SOMETHING ELSE! Festival of Creative Music June 16-21, 2014 HAMILTON ARTISTS INC. 155 James St. N., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Some of the finest modern jazz musicians, improvisers and sound artists of varying genres from across the globe (Chicago, New York, Oslo, Amsterdam, Austin, San Diego, Toronto & Hamilton) will be performing in Hamilton from June 16th to 21st, when Zula presents Something Else! Festival of Creative Music at Hamilton Artists Inc.! Monday, June 16th Fire & Ice Double-Bill BONESHAKER (Chicago/Oslo) ESCHATON(Hamilton) Wednesday, June 18th Night Of The Living Improvisers Double-Bill THE TINY ORCHESTRA TRIO (Toronto) SAME OLD THING (Hamilton) Thursday, June 19th New York vs Chicago Double-Bill GOLDEN STATE (Brooklyn/Amsterdam/San Diego) SUN ROOMS (Chicago/Austin/Oslo) Friday, June 20th Space is the Place Double-Bill SUN ROOMS (Chicago/Austin/Oslo) INTERSTELLAR ORCHESTRA (Toronto) Saturday, June 21st Summer Solstice Double-Bill MARY MARGARET O'HARA & AIDAN CLOSS' SPAR & AUTOMATIC (Toronto) RONLEY TEPER & HER LIPLINERS (Toronto) Doors 8 pm Show 8:30 pm Tickets $12-23, Passes $60 at Dr. Disc, Hammer City Records, Picks & Sticks & online brownpapertickets www.zulapresents.org www.facebook.com/events/318218881659216/ For more information, media and interview requests on the Something Else! Festival, contact Cem Zafir at 289 993 1993 [email protected] Please note, that there are many hyperlinks all over this document! 'Aspirador' painting by David Blatherwick A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOMETHING ELSE! Just over two years ago, postal worker and music presenter Cem [gem] Zafir moved from Montreal (after a 3 year stop over there) and bought a house in downtown Hamilton, with mate, artist Donna Akrey. For them, it has been a good move, but Zafir felt that there was room for Something Else(!) in their adopted city. As a music fan, they had to travel regularly to Buffalo and Toronto to hear live music, so Cem felt that Hamiltonians should have access to a wider variety of live music in the city. It was a natural desire for someone who had built a career as a concert presenter, focusing on underground musicians of many genres. During the last half of his 20+ year stay in Vancouver and area, Zafir's Zula presented music over 600 nights, such artists as Vancouver singer/songwriter Veda Hille and storyteller Ivan Coyote, many jazz legends; including New York saxophonist, composer, Tzadik label head, artistic director of The Stone music room, John Zorn (Masada & Electric Masada), New York trumpet player Dave Douglas, Dutch drummer Han Bennink, American saxophonists Ken Vandermark, Sonny Fortune and late John Coltrane drummer Rashied Ali, all-strings master, roots music icon David Lindley, NY accordion virtuoso Guy Klucevsek and many, many more... (more info on Zula's origins here) So exploring some touring performers' schedules made sense, as did a congregation of local, nearby and visiting players, to bring some exciting music to Hamiltonians that they may not otherwise hear. Zula's first Hamilton project is ambitious: Something Else! Festival premieres at Hamilton Artists Inc. June 16-21, featuring 9 bands over 5 nights of double-bills (Sun Rooms plays twice). Zula is bringing in musicians from as close as Toronto, and as far as Norway and Netherlands! This is jazz that you will probably not hear on CBC’s Tonic. It is the “new jazz” on which successful festivals have been launched in Vancouver, Guelph and Victoriaville, Quebec, but is often pushed firmly to the margins at the Toronto or Montreal jazz festivals, or at New York’s Lincoln Centre. Saxophonist Ornette Coleman released his revolutionary album Something Else! in 1958 and shook the jazz world. Instigated by such artists as Ornette and Cecil Taylor in the 1950s, and headlined in the explosive ‘60s by John Coltrane, Archie Shepp and Albert Ayler, it is a more open, experimental approach to improvisation and composition, sustained over the decades by Anthony Braxton, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Netherlands' Instant Composers’ Pool and the Art Ensemble of Chicago, and played today by more musicians than ever, including Dave Douglas, William Parker, Colin Stetson (Montreal saxophonist who plays with Arcade Fire)... It is music that needs to be heard live to be truly appreciated! Quick info on VISITING ARTISTS (full details, line-up, bios, media on all bands below these highlights) Monday, June 16 -- From Chicago & Oslo: BONESHAKER. Norwegian iconoclast drummer Paal Nilssen- Love—born on Xmas Eve, raised in a jazz club, appearing on over 60 albums since 2000 and considered by many to be “the greatest drummer on earth”—is here with Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams (who studied with Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell and toured with the Brötzmann Tentet -all 3 did-, Vandermark 5, The Psychedelic Furs, Billy Idol and Robert Palmer-era Power Station) and Indiana-born, Cape Cod-bred and Chicago-based bassist Kent Kessler. Thursday, June 19 -- From New York City: Harris Eisenstadt's (drums, compositions) GOLDEN STATE with Michael Moore (reeds), Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon), Mark