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The Al Neil Project

• October 15: Western Front
• October 21: Vancouver Public Library
• November 10: Roundhouse Community Centre
• November 25: Vancouver Art Gallery

The grunt gallery’s fourth LIVE Biennial of Performance Art is presenting four evenings of interdisciplinary work by, and inspired by, Vancouver innovator Al Neil whose career as a pianist, composer, writer, bricoleur, and performance artist has spanned 60-years. Neil’s influence on Vancouver's artistic communities has been profound and enduring: this project attempts to both assess and celebrate Neil as an innovator and a seminal force in the multi-disciplinary practices that have flourished -- and continue to flourish -- on the West Coast.

LIVE 2005 will celebrate Al Neil’s legacy in the community, with concerts, screenings, readings and performances. The event opens on October 15th at the Western Front with an eclectic tribute to Neil’s work. Kate Hammett-Vaughan will vocalize written texts by Neil accompanied by Ron Samworth guitar, and Coat Cooke saxophone. Visual artist Carol Itter will work with VJ Krista Lomax on visuals that feature Neil’s assemblages, sculptures, and collages. Also included is a reading from Neil’s work by Michael Turner and a screening of archival footage collected by The Al Neil Project.

The second event is a series of readings from the Downtown Eastside entitled Under the Influence . Curated by Michael Turner, the evening offers a glimpse into Vancouver writers’ writing about alcohol and drug use, beginning with Malcom Lowry and Al Neil, and takes place on October 21 at the Vancouver Public Library.

On November 10, Coastal Jazz and Blues Society and the New Orchestra Workshop Society will present a concert featuring the ultimate Al Neil tribute band with legendary Vancouver improvisers Gregg Simpson drums, Clyde Reed bass, and Paul Plimley piano. The trio will be joined by sampling/electronics artist Giorgio Magnanensi, performance poet Kederick James, with visuals by Carol Itter and Krista Lomax.

The final installment of The Al Neil Project takes place on November 25 with an event at the Vancouver Art Gallery that focuses on Neil’s history in performance art. Lomax and Itter will use visuals and imagery from Neil’s oeuvre of performance art, accompanied by electronic music by Ben Wilson.