David Sait (1972), experimental guzheng artist and improviser from
Brampton/Toronto, Canada records-performs on the long stringed Chinese zither
(guzheng or zheng). David channels a variety of styles and disciplines
crossing dysfunctional classical with non-descript avant garde and World
music. Sait brings a contemporary, free spirited mentality to this ancient
instrument which dates back more than 3,000 years, paying respect to it's rich
history, but honoring it by searching for a unique voice. All music
performed-recorded is completely improvised with only the notion that there
will be a starting and ending point (no pre-planned themes, melodies, or
agendas). All playing in between these two occurrences are randomly stacked,
sorted and shifted on the fly. The action of playing music in borderless
terrain is truly liberating and is one of the purest ways to free creativity
for the player and the listener. Free improvisation works on impulses, it's
intuitive music, instinctual communication, sometimes knee jerk reactions to
sounds intersecting and running away from each other in the moment.
David's
father, from Liverpool, England (Leon Sait) was a jazz
bandleader/composer/arranger who performed in many cities around the World. He
had the opportunity to arrange for and perform with many jazz greats such as
Buddy Rich, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald, etcetera. David's
Grandmother also dedicated her life to music as a performing classical pianist
(Russia). He is an active member of AIMToronto (Association of Improvising
Musicians Toronto) and the Guzheng One Club (China). In performance and
recording, Sait is a committed solo improviser, but also has been fortunate
enough to perform with a cross section of artists including: Michael Keith,
John Oswald, Paul Dutton, Christine Duncan, Scott Thomson, Xu Fengxia, Mick
Beck, Parmela Attariwala, David Prentice, Sarah Peebles, Allison Cameron, Anne
Bourne, Glen Hall, Rainer Wiens, Eric Chenaux, Joe Sorbara, Ken Aldcroft, Gary
Simkins, Colin Fisher, Germaine Liu, Friendly Rich, DB Boyko and many more.
He has also worked recently in collaboration on separate occasions with dancer
Claire E. Barrett (NYC) and painter Katherine Dolgy Ludwig (NYC).
As a
child his musical curiosity began to uncover a taste for playing by squawking
out unusual sounds on the assortment of instruments amassed in the basement
(sax, percussion, electric organ, etc). First public performance in 1980 (age
8) with the Leon Sait 18-piece Big Band under the guidance of Columbian
percussionist Memo Esavedo. Over 20 years of formal/private music studies,
live performance and recording experience balanced between guzheng, guitar,
and invented found object instruments has helped shape a focus for new music
exploration and presenting guzheng enthusiasts alternative forms of expression
not traditionally heard from this beautiful instrument.
