Bob Stevenson Quartet
The Bob Stevenson Quartet (Bob Stevenson, clarinet and bass clarinet; Jonnie Bakan, alto saxophone; Mike Milligan, contrabass and Jeff Halischuk, drums) performs music composed specifically for the group by Bob. The creative attitude of the ensemble is best described as what was referred to in 1960s jazz parlance as “new thing”. The music combines carefully composed material that does not necessarily use the standard song form, along with various approaches to extemporization that include free playing, creating over given chordal, melodic and rhythmic structures, as well as references to older and more traditional forms.