Amos Corman, Uzy Feinerman @ Levontin 7, T.A. (Wed., August 30)

The intimate, basement space in this eerily quiet neighbourhood (which reminds me of T.O.'s Kensington Market once the sun sets) is actually perfect for this guitar/tabla show. It's billed as a tribute to Indian musician Amir Hussain Khan and American blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotton, both of whom I know absolutely nothing about until this evening. The first half of the show consists of one meandering, disjointed improvisation in which the musicians play circles around each other without ever finding themselves on the same page. The second half is a somewhat sloppy but very enjoyable bit of country tabla blues versions of Elizabeth Cotton's songs. Feinerman's studied, country-tonk accent shows that he's a devoted fan of country, and Corman's droll, unpolished singing actually adds to the performance because he clearly enjoys straying off the beaten path in tandem with his instrument of choice.