(Selvhenter – picture Stef Gijssels)

By Stef Gijssels

On Friday I attended the Summer season Bummer Competition in Antwerp, Belgium. The programme was completely wonderful, with among the extra exploratory music within the improvisation scene of at the moment. 

You will discover the programme of each days beneath. 

Some reflections from my aspect. 

Reflection # 1 – feminine musicians. 

I’m not positive to which extent this was the intention of the programme makers, however all saxophonists on day one had been ladies. The day began with a duet between French saxophonist Ornella Noulet with drummer Ferdinand Lezaire. Even when skilled in conventional jazz, her highly effective alto and improvisational abilities are very promising. They haven’t any recorded output but, nevertheless it was good to get to know them. On the subsequent efficiency free improv luminaries Han Bennink and Terry Ex had been joined by Norwegian saxophonist Heidi Kvelvane for his or her final two improvisations. You’ll be able to watch a brief clip of their efficiency right here. We had been handled for an intense duet of British baritone saxophonist Cath Roberts and altoist Dee Byrne on the second stage. Again on the principle stage, we had a present by Selvhenter, the Danish all feminine group with Sonja LaBianca on alto, within the firm of Maria Bertel on trombone and the nice rhythm part of drummers Jaleh Negari and Anja Jacobsen. The night ended with the very aspirational and impressive new ensemble of Angles, Martin Küchen’s brainchild, now with 13 musicians, together with a string quartet, and with Belgian Hanne De Backer on baritone sax and bass clarinet. Additionally on Day 2 – which I couldn’t attend, sadly – now we have the presence of Pak Yan Lau, Marta Warelis, Helena Espval, and the six younger feminine musicians of the Nemø Ensemble. This feminine presence is simply to be applauded, additionally for the standard of their music, and so they’re all younger, which brings me to my second reflection which is extra of a query. 

Reflection # 2 – younger bands & previous viewers

On Day 1, the live performance room was packed, and folks stayed from early on, round 4pm until nicely previous midnight. Roughly estimated, the viewers consisted of 80% males, and between the age group of fifty to 70 (you realize: gray hair, ponytails, glasses), whereas the performing bands consisted primarily of younger musicians. How is that this potential? We will solely be enthusiastic that there’s a new era of younger musicians drawn to free music, however why are they not within the viewers? How will we get younger folks to return to understand ‘our variety’ of music? Certain, the ‘aged’ (together with myself), are nonetheless welcome, however why is ‘our’ form of music solely appreciated by younger musicians and less broadly by younger listeners? 

Reflection # 3 – unusual music

I’m used to unusual music – at the least that is what my quick environment assume – however among the issues I heard yesterday pushed the boundaries of what I anticipated. The wildest and at time most ‘unlistenable’ music got here from Star Splitter, the duo of Rob Mazurek and Gabriele Mitelli, whose digital squeaks and squeals, blips and beeps, screeches and buzzes had been at instances past the extent of tolerability (particularly at that sound quantity), even when some elements had been nice (I am a Mazurek fan, so sure, nice to see him carry out). Additionally the trio of Marvin Tate, Ben LaMar Homosexual and Mike Reed introduced one thing unheard – at the least to me – a theatrical poetic present by Marvin Tate, about social and political points, shouting, yelling, roaring, bellowing on how “happiness is unusual“. It was disconcerting, pushing the viewers out of their consolation zone, however fascinating, mesmerising, particularly additionally by the standard of the accompanying musicians. The night ended with Martin Küchen‘s jazz opera – The Loss of life Of Kalypso – composed for big band and the vocals of Elle-Kari Sander. It was the world premiere of this formidable undertaking that may see a double vinyl launch in April subsequent 12 months. For my part, the most effective jazz opera since Carla Bley’s Escalator Over The Hill. Look out for it, together with the launch of separate tracks of it in the midst of this 12 months. 

Kudos to the competition organisers to have lined up artists who break boundaries between genres and inventive disciplines, who nonetheless transcend the expectations, even of these members of the viewers (you realize: gray hair, ponytails, glasses), who assume they’ve heard all of it. We like to be challenged, we wish to be out of our consolation zone, we take pleasure in to be suprised by something new. And even when not all the things works or means one thing to the listener, that doesn’t matter, it is nice that minds are ears are opened to progressive prospects and sonic experiences. 

So, an incredible expertise. And if anyone has solutions to among the questions above, please share them. Feedback are after all all the time welcome. 

Day 1

Angles: The Loss of life of Kalypso
Selvhenter
Star Splitter: Rob Mazurek – Gabriele Mitelli
Mike Reed – Ben LaMar Homosexual – Marvin Tate
Cath Roberts & Dee Byrne
Han Bennink – Terrie Ex – Heidi Kvelvane
Cooper Crain – Dan Quinlivan – Rob Frye – David Edren
Ornella Noulet & Ferdinand Lezaire

Day 2

Oren Ambarchi, Andreas Werliin, Tashi Dorji
Susie Ibarra & Tashi Dorji
Turquoise Dream: Carlos Zingaro – Marta Warelis – Helena Espvall – Marcelo Dos Reis
Mike Reed’s Separatist Occasion: Ben LaMar Homosexual – Marvin Tate – Cooper Crain – Dan Quinlivan – Rob Frye
Heidi Kvelvane – Terrie Ex – Lazara Rosell Albear
Nemø ensemble
Musicopes – Pak Yan Lau
Liegenaar