“[Grdina is] an accomplished free improviser and player with strong instincts for motivic improvising in the post-bop tradition… he crosses the borders of harmonic and rhythmic daring without much fuss.” – Will Layman, PopMatters
Vancouver-based guitarist, composer, and oud master Gordon Grdina is on a roll. After releasing two acclaimed albums in February, he returns on June 17, 2022 with two adventurous new trio albums, with the first featuring masters of improvisation Matt Mitchell on piano and Jim Black on drums,Boiling Point (Astral Spirits), the sophomore release from Grdina’s acclaimed Nomad Trio picks up where the trio’s self-titled 2020 debut left off. With technical and creative genuises like Matt Mitchell, one of the most audacious, in-demand pianists on the New York Scene, and Jim Black, the propulsive rock and electronica-inspired drummer behind bands like Berne’s Bloodcount and Human Feel, the possibilities are endless
Matt Mitchell has established himself as one of the most audacious, in-demand pianists on the New York scene, forging significant relationships with the likes of Tim Berne, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Dave Douglas, Dan Weiss and John Hollenbeck. Jim Black, meanwhile, is famed as the propulsive, rock- and electronica-inspired drummer behind such influential bands as Berne’s Bloodcount, Human Feel and AlasNoAxis, while working extensively with such artists as Dave Douglas, Uri Caine, Carlos Bica, Ellery Eskelin, Hilmar Jensson, Chris Speed and Satoko Fujii.
“I can write anything for this band,” Grdina says. “It’s very complex music, rhythmically, harmonically, melodically, and in the way every piece fits together. Those guys really can do anything. Since the last album, the group has solidified its unique sound,
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Gordon Grdina
Gordon Grdina is a JUNO Award-winning oud/guitarist whose career has spanned continents, decades and constant genre exploration throughout avant-garde jazz, free form improvisation, contemporary indie rock and Arabic. His singular approach to the instruments has earned him recognition from the highest ranks of the jazz/improv world. Grdina has performed and collaborated with a wide array of field-leading artists including Gary Peacock, Paul Motion, Marc Ribot, Mark Helias, Mats Gustafsson, Hank Roberts, Mark Feldman, Eyvind Kang, Colin Stetson, Mat Maneri, Christian Lilinger, Matt Mitchell and Jim Black.
He currently leads multiple ensembles in Vancouver and New York, including the Gordon Grdina Quartet with Oscar Noriega, Russ Lossing, and Satoshi Takeishi; The Marrow with Hank Roberts, Mark Helias, Hamin Honari, and Josh Zubot; Square Peg with Christian Lillinger, Mat Maneri, and Shahzad Ismaily; Nomad Trio with Matt Mitchell and Jim Black; The Gordon Grdina Septet with Peggy Lee, Jesse Zubot, Kenton Loewen, Tommy Babin, Eyvind Kang and Jon Irabagon; and Haram, an Arabic/avant-garde ensemble that re-envisions the Arabic, Persian and Sudanese repertoire of the 50’s and 60’s from a modern improviser’s lens.