Artists

The Astral Jams is a trio that plays freely improvised music drawing from the rich history of avant garde and "free" jazz. The group continues the legacy of avant garde music in London, Ontario that stems from mid-20th century experimental work of The Nihilist Spasm Band and Eric Stach’s Free Music Unit, among others. The music is dynamic and conversational, ranging from deep grooves to the angular and textural. The music is generated spontaneously through group sonic and visual communication, with each performance a unique, non-duplicable, truly live experience. Though the individual pieces appear to emerge as if “from nowhere,” they are of course the product of the intentional sonic gestures made by the players in the moment.The trio is made up of Howie Kittelson - The Rubato Interpellation Generator (R.I.G.), Nicholas Elie - drums, Paul Aitken - guitar. The group has held some form of residency since 2023 and currently plays monthly at the Richmond Tavern.