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Concert reviews Music

Hobsons Choice and Darren Hanlon at Burdock

HOBSONS CHOICE and DARREN HANLON at Burdock, Thursday, June 25. Rating: NNNN

I was wondering who was behind this unusual pairing: Aussie folksinger Darren Hanlon, on his way back from a North American tour that began during Canadian Music Week, and local chamber-jazz group Hobsons Choice, featuring improv scene regulars Felicity Williams, Michael Davidson, Rebecca Hennessy and Harley Card. Turns out it was Burdock co-founder Charlotte Cornfields idea, and it was a good one.

In the quieter venue (CMW saw him performing at the Paddock), Hanlon was able to go real quiet when he fancied it. There was no set list, so he seemed to simply follow his inclination. He played stellar Halleys Comet, 1986 and bluesy Theres Nothing On My Mind off his latest, Where Did You Come From? as well as I Waited For The 17 kind of an absurd spiritual and He Misses You Too, You Know (off Hello Stranger). Lyrically, Hanlon can be deeply complex, or really silly he finished up with (Theres Just Not Enough Songs About) Squash, into which he editorially jabbed stupid song during a solo. Whats impressive is that alone on stage, Hanlon can occasionally conjure a band: pulling out bluesy rock guitar solos and shifting himself right to left, acting like two people.

A different interplay of simple and complex was at work during Hobsons Choice. With four people, including Davidson on vibraphone, and Williams on high (very, very high) vocals, the band often climbed up to big builds. But there were also gentle, calm, even sparse interludes: just Cards guitar, or Hennessys trumpet just vibraphone. The bands 2012 album, Of The Waves, which they drew from, is a jazzy cottage dock album, devoted to summer and water and kind of perfect for the weather.

music@nowtoronto.com | @sarahgreene

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