November 01, 2012 Music » Music Feature

Pin It
Share

More by Adria Young

  • Sloan

    Hardcore 7” Package (Sloanmusic)
    • by Adria Young
    • May 9, 2013
  • More »

Jazz hands 

Improv at The Khyber makes a triumphant return, promising a night of exciting, one time only sounds.

by
click to enlarge music_feature3.jpg

Letting go takes courage. In 2000, with the support of JazzEast and the Canada Council for the Arts, jazz saxophonist David Aaron brought improv to the Khyber. Born in Toronto but based in New York, Aaron conducted quirky open performances with no set lists or prepared repertoires by local and international musicians. Eventually, he handed over the baton to jazz bassist Lukas Pearse. Until now.

On Saturday, Improv at The Khyber returns to Halifax for a very special fly-by-seat-of-your-pants kind of evening. After approaching a wish-list of fave musicians, Aaron has arranged four groups of improvisers from different musical disciplines that will play at intervals. The added element of surprise?

"Nobody will know who they will be playing with until they get there," he says, which will heighten the intensity of improv. "The moment kind of inspires the moment itself. The trick is to listen."

Bringing a taste of New York's inventive jazz scene with him, Aaron says free improv has power.

"It's challenging and it's personal and it can be such a beautiful expression of yourself. It can also be an incredibly dangerous and uneasy place to live," he says, noting that formlessness can be cruel.

But "I think that music should be an expression of the sounds going on in your head and free improv is just one of the rawest forms of that. Hopefully, it's where technique, personality, and the moment all converge together to make music."

The only thing you can expect is the unexpected.

Improv at The Khyber

Saturday, November 3, 8pm, $10

The Khyber, 1588 Barrington Street

more articles in Music »

  • Improv at The Khyber makes a triumphant return, promising a night of exciting, one time only sounds.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this thread:
By Email
With RSS

Add a comment

Latest in Music Feature

Events
Music
Film Times
Dining
Locations

Coast Top Ten

Most Read
Most Shared
Most Discussed
  1. Dyscontrol’s record time   (Music Feature)
  2. Fresh prince   (Music Feature)
  3. All the Vixens   (Music Feature)
  4. This Ship’s Stars quality   (Music Feature)
  5. Rad scientists    (Music Feature)
  6. Reading Classified's Self Explanatory   (Music Feature)
  7. Broadway, here I come   (Music Feature)
  8. Showing your Rage   (New Music Issue)
  9. Some Mo Kenney   (Music Feature)
  10. Get your Goatwhore   (Music Feature)

In Print This Week

Vol 21, No 3
June 20, 2013

Cover Gallery »

Guides

© 2013 Coast Publishing Ltd.