(Toronto/New York/Ottawa)
SONOLUMINESCENCE TRIO
DAVID MOTT baritone saxophone WILLIAM PARKER bass & various JESSE STEWART percussion
Sonoluminescence Trio consists of baritone saxophonist David Mott, NYC bassist and multi-instrumentalist William Parker, and percussionist Jesse Stewart. Released on Art Stew Records in 2015, their first recording, Telling Stories, has been receiving rave reviews: “This is spirit music,” writes Bruce Lee Gallanter of New York’s Downtown Music Gallery “and it feels soothing to hear. All three members of this trio are integral to that special, enchanting group sound…The overall vibe reminds me of those transcendent Pharaoh Sanders albums from the late sixties/early seventies. Trio sessions don’t get any better than this one.” In Wholenote magazine, Ken Waxman writes: “Mixing speedy rhythms, standard tune references and technical extensions when needed for additional colour and emphasis, the Sonoluminescence Trio does just what is promised in the title. It tells unusual stories energetically, with subtlety, but without artifice or showboating.”
The term “sonoluminescence” refers to a process through which light is produced by sound waves passing through liquid. Converting sound into light is an apt metaphor for the shared aims of the band’s members. Together, Parker, Mott, and Stewart form one of the most musically adventurous and transcendent groups in the fields of contemporary jazz and improvised music. David Mott has been described as “the Chopin of the bari sax.” “Extraordinary virtuosity” writes Geoff Chapman in the Toronto Star. Similarly, New York City bassist and multi-instrumentalist William Parker has been described as “a monumental pillar of the global free jazz community”(Jazzwize magazine) and “the most important leader of the current avant-garde scene in jazz” (Boston Globe). The trio is rounded out by Juno award-winning percussionist (and recent Order of Ottawa inductee) Jesse Stewart who has been described as “one of the finest young percussionists on the scene today”.
William Parker has been a key figure in the creative jazz scene since the 1970s. He is the recipient of many awards including ‘musician of the year’ in Italy in 2007 and the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award in 2013, recognizing his influence and impact on the creative jazz scene over the last 40 years. He has played on over 150 recordings including more than 20 albums under his leadership. He has performed and recorded with veritable who’s who within the worlds of jazz and creative improvised music including Bill Dixon, Sunny Murray, Charles Tyler, Billy Higgins, Charles Brackeen, Alan Silva, Frank Wright, Frank Lowe, Rashid Ali, Donald Ayler, Sonny Simmons, Jeanne Lee, Gunter Hampel, Karl Berger Dave Burrell, Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, and Milford Graves. He played in the Cecil Taylor Unit from 1980 through 1991. He has also performed with many musicians from the AACM including Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, Ernest Dawkins, and The Art Ensemble of Chicago. In addition to his work with artists in the United Stated, William Parker has developed a strong relationship with musicians in the European Improvised Music scene such as Peter Kowald, Peter Brotzmann, Han Bennink, Tony Oxley, Derek Bailey, Franz Hauser, Tomasz Stanko, John Tchicai, Conny Bauer, and Louis Moholo. In 1995, the Village Voice characterized William Parker as “the most consistently brilliant free jazz bassist of all time.” In July 2002, Steve Greenlee of the Boston Globe stated that “William Parker has emerged as the most important leader of the current avant-garde scene in jazz.”
David Mott’s credentials are similarly impressive: he has collaborated with the likes of Gil Evans, Stevie Wonder, Ray Anderson, Gerry Hemingway, Mark Dresser, Robert Dick, Wadada Leo Smith, and many others. He was named Baritone Saxophonist of the Year by Jazz Report magazine in 1995. His duo recording with pianist David Lopato was nominated for a Juno in 1994, and he was the conductor of NOJO when it won the “Jazz Album of the Year” Juno award in 1996. His baritone saxophone playing crosses the boundaries of style, form, and content, incorporating elements of jazz, creative improvised music, new music, and world influences. He is one of the pioneers of using circular breathing, multiphonics, and other extended techniques on the baritone saxophone in order to create a rich tapestry of polyphonic sound.
Jesse Stewart is an award-winning composer, percussionist, sound artist, improviser, instrument builder, and educator dedicated to reimagining the spaces between artistic disciplines. His music has been documented on over twenty recordings including Stretch Orchestra’s self-titled debut album which was honoured with the 2012 “Instrumental Album of the Year” Juno. He has performed and/or recorded with musical luminaries from around the world hailing from a wide variety of musical traditions and idioms. A short list includes Jacques Israelievitch (former concertmaster of the Toronto Symphony); William Parker; Pauline Oliveros; Evan Parker; Roswell Rudd; Joe McPhee; and many others. His music has been featured at festivals throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. In 1993, he was named “Outstanding Young Canadian Jazz Musician” by both the International Association of Jazz Educators and Jazz Report magazine. He endorses Headhunters brand drumsticks and brushes. He has been described as “one of the finest young drummers and percussionists on the scene today” (Frank Rubolino, One Final Note Summer/Fall 2002) and “one of the most innovative musicians in Canada” (Alayne MacGregor, Ottawa Jazz Scene 2015).
This not-to-be-missed performance will mark Sonoluminescence Trio’s first performance in Hamilton. Advanced reservations by email are highly recommended: cem [at] zulapresents [dot] org
Dave Gould
Drummer, percussionist, string player, yarn ripper… is there anything Dave Gould can’t do well? Probably… but why not come and hear some of the things he is really good at? Dave plays beautifully on awe-inspiring instruments he has built from found objects in nature, including antlers and whalebone. A real treat and truly worthwhile experience!
(New York)
JEFF SCHLANGER
live painting
Ajay Heble with David Mott, Jesse Stewart & William Parker live in Guelph, Canada January 14, 2007. Original art 70 x 100cm bought @ GJF Auction by Ajay Heble 2300.
Ajay Heble with David Mott, Jesse Stewart & William Parker live in Guelph, Canada January 14, 2007. Original art 70 x 100cm bought @ GJF Auction by Ajay Heble 2300.
