Ken Aldcroft

Ken Aldcroft (14 November 1969—17 September 2016) was a Canadian jazz and improvisation guitarist and bandleader.

He made several recordings as a solo artist and as part of various duos and trios with such artists as Nick Gaffaney, Brian Harding, Evan Shaw, Joe Sorbara, Gordon Allen, Karen Ng, and Scott Thomson. He led or worked with a number of groups and projects—Convergence Ensemble, Threads, Hat and Beard, Alaniaris, and AIMToronto Orchestra.

Aldcroft was a co-founder of a recording label named Trio Records.

Between 1997 and 2015, he was involved in 25 jazz recording sessions.

Ken Aldcroft was born Kenneth Grant Aldcroft in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada, on November 14, 1969, to Kenneth Aldcroft Sr. and Judi Aldcroft. He had two brothers—Gord and Greg.

He grew up in Vancouver, where he began his professional music career in the late 1990s. His music taste was influenced by various free improvisation musicians around the world—the Canadian scene with John Oswald, Michael Snow, and Casey Sokol; the Dutch scene with Misha Mengelberg, Han Bennink, and ICP Orchestra; the British scene with Evan Parker, Eddie Prevost, Derek Bailey, and John Butcher; and the German scene with Peter Brötzmann and Alexander von Schlippenbach.

In 1997, Aldcroft and John Sorensen launched "Trio Records", a label to produce and promote creative original music projects in the shape of recordings, concerts, and tours. Most of his recordings are on his label.

In December 1997, he formed a trio, "Ken Aldcroft Trio", with drummer Tom Foster and trombonist Rod Murray, and recorded an eponymous jazz album. The following year, he recorded Big Picture with his trio of New Zealander drummer Nick Gaffaney and trombonist Brian Harding.

In 2001, he moved to Toronto. In December 2002, Aldcroft, with Evan Shaw (alto saxophone), Joe Sorbara (drums), and Gordon Allen (trumpet), recorded From Our Time (released 2003).

Aldcroft formed a music project "Convergence Ensemble" with Evan Shaw (alto saxophone), Joe Sorbara (drums), Karen Ng (saxophone), Scott Thomson(trombone), and Wes Neal (bass), and released several jazz albums on Trio Records:

• The Great Divide (2006)
• Trolleys (2008)
• Our Hospitality (2009)
• Sneaky Pete-Slugs' (2012)
• Saskatoon (2013)
• Tangent For Eric Dolphy (2014)

In 2007, Aldcroft joined Anthony Braxton and The AIMToronto Orchestra and recorded Creative Orchestra (Guelph) 2007 on Spool Records. He played guitar, accompanied by Evan Shaw (alto saxophone); Rob Clutton, Victor Bateman (bass); Ronda Rindone (clarinet); Joe Sorbara, Nick Fraser (drums); Rob Piilonen (flute); Justin Haynes (guitar); Tania Gill (piano); Kyle Brenders (soprano saxophone); Colin Fisher (tenor saxophone); Scott Thomson (trombone); Nicole Rampersaud (trumpet); Parmela Attariwala (violin); Christine Duncan (voice); and Brandon Valdivia (xylophone).

From 2010 to 2012, Aldcroft was a member of Somewhere There Collective. In March/April 2010, as was part of the trio "Alaniaris" with drummer Mark Zurawinski and bassist Michael Kaler, he recorded live at Somewhere There in Toronto, Canada. In January 2011, he and double bassist William Parker recorded One Sunday at the Gallery Recording Studio in Brooklyn, New York.

Over the years, Aldcroft had also worked with Dutch jazz bassist Wilbert de Joode; saxophonists Joe McPhee and John Oswald; and clarinetist Lori Freedman.

In 2013, Aldcroft and drummer Dave Clark formed a duo "Hat & Beard" and recorded 10 compositions of Thelonious Monk in the album Reflections - The Music of Thelonious Monk. The album was recorded and mixed by Dale Morningstar at The Gas Station Recording Studio in Toronto in February 2013.

In May 2015, Aldcroft and German double bassist (also architect and historian) Klaus Kürvers recorded RUFFSTRINX at Tonus Arcus studio in Zepernick, Germany. It was mixed by John Sorenson and recorded by German composer Dietrich Petzold.

Aldcroft's last recording was the album Mister, Mister in October 2015. It was released in November 2016 on Trio Records after his death in September 2016.

Aldcroft was a dedicated music teacher. He taught out of his home studio, and, since 2010, at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. His former students include country and Americana singer/guitarist Ian Bain, Dan Loughrin (guitarist for Baby Labour), Daniel Kruger (guitarist for Manatee), and Steve Sladkowski (guitarist for PUP).

Aldcroft was married to Maria. They had a son, Liam.

Aldcroft died of a heart attack in Toronto on September 17, 2016, at age 46.

• Vocabulary: Solo Guitar Improvisations (Trio Records, 2008)
• Ear Contact duo (Ken Aldcroft + George McFetridge): January Sun (Trio Records, 2010)
• Hat & Beard duo (Ken Aldcroft + Dave Clark): Live at Somewhere There (Trio Records, 2011)
• Ken Aldcroft, Joel LeBlanc: The Long and the Short of It (Trio Records, 2012)
• Hat & Beard duo (Ken Aldcroft + Dave Clark): Reflections - The Music of Thelonious Monk (Trio Records, 2013)
• Mister, Mister (Trio Records, 2015)
• Ken Aldcroft & Scott Thomson: Red & Blue (Trio Records, 2015)

• Tom Lord: The Jazz Discography