This seventh in-person sliver of a festival day of our 2021 Something Else! Festival Series at the Bay, merged with a Watch it Burn! event is based around IMAGINE THE SOUND, a magnificent documentary film about some centre figures in free jazz, co-produced, directed by RON MANN (co-produced with Bill Smith), Mann will be present for a question & answer period. Hamilton free jazz chamber trio LEE / PALMER / BENNETT will interpret some Bill Smith Ensemble music. Trombonist SCOTT THOMSON will play a solo set with Bill Dixon in mind. The inimitable BRODIE WEST QUINTET will grace our stage for the first time. The rich, multi-layered blues experience that is THE SPOKES will return and will be also joined by LEE / PALMER / BENNETT for some non-linear, exciting blues excursions.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN… Suggested donation $15-25 at the door …or $15 in advance via Eventbrite + dinner by donation …NO ONE WILL BE REFUSED ENTRY FOR LACK OF FUNDS.
Sep 25
4:00 pm —> SCOTT THOMSON
4:30 pm —> THE SPOKES W/ LPB
5:30 pm —> BRODIE WEST QUINTET
6:30 pm —> Dinner Served
6:30 pm —> LEE / PALMER / BENNETT
7:00 pm —> Film: IMAGINE THE SOUND
8:30 pm —> Q&A w/ RON MANN
IMAGINE THE SOUND
Celebrated documentary filmmaker RON MANN (Grass, Altman, Comic Book Confidential) will be in attendance to present a screening of his 1981 debut IMAGINE THE SOUND, the Holy Grail of improvised music / free jazz on film, co-produced with saxophonist, writer, photographer, CODA editor BILL SMITH , who masterfully interviews the esteemed subjects, including creative music titans Bill Dixon, Paul Bley, Cecil Taylor and Archie Shepp!
THE SPOKES
For the last decade, Toronto drummer BOB VESPAZIANI and Nova Scotia-based singer/guitarist/harpist ARTHUR BULL have been commuting back and forth to play a gumbo of blues, roots, country and original music as THE SPOKES. Visiting from Vancouver, a strong blues pianist HANK BULL joins them. Together again, they’ll play a set of bluesy originals before being joined by Hamilton trio LEE / PALMER / BENNETT to form the blues/rockabilly band THE FIVE SPOKES with CHRIS PALMER (guitar), CONNOR BENNETT (saxophone) and DAVID LEE (bass).
BRODIE WEST QUINTET
BRODIE WEST alto saxophone, composition
TANIA GILL piano
JOSH COLE bass
NICK FRASER drums
EVAN CARTWRIGHT drums
“This is exciting, eventful music of the highest quality […] Defying conventional wisdom, perhaps, Brodie West’s music is complex, creative and loose.”
— Andy Hamilton, Wire Magazine
“The alto saxophonist continues to destroy the proverbial artificial walls erected in music.” — Raul Da Gama, Wholenote Magazine
“…a kind of sonic solitude emerging from the bandleader’s quintet.” — Kerilie McDowall, Downbeat Magazine
“…a complex momentum that seemingly reviews the jazz language of the 1950s, but which is oddly and absolutely contemporary.”
— Stuart Broomer, Musicworks Magazine
“First and foremost: this is a jazz album, the way jazz was intended: "the sound of surprise”…. as serious as they come, yet goes straight to the heart… ”
— Nilan Perera, Exclaim Magazine
SCOTT THOMSON
SCOTT THOMSON is an improvising trombonist, composer, producer, writer, organizer, and listener based in Montreal. His varied work and play reflect his profound interest in music as social life. Scott will play a solo set: Institute (for Bill Dixon). He will also join Lee / Palmer / Bennett for a short spell, as well as offering his insights to the Q & A with Ron Mann.
LEE / PALMER / BENNETT
Hamilton “chamber jazz” trio with its lineup of tenor & soprano saxophone (CONNOR BENNETT), electric guitar (CHRIS PALMER) and double bass (DAVID LEE), has made a special niche for itself in Hamilton’s expanding new music scene… will perform music by Bill Smith Ensemble, this brings things full-circle in a way, as David Lee was the bassist in the trio with the co-producer of the film Bill Smith, in the 80s. David was also involved in the making of the film.
This event was made possible with kind support from Canada Council for the Arts, Canadian Heritage, & the City of Hamilton.
RON MANN