Improvisation, contemporary composition, noise, and things in between, the Skin and Bones Music Series showcases performers both local and abroad. Skin and Bones shot forth from the dreams of Mike Woodworth and Darren Williams. Since its inception in May 2015, Skin And Bones have had the privilege of hosting some of our planets greatest musicians and instrumentalists from nearby to far & away. The
ir most recent concert was on a magical evening in June of 2024 in the Summerhill pyramid featuring the duo of David Murray and Sir Kahil El'Zabar. The roster also includes Peter Brötzmann (TWICE!), Mats Gustafsson, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, P**l Nilssen-Love (The Thing), Hamid Drake and Brodie West (World premiere as a duo) Anna Webber (FROM KELOWNA:)) trio with Matt Mitchell and John Hollenbeck, Chris Corsano (solo and duo with our very own Darren Williams!), Heather Leigh (duo with Brotzmann), Matt Shipp and Mark Helias (with Gordon Grdina), Jim Black and Matt Mitchell (second time!) again with Gord Grdina, Eugene Chadbourne, Battle Trance (Travis Laplante,Patrick Breiner, Matt Nelson, Jeremy Viner), Cortex (Thomas Johansson, Kristoffer Alberts, Ola Hoyer, and Gard Nilssen) and Chicago Underground Duo (Rob Mazurek & Chad Taylor) who performed as part of a special Skin & Bones Field Trip at Stanford University and organized by the Decepticon Conference committee. Other heavy hitters inclue Phil Minton, Tatsuya Nakatani (solo and a duo with our very own Darren Williams) PLUS his gong orchestra (including both Darren Williams & Mike Woodworth!), François Houle (solo), Darren Williams himself (solo release concert for his 2024 album, "Musical Idiot") Gordon Grdina (again!), & Kenton Loewen (as a trio with Francois and on a separate occasion as a duo as Peregrine Falls)The Jooklo Duo (with Stanley Zappa, who also performed a virtual solo concert!), Torsten Muller, V.Vecker, Craig Pedersen, Yves Charuest, Colin Fisher, Rebecca Bruton, The Cavernous, (Robert McLaren & Jesse Barrette), Darcy Spidle (chik White), Craig Thomson, Bjorn Kriel trio (with Jason Martin and Alex Argatoff), David Geraghty, Rachel Mercer (twice), Liam McIvor, Anthony Argatoff ensemble, Miles Thorogood & many many more! In 2016, Skin And Bones Music Series received two Okanagan Arts Award nominations. Mike has been promoting exceptional music with reckless abandon since 1998 when, along with Don Chessa, he brought Tim Berne and Michael Formanek to play at St. Ann’s Academy in Victoria, BC. Since then he has collaborated with organizations such as Open Space Arts Society, Upstream Music Association, and Halifax Jazz Festival, battling daunting logistics from coast to coast to organize and support a plethora of concerts. Artists have included the aforementioned Tim Berne and Michael Formanek, Peter Brötzmann, Hamid Drake, Sam Rivers, Otomo Yoshihide, Erik Friedlander, Marc Ducret, Tom Rainey, and many more. Early in 2015 Mike dipped his finger into the lake and cautiously raised it up into the air. The winds of change revealed to him that the Okanagan had ripened into a space eager to appreciate additional creative and adventurous concerts. After successfully arranging for Peter Brötzmann to play inside Summerhill Winery Pyramid in May of 2015, Skin & Bones productions was born in partnership with the ultra-talented musician and artist Darren Williams. Mike was recently overheard mumbling "Here’s to 2024 being the best vintage of Skin and Bones yet! Long live the succulent sounds!"
Darren Williams has been participating in improvised/ experimental music both as a performer and concert presenter since 1998. In 2002 Williams, along with multi media artist Kenny Doren and musician Cody Oliver, formed nach Hause, a concert series based in Calgary for the presentation of free improvisation and contemporary composition. As a musician, Williams is a saxophonist and bassoonist who pushes the limits of improvisation and extended instrumental technique into regions that are lyrical, terrifying, uncanny, and “more fun than spiked punch live” (Georgia Straight). Called “a raw, vocal explorer,” (Stuart Broomer, Musicworks, Downbeat) Darren has performed with many renowned musicians including Eugene Chadbourne and Chris Corsano (USA), Chad van Gaalen (Calgary), Myk Freedman (NYC), Mats Gustafsson (Sweden), Ig Henneman and Han Bennink (Netherlands). Darren holds a BFA in music performance from York University and has studied with Casey Sokol, David Mott, George Lewis, and François Houle. He is involved in numerous ensembles and projects, notably co-leading and composing for the free-jazz quintet Robots On Fire which performed at the 2013 Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The Skin And Bones Music Series has been co-presented since nearly the beginning by second to none, Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art, an artist-run centre located in Kelowna at the Rotary Centre for the Arts. The Alternator is a registered non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the development of the creative community. Since 1989 the Alternator has shown the work of emerging Canadian artists, focused on innovative and non-traditional mediums engaged in social and cultural issues. http://alternatorcentre.com/
