Maxime de la Rochefoucauld and his Ki automatons will be in concert with dancers Andrew Brouse, Karsten Kroll, Maya Ostrofsky and Michèle Rioux, May 23 to 25, 2002 at 5643 Clark street (Montréal). Special guest, puppeteer Marcelle Hudon.

Qu’elle en joue avec le clavier, en triturant directement les cordes ou en frappant dessus comme sur un tambour, Lee Pui Ming ne se sert jamais du piano d’une façon que l’on puisse qualifier de standard. Rompue aux techniques du piano, LPM joue avec une grande intensité, et son imagination ne se limite en effet que rarement à n’utiliser que le clavier de l’instrument. Le disque est lancé ce 3 mai au Centre culturel Calixa-Lavallée dans le cadre de la série de concerts de musique improvisée Canevas (c’est gratuit).

“… a fresh mix of rock and improvisation” (Vital Weekly, The Netherlands) The Rouge ciel ensemble (Simon Lapointe, Antonin Provost and Némo Venba) will be part of the “Festival des musiques de création” Wednesday May 15, 2002 at Jonquière’s “Café-théâtre Côté-cour.” The group will also perform on June 8, 2002 at Le Va-et-vient, on June 10, 2002 at Alizé and also during the L’OFF Festival de Jazz de Montréal on June 29, 2002.

The rap on French saxophonist/clarinettist Louis Sclavis is that his polished technique hampers his expressive range. However, based on this collaboration with Québécois saxophonist/flutist Jean Derome, that opinion proves to be sheer folly. Sclavis is much more sombre than Derome, who can be particularly zany when paired with drummer Pierre Tanguay. It is fitting that Tanguay and Sclavis’s bassist, Bruno Chevillon, extends the contrast between the coleaders in rounding out the quartet for this 2001 FIMAV performance. Throughout the sets expanses of improvised space, Sclavis is as visceral as Derome. The emphasis on extended improvisation gives the quartet few opportunities to demonstrate their finesse with shorter jazz-flavoured vehicles. Whether it is the bustling Tu dis tout de travers, which suggests a gritty Ornette-Dolphy front line, or the floating Jonas, featuring ethereal bass flute and bass clarinet, a more tightly scripted format draws upon their concision as much as their creativity.

L’Orkestre des pas perdus takes its brilliant exhuberance to Paris (France) for a series of three concerts, May 16 to 18, 2002. Just before its parisian excursion, the Orkestre stops at Reus’ Festival Trapezi (Spain) from May 9 to 12, and plays also May 15 at Barcelona’s jazz club “La Boîte.” The Québec public will be able to catch the Orkestre live very soon, for they will attend St-Fortunat’s Festival International de Musique Incroyable, June 15 and 16, 2002.

Diane Labrosse is currently at the Centre for Contemporary Arts of Glasgow (UK) for an installation and a performance in collaboration with the Theatre Cryptic. The “Each and Every Inch” project starts May 9, 2002. Musical performances occurs May 14 to 18. By the end the month, she will join her Parasites companion, turntablist Martin Tétreault, for two concerts in France, May 30 in Limoges and June 1 at Saint-Étienne’s festival “Musiques Innovatrices.”