THIE ANN ARBOR NEWS MONDAY, OC.TOBER 2A,2OO8 Panade, improv ffusion of medla

This was a pert'ect fusion of media, with the band's hlEhlight EdEefest soundtracks playing perfect counterpoint to the films' of- ten playful, occasionally vio- Ient and gruesome, images- REVIElV Some highlights: The band deserves special On Friday at the Firefly praise for performing what Hwang and Club, Jason Kao was one of the festivals few Events at KerrYtown his Edge Quartet fused classi- fully improvised sets and cal, traditional Asian rocking and pulling it offwith apomb. In a segue into swirling music into a dense, festival that draws top-class finish byTorn quartet com- set that took Hwang's musicians from around the positions and turned them on globe, STEWART it's special that some BY WILL their heads. The perfomers of the best are from right News SpetiolWriter Hwang.on violin, trumpeter - _.-here in our backvard. Taylor Ho Bynum, bassist In one of the festival's As it does everyYear, Edge' Ken Filiano and drummer strongesl sets, Dutch saxo- iest, Ann Arbor's four-daY ex- Andrew Drury - established phonist and composer, Jorrit through creative im- curiion a range of epotions from Flatlands riusic took in el- Dijkstra; and his niovisational deadly serious to piayful as Collective on Friday rein- bment oI every kind of music they ad libbed over Hwang's vented American jazz in a imaginable, combining them elegant compositional struc- ,way that remained true to its in w:avs that were challeng- tures. template, while finding new ing. y6t satisfYing and never On Saturday Blmum was ,territories to explore. Earthy, in surPrises. lacking far less serious as he led an and very acces- Even though it celebrates meditative irreverent, New Orleans-sffle sible, the Flatlands Collective music that, bY definition, ex- parade through Kerrytown, was the pert'ect fusion of com- plores the edges the edges - which has become one of position and improvisation. bf composition, of jazz, of Edgefest's more-endearing The Hamiet Bluiett Quintet musicians' abilities to extem- traditions. And in many ways, pedormed a remarkable set of norize in the moment it's - the parade is symbolic of the worldbeat Satur- il*uys surprising at just how bebop-tinged festival, which succeeds in day at Kerrtown's V2! store. accelsible so much of it is. to part, because of its ability Blueiit, avetern of bands ledby That's because the PartlY have lun with what can be very giants like Charles Mingus and musicialr$s abilities to fuse serious music. Sam Rivers, was in fine form, different stYles of music into 'The just parade was one coaxing full-throated,' soulful wholly new creations of sound one of many Edge events runs from his baritone saxo- that. while familiar in some as- that are free and which of- phone fine assists from still challenge in others' with oects, fered some of the festival's bassist Harrison Bankhead After kicking off on WednesdaY scorching and guitarist Fareed H4que, rvith a killeriet set if highPoints (LINK to One of those while local Congolese percus- free iazz bv TYio X coordinated Edgefest was Saturday' sionist Tito Sompa and his local Thuisday'i story?), Film,Meets ImProv tarried'iorth with a slate of "Improv trio provided a bubbling, insis- Music" effort between the rhythmic foundation. artists that fused jazz idioms tent Ann Arbor Film Festival and Edgefest wrapped up Sat- to iust about anY other stYle Edgefest, in which several lo- urday at the Firefly Club in can imagine - roclq folk, vri cal and'national filmmakers rocking style, with guitarist tlassical, even worldbeat. made short fikns on Satur- David Torn's Prezens quar- day, then screened them in tet t6aring though a set of the Kerrytown shops while d.ense, scorching jazz-rock a band led by local reedman fusion. Although lbrn is a Piotr Michalowski and trum- fine, inventive guitarist, this peter James Cornish. set belonged to Edgefest vet- eran , whose alto sax work infused the set not only with its melodic founda- tion, but also its heart and soul. Even ainid the quartet's busy, sequencer-heavy sound, Berne's organic solos shone through providing and earthY

element to the otherwise i spaced out arrangements. ,--*-l i