In collaboration with Open Streets
12 Noon | EARTH, WIND & CHOIR + FARIDA AMADOU
Sarah Good conductor + vocalists:
Annie Shaw • Tee Caterini • Bailey Duff • Babette de Jong • Olga Kirgidis • J Burbage • Katie Penrose • Jess Carey • Emily Sattler • Ian Challenger • Jon Dalton • Magda Tigchelaar • Marc Ysselstein • Chris Palmer • Siobhan Murphy
Their 7th year joining us, out of the 12 years of Something Else! has been at it, this ever-evolving local vocal institution Earth Wind & Choir first introduced their fun, adventurous sound some 15 years ago. Conductor Sarah Good plays the choir of 12-20 dedicated creative vocalists like an instrument, presenting idiosyncratic takes on the most beautiful, ugly and/or interesting music the group can find—from early polyphony to avant-pop.
1 pm | GEORGE CROTTY TRIO
Powered by a dynamic rhythm section of John Murchison on bass and Jeremy Smith on percussion, the George Crotty Trio’s sound deviates from a trio's typical hierarchy. The three players intertwine on their own spontaneous terms in an exploration of groove and colour, lending Crotty's tunes an exciting three-dimensional quality.
Known for their expressive fluidity and modal orientation, George Crotty Trio makes music that is cinematic, collaborative, and conversational. They draw on influences within Indian raga, Arabic maqam, and modal jazz; using the language of other cultures to speak new things. “I’m not at home in any one culture,” muses Crotty, “so the trio became my home.”
George Crotty has forged his own unique vocabulary on the cello. A member of the Brooklyn Raga Massive, and Detroit-based National Arab Orchestra, he has also worked with esteemed musicians such as Bob Ezrin, Adam Rudolph, Simon Shaheen, and Paquito D’Rivera.
Crotty has performed as a soloist and bandleader in North America and Europe including at the Vancouver Jazz Festival, Markham Jazz Festival, Small World Music Festival, Copenhagen Vinterjazz Festival, and New Directions Cello Festival.
2 pm | NAOMI MCCARROLL-BUTLER w/CHIK WHITE
Naomi McCarroll-Butler is a saxophonist, clarinetist, and instrument maker from Toronto. She can be found making a wide range of music, from the full-throated clamour of saxophone duo SALT to the spectral whispers of Decoration Day. Honouring music as spiritual expression, Naomi’s work investigates the liminality/ecstasy of trans embodiment and creating listening spaces that lift out of time.
An active collaborator, Naomi plays with improvising unit Never Was (Reknee Harret, Joe Sorbara, Madeliene Ertel), Dan Pitt Quintet, Mingjia Chen's Tortoise Orchestra, Christine Duncan's Element Choir, The Queer Songbook Orchestra and various ad-hoc ensembles. She and her music have been featured by presenters and festivals across Ontario.
Following Naomi’s short solo set, her longtime collaborator joins in, visiting us all the way from West Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, chik white plays jaw harp with astoundingly visceral intensity, an energetic echo of his background as a member of East Coast punk, doom metal, and noise rock bands.
Upon moving to the rural Nova Scotia coast in 2009, White acquired a collection of handmade jaw harps and began a regular ritual improvising on them in natural settings. Over time, this harp project morphed into experimental territory and has come to incorporate preparations, techniques, and performative elements that tease uncomfortable vocalisations from his mouth, throat, and lungs. Utterly unbelievable sounds.
3 pm | EUCALYPTUS
BRODIE WEST alto saxophone, clarinet • ALINE HOMZY violin • RYAN DRIVER keyboards • KURT NEWMAN guitar • MIKE SMITH bass • NICK FRASER drums • PHILIPPE MELANSON drums • BLAKE HOWARD percussion
Brodie West was in the midst of a decade-long association with The Ex and Ethiopian saxophone legend Getatchew Mekuria when he formed Eucalyptus in 2009. The all-star, evolving octet remains a distinct and beloved presence in Toronto. Languid, poppish melodicism rides a polyrhythmic web of eclectic rhythms inspired by various global traditions. All-out groove and freeform impulse conspire secretly to produce volatile, but radically accessible, hybrid forms.
Eucalyptus is an eight-piece group that “manages to combine the accessible and avant-garde in an appealing way,” writes Kerry Doole in Exclaim! Led by Toronto-based composer/saxophonist Brodie West, the band features an all-star lineup of musicians from Toronto’s improvising music community. Their eclectic style incorporates aspects of pop, jazz and the avant-garde. West’s compositions feature syncopated rhythms inspired by calypso, dancehall, and bossa nova, played with collective free improvisation reminiscent of Sun Ra, Globe Unity Orchestra, or the Art Ensemble of Chicago.
FREE EVENT
Reserve space via EVENTBRITE
Donations appreciated, not mandatory
In our 12th year of operation, as Zula Presents Something Else!, we are most grateful to Canada Council for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage, and The City of Hamilton for their financial support to make these festival events possible. We would also like to acknowledge and thank our partners Hamilton Public Library and Open Streets for their kind support and enthusiasm.