TD Victoria International Jazzfest 2010

TD Victoria International Jazzfest 2010

Dates: June 28 to July 3, 2010 [partnership with Open Space]

Concert (Open Space — Produced by the Victoria Jazz Society)

Guy/Homburger Duo

Artists: Barry Guy and Maya Homburger (Switzerland)

Date: June 28, 2010

Genres: Contemporary Classical, Baroque, Improvisation, Jazz

British double bass master Barry Guy, is a virtuosic improviser and a gifted composer (it’s no coincidence he founded the London Jazz Composers Orchestra). Switzerland’s Maya Homburger is a baroque violinist who has put in stints with the English Baroque Soloists and Trevor’s Pinnock’s The English Concert, amongst others. Together they built wonderful harmonic sounds to a receptive and appreciative audience.

Box Cutter

Artists: Gordon Grdina (guitars), Francois Houle (clarinet, electronics), Karlis Silins (bass) and Kenton Loewen (drums)

Date: June 30, 2010

Genres: Improvisation, Jazz

Vancouver’s avant-garde Box Cutter is an inventive quartet that plays outside, inside and everywhere in between. Eager improvisers who deconstruct genres and styles with passionate insight, the four members of Box Cutter illustrated an intuitive rapport and a commitment to improvised music at the highest creative level with their two sets at Open Space. Lead by Gordon Grdina's power chord guitar stylings (and his 6 compositions) this quartet dazzled an energetic audience.

Houle/Smulovitz Duo with Lori Freedman

Artists: Stefan Smulovitz (Vancouver) and Lori Freedman (Montreal)

Date: July 3, 2010

Genres: Experimental music, extended techniques, free and structured improvisation, jazz

This performance was originally scheduled as a trio, but with Vivianne Houle not able to perform due to illness, Stefan Smulovitz and Lori Freedman performed as a dynamic duo. Taking cues from the realm of new music and exploring the intersection of compositional structures and improvisation, the duo performed two exquisite sets of music. Combining visceral explosiveness and refined textures their sound seamlessly blended Freedman’s clarinet with Smulovitz’s viola and the transformative possibilities of the laptop.