Join us as H II REGIONS visits the West Coast with performances and workshops!
H II REGIONS (Montreal) featuries tenor saxophonist Aaron Leaney, bassist Nicolas Caloia and drummer JahSun Promesse in an intuitive sonic exploration rooted in avant-jazz, punk with afro-caribbean influences. H II Regions are of the most beautiful extended objects that we can see in the universe. Aaron, Nicolas and JahSun will perform as H II Regions as well as join with the NOW community in improvised sound in various events.
April 18 8pm at 8EAST
performing in the NOW Society Spring Marathon
April 19 8pm at the Gumbook Cafe
Performance at the Gumboot Cafe, Roberts Creek
April 20 8pm at 8EAST
H II Regions meets 8EAST, improvised sets with Vancouver improvisers
April 18 2-3:30 pm at 8EAST
Aaron Leaney - tenor saxophone
Nicolas Caloia - electric bass
JahSun - drums and percussion
Aaron Leaney is a Montreal based Indo-Trinidadian-Canadian saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist and recording producer. His most recent vinyl LP, “Lockdown” features pioneer avant-guard drummer Guy Thouin (L'Infonie) and was released on Astral Spirits Records. In 2025, Leaney performed with Mats Gustafsson’s Fire! Orchestra at FIMAV, as well on tour with the experimental electro-latin drummer, Mas Aya (Lido Pimienta) and was co-leading his afro-caribbean post-punk trio, H ii Regions. Other projects include; an ongoing duo with Grammy-nominated percussionist, Chris Dadge, being a long-standing member of the avant-garde big band, The Ratchet Orchestra (recently featured on their 2024 double CD “Alive”) and exploring collaborations as an improviser, as well as developing analogue compositional techniques through his ambient and solo works. Leaney (Mus.B) is an active educator running empowering and creative outreach music programs for diversified youth in Little Burgundy.
Jahsun Promesse is a Montreal, Canadian/Caribbean based drummer, futurist & arts event curator. His music brings voice to ancestral memories manifested in imagined futures. Exploring free black expression, the abandon of traditional ‘drummer’ timekeeping roles, continuously seeking new sounds, contrasts, harmony, dissonance, storytelling, deep grooves, free time & authentic cultural exchanges.\
Nicolas Caloia is a Montreal based double bassist, composer, bandleader and the artistic director of the production company Musique rayonnante. For the past thirty years he has worked at creating a living music by using rigorously composed material to channel collective improvisation. The goal is a music that erases the lines between improvised and composed, pop and avant-garde, good and bad. As a bass player and bandleader Caloia’s music can be heard in ongoing collaborations with Tristan Honsinger, Joe McPhee, Matana Roberts, Lori Freedman, Malcolm Goldstein, Sam Shalabi, Jean Derome, Joshua Zubot and Yves Charuest among many others. Past projects have included collaborations with Roscoe Mitchell, Marshall Allen, Steve Lacy, Hassan Hakmoun, William Parker, and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Currently, the majority of his work as a composer finds a voice in the Ratchet Orchestra, a large group that includes many of the top improvising musicians in Montreal. Caloia often creates, tours, and performs in duos with Kim Zombik (the project Silvervest has recorded a new CD, "people's waterworks" during the Covid-19 pandemic) or with Lori Freedman, and Yves Charuest and also in the collective ensemble “Now and Then,” a group that invites different guests to explore the relationships and tensions between composition and improvisation.
We are committed to making 8EAST a safe(r), welcoming and more accessible space. We do not tolerate discrimination based on age, gender, neuro a-typicality, disability, place of origin, cultural background, religious beliefs, or sexual orientation. We do not tolerate racism, sexual aggression, assault, or harassment which can include unwanted touch or comments that objectify or sexualize. We adopt and follow the We Have Voice Collective Code of Conduct.
We can accommodate a variety of needs, including assistance dogs, walkers, wheelchairs, scooters, and strollers. To arrange for American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation, please contact now@nowsociety.org.
We recognize that access is an ongoing and evolving discussion, and acknowledge that this statement may be insufficient. Concerns or suggestions can be addressed, discussed or expressed anonymously by emailing safety@nowsociety.org. 8EAST ventilation: Open windows and door, 3 HEPA air purifiers and UV lights on return air in the HVAC system. Mask wearing is recommended and masks will be available. Seating, wooden stackable chairs without armrests, is movable.
Seating is generally arranged in groups of two or threes with space between groups for easy mobility. Wheelchair seating is easily accommodated. The 34 inch wide main entrance to 8EAST has a threshold of approximately 0.5 inches high. There is no door automation. During events, the door is open or can be opened by the Front of House person. There are no ramps or stairs to navigate. Internal floors are smooth concrete. Outdoor plaza events are held on concrete pavers, some are uneven. Paths and hallways are kept free of impediments.
8EAST has a wheelchair accessible, non-gendered toilet on site with a door width of 35 inches. Additional public toilets, not wheel chair accessible, are located in the adjacent hallway. The NOW Society emergency evacuation procedures are in place for all individuals. The Front of House person or a staff member onsite is trained in naloxone administration and will be the contact person in case of emergencies.
GETTING THERE AND PARKING:
8EAST is located within 50 meters of buses 004, 007, 019, 022, 209, and N19 on Pender Street. Stops for buses 003, 008, 014, 016, 020, N8, N20, and N35 are located within 250 metres on Hastings Street. Stadium–Chinatown SkyTrain Station is approximately 400 metres away. General metered street parking is available on surrounding streets. A passenger drop-off zone without a curb is located within 50 metres at 531 Carrall Street. To arrange for HandyDART transportation and accompanying assistants, please contact now@nowsociety.org.
There is a bike rack on the SW corner of Pender and Carrall Street, viewable while inside 8EAST and on the Plaza. Covered bike parking is available at the Main Street – Science World Skytrain Station. From there, one can take the #3 bus, then walk West down Pender to 8EAST (c. 5 mins), walk to 8EAST (c. 15 mins) or ride one skytrain stop to Stadium – Chinatown and walk Northwest to 8EAST (c. 5 mins). The closest Bike Locker to 8EAST is located at VCC Clark. From there, one can take trains to Stadium – Chinatown Skytrain Station and walk NorthWest to 8EAST