The past year has a difficult one for musicians, promoters and record stores. The worldwide economy sucks, unemployment continues to increase and sales of CD's grow slimmer & slimmer. What few stores and record labels are left are all suffering in one way or another and attendance at challenging performances is dwindling. I have been more stressed out about the store and our future and it has taken its toll. So when FIMAV (Festival International Music Actuelle of Victoriaville) finally rolled around this year, I really needed a vacation from the daily trials and tribulations of life more than ever. This year I drove up with a crew of five friends, Jason R. & Eric S., who have been attending Victo for a number of years and Mike P. & Joe M., who help out at DMG. Some of you would no doubt recognize Mike & Joe, since they are both volunteers at The Stone plus Joe is a member of a few local bands like Death First and Mike recently started a label called Relative Pitch.

Our long trip up Quebec in a rented mini-van was fun, listening to a variety of discs and having both serious & silly discussions. The sky was overcast on the way up and it rained a bit but luckily we had great, mostly cool weather for the entire duration of our stay. For a change, getting through customs was relatively painless. We had dinner in Montreal with friends from NY (Charles & Kathy) and Texas (Don White). We pulled in to Victoriaville around midnight, with Jason & Eric staying at the Victorin (formerly the Colibri) and Mike, Joe & myself staying at my ladyfriend's house, Huguette. The past year had also been difficult for my friend and festival promoter Michel Levasseur, who had hip-replacement surgery as well as the usual concerns for festival attendance and the future of the Victo label.

Thursday, May 19th was the first day of the festival so we picked up our tickets, bought some sale discs and checked out some of the installations that were featured this year. We all had dinner at Mykonos, the favorite Greek restaurant for most of us and the one place that some of us eat every night. There was a free opening cocktail party close to where the exhibitions were which had posters from each of the previous FIMAV's. All of these posters were interesting to look at and it brought back memories. I figured out that I have been attending every year since 1987 and with some 23 or 24 shows per year (except for the two most recent years), that's quite a bit of great music (over 500 sets) that I've heard in the small countryside town of Victoriaville. I have long had faith in Michel's ability to find challenging and diverse music from around the world each & every year.

The opening set was a delightful trio called Tokyo Taiga which featured Makigami Koichi on vocals, theremin, jaw's harp & pocket trumpet, Bolot Bayryshev (from Mongolia) on voice & topshur (2-string plucked guitar-like instrument) and Sato Masaharu on percussion & flutes. The set started with the ever-charming Makigami singing slowly and making that mischievous face that we all love. Both Makigami and Bolot both sang lead in different combinations, with Bolot most often singing in that exotic Tuvan throat-singing voice. Throat-singing is a tradition that has been handed down throughout Mongolian history and Bolot is an obvious exponent of that sound. Makigami has also studied and imitates throat singing in his own way, occasionally getting Bolot to smile when the two of them throat sing at the same time. The trio did a fine job of layering different drones upon one another, often with a most hypnotic effect. Sato is an impressive percussionist, playing a large drum turned sideways, as well as other weird percussion instruments and different wooden flutes. Perhaps the only drawback was that Bolot played his topshur with a pickup through a phase-shifter in the same way on too many of the pieces. Still most of this set was stunning and often enchanting.

One of the most anticipated sets this year was by The Ex & Brass Unbound. The Ex are a DIY sort of punk band from the Netherlands that have been around for some thirty+ years with just a handful of personnel changes. They recently got their first new singer in their long history who adds a youthful vibe to their sound. For their Victo set, they added a rare horn section with Mats Gustafsson (bari) and Ken Vandermark (tenor) on saxes, Roy Paci on trumpet and Wolter Weirbos on trombone. The Ex's currently have no bassist but two longtime guitarists who play different interlocking riffs which often remind me of those bent Beefheartian double guitars. The group gets into a variety of different rocking grooves that are somewhat hypnotic and often over the top with intensity. All four horn players have long careers in improvised music, yet here mostly wail out those funky riffs with an occasional solo. There was of course one amazing, over-the-top bari sax solo from Mats Gustafsson who is unstoppable when he gets going. The Ex have spent time and collaborated with a number of Ethiopian musicians, hence they've written tunes in that style. They performed a couple of these great songs, once with their female drummer singing which added a certain charm to their more unrelenting riff-oriented set. There were a number of folks up front dancing so the vibe felt great, festive and invigorating. Even old man Bruce Lee (57 this month) got up and danced.

