Fond Of Tigers

Last Halloween I stumbled upon a back alley club in Vancouver called 1067 and had a chance to witness something like I have never heard before. The club, like a large living room of couches everywhere was intimate. I sat on the floor since all of the seats were taken up. Expecting to hear something intimate like the room, I was blown away when the members of Fond of Tigers sounded their first measure of music. Steven Lyons on guitar ignited the set and had a force behind him which he seemed to direct them through the form. Morgan Mac Donald on piano was extraordinary but did get a little buried at times in a garden of: electronic trumpet of JP Carter – the most unique trumpet playing I have ever heard which just adds to the originality factor of the band, the two drums sets of both Dan Gaucher and Skye Brooks playing in the most obscure time signatures and rhythms, the bass lines by Shanto Bhattacharya were like a glue to the extremely large rhythm section and the spazzy virtuosic violin playing of Jesse Zubot.

When I got the inventory of CD’s to review for Left Hip I jumped on the opportunity to add Fond of Tigers to my repertoire of reviews. The group is astonishing, there’s nothing light or easy I can say about this group. They are all very accomplished musicians who know how to wear their hats. I am impressed by the amount of originality they produce. The music takes you on a journey and when you listen to it, it’s like being memorized the whole time. The experience is large, even on CD. The sound is big and dynamic. The rhythms are multifaceted, counting along would require you to have experience in music theory but it is so completely digestible. When listening to them, it’s hard not to wonder how they go about writing the pieces. Is it all planned out? It has to be at the beginning and end; it’s too tight not to be. What about the climatic points? Is this improv based or do they have what they’re playing already decided? How do I analyze a Fond of Tigers song? If I were to do so, it would take pages upon pages to write down all of the details they affix to the music. They best way to experience it, is to go in blindly, like I did at 1067. Being a Vancouverite, I am proud to know that such a band as Fond of Tigers exists in many music communities, let alone this city. They double dip in to the scenes of jazz (free jazz/ improv), electronic, rock, lounge and independent music. They have been paired with big name Tortoise and FOT totally stole the show as the opening act. The best comparison I could offer would be to picture a complex electronic song by Mum, Dosh or Fourtet that instead of sitting on one theme it carries you through many relative themes until you meet the extended family. Then picture the music being played by a rock driven mini big band comprising of electric guitar, piano, trumpet, electronics, drums x 2, bass and violin. Then picture big sounds to tiny melodies that taunt into another section of a blissful frenzy and picture no identifiable mistakes, tight rhythms and busy time changes… Wait! Don’t bother picturing it, just go get a CD or better yet, go onto their website and check their tour dates, and mark it in on your calendar. I imagine they will be hitting the jazz festival circuit across Canada. They are online at: www.fondoftigers.com

Kristen Cudmore