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Gordon Grdina is an accomplished Oud/Guitarist whose sound is a combination of his interests in mainstream jazz, free-form improvisation and Arabic classical music. He leads many ensembles such as Box Cutter, a genre bending improvising quartet with internationally acclaimed clarinetist Francois Houle they have released two CD’s for Spool Records. East Van Strings, an improvising string quartet, influenced by the Viennese school of composition is with Eyvind Kang viola, Peggy Lee cello and Jesse Zubot violin their debut CD is scheduled for release on Songlines in Spring ’09. Gordon has also performed or recorded with Mark Helias, Gerry Hemingway, Fredrik Ljungkvist, Tom Varner, Jon Ballantyne, Simin Ghanem, Andy Milne, and Mariam Matossian.
His debut CD for Songlines “Think Like the Waves” was released in ’06 with Gary Peacock and Paul Motian. This CD combined material from all of Gordon’s ensembles. His current trio is with Canada’s premier rhythm section of Kenton Loewen, and Tommy Babin they have just released their debut CD “…If Accident Will” for Plunge Records. The trio explores each of the musical ideas put forth in “Think Like the Waves” and stretches them to the limit. The band has a massive dynamic range being at once quiet for an oud lead taqasim and then raging over a free form punk groove the next. The band is vibrant and exciting to see live as the audience never knows what is going to happen next. They are equal parts Mahavishnu, Jimmy Giuffre, and Rabih Abou-Khalil.
Kenton Loewen is constantly exploring different musical possibilities and is a regular contributor to the Vancouver improvising music community. He performs regularly with Now
Orchestra, Coat Cooke Trio, and Georgio Magnenesi, Ron Samworth, Peter Hannan, and Francois Houle. Kenton has also been a part of many successful bands to come out of Vancouver. Anarchist Punk Band Submission Hold, art pop group Mother Mother, country folk stars Po’ Girl. Each of these groups has toured throughout Canada, the United States and Europe and has sold more than 20 000 CD’s.
Tommy Babin arrived in Vancouver in 2005 after a decade in Montreal. He has recorded and performed worldwide with a wide range of artists including Montreal-based Jorane, Ramachandra Borcar, Les Projectionnistes, Jeszcze Raz, Thomas Hellman, Rainer Weins and Joel Miller, international figures such as Hamid Drake, Kudsi Egerner, Abdullah Chaddeh and Daniel e D'Agaro, and such Vancouver - based luminaries as Paul Pliml ey, and Francois Houle. Tommy leads his own project Benz ene and is working on an interactive project for solo bass and computer with Tamara Smyth.
Quotes
…Grdina is a voracious listener…everything moves in endless cycles of interaction…there’s something revelatory about the album’s unflinching hypnotic core…Greg Buium (Downbeat)
#2... a combination of mainstream jazz, free-form improvisation and Arabic classical music. The resulting music is one of the most refreshing styles of jazz I've ever heard... and their collective improvisation is superb...
John Matouk "Top Ten Brilliant Alternative Jazz Albums”
...a blend of the intensity of John McLaughlin and the linear phrasing of Joe Morris, with a bit of john Zorn attitude thrown in for good measure…There is a tangible energy to everything that Grdina lays his hand to... it has been a long time since a young artist has sounded this impressive...(it) heralds the arrival of an exciting new talent..
James Hale (Coda)
Grdina is constantly playing around with different was to resolve chords…I love the patient, architectural style of his improvising. His balance between this kind of complexity and direct, emphatic lyricism is fantastic...
Jason Bivins (Signal to Noise)
…constantly reinventing himself and surprising his listeners with an ever-changing array of new sounds and concepts… Alexander Varty (Georgia Straight)
…harnesses progressive energy in ways that most cannot… Roman Sokal (Exclaim)
001 604 251-6445 ggrdina@uniserve.com
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tel : 604 251 6445