The second concert in the West End Micro Music Festival took place at Redeemer Lutheran last night.  Continuing the idea of “concept” concerts of chamber music this one teamed up composer and keyboardist Nahre Sol with jazz bassist Ben Finley and John Lee on Korean percussion and flute.  Violinist Amy Hillis also appeared on one number called, if I recall correctly, “Mountain Goat”.

The basic set up was to take a number of pieces written by Nahre for various combinations of instruments and rearrange them for this trio.  It was intriguing.  Various forms of minimalism(1) combined with the sonorities of jazz bass, the very unusual sound of the Korean flute and some “different” percussion was really quite thought provoking.  There was also a jazzier piece written by Ben and a drum solo, plus a fairly extended improvisation.  The whole thing came with an atmospheric lighting plot.

So, the whole thing was a bit of an experiment but for the most part a very successful one.  WEMMF continues tonight at 7.30pm at the same venue with ALTROCK which promises a blend of chamber music and 1980s New York underground rock.

fn1: I need to find a new set of descriptors for the various kinds of “minimalism”.  It seems to have come to mean everything and nothing.  A bit like “freedom” perhaps?