On Friday, July 29th 2022, send + receive welcomes Takleef Ensemble and the William Hooker/Theo Woodward duo to Winnipeg for a special outdoor concert during Alleyways in the Exchange.

“William Hooker is an artistic whole, a vast circle of vision and execution. A body of uninterrupted work beginning in the mid-seventies defines him as one of the most important composers and players in jazz. As bandleader, Hooker has fielded ensembles in an incredibly diverse array of configurations. Each collaboration has brought a serious investigation of his compositional agenda and the science of the modern drum kit. As a player, Hooker has long been known for the persuasive power of his relationship with his instrument. His work is frequently grounded in a narrative context. Whether set against a silent film or anchored by a poetic theme, Hooker brings dramatic tension and human warmth to avant-garde jazz. His ability to find fertile ground for moving music in a variety of settings that obliterate genre distinctions offers a much-needed statement of social optimism in the arts.” – Thomas Stanley

Takleef Ensemble is a new group working in the multiple disciplines of sound, poetry, video and contemporary art. Featuring guitar, sax, spoken word, violin, bells, percussion, electronics, clarinet and tanpura, the group is getting ready to release its first full-length double LP in late 2022 or 2023. Takleef Ensemble is an ongoing effort to unbind burden, difficulty and sorrow — expect poetry, personal accounts and haunting melody.