Double programme at the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival

by Michel Rondeau

The Big Ears Festival presents an evening of Norwegian jazz in a webcast tonight starting at 7 pm. Curtain-raiser Beady Belle, featuring singer Beate S. Lech accompanied by a trio of organ, double bass, and drums and two backup singers, get their groovy sounds out. Next, at 8 pm, is Arild Andersen, a venerable double bassist who’s been active for some 50 years, first making a name for himself in the 1970s alongside saxophonist Jan Garbarek. He’ll be surrounded by his musicians Helge Lien on piano, Marius Neset on double bass, and Hakon Mjaset Johansen on drums.

The ticket price is $10 US, or just over a dozen Canadian dollars.

Watch the show here.

If you miss it tonight, you can make up for it at the end of the month. The programme will be repeated as part of the Norwegian Digital Jazz Festival during the festive season, from December 25 to January 1. It’s gonna be be a parade: On the 25th, pianist Bugge Wesseltoft, solo and the Gard Nilssen Acoustic Unity; on the 26th, the Tord Gustavsen Trio; on the 27th, Bendik Hofseth’s Woodland Group and the Mathias Eick Quintet; on the 28th, singer Silje Nergaard followed by pianist Ketil Bjornstad solo; on the 29th, double bassist Mats Eilertsen, solo, and saxophonist Trygve Seim’s Rumi Songs project; on the 30th, singer and guitarist Hedvig Mollestad’s trio and guitarist Eivind Aarset’s quartet; the 31st, Beady Belle and Arild Andersen’s band; and on the first day of 20201, Elephant 9 and the Nils Petter Molvaer Trio. With such an abundance, it will truly be Christmas!

Access to these concerts is restricted to residents of Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The ticket price for the series is $50 US, or approximately $65 CDN.

Jazz

Jean Derome and l’ONJM: Protean work, multiplatform concert

by Alain Brunet

Jean Derome is the central artist in the fourth concert by the Orchestre national de jazz de Montréal (ONJM), in residence at Place des Arts’ 5^e salle. Certainly one of the most accomplished composers, improvisers, and multi-instrumentalists (flutes, saxophones, bird callers, etc.) of recent decades in Quebec, and co-founder of the Ambiances Magnétiques label in the 1980s. Derome himself conducts the world premiere of his work La Force et la Beauté, commissioned by l’ONJM. Derome has frequently composed for large ensembles involving performers from different backgrounds, this time he is devoting himself to a work performed by the elite of Montreal jazz. As a bonus, the audience will be treated to little-known works by the great Duke Ellington and his alter ego Billy Strayhorn, whom Derome is very fond of, like any self-respecting jazzophile.

Personal this Wednesday, November 25:
Jean Derome: Composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and guest conductor
Saxophones, flutes, and clarinets: Jean-Pierre Zanella, Samuel Blais, André Leroux, Frank Lozano, Alexandre Côté
Trumpets: Jocelyn Couture, Aron Doyle, David Carbonneau, Bill Mahar
Trombones: David Grott, Taylor Donaldson, David Russell Martin, Robert Ellis
Piano: Kate Wyatt
Guitar: Ananda X. Suddath
Double bass: Morgan Moore
Drums: Kevin Warren

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Avant-Garde / Experimental / Contemporary

Kevin Cheli and Tom Law

by Michel Rondeau

One is a percussionist and vibraphonist, the other is an electronic tinkerer, and they released a first album of noisy improv as a duo at the end of the summer.

Now they’re offering us a live concert, without a net, which will once again mix nebulas and sonic accidents. Enough to furnish the evening of this grey Monday with an unpredictable and somewhat whimsical atmosphere.

Tickets are available here (minimum contribution $1).

Taraf Syriana: the united traditions of music

by Frédéric Cardin

On Sunday November 15, the general public will be able to enter free of charge into a sparkling universe of colours, flavours, and sounds thanks to the Taraf Syriana ensemble. The concert, which is part of the 21st Festival du monde arabe programme, is available online from 8 pm.

Taraf Syriana is composed of Sergiu Popa on accordion, Noemy Braun on six-string cello (an invention of the young Montreal-Swiss artist, a sort of marriage between Schubert’s Arpeggione and the modern cello, which offers a tessitura unparalleled to the classical instrument), as well as Naeem Shanwar on qanoun and Omar Abou Afach on violin (also a member of the excellent Ensemble Astan).

The inspiration and de facto conductor of the ensemble is Popa, who also does most of the arrangements. If you’re new to Montreal and a musician, chances are this affable and passionate man will be one of the first to welcome you, and invite you to jam with him. It was during one of these friendly jams with Syrian musicians that Popa met Omar and Naeem, who were joined by Noemy.

Their love of the music of the great territory with Syria at its centre made them want to unite and communicate to the general public the exceptional richness of these manifold, millennia-old traditions. The focal point is even more focused on the Gypsy traditions of this vast geographical area, which extends as far as the Balkans to the west, Egypt, Lebanon, the Kurdish lands, Armenia and the Caucasus, and even India, because there lies the historical source of the entire Romani diaspora. Occasionally, they even dare the Argentine tango!