Kid Koala is a young Quebecois DJ who I once saw duo a fine duo set with Martin Tetreault at Victo years earlier. I wasn't expecting too much since I rarely check out DJ's but have to admit that his set was pretty charming anyway. Considering that he wore a large silly-looking koala costume throughout the set, I wasn't sure what to expect. Kid Koala had three turntables and a once expensive sampling keyboard that he had wanted for many years. The theme was sampling "blues" recordings but that was just a part of what he actually did. He did mix a variety of heavy rock and funk riffs with different blues snippets, vocal & instrumental. What impressed me most was the way he would add layers of samples tightly one on top of one another into a strong collage. Some of the blues bits reminded me of Little Axe, who also do a similar job of playing & sampling older blues riffs. One of the highlights of the set was his alteration of a Louis Armstrong solo that was bent note by note and made perfect sense as a solo of its own. During a rare audience participation section, he had two members of the audience (a woman & my friend Jason) stage a pillow fight along to some funky Kung Fu samples. It was hilarious to watch. He also had some movies of animated hip-hop dance competitions that were also pretty funny. He ended the set with tortured version of "Moon River", one of corniest songs of all time. It brought the entire first day to a cheesy close which felt just right.

The second day of Victo 27 began with a solo performance by Vancouver-based pianist Paul Plimley. I must admit that I am a longtime friend and fan of Mr. Plimley's, who I can recall from the earliest days of my attending the Victo Fest in the late eighties. There was also a most memorable Victo Fest which ended with a great triple bill of Plimley & John Oswald (on sax), Marilyn Crispell and Cecil Taylor both playing wonderful solo piano sets. Cecil was late for this performance due to jury duty so an opening set by Plimley & Oswald was added at the last minute. Sadly, Mr. Plimley rarely makes it to New York to play so seeing him at the Victo fest is always a treat. This set was much different that any other time I've heard Mr. Plimley. His playing was often spacious and cautious, as if every note was played with intense care. He took his time to slowly build into more intense areas. I heard bits of folky and bluesy themes that he would move through, with the entire set building most organically. It took a while before he finally struck those two-handed eruptions. This set was one of my favorite sets of this fest since the way it unfolded and progressed made perfect sense. It turns out that Mr. Plimley has been playing and teaching guitar over the past decade and gets more gigs on guitar in Vancouver nowadays. He also played in NY last week (5/26-28/11) with Lisle Ellis & his friend Victoria on guitar only.

Just a few weeks before the Victo Fest, a young trio from Quebec called La Part Maudite came down and played a short set at our store (5/1/11) on an odd triple bill with the sound poetry of Jacques Demierre and a mostly Korean quartet. La Part Maudite features Philippe Battikha on electric trumpet, Mivil Deschenes on electric bass and Patrick Dion on drums. Their set at Victo was much louder and more intense. Their bassist was often at the center of most of their pieces playing heavy fuzz bass riffs that were hypnotic and occasionally overwhelming. This trio really do not sound like any other band I've heard and are between categories with understated jazz, rock & prog influences. The trumpeter used a great deal of effects and distortion on his instrument, which worked most of the time yet gave him a bit of kazoo-like tone on occasion. There were few solos in their set so the music was more about mood and texture. There were some triumphant Crimson-like sections and they found a way to avoid the usual jazz/rock cliches that plague certain fusion bands. I look forward to seeing what they develop into next.

I attended a press conference for Nels Cline earlier that day which was a good thing since Nels explained how his collaboration with Norton Wisdom had evolved. This particular duo has only done a few gigs together so it was great to witness their set on a large stage with great sound and sight-lines. While Nels plays solo electric guitar with his distinctive devices, Mr. Wisdom paints on a large screen on the other side of the stage. Wisdom usually applies one color or idea at a time and adds or scrapes off bits in order to change shapes or shades. Each of his pieces develop differently as he adds certain recognizable images. Once an entire scene or image seems done, he erases it and begins again. Both of these men do a great job of projecting ideas and hence, telling stories. Since the stories evolve slowly, they often seem to inspire each other or at least develop in similar ways. Nels uses his trusty old echoplex box as well as different objects to alter and mutate the strings and his sound. This was another successful set that was uniquely crafted. Only the memories of the audience members can capture the completed images before they were erased again and again. Wisdom took pictures of only the completed works which were sold inexpensively at the merch table.

