Hemispheres celebrates the release of its second CD, Chaser, featuring compositions by Canadian’s Wende Bartley and Henry Kucharzyk, as well as the American composer Christian Wolff. The three works featured all explore the fertile ground of improvised and composed music in new and exciting ways, in each case exploring the wide range of virtuoso solo and large ensemble playing that is a staple of the Hemispheres sound.

This is Hemispheres’ tenth anniversary. The freely improvising, fifteen piece, contemporary music big band based in Toronto pushes the envelope of new improvised and composed music with some of the best talents in either genre. The group has worked with cutting-edge artists from all over the globe (Masarten Altena, Alliott Sharp, Rene Lussier) and has toured extensively in Canada, as well as appearing is New York City on several occasions, most notably at the Lincoln Centre Out-Of-Doors Festival and at the Knitting Factory.

What the critics say:

« . . . Jazz influences from Big Band to Bitches’ Brew predominate in some pieces, new music in others; but it’s the clash and co-operation between the two that give this group its distincitve aesthetic . . . and high energy dynamic. » -Elissa Poole, Globe and Mail

« . . . a great deal of sensitivity to delicate textures delivered with classical regard to shading of sonorities, coupled with a spirit of pure instrumental hell-raising that puts a premium on high energy . . . they boldly blow where few have blown before. »
– Stephen Pedersen, The Halifax Mail-Star

HENRY KUCHARZYK

1-3. Chrome Chaser

CHRISTIAN WOLFF

4. Exercise #2

WENDE BARTLEY

5. Matrix