Colin Stetson | Jerry Granelli & Jay Clayton

One of the eighty grand affairs at the TD Halifax Jazz Festival, July 8-16, 2011.

Colin Stetson (MTL)
improv / jazz

Colin Stetson is a force of nature. He is a two-handed, one-horned beast of a performer who has been turning heads and perking ears at every show. He is a lone saxophonist with no extras: no accompaniment, no computers, no pedals, no bells or whistles. What will have people talking after the show is Stetson’s incredible musical and physical feats. His playing is commanding and mesmerizing. As a modern audience, we often forget what a powerful presence one musician with an acoustic instrument can have on us; Stetson reminds us of this with his strained circular breathing until he’s red in the face. Beyond his staggering solo show, he is a regular member of Sway Machinery and Belle Orchestre and has worked with the likes of Arcade Fire, Anthony Braxton, Bon Iver, Lou Reed and The National, among many others.

Personnel: Colin Stetson (saxophone)

Jerry Granelli* & Jay Clayton (HFX/NYC)
improv / jazz / vocal

JazzEast decided to begin this year’s festival with a real bang: the first in a series of four concerts cel- ebrating Jerry Granelli’s birthday. Joined by longtime friend and collaborator, avant-garde vocalist Jay Clayton, Granelli is out to prove there is no stopping him. He and Jay Clayton first collaborated in 1986 on Sound Songs, an album of truly original originals and an epic take on Mingus’ ‘Goodbye Porkpie Hat’. With a background in music education, Clayton got her start performing standards in the club racket. She quickly developed a taste for the experimental and was one of the first vocalists working in the field of free jazz. Whatever shape this concert takes, know that it will be revelatory; the combination of stalwart experimentalists Granelli and Clayton and a first time musical encounter between Granelli and Stetson will result in an unprecedented, one-time only perfor- mance. Don’t miss out!

Personnel: Jay Clayton (vocals), Jerry Granelli (drums) with special guest Colin Stetson (saxophone)

*A Festival Special: Jerry Granelli's 70th BIrthday SerIes - Jerry Granelli has spent his life as a cosmic outlaw deep in the trenches of popular culture. His fight is against the most evil of opponents: musical complacency. His weapon of choice, among the myriad instruments he has tamed, is the art of improvisation. To insure victory, Jerry has become an aural shape shifter. Each new project takes the music and the musicians in a new direction, which makes pinning him down next to impossible. Words that often get tossed around when describing Jerry are: inspirational, creative, energetic, passion- ate, driven and always surprising. The reason Jerry remains on the cutting edge is that he refuses to stop creating or experimenting. He has been a driving force of the festival since the very beginning, and this 25th festival marks his 70th Birthday! This celebratory series joins Granelli with an incredible array of musi- cal collaborators to help mark a great many of the stops he has made along the way.

Designated All Ages

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