Bent Spoon Duo

The Allison Cameron Band are a trio that feature the eponymous composer/multi-instrumentalist teamed-up with Eric Chenaux and Stephen Parkinson. Their gorgeous album for the Rat Drifting imprint is steeped in folk forms and is a delight for the ears to behold. While on a cross-Canada tour, Cameron met up with the Bent Spoon Duo (Chris Dadge and Scott Munro) in Calgary at a Bug Incision showcase, and it was quickly decided that her surreal banjo/kalimba playing would fit nicely within the pair's modus operandi (which, apparently, is to sound as disorienting as possible). Together, the trio concoct a shambling near-cacophony that slowly builds in density. Their single, extended improvisation eschews the concept of "people playing instruments" in favour of an approach that evokes a grotesque form of kinetic sculpture. When left to their own devices, Dadge and Munro are a trifle more relaxed, yet Cameron's spirit somehow continues to haunt their ultra-obtuse brand of free-improv. Bent Spoon Trio, anyone?