de Draad Kwartet

de Draad Kwartet debuts in Edmonton with an evening of improvised music for Felice Noir

Edmonton’s vibrant music scene welcomes a bold new group in improvised music: de Draad Kwartet. This newly formed ensemble invites listeners to their debut concert on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Felice Café (10930 84 Street NW, Edmonton). Doors open at 7:00 PM, with music beginning at 7:30 PM.
Rooted in the art of free improvised music making, de Draad Kwartet (Draad is Dutch for Wire, String, or Thread) explores the frontiers in improvised music making, weaving intricate sonic threads that challenge and captivate. The quartet brings together four distinct musical voices in a dynamic interplay of texture, rhythm, and emotion:
• Ron de Jong – drums, cymbals, percussion
• Thom Golub – double bass
• Alicia Proudfoot – harp
• Jason Lee Scott – electric guitar
For over 25 years, Ron de Jong has been a dedicated explorer of free improvisation, collaborating with international luminaries such as Derek Bailey, Eugene Chadbourne, John Butcher, Phil Durrant, Luc Houtkamp, Marilyn Crispell, and Damo Suzuki. In 2025, de Jong launched his dream project – O.N.C.E. (Operations in Nonpermanent Collective Extemporization), an annual ad hoc improvised music and arts live event modelled after late British guitarist Derek Bailey’s ‘Company’ events. The following O.N.C.E. event is next year on Saturday, February 21 at Felice Café.
For this concert, de Jong will work with long standing collaborators Thom Golub (The Improviser’s Network – T.I.N., T.I.N. Orchestra, Thom as Fred, and journeyman multi-instrumentalist to a myriad of local and Canadian music artists) and Jason Lee Scott (John Charles Tactic w/ de Jong and the genre-defying Weirdo Rock outfit NATL, with drummer Phil Hickson).
Joining these three musicians for the first time is Alicia Proudfoot, a dynamic harpist and interdisciplinary artist whose innovative approach includes sculptural modifications and appendages to her instrument—such as attaching legs made of metal or wood—and transforming its sonic possibilities.
Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind performance that celebrates the beauty of the unexpected and the power of collective creativity.
Admission: $15 in advance (Eventbrite) & $20 at the door