Piccolo jazzbos

>> Introducing Primo Festivale, the other Jazz Fest

by BOSS SAMBOSA

Montreal streets, in the summer, are lined with tourists drenched in sweat, pulling back lukewarm, foamy Molson Drys and taking in all the free jazz they can. The word "free," in this case, is used quantitatively, not qualitatively--the tourists, for the most part, aren't looking for the scrambled aural onslaught of groups like Detention. They just want jazz on the cheap.

In previous years, there has been an absence of the really weird during Montreal's festival season, possibly because experimental music becomes really unpleasant when temperatures exceed 25*c. It's cold music by cold people for cold people.

This said, there is one sweaty exception this year, happening for the most part at the Casa del Popolo and its across-the-street counterpart, the Club Sociale Espangnole (CSE). The massive, five-week anti-jazz festival runs from June 14 to July 22 and has been wistfully dubbed Primo Festivale: Suoni Per Il Popolo. Here are some highlights.

For those who have yet to see local supergroup Shalabi Effect, it cannot be stressed enough that they don't play very often. Although the members of the group have their fingers in a dozen pies each, they have only played together once since their CD launch. For those who've seen the psychedelic maxi-sound freakout, Alien8 label-man Gary Worsely promises, "They've really changed, it's really heavy trip stuff now." That's Sunday, June 17, at the Casa.

Aube--I'll let the bio tell you about this guy. "Virtuoso manipulation of sounds generated by natural bodies such as glass, water and metal." Aube layers on source sounds electronically, and carefully manipulates them live, for a sort of educational, electroacoustic experience. He's here Saturday, June 16, at the Old Port of Montreal as part of the Silophone closing ceremonies (also featuring Steve Heimbecker, Jean-François Laporte and [The User]), and again June 19 at CSE.

Pianist Matthew Shipp returns this year with his New Orbit project, featuring none other than the great William Parker on upright. They're playing June 22 and 23 at the Casa. Expect linear, expansive harmonies, rough around Parker's bass chords and clunky on Shipp's keys.

Mat Maneri plays some lonesome violin, letting strings weep in blank, tragic beauty, plucking and wailing and sounding like a dying dog. This is really beautiful stuff--July 1 at the Casa. The Vandermark 5 are a Chicago supergroup launching melodic, bluesy improv off klezmer music, July 7 at the CSE. Look out for other Chicago post-jazz types Josh Abrams and Chad Taylor (of Terminal 4 and Town and Country) on July 14 and 15 at the Casa.

The last time I saw Fransisco Lopez, I was instructed at the door to wear a blindfold and was treated to a glorious, maximum-sound event where the sonic experience varied according to my physical position. Sitting down one would feel unearthly bass, standing up, crisper treble. As an ear test, go see Lopez on July 8 at the CSE.

Finally, the Chicago Underground Duo will appease everyone, unifying the disparate elements scattered throughout the festival. Bubbly electronic jazz, wholly futuristic, July 15 at the CSE. Check it out--they might have Molson Dry on tap.

For more details go to www.casadelpopolo.com