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Toronto’s improvised music scene has exploded over the past five years into a riot of bands, ad hoc collaborations and free- wheeling interdisciplinary events.
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Experimental forms have been the hallmark of this movement, but Free Boat Rentals is an ensemble with one foot firmly planted in the great 60s Chicago tradition of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, which crossbreeds musical genres with a high degree of discipline and skill.
Trombonist Steve Ward has enlisted an ensemble featuring Dan Gooch (trumpet) Jim Sexton (bass) and Fond of Tigers’ Dan Gaucher (drums), who shred jazz grooves under soundscapes swirling with bells, scrapes and small noises while referencing the world of electronics with subtle shadings of echo and reverb.
All of this is delivered with a cheerful sense of play and a solid focus on the compositional narrative, which in turn feeds the creativity of each musician.
Top track: Boat
Free Boat Rentals play the Rex Sunday (August 1).
