Ambr Aria / Natalie Brett Quartet

Recording Release Concerts @ 8EAST
Friday, December 9th, 2022 8pm
Improvised music
cover photo: Carol Sawyer

Ambr Aria
Lief Hall • voice
Matthew Ariaratnam • guitar

Natalie Brett Quartet
Carol Sawyer • voice
Lisa Cay Miller • piano
Clyde Reed • bass
Kenton Loewen • drums

Donate at the door $xx/$20/$10/Free
Masks HIGHLY Recommended

Please do not come to this event if you are unwell. 8EAST ventilation: open windows and door, three air purifiers, updated HVAC system with UV lights. Masks and Hand Sanitizer will be available.

Ambr Aria

Lief Ambrosia Hall and Matthew Ariaratnam began improvising together in 2021, in the middle of the pandemic, playing in a backyard with birds and lawnmowers as accompaniment. Together they create music to exist inside of and take refuge in, creating dreamlike utopic/dystopic soundscapes with voice and guitar. Often using tarot cards and graphic scores to inspire their improvisations, Hall and Ariaratnam have continued to evolve the visual aspect of their collaboration by collecting assorted small objects, plants and fungi, creating video artworks to accompany their music. Lief Ambrosia Hall and Matthew Ariaratnam and are both graduates of the MFA Interdisciplinary Arts program at SFU, where they met.

Matthew Ariaratnam is a guitarist, composer, and improviser, who often works in interdisciplinary collaboration with visual artists, dancers, and theatre-makers.

Lief Hall is a vocalist, musician and improvisor, whose work crosses disciplines of video art, installation, performance and sound. Collaborating through both music and video creation they go by Ambr Aria.

Natalie Brett Quartet

The Natalie Brett Quartet is inspired by a long-running visual art project by Sawyer, called the Natalie Brettschneider Archive – a group of documents and photographs that trace the career of a fictional historical singer. The archive is funny, irreverent, and very feminist. The Natalie Brett Quartet was formed to investigate how this dada opera singer might have approached mainstream jazz, c. 1957… They played their first gig, and recorded an LP, the Natalie Brett Quartet: Standards, in early 2020, just before pandemic lockdown.

Carol Sawyer originally trained to sing opera and art song before encountering the world of improvised music while completing an MFA at SFU, and studying extended vocal technique with Richard Armstrong. She has released two CDs of improvised music with her band ion Zoo, a collaboration with Miller, Reed, and Steven Bagnell.

Lisa Cay Miller (she/her) is an improvising pianist and composer who loves to create in the moment. Dr. Lisa Cay is the Artistic Director of the NOW Society and performs with and composes for many great musicians from Vancouver and around the world.

Clyde Reed has been an integral player in the Vancouver improvised music community for over 30 years, with long-term collaborations with composers and creative musicians throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Vinny Golia, Paul Plimley, Michael Vlatkovich, Nikita Carter, Lisa Cay Miller, and many others.

Kenton Loewen is an inventive and versatile drummer who is a sought-after collaborator in Vancouver’s creative music scene. His collaborations span jazz, world music, and rock – including long running projects with Gord Grdina, Francois Houle, JP Carter, and Paul Plimley.

~ 8EAST ACCESS STATEMENT ~

The 8EAST social space for new culture is a project of the NOW Society, located on the Territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm, Skwxwú7mesh and səlil̓wətaʔɬ Peoples, in Chinatown, in the DTES, in Vancouver.

We are committed to making 8EAST a safe(r), welcoming and more accessible space. We do not tolerate discrimination based on age, gender, neuro a-typicality, disability, place of origin, cultural background, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We do not tolerate racism, sexual aggression, assault, or harassment which can include unwanted touch or comments that objectify or sexualize. We adopt and follow the We Have Voice Collective Code of Conduct.

We can accommodate a variety of needs, including assistance dogs, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers. To arrange for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, please contact now@nowsociety.org. If you are attending an event with food and have specific allergies, please contact now@nowsociety.org. We recognize that access is an ongoing and evolving discussion, and acknowledge that this statement may be insufficient. Concernts or suggestions can be addressed, discussed or expressed anonymously by emailing safety@nowsociety.org.

8EAST ventilation: Open windows and door, 3 HEPA air purifiers and UV lights on return air in the HVAC system. Mask wearing is recommend and masks will be available. Seating, wooden stackable chairs without armrests, is movable. Seating is generally arranged in groups of two or threes with 1 meter between groups for easy mobility. Wheelchair seating is easily accommodated. The 34 inch wide main entrance to 8EAST has a threshold of approximately 0.5 inches high. There is no door automation. During events, the door is open or can be opened by the Front of House person. There are no ramps or stairs to navigate. Internal floors are smooth concrete. Outdoor plaza events are held on concrete pavers, some are uneven. Paths and hallways are kept free of impediments. 8EAST has a wheelchair accessible, non-gendered toilet on site with a door width of 35 inches. Additional public toilets, not wheel chair accessible, are located in the adjacent hallway. The NOW Society emergency evacuation procedures are in place for all individuals. The Front of House person or a staff member onsite is trained in naloxone administration and will be the contact person in case of emergencies.

GETTING THERE AND PARKING:

8EAST is located within 50 meters of buses 004, 007, 019, 022, 209, and N19 on Pender Street. Stops for buses 003, 008, 014, 016, 020, N8, N20, and N35 are located within 250 metres on Hastings Street. Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station is approximately 400 metres away. General metered street parking is available on surrounding streets.  A passenger drop-off zone without a curb is located within 50 metres at 531 Carrall Street. To arrange for HandyDART transportation and accompanying assistants, please contact now@nowsociety.org.

There is a bike rack on the SW corner of Pender and Carrall Street, viewable while inside 8EAST and on the Plaza. Covered bike parking is available at the Main Street – Science World Skytrain Station. From there, one can take the #3 bus, then walk West down Pender to 8EAST (c. 5 mins), walk to 8EAST (c. 15 mins) or ride one skytrain stop to Stadium – Chinatown and walk Northwest to 8EAST (c. 5 mins). The closest Bike Locker to 8EAST is located at VCC Clark. From there, one can take trains to Stadium – Chinatown Skytrain Station and walk NorthWest to 8EAST.