I was amused to read the Guardian piece about the concert staged by Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson and John Zorn at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on Friday 2nd July.

Apparently many Canadians don’t appreciate discordant improvisational skronk which Lou Reed had called ‘non-rock’ .

Apparently, some of the first cries of disapproval sounded like fans yelling Loooouuuu (perhaps there have been similar dissenters at Bruce Springsteen gigs where  boos have been mistaken as cries of Bruuuuuce!)

I have to say that those who heckled or walked out of the performance must have been pretty naive if they thought they were going to get a greatest hits package out of this threesome .Obviously, all three have flirted with the mainstream during their respective careers but with each, it’s fair to say anyone even faintly familiar with their work should know to expect the unexpected when it comes to a live show.

They were even billed in the programme notes as “musical explorer improvisers” and surely any festival worth its salt should welcome such experimentation. Free Jazz has never been about easy listening.

I would have liked to have been there to know what sort of assault on the senses they unleashed . It sounds like it was  a cool performance – hopefully someone will put out a live recording.

Photograph by: Denis Alix