally and internationally, including exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York and most recently, the Nicaragua Biennial. Currently, they are producing several large-scale public art projects, including commissions for the Toronto Transit Commission and Waterfront Toronto's Pan Am Village. Marman + Borins are represented by Cristin Tierney, New York.
Amalie Atkins, Three Minute Miracle
Three Minute Miracle (2008) is a significant installation work previously featured in the Oh, Canada exhibition of contemporary Canadian art at Mass MoCA. The piece is comprised of a 10-foot diameter tent within which a 13-minute looped video is projected. Wrapped with thick felt, the darkened tent allows viewers to escape into the story, momentarily pulling the viewer away from the cacophony of the fair. Telling a story of cakes, wolves and rotten teeth with a simple soundtrack of piano accompaniment enhanced by two short vocal choruses, the video has a humorously dreamy yet ominous feel. The tent is handmade by Atkins from cream-coloured felt, ringed at its ceiling by red pendant flags. Visitors will be invited to don felt boots or simply stride into the tent as they enter to view the film.
Amalie Atkins is a Saskatoon-based artist working in film, installation, photography, and fibers. Atkins’ work ranges from filmmaking, to fabric-based sculpture, to performance. Atkins currently lives and works in Canada. Amalie Atkins is represented by dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton (Booth #1212).
VSVSVS, Nap Station
Nap Station is an on-site lounge created specifically for Art Toronto by Toronto artist collective VSVSVS (Booth # 917). The space is both a functional rest area for guests, and a cheeky response to the physical and social environment of the art fair.
“We know what it’s like out there under the bright lights, shoes pattering against the carpeted floor, people everywhere and a million paintings. Come to VSVSVS’ nap station to enjoy a much-needed respite from the stress of art. Lay your weary head to rest and let the buzzing of the crowds become a gentle, soothing white noise. We can’t turn day to night but we will have curtains. Schedule an appointment; drop-ins welcome.”
VSVSVS (pronounced “versus versus versus”) is a seven-person collective and artist-run centre based in the Toronto Portlands. Formed in 2010, the group’s activities encompass collective art making, residency programs, a formal exhibition space, and individual studio practices. Collective members include Stephen McLeod, Laura Simon, James Gardner, Miles Stemp, Wallis Cheung, Ryan Clayton and Anthony Cooper. VSVSVS’s collective work focuses on the collaborative production of multiples, drawings, video works, sculpture, installations, and performance. An open framework allows each member to play to different interests, while contributing to a common goal. Working with seven heads is an experiment in being together too much and making things constantly.
VSVSVS recently participated in Mercer Union’s Taking [A] Part and Platforms Projects at Art Athina in Greece, and Yan Wu’s This Area is Under 23 Hour Video and Audio Surveillance, currently on view at Jackman Humanities Institute, University of Toronto. Upcoming projects include an exhibition with Niagara Artists Centre and a residency at Centre Bang in Chicoutimi, Quebec. VSVSVS would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
Two VSVSVS members, James Gardner and Wallis Cheung, are 2014 RBC Painting Competition finalists. Paintings by Gardner and Cheung will be on display at Art Toronto alongside fellow finalists in the RBC Wealth Management VIP Lounge.
Event Information:
Opening Night Preview – A benefit for the Art Gallery of Ontario
Thursday, October 23
Special Collectors’ Preview 4:30pm to 6:30pm
Opening Night Preview 6:30pm to 10:00pm
Public Hours
Friday October 24 to Monday October 27, Friday & Saturday – Noon to 8:00pm Sunday & Monday – Noon to 6:00pm
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
North Building, Exhibit Hall A & B
255 Front Street West
For more information and tickets please visit: ArtToronto.ca Facebook.com/ArtToronto Twitter.com/ArtToronto #ArtToronto14
ART TORONTO TO PRESENT MAJOR WORKS BY BGL, MARMAN & BORINS, AMALIE ATKINS, VSVSVS
October 24 to 27, 2014
• For more information and tickets please visit: ArtToronto.ca
Toronto, ON (September 16, 2014) - Art Toronto is celebrating its 15th anniversary this October 24 – 27 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, with a refreshed fair design featuring more than 100 select
galleries, and an ambitious curatorial series that includes large-scale installations by prominent Canadian artists including BGL, Marman & Borins, Amalie Atkins, VSVSVS, and Thrush Holmes. This will be the first time several of these pieces will be shown in Toronto, and in Canada, thanks to the combined efforts of Art Toronto, artists, galleries, and sponsors. BGL, Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy
Art Toronto is proud to announce the inclusion of a major work by the Québec-based collective BGL, titled Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy, an urban carousel made from steel security fences suspended from a lamp post at this year’s fair. Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy explores the concepts of control and freedom, and invites viewers to break down barriers as they climb on and enjoy the ride. Usually a tool for crowd control, in the hands of the artists the security barrier becomes a symbol of transcendence and creativity. Speaking about the piece, the artists said, “We will transform this object that was intended to reduce delinquency into something that inspires delirium.”