A vast programme, moreover, given that many of the musical traditions of this genre are very little known in the very countries of their origin, and very rarely transcribed and recorded by their own performers.

In any case, Taraf Syriana wants to create a kind of new Ottoman empire, apolitical, this one because it is musical.

You’re invited to an inclusive change of scenery on Sunday evening, November 15, 2020 at 8 pm, as part of the Festival du monde arabe (FMA).

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Electronic / Hip Hop

Kaytranada Live at SAT

by Patrick Baillargeon

If you missed yesterday’s late-night concert, you can catch up today at 5 p.m. when Kaytranada’s second show will be broadcast live on Moment House from the Société des Arts Technologiques in Montreal. Like the night before, Kaytranada will perform “Bubba” and a few other titles as well as some new songs. A decent happy hour!

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Artists For Artsakh: A Concert For Peace

by Patrick Baillargeon

This global musical event aims to raise awareness and funds for Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and its people, who continue to suffer bombings and attacks by Azerbaijani, Turkish, and terrorist groups. This online concert and fundraising will mainly support ArmeniaFund’s humanitarian intervention in Artsakh. All donations collected will be doubled by ONEArmenia, up to $3 million, and sent directly to ArmeniaFund.

This Concert for Peace presents celebrated musicians such as Sebu Simonian of Capital Cities, Serj Tankian of System of a Down, pianist Tigran Hamasyan (see our article), soprano Natalie Aroyan with Alex Sahagian, violinist Ara Malikian with Serouj Kradjian, jazz and folk musician Arto Tunçboyacıyan, Voices of Artsakh, Areni Agbabian, Golshifteh Farahani, Tom Morello of RATM, Bachar Mar-Khalifé, Dhafer Youssef, Viken Arman, R-Mean, Isabel Bayrakdarian, Norayr Kartashyan & MENUA Band, SWIMS, Areni Agbabian feat. Gagik “Gagas” Khodavirdi, Waxx and Juliette Saumagne, Jonah Walsh, and many others.

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Chiptune

Rainbowdragoneyes Live Stream

by Rupert Bottenberg

The “chiptune warlock” of Denver, CO, Rainbowdragoneyes is the award-winning creator of the soundtrack to the popular game The Messenger, a salute to classic 8-bit ninja hijinx, and its tiki-terror expansion, Picnic Panic (some amazing circuit-board surf rock in that one!). He’s just launched a new website. More than just a listening booth and virtual merch table, it’s the platform for an earnest campaign to encourage the appreciation – and creation! – of chiptune music. Twice a week (check the schedule for exact times), Rainbowdragoneyes also does a live stream on Twitch, a mix of funny, freeform podcast, random chip-music tutorials, and on-the-spot tune-making. Press play to start!

SEE THE LIVESTREAM HERE

Polaris 2020 Awards Gala

by Patrick Baillargeon

This year, due to COVID-19, the Polaris Prize team decided not to organise a public gala. Instead, they’ve chosen to invite filmmakers from across Canada to propose short films based on the ten nominated albums on the Short List. The films will be showcased during the Polaris 2020 Music Prize Celebration, re-imagined as a special cinematic tribute, to be broadcast in Canada on the free service CBC Gem; on CBC Music’s Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages; and internationally at CBCMusic.ca/Polaris on October 19 at 8pm EST. The winner of the Polaris 2020 Award will be revealed live at the end of the event.

An independent jury of music critics, broadcasters, and bloggers from across Canada determined the Long List and Short List. Eleven members of this extended jury were then selected to be part of the grand jury that will determine the winner of the Polaris 2020 Music Prize.

The nominated albums are:
Backxwash – God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It
Caribou – Suddenly
Junia-T – Studio Monk
Kaytranada – Bubba
nêhiyawak – nipiy
Pantayo – Pantayo
Lido Pimienta – Miss Colombia
Jessie Reyez – Before Love Came To Kill Us
U.S. Girls – Heavy Light
Witch Prophet – DNA Activation

Gonerfest 2020

by Patrick Baillargeon

With exclusive performances by a bunch of bands from around the world, lectures, films and more, the Memphis Gonerfest is working hard to make you feel like you’re there, or almost there. From the United States, Spain, Germany, France, Ireland and England, New Zealand and Australia… More than 30 groups take part in this Gonerfest like no other. Which names? Jack Oblivian, the Gee Tee, Cheater Slicks, The Toads, The Exbats and Quintron & Miss Pussycat, among others… Here’s your chance to take part in the famous Gonerfest without leaving your living room!

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Garage Rock

Levitation Sessions: Thee Oh Sees

by Patrick Baillargeon

Come and hang out with Thee Oh Sees for cheap! Austin’s Levitation Festival presents Thee Oh Sees for an exclusive concert, from dusk to dawn, captured in the desert at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, California. John Dwyer’s band plays many old fan favourites and seven unreleased tracks! The sound will be raw and heartbreaking, Dwyer promises, with a bit of elastic improvisation to liven it all up. Listen at full volume! In addition to tickets for the streaming show, you can download the session, and get tapes and limited edition t-shirts, available exclusively through this show. You can also get a pack that includes all this plus a signed copy of the band’s new album, Protean Threat!

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