Dresser (bass)... presenting a delicate blend of composition and improvisation. British jazz critic Brian Morton writes, “what’s immediately clear, beyond the rigour and intelligence of Eisenstadt’s writing, is that a conversation is taking place, a free exchange of soloistic positions.” Thursday & Friday, June 19 & 20 -- From Chicago & Austin: SUN ROOMS is the name that vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz has given to the remarkable trio he shares with Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Håker- Flaten and drummer Mike Reed. Ben Ratliff writes in the New York Times that Adasiewicz “writes lovely tunes … nobody here grandstands, fusses over details, or wastes time …“ and praises the trio’s influences, which encompass Sun Ra, Eric Dolphy and Duke Ellington. Saturday, June, 21 -- From Toronto: SPAR AND AUTOMATIC Vocalist Mary Margaret O'Hara is adored by a legion of fans for her songs and fierce independence. It's freedom she seeks and freedom she finds in improvising with her voice. Her duo project Spar and Automatic with multi-instrumentalist Aidan Closs finds O'Hara at the height of her powers as an artist, as they have developed such short-hand, such rapport with one another, so as not to let anything stop their dialogue of exploration through the abyss... Monday, June 16, 2014 Fire & Ice Double-Bill: BONESHAKER & ESCHATON HAMILTON ARTISTS INC. 155 James St. N., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Tickets $15+s/c at Dr. Disc, Hammer City Records, Picks & Sticks and online at brownpapertickets BONESHAKER Mars Williams (Chicago) -- saxophones Kent Kessler (Chicago) -- contrabass Paal Nilssen-Love (Oslo) – drums Chicago fire music... courtesy of this prolific powerhouse trio, carrying among them a Grammy nomination and decades of experience with some of the top ensembles in the world. Free-jazz fire meets punk energy, plus great improvisational momentum results in a huge, distinctive sound, that can only be honed by years of playing, touring and recording with one another in various settings and with some of the greatest players anywhere! Norwegian phenom Paal Nilssen-Love has established himself over the last decade as one of the most important voices in improvised music from his generation. A powerful drummer of unbounded energy, he shows an ongoing ability to break physical and musical boundaries on his continual hunt for new collaborations and experiences. Currently, Nilssen-Love is active with musicians such as Mats Gustafsson, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Evan Parker, Sten Sandell, Otomo Yoshihide and Frode Gjerstad. Bassist Kent Kessler, born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, grew up mostly in Chicago, became better known as a frequent bandmate of Ken Vandermark. He has kept the trans-Atlantic connection by playing in groups led by Georg Graewe, Peter Brötzmann and Daniele D’Agaro, and performing with many other European improvisors. Kent has a solo CD on Okkadisk, “Bull Fiddle,” and appears on dozens of other recordings. Saxophonist Mars Williams is an open-minded musician, composer and educator who commutes easily between free jazz, funk, hip-hop and rock. Mars has played and / or recorded with The Psychedelic Furs, Billy Idol, Massacre, Fred Frith, Bill Laswell, Ministry, Power Station, Die Warzau, The Waitresses, Kiki Dee, Pete Cosey, Billy Squier, DJ Logic, Wayne Kramer, John Scofield, Charlie Hunter, Kurt Elling, MC5, and virtually every leading figure of Chicago’s and New York City's "downtown" scene. Mars has toured and recorded with the Peter Brötzmann Tentet, Full Blast, Scorch Trio, the Vandermark 5, and Cinghiale. John Zorn credits Mars as "one of the true saxophone players--someone who takes pleasure in the sheer act of blowing the horn... Mars plays exciting music. In many ways he has succeeded in redefining what versatility means to the modern saxophone player." In 2001 Mars received a Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Record with his group Liquid Soul. ESCHATON Aaron Hutchinson (Hamilton) -- trumpet, synthesizer, electronics, percussion Connor Bennett (Hamilton) -- saxophone, bass, vocals Aaron Hutchinson and Connor Bennett are Eschaton, a soulful Hamilton noise duo, whose music is driven by spontaneity and improvisation. Eschaton creates thick textural noise with vulnerable horn expressions, narrative soundscapes that breathe, bend and distort. They have released four cassettes, "\" and ">" in 2013 and " " and their 2/2014 tour tape out of the HAVN label and are on the upcoming Perdu Hamilton release "~ Vol. I ~". Wednesday, June 18, 2014 Night of the Living Improvisers Double-Bill: THE TINY ORCHESTRA TRIO & SAME OLD THING HAMILTON ARTISTS INC. 155 James St. N., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Tickets $12+s/c at Dr. Disc, Hammer City Records, Picks & Sticks and online at brownpapertickets THE TINY ORCHESTRA TRIO From Toronto: Paul Teglas - trombone Steve Whitehouse - alto saxophone, electronics John Halfpenny – drums The Tiny Orchestra Trio has been playing together since the last century. Part jazz trio and part parade band, their sounds emanate from intuitive call and response.