The piece continues BGL’s ongoing investigation of crowd barriers and their relationship with collective values and cultural patterns. With its appearance at Art Toronto, Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy is making a return visit to this city. First conceived for the huge survey exhibition Oh, Canada, held at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts in 2012-2013, the work was assembled at York University, where BGL was the sculptor-in-residence. A team of ten fine arts students helped to finish it.Canada de Fantaisie/Canada Fancy is sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, and presented by Art Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. BGL is represented by Diaz Contemporary, Toronto (Booth #720), and Parisian Laundry, Montreal (Booth #902).
Jasmin Bilodeau, Sébastien Giguère and Nicolas Laverdière, whose names lend their initials to BGL, have been collaborating for almost twenty years to create ambitious and often humorous works of art. Their elaborate sculptures, installations, and performance works offer an original take on social and political issues, including consumer culture, contemporary values, the art establishment and the environment. Reacting to the increasingly digital age, BGL takes a distinctly DIY approach, tinkering, playing and enjoying the “poetry of materials.”
BGL has participated in numerous solo exhibitions in Canada and around the world. They will be representing Canada at the prestigious 56th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia in 2015 in a presentation organized by the National Gallery of Canada. Marie Fraser, of the Université du Québec à Montréal, is the guest curator. The Venice Biennale is among the most important contemporary art events in the world, and the only international visual arts exhibition to which Canada sends official representation. The Presenting Sponsor of the Canada Pavilion in 2015 is RBC Wealth Management, with major support provided by Aimia.
BGL’s works are included in the collections of the National Gallery of Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, and in many private and corporate collections including RBC, Aimia, and The Granite Club.
Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins' Pavilion of the Blind (2013)Pavilion of the Blind (2013) is a large-scale kinetic installation, featuring a colourful array of window blinds, panels and shades. Pavilion of the Blind arranges and rearranges itself into a series of constantly hanging abstract compositions. Movement is triggered by a motion detector and controlled by a microcomputer housed within the structure. The title of this work is both a visual pun and a reference to H.G. Wells' 1939 text The Country of the Blind, a parable that reflects upon the nature of vision, and how we communicate our visual experience with others. The Pavilion functions as a window into the mind of the artist, running through a seemingly endless series of pictorial themes and variations. The piece is at times opaque and contained, yet the transitions in the position of the components allow for transparency. Pavilion of the Blind plays with the concepts of opacity and transparency, raising questions about changeable reality, barriers to perception, the filtering of information and the mediated experience. Pavilion of the Blind allows for a thoughtful and somewhat paradoxical commentary on artistic practice and the nature of abstraction. This is first time Pavilion of the Blind will be exhibited in Toronto.
Jennifer Marman and Daniel Borins (Marman & Borins) have been creating large-format sculpture, installation, mixed media, and electronic art since 2000. They have exhibited nationally and internationally, including exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Cristin Tierney Gallery, New York and most recently, the Nicaragua Biennial. Currently, they are producing several large-scale public art projects, including commissions for the Toronto Transit Commission and Waterfront Toronto's Pan Am Village. Marman + Borins are represented by Cristin Tierney, New York.
