{"id":3201,"date":"2026-03-12T20:48:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T02:48:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/?p=3201"},"modified":"2026-03-28T16:37:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-28T22:37:42","slug":"john-sweenie-mysticism-for-intellectuals-album-release-brr-at-the-yardbird-suite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/2026\/03\/12\/john-sweenie-mysticism-for-intellectuals-album-release-brr-at-the-yardbird-suite\/","title":{"rendered":"John Sweenie &#8211; Mysticism for Intellectuals Album Release | BRR at the Yardbird Suite"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3207\" srcset=\"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-36x36.jpg 36w, https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover-48x48.jpg 48w, https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/BRR-202603CD_MysticismForIntellectuals_digitalcover.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>Thursday, April 9, 2026<br><\/strong>Doors open at 7:00 P.M.<br>Show starts at 8:00 P.M.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Yardbird Suite<br>11 Tommy Banks Way,&nbsp;Edmonton,&nbsp;AB<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forms.gle\/Wnt21gxefoUEgdjo7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FREE TICKETS available for MacEwan students.&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong>Limited availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/yardbirdsuite.com\/shows\/john-sweenie-mysticism-for-intellectuals-sponsored-by-bent-river-records\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">General admission available through the Yardbird Suite. $31<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:5px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>John Sweenie, saxophone<br>Brett Hansen, guitar<br>Chris Andrew, piano<br>Aretha Tillotson, bass<br>Mark Segger, drums<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two-song performance by MacEwan students: Sydney Amber\u00a0and\u00a0Talon Bassani<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sweenie and company leave no harmonic or melodic stone unturned in realizing compositions intended to frame both individual and collective improvisation. Spanning the spectrum between academic exercise and intuitive statement, <em>Mysticism for Intellectuals<\/em> reflects an ongoing attempt to reconcile method with instinct. The culmination of a nearly year-long working relationship, the band plays with risk, trust, and immediacy, producing a spontaneously energetic yet structurally cohesive recording that will reward active listeners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mixed by Paul Johnston (Christine Jensen) and mastered by Joao Carvalho (BADBADNOTGOOD, City and Colour), the production balances modern-jazz and indie-rock aesthetics. Mysticism for Intellectuals will be released on Bent River Records on April 9th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Already known for high-energy and risk-embracing performances, Canadian tenor saxophonist and composer John Sweenie builds his music from that same forward motion\u2014using the urgency of the bandstand as the engine for a language rooted in the bebop lineage while drawing from modern jazz and indie-rock aesthetics. In his work, strong melodic design and elastic rhythm become the means through which he pushes harmonic language to its edge, not as effect, but as a natural extension of that drive.&nbsp;From the bandstand to the page, that same approach shapes Sweenie\u2019s work: he writes music that frames both individual and collective improvisation, allowing spontaneity to unfold within a clear structural arc. His projects have received support from major arts organizations, and he is the recipient of national awards recognizing his artistic excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Together, these elements define an artist committed to momentum, clarity, and a distinctly personal voice within contemporary jazz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Thursday, April 9, 2026Doors open at 7:00 P.M.Show starts at 8:00 P.M. The Yardbird Suite11 Tommy Banks Way,&nbsp;Edmonton,&nbsp;AB FREE TICKETS available for MacEwan students.&nbsp;Limited availability. General admission available through the Yardbird Suite. $31 John Sweenie, saxophoneBrett Hansen, guitarChris Andrew, pianoAretha Tillotson, bassMark Segger, drums Two-song performance by MacEwan students: Sydney Amber\u00a0and\u00a0Talon Bassani Sweenie and company &#8230; <a title=\"John Sweenie &#8211; Mysticism for Intellectuals Album Release | BRR at the Yardbird Suite\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/2026\/03\/12\/john-sweenie-mysticism-for-intellectuals-album-release-brr-at-the-yardbird-suite\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","generate_page_header":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"RoboGalleryMansoryImagesCenter":false,"RoboGalleryPreload":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"menu-87.2793x36":false,"menu-36x36":false,"menu-48x48":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"BRR Team","author_link":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/author\/brr-team\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Thursday, April 9, 2026Doors open at 7:00 P.M.Show starts at 8:00 P.M. The Yardbird Suite11 Tommy Banks Way,&nbsp;Edmonton,&nbsp;AB FREE TICKETS available for MacEwan students.&nbsp;Limited availability. General admission available through the Yardbird Suite. $31 John Sweenie, saxophoneBrett Hansen, guitarChris Andrew, pianoAretha Tillotson, bassMark Segger, drums Two-song performance by MacEwan students: Sydney Amber\u00a0and\u00a0Talon Bassani Sweenie and company&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3201"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3233,"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3201\/revisions\/3233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bentriverrecords.macewan.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}