Performers

Creative Collective, ft. Kidd Jordan, Joel Futterman, William Parker and Alvin Fielder (USA)

This is a quartet of torch-bearers for the great tradition of American free jazz.  New Orleans tenor saxophonist, Kidd Jordan, until only recently one of jazz's truly unsung heroes, combines a brawny tone and a constant stream of musical ideas.  Pianist Joel Futterman's playing is incendiary; he darts all over the keyboard with rhythmic drive that is virtually unmatched.  Jordan and Futterman are beautifully complemented by the propulsive Chicago drummer Alvin Fielder, and by bassist William Parker, who is known and loved by Guelph jazz fans and music aficionados the world over.  The Kidd Jordan Quartet is a totally enveloping, energetic experience, and one of the benchmark groups in free jazz today. 

“Energetic forays, moments of soul bearing and an exploration of musical boundaries.”  -Signal to Noise

 “For those who value jazz experimentation at its most audacious and fiercely committed…”  Chicago Tribune

The Kidd Jordan/Joel Futterman/Al Fielder/William Parker/ Creative Collective is dedicated to exploring new directions in the art of "in the moment" collectively improvised music.  They combine skilled musicianship with a celebration of improvisational conversations that take the listener on musical journeys spanning the emotions and musical genres.  Their shared goal is artistic freedom and devotion to the unexpected as they stretch and push the boundaries of tonality, rhythm, and harmony. They are determined to push the limits and redefine the genre of improvisational music. This is a tight improvisational unit whose hearts and ears are open to each other, and whose music is always fresh and new.

The legendary saxophonist Kidd Jordan is acclaimed internationally as one of the true master improvisers still performing today. He was recognized as a jazz maverick back in the 1940s intent on exploring the music's outer reaches. Kidd has been a music educator for over 30 years and is an associate professor of music at Southern University in New Orleans where he directs the jazz studies program.  Kidd has a discography of over 30 recordings and has played with a diverse range of musical artists including Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Ornette Coleman, Archie Shepp, Sun Ra, Rashid Ali, Peter Kowald, Fred Anderson, Hamid Drake, William Parker and Cannonball Adderley.

Known for his spirited, highly imaginative, and innovative piano technique, Joel Futterman is an internationally recognized veteran pioneer into the frontiers of spontaneous, improvised music.  He is considered one of the foremost inventive and adventurous artists shaping the creative, progressive music scene today. Futterman continuously pushes the limits of the piano as he explores new musical horizons. He has compiled a discography of over 65 recordings and has performed with such notable jazz innovators as Jimmy Lyons, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joseph Jarman, Richard Davis, William Parker, Alvin Fielder,  Hal Russell, Ike Levin as well as Edward "Kidd" Jordan with whom he has had a highly productive association.

Alvin Fielder is an internationally recognized master percussionist and has been one of the true leaders in improvisational music for over 4 decades. Early in his career, he performed with noted be-bop and post-bop jazz artists, but his passions eventually moved more towards a freer form of jazz music. In 1963 he and several other Chicago based jazz musicians founded the Association for the Advancement of Creative Music (AACM), quenching their desire to explore new directions in what was then referred to as "free jazz." Over the course of his carrer, he has compiled over 20 recordings and has played with such noted artists as Roscoe Mitchell,  Muhal Richard Abrams, Ahmed Abdullah,  Sun Ra, Dennis Gonzalez, Joel Futterman, William Parker, Clifford Jordan and Wilbur Ware.

William Parker is a musician, improviser, and composer. He entered the music scene in 1971 and has performed with New Music musicians such as Bill Dixon, Sunny Murray, Charles Tyler, Billy Higgins, Charles Brackeen, Alan Silva, Frank Wright, Frank Lowe, Rashid Ali, Donald Ayler, Don Cherry, Billy Bang, Grachan Monchur III, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, and Milford Graves, as well as with traditionalists like Walter Bishop, Sr. and Maxine Sullivan. He is also a theorist and author of several books including the Sound Journal, Document Humanum, Music and the Shadow People, The Mayor of Punkville, and Who Owns Music?