Performing a rare early show at the Rex Hotel one Thursday evening
was a trio consisting of old Vancouver friends who now live in different
cities.
The October Trio consists of reedman Evan Arntzen who now is
situated in Brooklyn, bassist Josh Cole who is based in Toronto, and drummer
Dan Gaucher who still lives in Vancouver.
While studying music many years ago in Capilano College in Vancouver,
they have decided together to form a trio that has influences in ECM jazz,
avant-garde music, hip hop, folk and Latin forms. 10 years later, they have recorded albums,
and have reunited once again in Toronto for a series of dates.
Their performance at The Rex was a display of contrapuntal group
interplay at its deepest and introspective as a unit. The performances were essentially group
improvisations that were mainly free jazz with melodic and rhythmic elements
that provided a static and structured quality to the music. At times the music can shift from slow, to
swing, to 12/8 Cuban feels and to free form improvisation, while achieving a
melodicism that is unique and indicative of the makeup of this group.
Evan Arntzen showed his dexterity and wide array of colours and pallets
on both tenor and soprano saxophones as well as clarinet. His ideas were really taking the music to
other territories and places that are well situated in this century and
beyond. Josh Cole took the role of the
bass from simply timekeeping into a horn like instrument that complemented the
directions of the reed instruments and has evolved himself into an effectively
emotional soloist on the upright bass.
I even felt at times that his bass playing was emulating the harmonic
and melodic qualities displayed by the now dearly departed Charlie Haden and
the late great Scott Lafaro. Drummer
Dan Gaucher brought rhythmic colours and qualities with his drumming that aided
with the creative shifts in the music, treating the drums like a complete
orchestral unit that brings a uniqueness to the collective improvisations of
the group.
Overall a great reunion from a forward thinking young band. Here’s to another 10 years.
THE OCTOBER TRIO WEB SITE
(From Left: Evan Arntzen, Josh Cole, and Dan Gaucher)
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