Amalie Atkins, Three Minute MiracleThree Minute Miracle (2008) is a significant installation work previously featured in the Oh, Canada exhibition of contemporary Canadian art at Mass MoCA. The piece is comprised of a 10-foot diameter tent within which a 13-minute looped video is projected. Wrapped with thick felt, the darkened tent allows viewers to escape into the story, momentarily pulling the viewer away from the cacophony of the fair. Telling a story of cakes, wolves and rotten teeth with a simple soundtrack of piano accompaniment enhanced by two short vocal choruses, the video has a humorously dreamy yet ominous feel. The tent is handmade by Atkins from cream-coloured felt, ringed at its ceiling by red pendant flags. Visitors will be invited to don felt boots or simply stride into the tent as they enter to view the film.
Amalie Atkins is a Saskatoon-based artist working in film, installation, photography, and fibers. Atkins’ work ranges from filmmaking, to fabric-based sculpture, to performance. Atkins currently lives and works in Canada. Amalie Atkins is represented by dc3 Art Projects, Edmonton (Booth #1212).
VSVSVS, Nap Station
Nap Station is an on-site lounge created specifically for Art Toronto by Toronto artist collective VSVSVS (Booth # 917). The space is both a functional rest area for guests, and a cheeky response to the physical and social environment of the art fair.
“We know what it’s like out there under the bright lights, shoes pattering against the carpeted floor, people everywhere and a million paintings. Come to VSVSVS’ nap station to enjoy a much-needed respite from the stress of art. Lay your weary head to rest and let the buzzing of the crowds become a gentle, soothing white noise. We can’t turn day to night but we will have curtains. Schedule an appointment; drop-ins welcome.”
VSVSVS (pronounced “versus versus versus”) is a seven-person collective and artist-run centre based in the Toronto Portlands. Formed in 2010, the group’s activities encompass collective art making, residency programs, a formal exhibition space, and individual studio practices. Collective members include Stephen McLeod, Laura Simon, James Gardner, Miles Stemp, Wallis Cheung, Ryan Clayton and Anthony Cooper. VSVSVS’s collective work focuses on the collaborative production of multiples, drawings, video works, sculpture, installations, and performance. An open framework allows each member to play to different interests, while contributing to a common goal. Working with seven heads is an experiment in being together too much and making things constantly.
VSVSVS recently participated in Mercer Union’s Taking [A] Part and Platforms Projects at Art Athina in Greece, and Yan Wu’s This Area is Under 23 Hour Video and Audio Surveillance, currently on view at Jackman Humanities Institute, University of Toronto. Upcoming projects include an exhibition with Niagara Artists Centre and a residency at Centre Bang in Chicoutimi, Quebec. VSVSVS would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.
Two VSVSVS members, James Gardner and Wallis Cheung, are 2014 RBC Painting Competition finalists. Paintings by Gardner and Cheung will be on display at Art Toronto alongside fellow finalists in the RBC Wealth Management VIP Lounge.
Event Information:
Opening Night Preview – A benefit for the Art Gallery of OntarioThursday, October 23
Special Collectors’ Preview 4:30pm to 6:30pm
Opening Night Preview 6:30pm to 10:00pm
Public Hours
Friday October 24 to Monday October 27, Friday & Saturday – Noon to 8:00pm Sunday & Monday – Noon to 6:00pm
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
North Building, Exhibit Hall A & B
255 Front Street West
For more information and tickets please visit: ArtToronto.ca Facebook.com/ArtToronto Twitter.com/ArtToronto #ArtToronto14
Chile’s Rebellious Roots Innovator Nano Stern in Debut North American Tour November 2014
From a media release:
Respectful Irreverence: Chile’s Rebellious Roots Innovator Nano Stern Speaks Volumes Live
Acclaimed young songwriter and multi-instrumentalist on first North American solo tour November 2014
11/01, Raleigh, NC, Titmus Theatre, NCSU, 5PM & 8PM
11/08, Austin, TX, Cactus Café / KUTX , 8:30 PM
11/09, Albuquerque, NM, Bank of America Theatre
11/13, Williamsburg, VA, Regional Library
11/14, Norfolk, VA, Robin Hixon Theatre
11/16, New York, NY, City Winery, 12:00 PM
11/19, Toronto, ON, Harbourfront Centre
11/22, Wilmington, NC, Thalian Hall, 7:30 PM
Some performers connect with audiences. Chilean singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and musical activist Nano Stern has a history of getting audiences to leap to their feet and dance. Of making them laugh or cry, with nothing but a guitar and his voice. All while singing in a different language.