The next set was a sort of noise all-stars set that looked odd on paper. It was a collaboration between Richard Pinhas, Merzbow and Wolf Eyes. All three of these entities come from much different backgrounds. Richard Pinhas (who just turned 60) is a legendary French guitarist who used to lead the prog band Heldon, has maintained a Fripp-like tone on guitar for many years and can be heard on more than 25 records from the early seventies onwards. Even more prolific is Japanese noisemaker Merzbow (Masami Akita) who once worked exclusively with feedback and used to alienate his audience and has much more than a hundred discs to his name. Wolf Eyes are a popular much younger (3 piece) noise ensemble who once collaborated with Anthony Braxton at Victo. Mr. Pinhas and Merzbow have already recorded together twice for two more recent releases. So when the six musicians took the stage, no one knew what to expect. The sound evolved into a dense wall of noise with layers of electronics throbbing and burbling. The members of Wolf Eyes played what looked like homemade electronic devices, guitar, bass & sax. It was often nearly impossible to tell who was doing what when the dense wall of noise erupted into layers of warped electronic cosmic sludge. Some of the sounds were ugly and scary and reminded me of a group of vacuum cleaners howling together. It ended with what sounded like an alien spaceship landing. Unfortunately I couldn't hear what Mr. Pinhas was doing although I could see he was playing his customary guitar. A duo set by Pinhas and Merzbow would've been enough for me.

I missed the final set that day by Erik M and FM Einheit due to exhaustion and much needed sleep. I heard it was great, especially drilling and flying sparks from Mr. Einheit. I also left early the next day during the solo set by Mia Zabelka which I found to be rather predictable and not that interesting.

The third day started with a new trio called Zeena Parkins and the Adorables. The trio featured Zeena on acoustic & electric harps & electronics, Preshish Moments on electronics and Shayna Dunkelman on percussion. I had not heard of the other members of Zeena's new group and this was their debut playing Zeena's music. I've always dug whatever Ms. Parkins comes up with since she works hard on each and every project, with less than a dozen discs as a leader in some thirty years. Zeena no longer performs regularly in NY and rarely plays her acoustic harp live so that made this set even more of a rare treat. The trio performed a balancing act carefully between acoustic (harp & percussion) and electronic sounds. Zeena started on her acoustic harp, plucking sublime phrases while Preshish slowly added electronic spice, bit by bit. Ms. Dunkelman is a gifted percussionist who took her time and added the right amount of flourishes and rhythmic undertow to the proceedings. Zeena's music often reminded me of her days with Skeleton Crew, European progressive melodies with some majestic moments. Preshish was most selective adding bits of drum machine lines and shading the music with subtle electronic enhancements. This fine trio got one of the only encores this year and returned to play a familiar tune, which it turned out to be by Henry Mancini. Can't wait for Zeena to release a new CD of this music.

I remember finding a disc by the Ratchet Orchestra a couple of years ago, a rather obscure Quebec-based large ensemble. That was a much smaller version of the band. The set here was their Victo debut and for this concert the Ratchet Orchestra consisted of some 28 members. The only musicians I knew previously were Jean Derome, Lori Friedman, Tom Walsh, John Heward and Chris Cauley. The band was led by bassist Nicolas Caloia, who also composed the music and directed. The day on which this ensemble played was May 21st which was wrongly predicted to be Judgement Day, a cosmic joke interpreted by Bible-thumpers around the world. Appropriately, the Ratchet Orchestra started their set with the Sun Ra classic "It's After the End of the World" (Don't You Know?). It was a perfect way to open their magical set by chanting and repeating the title phrase. 28 members is quite a large group which included an eight-member reeds section, eight brass, six strings, electric guitar, acoustic bass and a handful of percussion players. Mr. Caloia did a marvelous job of arranging so that whenever anyone soloed, the section around them would play sympathetically underneath. Each solo was short and to the point with no one overplaying. Jean Derome, Lori Friedman & Chris Cauley each played fine solos but the best one was by Jason Sharp on bass sax which opened one piece with mysterious, dark lines floating around him. The overall vibe often reminded me of the more somber moments by the Sun Ra Arkestra. This set might have been my favorite of the fest, it was certainly the most focused and successful considering the unwieldy size of the orchestra.

