Experimental Music for Ensembles, Drums, and Electronics | James Harley / Philippe Hode-Keyser

This new disc represents decades of musical exploration, rooted in jazz but pushing far out from that tradition. All of the music is based on notated scores for large ensembles (« big bands ») but improvisation plays a large role. Performances by Hode-Keyser in Montreal of existing music composed in the 1980s by Harley led to two new works composed specially for Hode-Keyser’s Ensemble Kappa. These scores question the jazz tradition through a lense shaped by immersion in European contemporary music, after Harley had spent six years living in London, Paris, and Warsaw.  KappaMusik was premiered at the Open Ears Festival in Kitchener.

This CMC presentation will explore the dynamic relationship between notated musical scores and creative interpretation/improvisation. The Cool Hearts Band will perform two versions of Sabbath, one of the works included on the  CD, alongside a discussion of the creative process that shaped the project.

James Harley is Professor of Music and Critical Studies in Improvisation at the University of Guelph. Philippe Hode-Keyser is a musician and band-leader in Montreal.

Admission Free*

Time / 2:00-4:00 pm / Doors at 1:30 pm

*Audience members who make a $20 donation to the CMC during advanced registration or at the door will receive a free copy of the album courtesy of the artist.