“I’m generally working to create a language of my own,” Stern notes. “The vast majority of words I’m trying to find already exist and have been spoken by many before in amazing ways. To separate the cream from the milk, you need calm. You need to listen to what’s inside of you.”
When Stern was fifteen, he joined his first major band, Matorral. The clean-cut kid would show up in his trim school uniform, guitar in hand, and stroll into a battered practice space to jam with some of Chile’s quirkiest rock icons. The band became a cult favorite.
His bandmates had a decade or more on him, but they had plenty to teach. They had all cut their teeth in the underground scene, where Chilean musicians had struggled to come to terms with their country’s politically complex history, the fascinating musical roots of their culture, and the addicting drive of rock and punk.
The sound Stern has discovered inside has become a touchstone for an entire Chilean generation. The grandson of Jewish refugees fleeing tragedy, Stern has found this language by incorporating rock attitude, the midcentury folk reverberations of his homeland (like Violet Parra and Victor Jara), and classical and jazz
technique to explore the complexities of the personal and political, and to find new ways to play with Chile’s long-repressed roots music.
It’s a mix that captures the age-old mix of indigenous, African, and European elements that defines Latin music, and it’s a reflection of the fresh and passionate young voices emerging on the South American scene. It’s a balance of respect and irreverence, of emotion and activism.
“I am extremely respectful of the tradition,” explains Stern, who has traveled extensively at home in search of elder musicians. “I try to learn from or study with the people who know this music. It’s an enormous gift we received from the people of the past, from the tradition itself. Yet I’m disrespectful. I think it should be open to all kinds promiscuity, to every sound getting together with everything else. That’s when things get truly beautiful.”
American audiences will get a chance to experience this beauty firsthand, as Stern performs live this autumn in a series of intimate shows. Here's a taste of his live act -
Respectful Irreverence: Chile’s Rebellious Roots Innovator Nano Stern Speaks Volumes Live
Acclaimed young songwriter and multi-instrumentalist on first North American solo tour November 2014
11/01, Raleigh, NC, Titmus Theatre, NCSU, 5PM & 8PM
11/08, Austin, TX, Cactus Café / KUTX , 8:30 PM
11/09, Albuquerque, NM, Bank of America Theatre
11/13, Williamsburg, VA, Regional Library
11/14, Norfolk, VA, Robin Hixon Theatre
11/16, New York, NY, City Winery, 12:00 PM
11/19, Toronto, ON, Harbourfront Centre
11/22, Wilmington, NC, Thalian Hall, 7:30 PM
Some performers connect with audiences. Chilean singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and musical activist Nano Stern has a history of getting audiences to leap to their feet and dance. Of making them laugh or cry, with nothing but a guitar and his voice. All while singing in a different language.“I’m generally working to create a language of my own,” Stern notes. “The vast majority of words I’m trying to find already exist and have been spoken by many before in amazing ways. To separate the cream from the milk, you need calm. You need to listen to what’s inside of you.”
When Stern was fifteen, he joined his first major band, Matorral. The clean-cut kid would show up in his trim school uniform, guitar in hand, and stroll into a battered practice space to jam with some of Chile’s quirkiest rock icons. The band became a cult favorite.
His bandmates had a decade or more on him, but they had plenty to teach. They had all cut their teeth in the underground scene, where Chilean musicians had struggled to come to terms with their country’s politically complex history, the fascinating musical roots of their culture, and the addicting drive of rock and punk.
The sound Stern has discovered inside has become a touchstone for an entire Chilean generation. The grandson of Jewish refugees fleeing tragedy, Stern has found this language by incorporating rock attitude, the midcentury folk reverberations of his homeland (like Violet Parra and Victor Jara), and classical and jazz
technique to explore the complexities of the personal and political, and to find new ways to play with Chile’s long-repressed roots music.It’s a mix that captures the age-old mix of indigenous, African, and European elements that defines Latin music, and it’s a reflection of the fresh and passionate young voices emerging on the South American scene. It’s a balance of respect and irreverence, of emotion and activism.
