When the short list of jazz musicians who have changed the history of jazz in the last thirty years is drawn up Steve Coleman is rarley left off. I know I am looking forward to hearing his band again. (I last heard them ten years ago at the Bamboo in Toronto. I also was at the Banff School of the Arts when Steve was running the jazz program.

Here are the answers to my email questions from Steve Coleman:
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> Are you performing with one of your regular ensembles in Guelph or
> is this a special, maybe even debut of a new band? Who will be with
> you on this gig?

This is my normal group and it is called 'Steve Coleman And Five Elements'.

Steve Coleman And Five Elements

Steve Coleman alto saxophone
Jonathan Finlayson trumpet
Tim Albright trombone
Jen Shyu vocals
Thomas Morgan bass
Marcus Gilmore drums

> -When was the last time you performed in Guelph or even in the
> Toronto area? Any memorable performances in this area?

I never performed at Guelph to my knowledge. I’ve done many performances over the years in Toronto as I have been traveling and performing since 1978. For me all of the performances are special so I don’t know how to answer that part of your question. I don’t concentrate on individual performances as much as I focus on the entire direction of where I am going. I focus on the journey itself, not on rest stops.

> -Do you have any plans for what will be discussed/performed at your
> workshop in Guelph?

Not really, I improvise at workshops, panels, concerts, etc., I rarely go in with a plan. Much of it will depend upon the vibe of the people present, but in the end I am always focusing on the nature of creativity.

> -What is the the name of your latest recording and what other Cds
> might be the most definitive of your work up to this point. (any
> suggestions where to get your recordings?)

Any of the recent CDs would be good in terms of looking at where we are at the moment. The last CDs from newer to older are:

Weaving Symbolics
Lucidarium
On The Rising Of The 64 Paths
Elements of One (DVD Documentary)
Alternate Dimension Series I
Resistance is Futile

The Elements of One documentary you can get online at elementsofone.com
Alternate Dimension Series I you can downloaded from http://www.m-base.org/sounds.html (when the link is working, the server is overloaded frequently)
The others are on Label Bleu Records and can be found at http://www.label-bleu.com/artist.php?artist_id=48&lng=e&c=d

I hope that answers the questions you had.

Peace,

Steve Coleman and Five Elements will be performing Saturday, September 9, 8pm, River Run Centre.

Also doing a free workshop on Friday Morning at 9am at the MSAC with Eve-Marie Breglia (Director: Elements of One)