After a tasty dinner at Piazzetta, we returned to the cinema to catch a spectacular set by Peter Brotzmann, Massimo Pupillo and Paal Nilssen-Love. This was the North American debut set by this trio and considering that legendary German free/jazz saxist Peter Brotzmann turns 70 this month (June of 2011), his power and creativity remains undiminished. Right from the opening note, the trio was off and running, soaring intensely upwards and onwards. Mr. Brotzmann started on tenor sax, switched to tarogato, clarinet and later alto sax, concentrating on each one, exploring and erupting and wailing. Electric bassist Massimo Pupillo is from the Italian hardcore jazz/rock/punk improv band Zu and he provided a pivot point for sax and drums erupt from. Mr. Brotzmann has a most distinctive sound on sax and clarinet, you can hear his unique cry in the center of the storm. I found drummer Paal Nilssen-Love to be the most impressive member of this trio. He switched from sticks to mallets to brushes throughout the set and the dynamic of their sound changed completely every time he switched. The entire set was most exhilarating and uplifting. A great way to prepare us for things to come.

Considering that Anthony Braxton is one of the most creative and influential saxists/composers/bandleaders on the planet, his set here was both controversial and confusing. The name of the project was "Echo Echo Mirror House" and it featured a number of his regular collaborators: Taylor Ho Bynum, Mary Halvorson, Jessica Pavone, Carl Testa, Jay Rozen and Aaron Siegel. The music itself was post-Ghost Trance, which I'm sure made some folks happy. The concept involved different members using an i-pod of Braxton's back catalogue which was played through the PA system throughout most of the set. Mr. Braxton used new clock-hand-like signals to cue certain ideas. Although I could see certain folks soloing, like Mary and Taylor, I couldn't always hear them through the dense transmissions of the i-pods. This proved a bit frustrating for many audience members. I recognized a number of the pieces that I heard like a song from "New York 1974". What I dug about this is that it was like entering a dense world of Braxton's vast catalogue and hearing how what he is doing now fits within or on top of that collage. It was somewhat exhausting and took some work to hear as much as I could. I would think that be hearing it a few more times, it would make even more sense.

The final set that night was also exhausting yet successful. It featured Australian modern classical composer Anthony Pateras on piano & computer and grindcore drummer Max Hohane. The name of the project is called Pivixki and it was completely throttling. Mr. Pateras played mostly acoustic piano and often concentrated on one section of the piano at a time, hitting furious cascades of single notes at an inhuman pace. Pateras also had a computer keyboard on top of the piano so he could sample the occasional swirling waves of electronic sounds. This was some of the tightest and most frenetic music I've heard in recent times. Drummer Kohane was a phenomenal powerhouse and a perfect match for riveting superhuman lines that Pateras concentrated on. The overall effect was a bit intimidating considering that this was a midnight set and the sixth set of the day. It felt great to finally get some sleep that night once I got home.

Sunday, May 22nd was the last day of the festival and it began with a solo set from Peter Brotzmann. Peter played four reeds (tenor & alto sax, clarinet & tarogato), one at a time and concentrated on each one. Starting with tenor, the one sax he plays the most, he dug in and softly wailed building in waves of cascading notes. That most distinctive tone, the vocal-like cry was at the center of the storm as if ascended higher and higher, line by line. Certain notes were fractured or bent yet each note had that Brotzmann-like sound. Next was the clarinet, which he plays in a much different way, again focusing on certain notes, weaving different lines together into something strong and uplifting. Later he went back to the tenor and did something I've rarely heard him do, he played a cover of "I Surrender Dear", an early jazz classic made famous by Coleman Hawkins. Although it seemed odd at first, in retrospect it makes sense since Brotzmann started out playing jazz (in the sixties) and is renown for his distinctive tone just like Coleman Hawkins was. Brotzmann then switched to alto sax and played another modern jazz cover, Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman". Peter's version was actually stunning, I don't think I have ever heard him play so sublime. In many ways, this was a perfect set and it seemed that everyone I spoke with agreed.