“I am extremely respectful of the tradition,” explains Stern, who has traveled extensively at home in search of elder musicians. “I try to learn from or study with the people who know this music. It’s an enormous gift we received from the people of the past, from the tradition itself. Yet I’m disrespectful. I think it should be open to all kinds promiscuity, to every sound getting together with everything else. That’s when things get truly beautiful.”
American audiences will get a chance to experience this beauty firsthand, as Stern performs live this autumn in a series of intimate shows. Here's a taste of his live act -
Arthouse Jazz: Outhead to Release 'Send This Sound to the King' (October 14, 2014 - Chahatatadra Music)
From a media release:
To be released October 14, 2014, via Chahatatadra Music:
Outhead - an Arthouse Quartet Blending the Free-Minded Jazz of Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp and Roland Kirk with the Post-Beat Sounds of the Lounge Lizards and Morphine - Presents Its Second Album: Send This Sound to the King
• Pre-order from Amazon.com
Featuring saxophonists Alex Weiss and Charlie Gurke, bassist Rob Woodcock, drummer Dillon Westbrook and special guests on guitar and vocals
Outhead - the quartet of alto/tenor saxophonist Alex Weiss and baritone saxophonist Charlie Gurke with double-bassist Rob Woodcock and drummer Dillon Westbrook - pursues a low-slung, roughhewn aesthetic that's equal parts free-jazz and art-punk, brimming over with vim and vigor. Outhead's second album - Send
This Sound to the King, to be released October 14, 2014 via Chahatatadra Music - juxtaposes catchy melody and swinging grooves, headlong caterwaul and dreamy spoken word. Guest guitarist Peter Galub provides spiky six-string atmosphere to several tracks, and multiple voices are heard, male and female.Send This Sound to the King is the sound of both edge and allure.
Outhead's new album is the follow-up to the band's 2008 release, Quiet Sounds for Comfortable People, which was a favorite of Downtown Music Gallery's Bruce Gallanter for its "inventive dynamics" and "fabulous groove." He heard a kinship with Ornette Coleman's two-sax band with Dewey Redman, while Weiss lists Archie Shepp and Roland Kirk as further references, for both their stentorian roar and the theatricality of their '60s work. The sly humor and sheer accessibility of Send This Sound to the King makes Outhead akin to John Lurie's iconic downtown New York band the Lounge Lizards, while rock fans may even hear echoes of the baritone-driven, post-Beat stylings of vintage indie-rock trio Morphine at times. Yet for all its hip influences and antecedents, Outhead is above all an individualist outfit, playing music that isn't quite like anything else out there.
• Send This Sound to the King: Track by Track
Outhead's second album kicks off beautifully with the majestic, melody-rich"Ode to John Denver, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Death," a woozy rubato spiritual by Weiss in a classic Albert Ayler mode, with a droning foundation of harmonium and arco bass for an East-meets-West feel. Next comes "The
Chairman," a laconically catchy tune by Gurke that's blessed by Woodcock's grooving, textured bass playing and guest electric guitar by Peter Galub, who lends a rock'n'roll feel to the track - particularly with his fantastically wild, wailing solo near the end. Weiss' "The Palimpsest" makes a nod to John Zorn's Masada songbook; the composer's alto leads with the faintly Middle Eastern melody and a cry in his tone, though Gurke's baritone soon entwines serpentine around it for their characteristic sax blend.
"Glass Houses and Gift Horses" is a headlong rocker by Weiss, with a deceptively sophisticated form. The composer plays tenor, while Gurke's solo takes advantage of multiphonic effects and the overtones possible on the baritone. Westbrook, who has a Masters in Fine Arts degree in poetry, wrote the music and verses for the artfully produced soundscape "A Made Truth," with the sexual subtext of the words made plain in the initial sly recitation by Sarah Horashek and then undercut oddly and humorously by Eunjin Park's less-native way with the same lyrics."Trotsky" is a groovy free-bop number by Charlie in the early Ornette Coleman manner, the harmolodic icon being a prime influence on every member of the band. The album's offbeat closer,"Uncle Ho," features music by Charlie and words by Alex, with a chorus of women's voices taking a key role. Roland Kirk'sVolunteered Slavery is a key influence here, though with more demented humor in the words than political fire. The sound of Alex and Charlie's twinned saxophones is a textural highlight, as on the entire album.
