New Language Collaborative

Ellwood Epps – Trumpet
Glynis Lomon – Cello
Eric Zinman – Piano
Yedidyah Syd Smart – Drums

Syd Smart – Drums
Syd Smart, a legendary drummer, his life has been a path of using music to create community. He began studies in music appreciation as a child in Cleveland from his mother’s vast record collection. Percussion training came from his father and older brother. Other major teachers include: Chief Bey, Milford Graves, Makanda Ken McIntyre, Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon, Babatunde Olatunji, Steve Barrios, Ibrahima Camara, Jose Luis Quintana/”Changuito”, Angel Sanchez/”Cepillo” and Deraldo Ferreira.

Ellwood Epps – Trumpet
Born in Toronto in 1976, trumpeter Ellwood Epps lives and works in Montreal, where he leads Togetherness!, a quintet which plays music from South Africa and beyond. In addition to playing often with Montrealers Josh Zubot (Land of Marigold), Michel F Côté and Alexandre St-Onge (Pink Saliva), Nicolas Caloia (Ratchet Orchestra), Yves Charuest, John Heward (Murray Street Band), Lori Freedman, and Jean Derome, Epps has made music with Steve Lacy, William Parker, John Butcher, Henry Grimes, Axel Dörner, and Marshall Allen. He is co-founder and artistic director of l’Envers and co-founder of the Mardi Spaghetti series; in all he has presented upwards of 1000 concerts. He has also worked as codirector of the Festival of New Trumpet Music Canada.

Eric Zinman – Piano, Keyboards

Born Eric Green Zinman 1963, began the study of piano and voice as a child. Interest in classic music, Broadway, Rock’n Roll and R&B. As a teenager he discovered black music and modified his approach in jazz, blues, gospel, and the music of the strip clubs. Later composition studies with Bill Dixon, George Russell and Jimmy Guiffre. Beginning in 1987 he produced a number of ensembles with Laurence Cook, Craig Schildhauer, John Voigt, Syd Smart and Glynis Lomon. In the mid 2000s he began to tour Europe with Mario Rechtern and later Linda Sharrock. Played with post rock greats drummer Weasel Walter and noise guitarist Sheik Anorak. His activity has been heard in theater, dance, film and poetry. As he is fond of saying “Music is two souls rubbing together”. He believes music is an essential part of the human story. Since 2000 he has recorded 18 albums and has been reviewed in 9 languages. Eric Zinman is listed in the 19th Edition of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings.

Glynis Lomon – Cello
Improvising cellist, vocalist and aquasonic player Glynis Lomon graduated from Bennington College in 1975 with a degree in Music/Black Music. At Bennington she studied with musician/composer Bill Dixon and continued to perform and record with his ensembles until his recent death. Glynis has also been privileged to play with Arthur Brooks, Milford Graves Jimmy Lyons, Cecil Taylor, Butch Morris, William Parker, Joe Morris, Greta Buck, Masashi Harada, Lowell Davidson, Raqib Hassan and many others. For almost a decade she and multi reed player PEK performed in the Boston area with their group Leap of Faith.