The next set was another winner that everyone is still talking about. It was 7K Oaks, an international quartet featuring Alfred 23 Harth on tenor sax, bass clarinet & electronics, Luca Venitucci on piano & minimal electronics, Massimo Pupillo on electric bass and Fabrizio Spera on drums. Mr. Harth is a mysterious figure who grew up in Germany but has been living in Korea for many years. Pianist Luca Venitucci is a member of the great Zeitkratzer modern electric chamber ensemble. Bassist Pupillo plays with Zu but seems to pop up in a variety of settings with Peter Brotzmann, Gianni Gebbia & Eraldo Bernocchi. Drum wiz Fabrizio Spera plays with the Italian quartet Eco D'Alberi, Ossatura, Mike Cooper & John Butcher. Their set started out slowly and built suspensefully. Mr. Harth began on quiet, eerie electronics and all of the members wove their their sounds around one another carefully. In the background on the screen above and behind the band, a drive-by film of the sights of Victoriaville appeared, slightly warped yet somehow appropriate. All four members cautiously contributed to the simmering sound as the long piece evolved. Alfred eventually switched to tenor sax and had that righteous Pharoah Sanders-like spiritual sound which sounded amazing sailing over the top of the waves below. The piano, el. bass and drums played superbly, listening closely and weaving intricately around one another. The overall sound was like a cosmic space jam that swept everyone away. One of the highlights was crafty, spooky selective electronic sounds that Mr. Harth played and obviously has been refining for many years. This was the favorite set for many of my friends and I must agree that it was incredible.

Experimental vocalist and lunatic Jaap Blonk was next and for me it was much needed blast of bizarre humor to balance the other more serious side of music making. Each piece had a story, purpose or explanation and Mr. Blonk continually twisted his voice into a variety of weird ways. Beginning with a description of how we hear, Jaap whispered "Breathing In & Out & Listening", giving us things to think about while listening. All of Jaap's stage banter was in English and he did a piece in a new invented language that had no meaning yet it sounded like he knew what he was saying, (it was based on Dutch he said). One of my favorite bits was a bebop song sung and scatted and hilariously performed, twisting the words & sounds inside-out. He did an excerpt from the Dadaist classic 'Ursonate' by Kurt Schwitters which fit perfectly, as well as a piece about snoring which Huguette found immensely funny since we both tease each other about who snores the most. There was a piece in which he sampled slowed down Balinese music while describing Balinese instruments in a slow, calm voice. He concluded with a piece inspired by children where he imitates farting sounds by manipulating his nose and cheeks. He repeated one line throughout the entire set and altered it each time which seemed like a theme, "The prime minister finds such utterances completely inappropriate". It hurt to laugh so much but felt great in the end.

Another set which I found to be wonderful yet perplexing but was not appreciated by a number of the journalists was by the Ig Hennenman Sextet. This was an all-star international ensemble featuring Ms. Henneman on viola & compositions, Ab Baars on tenor sax, clarinet & shakuhachi, Lori Friedman on clarinets, Axel Dorner on trumpets, Marilyn Lerner on piano and Wilbert De Joode on contrabass. This music was much closer to chamber music then any sort of jazz yet it was certainly in between any usual categories. The writing was both skeletal and complex at the same time. There was different subgroups that would play together while someone else soloed. With no drummer, double bassist De Joode often provided the bottom end focal point although the rhythmic structures were spread amongst all members of the sextet. What was unexpected was the way many of the pieces ended, you never knew how things would develop before they disappeared. Although everyone got a chance to play short solos, it was more the skewered harmonies and subtle shades underneath the solos that were consistently fascinating. I found this set to be perhaps the most rewarding and challenging of this fest. I have been slowly listening to new CD by this same sextet and am still mystified by it.

