By Shain Shapiro

Fond of Tigers is one of those acts that is genuinely difficult to
describe on paper. In essence, the Vancouver–based sextet is a
jazz band. That is why they are coming to Guelph, to perform as
part of a jazz festival. But jazz, like any useless one–word
musical description, is full of potholes, and placing Fond of Tigers
within its borders illuminates such descriptive faults. In Stephen
Lyons, the guitarist and principle composer, one does not have a
dyed–in–the–wool contemporary jazz musician. In discussing
influences, Slint and Shellac come to mind more than Miles Davis
or John McLaughlin, as the music he pumps through the veins of
this project swell with more punk and post–hardcore ethos than
anything remotely traditional or contemporary. Yet, aside from all
this, Fond of Tigers is, in essence, a jazz band. They do not
employ a vocalist, enjoy mingling with each other underneath
complex time signatures and improvise the hell out of their
songs. So is this description at all helpful here? It may not
position the band as an easy listen, as they are not. But they are
a rewarding listen, one that reveals more with each take, whether
it be metal ardour or fusion wizardry.

"I think the key to our pushing jazz's boundaries is the fact
that we don't actually play jazz," comments Lyons. "Maybe we're
pushing from the outside of those boundaries, rather than from
within. Jazz is such an inconstant and dynamic term, so if we're
being called jazz, I hope it is in the sense that we're playing, on
our own terms, a creative and idiosyncratic music with passion,
intensity, and drive." That sure is true, and their two albums to
date illuminate this brilliantly. The most recent is Release The
Saviours, released by violinist Jesse Zubot's Drip Audio label.
Both albums are heavily improvised bodies of work, but as Lyons
explains, the modus operandi altered slightly with album number
two, allowing more room for each improvisational exercise to
flourish.

"In essence, both of the albums are live albums. The first, A
Thing to Live With, was recorded entirely live with no overdubs. In
addition, all the musicians, drums and amps were in the same
room and we used no headphones. This caused a bit of
difficulties as far as being able to hear each other properly while
trying to get some separation in the mix. For Release the Saviours
we retained the ability to track live, but were able to get more
separation, because of the layout and equipment of the facility. .
We used headphones this time around, and our amps were
isolated in separate rooms. We also allowed ourselves the luxury
of a few overdubs. Overall, we opted to include some pretty
abstracted improvised pieces here. A lot of shows we play are in
rock venues, so it's pretty difficult to really focus on
improvisation, so I find the studio a great place to really explore
that side of the group. We have a full record's worth of such jams
I feel really good about, but a lot of them were left off the record
because we decided on a certain overall structure of the album,
which favoured certain pieces over others, regardless of their
inherent individual worth."

While the music is complex, it remains accessible, ultimately
blending what could be called jazz with punk, or post–hardcore.
Some sections are loud and distorted, while others are soft and
melancholic, as each player trades solos or melodic interludes.
"When I put the group together, I wanted to marry the sonic
textures of improvised music with the heavy, crafty power of
post–rock/math–rock bands like Slint and Shellac," explains
Lyons. "I wanted the best of all worlds: the atmospherics of
improvisation and the solid certainty of composition, played with
the muscular abandon of post–hardcore. I think we accomplished
that with this record."

"I think that is because the rhythms came naturally, and are
usually hairier and more irregular when I play them by myself
than when they eventually solidify as a song with the entire band
piping in about arrangements. Teaching a part to others
necessitates some formalization, and the writing process usually
involves me improvising and cycling through a lot of rhythmic
variations, somewhat unconsciously. As the part starts to take
shape, I play it again and again, adding variations in a more
formal and intellectual way, but certainly based on the physical
feeling of moving parts around. Also, regular 4/4 time generally
makes me uneasy, and doesn't feel good to me. Even an extra
beat thrown in every few additions will help mitigate the caged–in
feeling regular time gives me, which often explains the odd
signatures throughout the songs."
So whatever they are, go see Fond of Tigers this week at the
Jazz Festival. If you're a fan of Metallica or Mahavishnu
Orchestra, you'll find something to love with this band.

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