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Bill Gilliam

Experimental & New Music
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Recordings

Light Through Dark – Gilliam, Martynec, McBirnie

Record Details

Artist
Bill Gilliam, Eugene Martynec, Bill MvBirnie
Release
2021
Genre
Improvised New Music
LTD two colour

This EP is a collaboration between pianist Bill Gilliam, flutist Bill McBirnie, and electroacoustic artist Eugene Martynec who are performers / composers with different musical backgrounds of improvised new music, electroacoustic sound creation and jazz. This trio shares a strong, sympathetic commitment to free improvising, as well as a mutual fascination with the mystery of creating spontaneous compositions.

Light Through Dark is a spellbinding journey through shaded land and seascapes, illuminated by joyful and spontaneous sparks of improvisatory interplay.

Please visit our Bandcamp site to listen to Light Through Dark.

Media Quotes
It’s clear that the Toronto trio of pianist Bill Gilliam, flutist Bill McBirnie and Eugene Martynec on electroacoustics. possesses big ears and big hearts… Collectively the trio’s music is inventive, technically adroit and elegant at the same time. Most of all, we can hear their “mutual fascination with the mystery of creating entirely spontaneous music,” as aptly stated in the liner notes.
Light Through Dark album review by Andrew Timar – The WholeNote, Feb 2022

PERSONNEL/CREDITS:

Bill Gilliam: piano
Eugene Martynec: electroacoustics
Bill McBirnie: flute / alto flute
Engineering/Mixing/Mastering: Gary Honess, Khul Muzik, Toronto, ON
Cover Photo: Lake Erie at Dusk, by Bill Gilliam & Gord Way
Layout/Design: Mike Smith

About Bill

Bill is a Toronto based composer / pianist who creates and improvises new music compositions blending contemporary harmony and jazz idioms with his unique style of piano and prepared piano playing.

Originally from London UK, he studied jazz and film composition at Berklee College of Music. His diverse compositions, performances and recordings, with support from the Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council, have been showcased at Canadian venues as well as in London, UK and the USA.

He is active in Toronto as a composer, improvisor and presenter of innovative performances combining composed and improvised music, spoken word and visuals.

Upcoming Concerts

Date
October 19, 2025 Oct 19
What Is Freedom In Times Like These?
Annette Studios, 566 Annette St, Toronto, M6S 2C2
Note

Sunday Oct 19th, 8pm
Annette Studios
566 Annette St, Toronto

$20/PWYC

"What Is Freedom In Times Like These?" a spoken word & music performance featuring actor/musician Rod Campbell & cellist Margaret Maria & myself .

Set 1: Actor / musician Rod Campbell and pianist Bill Gilliam perform poems and excerpts by authors Constantine Cavafy, Adrienne Rich, Rabindranath Tagore, Samuel Beckett, Zbigniew Herbet, Rumi and Gilliam, expressing the difficult paths we take to preserve our rights and freedoms and the need to celebrate their continuation.

Set 2: The Marbyllia duo β€” cellist Margaret Maria and myself β€” will chart a new direction, exploring the freedom of musical expression through Portalz landscapes, performing cello and piano improvisations with spacious electronic sounds and rhythms. Rod will join us for the finale to enrich our textures of sound and poetry.

More
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Recent PostsFeed

  • Marbyllia – Uncountable Spheres – Media Quotes & Reviews
    March 4, 2024
  • Marbyllia – Margaret Maria & Bill Gilliam release “Uncountable Spheres”
    November 18, 2023
  • “Outside The Maze” – media comments & album reviews 2023
    August 18, 2023
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