Special-guest saxophonists are the theme of 2009, thus far. First, it was Evan Parker’s February Interface Series; check out Alan Stanbridge’s thorough review in the latest Signal to Noise. The next Interface is with an only slightly less renowned European improviser from Switzerland, Urs Leimgruber (pictured), 5-7 June (programming details to be announced). In the interim, Somewhere There has hosted excellent saxophonists and good friends from three other Canadian creative music scenes: Paul Cram from Halifax, Jean Derome from Montréal, and Coat Cooke from Vancouver. The night with Jean Derome, 25 April, was particularly fun, with a garrulous mid-sized throw-together band including Justin Haynes, Allison Cameron, Jean Martin, and Christine Duncan.May marks the second month of trumpeter Nicole Rampersaud’s residency, featuring a set of solo trumpet followed by a set with (usually) a single guest (Evan Shaw, Germaine Liu, Kyle Brenders, Parmela Attariwala, and Matt Miller, for example). Nicole’s playing continues to mature at an incredible rate, and her solos demonstrate not only a keen moment-to-moment imagination and (of course) remarkable instrumental facility, but also a sense of formal development that is rare among solo improvisers. As austere as a set of solo trumpet may sound, it would be a shame to miss this string of shows that constitute a laboratory for someone who is quickly becoming one of Toronto’s leading musical voices.
New this month is bassist Aaron Lumley’s residency, also with a program of solo improvisation and small-group playing that will no doubt feature Aaron’s characteristically physical, gut-stringy style. Aaron has been playing a ton lately, in countless contexts – I just heard him play beautifully with David Prentice at Ron Gaskin’s VTO Festival at the Tranzac – and, like Nicole, he is honing his massive vocabulary of technical extensions toward becoming one of the more distinctive improvisers in the city. Finally, speaking of Ron Gaskin, Somewhere There once again wishes him a happy sixtieth birthday, and thanks Tim Posgate for organizing a small but festive party for Ron in conjunction with a Cluttertones date as part of Rob Clutton’s residency.
