The next Mercredimusics will host Michel F Côté, Jean Derome, and Gordon M Allen on April 30, 2008 at Casa Obscura in Montréal.

Cordâme will be in concert on Friday, May 2, 2008 at Centre des loisirs de l’arrondissement de Saint-Laurent as part of the Fondation du Maire de Montréal pour la jeunesse’ “La relève en tournée” series.

Sur Plumb: le dialogue récemment improvisé par la clarinettiste Lori Freedman et le tromboniste Scott Thomson.

Instables, les deux intervenants s’imposent des instincts de jeu différents: discours haché ou notes longues gagnées par l’angoisse ou l’ironie, méthode éprouvée mais appliquée encore de l’écoute attentive ou interventions individuelles annulant tout fantasme d’effort commun, pratiques le plus souvent expérimentales. Régulièrement investi, plus rarement convaincant, l’exercice du duo improvisé est ici porté haut par une paire alerte: Lori Freedman et Scott Thomson, Canadiens doués et d’aplomb.

Quartetski Does Prokofiev is a jazz quartet. Bassist Pierre-Yves Martel arranged the Visions fugitives‚ of Prokofiev for a jazz quartet. Other members of this quartet are Gordon Allen (trumpet), Isaiah Ceccarelli (drums) and Philippe Lauzier (alto and soprano sax, bass clarinet). If I didn’t know, I could not have guessed that these compositions are by the hand of Prokofiev or any other composer from this era. This implies that the original music must be very suitable for being transposed to a modern jazz context, or that the arranger and the quartet are very creative in doing so. Probably both are true. In 18 short pieces — most of them about 3-4 minutes — the quartet explores and revives the originals that are even shorter. Prokofiev composed them during the Russian Revolution for piano. They remained at the stage of musical ideas, but prove to be very fitting starting points for improvisation for this very capable quartet.

A few years ago Quator Bozzini — the string quartet of the sisters Bozzini — released a cd with Different Trains of Steve Reich. Disappointing nor because of the musicianship of this excellent quartet, nor their interpretation of this work. But why this work, this composer? Personally, I’m not waiting for once again a registration of well-known works from well-known composers. So I’m happy they focus now on not so familiar composers. The cd opens with two works from the English composer Howard Skempton, namely Catch (2001) and Tendrils (2004). Succeeded by three works by Jo Kondo: Hypsotony (1989), Fern (1990) and Mr Bloomfield, His Spacing (1973). Both pieces of Skempton are sweet elegant compositions. Especially Catch with its canonic structure, is a meditative piece drenched in medieval atmospheres. Tendrils meanders pleasantly along, albeit a bit too long. The works of Japanese composer Kondo continue in more or less the same tempo, but in contrast with the compositions of Skempton, Kondo’s works are very dissonant from start to finish. This is a interesting selection of compositions. In their similarities and differences they make an inspiring anthology, carrying all the string quartets composed by respectively Skempton and Kondo.

Antoine Berthiaume, Guido Del Fabbro, Philippe Lauzier, and Adam Kinner will be at Le Cagibi on Tuesday April 22, 2008 as part of the Mardi spaghetti weekly series for creative music.