“Extempore”

Stuart Broomer, piano
John Mars, drums, triangles, wood blocks and other percussion
Bill Smith, sopranino saxophone, tin bells
Michael Snow, trumpet, tambourine
Recorded by Dan Allen

“When I first moved to Toronto as a young artist, I was privileged to meet a number of the more senior artists who became mentors to me. Michael Snow was such a nice person and, he was always very encouraging to me. I have read many wonderful tributes to Michael since he passed and, I don’t think I need to educate y’all about his incredible, multidisciplinary art career here ? Anyone in Canada who is into art must surely know who he was to us. For those of us that grew up in the 20th Century, I’m gonna stick my neck out here and, I’m gonna say that he quite simply was and, he remains, the most important Canadian artist.

This is a very moody, mostly peaceable piece of music, ‘Extempore’, from a lengthy 1975 quartet concert that Stuart and I did at A Space with Michael Snow on trumpet and Bill Smith on saxophone. A Space was a place that bravely and gracefully gave new art of all types a chance. Ed Sanders read from “Love And Fame In New York” there. What a night. Virtuoso musicians such as Anthony Braxton and Dave Holland blew our minds. Talking Heads played their first Toronto concert at this artist run centre about two years after this quartet concert of ours.

In ‘Extempore’, for the first six and a half minutes or so, Stuart and I achieve a quiet mood that is strongly percussive and occasionally, turbulent. I became enamoured of Varese and Harry Partch while still in high school and I think that you will hear that Stuart and I have some of that influence going on here. A few extra sound effects are sporadically added here and there by Smith (tin bells) and Snow (tambourine) during the performance. Although I only have half of my usual double drum set for this particular concert and, Stuart only has an upright piano to explore inside and outside, he and I make seem to make no noticeable musical excuses and, are we are still able to do what we always did.

Next, the two horns take their time to find their way into the proceedings and, when they do first come in well past the six minute mark, their mood is quite mournful and, quite redolent of the music of the very spiritual music of Albert Ayler, who all of us were most certainly inspired by. Michael had recorded Albert Ayler and Don Cherry for the “New York Eye And Ear Control” Lp on E.S.P. Records, which was the album that was the soundtrack for Michael’s 1964 film of the same name. Michael and Bill sound somewhat cheerful while playing something akin to a dirge and, the essence of Albert Ayler’s beauty is nicely attempted by the horns. What they do has an affinity but, also a little bit of a contrast to the atmosphere that Stu and I had been setting up, from the get-go. There’s always a gentle push and pull between the two factions ~ the so-called ‘rhythm section’ and ’the horn section’.

Stuart and I buzz together instinctively and, as he pulls the piano apart, I buzz around the drums and cymbals with sticks, mallets and brushes. You can also hear me doing other schtuff, like playing three triangles. I’m striking the triangles and caressing them with metal strikers and felt mallets. Later, there is my tick-tock on a wood block. Smith rattles his tin bells. Snow gently shakes his tambourine. I beep two old fashioned bike horns. Smith lets go with a strange vocal moan as if he is disturbingly possessed by Sonny Murray and, he bumps into a microphone at one point. Stuart reaches into the strings of the piano throughout the piece. The two horns listen to Stu and I for extended periods and then, repeatedly come moaning and weaving back in and out and, in and out and, in and out”.

John Mars March 2023