To be released October 14, 2014, via Chahatatadra Music:
Outhead - an Arthouse Quartet Blending the Free-Minded Jazz of Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp and Roland Kirk with the Post-Beat Sounds of the Lounge Lizards and Morphine - Presents Its Second Album: Send This Sound to the King
• Pre-order from Amazon.com
Featuring saxophonists Alex Weiss and Charlie Gurke, bassist Rob Woodcock, drummer Dillon Westbrook and special guests on guitar and vocals
Outhead - the quartet of alto/tenor saxophonist Alex Weiss and baritone saxophonist Charlie Gurke with double-bassist Rob Woodcock and drummer Dillon Westbrook - pursues a low-slung, roughhewn aesthetic that's equal parts free-jazz and art-punk, brimming over with vim and vigor. Outhead's second album - Send
This Sound to the King, to be released October 14, 2014 via Chahatatadra Music - juxtaposes catchy melody and swinging grooves, headlong caterwaul and dreamy spoken word. Guest guitarist Peter Galub provides spiky six-string atmosphere to several tracks, and multiple voices are heard, male and female.Send This Sound to the King is the sound of both edge and allure.Outhead's new album is the follow-up to the band's 2008 release, Quiet Sounds for Comfortable People, which was a favorite of Downtown Music Gallery's Bruce Gallanter for its "inventive dynamics" and "fabulous groove." He heard a kinship with Ornette Coleman's two-sax band with Dewey Redman, while Weiss lists Archie Shepp and Roland Kirk as further references, for both their stentorian roar and the theatricality of their '60s work. The sly humor and sheer accessibility of Send This Sound to the King makes Outhead akin to John Lurie's iconic downtown New York band the Lounge Lizards, while rock fans may even hear echoes of the baritone-driven, post-Beat stylings of vintage indie-rock trio Morphine at times. Yet for all its hip influences and antecedents, Outhead is above all an individualist outfit, playing music that isn't quite like anything else out there.
• Send This Sound to the King: Track by Track
Outhead's second album kicks off beautifully with the majestic, melody-rich"Ode to John Denver, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying About Death," a woozy rubato spiritual by Weiss in a classic Albert Ayler mode, with a droning foundation of harmonium and arco bass for an East-meets-West feel. Next comes "The
Chairman," a laconically catchy tune by Gurke that's blessed by Woodcock's grooving, textured bass playing and guest electric guitar by Peter Galub, who lends a rock'n'roll feel to the track - particularly with his fantastically wild, wailing solo near the end. Weiss' "The Palimpsest" makes a nod to John Zorn's Masada songbook; the composer's alto leads with the faintly Middle Eastern melody and a cry in his tone, though Gurke's baritone soon entwines serpentine around it for their characteristic sax blend."Glass Houses and Gift Horses" is a headlong rocker by Weiss, with a deceptively sophisticated form. The composer plays tenor, while Gurke's solo takes advantage of multiphonic effects and the overtones possible on the baritone. Westbrook, who has a Masters in Fine Arts degree in poetry, wrote the music and verses for the artfully produced soundscape "A Made Truth," with the sexual subtext of the words made plain in the initial sly recitation by Sarah Horashek and then undercut oddly and humorously by Eunjin Park's less-native way with the same lyrics."Trotsky" is a groovy free-bop number by Charlie in the early Ornette Coleman manner, the harmolodic icon being a prime influence on every member of the band. The album's offbeat closer,"Uncle Ho," features music by Charlie and words by Alex, with a chorus of women's voices taking a key role. Roland Kirk'sVolunteered Slavery is a key influence here, though with more demented humor in the words than political fire. The sound of Alex and Charlie's twinned saxophones is a textural highlight, as on the entire album.
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