Gordon Grdina's Haram with Marc Ribot - Night's Quietest Hour (February 18, 2022 AttaBoyGirl Records)

Just before the Pandemic hit Marc joined our ensemble for two concerts in Vancouver Feb 28 and Seattle on March 1st, with a recording session on the leap year Feb 29th. This was an incredible experience and Marc blended into the ensemble from the beginning. He played almost our entire repertoire with us and these tracks are the previously unreleased pieces. This album reflects our continued exploration of the Classic Arabic repertoire and new exploration of Sudanese music from the 60's and 70's. An already incredibly dynamic group Marc's presence pushed the group's delicacy, intensity and explosive nature to new heights. The process of creating this album has reliagned the trajectory of the ensemble.

Gordon Grdina's Haram

Juno Award winner Gordon Grdina formed Haram in 2008 as a large ensemble vehicle to interpret classic Arabic repertoire. The group started with Iraqi folk music and the great era of Egyptian radio music in which Oum Khalsoum and Farid Al Atrash reigned. It has since expanded to incorporate the classic Sudanese and Persian repertoire. These pieces are lovingly reinterpreted with an ensemble half studied in the tradition and half in avant-garde improvisation. This blend of traditions is what gives Haram its unique sound.

Through improvisation and arrangement, the band keeps alive the spirit and Tarab inherent within the compositions. These time-tested pieces are blown wide open by the ensemble mixing elements of noise, electronic soundscape, and free improvisation. The music has developed to the state of effortless cohesion mixed with wild abandon conjuring up a sense of respect and homage while being explosively self-expressive. Haram is a powerhouse ensemble playing a repertoire that has been revered by millions. 

1. Longa Nahawand 8:58

2. Sala Min Shaaraha A-Thahab (Gold Streamed Down from Her Hair) 10:48

3. Dulab Bayati 9:39

4. Lamma Bada Yatathanna (When She Begins to Sway) 10:18

5. Hawj Erreeh. (Violent Wind) 8:14

Total time: 48:00

Recorded and mixed in 32 bits / 96kHz

Compositions by 1, Kevser Hanim, 2, Salah Ben Al Badiya, 3, Traditional - attr. Muhammad 'Abd al-Rahim al-Maslub 4, Traditional, 5, Ahmad Al Jaberi

Arranged by: Gordon Grdina

Gordon Grdina's Haram with Marc Ribot

-Night's Quietest Hour

Gordon Grdina -Oud

Marc Ribot -Guitar

Emad Armoush -Vocals, Ney

Tim Gerwing -Darbuka

Liam MacDonal -Riq

Tommy Babin -Bass

Kenton Loewen -Drums

Francois Houle -Clarinet

Christopher Kelly -Sax

Jp Carter -Trumpet

Josh Zubot -Violin

Jesse Zubot -Violin

Recorded, Mixed by John Raham at Afterlife Studios, Vancouver, BC

Mastered by Alex DeTurk at The Bunker Studio, New York, NY

Produced by: Gordon Grdina

All Photography by: Genevieve Monro. @genmonrophotography

Design by: Chelsey Maher

AttaBoyGirl Records

Made in Canada

A & P 2022 AttaBoyGirl Records

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Samo Salamon & Francois Houle - Unobservable Mysteries (February 2021)

Liner notes by Samo Salamon:

During the lockdown period in 2020 due to the Covid-19 virus I started investigating other forms of cooperation with other musicians. One such form was the idea of long-distance improvisation. The first musician to come to my mind was Francois Houle. We have never played together, although we played with many musicians in common. I've been a fan of Francois for a really long time - he has been one of my favorite improvisers and composers ever since I heard his two fantastic albums Cryptology and In the Vernacular. I contacted Francois if he wants to do it and he was really enthusiastic about it… the process was so smooth and seemed like we were actually playing live and with each other since there was such a connection immediately. I first recorded six improvisations on acoustic guitar, and then Francois did his improvisations on me. The second part was that Francois first recorded six improvisations and then I did the improvisations on him… Francois did an amazing job also mixing and mastering the album. Furthermore, we both decided to search for the titles in the poetry of the great US poet Mary Oliver. Oliver’s emotional poetry reflects the current situation and also the situation which the musicians are facing and have to deal with in these times. But out of every bad comes something good. Can't wait to do this live on stages everywhere!!!! Here we come!!! I hope! ;)

1. Secret Pools 04:41

2. Roots and Seeds 04:04

3. Common Sense Mutters 04:38

4. Cradles 04:37

5. Garden of Dust 05:49

6. Island of Shade 06:24

7. Hum and Sway 04:40

8. Jug of Breath 05:37

9. Unobservable Mysteries 04:18

10. The Wanderings of Water 05:33

11. Longing Leaving Staying 03:52

Francois Houle - clarinet

Samo Salamon - 6 and 12-string guitar

Recorded individually by Samo Salamon (Maribor, Slovenia) and François Houle (Vancouver, BC, Canada)

Editing, Mixing & Mastering: François Houle December 2020

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Hyper + Francois Houle December Tour

presents

Dicembre / December 2017

Hyper+ François Houle on tour

Nicola Fazzini (alto sax)

Alessandro Fedrigo (electric bass)

Luca Colussi (drums)

François Houle (clarinet)

Special guest at Vortex (London)

Alexander Hawkins (piano)

Un incontro virtuoso vede insieme musicisti diversi e lontani, legati da un fondamentale denominatore comune: la libertà dell'improvvisazione e la reciproca condivisione dell'andamento ritmico e musicale.

François Houle, contamina il versante del classic jazz con la musica contemporanea. Alexander Hawkins è nome di punta del pianismo inglese, ammirato per il grande coraggio che unisce le sue composizioni alla grande verve improvvisativa.

Tra le tappe del tour anche il celeberrimo "Vortex" di Londra, storico Jazz Club, attivo dalla fine degli anni Settanta nel quale hanno suonato le migliori star del jazz mondiale (da Kenny Wheeler a Evan Parker a Django Bates e molti altri).

A virtuous melting pot made of different musicians, with some fundamental common lines: they all like free improvisation and deep sharing of rhythm and music. The Canadian François Houle melt classic jazz with contemporary patterns. Alexander Hawkins is the leading English pianist: he's strongly appreciated because of the great courage for both composition and improvisation.

The tour stops at the famous Jazz Club "Vortex" in London: active since the late Seventies, it hosted some absolute stars of jazz like Kenny Wheeler, Evan Parker, Django Bates ...

11 December 2017 h 21.30

HYPER+ François Houle // Birrificio Torino (Torino)

12 December 2017 h 21.00

HYPER+ François Houle and Alexander Hawkins // Vortex Club (London)

13 December 2017 h 21.00

HYPER+ François Houle // Cantina Fasol Menin (Treviso)