British newspaper The Independent was knocked after a Colin Stetson gig at the Jazz Cafe in London a few years back. The preamble to the review read succinctly: “his technical knowledge is colossal – this man is an orchestra”. It was hardly after an unusually successful gig: that’s how it usually looks in the papers after a Colin Stetson concert.
Other musicians have also discovered his unique sound and it says a lot that sound virtuosos such as Laurie Anderson, Tom Waits, Arcade Fire and Bon Iver have chosen to collaborate with him. On his own, he has interpreted Henryk Gorecki’s magical Third Symphony and released a long series of records that received the highest ratings.
With his bass saxophone, he creates soundscapes that are both rhythmically elegant and melodically darkly evocative. With advanced microphone array and circular breathing, Stetson creates sound mats that are equal parts drone, minimalism and jazz. Yes, and so little influences from electronica.
Support: Ka Baird
Ka Baird is a musician, performer, composer and sound designer based in New York City. They are known for their live performances which include extended voice and microphone techniques combined with electronics and psychoacoustic interplay of flutes and other woodwinds. They create a present tense sound with a vigorous, ritualistic delivery that seeks extreme release through physical exertion and psychic extension. They have worked/collaborated with many other musicians, artists, filmmakers and choreographers, both in structured compositions and in their dedicated practice of improvisation and interdisciplinary work.
