INDIGENOUS MIND + DON BYRON (Chicago/ NY)
Hamid Drake • drums, percussion
Joshua Abrams • double bass, guimbri
Jason Adasiewicz • vibraphone
Don Byron • reeds
The title of Alice Coltrane’s 1971 album Universal Consciousness speaks to the metaphysical impetus behind this trio. Comprised of three of Chicago’s most vibrant musical imaginations, Indigenous Mind is an homage to (Ms.) Coltrane’s legacy of innovation, as well as that of Pharoah Sanders. The collective aim of Hamid Drake (William Parker, David Murray, Herbie Hancock), Joshua Abrams (Town and Country, Natural Information Society) and Jason Adasiewicz (Sun Rooms, Living by Lanterns) is also to render the oneness of our shared primordial energy tangible through sound.
Indigenous Mind welcome Don Byron into the fold for a very special first-time/ one-time collaboration. The endlessly-compatible Byron is just as likely to integrate into the trio’s reverent spiritual-jazz as he is to instigate a plunge toward unknown intersections. It’s a partnership that is sure to offer attendees an invigorating balance of surprise and satisfaction.
IVA BITTOVA (CZ/NY)
violin, vocals
The exuberant avant-folk icon Iva Bittová offers the culminating performance of her tenure at this year’s festival. Something Else! 2019’s guest of honour Iva Bittová has a rare, ineffable two-fold gift. She’s versatile enough to have collaborated with esteemed artists across the spectrum of musical expression, yet her sonic signature remains deeply imprinted, no matter what the context. Best described as storyteller who seldom uses discernible language, her intimate, engrossing narratives unfold in a unique personal folk idiom of her own deriving—inspired by her northern Moravian roots and countless other traditions.
EGUILUZ TRIO (QC)
Géraldine Eguiluz • voice, guitar, pocket trumpet, Bulgarian flute, kalimba
Jean René • viola, voice
Stéphane Diamantakiou • double bass, voice
Géraldine Eguiluz’s eponymous trio offers an additional perspective on one this year’s latent thematic through-lines. The Mexican-born, Montreal-based multi-instrumentalist joins Stéphane Diamantakiou, and Jean René to spontaneously and collectively pose questions regarding their respective musical/ cultural heritages as well as the nature of existence. Embracing the lyrical intimacy of chamber music, the grounded visceral quality of folk instrumentation, and both the power and vulnerability that are innate to the human voice, their secret, less-audible ingredient is harnessing the freedom of listening without intention.
TIDAL POOL (Hamilton)
Connor Bennett • saxophones, electronics
Tidal Pool is Hamilton resident Connor Bennett’s solo foray into the saxophone’s nether regions and beyond. Starting from a strictly instrumental base, he augments his palette of unfamiliar acoustic colours with electronic treatments or simple amplification. As a musician, craftsperson, and arts organizer, Bennett as ubiquitous as he is indispensable within the local arts ecosystem. He plays saxophone in Haolin Munk, Eschaton, Lee/Palmer/Bennett and was a founding member of HAVN.
Tickets: $25 advance $30 door (student, senior, artworker, underwaged) $35 door (regular)
Passes:
$100 (student, senior, artworker, underwaged)
$125 (regular)
