The Mute Canary Project: Eric Dolphy Tribute

Band leader and saxophonist Elliott Dalgleish is undoubtedly one of Australia’s leading avant-garde figures in contemporary music. An integral member of the Australian Art Orchestra, he first established his reputation when he founded the quartet Artisans Workshop in the early 1990s, which demonstrated that some of Australia’s outstanding exponents of improvised music were working in the Brisbane scene. His national profile increased further with his win in the 1995 National Jazz Saxophone Award at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival.

Elliott’s current 2007-09 recording projects are to release a 10 CD box set, The Mute Canary Project, of duet recordings with pianists Misha Mengelberg, Roger Dean, Tom Vincent and Erik Griswold; a double solo sopranino saxophone CD of improvisations; a double duet disc of interactive technology with saxophone featuring Roger Dean (computer and piano); and a 15 piece large improvising ensemble.

Elliott has performed with internationally renowned improvisers including Misha Mengelberg, Steve Lacy, Palle Mikkelborg and Shoji Hano as well as Australian leaders such as Mike Nock, Roger Frampton, Paul Grabowsky and Roger Dean. Tonight’s debut performance features the interaction of old and new generations of improvisers, through sonic improvisation, spontaneous composition and related experiments.