The final set this year was the much anticipated ComicOperando: The music of Robert Wyatt by another international cast. The all-star sextet featured Dagmar Krause on lead vocals, Karen Mantler on Hammond organ, harmonica & vocals, Annie Whitehead on trombone, Michel Deville on electric guitar & vocal, John Edwards on contrabass & vocal and Chris Cutler on drums. There are a number of things about this set which kept the anticipation so intense. Dagmar Krause used to sing lead for Henry Cow, Slapp Happy & the Art Bears, three very important bands in the history of serious progressive music. Dagmar has never performed in the US much to the dismay of Henry Cow & Art Bears fans here but did perform in a duo at Victo a few years back. Drummer Chris Cutler was also a member of Henry Cow & the Art Bears, as well as with the Art Bears (Reunion) Songbook which took place at Victo a few years back. Robert Wyatt is the favorite singer and songwriter of many of those who consider themselves to be Canterbury fans and/or serious progressive music enthusiasts. Mr. Wyatt retired from singing on stage more than thirty years ago except for a handful of special occasions, all of which were in England. So getting a chance to hear songs from many of Mr. Wyatt's great records played live was indeed a rare treat. 'Rock Bottom' is considered by many (myself included) to be Wyatt's masterwork and for this set we heard four of those special songs - Wow! I believe it was Karen Mantler who put this fine group together and she did a great job. Karen is the daughter of Carla Bley & Michael Mantler, both of whom are/were good friends of Robert's and utilized his voice on a few of their own records. The sixteen songs that were chosen were taken from Robert's long career which started back in 1967 with Soft Machine through Matching Mole and his long solo career since. The earliest song was Hugh Hopper's classic "Memories" which was once sung by Robert on an early Daevid Allen solo record and here sublimely sung by Dagmar. Another earlier song was "Gloria Gloom" from the second Matching Mole album which was given a spooky, reflective treatment, better to consider the words that really make you think. Another unexpected delight was "Solar Flares" from 'Ruth is Stranger Than Richard', sung well by Karen with special attention to the complex arrangements. The first encore also included the silly "Soup Song" also from 'Ruth...' which was well handled by Dagmar. The majority of the songs were taken from later Wyatt albums and each one was well-chosen. Besides organ, Karen also played some delightful chromatic harmonica on a couple of pieces. It was great to hear acoustic bass great John Edwards playing songs instead his usual improvising work and he even sung one song and sounded perfect for that song. Guitarist Michel Delville is from a band called the Wrong Object who I hadn't heard of. He also played well with that Mike Oldfield-like sustained tone that works so well on 'Rock Bottom'. The real treat for many of was getting to hear "Little Red Riding Hood Hit the Road" (with Annie Whitehead replacing Mongezi Feza on trombone), "Little Red Robin Hood Hit the Road", "Alifib" and best of all "Sea Song" which sent chills up and down my spine and brought tears to my eyes. Although it might have been too low key for some, I thought it was the perfect way to bring this festival to a grand close.

This was the second year that Victo has cut back its old schedule by one day, losing four concerts. For those of us who have been attending for many years, it did feel a little short but no less worthwhile. A bunch of my friends decided again this year to stay an extra day and travel up to Quebec City to unwind, talk and celebrate the wonderful Victoriaville Festival that we've just attended. Special thanks to Michel Levasseur and his crew for the great job they do each and every year. It was indeed a great vacation that will live long in our collective memories.

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery - June 2nd, 2011



Here's a list of Suggestions for Next Year's Victo Fest:

1. MAGMA (consistently mind-blowing live!)

2. JOHN HOLLENBECK LARGE ENSEMBLE or his CLAUDIA QUINTET

3. SYLVIE COURVOISIER/MARK FELDMAN QUARTET

4. MARY HALVORSON QUINTET

5. TOM RAINEY'S POOL SCHOOL

6. KALABALIK (with RAOUL BJORKENHEIM / ANDERS NILSSON / GERALD CLEAVER]

7. LOUIE BELOGENIS / JOHN ZORN UNBROKEN QUARTET

8. ADAM RUDOLPH'S GO-ORGANIC ORCHESTRA

9. PAUL DUNMALL / PAUL ROGERS / PHILLIP GIBBS / TREVOR TAYLOR

10. THE AHLEUCHATISTAS