Alaniaris
Ken Aldcroft (guitar) Michael Kaler (bass) Mark Zurawinski (drums)
FREE show: Friday 21 February, 10pm
Alaniaris are a Toronto-based trio who play a mixture of Greek traditional songs and original compositions, delivered with an energetic approach that borrows from rock, jazz, no wave, and surf music. Audiences get the point immediately: the music feels spontaneous, powerful, and right, as if the band is channeling Albert Ayler, Dick Dale, and Black Flag. Their debut album, Live at Somewhere There, was released in 2011 on Trio Records; they will be releasing its follow-up, This Is What We Do, on Oct. 20 at the Music Gallery as part of X Avant VII, collaborating for the event with trombonist/arranger/composer Scott Good.
Alaniaris have made a name for themselves within Toronto's vibrant improvising and experimental scene, playing regularly at Somewhere There, the Tranzac and the Central, as well as exciting and experimental music showcases such as the X Avant series at the Music Gallery or the 416 Improviser's Festival.
The band draws on the diverse talents and experience of Michael Kaler (bass guitar), Ken Aldcroft (electric guitar), and Mark Zurawinski (drums, percussion). Michael Kaler has played and recorded with Ron Hawkins, the Ugly Bug Band, and the Horables, among others. Ken Aldcroft has been an integral part of Toronto's jazz and creative music scene since 2001, working as a composer, solo artist and bandleader. Mark Zurawinski got interested in jazz and improvised music while studying at the University of Guelph, and since his arrival in Toronto in 2007 he has been active in the improvised music scene.
With a sonic expanse that stretches from Athens in the 1930s to New York in the 1960s to Toronto in the 21st century, Alaniaris has a unique sound and brings its repertoire to life in a spontaneous, powerful manner. Alaniaris songs can be catchy, anthemic, brooding, dissonant, or all of the above.