![Improvising & Experimental Music of Ottawa and Outwards. [2010 to 2023]](https://www.improvisedmoo.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMOOLogoHighQuality-e1662557657744.png)
Performing at Gigspace (953 Gladstone Avenue), Saturday September 22nd 9:00pm.
- Nick Fraser – Drums, Compositions
- Karen Ng – Alto Saxophone
- Emily Denison – Trumpet
- Alex Fournier – Bass
“Beginning with his first trio CD, Owls in Daylight (1997), continuing through his recordings with the quintet Drumheller, and his work featuring New York saxophonist Tony Malaby, Fraser has explored the nature of freedom and abstraction in jazz, moving unassumingly, yet imaginatively, in, out of, between and beyond the music’s various traditions. It’s in his compositions, which are typically the slightest of melodic turns, sometimes with an Ornette-ish curl — just a few notes repeated, and repeated again, to both catchy and compelling effect. And it’s in his drumming, which is measured more in velocity than in volume, but measured all the same — a fast, shifting undertow of precisely struck and carefully shaped textures and rhythms.” – Mark Miller
Nick Fraser has been an active and engaging presence in the Toronto new jazz and improvised music community for over twenty years. He has performed with a veritable “who’s who” of Canadian jazz and improvised music and with such international artists as Tony Malaby, Kris Davis, William Parker, Roscoe Mitchell, Marilyn Crispell, Anthony Braxton, Donny McCaslin and David Binney. Nick’s recorded works as a leader include Owls in Daylight (1997) and Nick Fraser and Justin Haynes are faking it (2004), Towns and Villages (2013), Too Many Continents (2015) and Starer(2016). For ten years, he co-led the group Drumheller, who released four critically acclaimed recordings. Other projects that occupy him regularly are Peripheral Vision, Eucalyptus, Titanium Riot, Ugly Beauties (with Marilyn Lerner and Matt Brubeck), and the Lina Allemano Four. Nick has performed on over 70 commercially released recordings.
Toronto based saxophonist Karen Ng is an eclectic musician involved in many different projects all over the grid. Having the great opportunity to tour Canada, the US, Europe and Asia, she has appeared on stage with Andy Shauf, Do Make Say Think, Fresh Snow, Bry Webb, L CON, Del Bel, the Holy Gasp and Broken Social Scene. Much of her commercial recognition was with Charles Spearin’s Juno award winning Happiness Project which opened for Feist and appeared in Nigel Goderich’s series “From the Basement”.
Emily Denison is a trumpeter-composer-bandleader-human being. She is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, where she earned her Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance with honours. She has been and can be heard in Ken Aldcroft’s Convergence Ensemble, the Nick Fraser New Quartet, and Luscar, as well as in many spontaneous and freelance performances. Her most recent projects include the solo trumpet concept/adventure/cassette Kindred and the unique quartet Bellwether4. Emily’s past projects as a leader include Really Great Songs, the trio Denison, Ballyk, Davis, and a summer 2016 Canadian tour with Emily, Anthony, and Friends.
With ensembles, projects and premiers in the Jazz, Creative Music and Contemporary Classical worlds, Alex Fournier is a double bassist with an interest in a vast array of musical challenges. Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, Alex began his musical studies at the University of Toronto, studying his instrument under such Canadian masters as Dave Young, Andrew Downing and Jim Vivian. As well, he began studying composition under Andrew Downing and Phil Nimmons. Graduating with a Bachelor of Music with honors in 2011, Alex later attended both the Banff Creative Music Workshop and the SIM (School for Improvised Music) Workshop in 2013. Alex segued his time at SIM into a recurring internship (2015-16), as well as a position at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory’s Jazz Performance program. Alex since has studied both performance and composition under Michael Formanek, as well as serving as an ensemble assistant for both his small and large ensembles. Alex graduate with a Graduate Performance Diploma in Jazz Performance in May of 2016.